We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Preslie Hirsch a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Preslie, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?
As a journalist, I can see how I’ve been pouring into this skill both directly and indirectly my whole life. Growing up, my mom was a freelance journalist and would let me tag along on interviews. Just by watching, I learned early on that making connections, asking good questions and being curious about the community around me led to interesting opportunities.
When working on a craft, there are of course more and less traditional ways to go about it. In some cases, I think the formal training can add industry credibility and earned confidence. I was editor-in-chief of the newspaper in high school, won an award from the Arizona Journalism Association, interned, worked as a freelance journalist and studied journalism and communication in college. These experiences required me to learn and apply things like AP Style and journalism ethics, and produce a certain caliber product.
That said, there’s so much to be learned in the creative expression of your work. I blogged through college, started a podcast in 2018 (there weren’t nearly as many then!), and have found ways to write and create through entrepreneurship, social media and contract positions.
We live in an age with a wealth of free information at our fingertips, where the only major obstacle, as I see it, is deciding what to apply and actually going out and doing the darn thing. You can spend hours and hours learning to be a better writer by consuming content, but to actually become a better writer? You need to write. Write a bad draft, write again, write a slightly better one, and repeat over and over again.
In creative outlets, there can be pressure to be excellent when comparing yourself to others, or be deterred by the saturation of the market. The way I see it, there’s room for everyone and nobody will do what you do exactly like you. Someone, somewhere, resonates with the way you do what you do.
Follow what you enjoy, get really good at it, be kind to people, invest in relationships and work really hard, and the right opportunities will become available to you!
Preslie, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I write for Morning Chalk Up, the primary news outlet for all things CrossFit. I also host the Hey Preslie Podcast, available wherever you listen to your podcasts, where bi-weekly we dive into a variety of healthy lifestyle topics. And, I’m active on Instagram @heypreslie, so keep up with me there!
Where do you think you get most of your clients from?
Referrals! A long time ago, a dear friend who owned his own law practice told me, “if you focus on providing an exceptional experience, you’ll never have to advertise a day in your life.” He was right!
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
I truly enjoy writing and creating — I would like it if it never got published anywhere. That said, getting to share knowledge and inspiration with others through articles, interviews and the podcast is very fulfilling.
I also hope to eventually help empower the younger generation of women specifically learn to enter the workplace (or media space!) as confident, articulate forces. :)
Contact Info:
- Website: heypreslie.com
- Instagram: @heypreslie
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/presliehirsch/
- Other: morningchalkup.com
Image Credits
Tara Fitterer Alex Trobough Enrique V Lindsey Miller Dave Ridson Tyler Brogan