Welcome to Brazen Careerist!

About Me

I'm an editor and a writer, and have been for ages. I grew up in the magazine business and started writing a column for kids when I was 10 years old and kept it up until I was 18. I started learning to edit when I was in my teens and began writing features when I was 14. I went off to college just after the University of Minnesota (my dear alma mater) had had a fit of renaming departments, and studied mass communications (formerly journalism), global studies (formerly international relations) and German studies.

I'm serious about my work, but I never let that prevent me from having a sense of humor. Still, I have a tendency to come across as being too formal and I'm working on that. I blame it on a very bookish childhood and eight years of studying German language and culture. I hope that the clown shoes I picked up will help mitigate it.

About my genuine love for editing: I once overheard a conversation between an older man and a young man who was about to graduate from high school. The young man, when asked by the older man which career interested him, said he wanted to be an editor. The older man made a noise of disgust and said, "Oh NO. Editors are terrible people. They're mean and they tear everyone down." I was heartbroken. I swear, I'm a really nice person. I've been told that I'm fun to work with, and it didn't seem to be a lie. Editors aren't mean, we're helpful. We just want to make sure that you look your best. I like to think of editing as using saliva to wipe a smudge of chocolate off someone's face: You don't like that you've been washed with spit, but at least you won't be walking around looking like a slob. I love to make everything just perfect, whether it's a story or my spice drawer.

What do I write about? Everything. From horses to people to houses to travel ... I have taken on just about every topic out there, except for things that I'm wildly unqualified for, like neuroscience or string theory. I've written just about anything you can imagine, from ad copy and Web site content to direct mail materials, but I've mostly worked on magazine editorial features and marketing projects.

I also act as a consultant for people who are interested in starting their own magazines but who need some insight into the everyday operations of an editorial department.

I'm Minnesotan and that means that I hate to blab about myself, which is what I'm doing here, somewhat against my will. For employers, it means that you'll find in me an employee who does her work well and diligently, who is low-maintenance and dependable, who might on occasion lead an initiative to bring cupcakes into the workplace, and who has a history of making friends with colleagues and customers.