A Special Thanks to Cheryl McLaughlin

Well over a decade ago, I met the multi-faceted Cheryl McLaughlin at a Left Coast Writers meeting held at Book Passage in Corte Madera, CA. Not long after I took a workshop from her on creating an online presence as a writer. (It’s crucial to know when to seek out professional help!) This was a two-day workshop and at the end of Day 1, Cheryl gave us homework: have some fun creating a “sandbox blog”. In other words, just play around with it. Nothing serious. Best assignment ever! Cheryl McLaughlin has always been a pioneer. Born on a ranch in central Montana and raised by a gold-mining/journalist/writer grandmother, she learned she could do anything. It didn’t matter that she was a girl. 

The next morning we all enjoyed seeing what our classmates had done with the assignment. My little design, using Dark Wood theme which I still use, was well received, however, it took me over a year to actually go live with this blog (almost lost the dang thing in Cyberspace. Cheryl helped me find it and finish designing it. She has remained in my life since: as a friend, faithful PSM blog follower and, of course, technology guru.

 

Thank you, Cheryl. Where would this blog be without you!

 

BIO ~

Cheryl was often the only girl playing sports with the boys and the only female coach on far-too-many staffs of men. At age 25, she became one of the first female experts in sport psychology and the science of human performance. She is known as a leading-edge thinker and practitioner, blending the latest science-based information and technology with wisdom and practical tools to help us learn faster, perform better and stay healthy on and off the court. But, what does this have to do with writing and writers? Cheryl has her grandmother’s writer genes and she wanted to impact more people. She saw the rapidly-approaching power of the Internet and social media to create a home on the Web where people from all over the world could find and connect with you, where you could build a community that loved and wanted your work, and where you could share that work and make a difference efficiently and more cost-effectively. And she saw that being on the Web was quickly going to be a necessity for writers in the new world of book publishing. Consequently, she has taught a number of courses for writers at Book Passage and has helped professionals and writers create, learn and earn on the the Web.

Cheryl is a sought-after consultant and trainer for elite junior through professional and Olympic athletes and coaches, and a speaker for sport and business organizations, such as The Phoenix Suns, USA Volleyball, The United States Tennis Association, the National Hunter and Jumper Association, IBM, AT&T, Compaq/Hewlett-Packard, and BART.

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *