Meet Jessica, our newest writer

I’m delighted to introduce you to Jessica Chanese, who will be writing exclusively for Advokate!

We have offered copywriting and press release services all along, but when Jessica approached us for some advice about how to dip her toes into the writing-for-pay stream, we just had to scoop her up for Advokate. Here is her introduction — and you can see why we wanted her all to ourselves.

Blog posts are an EXCELLENT way to touch your audience, pepper your website with important SEO keywords, and to get engagement on social media. And if you’re building a website, you’ve gotta have good copy. Give us a ring!

— Kate

The written word has long been my passion. I relate best to the world around me through words and the narratives they create. Because my mind tends to whirl at a pace that exceeds my capacity to translate those chaotic thoughts into spoken word, I express myself more clearly and accurately through writing. Writing also serves as an outlet for the excess of brain fodder produced by my highly active imagination. Case in point, I’m working on a novel in which both minivans and demons figure centrally. Welcome to the jungle, folks.

Words are powerful. The right words matched with the right context can spark revolutions, both of the everyday variety and those that mark a sea change. Words inspire. They illuminate hidden truths and prompt introspection. They motivate, persuade, transform and transport. They bring levity and joy. They remind us of the commonalities of the human experience and promote empathy when we see ourselves in the words of others.

Until recently, writing professionally has been a someday goal. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do that’s seemed just beyond my reach. My epic good-versus-evil minivan saga has yet to materialize into more than a daydream slowly trickling into reality whenever I have a chance to squeeze some writing in between my kids’ bedtime routines and my own. Writing fiction takes a lot more headspace than my working-parent brain can spare on an average day. I finally came to the conclusion that jumping in and trying my hand at different forms of writing in the professional space is the best way to turn someday into now. I’m grateful Advokate is giving me an opportunity to do more of what I enjoy doing and to expand my skill set in the process.

Advokate has built an impressive reputation in our region as both a producer of high-quality creative work and one that’s genuinely invested in the development of our community. I’m thrilled for the chance to use my love of words and storytelling to help local organizations share their missions and messages and connect with their intended audience. Writing is very much my thing, so all the better if I can use it to make it easier for someone else to do their thing.

Kate Austin-Avon
kate@advokate.net

Kate E. Austin is known for her creative advocacy. She is a regular speaker on branding and social media with educational institutions and Chambers of Commerce. She owns and operates Advokate, LLC. Currently she serves on the boards of the Glens Falls Business Improvement District, the Jackson Heights Elementary School PTA, Lower Adirondack Pride, and is on the World Awareness Children’s Museum’s Advisory Council. Originally from Killington, Vermont, she studied art at Hartwick College and earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Visual Art from Empire State College. She is a mother of three.