About Rafael Velez

I've spent about fifteen years writing and editing — and most of that time learning that the writing is the easy part. The harder, more valuable work is upstream: deciding what to say, who it's for, and how it should land before a single line gets written. That's the work I want to keep doing.

The through-line

My career has a simple shape, and each stage made the next one possible.

WriterI started at Groupon writing at real volume — eventually 15,000+ pieces of editorial and e-commerce copy — learning to write fast, for actual audiences, and to make even a short promo sound like something.
EditorI moved into editing: owning voice, clarity, and standards across a department, applying style rigor, and building the training that helped other writers get there too. Editing is where judgment gets sharp — deciding not just how to write, but what's worth writing.
Brand / Content / MarketingAt Threadless I was the brand team's sole copywriter for nearly five years, and the editorial judgment moved upstream: co-authoring the brand voice guide, owning a content program's editorial calendar and its SEO, carrying an integrated campaign's story across every channel, and shaping how products were positioned for two very different audiences.

What I do

The same instinct runs through all of it: good judgment about language, audiences, and what actually needs to be communicated. In practice that looks like a few things.

Editorial and editing — voice, structure, clarity, and the taste to know what to cut.
Brand voice and messaging — turning a brand's identity into practical, channel-specific guidance, including distinct voices for distinct audiences.
Content strategy — owning the editorial and messaging layer: calendars, angles, and content built to actually reach people.
Content marketing and email — high-cadence programs and SEO-informed content, written to earn attention rather than chase an algorithm.
Copywriting and campaigns — the verbal side of integrated campaigns, one story carried consistently across channels.

The proof is in the work — see the case studies.

The short version

~15 years writing and editing, across Groupon and Threadless.
Sole B2C copywriter on the Threadless brand team for nearly five years.
15,000+ pieces of editorial and e-commerce content at Groupon.
200+ published articles across two company publications.
“Senior Copywriter” by title — a floor this site is meant to exceed.