Most people with a writing degree have a Bachelor of Arts. I come from a biology background, so I have a Bachelor of Science degree. From there, I went ahead and got my Master's degree in creative writing. So you could say that I have a BS in BS, and then became a master of it. I've written on more topics than I can remember, and I like to think that I'm pretty good at it. While most know my name for outdoor writing and power sports content, I've written about agriculture, antiques, travel, and even the bed & and breakfast industry. One of my hidden talents is being able to sound like an authority on any topic put in front of me. If you want to know about some of the experiences I have had as a freelance writer, just look through the next paragraph. To toot my own horn a bit - I write on a number of topics including ATVs, Off-Road, Trucks, SUVs, Boats, outdoor gear reviews, tips and tactics, humor stories, travel and adventure pieces and just about anything else you can think of. I also offer editing and writing advice. I can provide marketing direction and planning, editorial direction, content management, freelancer management, and trend advice. I offer copy, content, marketing, and press release writing to anyone in need of my services. I have published works for various contracts, including the following publications and/or brands: Cabela’s, Field & Stream, Outdoor Life, ATV.com, ATV Sport, UTV Off-Road, Off-Road.com, Gun Digest books, Petersen’s Hunting, North American Whitetail Magazine, Outside Pursuits, Outdoor Hub, Wildfowl, Grand View Media, Bass Pro Shops, Hard Core Brands, Bone Collector, and Successful Farming.

Getting the call to work for one of the oldest brands in outdoor content, I was thrilled to join the team at Field & Stream. The folks I worked with were all great and I was really happy with this gig, getting to write about some cool things, and there was a lot on the horizon. Then the bottom dropped out. The parent company announced they sold off the Field & Stream brand, which left a bunch of us looking for new work. Judging from what I have seen lately, this is an all-too-common occurrence in media outlets. I could have easily left this off my resume, but my job loss was not any fault of mine, and they did want me. I have a bunch of ideas ready to go for the next place that hires me. Give me a call.

Verticalscope is an interesting company. I worked for several years as a freelancer for them before I was hired in. It was kind of a funny story, too. I had just had major knee surgery and was home in bed, still feeling the effects of the painkillers they used in the hospital. My phone rang, and when I answered it, I was presented with a job offer. Luckily for me, my wife was in the room with me and heard the call and offer. She helped me accept without saying anything stupid. I was let go due to company downsizing but was brought back as a freelancer the next day. Want to know about what I did while I was there, read on...I worked on Outside Pursuits, ATV.com, Off-Road.com, and Outdoor Hub as an Editor covering commerce, gear reviews and more. I was heavily involved with editorial direction and managed freelancers, page design and more. I also monitored traffic, search engine traffic and key words, as well as monitoring competitor's sites and industry trends in all areas of the outdoors and motor sports.

This was an interesting gig. I had no experience with the hospitality industry prior to landing this gig, which was as a contractor, so I freelanced in other places, too. My wife was working in the specialty hospitality area and heard of this organization that needed communications help. Like I said earlier, I pride myself in my ability to communicate on any topic and sound like an expert. This is a great example.I provided communications and marketing services on a contract basis for this organization. My work includes weekly eblasts and newsletters, specialized marketing materials and consultation services on organizational events and programs.If you're in need of such services, give me a call!

My main focus is on content, communications, membership engagement and event planning for the Professional Outdoor Media Association.

I wrote content and articles for and about Hard Core Brands. This included content for the Hard Core Brands website as well as other partner networks as well as social media. I also helped with copy, communications, marketing materials and media relations.

I served as Special Publications Editor and as an editor for specialty agriculture magazines cover fruit and vegetable growers. I maintain the web content for two websites as well as social media outlets. Coverage includes commercial fruit and vegetable growing techniques, profiles of growers, industry news and events coverage, pest and wildlife control.

I got the call to interview for this position while working for Cabela's. Being tapped to head up one of the oldest standing firearm publications was a trip. I was immersed in the book publishing world and gained a lot of experience in other areas than just writing and editing. I also got to learn a lot about the outdoor industry and met some truly great people that I am still friends with to this day. I served as editorial director, editor, and team leader for Krause Outdoors Books and Gun Digest Books. I wrote and edited books on hunting, firearms, reloading tactical training, and survival. I also managed freelance authors, acquired new book titles, and worked with writers and other members of the shooting sports and outdoor media. This included tracking trends, going over comparable titles and properties, doing vast amounts of market and industry research, and gauging talent.

Want to talk about a cool gig - who wouldn't want to work for Cabela's back in the day? It was a culture shock for me, going from Michigan to Western Nebraska. On my third day, the VP of the company came up to me to chat. He said that being from out of state, I should know that my wife "would stop crying after a few years." She didn't, which was part of the very hard decision to leave Cabela's. It was a great company atmosphere and a lot of cool insights into what makes a company tick. I wrote content and copy for the award-winning website as well as content and copy for the catalogs and various projects and marketing materials.

Teaching right out of grad school was an interesting experience. The number one thing I learned from this job, and the other one I held at SVSU was how to interact with people from every background. Teaching forces you to listen to other people's stories in a way that a regular job just can't do. If a student was struggling, it was my job to find out why they were struggling and then see how I could help. It made me a better communicator and person.I taught several courses as needed ranging from basic English to business communication, technical, and advanced report writing. I also advised students and worked to connect coursework to community projects.

I taught two courses in writing skills, advised, and tutored students