I didn’t anticipate saying goodbye to my company as I have known it for seven-and-a-half years. I had been flirting with the idea of making a drastic change for a while, but I couldn’t jump off the ledge into the deep, unknown waters – the waters that gave way for me to begin my company in the first place. Here I am, sipping cold coffee at a mid-century modern desk with accolades, hourglasses, and clutter surrounding me. I have to wonder, “Where did I go wrong?” The answer is that I didn’t go wrong. I am just evolving, as most healthy, self-informed humans tend to do.

What Hourglass Media Will Look Like Going Forward

I recently turned 34, and there is something about birthdays that invites moments of reflection – at least for me. I spent much of this year, and April onward in blog posts, mulling over what I want my career to look like. I’ve done a lot of work I have truly loved, with clients and partners that continue to do life-changing work in their spaces. However, you know when a change is afoot, and that change happened for me when my son was born.

What I have learned about pitching

Since the release of Kaylin’s book Healing Your Heart: A Prompted Journal for Pregnancy Loss, I have been working on outreaching to media outlets on behalf of Kaylin. This was my first time pitching anything to media outlets, so it was all very new to me. From Kaylin’s tips, researching, and my own experience, I have learned a lot about the process of pitching.

Six Tactics I Use to Improve My Writing

Before I started working in PR, I was a self-proclaimed “good writer.” For school, I have had to write many papers of different styles. Because of this, I have learned how to crank out papers like a well-oiled machine. When I started working at Hourglass, I started to realize that my writing was okay, but I had so many areas that I could improve. Through this process of trying to improve my writing, I have found tactics that have helped my writing skills grow.

Healing Your Heart After A Pregnancy Loss

I honestly wish I didn’t have to release this book. Today marks a bittersweet moment in my professional -- and personal -- life. It’s the release date for my latest book, Healing Your Heart: A Prompted Journal for Pregnancy Loss. I wrote this book because suffering two miscarriages has changed the trajectory of my life. The eBook and print versions are now available.

Writing for Public Relations

s public relations practitioners, many of us already know to not use buzzwords, overly fluffy language, and tone-deaf messaging. Even if you happen to be the most seasoned PR pro, you can always learn something new as you write content for organizations, clients, and yourself. What do you need to consider as you write for public relations?

How To Develop Characters For Your Novels

Character development is how your protagonist and other characters respond to internal and external obstacles. Depending on your story’s theme, you will also want to consider how that, as well as the rest of your story’s trajectory, affects your character’s growth throughout his or her journey. Here are some tips to ensure that you’re developing your character in myriad ways and doing your story justice.

Mental Health Moments: How To Overcome The Fear of Sharing Your Writing

In last week’s blog post about self-publishing, I mentioned in the last point to not let fear stop you. I wish I could bottle even just a drop of that little-girl fearlessness. There are times I really need it and have to still push myself past the corners of a suppressed envelope in order to reach my writer’s potential. I’ve written millions upon millions of words at this point personally and professionally, but I still struggle with a lack of confidence in certain writing realms. Here are three ways you can work on overcoming your fear of sharing your work.

What To Remember If You Want To Self-Publish

Happy #NaNoWriMo! If you’re en route to writing a book this November, I commend you for your efforts and wish you the best on your journey! I have completed the #NaNoWriMo challenge once, in 2017, and I know what an amazing feeling it can be to finish 50,000 words or more! Here are five things to remember if you decide to self-publish your own works.

Writing An Article From Start to Finish

While I don’t interview and write articles EVERY day, it’s still an integral part of Hourglass Media. I still enjoy sitting down and talking with people. This week, actually, I am writing an inspirational COVID-19 story for a local magazine, so I am already in the groove of this process. Here are five tips to employ, from the research to the completion phases.

Why We Need Storytellers More Than Ever

Our publics need compassion and truth in the information they consume on a daily basis. In essence, all of us need storytellers more than ever. We need the truth in media and throughout the chains of commands in our organizations. We need stories, fiction and nonfiction, that reflect who we are and who we aim to be. Ultimately, silence isn’t golden in these situations. Communicate early and often with your audiences. Here are some ways communicators can ensure their publics’ stories are being told.

Creative Ways to Use Your Inner Child to Brainstorm Children’s Story Ideas

Before the soft launch of my first children’s book, Plastic Cupcakes, I took a free online course through my local library titled, “Writing For Children.” I’m going to share a few things I learned during this course if you are interested in writing your own children’s story or find yourself in a communications position marketing to children. Here are some ways you can use your inner child to craft stories for your own children’s story.

Using the 8 Elements of a Story in Your Narratives

As November comes to a close, I’m sure you’re revisiting your projects’ word counts and diligently trying to reach all of your writing goals and objectives. If you’re like me, then that means that you didn’t meet your goal (*gasp*), and you’re faced with establishing a newer, stricter goal measurements in December and beyond. These eight elements will strengthen your story and cause you to geek out just like me when you lose yourself amongst books.

Five Things Writers Need to STOP Doing

I curate and cultivate a living by telling stories. There are so many stories we hold back out of fear or another constraint. We don’t want to hurt those close to us, reopen old wounds, be seen as less than who we are… the list can go on and on if we let it. My hope is that these following tips will help you as you navigate #NaNoWriMo and other writing projects. Let’s make an effort to STOP these five things!

Mental Health Moments: Break Out Of Your Comfort Zone To Tell Your Story

What is one story you want to tell if fear wasn’t in your way? Oh, my friend. Do you have all afternoon? I have quite the mental list. I’ve been keeping it for years! Own your process and your story. Choose parts of it to tell, if you’re like me and don’t want to tell everything all at once. There is someone somewhere who needs it. Even if just one person relates to me, I will feel 1,000 percent honored.

Three #NaNoWriMo Tips To Help You With Major Writing Projects

Whether you are tackling your word count on a daily basis, or you aren’t sure where to start, I want to give you some practical tips to reach that coveted 50,000 word count during #NaNoWriMo. Even if you aren’t writing a novel this month, you can still use these tips when you have a large writing project. Most of us will have those in our communications fields, from annual report content and a string of blog posts to case study recaps and tailored sponsorship letters.

Five Ways To Find Your Passion

Some of us may struggle to realize our passions. We know we have likes and dislikes, strengths and weaknesses and more, but we may not know how to leverage that in our personal and professional lives. In some cases, we may not even know we have a particular passion or could decide to build upon a childhood daydream. Here are five ways you can help build your passion.

How to Write Your Own Children's Book

Plastic Cupcakes is a reflection of that time period but with a next-generation twist. It’s a counting book for Aunt-Niece duos (or trios, etc.) that showcases the fun and unique bond between an aunt and her niece. When my niece, Aubree, was born on August 2, 2017, I knew I wanted to commemorate her birth by writing her a story. Thus, Plastic Cupcakes was also born. If you’re interested in writing -- and perhaps even self-publishing -- your own children’s book, here are some tips to help you throughout the process.

The Top 5 Things You Should Know Before Starting a Communications Business

I wrote and released my first eBook, The Top 5 Things You Should Know Before Starting a Communications Business, because I wanted to help others make sense of some behind-the-scenes business endeavors before taking the leap. Or if you have already started your business, you can use this eBook and workbook, too, of course. All of us are lifelong learners (or should be), so my hope is that you can learn from these tips as well.

A Behind-The-Scenes Look Into My Writing Life

Like many writers in the world of Instagram, I participated in March’s #InstaWriMo challenge from the folks at National Novel Writing Month (#NaNoWriMo). I have never really opened up about my writing process, successes and challenges, and I found this experience to be a rewarding one. This is a Wizard-behind-the-curtain moment for me.