Notes from the Messy Middle

I get asked often from fellow MarCom contractors how I built my consulting practice and how I balance multiple clients, family life, and community work without burning out.The short answer: I prioritize relationships, networking, fueling my passions, and working really friggin’ hard.But let me show you what that looks like in real life.Morning: Foundation and FocusThe day starts off with coffee first. Always. One day, when the girls are grown and out of the house, I will lighten the caffeine intake

Building something meaningful rarely looks like a straight line. More often, it’s a winding path, the part where the work feels heavy, the growth is slow, and the uncertainty lingers. It’s a season that can be both exhausting and formative. It’s also where the real story begins to take root.That’s where we find Jamie Szanati, the owner of Groovy Sunshine Co., a colorful, joy-filled shop tucked in the heart of downtown Delaware, Ohio. Part boutique, part gathering place, Groovy Sunshine offers a mix

Hey friends, welcome back to Notes from the Messy Middle.Thanks for reading! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.I was so encouraged by the response to my very first episode yesterday that I couldn’t help but come back and keep sharing. There’s something powerful about being at a stage in my career where I not only have lived experience to draw from but also get to connect with fellow consultants, writers, and small business owners who are on their own creative journeys. Your

Welcome to Notes from the Messy Middle, where we talk about storytelling, strategy, and the real-life process of creating work that matters. I’m Erin Gregory, a writer, strategist, and storyteller—and right now, I’m also a woman deep in the editing process of my first book.Thanks for reading! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This space is about pulling back the curtain. The messy drafts, the hard edits, the lessons I’ve learned from helping nonprofits and purpose-driven

We’re a bit over halfway through 2025, and if I had to sum up the year so far in one word, it would be: chaotic.That’s exactly what I found myself saying in a recent conversation with Jon Heise, founder of Covert Recruiting and one of my trusted recruiting partners over the years. We met back in 2020 on LinkedIn—proof that sometimes those random connections actually do turn into real, lasting partnerships.At the time, I was transitioning—like so many of us were during that strange post-COVID