A Woman of Many Passions

Welcome to my Virtual Home!

As you look around you’ll notice I have a lot going on, and that’s not by accident! Giving myself permission to be multi-passionate (i.e. I stopped listening to everyone who said I needed to be only a singer/songwriter, artist, OR writer…and I stopped listening to the voice in my own head saying I’m not good enough!) has been profoundly freeing and has ignited my creativity and focus. There is a definite interplay between my interests: my writing, music, and art all provide channels through which to share encouragement and expertise with others, my passion for my Christian faith, and my work advocating for cat and dog welfare. All these passions are at the heart of who I am.

Pursuing multi-passionate creativity also aligns well with my life quote, “When I stand before God at the end of my life I would hope that I would have not a single bit of talent left and could say, “I used everything you gave me.” -Erma Bombeck . Notice it doesn’t say to only do something if you are the very best at it. It says to use every bit of ability you have. What a game-changer if we all did this!

My writing, in particular, is a kind of home base for all I do. After earning a business degree and later a master’s degree in social work, I embarked on a 20+ year career in nonprofit management raising over $25 million from private foundations and companies. Along the way  I developed three guiding principles to make my writing more persuasive, and I now enjoy sharing them with others: Keep It Simple, Stay Positive, and Use What You Already Know.

Most recently, my new album Herald was release into the world. How I pray it is an encouragement to all who listen! The songs are all original, and all packed with substance and scriptures. And a fun fact: the album cover features one of my original paintings, which is part of a collection that companions the album.

With much coaching, prayer, and hard work, I have created an ecosystem for myself that allows space for growth but also provides pathways to stay on course. And best of all, I get to share this journey. If you would like to book me for a music event, speaking engagement, or writing session, send me a message. And if you’re a brand interested in partnering, check out my Partnerships page. More than anything, I hope this encourages you to think broadly about the way you see yourself and to step out into your own passions. We don’t ever have to be or do just one thing, and we don’t have to go it alone!

Onward,
Kim

Looking Back: Awards & Recognitions

Mrs. Massachusetts America 2020

Kim’s platform Fundraising For Hope, seeks to provide resources for the most pressing social issues of our time. She served the role of volunteer national fundraising committee chair for Victoria's Voice Foundation, where she led a national team of titleholders to raise money for opioid abuse prevention education in our nation's schools. She also serves several other nonprofits with pro bono fundraising consulting.

Below are a few of the organizations she has supported:

Continued Musical Success: Folk Roots and Beyond

Kim has also been named a 2023 Woody Guthrie Poet. Recently, she was invited to read her acclaimed poem, “You’ll Find Me There” (which appears in song form on her new album) during the prestigious 2023 Woody Guthrie Folk Festival, which celebrates the life and work of the late legendary singer/songwriter best known for his song, “This Land is Your Land.” This new poetry honor marks exactly ten years since Kim was named a second-place winner in the 2013 Woody Guthrie Folk Festival Songwriting Competition, making this summer’s trip to Woodyfest a sort of homecoming.

Kim’s new project, Herald, is built upon a lifelong foundation of faith and music. She grew up singing praises in church, taking up piano lessons at a mere four years old, and competing against adults in classical piano contests by the time she turned ten. Around that time, she learned accordion and saxophone as well.

Throughout the late 2000s and early 2010s, she performed with her brother Chad in the vertically focused folk-pop duo, Berteal. The group’s name (which was their grandmother’s maiden name) celebrated their long line of family faith in Jesus. Two of Kim’s great-grandmothers were preachers and evangelists, suggesting that the seeds of her eventual ministry were sown in preceding generations.