Coffee with a Creative ☕️

Hello Subscriber First Name, welcome to the February instalment of Coffee with a Creative. Through this series every month we will get to know a bit more about one of our Creativault members, and gain a deeper insight into their unique story.

This month’s creative is Adele from Bookleaf Copy, a Boorloo-based brand story and copy consultant crafting naturally different words for heart-first founders.

Meet Adele founder of Bookleaf Copy

What got you into copywriting?

At school, I always loved English and felt so at home around words. I studied professional writing and creative writing at uni before stepping into a 12-year career in comms and PR. My work life was pretty linear until I had my son, Arthur, in 2021.

In my new role as Maternity Lead at My House, I picked up a real estate flyer and noticed it casually thanked their copywriter for helping them rebrand. At the time, I had never heard the term, despite working as ~exactly this~ my whole adult life. I stalked the accounts of successful freelance copywriters and saw a work-life-toddler balance I instantly craved.

As soon as I had my ABN, I wrote a friend’s website for free and loved every second. Working one-on-one with passionate business owners felt worlds apart from corporate life. Freelancing opened my eyes to the heart and grit of the neighbourhood I lived in – and cracked open a journey of inner growth I am forever grateful for.

Five years on, I still haven’t looked back. Writing from home, bottling the passion of brilliant heart-first founders in the community, and building something that’s entirely my own is a dream.

What is the weirdest/funniest/unusual job you have worked on?

I used to work in the PR team at Princess Margaret Hospital for Children. It was a lot of fun – but also sad and challenging at times. It’s where I really cut my teeth in storytelling.

In 2014, we held a ministerial event to unveil a giant, photographic timeline of the hospital’s milestones over the century. To add to the vibe, I was asked if I’d wear an original, bright yellow 1970’s nurse’s uniform that had been hanging up in archives for years. I managed to squeeze into it and shuffled round the event trying not to rip the paper-thin dress and matching headpiece while I posed with the health minister for photos.

What has your proudest moment been in your career?

A lot of proud and memorable moments come up when I think about my time as a vice regal speechwriter at Government House WA.

As their first communications hire, there was no team to lean on and no existing comms processes or strategy. After years working with clever peers, being on my own felt stretchy but looking back it was perfect timing and an amazing experience.

It was a privilege to write for three different Governors during their terms. Each brought their own voice, stories, and style. Every month I’d sit in their office as we explored the themes of upcoming speeches to find a personal throughline. I listened deeply to their life experiences, asked questions, and shared lots of laughs. I’d then shape these notes into something topical, compelling, and always full of heart.

Having the chance to stand quietly at the side of the room while a speech was delivered was really rewarding.

What are you working on right now?

Right now, I’m working with clients on brand story and strategy – the branches that leaves of copy and content can then hang from.

Last year I noticed people were coming to me for website copy, but what they really needed before that hit the page was space to shape their why – their vision, values, story, and positioning. In December, I let the leaves fall on website copywriting and leaned fully into the work I was already finding the most joy and impact in: brand stories, messaging, and deeper creative partnerships.

I’m now providing brand therapy for on-call comms support, messaging and story strategy for strong brand foundations, and copyediting and rewrites to align existing or AI-generated pieces of writing with brand voice. All the info lives here.

I couldn't be more excited to support creative founders with this work in the new age ahead.

If you weren’t a copywriter what would you be doing instead?

I think I’d be off doing some yoga teacher training! I’ve loved yoga for years, but recently discovered Kundalini and it’s been a game changer. It’s helped me learn to meditate, strengthen my nervous system, and notice little synchronicities and soul magic everywhere.

What’s something you love doing that’s not work related?

Taking long walks and putting my head in the trees. I often find a new idea, story angle, or layer of meaning while staring up at the gum trees. Usually I’ve got a human design podcast in my ears or some deep house music, and I’m daydreaming about a delicious salty pasta dish.

I also host a monthly Walk + Talk along the Trigg coastline for like-hearted, soft-soul founders. It’s free, low-key, and intentionally not networking – just connection, kindness, and fresh air. It was born after a couple of interactions left me feeling flat and isolated as a freelancer, so this is my tiny heart-over-hustle-movement for growing our businesses in a softer, slower, and more human way.

If you’re interested I’d love to meet you! The next Walk + Talk is Monday, 23rd February. You can find all the details at @heartfirstfounders.

Do you have any promotions you would like to share?

Yes! To celebrate the launch of my new services, I'm offering 10% off any service booked in before 28th February 2026.

I’m also busy working on my new brand story writing retreat, The Seed and The Roots – an intimate, small-group container to help founders write their brand story for deeper emotional connection in 2026. Waitlist and more info here.