Getting to Know Haslam Family Dental

Meeting the Haslams

Were I to guess, I would say the first time I saw Michele and Cody Haslam, it was on the playground at our local elementary school. Their daughter and my son would have been going into kindergarten together. I admittedly don’t remember much about that day, as there were a lot of tears being shed, and I don’t think the Haslams and I actually introduced ourselves to one another.

Now, fast-forward a few years (and a few tears) later. Together, the Haslams and I had survived piano lessons, school fundraisers, class parties and our oldest two heading from elementary school to junior high (yes, more tears.) Continue reading “Getting to Know Haslam Family Dental”

June 26, 2015July 6, 2019

Meeting Yellowstone Kelly

Okay, so I didn’t actually meet Yellowstone Kelly.

At least not in the “Hi, my name is Julie, how are you?” sort of way. The man had long been a memory by the time I made my entrance into the world, in fact. I heard of him occasionally and a few years back my family and I drove up to his gravesite high on the Rims. There wasn’t much to see, it didn’t tell much about his story, and it was more or less the last time I thought of the man.

Until a few months ago. at least. That’s when I was asked by the Billings Chamber of Commerce to work with them on a piece highlighting the work being done to not only restore his final resting place, but to create a beautiful interpretive site to tell his story as well as provide a glimpse into the lives of those who lived in Yellowstone during the time he was becoming so well known here.

Learning and writing about Luther Sage Kelly (aka Yellowstone Kelly) was fascinating. The man was a well-schooled New Yorker who was destined to go into his father’s business, but instead joined the Army and ended up in the West. He was an explorer of country and of life, a man who was bold and brash and all of those things we want a frontiersman to be. He once used a bear’s paw as a calling card to a General. Yes, feel free to re-read that. A bear’s paw. It worked–he scouted for the General for many years to come.

Yellowstone Kelly could have been buried at Arlington National Cemetery. His military career earned him that honor. He chose instead to be buried in Montana, and Billings has the privilege of having his legacy as part of our own. Time hasn’t been kind to the gravesite, nor have decades worth of parties on the Rims. But now Yellowstone Kelly has the opportunity to be better known and better remembered thanks to the efforts of the Chamber and those willing to support the effort.

It was good to get to be a part of it.

Learn more for yourself here: http://bit.ly/1LykCsx

November 16, 2014July 6, 2019

KOA Newsletter

Widely known as North America’s largest system of family-friendly campgrounds,

KOA, or Kampgrounds of America, is well known for its distinctive yellow signs found in more than 185 cities and towns across the U.S. and Canada. It may be surprising to some to learn, however, that KOA began right here in Billings, Montana, when entrepreneur Dave Drum created a campground to serve the needs of travelers to the 1962 World’s Fair.

I have had the opportunity to work with the remarkable folks at KOA for over 5 years on a variety of projects. Some of the most recent include crafting stories for inclusion in their camper newsletter, which is distributed to more than a half million camping guests each month. The Kompass newsletter is full of great camping tips, recipes and travel stories that capture the imaginations of campers everywhere.

A few of my favorites include having the chance to research the best camping movies ever made, finding out what makes up a great kid-friendly travel kit and interviewing campground owners to find out what their average days are like (I learned that “average” days rarely exist for these busy men and women!)

I hope you’ll sneak a peek at the newsletter stories above and start making your plans now to camp with KOA soon!

November 13, 2014July 6, 2019

Cody Mural Website

Cody WY – bringing history back with a website.

If you were to ask people what they knew about Cody, Wyoming, most of them would likely talk about the man after which it was named: William “Buffalo Bill” Cody. Few, however, would be able to tell you about the history of the pioneers who settled the Big Horn Basin in which the town is nestled or know about one of the most unusual art pieces in the region.

In coordination with Kinetic Marketing & Communications, I had the opportunity to help change that by creating a dynamic new website sharing the story of the Cody Mural and its attached pioneer museum. The new site shares the story of not only how the mural and museum came to be, but why they came to be. Because I am originally from the Big Horn Basin, I admit that getting to tell the story of its settlement at the turn of the last century was a great personal experience. Professionally, I am also pleased to know that the client’s goals of gaining a higher profile among tourists from around the world via its website continue to be realized.

Work completed:

Client interviews
Creative overview, brief and presentation
Keyword and key phrase research
Content development

November 12, 2014July 6, 2019

Time Savers Article

I began my freelance career writing for an award-winning local publication called Magic Magazine.

My first article coincided with the 30th anniversary of Roots, and I had the opportunity write about something I’m actually fairly fascinated with: genealogy. Since that time, I’ve written countless articles on homes (getting to tour people’s homes is awesome, in case you’re wondering) for the magazine, and occasionally have the chance to whip up something a little different. Once such occasion was late in 2013, when I was challenged to write “Time Savers That Aren’t.” The goal of the piece was to look at those things that are supposed to essentially make life more efficient but instead do precisely the opposite.

There are times in every writer’s life, I suppose, when prose practically falls from their brain through their fingertips and right onto the screen. Those block-free moments are pure, unadulterated joy. It just so happens, this article happened precisely that way. The inspiration struck, and out everything came in a lighthearted stream. As I recall, it took less than 45 minutes to write from start to finish, and I had a ball.

I do wish that all of my freelance writing projects could be that fun and that easy; after all, I’m like everyone else who’s ever experienced writer’s block and agonized over every letter in every word in every sentence. So I look at it as a gift, and can’t wait to receive another one just like it.

November 12, 2014July 6, 2019

LINK Magazine Premiere Issue

In early 2014, not long after I launched Box 117 Creative, I was contacted by the special publications team at the Billings Gazette. Working in conjunction with the Billings Chamber of Commerce, they were in the process of creating a new quarterly publication called LINK, and asked if I would write a story for the new magazine. Having worked on Magic Magazine and other Gazette publications, I was happy to do so.

Writing the lead story, “Defining Tomorrow” was a great opportunity to meet new members of our business community.

As a freelance writer for over 5 years, I knew several of the individuals I was to interview, but was excited to talk with others to whom I had not yet been introduced. Every person to whom I spoke was gracious and excited to share their ideas about the future of our city. Given the fact I was just starting out on my own, hearing their enthusiasm was infectious, and gave me greater insight as to the possibilities for both personal and professional growth right here at home.

As with any project, not everything goes as smoothly as one would like. In this instance, the story was nearly to press when one of the main individuals I had interviewed stepped down from his position. Working frantically with my editor, I was able to set up an interview with another community leader, rework the story to accommodate his thoughts and replace the lead-in faster that I ever thought possible.

Work completed:

Interviews
Article writing