Content Marketing Strategist: Meet Mary Ellen Slayter

Good morning everyone, do we have a treat for you!

Today, we have part two in our on-going series of Women of HR interviews where we get to know some of our contributors and notable women in the field. You know – what they do, how they got there, and what advice they have for others – the usual stuff you would ask about if you were sitting across from them at Starbucks grabbing a coffee and catching up.

Last week we kicked off the series by speaking with Lexy Martin. It was full of HR technology awesomeness and I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did.

This week we are speaking to one of my favorite people, Mary Ellen Slayter! Mary Ellen is managing director/founder at Reputation Capital Media Services. Before creating her own content marketing firm, she served as director of content development and a senior general business and finance editor at SmartBrief, a leading publisher of e-mail newsletters. There, she led the editorial development of the SmartBlogs network, including SmartBlog on Leadership and SmartBlog on Social Media.

Before joining SmartBrief, she spent 8 years at The Washington Post, where she authored the Career Track column and worked as an editor in the business news department. She has a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Maryland and a Bachelor of Science in agronomy from Louisiana State University. That means she can correct the pH of your lawn, as well as the typos on your blog.

So Mary Ellen, to start off, why not tell us a little bit about your new business? I’m the owner of a content marketing agency based in Baton Rouge, La. I help businesses tell their stories through great blogs, white papers, newsletters and multimedia content. I started this business late last year after working nearly 15 years as a business journalist, mostly at The Washington Po

st and SmartBrief. Most of your readers probably know me as the editor of SmartBrief on Workforce. (Editor's Note: I love getting those SmartBrief emails, you should sign up for them too!)

How would you finish the following sentences?

My best advice … came from my maternal grandmother when I was in high school, “Sometimes you just have to do what you have to do. And if other people don’t like it, they can f*ck off and die.” (This is why the South is awesome. Our grandmothers really do say things like that over breakfast.)

I challenge … everyone to make friends with someone whom they appear to have nothing in common with. These are the people who can actually expand your worldview. The more bat shit insane they drive you on first impression, the better.

What if … employees wrote the first draft of all corporate mission statements?

Leaders … should be in it for more than status and perks. Do you actually have something to contribute to the world?

Women … underestimate the value of their contributions to the world.

HR … should be the second most powerful job in any organization that is big enough to have a dedicated HR person.

I lose it when … people act entitled to anything other than the fruits of their own hard work.

Awesome answers! Now, while I try and stop giggling over picturing a grandmother swearing, is there anything else you'd like to share with our readers? Confidence is 90% of success. You have to believe in yourself before anyone else will.

You can follow Mary Ellen Slayter on Twitter @RepCapital.

Mary Ellen, thank you so much for your time!