In 2016, the WriterAccess team experienced many marketing conference firsts.

As we grew and expanded our reach, members of our team were sent to conferences throughout the U.S. to learn, network, and spread the good content marketing word.

Having devoured written, video, and audio content from the greats, it was surreal to see them up close in person, standing on stage doing their thing at INBOUND, Content Marketing World, B2B Marketing Forum and more.

Where most have at least lived up to their name, there has only been one that surpassed our hopes and marketing evangelist dreams. Ann Handley of MarketingProfs. 

Our team finally got the chance to meet her in Cleveland at CMW, knowing from having read Wall Street Journal bestseller Everybody Writes that Ann was certainly “our people.”

You could see how quickly the room identified with her quirkiness, respected her obvious (and copious) intelligence, and eagerly anticipated the knowledge bombs she was about to drop.

Fast forward to 2017 and Ann Handley will be our featured keynote at CMC.

We know how lucky we are, so let’s dig a little deeper and see where Ann gets her content marketing superpowers.

Meet the Ann-archist:

What special skills and superpowers do you have and where did you get them?

The ability to create effective content that tells a bigger, bolder, braver story and that resonates with people we are trying to reach.

What are your favorite content marketing weapons (tools) that help you win the battle?      

1. Razor-sharp writing, which is why I carry a quiver of quill pens.
2. A boatload of empathy for the audience. Which is why I travel by boat.

Who is your arch-enemy and how do you recommend they be conquered?

Captain Mediocrity. He’s not lazy, but he’s ordinary and uninspired.

The way to conquer him is to rehabilitate him by schooling him in the ways of Ann-archy.  Which is what we’ll do in April at CMC 17!

As a fellow marketer and Bostonian, we hold Ann (and her chic shed) in the highest regard. Her passion for storytelling has influenced thousands hoping to become better writers and marketers.

Find Ann around the web on Entrepreneur, Huffington Post, Mashable, or in person this April after registering for Content Marketing Conference 2017!