Welcome to A Dash of Paprika, my split-personality blog!

After years of trying to figure out how to write about work and non-work related topics without creating two different blogs, my designer partner-in-crime wrangled a solution through the magic of tagging and design.

You can read my freewheeling take on work- and content-related topics in the Dash of Business Paprika. I’ll write about my adventures in New York City and beyond in A Dash of Fun Paprika. No matter which path you take, I hope these posts brings a little zip into your day as you take a break in between meetings, get stuck in a subway, or wherever the words find you.

A Dash of Business Paprika A Dash of Fun Paprika

Writing for Trump…My Days at Monster

September 18, 2017

No, it’s not what you’re thinking. I didn’t write for the orange Trump. I wrote for the other one—the green Trump that used to be the heart of Monster’s brand. I worked for Monster around 2005, well after its “When I Grow Up” Super Bowl-ad heyday. At the time Monster’s biggest problem was figuring out [...] Read More

Omnichannel Retail on Display at Amazon and Whole Foods

September 16, 2017

In my travels as a messaging consultant I often got a sneak peek into emerging business trends. A couple of years ago I helped Wipro and FedEx create messaging for omnichannel retail. Though they were entering the market from different angles both companies had the same goal. They wanted to help big retailers sell, and [...] Read More

Content Meets AI in the Ford Owner Mobile App

September 6, 2017

Writing content for the Ford Owner mobile app remains one of my all-time favorite projects from my days at Razorfish. I worked with an incredibly smart team, took my writing into new directions, and expanded my skill set into the big, bad, fascinating world of content strategy. It also introduced me to artificial intelligence. Working [...] Read More

I Love Content Audits

July 10, 2017

There’s a headline I never, ever thought I’d write. Never heard of a content audit? It’s just what you’re picturing: Someone (or several someones) goes though a live site, link-by-link, to see how much content’s there, and how good that content is. Along the way the auditor keeps track of the findings in a fabulous, [...] Read More

The Retirement Life in Ajijic, Mexico

October 27, 2016

After bonding with my parents over an episode of “My 600 Pound Life,” I changed the channel to watch the Cubs and Dodgers battle it out in Game Five of the National League playoffs. During a commercial break I got an update on the Curling World Championships, and was reminded the National Hockey League season [...] Read More

Stockholm Shopping at the Scene of the Crime

October 13, 2016

– For Patty Hearst It was September and lovely, the windows still open in the café where I shook off my jetlag over lunch. As I paid $18 for a simple ham sandwich and small bottle of water, a woman’s cell phone rang out in ABBA (Take a Chance on Me). Beautifully understated, incredibly expensive, [...] Read More

The Coney Island Mermaid Parade

June 29, 2016

Grab your pasties, slap on some glitter, and don’t worry if your bathing suit and skirt don’t match or fit. You know what? It’s better if they don’t. Your only requirement at the Coney Island Mermaid parade is to have some fun and let it all hang out. I love parades, especially ones with character. [...] Read More

Night of a Thousand Stevies

May 26, 2016

My friend and I have been talking about going for years. But like a lot of things, we kept putting it off. She got married and had kids, I moved and stayed restless, other stuff happened. Time flew. Now her kids are finally older, and I’m more or less settled. At her birthday party last [...] Read More

Hotel Hostage: Far-out Art in Montgomery, Alabama

April 1, 2016

It is rude to stare. I know this, but I couldn’t help it. The three of them were like nothing I had ever seen. Where were they from, and who made their clothes? How long had they been hanging around? Did they even like each other? I’ll never know, but I do know they’d been [...] Read More

Bumming Around Guadalajara

March 3, 2016

A bus ride to the big city so we could hit the used English bookstore. This was the extent of the itinerary my Dad put together for our day trip to Guadalajara, Mexico. I’m not sure I’d visit Mexico if my parents hadn’t retired to Lake Chapala, a retirement community about 45 minutes from Guadalajara. [...] Read More

Home These Days in Worcester, MA

December 17, 2015

Everyone’s got a hometown, and mine is Worcester, MA. These days I love it, especially since I don’t live there anymore and come back to visit. I just got back from one of those visits, and this trip, like the others, had a theme. I gotta see what’s closed. This time, the big shock was [...] Read More

The Louis Armstrong Museum

October 20, 2015

Visiting New York City anytime soon? Are you looking for an Authentic New York Experience – a place that embodies the Big Apple Dream? You know, the dream where you overcome your modest roots to achieve wild success and travel the world, only to go on a real estate search for a starter home that [...] Read More

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Emily is an amazing analytical human who can turn verbal diarrhea into pithy copy that cuts through the noise and makes an impact.

Calum Kilgour | Slingshot Edge

I’ve had the pleasure of working with Emily in several message development workshops. The workshops are intense and a lot of work, but made fun and exciting by Emily and her team. They are masters of pulling out the significant details and helping craft a message that communicates the true value of your products and services. Emily in particular is very astute in assigning value to ideas making it possible for the true message to rise to the top.

Michael Rocco | Power School

Emily is among the best writers I had the privilege of working with, during my nearly-20 years in marketing. Not only is Emily a great pro and a wonderful writer, who knows how to capture the essence of a story and pass it to the reader in a clear and precise way, but she is also a fun person to work with.

Ilan Vagenshtein | Marketing, Sales Enablement & Business Development

Emily worked with my team at iCrossing as a freelance Content Strategist for about 7 months and became an invaluable member of our team. Once she’s immersed herself into a project she becomes a go-to resource, retaining even the most minute details. I felt extremely comfortable when Emily took responsibility for a piece of the project because I knew it would be done well, on time, and she would be able to speak to any questions that our clients may have had.

Charlie Chapin | Associate Director of Operations, Essence

Emily is one of the most astute, analytical, and strategic forward-thinking executives I have worked with in a marketing capacity — all helped with a keen creative mind and an exceptional sense of humor. Her ability to synthesize complex business needs and devise a creative win-win solution for her clients truly sets her apart from her competitors. I would not hesitate to use her services when the need arises.

Jeffrey Hirschberg | Writer-Director/Film Professor