I studied journalism in college, mainly so I'd have a valid excuse to ask a lot of questions and learn about all manner of subjects and people from different walks of life and then write about them. When I graduated, I got a job at a local daily newspaper, where I wrote feature stories about everything from a scientist who turned sewage sludge into compost to a man who built SoCal’s biggest toy train collection. By night I freelanced as a music journalist, going to shows and interviewing musicians, because music has always been one of my biggest passions.

A few years later, I parlayed my journalism skills into a role in marketing communications at a civil rights nonprofit, where I learned PR, media relations and marketing in a pressure-cooker environment.

But my wanderlust got the better of me, and to feed my curiosity about other cultures, I saved up and spent a decade traveling the world, living and working in Europe, Africa and Asia.

While living in London and working for the British NGO WaterAid, I traveled to Nepal to interview people in remote villages in the Himalayan foothills. Although many people there lived simple lives without electricity or running water, I discovered that their stories were just as fascinating and important as many of the rockstars I’d interviewed. 

As someone who's soft-spoken, curious and a good listener, people naturally opened up to me. I discovered that despite our cultural differences, we are all connected and similar at our core – wanting to feel safe, loved and create something meaningful. I also witnessed time and again the incredible alchemy and connection that's created when people open up and honestly and vulnerably share their stories.

On this journey of meeting and interviewing people from different cultures and backgrounds, I learned that EVERYONE has unique and compelling stories to tell, if you just know where to look. It also broke my heart to discover how many life-altering stories of people from marginalized groups weren't being told. 

When I returned home to L.A., I got another full-time marketing communications job, but the truth is I felt confined by the structures of a traditional 8-to-5 and I knew that something deep inside me wasn't being expressed.

In my free time, I began writing a novel based on my experiences in Nepal. In this story (spoiler alert!), the protagonist discovers that her calling is to uncover and share the stories of people whose stories aren't being told. My own mission was staring me right in the face and came out on those pages but I didn't even realize it at the time!

Writing a novel also helped me let go of some of my perfectionist tendencies. (I am a Virgo after all!) I got stuck halfway through writing it – for months! – and I didn’t know how to move forward. Then I read Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert, and I realized that it was my fearful, critical inner voice telling me it wasn’t good enough that was keeping me stuck. It was then that I adopted the mantra, “Done is better than perfect,” and it liberated me to finish a less-than-perfect first draft, which I went on to revise and improve.

Then I was offered a dream job as the West Coast Editor of British music magazine NME. I got to interview my musical heroes and help establish NME's brand in the U.S. It opened several doors and I connected with people at all levels of the music industry. I even met some of my closest friends and my husband during this amazing time.

A few years later, when the recession hit and NME decided to end their U.S. operations, I lost my job and it felt like a huge blow. I had to decide whether to take another full-time job or make a leap into the unknown by becoming a freelance writer and entrepreneur, starting my own marketing communications agency. 

After some serious soul-searching, the message came through: "Bet on yourself." This felt both exhilarating and as scary as hell. I'd been debating whether to take a "stable" full-time job at a major brand I’d worked with or forge my own path. But my inner voice spoke loudly and I couldn't ignore it. (I found out a few months later that the brand completely restructured what would have been my department, and half of the team was laid off!)

So I embarked on a career as a freelance journalist and founded the marketing communications agency M4G Media, working with brands, nonprofits and creatives to drive growth, effect positive change and tell their stories to inspire action. There were no entrepreneurs in my family, so I didn't have any role models and I had to figure things out on my own one step at a time. (In fact, entrepreneurship is still filled with ups and downs and has been a huge part of my personal growth journey. Some days I want to tear my hair out, but it’s always an adventure!)

The winds of change had already been blowing, and with so many media outlets shutting down or consolidating, it became harder and harder to earn a living as a journalist. I also didn’t want to be at the mercy of editors who were assigning articles based on people’s celebrity status instead of whether it was actually a good story. And when I did get assigned stories, they often felt empty – they didn’t want me to dig deep, just to get it done quickly.

I knew I was meant to do more, so I decided to use my skills as a writer, journalist, marketer and someone who’s genuinely curious about other people to become a story coach.

I wanted to share what I’d learned over two decades in journalism and marketing to help people overcome obstacles holding them back from sharing their messages and connecting with their audience. I also wanted to help people get to the heart of the story and find the emotional resonance that would move others to take action.

Then a funny thing happened. Artists and business leaders started approaching me, asking me to help them find the connection between their journey and their work, and how to authentically express their artist identity and personal brand. I knew I had found what I was meant to do.

As an artist myself who writes fiction and creates pottery, I know first-hand how self-criticism can hold you back from creating or sharing as big as you were meant to. After overcoming the perfectionism that prevented me from doing my work (to be honest, it’s been a lifelong journey), I wanted to help others understand that “done is better than perfect” and quiet the critical voices in their heads so they could do the work that really matters to them and get it out into the world.

My mission today:

My goal is to help you know deep down in your bones that you have something unique and valuable to share with the world, and to give you the tools, techniques, and inspiration to do it most effectively. Your stories can be a force for good in the world, and I want to help your build the confidence to share them authentically and powerfully to create connection and grow your community.

After staying behind the scenes for several years as a soft-spoken introvert, I’ve embarked on a journey to believe in myself and be more visible in my business and as a creative artist. I know that if I can do it, you can do it too. Let me help you step into your full power so you can create as big as you’re supposed to and bring about something magical in the world. It's something the world needs now more than ever. 

My professional journey

Entrepreneur and founder of Story Harmony, M4G Media, and Music for Good

Reporter for Variety, Rolling Stone, Los Angeles Times, The Press Enterprise, Under the Radar, Nylon, Yahoo

West Coast Editor of NME magazine

Communications Manager for British NGO WaterAid 

Communications Director for the Levitt Foundation

Public Affairs at Cal State L.A. (where I got my Master's degree in Communications)

Publicist and Cause Marketing Strategist for Red Bull Music

Publicist and marketing communications strategist for indie musicians, nonprofits, performing arts organizations & authors

Interim Marketing Manager for the LA Master Chorale

Ghostwriter