Waiheke Weekender Feature Writer

Since moving to New Zealand and then to Waiheke, I’ve been fortunate enough to find a writing job on the island. Found on board the ferries and at many shops and businesses all over Waiheke, this weekly lifestyle publication is “packed with all this beautiful island has to offer ... extraordinary people, artisan food from the island’s best kitchens, great gardens, news from the vineyards and olive groves, lifestyle tips and property.”

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Screen caps shown due to oversize format. Full articles available upon request.

Bosch DIY Tools Australia & New Zealand

Kiwis have a strong independent streak and love being outdoors. They're also ecologically minded and cost-conscious, so DIY home improvement, crafts and upcycling fit neatly into the culture here.  I wrote a handful of posts for Bosch's Facebook page aimed specifically at the Down Under market. 

All the World's a Stage

Or at least it is in Statford, Ontario, also the hometown of Justin Bieber! I was asked to create several direct-mail pieces and e-mails for various segmented offers for the Stratford Festival, a Canadian Shakespearean repertory theatre that also performed classical plays and popular musicals.

Their goal was to tailor messaging to each segment and promote the town of Stratford as a destination where relevant. A series of panels delving further into related topics was also featured, as were workshops and behind-the-scenes tours designed to appeal to students as well as corporate, social and tour groups.

Custom Packaging, Eco-Friendly Binders and More

Another EBSCO company I blog for is Vulcan Information Packaging (VIP), whose site is binders.com. VIP specializes in B2B custom packaging and bulk supplies for marketing applications, business presentations and mass mailings. Here are a few recent posts I wrote:

• Cheeriodicals Care Packages Bring Smiles to Hospitalized Kids
• 5 Benefits of Running an Eco-Friendly Business
• Cost-Effective Products for Last-Minute Presentations

Featured in the first post is Cheeriodicals, a Birmingham-based company that delivers personalized gift boxes to hospital patients throughout the United States. VIP designed and produced these branded boxes, thousands of which have been been distributed to hospitalized children by way of corporate-sponsored team-building events. EBSCO as a company has always had a strong philanthropic streak and supports many local and national causes, so this dovetails quite neatly with the company's ethos. 

Siegel Says, "Display the Right Way!"

Siegel Display is a division of EBSCO Industries, a Birmingham-based company I worked for while living in Alabama. Siegel manufactures display products and storage solutions for offices, waiting rooms and trade shows. To drive traffic and promote SEO rankings, I wrote several posts for their blog, called Siegel Says. The most recent are here:

• 5 Space-Saving Solutions for Office Organization
• Drive the Right Attendees to Your Trade Show Booth
• Safely Transporting Your Trade Show Displays

Writing business articles was something a bit new for me, and it was also my job to offer the client a selection of images choose from to accompany each post. (Click images to enlarge)

The Town of Mt Laurel

A master-planned community in concert with nature, this Traditional Neighborhood Development was designed and built by EBSCO Industries, a Birmingham-based company I worked for while living in Alabama.

Beautifully crafted homes, naturalistic landscaping, front porches on every house, broad pedestrian-friendly sidewalks, myriad green spaces, and a walkable Town Center populated with specialty shops and independent restaurants were just a few of its selling points. As such, it won the distinction of being the area's only Southern Living Inspired Community and the location of Southern Living's 2016 Idea House, a luxury showhome opening this summer.

To promote the Town of Mt Laurel to prospective buyers, I wrote several blog posts. Here's one about sustainable living in Mt Laurel, based on an interview with the town's landscape architect. I also wrote a Q&A with the builder of the Southern Living Idea House and another spotlighting Mt Laurel's Gold Award-winning entry in the 2016 Parade of Homes.

Charmed, I'm Sure

At charming charlie, a fast-fashion jewelry retailer with nearly 300 stores nationwide, I managed a team of 3 writers and wrote marketing copy for all new collections, including the company's first-ever bridal collection. I also got to work on video scripts for online fashion tutorials hosted by the Editors of Lucky magazine as well as copy for our Moms' Night Out movie sweepstakes.