I love a lot of things, but above all, I love a challenge. That’s why I have been pursuing new and exciting projects that come my way over the last 12 years that I’ve been leading Tall Order Communications.
I also love to learn. The projects I take on stretch me out of my comfort zone. I love talking to clients, scientists, designers, web developers, and seeing the world from their perspective.
I thrive on the spaces between disciplines, where it’s hard to define exactly what I do based on established job types, like marketing, communications, journalism, and writing. I do aspects of all of those, but from the perspective of creating experiences and inspiring people rather than from meeting marketing targets or communications goals (although I do that too, in the process of creating experiences).
I arrived in my current position by saying yes to what I enjoy doing, even when I didn’t know whether that was going to allow me to succeed. I’m happy and grateful to say it has, and I thoroughly enjoy my eclectic path of partnering, learning, creating, problem-solving, and all things content.
I also love food. While this doesn’t always factor into my work, it is one of the ways I connect with people—by feeding them, dining with them, talking about food with them, and offering restaurant recommendations in cities I’ve traveled to. Any food-loving clients I’ve had tend to turn into long-term friendships—and we still meet as often as possible, over dinner. And I share my adventures on my blog, Amazon in the Kitchen.
I have a Master’s degree in Political Science from the University of Calgary. How did that launch me into my current career, you ask (everyone asks that)? I learned during my last degree that I am too much of a generalist to pursue any further graduate work (1/3 of my coursework and my thesis topic involved English and Literature, even at the Master’s level).
But what I’m really good at is pulling out the important points, knitting them together into a new synthesis of ideas, and communicating that clearly and concisely. I’ve been doing versions of this ever since in every aspect of my career.
I began my career as a content developer with AldrichPears Associates, Ltd. This was the perfect place to learn to work with talented and creative individuals on interdisciplinary, story-driven projects.
Shortly after I moved home to Saskatoon in 2003, I was laid off, and shortly after that, became self-employed, taking on a museum writing project with a former client. I have worked with several communications firms, and maintain a strong connection with Reach Communications in Saskatoon. I have since discovered that content development for museums translates effectively into content strategy and management for websites, and I have been building partnerships and experience in that realm since 2012.
It took me over 10 years to launch my website, because I have been blessed with loyal colleagues and clients who have recommended me for project after project. Beyond building strong trust relationships with everyone I work with, from clients to partners, I didn’t take the time to let the broader world know I exist. That was then, this is now. Along with taking on more leadership roles, I have accepted it's time to let the world know I'm here and ready to serve.
When you work with Tall Order, you're not just working with an agency. You're working with people...real people with abundant heart and empathy, who can embed themselves in your team and care about your customers as much as you do. I worked with Noelle to create a marketing content style guide for Pearson that was so comprehensive and well thought out that it was nominated for an award within our company and called "a document worthy of any newsroom in the world." Her work ethic and her ability to manage multiple stakeholders were incredible, and I look forward to more opportunities to partner with Tall Order in the future.
Pearson