The woman
behind your hype
Badminton? Basketball? Dodgeball? Whatever your preferred court, I’m in it.
It started by accident. As the writer within my circle of friends, I became the de facto resume fixer-upper. Over the years I helped doctors, teachers, public relations executives, chefs, journalists, IT specialists, lawyers, and students craft resumes, personal statements, and cover letters. In exchange, I was given beer, cookies, and hugs. But the true gift was bearing witnesses to the seismic shift in confidence that happens when someone finally has the right words to explain what they can offer, and what they’ve been through. Call it poise, call it swag—whatever you want to call it, I wanted to help more people find it.
At the same time, the pandemic and the United States’ collective reckoning with systemic racism and inequality radically changed our relationship to work. Now, it’s time to change how we talk about work.
I realized that the traditional resume—and job interviews in general—lack space for addressing challenges and triumphs that candidates have experienced as a result of their identity.
I created upgrade you to offer a new approach to professional branding: one that takes the whole person into account.
“I learned, when I look in the mirror and tell my story, that I should be myself and not peep whatever everybody is doing.”
— Kendrick Lamar
brigid Duffy (She/Her) BIO
I received the writing award in kindergarten and, ever since, I’ve aspired to arrange words in a way that moves people. My experience runs wide - I’ve worked in academic publishing, medical journalism, experiential retail, consumer and pharmaceutical advertising.
But really, I’d say I’ve had one occupation my whole life: storyteller. Over the past decade, I’ve brought creativity and passion to clients including Nike, Nickelodeon, Microsoft Surface and Pfizer. But some of my most meaningful work has been with individuals, like you.
Beyond writing professionally, I am a Writing 360 Mentor for Girls Write Now, an intensive mentoring program matching underserved high school girls/gender nonconforming youth with professional women writers for one-to-one mentorship.