By now, you’ve gotten to know Ashton and Jess, content writers on our team, as well as Lauren, our content strategist. Today, you’ll meet Amanda, Lead Copywriter and Oxford Comma Apologist.
If I (Jess) had to describe Amanda in three words after getting to know her at the Uncanny team retreat in Nashville, it would be: sincere, surprising, and nerdy. Of course, three words doesn’t do her justice. Read on to learn more about Amanda!
State your full name, for the record:
Amanda Beth Holland
Where do you live?
Pinewood Springs, Colorado
A note from Jess: Pinewood Springs looks like a pretty little mountain town — and it’s near one of the coolest (in my opinion) cities in Colorado, Estes Park.
Who do you live with?
Husband (Brion) and kids (William, 13, and Toria, 11)
Don’t forget pets:
Mal (Black Lab — her name is short for Maleficent) and Walt (orange cat)
What did you do before working with Uncanny?
I’ve been a freelance content writer since 2015. Before that, I worked as a Signals Analyst for the Department of Defense from 2005 to 2010.
A note from Jess: Doesn’t “Signals Analyst for the Department of Defense” sound badass?
What’s your favorite movie? (Latasha let us pick two only)
The Lord of the Rings trilogy. (It counts as one!) But if I had to pick a single movie of the trilogy, The Return of the King. Also Pride and Prejudice (the 2005 version).
A note from Jess: Agreed that the LOTR trilogy should count as one. And that Return of the King was the best of the three. But anything with Viggo Mortensen is a win, really.
What’s your favorite book?
The Lord of the Rings
If you could travel anywhere, where would it be?
Scotland or New Zealand
Who was your first crush? How did that end for you?
In middle school, I liked a couple guys who never knew I existed, lol.
First legit crush who liked me back was Brion. We started dating junior year of high school and have been married for almost 18 years.
A note from Jess: High school sweethearts. The romance 😭
What’s your favorite part about your work with Uncanny?
Having the opportunity to constantly research and learn new things, and working from home with a flexible schedule.
What do you wish more people knew about the work you do?
That there are so many parts to it! It’s not just being able to write some decent sentences with proper grammar.
You have to be able to research, switch tone/voice for each client, ruthlessly edit your own work, and constantly adapt to changing factors, like SEO rules and social media trends.
What’s the hardest part of the work you do?
Following style guides that don’t want the Oxford comma!
When you’re not working, what do you like to do?
Read (mostly fantasy or romance), bake, and play World of Warcraft.
A note from Jess: Amanda revealed to us that she bakes ALL of the pies for her family at Thanksgiving. Like 4 or 5 different pies. What a boss.
What’s one goal you have for yourself in the next year (not related to work)?
To be able to deadlift my body weight.
Do you have any secret talents or fun party tricks? (You will be asked to do these at a future team retreat.)
Nope 😂
A note from Jess: FINE, Amanda, we’ll just have to find out for ourselves at the next one!
You can follow Amanda on Instagram at @amandabholland05! Keep an eye out for her on Uncanny’s Instagram @uncannycontent, too!
