A quick chat

Filling in blanks about McDonough Communications. The path to compelling financial content isn't always conventional. Neither is this.

Why is Shift|Key Content important?

Financial writing requires certain dexterities. But market dynamics aren't always forgiving of the writing process. The more aware firms are of how to build their best content, the more they can optimize the financial and intellectual capital they invest in their writing.

Who is your target audience?

The broader financial services industry, though investment research is the wheelhouse. Firms with exposure to emerging markets are of particular interest.

What's that about emerging markets?

The experience there runs deep. My primary responsibility at BofA Merrill Lynch involved managing editorial programs for EM research teams. Latin America was a major focus, with projects bringing me to Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico.

What’s one of your goals for writers?

To alleviate stress. Publishing in financial circles is complex—the content requires nuance, workflows can be unwieldy, and deadlines loom.

And yet...

There are ways to make it an easier go for everyone involved.

What does financial content often lack?

Empathy.

Explain.

Writers offer a service. Readers judge the value of that service within seconds of discovery. It's up to writers to consider how readers want to engage content and to adjust their writing strategies accordingly.

Can you summarize the mindset writers need?

Writers, it's about the readers, not you.

What do the writers get out of this deal?

A better way.

What's a pro tip?

Fewer words.

Why does this sound like content therapy?

Because it is.

What content do you work with? 

Short- and long-form research reports, corporate communications, marketing materials, presentations, audio and video scripts, emails, social media posts. In short, anything with words resembling—or trying to resemble—a coherent thought. 

What does the subject matter look like?

It runs the gamut. General market performance, the Fed and global central bank policy, inflation, tariffs, geopolitics, thematics, AI and the digital world, cryptocurrencies and blockchain, ETFs, private equity, private credit, commodities, COVID-19, etc. 

How do you view AI’s role in content creation?

It can be an unbelievably powerful tool.

But…

To use AI effectively, understanding the desired output is critical—and in financial content, that means more than knowing what you want to produce. It means having a precise, documented standard for what good content looks like: the firm's voice, the argumentative structure, the audience expectations, the compliance constraints.

What are firms getting wrong?

Many firms are approaching AI in their content workflow backwards. They're asking what AI can do and then fitting their content around that.

How can you help?

Flip the sequence. We start with your content—your voice, your standards, your audience, your compliance environment—and build an AI-assisted framework around that. The result is something that simultaneously accelerates productivity and improves product quality.

What is the writing seminar like?

It's not one-size-fits-all. And it's not a lecture. Broadly, we analyze the product suite, develop a custom program based entirely on the client's content, and then present our findings in an interactive workshop. 

What are the rates?

This is a take on financial content-as-a-service, where clients can select from a menu of options. Rates vary depending on the service(s) provided. 

Why are you doing this now?

Opportunity knocked. This venture is also part of a larger personal effort to take a few more shots. Simple as that.  

What about your own content?

Eventually, the plan is to create space on here to put a few thoughts together and diversify this thing into a few other areas.

Anything else?

Words spoken and written mean something. Attention must be paid.