Behind the Scenes: Secret Talents of The Writers For Hire Team
July 7, 2023
Ever wonder what writers do in their spare time? Creating marketing copy for major corporations takes imagination and hard work. Mapping workflows and developing policy and procedural documentation for large organizations takes skill and ingenuity.
Our writers, editors, and project managers work hard to deliver content that keeps business moving at the speed of light. But like most dedicated professionals in any technical or creative field, taking a break occasionally and recharging the batteries is essential to maintaining a healthy work-life balance.
So, sit back and enjoy as you get an inside look into how some of our team members unwind after a long day of creating and managing content for our clients. Be inspired by their talents and riveted by their view of the wider world.
Suzanne Kearns
Copywriter Suzanne Kearns has been a valuable team member with The Writers For Hire for over six years.
When not creating content for our clients, she raises eight chickens.
Of course, they produce lots of eggs, so she gives them to friends and family.
She also admits to keeping some for herself to create homemade pasta.
Suzanne also rents a tiny home called “The Lavender House” on her half-acre property to visitors on VRBO.
Before her guests arrive, she stashes a half dozen eggs in the fridge as a pleasant surprise and a much-appreciated perk.
In addition to raising chickens and running a VRBO, Suzanne also grows her own vegetables and enjoys cooking with lavender.
Her unique website features baking mixes using edible flowers. Some of what you can find are:
- Baking mixes
- Beverage mixes
- Wedding mixes
- Flavored sugar
There’s also a page for gourmet wedding favors. Choose between Lavender Lemonade, Lavender Hot Chocolate, or Brownies for Two Baking Mix. Each box comes with 25 4”X 6” wedding favor bags.
Jennifer Iacullo
Jennifer Iacullo never minces words. That’s because she’s one of the top technical writers at The Writers For Hire.
When she’s not working on complex projects for the oil and gas industry, she’s busy learning new languages. Jennifer speaks 11, to be exact, and she’s always willing to learn more.
Her formal training is in:
- English
- French
- Russian
- Polish
- Ukrainian
- German
- Hebrew
- Latin
She also has informal training in Dutch and Spanish. To round out the list, Jennifer lived in Greece for over two years, so naturally, she speaks Greek as well.
Since Jennifer is an Orthodox Jew, she reads her prayer books in Hebrew and follows along when the Torah is read in Hebrew.
Jennifer continues to read and study newspapers and other media in several languages.
She says it keeps her current and in practice.
Flori Meeks
Flori Meeks has worked for The Writers For Hire for many years, ghostwriting and editing several projects, including op-eds and nonfiction books.
She’s also an expert in social media services.
In her spare time, Flori runs a charity called Barb’s Ministry, named after her mom, who is thankfully still with her today. Volunteers create delicious baked goods and deliver them to senior living facilities and personal care homes.
The ministry focuses on major holidays such as Christmas, Easter, and Valentine’s Day. Volunteers also make it a point to deliver during “Christmas in July” events as well as the autumn season.
Flori explains that she loves visiting residents and workers at personal care homes. Seeing how grateful they are to her organization and the smiles a homemade treat can bring to their faces is rewarding to her.
Stacy Clifford
To label Stacy Clifford as a writer is an understatement. From technical writing to creative journalism and trade articles, Stacy will create it.
He’s even a poetry expert, rounding out his amazing repertoire.
But if that’s not impressive enough, Stacy has been an artist most of his life, specializing in pencil drawings. His first love is animals and nature:
You can find much of his artwork on his website, scliffordart.com. Visitors can commission Stacy to draw a portrait of themselves or a loved one using regular or antique photos.
Brenda Hazzard
Editor and proofreader Brenda Hazzard unwinds by tending to her houseplants.
Begonias, philodendrons, peace lilies, and ficus trees are among the plants that adorn the mezzanine of her home (below).
She especially enjoys talking to them and ensuring they receive just the right balance of water and sunlight.
Brenda is also studying to be a Master Gardener. She’s already passed the initial exam and is considered a trainee.
To be fully certified as a Master Gardener, Brenda must complete 40 volunteer hours, helping at local neighborhood gardens, schools, and nurseries. She plans to complete all her requirements by the end of this year.
Brenda finds gardening to be a great way to relax. It gets her off the computer and helps her unwind from a long day of reviewing grammar, punctuation, and syntax.
Erin Larson
Erin Larson is a technical writer and copywriter who has been with The Writers For Hire for over 10 years.
Throughout the past decade, Erin has worked on several projects for the oil and gas industry and the finance industry.
She has a ton of experience documenting corporate standards for energy companies.
Erin proves that many seemingly small talents can enrich your life as much as having one huge one. For example, she can recite the entire “Princess Bride”movie, a skill handy when stuck in an elevator with strangers for several hours.
In her free time, Erin loves spending time outdoors, hiking 1,000 miles per year.
She’s also a decent tennis player but admits that her skiing needs work.
What a wonderful gift for enjoying snow in the winter and fair weather in the spring and summer!
Erin enjoys combining two words to make up new ones, a skill useful at dinner parties where the conversation can become dull and boring.
She also has an extraordinary memory. For example, she can remember where your grandmother went to college, or instantly provide your phone number so you don’t have to look it up on your cell phone.
Peter Albrecht
When looking for talented technical writers, we hit the jackpot with Peter Albrecht.
He possesses the skills that would make any creative person envious. From process documentation for power companies to ESG reports for everyone else, he can do it all.
Outside of work, Peter loves playing music on his guitar, banging out a few tunes on his piano, or relieving some stress on his drums.
But he says his real talents lie in his home studio recordings, a hobby he’s been cultivating for decades.
Peter enjoys lending a hand with video productions created by close friends. He also records demos for musicians auditioning for various gigs and job opportunities.
Barbara Adams
Senior writer, editor, and project manager Barbara Adams is the glue that keeps many of our clients’ projects running smoothly.
Her extensive oil and gas industry knowledge is a great asset, and many of our writers look to her for advice and inspiration.
Barbara is also an expert quilter, a hobby that’s been a part of her life for many years. She gives away her creations to commemorate important life events, such as weddings, birthdays, and new additions to the family.
Recipients of her charity quilts include the Histiocytosis Association, Linus Project, and Barb’s Ministry (run by our own Flori Meeks).
Barbara loves working with colorful fabrics, a skill she learned in high school. She says that quilting offers a way to relax outside of work and meet new people within the quilting community.
“It’s a nice diversion,” she says. “There’s always something new to inspire you.”
Jennifer Rizzo
It would take an entire book to list the skills possessed by Jennifer Rizzo. Sure, she can write and edit almost anything—be it creative or technical— but her genealogy research skills make her stand out the most.
If there’s an old family record located anywhere in the world, chances are she can find it!
Away from work, Jennifer loves to paint, especially landscapes of exotic locations she’s visited during her travels abroad.
She says she started a few years ago with the urging of her husband. While she was away on a business trip, he set up a studio in their home with the help of their four children.
Since then, Jennifer has found relaxation and a way of escape in her art.
She also loves to travel (especially internationally!), sing, and finds enjoyment in mastering foreign languages.
So far, she’s fluent in Spanish and Italian, but dabbles in many others including German, French, Arabic, and Portuguese, to name a few.
Shelley Harrison Carpenter
Copywriter Shelley Harrison Carpenter knows how to connect with readers to keep them wanting more.
She can take even the most mundane subjects in blog posts, web pages, or trade editorials and make them enjoyable.
Shelley also knows how to create her own vegan recipes. Check out these mouth-watering dishes:
She says she mainly cooks for her husband but loves to share with friends or bring something new to a potluck dinner.
Shelley is also into antique furniture. She enjoys refurbishing old treasures she finds locally at thrift stores.
She says her secret to getting that “shabby-chic look” is applying the right amount of paint using a rag.
She also dabs a bit of Vaseline to various spots, painting over everything and lightly sanding the surface.
