About
I started off in the newsroom (and kinda never left).
I'm Jess Novak, a content and audience strategy consultant based in New York. I work with companies on the things that decide whether a brand actually lands: voice, messaging, content systems, and the search and social programs that put the right words in front of the right people.
Right now, most of my work sits in three places: brand voice and messaging for companies launching, repositioning, or growing up; content strategy and web copy for new sites and editorial programs; and search-led audience development — SEO, AEO, and GEO, plus the social and newsletter motion that compounds around it.
I came up in newsrooms, ran search at scale across a portfolio of lifestyle brands, built content functions from scratch for early-stage DTC companies, and developed messaging, voice, and content strategy for a wide variety of B2B brands.
Back in the day, I taught university composition and worked as an art director on film and commercial sets, both of which still show up in how I lead and how I make things.
I'm also a staunch defender of the em-dash — long may it reign.
Roles I play
Depending on the engagement, I show up as any of the following, sometimes one at a time, often a few at once.
- Brand strategist
- Messaging architect
- Editorial director
- Content strategist
- Narrative consultant
- Creative director (copy)
- Launch strategist
- Executive communications lead
- Internal communications advisor
- SEO / content transformation lead
Off the clock
Every week, I volunteer with North Brooklyn Angels, a hyperlocal nonprofit organization serving free meals to our neighbors in Williamsburg and Greenpoint. It's the most grounding part of my week and my favorite way to connect with my community.
At home, I love playing around in the kitchen, too. I'm a dedicated home cook and recipe developer obsessed with food that's actually balanced (great macros, real nutrition) but doesn't taste healthy.
I also spend a lot of time at museum and gallery openings, stand-up comedy, shoegaze shows, and poetry readings — New York at full volume.
And I really, really love flying. No pilot's license (yet), just a passenger who lights up every time the wheels leave the ground.
Bylines & past editorial homes
"I'm interested in the space where business strategy, audience understanding, and storytelling overlap."