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.
Read MoreEP4 of The Wholeheartedly Podcast revealed something I am currently struggling with: purpose and change. I just don’t want my career to look the same way it has for the last 13 years. Realizing that is scary. It’s an internal crisis of the highest order, especially for someone like me, who has it “all figured out.” It’s hard to undo what you have been doing, to knock down the beautiful structure you constructed out of blood, sweat, tears, love, vision, and so much more. I know, deep in my heart (and even in the logical parts of my mind), that I have to pivot in my career.
Read MoreAs I am finishing my last semester at Ohio University, I feel many emotions. A part of me is so drained and excited to be done with school, but the other part of me is sad at how much the pandemic has taken from my college experience. As I am starting to look at jobs and graduate schools, I find myself feeling unprepared. I am not alone in this feeling, as many of my peers feel the same way. I sent out an anonymous survey to many college students/recent graduates to see how they felt as well. In this blog post, I will share my peers’ and my own experiences and feelings as we are graduating and entering the workforce.
Read MoreBefore 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.
Read MoreNot to stress pandemic-induced cliché words and phrases, but most of us have been forced to pivot since March 2020. We have experienced lockdowns during a pandemic, social injustice conversations, the ups and downs of an election season, and more. I think I echo everyone’s sentiment when I say this: bring on 2021!
Read Mores 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?
Read MoreCharacter 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.
Read MoreIn 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.
Read MoreHappy #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.
Read MoreWhile 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.
Read MoreOur 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.
Read MoreBefore 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.
Read MoreAs 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.
Read MoreI 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!
Read MoreWhat 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.
Read MoreWhether 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.
Read MoreThroughout these past 10 years, I’ve compiled list after list pertaining to what public relations pros (or anyone communicating a message) should possess. Some traits are natural, while others have to be learned in the classroom or on your own until you practice enough to meet mastery levels. Here are 10 skills every PR pro should develop and begin to practice every day.
Read MoreEven if you’re not the journaling type, you may want to relive a special trip of a lifetime. Here are five benefits to keeping a travel journal on your next vacation.
Read MoreI 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.
Read MoreLike 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.
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