Welcome to The Pencil and Pad.
“The job of the writer is not to supply the ideas. It is to be patient enough to find the ideas.”
Malcolm Gladwell
“For reasons I find hard to explain, we want great writing to be predictable and unpredictable at the same time.”
Roy Peter Clark
“The most successful stories have simple plots with complex characters.”
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What We Do
Simple. We tell stories about you and your business.
Stories have a powerful influence on the way we think and behave. Our team of professional writers make it our business to know your business.
We get beneath your experience and expertise to find your why.
We’re interested in the puzzle you’re trying to solve, the path you’ve taken to get here and where you want to get to next. Knowing your why is at the heart of a great story.
We show who you are in your marketplace to give your potential clients compelling reasons why your organisation is the obvious choice.
We create content that attracts eyeballs with a focus on building a consistent brand message that connects with your audience.
We are experienced professional writers who deliver on time and on budget to a brief. We have experience writing in Australia, Asia and Europe on projects ranging from books to blogposts to web copy to content marketing. We’ve delivered 100,000 word projects and 140 character tweets.
The Pencil and Pad can
Some of Our Work
WEBSITE COPY
STAFF PROFILES
Brad has written staff profiles for businesses from financial planners and winemakers to archaeologists and real estate agents; from beauty therapists and writers to truck drivers and everything in between.
Meet the archaeologist
Dr. Estelle Lazer
A teacher’s presentation on an Antarctic expedition lit a fire under an 8-year-old Estelle Lazer to become an archaeologist.
Meet the real estate agent
Tim Bartlett
It’s rare that Tim Bartlett doesn’t get up on his feet to finish some tale he is telling. Such is his love of a good story and its place in understanding people and their real estate dreams.
Meet the financial planner
Robert Sekulovski
If there is one thing The Wealth Quay’s Principal Robert Sekulovski has learned over two decades as a financial planner, it is the importance of starting early or with little.
Testimonials
“We started with one book. In the end, Brad wrote five textbooks for me when I was a Publishing Editor at Nelson Cengage. I kept getting back to him because he delivered what we needed. He understood the brief. He listened. He asked questions I hadn’t thought of. He took on board feedback. Brad fulfilled every publishers dream, by submitting his manuscripts on time. I’ve no reservations about endorsing Brad’s work ethic, attention to detail and his proven capacity to deliver.”
Michael Spurr, publishing editor
“When we hired Brad and the team at The Pencil and Pad to help us launch our business, we hit the jackpot. They were hardworking, knowledgeable, reliable – and friendly. The final product was outstanding. Brad and Isabel always went above and beyond. They understood us and our business right from the beginning. We cannot recommend them highly enough.”
Tim and Alana Bartlett, Bartlett and Co. Property
“Brad from The Pencil and Pad was introduced to me from our web designer and from the get go we developed a great partnership with Brad and his team. He helped The Wealth Quay with some great web content and personal profile write ups that blends nicely with our vision. Brad’s approach is very professional and no task is ever an issue. He is always open for suggestions and feedback on the work he completes. I found his ability to listen to the desired goals and outcomes and strives to meet the aligned goals is an important quality to have. The collaboration was seamless, I’m extremely grateful for his time and guidance.”
Robert Sekulovski, The Wealth Quay
“Brad co-wrote my memoir Reflections of a Lucky Ratbag. He was able to get his head across a range of disciplines including economics, psychology and philanthropy to write a coherent narrative that told a very human story about my life across five continents and three careers. He delivered 100,000 words on time and his careful attention to detail, regular updates on progress, and ability to spot the angle in each section while maintaining a strong narrative arc made him a pleasure to work with. I have no hesitation in recommending Brad.”
Dr. David Morawetz, Founder and Director Social Justice Fund
“Brad is a versatile and reliable writer. He’s adept at researching new topics, finding strong angles and figuring out what makes a story or situation ‘tick’. He’s one of my regular writers and I recommend him to anyone looking for copy that needs to attract eyeballs.”
Michael Butler, ThinkAbout Content
“Good content is really important for shaping your brand’s message, engaging people, and SEO. This is why we use and recommend The Pencil and Pad’s copywriting services for all our clients. We have been really impressed with their level of investment into our clients, and dedication to pursuing the essence of each unique brand.”
Jeremy Ham – Partner, Wheelhouse Design
Who We Are
Brad Kelly
Senior writer and founder
Brad Kelly is a professional writer with an insatiable curiosity about people and business. He cut his teeth in London in 2008, writing content for a variety of business and technology clients. A former history teacher, Brad wrote his first book for a small publisher about the Nazi architect Albert Speer, before writing four other textbooks with the major publisher Cengage Nelson on The Changing World Order, The World Order 1945-2011, The Cold War and Investigating Modern History. He recently ghost-wrote a memoir of an Australian philanthropist and former World Bank consultant (Reflections of a Lucky Rat Bag in publication). Brad still scratches his history itch by leading student and teacher Modern History tours of Germany, Russia and Italy for Academy Travel.
Isabel van Gent
Writer
Isabel van Gent is a professional writer and social media strategist. She graduated from Macquarie University with a degree in writing and has post graduate qualifications in design. She has worked for Cornerstone Teacher Learning and The Pencil and Pad as a content writer, conducting interviews and writing customer facing and B2B content in the areas of education, writing, real estate, insurance, technology and financial planning for a variety of local and national clients.