Great writing matters.
I help people who are doing amazing things talk about them in clear, inspiring ways.
Meet Kyle O’Connor
I’ve always loved helping interesting people tell their stories.
It’s what drove me to take an unpaid internship on the Obama campaign after college, eventually becoming one of the youngest presidential speechwriters in history and working with President Obama on everything from policy speeches and commencements to the address marking the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington.
It’s what drew me to California to work for Nest, where I helped launch products, managed executive communications, and wrote a TED talk with Nest CEO and “father of the iPod” Tony Fadell that has been viewed millions of times.
It’s what led me to become Mark Zuckerberg’s speechwriter at Facebook in 2016 -- traveling with him from cow pastures to Congress and learning the do’s (and many, many don’ts) of crisis communications.
It’s what brought me back east to join Jim Ryan, the new president of the University of Virginia, in shaping one of the best public universities in the country and working to heal a community still reeling from the “Unite the Right” rally a year earlier.
And it’s why I started my own business -- helping everyone from CEOs and political candidates to nonprofit leaders and YouTube stars talk about what they’re doing and why it matters. I’m also a senior advisor at Fenway Strategies, where I work with some of the best speechwriters in the world.
Apostrophe Communications is based in Charlottesville, Virginia where I live with my wife Maggie and our two kids, who aren’t impressed by any of this.
WHAT I DO:
01
Clear
Thinking
STRATEGY. PLANNING. VISION.
The first step in good communication is knowing what you want to say. I’ll work with you to think carefully about your audience and come up with a plan for how to reach them with the right message.
02
Clear
Writing
SPEECHES. OP-EDS. WHITE PAPERS. VIDEO SCRIPTS. SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS.
Once you’ve got something to say, I’ll help you find the right words and the right way to say it. At a time when so much of what’s out there sounds the same, we’ll work together to make you sound different, interesting, and human.
03
Clear
Speaking
SPEECH COACHING. MEDIA TRAINING.
If you need to deliver a message to an actual audience -- whether it’s on Zoom or face-to-face -- I’ll help you get comfortable. You may not be Barack Obama, but you’ll sound like the best version of yourself.
HOW I DO IT:
There are lots of big firms out there that delegate writing and strategic communications help.
I’m not one of them.
With Apostrophe Communications, you’ll be working directly with me from start to finish.
I’ve spent my career earning the trust of people who aren’t known for giving it out, so I understand the importance of good relationships. That’s why we’ll start with a conversation so we can get to know each other, talk about your goals, and figure out how to tap into your strengths.
After that, I’ll dive deep -- immersing myself in your work, surveying what’s out there, talking to the people I need to talk to, and getting to the heart of the story. We’ll go back and forth until we’ve created something you love that we can both be proud of.
I can do good work fast (a necessary skill in the jobs I’ve had) so the timeline can be as short or as long as you need it to be. And I’ll stick with you until it’s posted, published, sent, or delivered.