I have been writing for Plymouth State University in central New Hampshire (my younger daughter Molly’s alma mater) for several years now. My stories about students, alumni, and campus projects have appeared in the university’s alumni magazine and on its website.

Most recently, I wrote the following piece, and rather than offering it in full here on my site, I am providing the link to read it on the Plymouth State website:

Rebekah Lewis ’23: PSU Is an Incredible Community

Rebekah “Reba” Lewis ’23 was raised in a rural town in Utah where immersion in a strict religion was commonplace. After grieving the deaths of two brothers and surviving compounding traumas, Lewis felt disconnected from her church community and needed to advocate for herself by moving out of the area.

“That’s why I am here,” says Lewis, who will earn her bachelor’s degree in social work in the spring. “I realized how much I was wronged, and how much I had seen, and I couldn’t not do anything about it anymore. Plymouth State has changed my life. It’s an incredible community, and it showed me a whole new life that I could have.”

With gratitude, Lewis has been learning and taking advantage of all opportunities presented to her. She’s a three-year volunteer for the Circle Program, a nonprofit serving youths in the state who are socially and economically disadvantaged. She helped found the Plymouth Area Network to Help End Racism (PANTHER) and is currently absorbed in a 450-hour field practicum with the Youth Assistance Program in Tilton, NH, counseling at-risk youth.

Read more about Rebekah and her experience at Plymouth State University here.

The post Rebekah Lewis ’23: PSU Is an Incredible Community appeared first on Beetle Press.

I connected to Adél Szegedi via my client Jack Milner as Jack had hired Adél to create illustrations for his upcoming book, Virtual Presentation Mastery. Woven through Jack’s book on how to enhance virtual presentations is a thread of humor and whimsy, which Adél amplified. I was impressed with her work and enjoyed the collaboration. Recently, my assistant Jillian Tully interviewed Adél about her work as a freelance artist. Here is their conversation:

How long have you been creating art?

Storytelling has been an essential part of my life since I can remember, and creating art is a kind of storytelling for me. I usually struggle with verbal communication and I can convey my thoughts and express myself better in writing, with music, and with visual arts—especially with illustration and animation.

What inspires you?

It mainly depends on the circumstances and situation I am in. But the connection between nature and humans is definitely one of the most interesting and inspiring things for me—everything is linked to nature eventually. Also, I draw on the small, usually unnoticeable moments in everyday life that most of the people tend to miss in this big hurry we live in. If I recognize something interesting, I pause for a moment, “zoom in” to these tiny reality pieces, and I try to understand them. I believe everything has meaning, we just have to find the right perspective to recognize it. 

Where do you pursue your training?

I was self-taught, and visual creation was only a hobby until I did an animation course, in which I learned the basics of filmmaking and to use my visual language better. At the moment, I am studying at the University of Westminster in London in a Contemporary Media Practice course. It’s a really varied and exciting course, working with several different mediums like film, animation, photography, and so on. One of my current projects is a group work: we are developing a hybrid installation, focusing on the visualization and sonification of the communication of fungi. 

How did you connect with Jack Milner to illustrate his book, Virtual Presentation Mastery?

I connected with him through my university. My school has a really good system to help students to find work experiences as soon as possible and provide good connections to other creatives who want to work with students.

What inspired you to create each piece of art for the book and the great cover art, too?

It was mainly an agreement with Jack; fortunately we communicated very well. As a start, he proposed the basic concept, then I had a little bit of time to dabble with it in my head. Afterwards I came up with the idea to use an animal as a character because it is gender-less and ageless, therefore, everyone can relate. Eventually, we agreed on going with a frog, who became a little funny spark to the whole theme of the book. 

What was the creative process like for you on this book project?

I start every design process with research: I was collecting pictures about frogs in real life as well as inspirations from other illustrators to create a mood board with the collected material. It provided a good basis to see how a frog’s body is built up and how others depicted it. After that, I just started sketching and eventually came up with a few versions of a frog character that I sent to Jack, who offered feedback. There weren’t too many disagreements on the character. Since it’s a business type of book, I had to keep it in mind to create a cartoon character, which is not too childish but conveys the cheerful tone of the book.

What was it like working with Janice on this project?

Janice was really nice and supportive and offered a good insight into the book illustration world. It was the first book I’ve ever illustrated, so I’ve never worked with other writers and their editors before, hence it was a very instructive first experience for me. 

What other work are you pursuing at this time?

I’m working mainly on my university projects and a few illustration and animation commissions. One of my favorite projects now is a music visualization that I’m developing with a composer friend of mine. Also, I’m working on my next short film; at the moment I’m developing the script and the character designs. 

How can people reach you to see samples and learn more?

I have a website where they can find my illustration and animation portfolio. Otherwise, they can reach me on Instagram, YouTube, and Vimeo as well.

The post Q & A with Freelance Artist Adél Szegedi appeared first on Beetle Press.

Note: I have been working with Jack Milner of the UK since the spring on the manuscript for his book, “2D to 3D: How to Be a Virtual Presentation Superstar.” Jack is a performer-turned-communication-coach who provides organizations with the tools to influence, persuade, and engage—whether through storytelling, presenting, or communicating within teams. His book acknowledges how rapidly the world pivoted to online meetings and presentations with the onslaught of COVID-19 and offers impactful tips to help them stand out in a virtual world. Working with Jack has been a great experience. Recently, my summer intern, Emma Listokin, interviewed Jack and what it was like to work with me. This is their conversation, verbatim.

When did you get into writing and why?

I got into writing when I was a teenager, so initially, I liked writing angsty and depressing stuff involving drugs and stuff like that—things I knew nothing about. At 14, a teacher did an exercise, and you couldn’t help but write a bit of nonsense. It was supposed to be a two-page essay, and in the end … it was 20 pages long. The following week my teacher handed back my work and said, “Jack, is it alright if I read your story to the class?” I said, “Yeah, yeah absolutely!”  He read my piece to the class, and they all roared with laughter, and that was the thing that got me started, that moment. That’s what I like, and that’s what I want to do. 

What prompted you to write a book? And why?

Like with most things for me—it was an accident! I was supposed to write a book about presentation skills from a different angle, and then COVID arrived, and one of my clients—Samsung—asked for a handbook on virtual presenting to go along with the course. I quoted 5,000 words and it ended up being 20,000 words. They were delighted, and then I thought, “You know, this is the beginning of a book here.” Others encouraged me, and I took the idea seriously. Then I got in touch with Janice, and I thought Janice felt like the right fit. 

How much of your book was written when you contacted Janice?

I think most of it was written, a really bad version of it, maybe not really bad, but most first drafts are pretty rubbishy. 

How did Janice help you hone in on an illustration style for the book?

I needed an illustrator for the book, and my neighbor connected me to two university students who are illustrators. I said to both of them that I don’t care what they come up with; it could even be animals. One came back to me with what you’d expect in a business book: a bit presentation like, but nice graphics. And I thought, “That’s good enough.” The other one came back and said, “I was going to go with snails, but I’ve decided because you said you were going to have a photograph of a frog to come back with frogs.” I said to Janice that I think I’m going to go with the first design, because my mentor said, “Jack, whatever you do, don’t do cartoons!” Janice came back and said the second design is really funny and original and quirky and matches my personality, and she helped persuade me toward the frogs and connect the theme to my manuscript. One of the mantras for this book is, “Janice is always right,” because it’s true! 

What stage is your manuscript at now?

It’s now at the stage where I’ve written close to the final draft, but there might be some final tweaks. It’s with a PR firm now that is shopping it around for publication through a traditional or hybrid company. Janice helped connect me to this firm because she thinks my book could have a wide reach. 

How did Janice help you advance your project to this phase? 

She genuinely cares about you and the work. If she gets frustrated, which she really never does, it’s more, “C’mon this can be better, and here are steps to make it better.” The first draft she shared a lot of things that could be improved and gave points that could be clarified. There were a lot of notes on the first draft, most of which I followed through on. Janice’s grammar is much better than mine, so she’s great for eyeing the grammatical errors. She instills confidence: A writer needs to be told what’s good about his work. Because without that, it’s much harder to write. 

What did you consider the most valuable part of working with Janice on your book? 

It’s two things. Firstly, having a clear process and deadlines so that you have a working structure to help you focus. And the second being Janice pushing this to be magic. We found a small moment of magic, and Janice spotted it, and that led from this book going from being ordinary to being much more than ordinary and that came from her inspiration and encouragement. Sometimes you need that encouragement to take a risk. 

What kinds of suggestions did Janice make? Did you act on all of them? If you had differences, how did you resolve them? 

We didn’t need to resolve anything. Janice gets writers and is a very good writer herself and all she’s trying to do is help you get your vision across in the way you want it and sometimes needs to nudge you. 

In what way did your manuscript turn out differently from what it would have been if you had not worked with Janice on it? 

I think if I hadn’t worked with Janice and worked by myself, it would have been okay, but what Janice has done has helped me put Jack into it and helped me be a bit more confident. I’m quite proud of it. That’s quite a big deal. 

What are your hopes for next steps?

I’d love it to get published. I’d love it to make a difference and sell a few copies, and up my fees for my master classes, and if it does all of those things, I’d be happy. 

Anything else you want readers of Janice’s blog to know? 

Janice helps you be you. … I’ve really enjoyed the chat and banter. She’s a really good person, a good human being. She’s fun, and she really likes people to be themselves and encourages that. She’s got a good sense of humor. I highly, highly recommend working with Janice. She’s also 100 percent honest. 

The post A Client Q and A with Jack Milner appeared first on Beetle Press.

I have worked with Ruth Griggs for nearly a decade, partnering with various clients and creating a range of materials together—from press releases to blogs to social media content. Recently, Ruth offered some thoughts on what it’s like to work with me and what value I add to her marketing team.

What is the work or mission of your organization?

RC Communications is a strategic marketing company, and through it, I work with a variety of creative partners. These colleagues help me execute the marketing plans I develop for my clients. I also lead the Northampton Jazz Festival, overseeing the board’s activities and managing everything from securing sponsorships to marketing and PR.

When did you begin working with Janice, and in what way?

I started to work with Janice in 2012. She first worked with me as a PR specialist for a nonprofit client in Springfield that serves individuals with disabilities, called Pathlight. Janice developed stories about how the organization was transforming individual lives, and she wrote and distributed press releases to the media as well. We continue to work together. Janice does all the PR for the Jazz Festival.

What specific services did she provide for you or your clients? 

She does everything from writing website content to press releases, ads, brochures—anything that has to do with writing. She has offered her services to benefit my clients since we first connected and worked together on Pathlight projects. We have worked together for dozens of clients, on many projects.

What was the quality of Janice’s work?

Very high. Especially when it comes to press releases. She is a master at knowing the proper strategy to employ and in composing a press release that will gain attention in the media. She has relationships with some of the local editors who help gain attention as well. 

Did press releases Janice wrote for you or your clients attract attention from the media?

Yes, definitely. She is very good with getting picked up in print in The Springfield Republican, the Daily Hampshire Gazette, and BusinessWest—and also on their digital news channels. 

What value did her other content creation efforts bring to your clients?

The best example stems back to our work for Pathlight. Janice taught me the concept of repurposing content, which is very powerful in the world of marketing. In marketing, you have to repeat messages over and over again before they sink into your audience. Janice was very effective at taking a success story about a Pathlight client and repurposing it for the organization’s website, as a press release, for annual reports, and on social media. That type of repurposing is the heart of marketing.  

Who in your various audiences benefited from the work and in what ways?

Any client who had Janice write a press release for them benefitted. When that press release was picked up in the media, that turned into more tickets sold, more people showing up at an event, more buzz in the community, more volunteers and donations. When Janice’s releases get picked up, they raise awareness. 

Do you consider Janice a partner in your marketing and public relations efforts?

Yes. Janice is a trusted and reliable partner. I depend on her to guide me on what to do with a certain press concern. I can strategize with Janice, and I can trust her judgment. Why? Because she has been a newspaper reporter. She has been an editor. She knows what will interest the media and what won’t. She has incredible knowledge, judgment, and experience with the press to guide me on what to do and what not to do when it comes to a press release. She is my go-to PR person. 

The post A Client Q and A with Ruth Griggs, owner of RC Communications, and president of the Northampton Jazz Festival appeared first on Beetle Press.

Vincent “Vinny” Valetutti is my friend Becka’s partner. I met him several years ago when he offered to drive our entire book group to a vineyard in a van so we could all relax and enjoy. This year, I assigned a student intern working with me in my public relations business to interview Vinny and write a press release on the traveling, thirty-foot-high, mock Sea Level Rise Ruler he created to raise awareness about rising sea levels. Helping Vinny get some media attention on this innovation gave me a deeper view into his mind. So, when he contacted me a few months after his initial outreach and asked for help with a book, I was interested in working with him. I have since learned much about the man behind the ruler. If I Were President: 29 alternative ideas for solving global problems, is now available. As Vinny says, “My ideas are neither left or right, I like to call them real ideas.” 

My fall intern, Morgan Briggs, a student at Westfield State University, interviewed Vinny about the experience of working with me on his project.

How did Janice help you with the project from start to finish?

She was the one who was able to take the ideas in my brain and put them into words. I have always wanted to write different books, but I could never get the words down on paper. Janice was able to interview me, figure out information about my life, my career, etc.

What did you consider the most valuable part of working with Janice on your book? 

She was able to take my ideas and put them down on paper (not diluting them in any way).

What kinds of suggestions did Janice make? Did you act on all of them? If you had differences, how did you resolve them? 

Janice had many suggestions, particularly on formatting the different ideas in the book. If there were differences, we talked about each suggestions/recommendation and came to an agreement. Many times, I agreed with her suggestions; I went with my own if it made me more comfortable. I thought reviewing the cover design was not as important as the ideas inside. I wish we had checked the title of the book as it is in use on several children’s books. 

In what way did your book turn out differently from what it would have been if you had not worked with Janice on it?

It wouldn’t have existed. I don’t know anyone else who could have helped me like Janice did.

How did Levellers Press help you get the word out about your book? Was your experience with them positive? 

I know the book is on their website, and they created an ebook that is on Amazon and Kindle. Steve and Randy were awesome, extremely helpful.

What kind of reaction have you had to your book? 

Haven’t had too much, but what I have had is positive. My sister, who works with engineers, said that the head of the company she works for looked at it and said that the book was awesome. Family members and friends all liked the book. One person said that they didn’t agree with all of the ideas but still liked the book. 

You are working on a second book now. What is that about?

More of the same concepts, but different ideas. The title is Since I’m Not President. I have a lot of ideas formed currently in my brain; on paper, I have some scribbles. 

Anything else you want readers of Janice’s blog to know?

Greta Thunberg, the young Swedish environmental activist, inspired me to create the book. Also, I am about to be 75, so if anything happens to me, all of the valuable ideas are captured on paper forever.

The post Feedback from a Client appeared first on Beetle Press.

Vincent “Vinny” Valetutti is my friend Becka’s partner. I met him several years ago when he offered to drive our entire book group to a vineyard in a van so we could all relax and enjoy. Meeting all of us for the first time, Vinny was friendly and pleasant, and also a good driver!

This spring, I assigned a student intern working with me in my PR business to interview Vinny and write a press release on the traveling, thirty-foot-high, mock Sea Level Rise Ruler he created to raise awareness about rising sea levels. When standing next to the ruler, one has a close-up, dramatic view of how high the sea would rise if only five to ten percent of Antarctica and Greenland were to melt. 

Vinny towed his ruler on a trailer and parked it in a lot in downtown Northampton, Massachusetts, so people could visit it and learn more about one impending circumstance of climate change. Earlier this month, he towed his giant ruler to Washington, DC.

Helping get some media attention on this innovation gave me a deeper view into the mind that is Vinny’s. So, when he contacted me a few months after his initial outreach and asked for help with a book, I was interested in working with him. I have since learned much about the man behind the ruler.

Vinny grew up north of New York City and began to be fascinated by how things work at a young age. A retired engineer, Vinny has a great deal of experience in energy conservation and with heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems in office buildings. 

Vinny’s career and his travels inform and inspire ideas of all kinds. As he imagines, he meshes his deep passion for the environment with his knowledge of history and politics, his global savvy, and his lifelong experience as a pragmatic, creative problem-solver. 

His book, due out this fall with a working title of If I Were President: 29 Unique Ideas for Solving Global Problems. As the name suggests, Vinny offers 29 ideas in his book, presented in these eight categories: Invitation to All World Leaders, Military, Constitutional Amendments, Capitalism, Social Issues, Energy Conservation and Environmental Protection, Taxation, and Patents. 

Many of the ideas are interconnected. Some have the basic premise of supply and demand at their core, and others were inspired by Vinny’s take on the bible from his childhood learnings. 

Vinny says he sees the world differently. His lens doesn’t focus solely to the left, or the right, and it also doesn’t land in the center. “Think of my mind like a sphere,” he explains. “You have a diameter, and you have the right hemisphere and the left hemisphere. I’m anywhere in the volume of the sphere. Sometimes, I also think outside the sphere—kind of like thinking outside the box. I’m a warehouse of boxes, and sometimes, I think outside the warehouse.”

Vinny offers the disclaimer in his book that his proposals are not intended as fully formed concepts, and they are not intended as facets of a presidential platform. They are simply food for thought for all of us.

I offer the disclaimer that the Janice Beetle Books indicia on the book jacket does not signify an endorsement of the specific ideas within but rather wholehearted support of the author’s creativity and innovative thinking.

I hope you’ll check out this title when it’s released. It’s interesting reading in difficult times.

The post Helping an Author Get His Book Out appeared first on Beetle Press.

I may have mentioned a time—or seven—that one of the things I value about my work is writing about businesspeople and community leaders in my own region.

Thornes Marketplace is one of my clients, and this year, I had the chance to tell the stories of two businesses changing hands within its walls. Cornucopia, a natural foods store that’s been here since June 1980, changed hands for the first time in March, and later the same month, Captain Candy was also sold to a new owner.

Cornucopia co-owners Bud Stockwell and Sydney Flum-Stockwell sold the business to two employees, Nate Clifford and Jade Jump of South Hadley. Nolan Anaya, the owner of Captain Candy on the lower level of Thornes, sold to Levi Smith, an 18-year-old entrepreneur from Chesterfield.

I had the privilege of interviewing Bud—an icon for decades in downtown Northampton—and Nate and Jade, who are young and full of energy and ideas. I spoke, too, with Nolan and Levi; Nolan told me about how Captain Candy got its start, and Levi talked about his entrepreneurial family and his dream of running a business.

Bud told me that he and his wife opened Cornucopia on June 20, 1980, to provide high-quality natural foods, reduce packaging, and serve as a resource for customers. He said natural foods was a new concept back them, and owners of natural food stores, like him, were called “fruits and nuts.”

I felt his commitment to the business as I listened to him tell the story of growth over the years, as well as his sadness over retiring. He said, though, that he knew early on when Nate and Jade came to work with him that they were great candidates for a buyer for their enthusiasm, openness to change, and their value system.

“I felt this was the team that had the chops to run this business,” he said. “The store will continue in a way I can feel good about.”

If you’ve purchased chocolates in recent years from the vendor on the street level of Thornes, Heavenly Chocolate, you might be surprised to learn that Bud owned that as well, and now Nate and Jade do. Bud developed it in 2007. Cornucopia, as he said, was “humming along,” and Bud needed a new challenge.

He bought the inventory of a chocolate store going out of business and taught himself the craft.

For at least a year, Bud will assist Nate and Jade with the transition, helping them learn how to make chocolates, too, and how to run Cornucopia. He will ease into retirement with Sydney.

For Nolan, the former owner of Captain Candy, selling the business wasn’t about retiring. Nolan is 57, and he plans to make and sell T-shirts at Grateful Dead concerts and other musical performances.

While I love Cornucopia and its wholesome and organic products, Captain Candy captures my sweet tooth with its wide array of retro candies like the kind I used to buy when I was a kid—candy cigarettes, Turkish Taffy, wax bottles full of juice.

Levi was working in nearby Acme Surplus in Thornes when he learned on bizbuysell.com that Captain Candy was for sale and contacted Nolan. Entrepreneurship is in his DNA since his grandfather owns R&R Window Contractors, Inc., in Easthampton, and his family has long been involved in the business.

“My grandfather has taught me what it’s like to run a business,” Levi told me. “I’ve always been interested in business myself. A candy store has a lot of appeal.”

I’m excited to watch the next generation of Thornes entrepreneurs. I will stop in on them when I am shopping or otherwise poking around downtown.

I hope you do too! Pop into Thornes to wish Nate, Jade, and Levi well. They will help to build the future of downtown Northampton, and they could use our support!

Read the full press release about the sale of Cornucopia.

Read the release on the sale of Captain Candy.

The post Change at Thornes Marketplace appeared first on Beetle Press.

As an alumna of Westfield State University, I think back to the days when I was trekking across the green from class to class, soaking in knowledge, socializing, and connecting with mentors who helped me find the way forward.

I think of my college days most often when I visit the campus for a meeting with the University staff, with whom I partner to put out two issues of Focus magazine each year. I’ve been the editor of this alumni publication for 17 years, since 2002, so Westfield State remains an important facet of my life.

Kathi Bradford is one of the dozen or so staff members with whom I collaborate to produce the magazine. The director of Alumni Relations, Kathi is someone I have known for decades as a professional. But I met Kathi way back when I was a student in the mid-1980s.

Recently, my intern Nick interviewed Kathi about her tenure at Westfield State. They talked both about Kathi’s work and our longtime relationship, which has evolved over the years.

Kathi has been at my alma mater, which was a college when I attended it, for 38 years. She came on board as a residence director after graduating from the State University of New York at Albany in 1980. Her work in those early years was overseeing the daily happenings in Scanlon Hall, where I lived from 1981 to 1984.  

Kathi told Nick she was not sure if she and I met at Scanlon or in another context on campus. “We can’t determine how we first met because Janice was always involved in everything,” Kathy says.

I think that’s funny, as the same can be said of Kathi! In addition to working as an RD, she was heavily involved as an advisor of the Musical Theatre Guild, in which I spent many semesters singing and dancing in musicals such as “Grease,” “Jesus Christ Superstar,” and “Mame.” I was also the choreographer for “Cabaret.”

I also wrote for the university newspaper, then called The Owl, and Kathi had her hands in that as well.

My work with Kathi is now solely focused around the magazine. She and I are part of an editorial team that guides the content of each issue by determining who and what we should be writing about. Focus is important to this group because it’s a tool that helps staff raise awareness about positive changes on campus as well as the University’s strengths and fundraising goals.

As Kathi says, “The publication is an important way to help alumni stay connected and feel a part of the University without physically being here.”

She told Nick she enjoys working with me. “Janice is creative and organized,” she says. “She knows what stories are worth fleshing out, and which other ones could use a trimming.”

Kathi writes the News & Notes section of Focus, and she also is integrally involved in suggesting alumni and students for us to interview and feature. Kathi works diligently to maintain relationships with alumni. She travels across the country, planning and hosting outings with alumni groups. Kathi has also led international trips for students.

Students, staff, and alumni all count Kathi among those who inspired them and kept them feeling connected to Westfield State. I am proud of the work she does and appreciate her energy, spirit, and dedication. I hope our University ties will keep us connected for many years.

The post Nurturing a Longtime Relationship appeared first on Beetle Press.