Current job or job title: Editor
Employer: COMO Magazine
Hometown: Columbia, MO
Involvement:
Women’s Network
Women’s Network special events committee
Columbia’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s committee
Columbia Young Life board member
Current Goals:
Chamber Ambassador
Leadership Columbia
First job: Oh goodness… I can’t even remember. I had so many different jobs in high school, and as soon as one interfered with my personal life, I was onto the next!
What led you to your career? A complete leap of faith! I randomly met Erica Pefferman, owner and publisher of COMO Magazine through a mutual friend and the night I met her I told her that I wanted to be her when I grew up. I have always worked in the medical field, so this was a complete 180 for me. Somehow I blinked and ended up here almost three years ago now. I started knowing absolutely nothing… I was literally googling what certain words meant. Now, I wouldn’t change this career for the world!
Two or three words that friends and acquaintances would use to describe you:
Always late, always cold, sarcastic to a fault.
Best part of your job: Getting to share our community’s stories. Meeting new people and becoming more and more involved in our community and the chamber.
Currently reading: I am not much of a reader, but have really fallen into the Colleen Hoover trap lately. Guilty pleasure I guess.
Things that occupy your free time: I love a patio and live music with friends. You can catch me pretty much every weekend doing that somewhere around town.
Hardest thing you’ve ever done: I had my first child when I was 18 years old… a baby having a baby. I was scared to death and had no idea what life had in store for me or her. I saw a future that I wanted for myself and had no idea how I would ever get there. I took the nontraditional route of schooling, I started and stopped college several times and eventually finished the licensed practical nursing program through Columbia College. And the baby is now a 23 year old, in her second year of grad school at Missouri State University, and planning her wedding!
Something that brings you joy: My three greatest blessings and accomplishments are my children. Taylor 23 in grad school at Missouri State University, Braden 19, also at Missouri State University, and Kaitlyn 16 is a sophomore attending Hallsville High School.
Place you want to visit: Bucket list, dream vacay… Greece! In my head it will be just like Mamma Mia, and I will be living in a real life musical dancing around the island.
Advice for someone new to Columbia: Get involved with the chamber, specifically Women’s Network! I have grown leaps and bounds and have met SO many people and made so many connections since becoming a member myself.
Goal or goals for 2022: To just keep growing and learning. Becoming more involved in our community and nonprofits. I also have my eye on a yellow jacket and those big scissors…