Hey, I'm Sy.
copywriter. Strategist. storyteller. wannabe food critic.
I know you’re mainly here to snoop on my work and silently judge my life choices (fair, we’ll get to that). But I also know you want messaging that’s punchy, purposeful, and pays off. And gets your brand noticed for all the right reasons, by all the right people.
Sidenote isn’t your typical copywriting studio. There’s no circling back, touching base, or leveraging synergies. Those phrases are gathering dust in the same bin I chucked boring, lifeless copy into.
Sidenote hangs its hat on a few core principles, combining a bold approach with a strategic process that keeps copy sharp, memorable, and anything but ordinary.
Audience first. Always.
When you don’t understand your customer, selling becomes an uphill battle. Every project that passes this keyboard is built on insights, buyer psychology, and deep research—designed to position your brand as the go-to choice.
Audience first. Always.
When you don’t understand your customer, selling becomes an uphill battle. Every project that passes this keyboard is built on insights, buyer psychology, and deep research—designed to position your brand as the go-to choice.
Audience first. Always.
When you don’t understand your customer, selling becomes an uphill battle. Every project that passes this keyboard is built on insights, buyer psychology, and deep research—designed to position your brand as the go-to choice.
Sales-focused storytelling.
This is where creativity meets conversion strategy. It builds trust, tackles objections, highlights the right benefits at the right time, and guides your audience straight to a resounding hell yes.
Audience first. Always.
When you don’t understand your customer, selling becomes an uphill battle. Every project that passes this keyboard is built on insights, buyer psychology, and deep research—designed to position your brand as the go-to choice.
Authentic brand voice.
Because sounding like everyone else is the fastest way to fade into the background. Your brand’s voice is your personality on the page—a distinct, memorable identity that sets you apart (for all the right reasons).
Ready for words that roll up their sleeves, pour a stiff drink, and get sh*t done?
And by sh*t, I mean words that give your brand a voice people actually want to hear. The kind that makes you unmistakable, undeniable, and impossible to ignore.
WHAT'S BETTER THAN THAT?
(Ok, maybe money. But we can have both.)
the backstory (now you can start judging)
The '80s gave us big hair, questionable fashion, and a kid torn between becoming a writer or a Maccas drive-thru b*tch.
And unfortunately, one of those dreams panned out at 14 & 9 months. But it was fries. I was the fries b*tch.
Hi, I'm Sy. the weird 80's kid.
But let’s skip the three-shake secret for perfectly seasoned fries and get to the good stuff.
01
I wasn’t always the writer, accountant, and customer service rep at this little copy studio. I used to sell vices.
Wine, whisky, and all the things that made Fridays fun. Then, in an unexpected move, I swapped booze for BCAAs. Because even my career needed a cleanse.
Before Sidenote, I worked with well-known brands, crafting shopper campaigns designed to get bottles off shelves, supps into gym bags, and cans into hands.
I spent my days figuring out what makes people buy. Why one bottle of wine gathers dust while another sells out. Why some brands get obsessed over, while others barely get a second look.
02
but somewhere in between convincing people to pick between Pinot and Shiraz, I had a realisation: it wasn’t just the drinks I loved—it was the words.
The psychology. The way strategic insights and data shape stories that sell. The way language creates connection.
And while the creative side of marketing had me hooked, the fluorescent lights, meetings that should’ve been emails, and corporate-approved messaging that sucked the fun out of a good idea left me a little less enthused.
I wanted to get lost in the words, not buried under approval rounds and finance reports.
03
Ah, 2020—a year of surprises. For me, it was the year I stumbled (quite happily) into freelance writing.
And I took full advantage of this dream-come-true detour, swapping corporate life for freelance. I dusted off my English degree, grabbed everything I knew about marketing and consumer psychology, and threw myself into writing.
And now, Sidenote Copy is where all of that comes together. A copy studio for brands that want strategy and creativity to work in tandem and bring their story to life.
Oh, and I finally get to fulfil the other childhood dream.
So, if it’s not fry seasoning you’re after (or is it?), I’m guessing it’s sharper, smarter words for your brand.
let's talk copy
what I'm known for
sarcasm
what i'm really known for
sleeping 10+
KNOWN TO SPLURGE ON
notebooks
MY FAVOuRITE PLACE TO HOLIDAY
portugal
ALWAYS ORDER ME A
dirty martini.
extra olives.
best copy tip
Talk like a human. Simple, right?
HOLD UP! BEFORE YOU GO
Not sure what you need? This is where you should start.
Want to know if I can *actually* write? This is the page you want.
Ready to talk business? Jump over and fill out the very short form.