Life & Work with Joshen Mantai of Los Angeles

Today we’d like to introduce you to Joshen Mantai.

Hi Joshen, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I started off in LA doing my Master’s in PR and Advertising at USC, interested in communication, but not sure which exact area I wanted to pursue a career in. I landed internships at Peacock and Tesla, working in copywriting for these roles to get a taste of the industry. My role at Tesla was full time, so I was balancing that with taking classes, being the Director of Comms for graduate student government, and working at USC. At Tesla, I worked on copywriting everything for global web pages, social media, brochures, retail & more, creating super high visibility work.

After graduating I moved on to a stint for copywriting and marketing at simplehuman, a home product brand, and then moved on to working 1.5 years at SKIMS as the sole copywriter, developing messaging for the launch of NikeSKIMS and other major collaborations.

From there, I’ve begun freelancing for clients like Bosch, Walmart, Anthropologie, and Glamnetic.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Not exactly! I’ve had various struggles at different workplaces, from being impacted by a team-wide layoff a month into a role, and having to pivot quickly. Other places, there’s been clashes with company culture and leadership I viewed as toxic, but any look at social media would tell you others’ experiences are similar. I’ve also had to cover for a full team’s work without any help, doing the job of 2+ people with an entry-level salary. Throughout these rough times, I’ve struggled with self-worth and doubt about my abilities against an unforgiving economy and job market.

Never did I think I would already make it freelancing on my own and getting various clients at 27 years old. I now feel a little bit more in control of my career and confident in my skills. I no longer feel the need to accept mistreatment or diminishment of my skills and compensation.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am known for writing copy for world-renowned brands like Peacock, Tesla, simplehuman, SKIMS, Bosch, Walmart, Anthropologie, and more. Before that, I worked at a magazine called FLAUNT, writing 15+ long-length cover stories and interviewing high-profile celebrities like Sabrina Carpenter, Jenna Ortega, Maude Apatow, Suki Waterhouse, Madelyn Cline, Joey King, and more, launching bylines into the world and having covers appear at bookstores at just 20 years old. I’m most proud of my editorial background and having a major influence/hand in the launch of sub-brands like NikeSKIMS, creating copy for that launch that Nike ended up adopting themselves.

https://mantaijoshen.wixsite.com/personalportfolio
https://mantaijoshen.wixsite.com/personalportfolio/about-3

Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
I am seeing a shift towards major brands and companies thinking they can get by with eliminating copy teams entirely or having very small copy teams due to the use of AI. On the other hand, I see companies investing in copy talent because they want to build a distinguishable, recognized brand voice that can’t be replicated by a robot. Only time will tell where the pendulum will swing, but I think the companies investing in storytelling and copywriters who know how to make effective use of AI will prevail.

I think content design is also a rising trend, where companies are looking to hire writers who can work closely with designers and as strategists, to see a process end to end. Instead of having formulaic handoffs and broken chain processes, these types of roles will make teams more nimble and effective.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://mantaijoshen.wixsite.com/personalportfolio
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshenmantai