Jeanne Grunert, Sr. Content Strategist and Copywriter, Appointed to Fourth NAIWE Term
Sr. Content Strategist and Copywriter Jeanne Grunert Returns to NAIWE for Fourth Term on Expert Panel
Seven Oaks Consulting’s founder and president, Jeanne Grunert, will return to the National Association of Independent Writers and Editors (NAIWE) to serve a fourth term as the nonprofit’s branding and marketing expert.
“I’m excited to share my branding and marketing knowledge with my fellow writers and editors,” Jeanne said. “I love serving on the NAIWE expert panel and teaching writers how to market and promote their work.”
Jeanne is no stranger to the writing world. An award-winning writer herself, she enjoyed a successful freelance writing career before entering the marketing profession over 30 years ago.
“I understand the difficulties writers face when marketing their work,” she said. “And I know what it takes to build a personal brand as an independent writer and editor. As a certified personal branding specialist, I know the importance of personal branding for writers. I have built brands for startups and worked with 100-year-old organizations that wish to update their brand image. There is so much to building a great brand, and writers can truly benefit from using these techniques.”
Jeanne began her writing career at the age of 14 when her short story, “Runaway Boys,” won the Brockport Science Fiction and Fantasy competition. She studied fiction writing with Nancy Kress and Stephen Donaldson and published several short stories and magazine articles while in her teens. In her early 20s, she was a frequent freelance contributor to equestrian and religious publications, writing feature articles and personal essays. Her work has been anthologized numerous times, including in the popular “Chicken Soup for the Soul” book series.
In 1995, Jeanne was promoted to Marketing Manager of Martin Viette Nurseries, an upscale garden center and retail store on Long Island’s Gold Coast. She then embarked on a successful marketing career, obtaining her Master of Science (with distinction) from New York University and winning numerous awards for branding, catalog, and direct mail marketing. She has led marketing for divisions of The College Board, McGraw-Hill Education, and Teachers College, Columbia University.
In 2007, Jeanne moved to Virginia and founded her own marketing consulting agency, Seven Oaks Consulting. She offers content marketing strategy and plans, fractional senior content marketing support, and copywriting services through Seven Oaks. Seven Oaks supports technology, manufacturing, healthcare, and business services companies and white-label content marketing services to digital and local marketing agencies that focus on these industries.
As the NAIWE Branding and Marketing Expert, Jeanne Grunert serves on a distinguished panel of experts that offers guidance and help to writers through seminars, workshops, articles, and more. The National Association of Independent Writers and Editors is home to more than 9,000 freelance (independent) professionals focused on copywriting, creative writing, editing, and book publishing.
Why Human-Centered Marketing Wins in the Age of AI
Human-centered marketing is built on three things: honesty, transparency, and authenticity.
The digital marketing landscape has never been more crowded or more confusing. Algorithms change overnight, competitors flood every channel, and audiences grow increasingly skeptical of the messages they see. In this environment, brands face a critical question: How do we stand out without losing our integrity?
For Jeanne Grunert, founder of Seven Oaks Consulting and a veteran content marketing strategist, the answer is simple but powerful: human, helpful, honest. This philosophy is not just a tagline—it’s a framework for building marketing systems that drive measurable business growth while staying true to the values that matter most.
Human-Centered Marketing Connects with People
Too often, marketing reduces people to “targets” or “leads.” Jeanne challenges this mindset. She believes audiences are people first, and marketing must reflect that.
Her approach emphasizes clarity, empathy, and authenticity. Whether she’s guiding a company’s brand voice or developing a content strategy, Jeanne ensures that messaging resonates on a personal level. This human-first perspective builds relationships, not just clicks—and those relationships translate into loyalty and long-term success.
Helpful: Content That Solves Problems
Marketing should do more than sell; it should serve. Jeanne designs content systems that provide genuine value—educating, inspiring, and guiding audiences.
Her proprietary FutureProof SEO™ system exemplifies this principle. By aligning search visibility with usefulness, she ensures that content remains relevant even as search algorithms evolve. The result? Brands that are not only found but trusted.
From SEO-driven articles that answer real customer questions to RFP responses that secure multimillion-dollar contracts, Jeanne’s work demonstrates how helpful content can directly impact the bottom line.
Honest: Building Trust Through Transparency
Trust is the currency of modern marketing. Jeanne insists that honesty must be at the core of every campaign. That means no gimmicks, no overpromising, and no misleading tactics.
Instead, she guides companies to communicate with integrity—highlighting strengths, acknowledging limitations, and focusing on long-term relationships rather than short-term wins. This commitment to honesty strengthens brand reputation and creates a foundation for sustainable growth.
Why This Approach Matters Now
In an era dominated by AI-driven tools and automated messaging, audiences crave authenticity. They want to know that the brands they engage with are real, reliable, and respectful. Jeanne’s human-centered philosophy offers a refreshing alternative to the noise.
By blending empathy with strategy, she helps companies achieve visibility and growth without sacrificing authenticity. Her approach proves that marketing rooted in human connection is not only more ethical but also more effective.
The Takeaway
Marketing is evolving, but the fundamentals of trust and connection remain constant. Jeanne Grunert’s human, helpful, honest framework is more than a philosophy—it’s a competitive advantage.
For brands navigating the complexities of today’s digital landscape, embracing this human-centered approach is the key to standing out, building credibility, and driving meaningful results.
Human-Centered Marketing Starts Here
If you’re a business leader, marketer, or entrepreneur looking to cut through the noise, consider how your own content strategy measures up against these three principles. Are you being human? Helpful? Honest?
The brands that answer “yes” are the ones that will thrive—not just today, but in the future.
Contact Seven Oaks Consulting today and meet with Jeanne for SEO, branding or personal branding, or content marketing services. It's human-centered marketing at its best.
Clients often ask what sets Jeanne Grunert apart as a content marketing consultant. Here are answers to the most common questions we hear.
Frequently Asked Questions About Jeanne Grunert
1. What is Jeanne Grunert’s approach to content marketing?
Jeanne’s philosophy is built on three guiding principles: human, helpful, honest. She believes marketing should connect authentically with people, provide genuine value, and build trust through transparency. This human-centered approach ensures that content resonates with audiences while driving measurable business results.
2. What makes Jeanne Grunert different from other marketing consultants?
Jeanne combines strategic vision with technical expertise and persuasive writing. With advanced degrees in writing and direct/digital marketing, plus over 20 years of experience, she brings both creativity and rigor to her work. Her proprietary FutureProof SEO™ system is designed to keep brands competitive in an evolving digital landscape by aligning visibility with usefulness.
3. What kind of results has Jeanne achieved for her clients?
Her consulting has delivered tangible outcomes, including:
- Securing over $2.5 million in new business through successful RFP responses.
- Helping launch global brands that generated $6 million in their first month.
- Increasing organic traffic and improving search rankings for clients across industries.
These results demonstrate her ability to blend empathy with strategy for real business impact.
4. What services does Jeanne Grunert offer?
Jeanne provides a range of consulting services tailored to client needs, including:
- Fractional CMO leadership.
- Content marketing strategy and execution.
- SEO audits and optimization.
- RFP writing and response strategy.
- Copywriting and editing.
Her services are designed to help organizations strengthen visibility, credibility, and revenue.
5. Why should a company choose Jeanne Grunert as a consultant?
Jeanne’s unique selling point is her ability to combine empathy with measurable strategy. She delivers technical expertise while ensuring marketing feels authentic and trustworthy. Companies that work with her gain a partner who is committed to building long-term relationships, enhancing brand reputation, and achieving sustainable growth.
Contact Jeanne through Seven Oaks Consulting.
Jeanne Grunert, Award-Winning Writer and Marketing Expert, Appointed to Second Term as NAIWE Expert Panel Member
PRESS RELEASE: AP NEWS
PROSPECT, VA, UNITED STATES, March 4, 2024 / EINPresswire.com / -- Jeanne Grunert, an award-winning writer and marketing expert, has been appointed to a second term as a member of the National Association of Independent Writers and Editors (NAIWE) Expert Panel. Grunert serves as the organization’s branding and marketing expert, sharing her extensive knowledge with the group’s members. The NAIWE Board of Experts consists of individuals with expertise in writing, editing, publishing, and marketing who help their fellow members grow as writers and learn to promote their writing, editing, and related services.
“We are delighted to welcome Jeanne back for a second term as our branding and marketing expert,” said April Michelle Davis, Director of NAIWE. “We have so much more to learn from her! She did not hesitate to dive into the depth of each question asked of her and to provide examples to enhance understanding. NAIWE offers writers, editors, and other publishing professionals access to the publishing industry through its many member benefits and benefit partners.”
Independent writers and editors face an entirely new set of marketing challenges this year,” said Jeanne. “With the growing use of artificial intelligence in many industries, including writing, knowing how to build a positive personal brand and promote your work online is essential. I look forward to continuing to share marketing and branding best practices with my fellow wordsmiths.”
Jeanne Grunert is the founder and president of Seven Oaks Consulting, a business-to-business content marketing agency located in Prospect, Virginia. Prior to founding Seven Oaks Consulting in 2007, Jeanne led marketing for financial services and education organizations in the New York City area. Known worldwide for her exceptional leadership and communication skills, Jeanne works seamlessly across cultural and corporate barriers to achieve outstanding results. She holds an M.A. in Writing from CUNY Queens College and a M.S. in Direct and Interactive Marketing from New York University, as well as certification in Personal Branding from the University of Virginia.
Jeanne is also no stranger to the writing world. She began her professional freelance writing career as a teenager, publishing numerous articles and short stories. She is the author of eight books, including two well-received mystery novels and a business book, Pricing Your Services: 21 Tips for More Profit.
As a fellow author with extensive marketing industry experience, Jeanne looks forward to sharing her expertise with NAIWE members. She may be contacted through her company, Seven Oaks Consulting, or through the NAIWE website.
NAIWE Appoints Jeanne Grunert, Noted Content Marketing Consultant, to Expert Panel
EIN Presswire - News Release March 2023
PROSPECT, VIRGINIA, USA, February 22, 2023 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The National Association of Independent Writers and Editors (NAIWE) announced the appointment of noted writer and content marketing consultant Jeanne Grunert to the Association’s Board of Experts. The NAIWE Board of Experts consists of individuals with expertise in writing, editing, publishing, and marketing who help their fellow members grow as writers and learn to promote their writing, editing, and related services.
“We are so pleased to have Jeanne Grunert join NAIWE’s Board of Experts as the Branding and Marketing Expert,” said April Michelle Davis, NAIWE’s executive director. “Board members provide a valuable service to NAIWE members and to the publishing community at large by leading a webinar in their area of expertise, and we are excited to learn from Jeanne Grunert.”
Ms. Grunert is the founder and president of Seven Oaks Consulting, a business-to-business content marketing agency located in Prospect, Virginia. Prior to founding Seven Oaks Consulting, Jeanne led marketing for divisions of McGraw-Hill Education; Teachers College Columbia University; The College Board; and retail, publishing, and financial service companies in the New York City area. Known worldwide for her exceptional leadership and communication skills, Jeanne works seamlessly across cultural and corporate barriers to achieve outstanding results.
Jeanne is also no stranger to the writing world. As a teenager, she won a national short story competition and published numerous articles in hobby magazines. She continued writing for magazines for many years. Her essay, “A Teacher Named Kricket,” originally published in Equus, was included in the anthology Straight from the Heart – True Stories of Horses. Her fiction and creative nonfiction have appeared in Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover’s Soul, Equus, Horse Illustrated, and many other publications.
She has also published three nonfiction books, two novels, and several works of short fiction.
As a fellow author with extensive marketing industry experience, Jeanne looks forward to sharing her expertise with NAIWE members. She may be contacted through her company, Seven Oaks Consulting, or through the NAIWE website.
Happy Anniversary, Seven Oaks Consulting!
Happy anniversary Seven Oaks Consulting!
Celebrating 15 Years of Service: The Anniversary of Seven Oaks Consulting
You've got to go with the flow for content creator success.
Saturday, October 1, represented a big milestone for my company, Seven Oaks Consulting. We celebrated our 15th Anniversary! According to the SBA, only 25% of small businesses make it to the big 1-5. Half close in 5 years, more by year 10, leaving a scant 25% still running 15 years later.
I had a lot of exciting promotions I wanted to launch on October 1. The remnants of Hurricane Ian, however, decided otherwise, smashing trees down and wiping out the power for my area for most of the day. (It's back now, thank you Dominion Energy).
Like that first day we moved in here 15 years ago, nothing this past Saturday was working. Although unlike that October day 15 years ago, at least I could find my coffee pot (albeit the old-fashioned 1950s stovetop percolator!).
We've Grown and Changed from Acorn into Oak
As I sat at my kitchen table with pencil in hand, writing down a few thoughts and wondering when the power would be back on, I realized the symbolic significance of the events today compared to the events 15 years ago...
You have to go with the flow!
A successful business must adapt, change, and grow with the times. We as a company haven't remained static. We've changed with the times. We started out as a small consulting firm to the education marketplace (the industry I left when I left I moved from New York City.) Over the years, we adapted, adding writing services when my skills as a writer were in demand, finally melding the two skillsets into content marketing. A flair and passion for technology and manufacturing stories made that part of the agency come together, and two years ago, we branded as a B2B content marketing agency for the technology and manufacturing industries.
Today, as the sun shines, and the power is back on, I have to laugh at how my big plans - press releases, an online event - all came to naught thanks to an oak tree, of all things. Seven Oaks Consulting's 15 year anniversary celebration was temporarily postponed due to an oak tree wiping out the power.
You've got to laugh at the fun the universe has with us.
Happy anniversary Seven Oaks Consulting, and here's to another 15 years of great content marketing and writing!
Seven Oaks Consulting Featured in Fundera
There's greater interest now than ever before in rural small businesses. Journalist Priyanka Prakash interviews me for this piece on rural small business in the online publication, Fundera.
Rural Small Businesses Earn Better Profits and More Financing
Among business owners, rural areas get a bad rap. But I've found that conducting business in a rural area - thanks to the internet - offers many advantages.
Read the article for the full story. Thank you again to Ms. Prakash for the opportunity.