Education

Austin Peay State University, Clarksville, Tennessee

Bachelor of Arts, communications (public relations emphasis), cum laude, May 2000

Experience

I have more than two decades of experience as a writer, editor, digital marketer, content creator and project manager. I specialize in crafting compelling, professional and informative content that gets results. I enjoy making complex, technical subject matter approachable and humanistic.  

Freelance writer and editor, February 2017-present

  • Co-author of Make Your Business Social, published in August 2020 by Business Expert Press, now available from Amazon.

  • Co-author of Make Your Nonprofit Social, published in January 2021 by Business Expert Press.

  • Write and edit various publications, including blog posts, books, resumes, short stories, product descriptions, marketing/sales brochures, email campaigns, press releases and websites. 

  • I am a top-ranked freelancer on Upwork, and have been fortunate to work with clients from all around the U.S., as well as Canada, Mexico, India, New Zealand and Israel.

  • I’ve written extensively about the following topics: small business, digital technology, health and fitness, mental health/substance misuse disorders, higher education, plumbing/HVAC, exotic pet ownership and care, cosmetic surgery/aesthetic medicine and interior design.

  • Long-term clients include:

Business support specialist, Worldwide101, June 2017-March 2018

  • Managed marketing projects and other administrative assignments for clients as needed, providing personalized and reliable customer service as a virtual assistant for busy business owners.  

Director of communications & content development, Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, June 2000-February 2017

Primary responsibilities

  • Content development: Wrote and edited all Chamber publications and communications vehicles, including blogs, e-newsletters, press releases/media advisories, reports, research studies, invitations and brochures.

  • Email marketing: Created and sent all email communications for the Chamber, including identification of targeted member distribution lists. I maintained a schedule of more than 250 email outreaches per year, including a weekly newsletter and several monthly newsletters.

  • Digital media: Served as the "voice" of the Chamber on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. I grew online audiences by at least 5% every quarter (one of the largest social followings of any chamber nationwide).

  • Website management: Maintained nashvillechamber.com, including updating and organizing content, creating new pages and tracking site metrics with Google Analytics to determine what pages were performing/underperforming. Helped lead a total overhaul of nashvillechamber.com in both 2009 and 2016.   

Expertise

  • Microsoft Office suite

  • Adobe Photoshop and Acrobat

  • Associated Press style guidelines

  • HTML

  • Social platforms: Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, LinkedIn

  • Website content management systems: Wordpress, Squarespace, Sitefinity, Wix

  • Google Analytics

  • Email marketing platforms: Mailchimp, Constant Contact, Emma and HubSpot, plus A/B testing, analytics, list management

  • Social media dashboards: Hootsuite, Buffer, SocialPilot

  • Project-management utilities: Basecamp, Slack, Asana, Teamwork, Freedcamp

  • Customer service/nonprofit management