I think and write clearly. No corporate-speak. No jargon. No spin. Just tight, accurate, straightforward, and engaging communications and messaging. You can’t build trust on fluff. Your audience knows when you’re being evasive or insincere and you’ll lose them. That’s especially true when you talk to employees, who won’t tolerate being marketed to.
I tackle assignments with the curiosity, persistence and deadline commitment of a journalist. I ask, “Why is that important?” and “What does that mean?” so that your audience never has to. I’m relentless about getting the interviews and background material I need. I sense when a story idea is good, and if it’s not, I can mend the mediocre.
I have a knack for making technology, science and medicine easy to understand. I really enjoy doing it, too. One of the proudest moments in my career was helping a research scientist who wanted to let the world know about his work but struggled to describe it in non-techy terms. I listened, I asked questions, and then I said: “I think what you’re saying is…”. He shouted, “Yes! That’s it!”
I understand corporate life. I have decades of experience working for and writing about companies and organizations. Before starting my business, I worked for HP in media relations and community relations, where I:
- Identified and monitored key issues of social responsibility; and developed positions and communications on them
- Set direction for community relations; developed and delivered communication; and provided guidance, training and communication material to public affairs managers worldwide
- Built relationships with U.S. and international journalists; served as a company spokesperson; and prepared managers and C-level executives for media interviews
- Developed communication plans and media materials for communicating news and highly sensitive issues
I’ve also worked as a journalist: a business reporter for a daily newspaper and the editor of a regional business magazine.
Industry Experience
- IT: hardware, software, networking
- Electronic instruments
- Health care: providers, medical distributors, medical research, long-term care facilities
- Nonprofit: children’s health, service animals, rural economic development