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Meet Karen

My Approach to Writing

I believe that all writing – including business writing – should be straightforward, simple, and in plain English where possible. The purpose of business writing is to make a connection with your customers and potential clients. I find that most business writing does the exact opposite: it distances people and sounds stuffy and generic, as though it belongs in a 19th century scientific journal. This boring and outdated approach does not convey the genuine concern and warmth that most professionals and businesses offer their clients.

Your clients and prospects want to know you, they want to work with someone they can understand clearly, a person they can trust and like, and they want to know you can solve their challenges. Even when you are writing a formal article about your work or industry, the writing should be as clear, free of jargon, and simple as possible. 

I strive to capture your personal voice and style in all the work I do, so that your presence is felt in every line. Whether you are writing an article for an industry publication or your personal memoir, I will help you achieve clarity of expression, and use characteristic diction that people who know you will recognize. 

Work History

Before having my own consulting business I had the privilege of working at the Advanced Management Institute of Architecture and Engineering, with Louis L. Marines, Steve Isaacs, Kyle Davy, Joe Rei, Cheryl May, Susan Harris, David Aitken, and other experts in leadership and organizational development. Every one of them is brilliant and I cannot recommend them highly enough. 

At AMI my work focused on marketing, client communications and relationships, and doing our trends and futures research. I oversaw operations in general, including research projects, public classes and special events, and hired, trained and managed the staff members. I worked closely with Lou and the AMI team to organize and run the industry peer groups: Chief Operating Officer's Forum, Learning Organization Forum, Bay Area Human Resources Roundtable, and the Bay Area Risk Management Forum. 

In 2004 AMI was acquired by FMI Corporation, and I took the opportunity to expand my consulting, writing and research work into a full-time business. 

Prior to AMI, I worked at Gordon H. Chong + Associates Architecture and Engineering, and I've also worked at newspapers as an editor and journalist, and as a volunteer fundraiser and event organizer for a national poetry writing workshop. 

Personal

I live in South Florida in the same town where I grew up, have a student in college, and consider the San Francisco Bay Area to be my second home.  

Activities

I'm a second degree black belt in karate, and am in training for my third degree. The martial arts are a great way to get exercise, relieve stress, and meet wonderful people. I recommend it for anyone, of any ability and any age. We have people at our dojo from 3 years old to over 70. 

I am a volunteer facilitator for the Student ACE Leadership Program, offering executive quality leadership workshops to high school juniors and seniors in Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties. This program is affiliated with Florida Atlantic University, and students may receive college credit for participation.

Education

• San Francisco State University, post-graduate work in Creative Writing
• University of South Florida, Bachelor of Fine Arts

Photo by Janisel Rosenthal Photography.