Welcome once again to the “Meet the Writer Series” here on StartUp Mindset. In this series, we’re giving our readers the opportunity to learn more about a few of the writers that help bring awesome insight and info to Startupmindset.com daily.
This month, we’re highlighting the talents of one of your favorite StartUp Mindset writers, Summer Anderson.
Joined StartUp Mindset: February 2017
StartUp Mindset Superpowers– Advanced idea generation ability, Purpose driven writer, Focused writing style, enhanced team working skills.
Must read Loraine articles:
- How to Work Successfully With Your Baby Boomer, Gen-X & Millennial Co-Workers
- How to Balance Being a Parent and an Entrepreneur
- 5 Ways to Stop Your Smartphone Addiction From Paralyzing Your Effectiveness
- How Leaders Can Battle Depression and Overcome the Condition
Q. Tell us a little about your background.
I’m a country girl who is from and currently resides in central Pennsylvania. I love it here, despite the winters, and my husband and I enjoy raising our two children in our small-town community.
Professionally, I have a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Allegheny College in Meadville, PA. Unfortunately, I got out of college when the job market tanked so I pursued a master’s Degree in Marketing from Edinboro University in Edinboro, PA.
After I received my degrees in December 2009, I moved home and began the scary job hunt as a fresh out of college post-graduate. I was blessed in that I quickly found work, but not in my field of study. After about a year, I got hired for the company that I am currently with doing both administrative and marketing related tasks.
I have a nice balance of work and being with my family which is what matters most to me.
Q. That’s great that you are able to strike a work-life balance. That is tough for a lot of people to do. How were you able to find that balance?
Some days I feel like I have a balance, and other days it feels pretty one-sided. I do my best to make the most of my day and the hours in it. While I believe that 24 hours sometimes feels pretty short, so would adding any more hours to the clock. I just take life day-by-day, and try not be disappointed if something doesn’t get done or if I had a rough day with the kids. I’m not perfect (nowhere near that), so knowing that I am just a fallible human being that does her best is what helps keep me balanced and happy.
Q. When did you know you had a talent for writing and communication?
I have always wanted to write a romance novel, so I dabbled in fiction-based writing in my college years. This was my getaway from reality, and from also writing 10+ pages on topics that weren’t exactly my forte. I joined a few fiction writing communities, not just as writer but also as an avid reader. Having my work critiqued in that way was tough for me, but, it made me realize that I still had a lot of growing to do within my writing.
As time progressed, I moved on to blogging as an outlet for my everyday worries or general life observations. I began to write reviews on Amazon for the books I read, and after a while, my confidence in writing slowly grew. During this time, I also realized that I had a way of putting words into writing more eloquently than I could speaking them.
In 2016, after going part-time at my job due to having two little ones at home, I decided to pursue the freelance writing and graphic design route. A simple Google search brought me to freelance website, Upwork, and the rest is history. I have been able to expand my writing career and meet some awesome clients along the way as well.
P.S. – I still hope to write that romance novel someday.
Q. Tell us about your hobbies or how you like to spend your time when you’re not working.
My husband and I joke that we are always working – not just at our jobs, but also keeping up with our two kids: ages two and almost five.
When we are not at the playground with our kids, my husband and I are avid golfers (that’s how we met) and try to play at least once a week. I also enjoy reading a good romance novel and working out with a group of ladies at our local YMCA.
I also love hanging out with my two pets, blogging, keeping up with our house and enjoying a nice relaxing evening at home with my loved ones.
Q. Is there a StartUp Mindset article that you are particularly proud of or enjoyed writing the most and why?
There are two articles that have stood out for me. The first one was the generational article I wrote about regarding, working alongside Baby Boomers, Gen-X’ers and Millennials. I am extremely passionate about the topic, so writing this piece was not only easy, but also extremely practical in many aspects of my life. My boss is a Baby Boomer as he is always trying to figure out the mind of us Millennials, so I saw firsthand how the generations must adapt to one another in the workforce.
The other article I enjoyed writing was the one about cell phone addiction. I know that I can be guilty of it, so I also had to take head of my own advice when writing this article. I was inspired to write it after I saw another writer post about cell phones becoming the new cigarettes and thought that was a great correlation. I immediately knew that had to be my next topic to write about, as I had much to say about the handheld device that so many of us have come to so gravely depend on.