In the beginning…

I’ve always been a writer.  I’ve kept a journal in some form or another since the first grade.  It chronicles my diets and crushes, my excitements and fears, my subscriptions to Teen Bop & Right On! magazines.  There are fabulously boring accounts of fights I don’t remember having with friends I don’t remember knowing.  There’s even a whole year of my life written in some secret code that my friend Chrissy and I developed.  We lost the decoder.

Schoolin’

I have a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Rowan University and a Master of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York.  At seminary, I became known for my objection to stuffy academic writing.  Lofty, unattainable language is boring and confusing.  It keeps the reader at a distance instead of inviting them to come in close and connect to the content.  To describe the aloof discourse of academia, I coined the term “acayak”, a portmanteau of the words “academic” and “yakking”.  Rumor has it my dandy little word is still finding its way into arguments with professors.

Working Gal

My work history is an eclectic menagerie of jobs that have allowed me to develop as a writer in a variety of contexts.  I didn’t take the direct route to the working world of adults.  I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to do.  I worked full-time in a customer service call center while I completed my undergraduate degree.  My love of youth culture and my “do-gooder” sensibilities drew me to several years of work as a mental health advocate for teenagers. From homeless shelters to school programs, I worked with staff psychologists and educators to write curricula and treatment plans to help iron out the kinks in the young, troubled minds we encountered.

Later, I decided to follow my dream of working in the entertainment industry.  As an associate produce for WHYY (PBS in Philadelphia), I was nominated for two Emmy Awards and was responsible for writing and managing online content for Destination: City Hall and The Next Mayor.  I went on to work on and write for other television productions including: Labor and Delivery (TLC), WomenDocs (Lifetime) and This Far By Faith: African-American Spiritual Journeys (PBS).

After attending seminary, I decided to use my writing and television super powers for good instead of evil.  As a media consultant for faith-based non-profits, I used my skills to power initiatives and missions that influenced entire communities.  Work with churches, seminaries, research projects, arts programs and community development corporations paid my bills and fed my soul.

Eight years ago, I turned my attention to understanding the corporate experience. I joined the team at PMA Philadelphia, a professional development firm with clients ranging from small non-profits to Fortune 100 companies.  During my time at PMA, I ghost blogged, wrote training manuals and speeches, articles and newsletters, marketing brochures and biographies, capabilities statement and corporate profiles.

Nowadays, I am writing curriculum for college honor societies, coaching clients on productivity and time management, recruiting and conducting interviews for human resources departments and, writing training materials for clients in a variety of industries.

Oh! I almost forgot. I also do standup comedy. You can see me do my act here.

I love what I do and, as I mentioned on the home page,  I’m good at it.