A passion for storytelling and community-building
For nearly two decades, I have been working as both a writer and editor. I got my start in journalism, writing well-researched news articles and op-ed pieces about the local community in Michigan where I grew up for a newspaper with a circulation of 40,000 at the time. I loved telling stories about the impactful and unique people and places in my community, but after moving to Canada over 15 years ago, I began to specialize in marketing communications, content strategy and proposals. I’ve carried my passion for storytelling and community orientation into my writing work in the corporate world, making sure that everything I write is clear, engaging and mindful of the humans reading it.
My specialty is in writing and editing:
- Website content (“About Us,” product descriptions, case studies, white papers)
- Blog posts for B2B marketing, education and personal development, and travel
- Proposal (RFP) content
- Fiction and nonfiction books
- Scripting and producing podcasts and YouTube videos
As a writer who was often tasked with improving tone and voice, enhancing marketing outcomes and improving web SEO, I’ve learned to take on a strategic role within most professional work I have done. I focus on the key readers and consumers of the content I am working on, digging deep into what core audiences want to know and finding a way to write it in an engaging and clear way. With my love for grammar, I am also experienced in editing, proofreading and building content repositories.
I bring a human touch when reviewing text, making sure it speaks to people and in plain English in a way that AI and assistive grammar technologies can’t match.
Leadership, mentorship and team building
I am known as a process-oriented individual, constantly looking for opportunities to save time and conserve effort for what’s really important, while ensuring consistent, high-quality and impactful deliverables.
I am deeply people-centered and holistic in my leadership approach. My approach to leadership has been informed by my own personal self-awareness and commitment to lifelong learning, along with my graduate studies and commitment to holistic health practices. I believe that only in an environment where everyone feels they have the time, materials, resources and support they need to be successful can creativity and quality work truly flourish.
I also believe that health (including mental health) is our most important resource as people in today’s fast-paced, high-pressure world, which is why I work hard to support a comfortable work-life balance, helping to establish healthy boundaries and fostering comfortable, collaborative team environments.
Education
I am a lifelong learner and it’s rare to not find me casually taking courses in subjects as diverse as content strategy, SEO, marketing, holistic health, yoga, meditation, and more. My formal education includes:
- Bachelor of Arts, Political Science and Art History – McGill University (2006)
- Master of Adult Education and Community Development – St. Francis Xavier University (2014)
- Graduate Certificate in Leadership – McGill University (2020)
I also am certified in Graphic Design and Page Layout (Concordia University, 2012) and hold a Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt (LanguageLine Solutions, 2021). For that holistic health component, I am a Yoga Alliance Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT-200) and have taken continuing education courses in gentle yoga and meditation.
Creative pursuits
Although I can work for hours at a time writing for clients, I still make time almost daily to write for fun. I have dabbled in writing and editing short stories, novels, blog posts and much more for the better part of my life. In 2018, published a how-to guide on podcasting and am in the middle of working on a lighthearted, quirky romantic comedy novel. I was also the senior editor of the romantic novel, Lattes & Lace.
When I do eventually give my eyes a break from words, I enjoy painting and drawing, planning my world travels and even running a small YouTube channel with thousands of monthly views about travel, gardening and my other creative endeavours.
