You’ve got to know, first, that I’ve always been kind of a word nerd. My favorite class in elementary school was spelling, and my earliest major accomplishments were winning the spelling bee and the Read-A-Million-Minutes contest. For my smaller self, it wasn’t so much a drive to achieve as it was an unquenchable thirst for connection that motivated my pursuit of words.
Early on, I discovered that words had the power to connect me with the world (I could learn anything!), connect me with music (I liked to sing), connect me with loved ones (specifically my mom and grandma, who read to us while snuggling us), and connect me even with curious creatures in fiction novels… and so I read. A lot. And then I began to write, in hopes that others might connect, too.
Perhaps not much has changed. I’d still rather connect than compete. Sipping jasmine green tea with honey, while crafting great content and making pivotal edits toward the “human-connection” element of a composition – this is my idea of a good time! I truly enjoy the work of writing.
With whom are you wanting to connect? If you own a business, what is your niche market? If you’re writing a blog, who is your target audience, and what is your purpose in their world? When you can answer these questions with detail, you really know your demographic, and you can thus connect with them in a way that transforms your writing.
I earned my Bachelor of Arts in Communications & Public Relations from Waldorf College in 2002 (Summa Cum Laude), where my best-loved classes were Editing, Public Relations, and Publication Design. During that time, I held several communications and public relations jobs and projects, including: proofreading and administrative support for a telephone company; writing and editing for newspapers; and planning, promoting and implementing public relations events.
Writing and editing came naturally to me, so I later put those skills to work as the publications editor for a global nonprofit organization in Minneapolis, where I worked with the marketing team to analyze and rebrand the organization and all of its publications. I designed, edited and published a monthly eight-page global newsletter. My publishing work there also included magazines, a detailed personnel directory, logos, business cards, a book, event programs and brochures. I interviewed, photographed and wrote content; edited articles and photos; and coordinated with printers.
As a marketing-minded communicator and a skilled copy editor with a strong eye for detail, with over eight years combined experience in written communications and marketing, I love helping people express their work in a way that connects them to their audience and brings results! I also have a knack for designing simple, effective graphics and logos, as well as experience in page layout and formatting. My insatiable need to clarify a message – for the purpose of connection, of course – is really what allows me to convey it in an appealing way.
If I’m not writing or editing, you might find me reading, playing with my son, teaching a class on essential oils or connecting in a delightful, heart-level conversation with a friend.
Pivotal Pen 