The best writers or storytellers aren’t just dropped onto the earth with pen and paper or mouse and keyboard. Their skills are honed through a series of many seemingly sometimes unrelated steps. My journey is no different.

As a child, I wrote stories from my mind. I read books and got caught up in the adventure or drama or crime-solving escapades. My teens and young adulthood were focused on journalism and answering the 5 Ws and one H (who, what, where, why, when and how). I learned to listen first and then ask questions.

From journalism, I jumped to public relations. I went from writing the stories to pitching companies as the stories to reporters who I had admired for years. I knew how to tell a story and I was helping brands/businesses, products and industry organizations do just that.

And then, I became one of the people in the business trying to tell a different type of story. Stories to employees. Explaining, encouraging and empowering them to understand the business and champion change throughout their organization. My listening and questioning skills once again were vital as I  engaged in conversations with business leaders, scientists, and engineers to get to the “story” or “why would anyone care?”

Today, I am taking all of this experience and channeling it into my own writing and communications business. As I write about people, products and passion, I am always digging for that nugget, that angle, that story.