Most of Mary's work has centered on healthcare, nutrition, educational, career and instructional articles as she enjoys the challenge of making often-dry material readable and relevant. Blogs are quickly becoming Mary's specialty in sharing information aimed at reinforcing company branding on a diverse range of topics as needed by her clients. Mary also specializes in the short essay, a format that works extremely well for web content, now that search engines are placing more emphasis on quality content over simply stuffing a mediocre article with search words.
Her fine-art and graphics training also helps with visualizing and suggesting effective placement of copy for brochures, flyers, instructional and other kinds of print materials as well as online content design.
Thanks to her marketing and business education and experience, she understands the challenges faced by many business owners today, especially that of time-management for busy people. She has a creative and fun approach to life and this is reflected in much of her writing. Give her an idea and watch her run with it!
Mary has been writing and drawing for as long as she could hold a pencil and spell. In her 'free' time she enjoys creative writing and is currently working on both an herbal guide as well as a children's gardening book. She also hikes, kayaks and otherwise works at keeping fit - not easy when sitting much of the day! Mary loves gardening, raising herbs and perennials, and enjoys the antics of her resident 'wild pets' (as well as the challenge of keeping them out of her prized vegetables). Her favorite recent books include the acclaimed 'Three Cups of Tea' and its sequel 'Stones into Schools' by Greg Mortenson, both of which detail the challenges and successes of bringing educational opportunities for girls in Pakistan and Afghanistan. 'Half the Sky' by Pulitzer Prize winners Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn profiles several Third World women and their triumphs over discrimination, poverty, sexual slavery and educational repression.
Mary earned her BA in 1989 concentrating in Organizational (Applied) Behavioral Science from the Lombard campus of National-Louis University, based in Evanston, IL.
As a young Army wife, Mary earned her Associate's degree just before the birth of her first child and being relocated by the Army to California. She planned at the time to return to school in a few years and become certified for teaching but those plans were derailed by the need to return to work to support herself and her 2 children after the end of her marriage.
After several years, she was able to fulfill her dream of a BA from a nearby university and progress in the corporate world.
Mary's background in home health care, health insurance, physicians' offices, medical billing and equipment qualify her to write about a variety of health-related topics, whether about a recent salmonella outbreak or money-saving medical insurance tips and ideas.
Her personal interests are in maternal and child health issues, as well as the role of nutrition in maintaining health. She has recently begun to explore veterinary health topics, offering how-to articles and tips for keeping pets healthy.
Mary has researched and written numerous articles for educational and other websites offering career and training advice. Her career guides and job-hunting tips for students and other jobseekers give readers lively updates on the best career choices for today's workforce. Career fields including health care, finance, education, management and retail are discussed and evaluated, with the latest salary and employment data and trends available, to enable prospective students to choose the best career path.
As a journalist, Mary has also covered topics currently in the news, including the potential impact of the' Dreamers' on post-secondary schools and an evaluation and 'report card' of the 'No Child Left Behind' legislation.
Mary has written brochure advertising copy and web content for several commercial cosmetic and personal-care retail websites across the country. She also enjoys discovering and blogging about new skin care, fragrances, cosmetics and other beauty products that are made with organic and other chemical-free ingredients and are not tested on animals.
Mary has collaborated with the human resource departments of large corporations as well as owners and managers of small local businesses to research and offer solutions to common staffing issues.
She has worked for several large, well-known corporations in the medical insurance and home health industries and is familiar with the often-complex challenges and needs faced by human resource professionals, especially in this current rapidly-changing work environment.
Mary has long been interested in fitness and healthy lifestyles, and has written more than dozen how-to and general-interest article on pilates, yoga, weight training for women and seniors, as well as health facility operations. Her work appeals to industry professionals as well general readers wanting to learn new techniques or tips on becoming and staying fit.
Mary has researched and written articles covering a variety of career options and related topics for educational, career, and general-interest websites. Her articles have discussed preparing for various health care careers, education, management, finance, and retailing, as well as the latest salary and employment statistics. Mary is focused on finding and sharing the latest information on the best career options, whether for mid-life career changes or high school students planning their career paths.
Since 2011, Mary has written a monthly online food column offering healthy and delicious seasonal recipes, buying tips, finding the best local farmers' markets - and good food deals - as well as growing and storing food. Her emphasis is on using fresh foods, especially herbs, that are locally-grown, when possible as well as what's in season.
Mary has blogged and written articles about the latest scientific developments on topics as diverse as global warming, GMO foods, and the Mars Rover expedition. Her articles, blogs and essays are well-researched and written with an objective reporter's viewpoint - 'just the facts' - not an easy task when controversy surrounds some of the subjects at hand.
As an avid gardener for many years, Mary enjoys sharing gardening advice and developments, including discovering new seed and supply sources. her emphasis is on organic gardening methods, as well as showcasing and linking with the best organic and non-GMO seed companies and nurseries. She has recently begun to review gardening and related green lifestyle books in her blog.
Mary has blogged and written numerous articles about the benefits of living 'green': including keeping the use of and exposure to chemical cleaners, garden products and other possible contaminants to a safer level as well as offering safer alternatives.
Among the topics she has covered are pet health concerns from toxic household cleaning products, garbage reduction and recycling efforts in several communities and the toxic effects of sewage sludge in agricultural composting.
Mary has blogged on current topics ranging from environmental issues to tropical plants, both on her own blog site as well as a paid blogger for several commercial sites. Her blogs, usually between 250 - 350 words, entertain as well as inform. Mary encourages blogging as an excellent way for website owners to promote themselves by personalizing connections with their customers.
Since late 2010, Mary has researched and written more than 80 web-based articles covering dozens of topics. Prior to this, she has also written over a dozen general-interest articles for print publication.
Having taken additional seminars and coursework in marketing - especially that of SEO - she is well-qualified to assist her clients by offering quality content, thereby enhancing their SEO experience.
Mary helps clients set up simple but eye-catching, easily-navigated websites designed to showcase the client's products or services for sale.
She helps with image selection, editing and positioning as well as plans the site's overall design. This includes font, advertising copy, advice on making the best shopping cart and payment-option choices, conducting promotional and marketing campaigns, analytics and SEO. best-practices.
Mary has written press releases for numerous civic, private and public organizations as well as most recently for commercial (paying) clients. These were done as part of a package including print brochure copy, as well as web content articles and blogs. Mary understands the importance of coordinating all of a client's promotional materials for a first-impression best possible impact.