The biggest perk of writing is having access to amazing minds and being allowed to ask them question after question, without seeming naggy.

 

For instance, Michael W. Otto, PhD, co-author of Exercise for Mood and Anxiety once told me to count on getting a boost in mood between 10 minutes and an hour after every workout.

 

Now, I tell that story to anyone in need of some motivation to get moving. 

 

Then there's legendary fashion photographer, Jim Lee, whose dyslexia went undiagnosed as a kid. He ran off to Australia at 16 and worked odd jobs that led him to a photography apprenticeship - and a brilliant career.

 

This is a comfort to anyone going through a setback at work.

 

And when I found myself at my first Westminster dog show, wondering what possessed the handlers to store dogs' treats in their own mouths, pet expert Charlotte Reed filled me in. Keeping the treats moist and smelling familiar (like their handler's mouth) helps the dogs stay calm and interested. It's a little like a mother bird feeding regurgitated food to her babies.

 

If nothing else, that last one is good party fodder.

 

Over all these years of interviewing experts, I developed a happy side effect.

 

I became an expert on some of the topics I'm passionate about: fitness, style, writing, and pets.

 

I've sat on journalism panels at The New School, The Pet Writing Conference and Blog Paws.
I was featured on ABC Philadelphia's Saving with 6abc, and ABC D.C.'s The Pet Show. 
KOMO News Radio interviewed me about people leaving their allergic spouses in favor of the family dog or cat.
And I've been quoted in SHAPE, U.S. News and World Report, and more.

 

My hope is to keep the best stories alive and to have the same positive impact that so many other curious minds have had on me.