I believe in the power of storytelling, creating your great work, and finding the right ways to share your message. I encourage people to be brave, to tell their stories, and to make work that matters.
My work specializes in communications, marketing and storytelling design. Previously, I worked in communications for SWA Group, a company of 180 people distributed across seven offices; I served as an associate editor for VIA publications, founded the award-winning Landscape Urbanism journal, did a press campaign for a Y-combinator start-up, and mentored personal and business clients on communications, content strategy, and thought leadership.
From strategic initiatives, corporate communications for teams and companies, workshops, and working one-on-one with executives and professionals interested in become better storytellers, I collaborate and consult with people interested in improving themselves, their writing, and their communications.
Clarity in communications and media is essential for any company — and any organization. Building awareness about your brand and your business, aligning your messaging, and understanding the new, interconnected world of digital media is no easy challenge. I’ve worked with past clients and projects on creating clear communications strategies, build brand awareness, develop media relationships, write thought leadership pieces, and craft messages that resonate with their unique audiences.
Communications + Marketing Consulting
To discuss working together or request a proposal, please contact me with a New Client Request form and provide as much project information as possible, and I’ll get back to you to set up an initial consultation.
Teaching + Workshops
To book a corporate workshop or inquire about rates, contact me for more details. The following workshops are available, and I can also put together custom workshops for you and your team:
Storytelling
What is a story? And why do we tell stories? To be human is to connect to one another, and one of the ways we do this is through the use of visual, written, and oral storytelling. Through performance. We are all born storytellers, and we all have many stories to tell. 2-hour and 6-hour workshops focused on story frameworks, the psychology of memory and storytelling, and how to improve your communication skills through actionable tips and storytelling tools.
Writing Workshops
A workshop designed to help you improve your writing, think more creatively, and practice your communication skills. Workshop can include essay prompts, live calls, Q/A sessions, and more. I love working with aspiring writers of all levels. Design a custom workshop, or take the digital course to gain access to 15 essay prompts, 8 videos, story modules, and more.
Digital workshop: Program Details.
Content Strategy and Thought Leadership
Workshops and courses designed to take you from the initial seedling of an idea to having a body of work that describes who you are and what you’re passionate about. Design a custom workshop, or take the digital course to craft an about page, tell your stories, set up essay templates, and learn what it means to be a thought leader.
Digital workshop: Eight modules and a closed group to build community and encourage connection among individuals crafting their voice in the world. See the full Program Details.
Private Coaching + Consulting
I take on private coaching and mentoring clients on a case-by-case basis, as my schedule allows. I work with high-impact individuals to help accelerate their goals by providing clarifying questions, creating strategic action plans, and helping to unpack the habits and psychological “traps” we can get into along the way.
My coaching/consulting rates start at $250 per hour. If you’re interested in booking space in my schedule, contact me with a new coaching request and we’ll schedule a 15-minute call to see if we’re the right fit for each other.
Praise from past clients
“How do you form the words to talk about someone who has fundamentally altered the course of your life? Over one of the shortest but most intense months of my life, Sarah guided me along the journey of writing and recognizing my personal narrative. She was funny but firm, smart yet humble and treated me as if I was the most important thing in her world. Her ability to connect combined with her amazing skills in writing and story telling are a powerful combination that led, in my case, to a professional and personal breakthrough that I had been searching for. I would highly recommend Sarah to be a part of your universe – she is what this world needs more of.”
— Lisa Endersby, Canadian Student Affairs Professional
“Sarah has been incredible to work with. In addition to helping me focus my content and define my audience, she held me accountable to publish at least once every week. Just having her there, knowing she was expecting one link in an email per week did loads for my motivation. I was accountable to someone other than myself, that’s powerful. I’ve grown my blog traffic exponentially and Sarah has been a huge part of that.”
— Zack Shapiro, Writer, Engineer at Task Rabbit
“I now understand the importance of having a vision, breaking it down into manageable steps and executing step by step. I know the importance of being compassionate and building habits that contribute to success. I also have more faith in my abilities and potential. I’m so excited for what the future will bring and excited to tackle the challenges that I’ll face along the way. Your final notes to me made me tear up. It’s been such an insane, awesome, chaotic, exciting roller-coaster three months. Life out here is exactly how I hoped life would be: full of opportunity, big dreams and incredible people. I’m so very grateful that you were one of the incredible people that have been a part of my dream so far.”
— Megan (Coaching client)
“I am particularly intrigued by how seemingly simple the exercises are in contrast to the extensive ripple effects I feel from doing them. I see a positive impacts on my mindset, outlook, and behavior. It’s fantastic. You are an excellent writer and an inspirational teacher.”
— Tiffany Mura, Grace & Gratitude 2013 participant.
“I love the way you lead us, with your words and your perspective. Thank you.”
— Jane Hasley, 2013 Writer’s Workshop participant
“Sarah is a born leader. She has a history of aiming high by setting extremely ambitious goals, then tapping into her network, leveraging contacts, and working tirelessly to make them happen.”
— Nicholas Pevzner, Penn Design,
Project: Landscape Urbanism Editorial Team
“Sarah is one of the warmest and kindest people I know. She has a unique gift in writing and combines her passions marvelously and authentically to work which she gives her all to and excels without the shadow of a doubt. If you have the chance to work with her, she will be a change-maker and a reliable and incredibly valuable asset to your team or life.”
— Jana Schuberth, creator of ALIVE in Berlin
“Sarah is hard-working, very professional, and has excellent communication skills. Her designs are clean and consistent, and she is also adept at project management. Above all, it’s a pleasure working with her because of her positive attitude and high level of enthusiasm for each project. I highly recommend collaborating with her – you’ll get a ton of work done AND have fun doing it!”
— Trucy Phan, Principal, Blink Tag Inc
“Sarah came highly recommended to me by one of my entrepreneurial friends, and I have to say that I was thoroughly impressed! Sarah was very organized in her consulting approach, which in turn helped me to feel very comfortable with the entire process. Sarah is a problem solver who is passionate about helping people reach their true potential. I would HIGHLY recommend Sarah to anyone who is looking to add real polish to a project.”
— Abbie Davies, Owner and Founder, My First Yoga
Collaboration: TEDx2011 Talk Open Call Application. Writing, Editing + Research
“Sarah is an extremely talented and creative individual with a keen sense of design excellence. She is great to work with and is an asset to any project or work environment. Her ability to solve complex issues is a testament to her critical/analytical thinking balanced with wonderful interpersonal skills. In my experience working with Sarah, I’ve been able to see a consistent passion for investigation, the design process and tangible results. She always brought more energy and care to projects than her peers.”
— Dave Madrid, DM, Design Strategist.
Project: Business Strategy, Project Objectives and Business Writing
“Sarah is a dynamo. Full of excitement, energy, and passion, she knows how to set a vision but also understands how to operationalize the vision to get work done! It’s been a pleasure to collaborate with her on Grown in the City and to bounce ideas back and forth on a variety of projects we both have going on.”
—John C. Reinhardt, Editor and Founder, Grown In The City
Select Experience
To see my full range of client work and project experience, please visit my LinkedIn profile page.
Philosophies
What’s your working style? Do you have teaching or business philosophies?
Absolutely. I work under several premises that create the foundation for the work I do with my clients, on this blog, and in my life.
- Get Started. I believe that one of the most difficult things for each of us is the “getting started” part of any habit. We spend so much time locked in our heads and minds and not enough time actually doing the things that need to get done. The goal of our time together is to walk forwards in “baby steps” that develop habits, move you forward, and result in a collective big punch that moves you towards your dream.
- You Need a Team. If we could each simply “motivate” or “do” everything we wanted to, life would be great–but it doesn’t work like that. We need community, coaches, friends, mentors, teachers, and a whole crew of people to help us walk (or run!) towards our dreams. Our time together adds structure, mentorship, teaching and accountability to your wonderful burgeoning creative talents–helping to get the best out of YOU.
- Positivity. The next premise is one of positivity. I believe we need to be very kind to ourselves about our progress. In my experience, a lot of folks engage in a dialogue about why they’re not accomplishing or achieving what they meant to do yet. I like to re-frame this, and instead talk about all the good things you’re capable of doing, and be positive about whatever level you can achieve. Everyone’s definition of success is different, and the most important thing is creating space and time and a collaborative, safe environment to explore your ideas and future projects.
- Intuition. I believe in honing your relationship with your intuition–your instinct, your gut. If you’ve spent years in academic or work environments with a particular rigor or structure, it’s highly likely that you’ve lost touch with your base creative intuition. The good news is that each of us can build and strengthen our relationship with our instincts by getting out our tools and “exercising” our intuitive muscles daily.