Hi, I’m Candice.
I began my career as a writer for GQ where I did super important journalism like ranking hair pomade and interviewing Zach Braff. Eventually, I went on to become the deputy editor at ELLE and Details, and the executive editor at Condé Nast Traveler. My writing has also appeared in The New York Times, Esquire, Men’s Journal, Travel & Leisure, and other national outlets.
Sadly, as we all know, even dentist offices stopped subscribing to magazines. So I did what any self-respecting journalist would do: I started writing ads. I'm currently a Senior Copywriter at Yelp, working across multiple platforms. Coming up with imaginative creative that hooks into an emotional need is kind of my thing. Also, sometimes I start a novel, and then never finish it. The end.
Work History
I'm a senior copywriter and former magazine editor with 17+ years turning cultural insight and brand strategy into campaigns, editorial content, and copy that performs. I've built and led editorial teams at Condé Nast Traveler, ELLE, and Details, and my writing has appeared in The New York Times, Esquire, GQ, ELLE, Condé Nast Traveler, and more. Coming up with imaginative creative that hooks into an emotional need is kind of my thing.
Yelp
Senior Copywriter · 2023–Present
I'm the lead copywriter across Yelp's Consumer, Restaurants, and Local Business verticals, writing everything from tier-1 GTM launches to always-on email, paid social, organic social, OOH, and product copy. I come in early—partnering with design and growth marketing to align on a copy and visual throughline before stakeholder review—which tends to mean fewer rounds, sharper work, and a lot less chaos.
Some recent work: The Yelp Assistant launch introduced consumers to Yelp's AI-powered chatbot and reached 32.9M people. It drove +161% growth in users trying the feature, +69% more starts in week one, and +89% more completions on day one. The Yelp Host campaign, which I concepted, spanned 100+ assets for Yelp's AI phone-answering product and exceeded soft-launch projections almost immediately. And Yelp Guest Manager's "Money Talks"—a campaign I built around famous financial quotes to nudge restaurant operators off the status quo—surpassed all campaign goals, closing 139 SQLs and 47 accounts.
Freelance
Creative Director (Copy) and Writer · 2018–2023
For five years, I ran my own freelance business taking on brand campaigns, editorial consulting, and journalism. On the brand side, I concepted and wrote cross-channel campaigns for clients including Ellevest, Realm, Wealthsimple, Netflix, and Uber. The work included everything from OOH and paid social to email, podcast scripts, and long-form branded content. I also ghost-wrote thought leadership for C-suite executives at Facebook, Consumer Reports, and Ellevest.
A few highlights: For Ellevest, I concepted and wrote the January 2022 campaign that ran across OOH, paid social, organic social, and email, delivering the brand's second-highest coaching sales month ever and nearly 2,000 promo redemptions during the OOH run, all in the lead-up to the company's $53M Series B raise. For The Atlantic's branded content division ReThink, I wrote a real-time midterm election tracker tied to the launch of House of Cards Season 6—it delivered 6.4x above benchmark page views, over 20,000 social interactions, and was nominated for a Digiday Award for Best Use of Native Advertising. The Uber campaign I reported and wrote became one of The Atlantic's highest-grossing custom branded content campaigns.
On the journalism side, my bylines from this period include Condé Nast Traveler, Esquire, Travel + Leisure, and O: The Oprah Magazine.
Condé Nast Traveler
Executive Editor · 2015–2017
I spent two years at Condé Nast Traveler, first relaunching the brand and transforming it from a trade-adjacent read into a major lifestyle publication—then leading all editorial operations for a global audience of 16M unique users. In that role I managed a team of 7 editors, oversaw print and digital strategy, and grew the digital audience 21.4% YOY. I also served as copy lead on branded content campaigns with the Ireland Tourism Board, Audi, and Chase Bank.
Details Magazine
Deputy Editor · 2013–2015
I edited short- and long-form features, managed editors and the freelance roster, and worked closely with design and photo to improve cross-functional workflows. Led the rebranding of the Front of Book section, shaping its editorial direction and visual identity. The goal, always, was keeping the brand's voice sharp and consistent across every page.
Elle Magazine
2007-2012 Deputy Editor
I spent five years at ELLE, starting as Senior Editor overseeing the pop culture section and earning a promotion to Deputy Editor, where I managed a staff of 15, helmed weekly story meetings, and edited and wrote cover stories and features. I also conceived and launched two annual franchises—Women in Music and Women in TV—each with corresponding live events, which became signature issues for the brand.