I've been a writer and lover of words since the second grade, though it wasn’t until I discovered my university’s professional writing program that I realized I could make a living as a writer.

It was true then, and it's still true now. Every single industry needs strong communicators to help convey their messages.

I spent my early career working in I.T. departments, writing and delivering training, designing user guides, and interpreting the highly technical jargon of the I.T. and manufacturing worlds into the everyday language of the end-user.

This ability to simplify the complex translated easily to healthcare when I found myself looking at our newborn in an intensive-care isolette. My husband Scott and I welcomed our first child, Elli, in February of 2000. Elli was born with complex congenital heart defects and suffered a brain injury during her first weeks of life. Despite the doctors’ worst fears, Elli survived those initial terrifying days, and I left my fulltime job to care for Elli when we finally brought her home.

We had three more children, 2 boys and a girl, and after a 4-year hiatus from traditional work, I took a part-time position at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. As the co-chair of the Family Advisory Council, I led the council comprised of hospital staff, providers, researchers, trustees, administrators, patients, and families. I planned and facilitated council meetings and guided teams as they collaborated to improve the hospital experience for families. I found myself translating again, helping healthcare professionals understand families and vice versa.

Being Elli’s mom and adding 3 more children to the family taught me so much about being present in the moment, celebrating the tiny victories, and holding fast to a healthy perspective on what’s worth fighting for.

It also served as a catalyst for my spiritual transformation. I shifted from an intellectual know-it-all to a questioner whose main prayer these days is "Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief."

These lessons are what Scott and I wrote about in our upcoming book, "Holding On While Letting Go."

Elli died in her sleep at the age of 8.5, and as the younger children grew, I realized I needed a lot more flexibility in my work. I learned social media and blogging as it emerged, writing about Elli and the kids on early versions of the platforms we know today. I discovered that this experience plus my background in writing was a potent combination that was in high demand.

In 2011, I launched a freelance writing business that quickly expanded to include social media management, branding, public relations, and marketing. I've worked with international nonprofits including the American Diabetes Association, World Vision, and Feed the Children, tech companies like Teladoc Health and Health Care Logistics, and smaller companies including law firms, physician practices, microbreweries, realtors, and jewelers.

In 2020, I rebranded and now lead Jumpstart Marketing, an agency serving small- to medium-sized organizations in Cincinnati and around the world.

My kids are now in their teens and teaching me new lessons about being present, celebrating small victories, and keeping things in perspective. Scott and I have been married since 1998 and call Cincinnati, Ohio home.