Experience
I’ve been in media and communications for nearly 20 years, and I love it here. My career has taken me from a newsroom copy desk to a marketing department to a podcast studio (and so much more). Along the way, I’ve honed my skills as an editor, writer, researcher and manager (of people, content and workflow).
Below, you can find a fleshed-out résumé. Also, check out my LinkedIn profile, my selected portfolio and ways we can work together.
Manager, Strategic Communications
KWI Communications
April 2022 - present
As the manager of KWI’s Bullpen — the agency's central hub for writing and editing expertise across accounts — my role involves:
People leadership: I manage a team of incredible writers who teach me new things every day. Our working dynamic is built on encouragement, and I enjoy my role as coach/cheerleader.
Writing and strategic thinking: Crafting a wide array of internal and external comms, from scripts to executive emails to feature articles and simple headlines, gives me a chance to try new things every day. I get to work on a variety of accounts, which means I'm comfortable switching writing styles, projects and priorities. Plus, I've never met a deadline I couldn't beat.
Editing: Edits are also a people-leadership opportunity. I work closely with other writers on the team to review their work, approaching most edits as a chance to coach and encourage. I also edit client work as needed; sometimes that means a quick proof, and sometimes that requires a total rewrite, depending on the ask (or the issues identified).
Style mastery: I quickly pick up clients' styles and preferences — a practice that rolls straight into developing internal agency style guides to ensure the team stays consistent. Plus, I love [and think in] AP style (but when clients need an Oxford comma, they can have one).
Client and account/stakeholder partnership: Context is everything. I work alongside both account and client partners to understand their needs and priorities. My work with certain clients has directly contributed to securing new business, and my collaboration with account managers has helped build their trust in the Bullpen as it got off the ground in early 2022.
Cultural leadership: As a member of the agency's DEI Council (and as someone who loves building culture, community and content calendars), I've taken the lead on a handful of internal initiatives such as fostering company Slack engagement around DEI-related topics and spearheading a Black History Month campaign.
Writer / editor
Freelance
March 2020 - present
It’s been exciting to flex my creativity on a diverse array of projects for clients. My experience includes:
Writing, editing and researching content for a range of audiences, from IT and engineering departments to ecommerce entrepreneurs and general consumers
SEO-focused copy, content marketing and technical writing that translate big ideas into digestible content
Podcast and video scripts, blogs, newsletters, and more geared toward specific speakers and audiences
In-depth research for and development of comms plans
Brand stories, taglines and 'about' sections for entrepreneurs
Consulting on podcast and brand strategy and development
Co-founder
Unladylike Media
January 2017 - March 2022
My business partner and I launched Unladylike to create media that moves — and to own our own IP. Unladylike Media is the umbrella over a podcast, a book and live events.
On the business side, my role involved:
Strategy: Tracking and analyzing episode downloads and social media engagement and analytics (I love charts! Knowing what resonates helps me pitch and develop better content.)
Social media: Planning posts, keeping an obsessive eye on the Twitter discourse, managing our weekly newsletter and engaging with the audience
Finances: Managing payroll, bills, bank balances and cash flow
On the creative side, my role involved:
Research: Personal interests, audience feedback, and headlines (plus Twitter) helped guide what topics I explored and deeply researched for the podcast. Those ideas became fuel for pitching episode ideas to the team, coming up with potential guests and developing scripts.
Writing and editing: I worked with my team to write and edit podcast scripts and newsletters. In addition, I co-authored a book with my business partner.
Interviewing: It was a major privilege to interview a wide range of fascinating people about their lives. I’ve never met a stranger, which is an asset when it comes to putting people at ease and asking personal questions.
Public speaking: All of my creative skills collide when I’m onstage or at the front of the room (or on Zoom these days) speaking to a group of curious listeners. I’ve run workshops at a girls’ camp, delivered keynotes at universities and businesses, and even led a NSFW fundraiser presentation about anatomy.
Editor
HowStuffWorks.com
October 2014 - December 2016
I had an absolute blast working as an assigning editor for the educational site HowStuffWorks.com. Total dream job! My role involved:
Assigning: I distributed research-heavy articles to my team of weird, wonderful writers on a weekly basis.
Editing: I worked closely with those writers to edit their work and polish it into the best possible version. Helping my team lean into their quirks and follow their interests (while maintaining house voice and style) was incredibly rewarding.
Publishing: Through the HSW CMS, I uploaded my writers’ articles, selected appropriate art, and wrote headlines, captions and metadata.
Podcaster
HowStuffWorks.com
July 2011 - December 2016
Stuff Mom Never Told You was one of the earliest feminist podcasts dedicated to exploring life, history, pop culture, health and more through the lens of gender. My responsibilities included:
Researching topics to develop lengthy, detailed outlines — the basis for our semi-weekly episodes
Writing blog and social media posts
Engaging with our huge, involved community online
Speaking to businesses and organizations (e.g., Mailchimp, The Carter Center), at conferences (e.g., at Vanderbilt, Clemson and SXSW) and even at the country’s oldest girls’ camp
Marketing writer / editor
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
July 2012 - October 2014
As a member of the marketing team for a pediatric hospital system, I was part writer/editor and part assistant project manager. At CHOA, my role involved turning the goals and guidelines on a creative brief into real-life marketing material. That entailed the following:
Interviewing donors, healthcare professionals and patients for articles in magazines and newsletters (Additionally, I frequently served as the photographer’s assistant on patient photo shoots.)
Writing and editing a wide range of content, including articles, Q+As, headlines/captions, and web and promotional copy, in addition to translating highly technical information about medical conditions, equipment and advancements into digestible content
Closely collaborating with my design partner and marketing coordinator to plan projects and scale up or down based on the needs and wants of our “clients” (in-house departments, e.g., the autism center or the donor foundation)
Editor
NLNAC (now ACEN)
September 2010 - June 2012
The National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (now ACEN) is an accrediting agency for both post-secondary and higher degree programs in nursing education. My duties involved:
Editing 40-page technical, detailed reports for grammar and spelling and to ensure they met the agency’s house style
Managing the rapid flow of dozens of reports at a time and tracking their progress to meet deadlines
Creating materials to be used at the agency’s forums
Training and overseeing freelance editors
Copy editor
The Augusta Chronicle
October 2006 - June 2010
In my first job out of college, I learned and grew an incredible amount. Part of me still misses newsroom culture. My job involved:
Editing copy, from headlines and captions to local and wire articles, to adhere to Chronicle and Associated Press styles
Selecting wire copy to run in the state, national and international sections
Designing the Metro section / front, inside A-section pages and the features section front, working directly with editors and writers
Education
University of Georgia
Grady College of Journalism
Degree: Journalism - newspapers
Minor: History
Also: Writer, news editor and editor-in-chief at the daily student-run newspaper, The Red & Black
Oxford University
Trinity College
Attended study abroad program
Classes: Journalism; history of the Old Testament
Also: Went solo traveling after the program ended