I’ve been around.
My first job was selling cucumbers door-to-door, two for 5¢. I’d take my wagon full of garden produce around the neighborhood and practice my sales and marketing skills.
Sounds like the Great Depression, but I’m really not that old.
I moved on to umpire semi-pro softball, play trombone in a dance band, and survey the Manistee River flats before earning my Masters Degree in Environmental Studies.
Since then, I’ve conducted a private counselling practice, been a commercial photographer, owned an art gallery, and taught at U of T, Queen’s, and internationally in addition to concentrating on writing and editing.
Because I’ve done many things, I find it easy to talk to most people: the CEO or the forklift driver out back. I like doing in-depth research, and I know when it’s time to stop researching and start writing.
My hard and fast rule is to be a hard and fast worker. I’m probably proudest of never asking for an extension or missing a deadline.
My goal is always the same:
Persuasive writing and teaching that sparks understanding and action.