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About Me

Pen junky, potato strumpet, word wizard, and will say, "Hi!" to your dog before I even acknowledge you!

Great, now that I have your attention, let me share a little about me: 

 

I've used my words to paint persuasive and vivid pictures for 24+ years. Over the past decade, I've spent significant time helping various companies (global, national, and local) build verbiage to better service clients, sell products, aid internal staff, and craft comprehensive stories.

Several years ago,  I shifted from agency life, where I ran the branding division, to a manufacturing company as their in-house talent. I've redesigned and written all copy for their website, crafted and grown their social media presence, and built a video production "house" from the ground up! Then, super-sized everything (crew, cast, output of commercials). Want receipts? No problem! Click here and see a menu of videos! 

Why is this important to mention? I truly believe that storytelling is one of our most powerful tools. Doing it through commercials and filmmaking has vastly helped mold and grow the digital footprint, fosters relatability and engagement, and, in some ways, provides a level of transparency and accessibility.  At the end of the day, we all shop for things, and we all know the value of being able to relate to and understand who you're buying from and what you're purchasing! â€‹

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Published Works

I'm a writer in my DNA. Moving beyond (and coming long before) brand partnership, production, screenwriting, and copywriting, I've written fiction and poetry.  I have had the excitement of being published in a magazine and two anthologies so far. You can find out more about those here.  I am in the process of self-publishing a collection of short stories surrounding heartbreak. Then, sometime soon, I have some ideas for a children's series, inspired by my nephew.  I'll consider myself successful, though, if I ever get the gumption to complete the book I've longed to write for decades, the one about Top Cat—the one about my dad.  

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For now, if you're curious to get a feel for any style of my writing, check out the free stuff I share here on the site! 

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Production Works​

Being integrated and immersed in marketing and branding for the last 15 years, I found myself back in proxmity of the entertainment world, this time behind the camera, and without a makeup brush in hand (past lives, you know). In building video, I have stumbled (gracefully, I like to think) my way into filmmaking and production. Then, I fell in love.  Working with cast and crew is the electric piece of collaboration and creative minds melding that writing solo doesn't hold. For the past four years, I've been honing my skills in what I blanket as 'producing' but really breaks out into a lot of roles. I enjoy that, though,  the little details of being a producer, from the kickoff into pre-production to blowing up giant light-up flamingos in the back of a Jeep the night before a shoot (see below). The work is always different, and that's what I love. Here's some cross-over experience that technically falls into other roles, but I've wrapped up as 'Producer work':

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PRE-PRODUCTION-

  • Location scouting and booking

  • Crew booking

  • Casting calls/casting director

  • Releases and contracts

  • Budgeting

  • Props

  • Staging

  • Costume planning

  • Makeup

  • Scheduling (shoot date, pre-production calls, crew, talent,  and agency coordination)

  • Scriptwriting, storyboarding, and call sheets

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SHOOT DAY- 

  • Craft services set up

  • Art direction

  • Assistant Directing 

  • 2nd AC (Check out my piece on how slating reminded me to stop shrinking)

  • Talent payment

  • Fill in crew member (whatever needs to get done, I'm there - from Macguyvering equipment, improvising set decor, to picking the lock on a bathroom door) 

  • Ultimately, just making sure things are running smoothly, production is on time, and everyone is in good spirits!

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You'll occasionally catch me in front of the camera when I'm needed, but my favorite place is behind it, running around, flipping through shot lists, and making everyone aware of the time.  

 

 

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​I'm based in the Chicagoland area, traveling back and forth between IL/WI frequently. When I'm not traveling for work, behind a camera or on a computer screen, my favorite thing is hanging with my dog; he's the coolest. I love nature, mainly hiking and kayaking. I enjoy experiencing great food with awesome people. I will always love reading. I express change through interior design and changing my hair (often).  I like toying around with my Canon and polishing how I take photographs. Overall,  I'm a student of life, so there's always some side quest or new thing I'm learning, watching, or reading about. 

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