As a brand strategist and copywriter, Susie Doré has built a reputation around her hands-on approach to crafting brand experiences that create raving fans—and ultimately—joy.
Healing Words
They say that what you loved doing at around 10 years old is what you were destined to do. Given I won a city newspaper essay contest at that age, it’s no surprise I ended up circling back to a passionate knack for writing. [By the way, I was awarded an original Emily Carr painting for that contest—which my parents sold in a garage sale for $15.00—but let’s not dwell on that artistic blunder oversight.]
In fact, writing has always been an escape for me. After enduring years of childhood sexual abuse—and the shameful secrets and PTSD that came with it—writing became the voice for my brokenness as I navigated my teens. Journal after journal, it gave me the breathing space to start healing through whimsical stories and self-assurance that no matter how you begin, you can always have a happy ending. Most of all, writing taught me to surrender to vulnerability and embrace joy, not shame.
Joy is a Decision
Having grown up around entrepreneurs, my career path seemed to naturally meander into marketing. The corporate world was simultaneously challenging and uninspiring, so as soon as I got a taste of being a part of some maverick start-ups, I knew my purpose was to build concepts, ideas, and brands.
Fearless pursuits and projects resulted in a whole lot of trial, error, and brutal course-correction, but with joy as my GPS, what became crystal clear is that when it comes to doing business, joy is a decision. It’s a choice purposefully made by a customer because a brand consistently delivers an experience that makes them smile and say to themselves, “This brand gets me.” It’s an emotional connection—online and on the front lines—that makes customers feel good about a product or service.
And hey, happy customers are great. Who doesn’t want those? But happiness can be fickle and gone in an instant. Joy is a constant that turns transactional into transformational, and customers into raving fans.
Joy in Progress
It’s that philosophy that fuelled the foundation behind Joyride Branding, where my team and I thrive on building brand experiences around big ideas. From strategy and copywriting through web design and digital marketing, we enjoy delivering creative genius to game-changing brands in multiple sectors, including e-commerce, professional services, and tourism & hospitality.
Next up, I’m excited to soon be launching Joyride Living, a joy-filled platform for blog musings, fun adventures, Test Kitchen recipes, and more.
True North
Besides leaning into joy as my true north, what I’ve learned in life so far is there are no coincidences; everything is unfolding as it should in perfect, divine order. It’s about allowing, persevering, and adjusting when necessary—but most importantly—trusting the journey and enjoying the ride.
