Oh, hey. I'm Gretchen Kalwinski, a writer, editor, and crafter of content.
A bit about me: My background is in editorial and I’ve worked as an arts and culture editor, founded a literary blog, and planned events. More recently, I’ve tackled copy and content strategy for brands like Crate & Barrel, Walgreens Boots Alliance and Blue State Digital, written for Fortune 100 brands, and dabbled in UX writing. This hybrid of marketing and publishing experience gave me a great foundation for helping organizations find their authentic narrative
Work History
I earned my B.A. in English/Communications from Indiana University, and my career began with an editorial assistant position at the University of Chicago Press. I soon went on to help edit publications like Feminist Response to Pop Culture and Venus Zine.
My first big cover story was for the Chicago Reader, about an exotic feline rescue center in Indiana. Then, as a features editor at Time Out Chicago, I wrote and edited culture, arts, and lifestyle stories ranging from festivals to spas and travel.
In 2007, I co-founded the now-defunct Chicago literary website Literago.org with Eugenia Williamson; it won accolades from Lonely Planet and Chicago Magazine. In 2010, I transitioned from journalism to copy/communications. I also won a Ragdale Artist Residency for fiction and began an M.F.A. in creative writing at Northwestern University. During the next few years as a senior copywriter at TransUnion, I wrote B2B copy. In evenings, I worked on my own writing, wrote literary blog posts for Triquarterly, and attended classes for my master's degree.
ABOVE: At a creative writing residency at Ragdale, circa 2009.
After completing MFA studies in 2014, I struck out as an independent writing and communications consultant. Since then, I've coached writers privately, and as an editor for Curbside Splendor. I've also tackled business, travel, and lifestyle stories (for Orbitz, Jumble & Flow, and The Dodo) and marketing projects for Crate & Barrel, gravitytank (later Salesforce), and Blue State Digital. At content agency Imagination, I wrote/edited for a B2B pub, producing features (like this healthcare story), planning social content, and supervising a junior editor. Other freelance projects include content for Verishop, and business stories for Booth Magazine. I’ve also spent a few years at in-house creative team roles for Walgreens and the American Medical Association (as Copy Director and Senior Copy Manager, respectively).
View My Copywriting Portfolio →
I’ve spoken, consulted with, and been on panels for orgs like the Chicago Artists Coalition, WBEZ, Printers Row, Northwestern University, Chicago Tonight, Bad at Sports, and WGN Radio.
As of January 2024, I’m the Managing Editor for women’s health and wellness startup The Midst, a site I’ve contributed to and edited for over the past 5 years.
Wanna work together?
Check out my copy book, journalism clips, or just email me at gretchenkalwinski@gmail.com.