About Me.

Want to know a fun fact? I’ve always struggled with these ‘about me’ pages.. if that gives you any clue into who I am as a person. There are so many facets of life that I am passionate and that I could write or talk about for hours at length; however, I would not dare to bore you with such details.

So where do I begin?

My name is Makayla, as you most likely know by now. I am a business owner, a writer, an artist and CPG connoisseur, among many other titles. I am a graduate alumni of Georgetown University where I studied integrated marketing communications, and I am a proud Gator Grad from the University of Florida’s journalism program.

I am exceptionally passionate about writing and how words can be thoughtfully used to create such powerful, meaningful messages. My love for writing dates back from when I was in the 2nd grade, sitting there during Writing Workshop thinking “Is there really anything better in life besides sitting here, creating and writing cool stories that are in my imagination?”

From there, I continued to explore the art of writing through school and work which eventually led me to take on my bachelor’s degree in journalism where I learned the skills of being an excellent listener, observer, writer, and curious citizen of the world. Most recently, I took a speechwriting course at Georgetown to test my ability in this area of writing that has always tugged on my heart strings. And I loved it.

Long story short, I love writing. I love the challenge of bringing words together. I love writing for the words to either be read or spoken. I love to help others convey their thoughts through words when they alone think it’s not possible.

Another passion lies in the field of art and creativity - another interest that has always been with me since I can remember. Art is the way I can express what is going on in my crazy, wild head. It is where I find peace and freedom. I typically turn to the medium of paper for art projects whether it is for collage or for wearable fashion projects. Paper is my jam. I believe that no matter where life takes me, my purpose involves using this thread of creativity in everything that I do.

As for my career, I am the director for an incredible, delicious (if I say so myself!) microwave popcorn brand, Nature’s Crush Popcorn. Our popcorn is made with real herbs & spices that are directly added into the bag at production. I’ve had the opportunity to be part of a brand that is completely changing the industry with new health and sustainability standards. I’ve learned how to manage and grow a popcorn start-up in every dimension you can think of. I’ve fallen in love with the innovation, creativity and challenges of the consumer packaged goods industry. Let’s just say - it’s been one heck of a journey!

In other exciting news, I’ve just started The Story Atelier — a writing atelier company dedicated to writing the life, love, founder and family stories of individuals yearning to leave a legacy that speaks to the incredible impact and experience of their lives. This company has been a goal of mine for years, and it is exciting to take the first steps to making this dream come true. I am a true believer in advocating for people to share their stories and to connect the world around us by simply sharing the good and bad of our beautiful lives.

So, here it is. Just a bit about my crazy world. Welcome!

Makayla