Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
As a creative writer, editor, and journalist, I know the power of the written word and can help businesses, publications, and individual clients communicate meaning. I'm passionate about putting myself in the mindset of the user and creating microcopy with empathy – from the reassuring Buyer Guarantee copy that gives you confidence in your ticket purchase, to the warm guidance that helps you search for senior living, to the informative product quality statement that lets you know your greeting card is sustainable. Along the way, I've mastered SEO, UX best practices, accessibility guidelines, Figma, and aspects of app development, merging the age-old craft of writing with forward-thinking, modern tools. I am a graduate of the UMKC Creative Writing Program, where I gained expertise in the genres of poetry, screenwriting, creative nonfiction, and journalism. My writing has appeared in Bustle, The Kansas City Star, The Pitch, Ink Magazine, 435 Magazine, The Examiner, Alma, The Tempest, Swipe Life, Bellesa, and Read Poetry. In addition, I have published poetry in Plainsongs Poetry Journal, Number One Magazine, Sprung Formal, Kissing Dynamite, Every Pigeon, Boston Accent, Random Sample Review, Snarl, Pithead Chapel, Queen Mob's Teahouse, The Knickknackery, SWWIM, Rogue Agent, and Stirring: A Literary Collection. My work will also be anthologized in the forthcoming Aunt Flo Project. A short fiction piece is under contract with Cleis Press. My literary research has appeared in The Sosland Journal. I presented this original research at symposiums at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and at York College of Pennsylvania. Recently, one of my poems received a 2021 Best of the Net nomination. I am also the recipient of a Kansas City based award for poetry, The John Mark Eberhart Memorial Award, and was a finalist for the 2019 KC Poetry On The Move contest. My team at Ink Magazine won a first place publications award from The Missouri Press Association.
-Write two blogs weekly for Read Poetry, Andrews McMeel’s poetry and lifestyle vertical. –Pitch blog ideas related to the Read Poetry audience and trending topics, such as poetry pairings with recent album releases, poetry for upcoming holidays, and using poetry for mental health. –Write social media copy and assist with digital strategy for an Instagram account with 57,000 followers. –Take an active role in influencer marketing initiatives, interviewing and creating high-performing content with poetry influencers including Rupi Kaur, Amanda Lovelace, and Courtney Peppernell. –Research and incorporate SEO keywords to digital content, resulting in an annual site traffic increase of 53%. –Work with copy editors and web team to ensure that articles follow AP style guide. –Manage and update a monthly editorial content calendar.
-Wrote long-form, SEO-driven articles for four software brands: Helix Core, Helix IPLM, Helix DAM, and Helix ALM. All published blogs made it on the first page of Google, with many winning for position 1 and quick answers. -Took a leading creative role in product rebrands, deciding strategy and writing copy for major product pages and laying out the overall user journey. -Used Drupal content management to edit, format, and upload digital content. -Wrote ad copy and trade show materials for industry-leading events, including Unreal Fest, Amazon AWS speaker series, Embedded World, and others. -Collaborated with subject matter experts in the fields of semiconductor engineering, media and entertainment, and medical device technology to produce informed, technically accurate content. -Planned and executed social media strategy for four software brands, including posting and tracking engagement across Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter/X, and TikTok. -Conducted thorough, ongoing research to understand and become a trusted voice in the devops space. -Worked with design and video departments to ensure cohesive, creatively aligned work. -Led monthly editorial calendar meetings to pitch content ideas and gain buy-in from shareholders.
-Led content design across multiple site pages, including home page, pillar pages, articles, senior living community profiles, partner content, careers page, etc. -Owned and continually revised brand voice guide, a working, comprehensive document that helped define cohesive brand messaging across editorial content, TV ads, and social. -Wrote email and newsletter copy for a newsletter read weekly by thousands of caregivers. -Assisted in keyword research, inbound linking and back-link strategy, and monitoring organic traffic. -Managed projects in Figma, working with design teams to do so.
-Helped grow organic content traffic on the Caregiver Resources blog by 72% between 2020 and 2021. -Contributed to increasing sales leads by 30% between 2020 and 2021 through effective, audience-driven content. -Wrote two weekly articles on topics related to senior living, aging, and senior health and wellness. -Regularly optimized articles to ensure SEO-friendliness, prioritizing keywords, headings, and inbound linking. -Used WordPress content management system to edit, format, and upload digital content. -Brainstormed and assisted in production of multi-modal, interactive content, like podcasts, videos, and graphics. -Conducted scholarly, medical research on topics like dementia, Alzheimer's, and nutrition. -Collaborated with creative teams, including content strategists, designers, and project managers. -Researched and developed content based on deep, empathetic audience strategy.