I am all that and a bag of peanuts. I have called myself the Creative Idea Gal all of my adult life.
I pride myself on coming up with 1,000 ideas on any given topic and easily prove my talents by writing and publishing diverse, creative editorials.
Originally from Jackson, New Jersey, Amanda is a proud graduate of Rutgers College – a part of Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey.
Amanda received a bachelor’s of science degree in administration of justice, minoring in English. Amanda participated in the undergraduate pre-law program with a concentration on criminology.
Amanda also received a juris doctorate degree in law from Howard University School of Law in Washington, D.C. Famous for its work with civil rights law and fairness and equality of Black Americans, Howard prepared Amanda for a lifelong study and fascination with Black culture.
Amanda studied for the attorney bar exam, took the test in New Jersey and Washington, D.C., and invested thousands of dollars in study aids and bar exam fees. After ten years of not passing the exam, Amanda decided to forego a career in law and continued pursuing her true passion – writing.
Ever since Amanda was old enough to have a job, she enthusiastically took on a diverse selection of career choices as a means of earning income and building upon learning of new trades, skills, and disciplines.
Over the years, Amanda’s career choices have literally spanned the gamut – she has done everything from babysitting to party coordination of children’s birthday parties to retail sales at department stores and specialty stores. Amanda learned about stereo equipment, lawnmowers and tools, office supplies, and computers and technology.
After graduating from law school, Amanda worked in information technology as a senior analyst for LEADS Corporation (now known as Qinetiq, NA) in Alexandria and Arlington in Virginia. For 4.5 years, Amanda assisted the United States Patent and Trademark Office in its multiyear plan to revolutionize the filing of patent applications by converting the process from paper-based to a strict electronic, online environment. Amanda managed multiple working groups including the legal, marketing, and international relations committees. Amanda managed the federal government’s timelines, kept track of issues in custom databases, ran reports, and assisted with managing the project through program-specific and ad hoc methodologies.
Amanda’s professional writing career began in January immediately after graduating from law school. With no previous experience, education, or training, Amanda used raw talent to create a local newsletter which turned into a national magazine, Consumers Everywhere. Amanda developed the concepts to focus on unique monthly themes and was the sole writer, researcher, and editor. Simultaneously, Amanda taught herself layout, design, self-publishing, marketing, social media, and marketing and applied on-the-job, learn-as-you-go principles to her budding, prosperous writing career.
For four glorious years from 1998 to 2002, Amanda wrote, designed, published, marketed, and distributed Consumers Everywhere to consumers throughout the United States. For several years afterward, Amanda combined research, design, and the concept of client interviews to write editorials for local publications and also to do business writing for private clients.
Starting in 2011, Amanda chose to focus her writing efforts on freelance writing which involved a form of client interviews and reporting on local newsworthy people, places, and events. In 2020, as the pandemic began, Amanda followed up on a lifelong dream of publishing a book by starting working on several book manuscripts. During the summer of 2021 while on a family vacation in New Jersey, Amanda came up with the idea of creating a new magazine to feature the people, places, and things from the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. DMV Shorts Magazine was born.
In December 2023, Amanda came up with an unusual marketing program to create daily dances to market DMV Shorts Magazine starting on January 1, 2024. As of August 2024 and more than 200 dances later, Amanda continues promoting her unique sense of creativity though dance, art, and always through writing.
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