Communicating to raise awareness, inspire, clarify, teach, and focus on the positive; encouraging individuals and communities to think and act with greater consciousness and understanding; and recognizing the value of women and those often overlooked are common themes in my diverse history.
In the corporate world, I’ve written and delivered training for software, publishing, bio-medical, construction, travel, and utility companies. I’ve also developed and implemented public relations, marketing, community outreach, and educational programs for nonprofits, community organizations, and service-oriented businesses operating locally and internationally. Planning and managing projects spanning cultures and continents; diffusing tensions within and between organizations; filming; writing; documenting; training; organizing people, things, and ideas; and more that’s not easy to categorize fill my “what do you do?” list.
I’ve spent a good bit of time in India volunteering with a UN-recognized NGO, crisscrossed the United States too many times to count, and traveled not enough in Europe and Australia, with continents, countries, and people yet to visit. Never fitting into niches very well, my other work and interests have been wide: I’ve studied alternative and traditional healing methodologies and the mind/body/spirit connection for 30 years. I was a teen-age professional athlete and sports columnist who stopped competing at the age of 18 because hyper-competition and beating people didn’t make me feel good; shortly thereafter, I withdrew from IQ-based organization because I felt the focus on intellect alone lacked answers and heart. Good fortune then presented me with the embodiment of compassion and wisdom in the form of a saint and humanitarian leader who has had a strong presence in my life for nearly 20 years.
More recently, I was asked to direct communications for a planned giving start-up. I spent a year working with various aspects of traditional financial services, and returned to my roots in communications more convinced than ever that our business and personal assets include that which is not tallied by accountants, including health, consciousness, gratitude, compassion, service, humanity, the value of women, and respect for all. I believe our future, and the success of all ventures, hinges on our ability to honor these values and combine them with effective planning, good communication, appropriate training and education, a positive attitude, dedicated and conscious effort, and, of course, serendipity.
Fostering this is what I strive to do.
Wondering?
- About Practical + Geeky? Lots of how-to articles, videos, and tips on WordPress, communications, organizing, and more, started in response to questions received from clients and friends.
- About my name? Some people call me Kelly. Others call me Manjula. I prefer Manjula, but some people have a hard time remembering it, so whichever one works for you, works for me.
- About the cute canine in the photo? She’s Abby Fuzzhead, my editor. She’s waiting for me to buy her an iPad so she can type her own emails.
- About the goat? “Koza” is the Polish word for “goat”.
- About the name of the other blog? Please read the first post, Why Pointing to the Moon
Examples and Resumé
People sometimes want to see my resumé and/or examples of my work aside from what’s currently on the web. Because much of my work has been done in the background, or others hold the copyright to articles, training materials, etc., I don’t post these samples openly. If you are interested in having me work with you, please email me, and we can set a time to talk.
