Carly Ottaway

Copywriter & CEO

I’ve been juggling the roles of writer and entrepreneur for as long as I can remember. When I wasn’t hiding out in my room playing Harriet the Spy and writing stories about the scenes I watched from my window, you’d find me picking pears off of the tree in our backyard and selling them door-to-door.

My passion for storytelling followed me into university where I studied Professional Writing. I quickly found my footing in journalism after falling in love with the interviewing process. There’s something so inspiring about getting into my subject’s head, finding out what drives them, and capturing their story in words they really connect with.

Early on in my career, while working as Senior Writer for a marketing agency and freelancing for national magazines on the side, my boss gave me an ultimatum. He said, “You can either chase the Pulitzer Prize or be the best digital marketer in the city.” I didn’t want to choose—so I went after both on my own.

I quit that job with nothing more than one small client contract and a blog called “Charlotte’s Web of Words” to my name (my real name is Charlotte). At the time, I had no idea what direction this business was going in. But I knew I wanted the freedom to work with my own clients, to write where and when I felt most creative, and to break any glass ceiling that came my way.

Within the first year, the web grew to include my husband, Luke, and then a full team. Today, the Web of Words name has taken on an entirely new meaning—describing what I now believe we were meant to be all along, as we help small business owners build up their Web presence through the power of Words.

Now, as the CEO of my own company, helping other business owners articulate their story in a meaningful way is more empowering than ever. When we support each other, it acts as a ripple effect. Getting the word out into the universe about our clients’ incredible services and products—this is what really fires me up.

There’s never a day I don’t learn something new from the clients we work with, and this constant push for growth is crucial to me. It’s what I love about being an entrepreneur—the sky is the limit, and there’s nothing more rewarding than helping other business owners see what’s possible.

Luke Ottaway

Director Of Operations

Entrepreneurship was engrained in me from a young age. Growing up, I dreamt of taking over my dad’s company. In my eyes, small business ownership was the mark of success. But somewhere between my dad selling the business and me heading off to university, I lost that path.

Over the years I wore many hats, from retail tech guru, to running a team at an entertainment marketing company. I loved working with people and helping them bring out the best sides of themselves, but every Sunday I found myself dreading the week ahead. That’s when Carly convinced me it was time to join the business.

Once I leaned into my entrepreneurial roots, I embraced my true path: helping people reach their goals. In my eyes, there is nothing better than building a personal relationship with a client, watching them see their vision come to life, and finding the kind of success they didn’t think was possible. But, at the end of the day, motivating our own team is my top priority. Because I know we’re better equipped to show up for our clients when we’re inspired.

We show up for our clients like no one else in the business because we take our work personally. And there’s nothing more rewarding than watching my team go to battle for our clients every day.

None of us are perfect experts. But when you combine our knowledge and passion, it’s clear to me that we are the experts in helping small businesses share their message. We all spin a little piece of the web.

Nicole Bogart

Copywriter

I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember. From the time I was old enough to put a pen to paper, I was making sense of the world around me using words.

It was no surprise to anyone that my love for writing shaped an exciting career in journalism, working for some of the country’s biggest news organizations both on-air and in print. But no matter where my job took me, I always wrote with one goal in mind: to share real, human stories.

Over the years, these stories have helped me make sense of life’s greatest challenges and empowered me to become an activist for causes I hold close to my heart. Some of my best ah-ha moments have come from my love for putting thoughts into words. But I know this doesn’t come easily to everyone.

After making the jump from full-time journalist to freelancer, I noticed just how many entrepreneurs were struggling to put a voice to their incredible ideas. So, I joined the Web of Words team and made it my mission to help them share their stories.

I love using my journalistic skills to ask our clients the questions they haven’t thought to ask themselves, infusing the passion they have for their business into their copy and telling their story from an angle they’ve never looked at it from before. And the best compliment is when our clients feel excited about their story.

Samantha Fitzpatrick

Senior Web Designer

I’ve never been someone who likes to stay inside the lines. I’m the kind of person who is constantly learning and pushing the boundaries—and, in the world of web design, there is always something new to learn.

Unlike most people, I like to design and build websites. Whether I’m sitting down to design a website from scratch, or build something unique from the bones of a template, my job is never the same. And our clients constantly push me to think outside of the box.

That’s why I believe the client relationship comes before the code. No two websites are ever the same—they’re just as unique as the brand behind the content. I love getting to know our clients, laughing with them, and understanding what fuels their fire so I can bring that vision to life.

Joining the Web of Words team, taking control of my schedule, and gaining even more creative freedom represented a big shift in my life. Not only do I get to be more present with my son, I get to show up for our clients when I’m feeling most creative. Work truly doesn’t feel like work when you have this kind of freedom—and I love sharing that with our clients.

Giustina Kean

Account Manager

Like so many of our clients, I built my career out of a desire for something more. After leaving my corporate job to teach yoga, I found myself managing the studio and its online presence. I knew the amount of work I had taken on wasn’t sustainable. But there was something about crafting social media posts that I couldn’t get enough of.

Social media is truly a melting pot of everything I love, from creative writing to photography. I find it exciting to set the tone of a post by playing with the wording or punctuation and grasping the emotion with a beautiful image.

I believe there are infinite possibilities in the digital world. You can create anything you want. But with so many ways to get your message across, it’s easy to get stuck in a rut.

I know first-hand how rejuvenating it can be to have an outsider’s perspective, which is why I love helping small businesses level up their digital marketing and stand out from the crowd.

I like our clients to think of me as their personal hype machine. Because no matter how much we believe in ourselves, we rarely take the time to pump ourselves up. You can trust me to put myself in your shoes, learn the ins and outs of your business, and get you excited about your online strategy again.

Sarah Bartnicka

Copywriter

I spent much of my childhood immersing myself in stories. Diving into a good book and losing myself in the plotline felt like a total safety net. Early in life, books taught me that the right words have the power to change how people think and feel. As a copywriter, I’m now even more in awe of the impact of words.

Copywriting wasn’t exactly the path I set out on. But no matter where my career has taken me, I seem to always raise my hand to take on additional projects that involve creative writing. There’s something special about turning ideas into words that live on forever. And knowing I can help build a brand and convert prospects into paying customers for clients through copy is so empowering.

By far, the best part of my job is seeing someone’s brand vision come to life. I love when clients tell me what I’ve written sounds exactly like them, as if they’ve put their thoughts through an editor’s filter. I find clients often already have the right words; they just need someone to help pull them out.

When I’m not writing myself, you can find me focused on other people’s work—whether reading though my favourite email newsletters or scanning an ad on the subway. I have a deep appreciation for copy that speaks to me and strive to deliver that same impact for our clients.