BIO

When I'm not dreaming up catchy headlines for JCPenney, I'm a busy mom to two kids, Myla and Liam, who inspire me every day.

They challenge me to see the world in a different light, which is how my two children's books transpired: Sun, Moon & Friends and Silly Similes.

I love being creative! At a young age, I joined Odyssey of the Mind, which encouraged students to embrace creative problem solving in a competitive environment. Weekends were filled with team-building activities, brainstorming and collaboration. It truly shaped how I think and create today.

My first year of college was eye-opening. I had every intention of studying anatomy to become a physical therapist, but my English professor told me I should pursue writing. I changed my major to journalism, and after one reporting class, I knew I was meant to be a creative writer.

I interned at Texas Monthly learning the ins & outs of publishing, including writing, photography and design. At the same time, I was writing and designing my honors thesis, a magazine called Aspire.

My master's in journalism, bachelor's in mass communication and minor in fashion have taken me on a journey from media to nonprofit to retail. Now, as a Creative Copy Manager for JCPenney, I write for jcp.com, emails, SMS, store signs, social, and video scripts for Shaquille O'Neal's big & tall line, XLG.

LIGHTBULB MOMENTS TURN PASSION INTO PURPOSE

A pivotal point in my career was when I became the Assistant Editor at Plano Profile, a lifestyle magazine in Collin County that has since rebranded itself to Local Profile. I landed my dream job—working at a magazine—and I was only 25. I covered community events, local restaurants, and interviewed more than 100 nonprofit leaders, published authors and local celebrities. I also learned HTML to manage the company's website. Ten years later, I stepped in as Managing Editor. It was an exciting opportunity to be the "voice" of the community. I worked with a dynamic team to publish a well-respected publication.

Another milestone in my career was in 2012 when I became the Director of Communications for Every Orphan's Hope, a ministry that builds homes for orphans and widows in Africa. One widow becomes a "mama" to nine orphans and together, they form a family. I traveled to Zambia to hear their stories of overcoming poverty and finding strength in God. I photographed their beautiful smiles and recorded their voices to design audio greeting cards for their sponsors. The audio cards were a reminder to sponsors that their monthly investment was far more than a monetary transaction. A lightbulb moment, for sure.

Before Every Orphan's Hope, I took a position at Hilton Worldwide as a Content Editor, writing copy and editing photos for Hilton's elite family of brands. Mostly, I worked on Hampton Inn, the largest brand.

I truly love both digital and print media.

From 2009–2017, I was a freelancer, and eventually Managing Editor, for Richardson Living magazine where I worked under the pseudonym Joy Rhodes. I have worked with several clients as a freelance writer or graphic designer, including Pizzeria Testa, Sci-Tech Discovery Center and Destination Imagination. I've also contracted for an agency, Tandem Theory, and their client Sally Beauty. I mostly wrote copy for emails and store signs pushing the latest beauty trends, but I also developed a style guide for Sally's 400+ brands to ensure consistent communication.

I am passionate about creative storytelling! I live for lightbulb moments that turn passion into purpose.

BIO

When I'm not dreaming up catchy headlines for JCPenney, I'm a busy mom to two kids, Myla and Liam, who inspire me every day.

LIGHTBULB MOMENTS TURN PASSION INTO PURPOSE

RESUME - Go On, Click!