About Alyse

"Tell me about your self."

It's the question we all dread and the one we always know is coming. There are really only three options. 1. Well, what do you want to know? (wrong answer) 2. Start a 4 hour conversation on knowing yourself. (a bit overboard) 3. Picking a few thoughtful "I am" statements that fit the conversation. (ding, ding, ding! we have a winner)

You all will get a bit more than a few.

I am Alyse. (pronounced "a lease")
I am 30.
I am a wife to a loving husband and stay-at-home dad.
I am a mother of two young children.
I am a grants manager for a community foundation.
I have a degree in Communications. (Yes, I know that's not uncommon.)
I am devoted to helping people grow in their personal and professional lives.
I often believe I'm the most right person in any conversation... except for when I'm totally insecure.


"Why write a blog?"

Over the last 5 or 6 years I've had lots of friends and acquaintances come to me for advice. Sometimes on love, sometimes on marriage, sometimes on family and child rearing (though my husband is the expert there), and a lot of times on college, career, and professional topics. Since 2006 I've worked with students and aspiring professionals on topics like public speaking and decorum, resume and cover letter writing, first impressions, networking, and so much more.

This is not what I do for a living, but after friends started referring their friends to me for life-planning coffee dates and the theme "Just ask Alyse" began circulating among real life and Facebook friends alike, I just thought why not.

"What will this blog look like?"

In this space I will provide short, thoughtful answers to questions that I get asked every day. Some may be technical "How do you write a good Cover Letter?" and some may be more emotional "How do you explain having reverse gender roles in you family unit to traditionalists?"

This is an experiment for me. I hope you enjoy it. If you have a question, please leave it in the comments section and I'll get to it if I feel like I have anything worth saying on the topic. I will write from my experiences and what I've observed, more like an insightful big sister than a professor.

Here we go...