My story
I founded and sold a media company where I was first editor in chief for the magazine, then tapped to lead the digital marketing practice that served small businesses, nonprofits, and local government. Since 2012, I've worked primarily with local utilities, cities, nonprofits and economic development entities to provide expert media and communications services. Often, I serve as a contract PIO (public information officer) for communities and organizations that don't staff that position full time.
What else? Well, I've opened and sold two restaurants that are still going strong in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I'm a volunteer small business mentor with SCORE and a rural broadband advocate. I also teach beekeeping at Northwestern Michigan College and at the Interlochen Center for the Arts. In my free time (ahem), my partner and I like to boondock across the country in our '71 Shasta Starflyte.
How I work
This is my summer office in northern Michigan (my winter office has a wood-burning stove). I keep my overhead low and work to level the online playing field for small organizations all over the country.
For the most part, the work I do isn't flashy. My goal is to help my clients connect with and professionally deliver important information to their constituents with timely media interaction, community engagement programs, and customer/constituent education. Every organization is unique, and the way I engage with my clients reflects their individual cultures and needs.
PERSONAL PASSIONS
Broadband for everyone
Somewhere between 19 and 30 million Americans in rural and tribal areas lack high-speed Internet access, limiting opportunities for economic development, education and connection to the world. I am a founding partner in the Community Broadband Action Network (CBAN). Our mission is to help communities bring high-speed Internet to their residents.
Honey bees and pollinators
The bees are my beautiful ladies, sharing their gifts and providing invaluable pollination to the orchards, forests, and fields surrounding my home. I keep a small yard at home (3-5 hives) and am the apiarist for the Interlochen Center for the Arts, where I also teach beekeeping to the community.
Get in touch.
Contact me today for a free 30-minute consultation on your current and upcoming initiatives. I'll send you a summary report that's yours to keep whether we work together now or sometime down the road.