I grew up in Northwest Indiana, about an hour outside of Chicago. We call it “The Region,” a moniker that’s tattooed on some of the locals who never left. Next door to us was a town called Gary, you might have heard of it; think The Jackson 5 or previous murder capital of the country. My high school electives included creative writing, advanced English, and history, but I hid my interest in academia for the sake of social approval (teenagers are weird). I was also the hostess-with-the-mostest at a busy restaurant off the Lake Michigan coast, a restaurant where everyone would gather for UFC fights and all-you-can-eat wings.

While I was attending college in good ole’ Muncie, Indiana, I hosted, served, and tended the bar to pay the bills. And I was really good at it! I therefore decided to change my major (again, I had just switched from English to Psychology) to Hospitality and Food Management. I thought I’d stick to what I knew I was good at so that I could quit racking up debt with Ball State University. 

Out in the real world and post-graduation, I worked with Marriott for a few years as a restaurant supervisor and, eventually, manager. I also worked at a few stand-alone, independently owned restaurants and for one brief movement at an animal hospital that introduced me to dog training, a new hobby of mine. Life has taken me all the way from living and working in Downtown Chicago, to Orlando, Florida, and now Southern California. I also lived in Arkansas!

Wanting to take control of my life and sick of being a glorified babysitter, working holidays, and working all the hours in the world unable to see my family during important moments, I turned inward and asked myself, “What do you love to do?” I loved to serve people in restaurants but the work wasn’t resonating with me anymore.

When I was younger, I would log on to AOL (insert dial-up tone here) and send emails to authors asking them how to be a writer. And then Sarah Dessen (I KNOW, right?!) replied. She said to just write. And then write some more. 

I recalled that moment while wondering how to take control of my working life but not knowing how to go about it. Should I take classes, or just start writing a book today? Then the universe pointed me to freelance writing, content marketing, and virtual assistance. I had so many interests and skills (like project management, customer service, design, and creative writing) that I knew Content by Carrie Jean, or CBCJ, was a fit. I could apply everything I’ve learned over the years in the hospitality industry

So I mashed my passion for writing, a knack for administrative organization, and creativity into this: Content by Carrie Jean. 

The world works in fantastic ways, though we may not see it while it’s happening. I wasn’t meant to serve others in high-volume restaurants (hello, stress hormone production) but I don’t take the lessons I learned in them for granted. Now I’m better able to serve you and deliver on all your needs. Here I am, ready to help.