From international relations to journalism to content marketing, Dan Haverty has worn many hats in his career before Brafton. As a Senior Writer for us, he’s utilized these experiences to create exciting and compelling content for our various clients and teams.
Beyond his writing pursuits, Dan spends his free time developing new skills, such as learning the Irish language and taking a dive into Russian literature. Dan Haverty’s detail-oriented work ethic and passion for knowledge keep going — even after he clocks out.
Hopping From International Relations to Writing
After graduating from Holy Cross in 2017, Dan took a flight across the ocean to pursue a master’s in International Relations at University College Cork in Cork, Ireland. But, this wasn’t his first time in Ireland.
“I’d lived in Ireland for a year previously,” says Dan. “So it was an easy transition for me.”
“I ended up stumbling into journalism, which is where I really started to cultivate my love for writing.”
Since his interest in international relations led him back to Ireland, Dan spent much of his free time exploring the country as well as neighboring countries across Europe. While there, he focused most of his work on the conflict and peace process in Northern Ireland, which captured his passion. He also took the time to learn a new — or actually, very old — language.
“When I was living in Ireland I did take a few Irish language classes and linked up with some Irish speakers,” says Dan. “I spent a solid few years working my Irish up to a respectable level, but it’s quite rusty now. I still like to drop my cúpla focal into casual conversation whenever I can though.”
After getting his master’s, Dan returned to the U.S. to work in Washington, D.C. for a year and a half. This is where he first transitioned into a writing profession — and found he really enjoyed it.
“I ended up stumbling into journalism,” says Dan. “Which is where I really started to cultivate my love for writing.
Dan worked at Foreign Policy, a global magazine, for just over a year, where he was in charge of writing and editing pieces that ran the gamut of world news. However, due to his prior first-hand experience studying in Ireland, he had a special focus on news related to Brexit and Northern Ireland.
After his contract ended with Foreign Policy, Dan decided he wanted to continue to pursue writing as a career — which is what ultimately led him to content marketing and Brafton.
Thriving in a Fast-Moving Work Environment
Although Dan doesn’t come from a marketing background, writing has always been a constant in his life.
“I did do a lot of political writing for school papers, student academic journals and amateur blogs while I was a student,” says Dan. “Hard to stand by the quality of that work these days, but that’s when I really found my knack for writing.”
“There are some really talented people at Brafton. I especially like admiring the designers’ finished products and also using other writers’ work as inspiration to improve my own writing.”
Dan realized that his writing and instinctual love of learning and self-improvement was a great match for the fast-paced Brafton work model.
“It’s exciting but challenging. There’s a ton of writing on a daily basis, which I love, and you’re always learning about new industries, products and people,” says Dan. “There are some really talented people at Brafton. I especially like admiring the designers’ finished products and also using other writers’ work as inspiration to improve my own writing.”
As a Senior Writer, Dan spends his days transforming Brafton projects from meeting ideas to live publications. As an integral part of strategy meetings, he’s able to write and help colleagues put words to new ideas and mold them into something compelling and valuable for clients. From there he gets inspired by our design team who takes the content and brings it to life with images and animations.
“It’s an amazing process,” says Dan. “And it’s cool to be part of that every day.”
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Life Outside the 9 to 5
Dan’s excitement for learning new things goes beyond international relations and writing, to more relaxing hobbies, such as reading, journaling, cooking, baking and hanging out with his friends.
In fact, he recently went out of his way to diversify his reading list beyond his normal history and politics books.
“I went on a big Russian literature kick at the start of the year,” says Dan. “Which was very different for me but also very fun.”
But he’s not just focused on indoor activities — he’s a big fan of traveling, exercising and enjoying the great outdoors in his free time. In the summertime, he likes to spend time in the mountains hiking. Though he’s looking forward to hiking beyond the summer months, too.
“I actually did my first winter hike just a few weeks ago,” says Dan. “So that might become a thing I do more often.”
Dan also hasn’t lost the travel bug that first led him to Ireland back in 2017. However, in the last few years, he’s focused on exploring more of the U.S., visiting West Virginia, Virginia, Colorado, Wyoming, Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee! For 2022, his main goal is to add more states to this list.
At the end of the day, Dan is an integral part of Brafton, not only for his endless pursuit of knowledge but also for his positive and detail-oriented attitude. Just take a look at our past Brafton blogs and you’ll see the proof is in the writing!
