Nana T. Baffour-Awuah Interview
Brand writer, strategist, and consultant Nana T. Baffour-Awuah shares how and why he went from high-level agency roles to thriving as an NYC freelancer, and the moves he's made along the way.
Published on
Jul 9, 2025
6
min. read
Where’s your hometown and where do you live currently?
I was born and raised in Accra, Ghana. But for the past fifteen years, I’ve been living across New York (Poughkeepsie, Queens, and now, Brooklyn…there was that brief stint in Jersey City, but that’s the silent part we don’t share in the company of New Yorkers).
In a few sentences, describe what you do.
I work with words. That means I help brands identify and define their voice, build their narratives and messaging, and sharpen their copy. I have a background in qualitative research, consumer insights, brand strategy, and product innovation, so I still take on projects in those realms—but my specialty is words.
Outside of work, I write fiction and poetry. So, you could also say I play with words (@whatnanawrote on Instagram).
What are the skills that make the biggest difference in your work?
So much goes into doing work that makes a meaningful difference, but in my opinion, what is always critical is deep listening. Listening to the client’s needs. Listening to their customers’ language. Listening to the context. Listening to the subtext. Listening to the industry. Listening to my gut.
I’ve found that it’s never enough to just respond to the brief at face value—the work will be flat and lifeless (and even ChatGPT can do that on its worst day). It’s about getting beneath the surface and understanding the contours of the world in which the brief exists. And that takes deep listening.
What pushed you to make the leap from high-level agency roles to going freelance?
Admittedly, circumstance. After a massive layoff at my last agency, it was sink or swim. And so I swam. Thankfully, it has paid off quite nicely. I’ve been fortunate enough to have partnered with some incredibly smart, kind, and talented people from across the country to across the pond. Working with agencies like Siegel + Gale (LA), CBX, Consumer Dynamics, and JKR, has allowed me to collaborate on some of the most rewarding projects of my career—from shaping the verbal identity for the iconic Mozilla rebrand, to helping uncover consumer insights for Keurig Dr Pepper. I’m keen to see how this journey continues to unfold.
What has working for yourself taught you about your own creative identity?
Oof, so much. I could write an entire essay on this, but in a nutshell it’s this:
- My creative identity is rooted in and nourished by all the layers of my humanity.
- My creativity is limitless, but it is not undepletable. Working for myself has allowed me to have more freedom, ownership over, and perspective on my work. And that has taught me that my creativity needs to be rested, nudged, and fed. Sometimes it means catching an opera, watching a TED talk, or taking a walk in the park—putting myself in spaces that “summon the muses”, so to speak. Other times it’s hunkering down and writing through the haze until the good stuff starts to emerge. It’s a balance of stepping away and stepping into. Natalie Nixon’s book, The Creativity Leap, explores some of this thinking (plus so much more).
You’ve worked with a range of agency teams and writers. What makes someone great to work with? Are there any red or green flags you look out for?
Talent, skill, and smarts are timeless classics. But for me, the gamechangers are the human things: genuine empathy, self-awareness, accountability, audacity. I love a clear point of view, followed by a “What do you think of that?” It tells me that the person not only has vision, but that they also really want the work to be excellent. That’s a shining green flag. On the other hand, a big, honking, red flag for me is when a scope or request is vague and hand-wavy…that always makes me shudder.
Also, a sincere “thank you” is such an underrated green flag.
Do you approach voice or storytelling differently depending on the audience? Does your strategy shift between B2B and B2C work?
Yes and no. I’ve found that the principles are fundamentally the same, whether in B2B or B2C. Overarchingly, the goal is often to inform, engage, and persuade, and to stay on-brand while doing that. So, whether I’m working on a project for Cotality or Litehouse Foods, the tools I draw on won’t change. But how I employ those tools might—because those two brands exist in distinct industries, and are speaking to different audiences whose needs are totally dissimilar.
For instance, I might have more license to get quippy, colloquial, and experimental with the voice of a B2C food company. Whereas for a B2B professional services company, I may need to be a bit more buttoned to connect with their target (although I have seen more of such companies wanting to appear less stodgy, so there seems to be room to push the envelope nowadays). The strategic thinking in both cases, though, is similar.
Ultimately, it’s highly contextual, but the tenets are often the same.
What’s a recent project that reminded you why you love doing this work?
The project isn’t public yet so I can’t talk details. But it was working closely with a strategy team to help them nail their client’s voice and messaging framework. It was for a food brand with a unique history and model, and a desire to step into a bolder, and more modern identity. The strategy offered excellent structure, and the client’s appetite for something fresher provided room to stretch their verbal identity. It was really fun. I can’t wait for the world to see the work!
What’s a piece of feedback that still haunts you?
I don’t believe in ghosts ;)
What’s a piece of advice that still fuels you?
“What’s the worst that could happen?”
What is your favorite and least favorite brand right now? Why?
Favorite has to be Cann. It’s a cannabis-infused cocktail company with a crisp, cohesive, and super fun brand. It’s reminiscent of youth and beach, but not in a juvenile way. The language always has a clever wink to it—easy humor, but not lazy—and it complements the chill pastel aesthetic perfectly. It’s beautiful work that vaults right over stoner stereotypes into a brand with breezy, approachable appeal.
Least favorite is Meta. Purely on principle.
What do you think distinguishes a good brand from a great one?
Good brands are timely; great brands are timely and timeless.
Do you have rituals for finding inspiration, or do you let it come naturally? And what’s your favorite offline source of inspiration?
Elizabeth Gilbert has a wonderful TED talk where she speaks about the fickle nature of creative inspiration, and the frustration of trying to get it to stay when it visits—and I so identify with her sentiments. So, while I sometimes rely on inspiration to come to me, I also do have rituals to beckon it. My go-to rituals are a long walk or a long shower. Both often work. And my favorite source of offline inspiration has to be the performing arts (Broadway, you say? Say when).
What’s your favorite way to procrastinate?
Oh dear. This is not a good look, but since this is a safe space: binge-watching the original Charmed (1998).
What about the industry do you wish you knew starting out in your career?
That the industry is not built for introverts.
Bonus Round
What do you listen to while working?
I usually tell my Google Assistant to play “Clair de Lune”, and then I let the algorithm handle the rest. When I’m feeling extra somber though, I pop on my “Prayed Up” playlist.
What’s your most creatively inspired time of day?
The dead of night.
What’s one writing rule you love to break, and one you never do?
I’m not afraid to embrace clichés. But I never skip editing.
If you could ban one copy line/phrase, what would it be?
There are too many of these, but the laziest and least forgivable is some version of: “[Descriptor], Redefined”
Sorry to whomever it may concern. Including my past selves.
Favorite personal mantra?
“I’m grateful.”
If you weren’t in this industry, what would you be doing?
Perhaps training to be a bachata instructor. Or running a B&B with my partner. Or getting a masters in psychotherapy.
Describe your creative process in three words.
Offing my darlings.
Nana T. Baffour-Awuah is a writer, strategist, and consultant. With several years of experience across creative+strategy, his practice focuses on helping brands tell their stories with originality, clarity, and a sensible dose of emotional heft. Nana is also a volunteer UX writer with the Red Cross, a poet, and a fiction writer. www.whatnanawrote.com
Where’s your hometown and where do you live currently?
I was born and raised in Accra, Ghana. But for the past fifteen years, I’ve been living across New York (Poughkeepsie, Queens, and now, Brooklyn…there was that brief stint in Jersey City, but that’s the silent part we don’t share in the company of New Yorkers).
In a few sentences, describe what you do.
I work with words. That means I help brands identify and define their voice, build their narratives and messaging, and sharpen their copy. I have a background in qualitative research, consumer insights, brand strategy, and product innovation, so I still take on projects in those realms—but my specialty is words.
Outside of work, I write fiction and poetry. So, you could also say I play with words (@whatnanawrote on Instagram).
What are the skills that make the biggest difference in your work?
So much goes into doing work that makes a meaningful difference, but in my opinion, what is always critical is deep listening. Listening to the client’s needs. Listening to their customers’ language. Listening to the context. Listening to the subtext. Listening to the industry. Listening to my gut.
I’ve found that it’s never enough to just respond to the brief at face value—the work will be flat and lifeless (and even ChatGPT can do that on its worst day). It’s about getting beneath the surface and understanding the contours of the world in which the brief exists. And that takes deep listening.
What pushed you to make the leap from high-level agency roles to going freelance?
Admittedly, circumstance. After a massive layoff at my last agency, it was sink or swim. And so I swam. Thankfully, it has paid off quite nicely. I’ve been fortunate enough to have partnered with some incredibly smart, kind, and talented people from across the country to across the pond. Working with agencies like Siegel + Gale (LA), CBX, Consumer Dynamics, and JKR, has allowed me to collaborate on some of the most rewarding projects of my career—from shaping the verbal identity for the iconic Mozilla rebrand, to helping uncover consumer insights for Keurig Dr Pepper. I’m keen to see how this journey continues to unfold.
What has working for yourself taught you about your own creative identity?
Oof, so much. I could write an entire essay on this, but in a nutshell it’s this:
- My creative identity is rooted in and nourished by all the layers of my humanity.
- My creativity is limitless, but it is not undepletable. Working for myself has allowed me to have more freedom, ownership over, and perspective on my work. And that has taught me that my creativity needs to be rested, nudged, and fed. Sometimes it means catching an opera, watching a TED talk, or taking a walk in the park—putting myself in spaces that “summon the muses”, so to speak. Other times it’s hunkering down and writing through the haze until the good stuff starts to emerge. It’s a balance of stepping away and stepping into. Natalie Nixon’s book, The Creativity Leap, explores some of this thinking (plus so much more).
You’ve worked with a range of agency teams and writers. What makes someone great to work with? Are there any red or green flags you look out for?
Talent, skill, and smarts are timeless classics. But for me, the gamechangers are the human things: genuine empathy, self-awareness, accountability, audacity. I love a clear point of view, followed by a “What do you think of that?” It tells me that the person not only has vision, but that they also really want the work to be excellent. That’s a shining green flag. On the other hand, a big, honking, red flag for me is when a scope or request is vague and hand-wavy…that always makes me shudder.
Also, a sincere “thank you” is such an underrated green flag.
Do you approach voice or storytelling differently depending on the audience? Does your strategy shift between B2B and B2C work?
Yes and no. I’ve found that the principles are fundamentally the same, whether in B2B or B2C. Overarchingly, the goal is often to inform, engage, and persuade, and to stay on-brand while doing that. So, whether I’m working on a project for Cotality or Litehouse Foods, the tools I draw on won’t change. But how I employ those tools might—because those two brands exist in distinct industries, and are speaking to different audiences whose needs are totally dissimilar.
For instance, I might have more license to get quippy, colloquial, and experimental with the voice of a B2C food company. Whereas for a B2B professional services company, I may need to be a bit more buttoned to connect with their target (although I have seen more of such companies wanting to appear less stodgy, so there seems to be room to push the envelope nowadays). The strategic thinking in both cases, though, is similar.
Ultimately, it’s highly contextual, but the tenets are often the same.
What’s a recent project that reminded you why you love doing this work?
The project isn’t public yet so I can’t talk details. But it was working closely with a strategy team to help them nail their client’s voice and messaging framework. It was for a food brand with a unique history and model, and a desire to step into a bolder, and more modern identity. The strategy offered excellent structure, and the client’s appetite for something fresher provided room to stretch their verbal identity. It was really fun. I can’t wait for the world to see the work!
What’s a piece of feedback that still haunts you?
I don’t believe in ghosts ;)
What’s a piece of advice that still fuels you?
“What’s the worst that could happen?”
What is your favorite and least favorite brand right now? Why?
Favorite has to be Cann. It’s a cannabis-infused cocktail company with a crisp, cohesive, and super fun brand. It’s reminiscent of youth and beach, but not in a juvenile way. The language always has a clever wink to it—easy humor, but not lazy—and it complements the chill pastel aesthetic perfectly. It’s beautiful work that vaults right over stoner stereotypes into a brand with breezy, approachable appeal.
Least favorite is Meta. Purely on principle.
What do you think distinguishes a good brand from a great one?
Good brands are timely; great brands are timely and timeless.
Do you have rituals for finding inspiration, or do you let it come naturally? And what’s your favorite offline source of inspiration?
Elizabeth Gilbert has a wonderful TED talk where she speaks about the fickle nature of creative inspiration, and the frustration of trying to get it to stay when it visits—and I so identify with her sentiments. So, while I sometimes rely on inspiration to come to me, I also do have rituals to beckon it. My go-to rituals are a long walk or a long shower. Both often work. And my favorite source of offline inspiration has to be the performing arts (Broadway, you say? Say when).
What’s your favorite way to procrastinate?
Oh dear. This is not a good look, but since this is a safe space: binge-watching the original Charmed (1998).
What about the industry do you wish you knew starting out in your career?
That the industry is not built for introverts.
Bonus Round
What do you listen to while working?
I usually tell my Google Assistant to play “Clair de Lune”, and then I let the algorithm handle the rest. When I’m feeling extra somber though, I pop on my “Prayed Up” playlist.
What’s your most creatively inspired time of day?
The dead of night.
What’s one writing rule you love to break, and one you never do?
I’m not afraid to embrace clichés. But I never skip editing.
If you could ban one copy line/phrase, what would it be?
There are too many of these, but the laziest and least forgivable is some version of: “[Descriptor], Redefined”
Sorry to whomever it may concern. Including my past selves.
Favorite personal mantra?
“I’m grateful.”
If you weren’t in this industry, what would you be doing?
Perhaps training to be a bachata instructor. Or running a B&B with my partner. Or getting a masters in psychotherapy.
Describe your creative process in three words.
Offing my darlings.
Nana T. Baffour-Awuah is a writer, strategist, and consultant. With several years of experience across creative+strategy, his practice focuses on helping brands tell their stories with originality, clarity, and a sensible dose of emotional heft. Nana is also a volunteer UX writer with the Red Cross, a poet, and a fiction writer. www.whatnanawrote.com
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