Q: Who has influenced or inspired you the most during your career?
A: I’ve been extremely lucky to have had several bosses along the way who mentored me and helped me take the next step in my career. But another person who really influenced me is a teacher I had in intermediate school, who gave me some great advice that I still use today and gave me the confidence to pursue a career in writing.
My teacher impressed upon me that writing doesn’t necessarily need to be perfect even though we all obsess over it. What’s really important is making sure that people understand what you’re trying to do, and for this, structure and process are critical.
Even now that my role is larger than writing, I apply this idea to everything I do. I think about my communications and work in logical terms, figuring out the structure and the process and then putting my own touch on it.