Reconnect with your Spark

Learn to consistently create content that is aligned, authentic and sparked by your soul.

This class takes you from generating ideas to finalizing branded thought-leadership content for LinkedIn, newsletters and Substack.

Because sometimes it’s hard to create content and get it out there. Maybe you

  • Have some ideas but don’t know how to go from the blank page to a piece you want to post.
  • Finish a first draft, but then you get stuck on the rewrites.
  • Post every once in a while, but can’t seem to create a routine.
  • Wish you had a strategy for creating and posting content that felt do-able and not overwhelming.
  • Feel like it’s hard to find the time to write quality content for your brand, so instead you just don’t write anything.

If any of this feels like you, we invite you to join us this spring for SparkLab, our six-week, hands-on creative and practical online course in creating must-read content.

What to expect each week:

  • Set up: Monday before each class, we’ll send out a question that sparks inspiration and dovetails with the week’s work.
  • In-Class Creative Lab: Brand messaging deep dives + Writing prompts + Idea sparks
    • Lesson
    • Exercise
    • Group Share/Supportive Feedback
  • In-Class Practical Lab: Strategies for consistently producing great content + Creating a posting cadence that’s realistic + Real-time feedback and peer support
    • Lesson
    • Exercise
    • Brand Dare (done outside of class)

We’ve designed this course to help you carve out precious time to focus on expressing yourself for the benefit of your spirit, and your brand.

You’ll be guided by Jocelyn, writer, marketer, brand strategist and content producer; and Emily, principal brand strategist, author and facilitator; with the support of our other writers and strategists, Chris and Kel.

We will guide you from generating ideas (even if you feel uninspired) to creating a content and posting strategy that is consistent and sustainable, filled with authentic, must-read content.

We’ll ground our work in three pillars:

  • Cadence
    When, where and how will you create content?
  • Consistency
    How often will you commit to posting and engaging?
  • Content of Impact
    What metrics are meaningful to you?

This foundation will allow you to elevate your brand and create consistent, must-read, thought-leadership content using your authentic voice. 

Each week we’ll apply the pillars to a new topic:

  • Week One – Language That Embodies Your Brand
  • Week Two – Editing The Fear Out of Sharing
  • Week Three – Overcoming the Overwhelm
  • Week Four – Crafting Content That Connects
  • Week Five – Using the World as Inspiration
  • Week Six – Repetition is your friend

You’ll walk away with new tools and support to spark your creativity and produce the kind of content you’ve always wanted. By the end of the course, you will have at least one full month of content to post to LinkedIn. You’ll also know how to repurpose that content for other platforms like newsletters, blogs and Substack.

$2,500

  • Get your ideas out of your head, onto the page and into the world.
  • Produce content you love that differentiates your brand.
  • Keep creating even when you’re busy and overwhelmed.
  • Connect with your ideal audience in a way that invites engagement.
  • Use life and the world as inspiration without getting too personal.
  • Repurpose content in a way that isn’t repetitive.
  • Get through rewrites to publishing.
  • Create a strategy to post regularly that you can actually implement.
  • Dive Deep:
    We’ll guide you in going deep to uncover and rediscover language that embodies your brand (and no one else’s).
  • Spark your Soul:
    Because we believe brand is how others experience your soul, we’ve got creative prompts and practical lessons for tapping into your soul and sharing it with others.
  • Attract and Repel:
    In order to attract our ideal audience, we have to also repel those who aren’t really for us. When we spend energy trying to attract everyone, we dilute the power of our message, and then no one really feels it.
  • Cadence, Consistency, and Content of Impact:
    Producing soulful, branded content that invites higher-quality engagement is based on the three pillars of Cadence, Consistency, and Content of Impact. We will teach you how to use these pillars as cornerstones for creating a sustainable content plan.
“Before working with Root + River, we knew our company was much more unique and impactful than the language we were using to describe it. We knew our company was amazing but we didn’t know how to communicate the passion we felt for our brand. This disconnect made us feel as if our brand was undefined and made us hesitant to market our amazing company.”
– Carson Holmquist, CEO/Co-Founder, of Stream Logistics

Because we believe Brand is how others
experience your soul

With 25+ years experience
as a freelance writer, marketer, brand strategist and content producer,

Jocelyn previously wrote and produced a decade-long travel blog and is currently the publisher of a successful weekly Substack with a robust and engaged community. She believes branding isn’t about product, it’s about people and the sacred work of helping them tell their stories. She is a lighthearted and generous teacher who loves supporting other writers on their journey.

Emily’s career spans 30+ years as a journalist, publisher and VP of corporate communications. She is the co-author of the book, Rooting Up: Essays on Modern Branding, and author of over 100 LinkedIn articles on brand, marketing, leadership, and communication. She sees words as power sources, and is full of insight, curiosity and kindness as she guides others to find the words that spark their power.

Chris has 30+ years in politics, public relations, community outreach, marketing, strategy, writing, editing and design direction. She is an insightful, generous, soul-level writer, strategist, wordsmith, intrinsic marketer, and thought leader.

Kel is here to help people. He thrives on knowing he’s making a difference and one of his many gifts is inviting clients into our soul-searching space with his warmth and huge smile.

FAQ

The course starts on Thursday, March 13, at 10:30 a.m. CT and takes place each Thursday for six weeks through April 17, 2025. Each class is 75 minutes long.

We designed it this way to give you immersive creative and practical learning experiences, and to create a habit of carving out time to work on your content.

There will be a little work for you to do in between classes, and one of the major learning points is how to consistently create content without:

  • burning out
  • falling into overwhelm
  • getting stuck

and with:

  • more ease
  • confidence
  • joy

This is a fast-paced, deep dive to get you sparked on your content. If you have questions or feel stuck or overwhelmed, reach out! We’re here to support you!

That is up to you, but our aim is to help you streamline your content creation process, so you spend less time worrying about what to write, how to write it and when to publish it. We want you to walk away feeling confident in your ability to generate and publish authentic and original content, consistently, in a way that is sustainable for your individual schedule.

Everything at Root + River is optional, but we suggest you set aside a bit of time to prep so you get more out of our time together. That preparation can take place 10 minutes before class or you can set aside more time, if you like. It’s all up to you. 

Each week before class we will email you a set of pre-questions to get your creative spark going and to help you be prepared to dive in and use the most of your class time with us and your classmates.

Yes! We think you probably are good at content, you just haven’t had the right guide to help you create a sustainable practice. That’s exactly what this course is for!

Still have questions? Email us to schedule a 15-minute call.

The Root + River team is devoted to creating a space where everyone is respected, heard and seen. We seek consent before providing feedback, and come from a base of non-harm, with positive intent. We focus on what works, so you can learn to spot and create more of it.

root sessions

THIS is FOR YOU IF:

  • You love (or don’t love) to write.
  • You want to deepen your connection to your audience.
  • You think you’re not good at content (we think you are, you just need the right guide).

IT’S PROBABLY not FOR YOU IF…

  • You’re not interested in going deep and creating soulful content.
  • You prefer salesy or quick content.
  • You never get stuck or feel like you need a strategy for creating powerful content, consistently.