Thumbs Up

I got two thumbs up from Louisiana’s Lieutenant Governor, Billy Nungesser. The story behind the photo begins two years before it was taken.

I grew up with a passion for writing, scribbling poems about my stuffed animals when I was little. My Dalmatian Perdido has one titled, “The Dog Was After My Donuts.”

Needless to say, when I went to college I majored in News Editorial Journalism. After bartending for a few years after graduating, I finally got my foot in the door with the local newspaper. I was ecstatic. My dream was finally being realized!

Fast forward a few years and I’d begun to realize that the digital landscape was quickly becoming the most popular way for people to consume their news and other information. After a long, agonizing deliberation, I made the choice to accept an offer to work for a digital news outlet, the Natchitoches Parish Journal.

This was a huge leap into an uncharted territory for me. I had no idea if it would be sustainable. There was never any need for me to worry in the first place. It quickly took off and I was thrilled at our success.

Here’s where the Lt. Gov. comes into the story. I was covering an event and we were introduced by the Parish President. When Nungesser heard that I worked for the NPJ, he quickly started to tell me that he loved our publication, which is published every morning via an email update. He proceeded to explain that his office had used our email updates as a template for their own newsletters on tourism in Louisiana.

I couldn’t believe the glowing review and I just had to ask if he’d repeat it. Yes, that’s right…I pulled the Lt. Gov. off to the side of the room in the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and recorded a quick video testimonial that I instantly sent to the NPJ’s owner. I just had to share the good news!

To this day, I’m always amazed at the number of people who express how much they love the work I do. It’s humbling and it fuels my passion!