Expertise & Background

• Topics of Expertise: Freediving, whitewater rafting, surfing, snowboarding
• Education: BFA, Directing for Film, North Carolina School of the Arts
• Years of Writing: 18+
• Years of Gear Testing: 9+
• Certifications: AIARE I & II, AIDA 3 Freediver, First Aid, CPR, Wilderness First Responder, Swiftwater Rescue
• Previous Publications: Wirecutter, Self, Editorialist, Sunset Magazine, NYTimes

Why I Chose This Career

When I first started working as an editor, the ethos of what we did was grounded in one thing only: service to the reader. This appealed to me deeply. It added purpose and motivation to the task of writing, and as review sites became more and more commonplace, it remained a guiding force that kept me interested. My friends are sometimes surprised when they ask me a gear question and I don’t know the answer (because don’t I test gear all day?!), but for me, it’s never been about the gear.

How I Began My Career

I began working for Wirecutter, one of the earlier online review sites, in 2015, and my career in publishing took hold from there. Prior to that, it was a decade-long zig zag through filmmaking, food, wine, magazines – it took a long time to find something that fit me, and it’s an approach that’s served me well.