People make it awesome

Of all the varied types of writing assignments my career has taken me on, I do have a definite favorite. It's the feature profile, hands down. The thing that makes this marvelous gem of journalism amazing is that you can use it for so many different purposes: to introduce a new program, support a fundraising effort, or highlight the quality of someone's professional services. All this through the authentic power of a story about real people. In my mind, that's winning.

This year I had the privilege of interviewing some amazing people at Arizona State University (my alma mater). I was hired by ASU Online to create some content about the inspiring professors who teach ASU's broad offering of online degree programs. I was asked to write profiles that highlighted the fact that the educators teaching online are every bit as interesting as those teaching in the classrooms on campus.

I had such a great time with this project. Every phone interview with each professor left me energized and inspired. It was an honor to ask them about their teaching philosophies, why they are so passionate about their field, and what kind of experience they bring to their courses. Listening to these awesome people gave me a glimpse into what it must be like to sit in their class and learn from them...and from there my job was easy.

I wrote five profiles for ASU Online, featuring professors teaching everything from theater to medicine. You can read several of them here, here, here and here.

My thanks to ASU for giving me the chance to speak with these inspiring people. I believe that it's people who make the world go 'round. I do my best to look for the best in everyone, and when it's my job to write about it and share it with others...I'm a happy girl.

I wish you all a very happy holiday season!

Not exactly a drought...well not really, not very

I am painfully aware that it’s been nearly seven months (SEVEN!!?) since I last updated this blog. It’s the exact opposite strategy that I teach my clients, it’s poor business marketing, it doesn’t keep this beautiful site (expertly designed by the talented Laine Carlsness of Broadsheet Design) fresh and top-of-mind, etc., etc., etc. Yes, I get it.

And yet! It certainly hasn’t been because work at Jendo Creative isn’t chugging along. In fact it’s quite the opposite.

My dearth in blogging is more a reflection of the busy (that’s diluted for crazy, hectic and exhaustingly fun) summer I spent with my 8-year-old and 6-year-old. We took two family vacations — one to a tiny town in Montana to visit a family ranch and the other to Disneyland, which is of course the happiest place on Earth but also the most sleep-deprived. When we weren’t traveling about with family we were here in Seattle. I love this city all year round, but in the summer it’s nothing short of glorious. The kiddos and I took full advantage. We visited parks and wading pools, went camping, played with friends, and even managed to wash the car a few times (this is a particular favorite for my wee humans).

Now that school is back in session and we are well into the fall swing of things, I am catching up on the blog that went by the wayside in the beautiful black hole of summer.

Today, I want to talk about my client Pittsburgh Property Diva. A former ASU Foundation colleague referred me to Chris and Lauren in late spring; she’s now a freelance graphic designer and was creating their new website at the time. She found me through my LinkedIn profile after learning that Chris and Lauren were looking for help with site content. And that’s how a Seattle-based writer came to work for two fantastic real-estate professionals across the country in Pittsburgh. I love how small this world can be sometimes, and I have really loved working with the diva and the man behind the diva!

I started with a content audit of Chris and Lauren’s old site; then I put together a content strategy for the new site. This included a new organizational structure for the site to group content by end user (in this case buyers and sellers). With that as the guide, I edited and updated some of the content from the old site that we reused. I also wrote new content, including a new bio for Lauren. She was a delight to interview for that story, and I really enjoyed bringing more of her fun personality to the site.

After the site launched in September, Chris asked me to create an editorial calendar for their blog. I write two or three features a month, alternating between an industry-related story and a human-interest story. The industry stories are a great opportunity for me to learn a bit more about real estate, a field for which I’ve always had an interest. And the human-interest pieces have put me in touch with some of Lauren’s wonderful clients. I love talking with them about how she helped them find their dream home, navigate the intricate world of real-estate transactions, and make the next move for their family. Those are the stories I feel privileged to write, and I’m grateful that Chris and Lauren trust me to tell them.

As fall winds down and we move into the holiday season, I want everyone to know how much gratitude I have for the clients and connections I’ve made so far through Jendo Creative. I’m having a blast, truly, and look forward to sharing more about some past projects and new opportunities on the horizon.

The way of me

Hello there.

I'm glad you've stopped by to visit the BRAND-NEW, ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS website for Jendo Creative, my freelance writing business. My best friend since high school and graphic design wizard, Laine Carlsness of Broadsheet Design, made this site the beauty that it is. Thank you, Laine. Your skills are mad and your guidance, as always, is spot-on. I am grateful beyond measure.

As this site will tell you, I am a story teller. So, I thought I'd launch this puppy with my own story. 

My writing career began at Arizona State University as a public relations major in the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Between my college graduation in 2003 and September 2012, I held three full-time marketing and communications positions throughout the Phoenix area. All three of my jobs were for nonprofits, and my last position as a senior communications manager for the ASU Foundation was heavily focused on development and fundraising writing. During this time I married the love of my life and had two beautiful children. Life as a full-time working mom successfully climbing the career ladder was busy. It was too busy for me. I was stressed, exhausted and missing my kids.

In the summer of 2012, my husband had a huge opportunity to apply for a software engineering position in Seattle, a city more than 1,400 miles away from all of our family and friends (my husband and I are both ASU grads and Arizona natives). The thought of raising two young children without our entire support system nearby was terrifying. But it also meant that I would be able to stay home with my kiddos, which was something I had longed for ever since my first child was born. This move would finally make that dream feasible. So I took a deep breath and told my husband to go for it.

Three months later we packed up and moved.

It was massive change. We embraced it, and we thrived.

I always knew I would return to writing, and in 2014 I started Jendo Creative. Here's a little note on the name. Jendo is a combination of my first name (Jen), my middle initial (d) and the first initial of my maiden name (o). I first came up with it in college as a computer accounts username. Someone I worked with at the time commented that it sounded like it meant "the way of Jen." That wasn't my original intent but I loved it, and it seemed just right for my freelance business. This is the way of me. This is how I blend my family with my creativity. This is that life balance I spent so many years searching for in Arizona. It's how I have the flexibility to be at an assembly at my daughter's school at 10:30 a.m. on a Tuesday, come home to do a phone interview with an amazingly interesting university professor that I get to write about, and then at 3 p.m. be the one who gets to hear my son's first excited recollections about his school day.

My way is to put my heart into everything I do. This business allows me to do that. I am present for my family, and I am privileged to work for truly amazing clients to tell the stories they need told. (I'm also a seasoned editor with opinions on many glorious things like the serial comma, which I'll save for some other time!)

If you are looking for freelance communications and development writing, or if you know someone who is, please drop me a line. I'd love to chat.