It was in my high school freshman English class that my teacher, Mrs. Pyle, said my essay was "pretty good." And then in college, one of my professors handed back an assignment with a note on it that read, "If this is your work, it's very good." It was. If I had to point to anything that directed me to writing, it would have to be those two experiences. And then, after I boldly submitted an essay to the Orange County Register and actually got a call from an editor saying they were going to run it, I thought I had arrived. I was finally published. (Thank you Anne Valdespino.)
That was the beginning for me. It led to an offer from Newport Beach, CA-based Churm Media to become a part- time staff writer for one of its magazines. I eventually became a columnist for the regional media company and wrote a longstanding, award-winning column that ran for nearly eight years in OC Family magazine. I was then given a cover story assignment for OC METRO magazine that caught the attention of then-executive editor, Craig Reem. Following that, I was assigned my own three-page section in each and every issue of OC METRO. I eventually became editor. Not long after, I was named chief content officer (editorial director) and had oversight of all content for the company's media brands in print and online.
I'm so proud to have been honored for my writing by the Orange County Press Club, the U.S. Small Business Administration and the Parenting Media Association. While serving as editor-in-chief of OC METRO magazine (a business/lifestyle magazine for Orange County, CA), I was delighted to accept the MAGGIE Award for Best Special Interest Publication on the West Coast, awarded by the Western Magazine Publishers.
As a writer who was evolving at the very time the media industry was imploding, I am most proud of the honor from the OC Press Club for Best Transition from Traditional to New Media. I worked with a great team at Churm Media who turned a nearly 20-year-old print-centric media company into a digital powerhouse in the region. In late 2012, the company was acquired by Freedom Communications and the brands are now products of the Orange County Register. My title changed, too. I became editor-in-chief for the Orange County Register's special interest magazine group.
I now am majority owner (yes, I'm a woman business owner!) in Spotlight. I have taken my storytelling and editorial skills in a new direction -- video production. In addition to creating web videos for entrepreneurs, small businesses and other organizations, our team provides content services for web-centric companies.
On a more personal note, I am also a five-time contributor to the best-selling "Chicken Soup for the Soul" series. I have penned my own anthology of experiences as a mother of two boys. I have written a book about how to tell your children the truth about Santa Claus without destroying the magic. (BTW, the Associated Press wrote about "The Santa Secret" in 2011 and the article was picked up in publications around the world). I'm married to my college sweetheart (35 years, now) and together we have two adult sons. Our oldest works in baseball operations for the Anaheim Angels and our youngest had a role in the Brad Pitt movie "Moneyball."
That's me. In six paragraphs.
That was the beginning for me. It led to an offer from Newport Beach, CA-based Churm Media to become a part- time staff writer for one of its magazines. I eventually became a columnist for the regional media company and wrote a longstanding, award-winning column that ran for nearly eight years in OC Family magazine. I was then given a cover story assignment for OC METRO magazine that caught the attention of then-executive editor, Craig Reem. Following that, I was assigned my own three-page section in each and every issue of OC METRO. I eventually became editor. Not long after, I was named chief content officer (editorial director) and had oversight of all content for the company's media brands in print and online.
I'm so proud to have been honored for my writing by the Orange County Press Club, the U.S. Small Business Administration and the Parenting Media Association. While serving as editor-in-chief of OC METRO magazine (a business/lifestyle magazine for Orange County, CA), I was delighted to accept the MAGGIE Award for Best Special Interest Publication on the West Coast, awarded by the Western Magazine Publishers.
As a writer who was evolving at the very time the media industry was imploding, I am most proud of the honor from the OC Press Club for Best Transition from Traditional to New Media. I worked with a great team at Churm Media who turned a nearly 20-year-old print-centric media company into a digital powerhouse in the region. In late 2012, the company was acquired by Freedom Communications and the brands are now products of the Orange County Register. My title changed, too. I became editor-in-chief for the Orange County Register's special interest magazine group.
I now am majority owner (yes, I'm a woman business owner!) in Spotlight. I have taken my storytelling and editorial skills in a new direction -- video production. In addition to creating web videos for entrepreneurs, small businesses and other organizations, our team provides content services for web-centric companies.
On a more personal note, I am also a five-time contributor to the best-selling "Chicken Soup for the Soul" series. I have penned my own anthology of experiences as a mother of two boys. I have written a book about how to tell your children the truth about Santa Claus without destroying the magic. (BTW, the Associated Press wrote about "The Santa Secret" in 2011 and the article was picked up in publications around the world). I'm married to my college sweetheart (35 years, now) and together we have two adult sons. Our oldest works in baseball operations for the Anaheim Angels and our youngest had a role in the Brad Pitt movie "Moneyball."
That's me. In six paragraphs.