At Youth Frontiers, a nonprofit that facilitates engaging retreat programs in schools that helps kids combat bullying, I managed the communications department. I wore many hats, from print + web design and content management to social media planning and execution. I learned more than I could have imagined, and helped the organization reach more than 105,000 students annually.

After four years, I was ready to head back to magazines, and I became the editor-in-chief of Lake Minnetonka Magazine, a lifestyle magazine based around the western suburbs of Minneapolis. I developed the editorial lineup from story idea to art concept, working with writers, art directors and photographers to craft written and visual content that is fresh, relevant and inspirational for the 60-page monthly magazine and its readers.

While managing LKM, I began freelancing on the side. Stemming from my personal struggle with unknown health issues (which eventually were diagnosed as celiac disease and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis), I’d begun to deep dive into the world of wellness, from clean eating to green beauty. My beauty bible was the book/blog, No More Dirty Looks, and I got myself hired as the authors’ assistant. Blogging for their audience and managing their social media accounts, I was introduced to the wide world of natural beauty and began working with small brands on blogging, editorial management and social media photography.

Fast forward almost a decade, and I’ve been working in the wellness industry ever since. Now, I manage a small portfolio of ongoing clients who are using their brands to empower women and men to take charge of their health, learn more about what they’re putting in and on their bodies and, ultimately, make the world a healthier, happier place.