Posted by Porcshe N. Moran

PNM Media's newest client is Best Version Media. The company is based in Milwaukee, WI and publishes family-friendly, neighborhood-specific newsletter-magazines in communities across the country. They hired me at the end of May to be a content coordinator and help launch their first two magazines in Missouri. July marks the debut of  Country Club Neighbors and Monticello-Schellridge Connector magazines in Jefferson City, Mo. My role as content coordinator entails writing monthly personality features about residents and business owners in the communities that the magazines serve, as well as, service journalism pieces on topics like home improvement, healthy eating, and local travel ideas. I also put together the community calendar and collect recipes, photos, announcements and other information that residents want to share with their neighbors. 

Starting this month, I will be writing articles about pets, wildlife and farm animals that will appear on websites such as The Daily Puppy, eHow Pets, Paw Nation Animals, PetCareRx and TheNest Pets. My real world experience with pets includes working at a pet boarding, grooming and training facility for nine months, fostering several dogs and cats before they went on to find permanent homes and rescuing my two dogs (Maggie and Sadie) and my cat (Mugen).  I'm grateful for this opportunity to merge my passion for animals and my passion for writing!

I wrote several articles that are featured in the Summer/Fall 2013 issue of Relocating to the Lake of the Ozarks magazine:

• "A Guiding Hand"- Whether vacationing, renting or investing, the Lake area has all sides of the ever-growing property management business covered.
• "Caring for Your Community"-In the spirit of humanity, giving back is a large part of living the Lake life.
• "Rooms with a View"- A home that offers stunning views of the water is a coveted possession at the Lake of the Ozarks. Using interior design techniques can further enhance amazing views and capture the essence of lake living.
• "Bryants Osage Outdoors"- Everything from catfish bait to gourmet foods is what you’ll find at Bryants Osage Outdoors in Laurie, Missouri.
• "What's New on the Water for 2013"- Boats are an essential mode of transportation at the Lake of the Ozarks. Whether you are cruising to a restaurant or entertainment venue, or participating in exhilarating water sports, there’s a style and price for everyone.
• "The Tiger Hotel"-Located in the middle of downtown Columbia, surrounded by an energetic district of restaurants, bars, concert venues, shops and art galleries, the Tiger Hotel provides a full-service, boutique lodging experience that is on par with accommodations in metropolitan cities. 
• 'Dangerous Docks"-Three tragic electrocutions at the Lake of the Ozarks this past summer have put a spotlight on a problem that has gone unnoticed in the community for many years.
• "Expanding Education at the Lake of the Ozarks"- The Lake Campus of State Fair Community College provides affordable education to the Lake area.
• "Later Learning at the Lake"- Whether retiring or thinking about furthering your education, the Tri-County area is alive with opportunity.                         

                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                     You can read all of my articles and the entire magazine here. 

Thank you for your continued support of PNM Media! Stay connected to all of the latest happening by liking the PNM Media Facebook page and following PNM Media on Twitter and Instagram!

Happy New Year! The end of 2012 and the beginning of 2013 was a busy time at PNM Media.  In December, I toured a $7.9 million estate in Sunrise Beach, Mo. for a magazine article that will be published this spring.  The massive lakefront property includes the main house, a guest house with a private one-bedroom apartment and separate wet bar and game room, a 50-acre horse stable and barn and an outdoor infinity pool.  Believe it or not, the homeowners don't live here full-time. They split their time between this house and residences in Kansas City and Hawaii!

January started with a few assignments for Investopedia.com.  I always love doing stories for this website because I learn so many interesting facts from the research that I do for each piece.  A full list of my personal finance pieces that have been published on the website can be found here. 

I also traveled to Osage Beach, Mo. to do another home story for a magazine. This time, it was a multimillion-dollar ranch that is tucked away on a secluded 150-acre plot surrounded by woods and a beautiful private lake.  The property includes a 3,700 square-foot main house, a 2,400 square-foot guest house, a heated in-ground pool, a stable and an indoor riding arena. One of the best parts of the property is that it offers serenity and privacy, but is located only a few minutes away from shopping, entertainment, dining and other amenities.  Although the home was large (5 bedrooms and 6.5 bathrooms) and upscale (granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, slate floors etc.), it  still felt very homey and comfortable. The couple that own the home raise Texas Longhorn cattle on the land and it was evident that they truly love where they live. They were so easy to talk to which made my job of capturing the story of their home easy and enjoyable. 


January brought a new client for PNM Media. The Jefferson City Chamber of Commerce hired me to write scripts for the awards ceremony that is part of their annual gala. It was a fun challenge to do a project that is different from my usual writing work, and I also got to learn more about the exceptional community leaders that are being honored at the event. 

There are a couple more exciting things coming up for PNM Media as January wraps up. This week, I'll be working on a travel piece and attending a one-day conference on entrepreneurship. I can't wait to share more about both in future posts. Please follow PNM Media on Instagram @pnmmedia, @pnmporcshe on Twitter, and "Like" PNM Media on Facebook  for photos and live updates from all of my adventures. 

-Porcshe N. Moran

By Porcshe N. Moran

In November 2010, I accepted the position of niche publications writer for Central Missouri Newspapers, Inc.  As a magazine journalism major, I was incredibly excited to be starting my first full-time editorial position (my first job out of college was in government public relations).  My job responsibilities entailed writing articles for the Jefferson City News Tribune and its specialty publications such as Active Times (a monthly piece targeted to the baby boomer generation and older), Home Living (a quarterly home & garden magazine) and a host of other special sections with content on everything from weddings to seasonal car care.  Soon after starting the job, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that I would also be helping to launch a new magazine for the company, a female-focused lifestyle publication called HER. It was a new position so there was quite a bit of freedom that came with it. Aside from writing, I was able to delve into multimedia as I shot and edited web videos to enrich my stories. I also tried my hand at audio production with a few podcast creations.  

My work on HER magazine was a "fly by the seat of your pants" type of learning experience.  A  co-worker and I were told to develop the publication from the ground up. We were given the example of another HER magazine in Texarkana, TX, also owned by Central Missouri Newspapers, Inc., but we had the task of localizing the idea for the central Missouri market and having it ready for newsstands in just five months. We quickly embraced every area of production from coming up with story ideas, photo shoot concepts and page layouts to selling advertisements, managing the magazine's online presence and organizing distribution. We developed relationships with local photographers, boutique owners, makeup artists, hair stylists, restaurant owners, florists, financial experts, health care professionals and more who all lent their expertise to fill our pages with inspiring women, informative stories, fashion, food, drink and travel. It was both an extraordinary challenge and an amazing opportunity. The last 21 months have been a fantastic period of growth for me both professionally and personally. 

At the end of the August, I will end my time at Central Missouri Newspapers, Inc.  I'm happy to announce that I will be setting out on my own and taking on more projects as a freelancer.  My goals include growing the PNM Media brand,  pitching stories to national magazines and websites, advancing my multimedia skills, and even writing a novel. The sky is truly the limit! I will also be pursuing my passion for animals by working part-time as a pet care technician at a pet boarding, grooming and training facility. 

I'm excited about what the future holds. I'll continue to provide updates on this blog as well as on the PNM Media Facebook page and Twitter account.  Thank you for all of your support.