I am excited to share a recent collaboration with Grove City College student, Haley Greene. Haley interviewed me as a part of her final writing assignment in her Writing for the Media class.
Haley is a Communication Arts Major and aspiring Journalist. I was paired up with her to be interviewed as a subject matter expert. The collaboration is part of an assignment designed by professor Tricia Pritchard. This is my second year participating.
I love working with these talented students. It is an inspiring experience to have a different perspective look retrospectively at your own accomplishments.
I am so proud of what Haley created, so I asked to share her final project to celebrate. Join me in recognizing this young writer's talent. Enjoy!
Creative Influencer
By Haley Greene
Cherry applied for her first job in a local newspaper when she was just 19. Self taught and independent from the start, she covered her first story with minimal training. At that point she had only written academically, but in a professional environment, Cherry pushed herself out of her comfort zone and broadened her skill sets significantly.
Her words of wisdom for aspiring journalists are to work fast and be resourceful because while covering some stories, hitting a dead end happens frequently. "Be ready to be resourceful, and people are gonna tell you... 'I don't want to answer your questions...' so you have to figure out how to never give up when someone says no... You have to learn to ask that question that leads you to the next step."
Another significant learning curve for Cherry was figuring out how to turn the most mundane matters into intriguing stories. Working for a small paper meant that Cherry covered meetings and events rather than crime or entertainment. Her background of turning people's ideas into stories laid the foundation for her future career.
During the recession, Cherry lost her job at the newspaper, so she spent some time finishing her degree in design. Realizing she missed writing, Cherry began exploring the freelance field. Much like her time at the newspaper, she was largely self taught when it came to freelancing, and finding time to write grew challenging when she got married and had a son.
Looking back, Cherry wished she had reached out for help from someone who could have validated her, supplying her with resources and knowledge about the field. "I was just kind of navigating this really really diverse and complex industry on my own and it was just very... discouraging," Cherry said.
To grow in her ability as a writer and discover what genre of writing she was drawn to, Cherry took to reading books, which she's always loved. Her favorite genre is non fiction, especially memoirs done by authors who captivate their audience and discuss a real subject in an engaging way. In her opinion, it's vital for writers to read a variety of books.
Regardless of the genre, Cherry believes that writing is about scene building and captivating your audience. When this is done successfully, good writing has an impact. "There is nothing more impactful than clearly written text that conveys a clear idea... I love creating content that delivers these ideas and educates. Also, I am passionate about writing because our lives are shaped from the content we consume, and I am proud to be a part of that manifestation," Cherry said.
Our lives are shaped from the content we consume, and I am proud to be a part of that manifestation.
Recognizing her love for reading motivated her to write a book. She first attempted to write a young adult fiction novel, but quickly realized how overwhelming the project was, so she switched to creating a memoir. Cherry's editor then recommended that she write a marketing book. This project seemed to fit into her brand as a marketing consultant and copywriter. Currently, Cherry is wrapping up her first draft of the marketing book.
One adjustment she's had to make concerning this document comes from her background in journalism. In that field, articles must be tight and succinct because there is limited space. With a book, however, she is free to be much more detail oriented. Cherry has overcome this change by reading books by people like Rachel Hollis, who has a very matter of fact, business minded approach. Cherry hopes her marketing book will speak similarly to readers, using the friendly approach to encourage them to make their brand known immediately.
Cherry has been guiding small businesses in their marketing endeavors since 2011, when she founded Cherry Consulting, which has since been renamed to Heather Cherry Consulting in 2019. She has written extensively for businesses in the finance department and in nutritional science.
Cherry loves helping small businesses who need direction, but she is careful not to run their profiles completely. Her desire is to keep their voice on social media authentic. She stands alongside and coaches them until they can be self sufficient. She describes herself as a "creative influencer," rather than an overseer.
Cherry loves her job, and because she is such an effective writer, she's helped many people start successful businesses.
Within the next 10 years, Cherry aspires to publish several books, including her marketing book. She hopes the book will promote her brand and make her name known. Additionally, she wants to write for publications like Self regularly, which she already has experience in.
Cherry is an extremely talented communicator with a giving heart, and she plans to continue to assist people in accomplishing their business dreams. For more information visit her business page.
About the Author
Haley Greene is a freshman at Grove City College. She majors in Communication Arts and aspires to become a journalist at a newspaper. She enjoys writing about people and hearing their stories.
Follow her on Instagram @haleykate3