how to write director biography

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Ian doesn't take his bio too seriously but uses every character to highlight everything about him.

He includes his skills as a marketer and podcast host, who he is outside work as a dad, and what he can help you do. His smiles also give the bio a sense of humor and realness.

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How To Write A Killer Bio For Your Nonprofit's New Executive Director

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You’ve been asked to write a nonprofit bio introducing your new ED. When you protest, you’re told “It’s simple. Just a few facts. Really, we don’t need much.” Ack.

It’s not all that simple. How do you know what facts to include and what to leave out? What will your audience find interesting? And what the heck do you do if haven’t met the new ED yet? Ack!

Here’s an outline to get you started and some tips to help you along as you write a nonprofit bio.

Essential Steps for Crafting a Memorable Executive Bio

Do your research.

• Find out what the bio will be used for and understand readers’ expectations. There are probably length limitations; it’s best to know before you start to write. No point in writing 500 words when 50 will do, or in embarrassing yourself by handing over something much shorter than expected.
• Who are you writing for? The bio must meet your audience’s expectations. Board members and staff? You may want to write something more formal. Volunteers and the community? Less formal may work here, depending on your organization’s culture . Know your audience first.
• Where will they read it? Is this for social media, a report, a letter, or a website? Length will also be an issue here. You want crisp and tight, especially for social media. Longer and more wordy is OK for a letter, a report or a website when there are fewer restrictions on space. But don’t ramble on! You still want to keep it crisp.

Start Writing

• Line up the facts. What is it your audience will most likely want to know about the new ED? How much of their professional past is important? How far back do you go? Would the audience care what the ED’s outside interests are? Use 10 years as a guideline for how far back to go, but know your audience. More experience can establish credibility, especially for senior positions. Include degrees, certifications, and awards; these can be especially important in the nonprofit world.
• A bio isn’t a resume. Summarize the facts in paragraphs, using complete sentences and correct punctuation. Start with the present situation and write in reverse chronological order. Next most recent situation or job, the one before that, then the one before that. You get the picture.

Check Your Work

• Review review review. Send your draft to others and ask for their input. Review first for factual accuracy. Then review for flow—does the bio make sense?
• Next tackle grammar and punctuation. Don’t rely on spell/grammar checkers!
• Finally, give the bio a good copy edit . Have others do this for you if you can—another pair of eyes (or two) will catch things you’ll miss.
• Explain it to Grandma. If you get stuck, use the grandmother trick. How would you explain what the ED has done to your grandmother?
• Watch out for humor, especially if you tend toward the ironic or snarky. What’s funny or edgy delivered in person might seem cold and callous on paper.
• Share personal information carefully. Again, you need to know your audience as well as the person you’re writing the bio for. Some people share everything; others are not comfortable doing so. In some cases, sharing personal information can endanger the individual and even other staff. When in doubt, leave personal tidbits out.
• Read the bio out loud and see how it sounds. Make sure your workflows when you read it out loud. More and more people are relying on the spoken word from their devices.
• Don’t let great be the enemy of good. There is such a thing as too much review where you’ll reach the point of diminishing returns. Time to let your baby go.

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Building a Director's Portfolio: Step-by-Step Guide

• Identify your career goals
• List out your skills and experiences
• Gather your work samples
• Write a professional bio
• Compile testimonials and references
• Organize your portfolio
• Design and layout tips
• Review and edit your portfolio
• Publish your portfolio
• Update and maintain your portfolio

Building a director's portfolio can feel like a daunting task. But fear not, with a little bit of guidance, you can create a portfolio that truly reflects your skills and vision. This guide will walk you through a step-by-step process on how to create a portfolio for directing. By the end of this journey, you will have a professional director's portfolio that demonstrates your creativity and captures the essence of your directorial style.

Identify Your Career Goals

The first step in creating a portfolio for directing is to identify your career goals. This gives you a clear idea of what path you want to take in the film industry and what kind of work you want to showcase in your portfolio. Here's how to go about it:

• Define Your Direction: Are you interested in directing documentaries, dramas, comedies, or perhaps a mix of these? Knowing your preferred genre will help you curate relevant work samples. For instance, if you want to make a name in comedy, it's a good idea to include samples of your comedic work.
• Set Career Milestones: What do you want to achieve in the next five years? Having clear, realistic goals will help you stay focused and motivated. It could be anything from directing a short film to working with a renowned production company.
• Consider Your Unique Selling Proposition: What makes you stand out as a director? Maybe it's your knack for storytelling, or your ability to coax stellar performances from your actors. Highlight these unique qualities in your portfolio to grab the attention of potential employers.

Remember, your career goals can evolve with time so don't be afraid to revisit and revise them as you gain more experience and insights. Once you have a clear sense of direction, you're ready to move on to the next step of listing out your skills and experiences. Stay tuned as we continue our journey on how to create a portfolio for directing.

List Out Your Skills and Experiences

Now that you have your career goals in place, it's time to list out your skills and experiences. This is an essential step in showing potential employers what you bring to the table. Here's a simple way to do it:

• Identify Your Skills: Start by identifying your key skills. Are you great at managing budgets? Do you have a knack for casting the right actors? Maybe you're a pro at script analysis. Whatever it is, write it down. These are the skills that will make you stand out as a director.
• Highlight Your Experiences: Next, reflect on your career experiences. This includes any films you've directed, theater productions you've been a part of, or even relevant coursework from film school. These experiences showcase your hands-on knowledge and practical abilities.
• Include Relevant Training: If you've completed any workshops, courses, or certifications that have helped you hone your directing skills, be sure to include them. This shows your commitment to learning and professional development.

By listing your skills and experiences, you paint a clear picture of your capabilities as a director. It helps those viewing your portfolio to understand what you can bring to their project. But remember, your portfolio isn't just about telling people what you can do—it's about showing them. That's where our next step, gathering your work samples, comes in. We'll delve into that in our next section, so stay with us as we continue to explore how to create a portfolio for directing.

Gather Your Work Samples

Now that you've identified your skills and experiences, it's time to gather your work samples. This is where you get to show off your directing prowess. Here's how you can do it:

• Collections of Your Best Work: Choose samples that best represent your style and skill as a director. This could be anything from a short film you directed in college to a commercial you directed for a local business. Remember, it's not about the quantity, but the quality of your work.
• Highlight Different Skills: Try to choose work samples that showcase different skills. If one project shows your talent for directing dramatic scenes, choose another that highlights your ability to direct action sequences. This will show your versatility as a director.
• Include Your Process: Don't just show the final product—include materials that illustrate your directing process. For example, you might include a storyboard, script notes, or a shot list. This gives viewers an inside look at how you work.

Take your time with this step. Choose work samples that you're proud of and that represent what you can bring to a project. Remember, your portfolio is your chance to shine. So don't hold back—show them what you're capable of. In the next section, we will discuss how to write a professional bio, an essential part of how to create a portfolio for directing.

Write a Professional Bio

Telling your story effectively is a vital part of how to create a portfolio for directing. Your professional bio is more than just a list of accomplishments; it's your opportunity to introduce yourself to potential employers and clients in a memorable, relatable way.

• Start with the Basics: Begin with who you are and what you do. Keep it concise and straightforward. For instance, "I'm a director specializing in dramatic short films."
• Share Your Journey: Talk about how you got where you are today. Did you start out as a film enthusiast with a handheld camcorder, or did you study directing at a prestigious film school? Whatever your path, share it and make it engaging.
• Highlight Your Achievements: Don't be shy about your accomplishments. If you've won awards or received recognition for your work, be sure to include it in your bio.
• End with a Personal Touch: Close your bio with something personal, like why you love directing or what you hope to achieve in your career. This adds a human element to your bio and makes you more relatable.

Writing a professional bio might feel a bit uncomfortable, especially if you're not used to talking about yourself. But remember, this is your time to shine. Your bio should be a reflection of who you are as a director, so make it count. In the next section, we will discuss how to compile testimonials and references—a key part of how to create a portfolio for directing.

Compile Testimonials and References

Now that you've nailed your professional bio, let's move on to another important element when creating a portfolio for directing—compiling testimonials and references.

Think of testimonials as mini-reviews of your work. They give potential employers or clients a glimpse into your professional relationships and the quality of your work. Not sure where to start? Here's a step-by-step guide:

• Gather Past Feedback: Start by looking at past feedback you've received. This could be formal reviews, emails, or even off-hand comments that someone made about your work. If it's positive and it's relevant, consider including it in your portfolio.
• Ask for Testimonials: Don't be hesitant to ask for testimonials from people you've worked with. Most folks will be happy to help, especially if they enjoyed working with you. Just make sure to ask nicely and give them enough time to write something thoughtful.
• Choose Wisely: Not all testimonials are created equal. Choose those that highlight your directing skills and experiences. A testimonial that says "easy to work with" is good, but one that says "brilliant at bringing out the best in actors" is even better.

Along with testimonials, you should also consider including references. A reference is someone who can vouch for your skills and experiences. When choosing references, consider people who know your work well, can speak positively about your directing abilities, and are likely to be contacted by potential employers.

Compiling testimonials and references can be a bit of work, but it's worth it. They can be powerful tools in showcasing your abilities and building trust with potential employers or clients. Stay tuned for the next step on how to create a portfolio for directing: organizing your portfolio.

Organize Your Portfolio

Now that you have your career goals defined, a list of your skills and experiences, work samples, a professional bio, and testimonials and references, it's time to start organizing your portfolio. Remember, a well-organized portfolio is easier to navigate and leaves a positive impression.

• Start with a Clear Structure: Create sections for each type of content. This might include 'About Me', 'Work Samples', 'Testimonials', etc. This way, anyone viewing your portfolio will know exactly where to find what they're looking for.
• Make it Flow: Arrange your work samples in a logical order. This could be chronological, with your most recent work first, or you could group similar projects together. Either way, make sure there's a clear progression that's easy to follow.
• Highlight Your Best Work: Not all your projects need to make it into your portfolio. Select the ones you're most proud of, the ones that best showcase your skills and experiences. Remember, quality beats quantity.
• Keep it Simple: Don't overwhelm your audience with too much information. Keep your descriptions concise, use bullet points where possible, and let your work speak for itself.

Organizing your portfolio might seem like a daunting task, but don't worry - you've got this! And remember, your portfolio is a work in progress. As you gain more experience and work on new projects, you can always add to and tweak your portfolio. So, are you ready for the next step on how to create a portfolio for directing? Let's talk design and layout!

Design and Layout Tips

So, you've got your director's portfolio organized. What's next? Let's make it visually appealing! When considering how to create a portfolio for directing, it's vital to pay attention to the design and layout. Here are some handy tips:

• Consistency is Key: Stick to a consistent color scheme, font style, and layout throughout your portfolio. This creates a visually cohesive look and feel that is pleasing to the eye.
• White Space is Your Friend: Don't be afraid to leave some space empty. White space helps to break up the content, making it easier to digest and focus on the important elements.
• Quality Over Quantity: Choose high-quality images and videos for your work samples. Remember, this is a reflection of your work. You want to make sure it's presented in the best possible light.
• Navigation Should be a Breeze: Make it easy for visitors to navigate your portfolio. Include a clear menu, use breadcrumbs, and make sure all links work correctly.

Remember, the design and layout of your portfolio should enhance, not distract from, your work. Keep it clean, professional, and easy to navigate. It's not only about showing what you've done, but also how you present it. You're doing great – keep going!

Review and Edit Your Portfolio

So, your portfolio is coming together. You've got your work samples, your bio, and you've even spruced up the design. Now it's time to do a thorough review and edit. Think of this step as the final coat of paint, the polish that will make your portfolio shine. Let's dive into how to effectively review and edit your portfolio.

• Be Your Own Critic: Take a look at your portfolio as if you were someone else. Is it consistent? Are the visuals appealing? Have you highlighted your best work? If anything seems off, now is the time to fix it.
• Check for Errors: From typos to broken links, errors can have a negative impact on your portfolio. A clean, error-free portfolio shows that you pay attention to details - a trait every director should have.
• Get a Second Opinion: Sometimes, it's hard to spot our own mistakes. Ask a friend, mentor, or fellow director to give your portfolio a once-over. They may catch something you missed or provide helpful feedback.
• Keep it Current: Make sure all the information in your portfolio is up to date. This includes your bio, contact information, and work samples. You don't want to miss a potential opportunity because of outdated info.

Remember, your portfolio is a reflection of you as a director. It's worth taking the time to review and edit thoroughly. The goal is to create a portfolio for directing that you can proudly share with the world. You're almost there!

Publish Your Portfolio

Now that you've compiled, organized, designed, and reviewed your portfolio, it's time for the grand finale: publishing your portfolio. Here's how to create a portfolio for directing and make it available for the world to see:

• Choose a Platform: There are numerous online platforms that allow you to publish your portfolio for free. From personal websites to social media platforms, consider your options and choose the one that best suits your needs and reaches your target audience.
• Upload Your Work: This is where you show off your directing skills. Ensure each work sample is uploaded correctly and displays properly on your chosen platform. Remember, quality over quantity — only include your best work.
• Include Contact Information: Don't forget to include a way for potential employers or collaborators to reach you. This could be an email address, a phone number, or a contact form directly on your portfolio site.
• Make it Public: Once you're happy with everything, it's time to go public. Use the publishing tools on your chosen platform to make your portfolio visible to the public.

Congratulations! You've taken an important step in your directing career. You now know how to create a portfolio for directing, and you've put that knowledge into practice. Your work is out there for everyone to see, and you should be proud of what you've accomplished. Now, get ready for the opportunities that are about to come your way!

Update and Maintain Your Portfolio

Creating your portfolio is just the beginning. Let's move on to the next phase of learning how to create a portfolio for directing — updating and maintaining it. This is the key to keeping your portfolio fresh and relevant.

• Stay Current: Always add your latest projects to your portfolio. This shows potential employers or collaborators that you're active and continually refining your craft. Remember, your most recent work is often your best work.
• Remove Outdated Work: Just as you add new projects, be sure to remove older ones that no longer represent your current skill level or style. This helps to keep your portfolio focused and relevant.
• Check for Errors: Regularly review your portfolio for any errors or broken links. You want to make sure that everything is functioning as it should and that your work is being showcased in the best possible light.
• Ask for Feedback: Don't hesitate to ask others for their opinions on your portfolio. Fresh eyes can catch things you may have missed and provide insights on how to improve.

Updating and maintaining your portfolio is an ongoing process. It's all part of understanding how to create a portfolio for directing. Remember, your portfolio is a living document of your career. Keep it vibrant, current, and polished, and it will serve you well in your directing journey.

If you're looking to create a stand-out director's portfolio, don't miss George Dyson's workshop, ' Making an Amazing Portfolio .' This workshop will provide you with the guidance and strategies needed to showcase your work effectively and make a lasting impression in the film industry.

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More From Forbes

How to write a compelling executive bio for your job search.

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Tell a compelling career story

If you’re a candidate for C-suite, Partner, or Board roles, you’ll be asked for a bio as part of the process. For some roles reporting to the C-suite, you may need a bio as well. Employers evaluating your candidacy want to see how your career story will look to prospective investors, clients, and employees when shared publicly. For more junior roles, a bio is usually not worth prioritizing, except when your story is especially unusual or compelling.

To create a resonant bio, write it in the third person and tell an impressive, concise story of your career accomplishments and personal qualities. Since your resume serves a different goal - to make the business case for an interview – it’s generally much longer and more comprehensive than a bio. Ideally, you’ll want to include all the elements of the bio on one nicely formatted page. If you can’t tell your story on one page, your bio is likely too detailed (and therefore less interesting), or contains irrelevant or redundant information.

Your bio should include these elements:

An impressive photo enables a prospective employer to visualize how you would represent the organization. Dress like you’re going to a business meeting, smile into the camera (that is, at the reader), and convey an image that subtly says, “I’m someone with whom you’ll want to do business.”

A short statement summarizing your relevant experience

This statement, comprising one to three short sentences, lets readers quickly understand your responsibilities within an organization. For example, “Global Chief Operating Officer at X Company. Previously the Division Executive at Y Company. Board roles have included A Corporation and B Non-Profit.”

Best Travel Insurance Companies

Best covid-19 travel insurance plans, a short statement that differentiates you.

List one or two differentiators in one or two short sentences: “Global COO and Board Director with experience in M&A and Business Transformations. Achieved over $100 million in savings across career, while creating a foundation for rapid revenue growth in every leadership role.” This statement should mirror the opening of your networking or interviewing pitch .

A list of key words and phrases

Use this section of the bio to quickly convey essential information in a brief scan of your document. Create a table or text box that groups these keywords and key phrases with headings such as “Areas of Expertise,” “Industry Experience,” and “Board Service.”

The Bio itself

The best bios are between 280 and 340 words in length, and five to seven short paragraphs. You want the bio to tell a compelling story about the value you’ve added in your career. To that end, write the first sentence of each paragraph so that if they were strung together, they would create a nice summary. In the example below, each of the six sentences leads off a sequence of six paragraphs.

Armando is the Global Chief Marketing Officer at WellKnownCo. A trusted advisor to the CEO and Boards, Armando is known for developing strategies that led to market share and profitability gains. Armando’s financial markets knowledge is founded on a 30-year Wall Street career, including 20 years leading Sales, Marketing, and Private Banking divisions. A sought after thought leader, Armando has been a featured speaker at three of the largest global financial services marketing conferences, including X. As a CMO guided by DEI principals, Armando has been recognized for “inspiring” leadership and the building of world-class teams at three organizations. Armando’s board experience includes two Board Director roles at X and Y.

Use the following as a checklist to ensure your bio contains all the information the reader seeks:

• Where you fit within an organization, including your level and title and/or your most recent or current role
• The substance of your previous experience
• Your key differentiators
• Very high-level, relevant accomplishments
• A sense of the magnitude of the responsibilities with which you’ve been entrusted
• Relevant board experience, if any
• A sense of how others view you, possibly using quotes, e.g., “inspiring,” “groundbreaking,” “transformative”
• Other experience that rounds you out as a person, for example, leadership roles in volunteer organizations, possibly education, certain differentiating interests

You may also want to bold key phrases in each paragraph, so readers can quickly scan the bio to get a sense of what you offer. Be sure to bold words and phrases very selectively. Otherwise, you diminish the impact of bolding as well as the visual appeal of your bio.

Follow these guidelines and you’ll create a bio that will get you noticed!

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How to write a professional bio (with examples and templates)

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Get started by: Creating a website →  | Getting a domain →

Which three words would you use to describe yourself? Most of us have been asked this question, and many of us have fumbled through it awkwardly.

Coming up with a personal description can be daunting. But there are times when it’s essential - whether we’re updating our LinkedIn profiles, blogging for Medium or creating a business website of our own.

In this post, we’ll go over how to write a bio, step by step. To help guide you, we’ve also included a handy template, along with some professional bio examples for your inspiration. With these resources, you’ll find that writing a bio, as part of making a website , is much easier than you might think.

What is a bio?

Before you learn how to write a bio, you should have a clear understanding of what it is and why you need it.

In the world of literature, a personal biography can span the length of an entire novel, like Nelson Mandela’s Long Walk to Freedom or Malala Yousafzai’s I Am Malala . In the online world, however, a bio is a short paragraph in which you introduce yourself. Typically, people place bios on the About Us page of their professional website, as well as on their social media pages and other networking platforms.

What to include in a bio

Depending on your audience and goals, your bio can highlight your personal interests, your professional achievements or a mix of both. Here are some of the elements a bio might include:

Job title or workplace

University degree and other qualifications

Hometown or city of residence

Personal or professional goals

Mission statement and values

Skills and expertise

Interests and hobbies

The goal of writing a bio is to provide people with a snapshot of who you are. This is important for a variety of reasons, whether it’s drawing people toward your personal website or promoting your blog, attracting clients and business partners to your brand, or highlighting your achievements for job interviews.

How to write a short bio

The most effective online bios are both professional and concise. Here’s how to write a short professional bio that suits your website or brand:

Introduce yourself

State your company or brand name

Explain your professional role

Include professional achievements

Discuss your passions and values

Mention your personal interests

01. Introduce yourself

Begin your bio by stating your first and last name. If you’re writing in the third person, these should be the first two words of the paragraph. This makes your name easy for your audience to identify and remember. Your bio is a huge part of your personal branding efforts, and should start with a strong intro to make a positive impact.

02. State your company or brand name

Think about whether you want your bio to represent yourself on a personal level, or whether you’d like it to come across as more professional. If you have a personal brand or business - for example, a blog, freelance business or eCommerce site - be sure to mention your brand name at the beginning of your bio. Don’t be afraid if the name sounds simple or redundant. It’s perfectly fine, for instance, to say Mary Smith is the founder and CEO of Smith Digital.

Likewise, feel free to mention the name of another company or brand that you work for if you’d like to associate it with your professional accomplishments - e.g., Mary Smith is a consultant at Google and the founder and CEO of Smith Digital.

03. Explain your professional role

Next, briefly explain your current position. This is relevant whether you’re the founder of a company, a high-level specialist or a beginner in your field, and it can be similar to the description you have on your resume. Your website visitors won’t necessarily know what your job involves, so elaborating on your primary responsibilities helps paint a picture of who you are and what you have to offer. This can also be used, if needed for employment and recruitment opportunities. If you're a freelancer a strong bio can make all the difference in how successful sourcing work can be.

04. Include professional achievements

In addition to explaining what your job entails, highlight milestones that make you stand out. Even if you haven’t won an award or gained external recognition, you can discuss ways in which you’ve contributed to your professional role and touch on new ideas or approaches that you bring to the table.

05. Discuss your passions and values

Once you describe what you do and how you contribute to your role, you’ll need to explain the why . This is one of the most important elements to focus on as you consider how to write a bio.

Think about the values and passions underlying your work, as well as your professional philosophy. What gets you up in the morning? What’s the driving force behind what you do?

You can also think of this part of your professional bio as a kind of mission statement. Perhaps your mission is to serve others, contribute to society, grow your expertise or learn new skills. Whatever your reasons, expanding upon these ideas can help your audience get a better understanding of what truly matters to you. Don't be afraid to deploy storytelling in this part of creating your bio. Explore your narrative and then convey it.

06. Mention your personal interests

The most effective short bios will not only focus on your professional experience, but will also touch on what you like to do in your spare time. Consider mentioning:

Your family

Your hometown

Your hobbies

Side projects you’re working on

Transitioning to a more casual discussion of who you are outside of work is a great way to conclude your bio. This will present you as a more well-rounded person while making you relatable for your audience.

Professional bio template

As you go through the steps on how to write a bio, this handy template will help you get started:

Sentence 1: [Name] is a [job title] who [job description].

E.g., Lisa Green is an English teacher who teaches beginning to advanced literature courses for 10th and 11th grade students at Bloomfield High School.

Sentence 2: [Name] believes that [why you do the work you do].

E.g., Lisa believes that written and analytical skills are not only a fundamental part of academic excellence, but are also the building blocks of critical thinking in high school and beyond.

Sentence 3: [Name/pronoun] has [mention your achievements].

E.g., In addition to managing the English curriculum for the school, she runs an after school program where she works one-on-one with students.

Sentence 4: [Name/pronoun] is a [mention any relevant awards, training or honors].

E.g., She has also been nominated Teacher of the Year for two consecutive years.

Sentence 5: [Name/pronoun] holds a [insert degree] in [field of study] from [university].

E.g., Lisa holds a BA in Creative Writing and a Master’s Degree in Teaching from the University of Michigan.

Once you’ve filled in this template, put it all together into a single paragraph to create an initial framework for your professional biography. Note that you can shorten or expand upon this bio according to your unique needs.

Professional bio examples

Now that you know the basics of writing a professional bio, here are some short bio examples to inspire you. You can use these examples as additional templates for guidance as you craft your own personal biography.

Like the creators of these examples, you can place your bio on your personal or professional website and, later, revise the structure for other online platforms.

01. Bristol Guitar Making School

Of all the professional bio examples, Alex Bishop’s content exudes passion. Strategically placing the bio on the About page of his small business website , he highlights his skills and explains why he finds his work meaningful. In particular, we love his description of why he chose to pursue guitar making:

“​My passion as a guitar maker comes from a life-long obsession with making things. From a young age I have always tried to manipulate objects and materials in order to create something entirely different. I find that working with wood is a way for me to connect with nature. The simple act of shaping wood to make something functional or beautiful brings me endless satisfaction.”

He also lists his accomplishments and awards, adding credibility to his business and building trust among prospective clients.

02. Alexandra Zsigmond

As someone who has served as art director for both The New York Times' opinion section and The New Yorker , it's no surprise that Alexandra Zsigmond's bio is thorough and detailed. Providing statistics or reflections on the things she achieved in her career is a clever way to demonstrate her value without saying so directly. As she explains:

"She has collaborated with a roster of over 1000 artists worldwide and art directed over 4000 editorial illustrations. She is known for greatly expanding the range of visual contributors to the Times, drawing equally from the worlds of contemporary illustration, fine art, animation, and comics."

03. Amanda Shields Interiors

Amanda Shields provides us with another effective bio example on her interior design website. Importantly, she spices up her bio by explaining how home decor aligns with her personal life and why it’s so close to her heart as a mother and entrepreneur:

"After working as a product designer for numerous retailers over the years, and after I had my first child, I decided to take the plunge and start my own home staging business…. Coincidentally, a month later I discovered I was pregnant with my second child. I loved the new challenges I faced as a new entrepreneur and mom and it didn't take long for me to discover that this was my calling…. I felt the need to expand my business and launch Amanda Shields Interiors as its own entity to focus specifically on residential interiors and design."

By placing this content on her website’s About page, she provides potential clients with insights into her expertise and professional experience. She expands upon the choices she made along her career path, strategically making note of her achievements and acquired skills along the way.

Tips for writing a bio

As you write your bio using the professional template above, make sure to keep the following tips in mind:

Keep it concise: Your bio should be sufficiently explanatory, but it should also be short and to the point. A good rule of thumb is to keep each element of your bio - from your job description to your mission statement and hobbies - to about 1-2 sentences. That way, you’ll end up with a brief paragraph that holds your readers’ attention without rambling on.

Consider your audience: The voice and tone you choose for your biography largely depends on your audience and personal goals. If you’re looking for a job and are writing primarily for recruiters, you’ll want to use a serious, professional tone. On the other hand, if you’re creating an Instagram bio , consider using more casual, conversational language that reflects your personality.

Add humor: Relatedly, consider adding humor when appropriate. This is especially valuable if you’ve founded your own business or created your own website , as it can give you a distinct brand identity while helping your audience build a stronger sense of connection with your brand.

Link to your website: When writing a bio for a platform other than your own website - a social media page, another company page, or a guest blog or publication - remember to include a link to your website. This will help you promote your website while highlighting your professionalism and authority.

Adapt for different platforms: You’ll most likely need to adapt the length and writing style of your biography to suit different platforms. For example, you may place a longer bio on your website’s About page and a shorter one on your LinkedIn page. In these cases, use the same main principles for writing a bio while scaling down the most important elements.

By following these tips, you can create a powerful bio that helps you stand out in your field and allows your audience to get to know you better.

How to write a bio in four sentences or less

Really need to create a super short bio? We'd suggest following some of the tips above, just condensing them into less word for a short bio that still makes impact.

But if we really had to choose we'd say focus on - you, your professional role and company. That condenses everything that matters for bio into three sentences. Humor, creativity and uniqueness still all matter - just use fewer words to convey them.

Creating a bio for your website

As we’ve noted in the examples above, one of the most strategic places to put your bio is on your website - so be sure to consider it within your web design plans. Whether the goal of your site is to start and promote your business , showcase your design portfolio or display your resume, including a bio gives your audience a glimpse into the person behind your content. It can also kickstart your professional growth . Show the world what you do, how you do it and why it matters, and people will be drawn to your passion and inspired by your experience.

Pro tip: You can add a bio to many different types of websites, so using templates can help you create yours faster. For example, if you're creating a portfolio website , explore portfolio website templates to help you get started.

Creating a bio for social media

Crafting a professional bio for social media is vital as it introduces you or your brand, and it builds credibility and trust. A well-written bio establishes your expertise, attracts the right audience, and fosters engagement. It helps maintain a consistent brand image, optimizes search and discovery, and opens doors to networking and career opportunities. A compelling bio delivers a concise, informative snapshot of who you are, what you do, and the value you bring, leaving a lasting impression on visitors and potential collaborators alike.

You may need to edit your bio depending on which social media platform you plan to use it on. Some of the most popular ones include Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. Focus on getting your bio right on the platforms you plan to focus your personal or brand social media marketing efforts on.

Writing a bio with AI

If you're looking to write your bio fast while creating your website, consider using an AI text generator to build your draft. You'll still need to make sure it goes through. an intensive editing process, so that it really captures the essence of who you are and your professional skills. A bio is about much more than just basic information, so don't forget to include the storytelling too. Build a website with Wix and you can make use of the in-built AI text generator within its Editor .

Why good bios are important for a professional

In a world where first impressions matter, a well-crafted bio can make a significant impact in establishing trust and credibility with potential clients, employers or collaborators. It also offers insight into your personality and values, helping to forge authentic connections with your audience. It acts as a powerful tool for personal branding, allowing you to differentiate yourself in a competitive landscape and leave a memorable impression.

A strong bio also serves as a gateway to opportunities, whether it's securing new clients, landing job interviews or establishing partnerships. It acts as a professional introduction, allowing you to showcase your expertise. A polished and impactful bio is essential for you to effectively communicate your professional identity and stand out in your field.

Writing a bio without experience

Writing a bio when you don't yet have experience can be challenging, but it's an opportunity to showcase your potential and aspirations.

Begin by highlighting your educational background, skills and any relevant coursework or projects you've completed. Focus on your passions, interests and personal qualities that make you unique. Consider including volunteer work, internships or extracurricular activities that demonstrate your commitment and initiative. Emphasize your eagerness to learn and grow in your chosen field and express your future goals and aspirations. Don't be afraid to be honest about your current stage and your willingness to gain experience and develop professionally.

If you don't know what to write in your bio, start by brainstorming your key experiences, achievements, skills and personal attributes. Consider what sets you apart and what you want others to know about you. Look for inspiration from other bios or profiles in your field, and consider seeking feedback from friends, mentors or colleagues. Don't hesitate to highlight your passions, interests and goals, as well as any unique experiences or perspectives you bring to the table. Remember to keep it concise and engaging, and don't be afraid to revise and refine your bio until it accurately represents you.

How to write a bio FAQ

What is a short bio.

A short bio, short for biography, is a concise summary of a your life or professional background. It provides a brief overview of your key achievements, qualifications, experiences, and relevant details. Typically written in the third person, a short bio is often used in various contexts, such as professional profiles, social media accounts, introductions for speaking engagements, author descriptions, and other situations where a brief introduction is required. The length of a short bio can vary, but it's generally kept to a few sentences or a short paragraph to provide a snapshot of the person's background and expertise.

How do I write a bio about myself?

What should i include in a short bio, how do you write a fun bio for work, how do i make my bio stand out, related posts.

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8 Tips for Writing a Compelling Executive Biography

Who are you? What makes you stand out from your professional peers? Take a moment out of your day and learn how to link your soft skills to your value proposition in order to create a compelling executive biography that solidifies your personal brand. This blog removes the pain points we all face when tasked with creating our own executive biography.

Oftentimes, as individuals, the most difficult product to market is ourselves. This post provides key insights into creating a persuasive executive biography, thus minimizing the procrastination that paralyzes us on a topic that every one of us knows best!

An executive biography represents a distinctive one-page document that speaks to your current position, unique value proposition, quantifiable accomplishments, and a small glimpse into your personal passions. An executive biography doesn’t constitute a resume, which provides a chronological, often bulleted list of your career path, relevant skills, and measurable achievements. 

Before we get to the tips on writing a compelling executive biography, we’re going to provide you with a comprehensive list of the elements needed to create an exciting executive biography.

• Relevant facts and examples to support your skills
• Core values and principles
• Current employment status that includes an engaging job description
• Professional experience
• Awards and acknowledgements
• Community involvement
• Any publications, if applicable
• Professional headshot and/or link to a video portfolio/profile

There’s a good chance you’re still feeling overwhelmed regarding what to write. First, take a breath, you’re not alone. As we said initially, marketing ourselves is one of the most difficult tasks for people. Take your time reading through the tips below. Each tip will slowly chip away at any anxiety you’re working through.

• Organize – Before you start writing, have clarity on your target audience and decide what to tell them about yourself. Focus on what sets you apart.
• Capture the reader’s attention – It’s important to hook a reader immediately. Generally, a reader will give you ten seconds. Start with a clear and creative branding statement .
• Let your passion, philosophy, and style shine through – Include the values, attitude, and skills that led you to some of your major professional successes. 
• Convey your value – You might have skill sets standard for your profession, but this is the time to convey your unique value proposition , i.e. what are some things that set you apart. 
• Don’t be chronological – Remember that your executive bio is not your resume. Talk about your current position instead, along with the relevant experiences that led you to this position, and your vision for your future. 
• Validate your successes – While listing your achievements and accomplishments, validate those with supporting facts or data. If possible, use substantial numbers or percentages that make it easy for your readers to follow the significance of the current results. Make sure to highlight any recognition or accolades received for your accomplishments.
• Include a small glimpse into your personal passions – You want to keep your executive biography light and conversational. A great way to do this is to let your personality shine through by including some information about your hobbies and interests. This can be especially compelling if your hobbies directly relate to your professional endeavors.
• Contact Details – Conclude the executive biography with your contact details so your reader can connect with you when they want additional information. Include a headshot, your email address, and a link to your professional network of choice.

Your executive biography provides a human touch to the story that represents your career, while also serving as a wonderful document to use when you’re creating an elevator pitch for your SucceedSmart profile.

For additional information on how to craft a persuasive executive biography please check out the article below.  Forbes – How to Write a Killer Executive Bio

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Standout Professional Bio Examples (And Why You Need One)

• Compelling examples of bios in multiple contexts

The difference between a resume and a professional bio

Who needs a professional bio.

A professional bio is one of the most important pieces of writing you have in your toolkit.

What career and business opportunities will yours open up?

Effective examples of bios in multiple contexts

When crafting a professional bio, be intentional about the content you include and tailor it according to your objectives.

You want to adjust it accordingly based on where it appears and what type of organization and industry you work for.

The purpose of a professional bio is generally to:

• State who you are and what you do
• Provide examples of your work experience that bolster your credibility
• Tell your story

How you go about accomplishing these three goals, however, will vary.

We compiled a variety of professional biographies and explain why they are effective to give you an idea of how to structure yours.

Company Website

If you are a senior executive, you may have a professional bio on your company’s website: this is the most common request we receive.

John Hartman | Equifax

John Hartman put together a classic example of an executive bio for the Equifax website.

His writing is clear, concise, and follows the standard structure for an effective bio by providing:

• Name and current role at Equifax
• Previous experience at Equifax
• Early career history
• Education summary

If you’re looking for a conventional executive bio, you’ll want to follow this format.

It’s perfectly acceptable to use the bio you have on your company’s website for LinkedIn.

However, don’t forget that LinkedIn is still a social media platform, so it’s okay to infuse a bit more personality into it !

Jay Shetty | Personal Brand

Jay Shetty's profile headline and introduction quickly grab the reader's attention: “Meet the former monk who is making wisdom go viral.”

He further builds his credibility by explaining that he has 200 million views on social media, over one million followers, and was selected for Forbes 30 Under 30.

His bio also includes information about his education and career history while infusing elements of his story (we’ll forgive him for grammar errors and focus on content – because it is quite strong).

At the end, he also provides a preferred method of contact.

You should consider including your email address or a link to your LinkedIn profile as well – especially if your bio doubles as a marketing tool.

Need help crafting a compelling executive bio? Learn more  about our professional bio writing service!

Personal Website

We’re increasingly seeing freelancers and even professionals in the corporate sector building personal websites that serve as an online resume, so to speak.

If you are a freelancer or run your own business, think carefully about your copy and what kind of message you are sending to your readers.

• What kind of impression will they have of you and your business after reading your bio?
• Does your bio leave them inspired and wanting to talk to you further?
• What is the image you are trying to convey? Do you want to come off as polished and professional, engaging, fun, or simply vanilla? 

Melanie Everett | melanieeverettco.com

Melanie Everett runs an independent real estate firm in Chicago.

Coming from a journalism background, she has leveraged her writing skills to drive her real estate business. She currently ranks in the top 1% of real estate agents in Chicago.

Conference or Event Pamphlet

If you are speaking on a panel or delivering a keynote speech, you may have the opportunity to provide a bio to be featured in the event’s print materials.

For these types of communications, you’ll want your bio to be shorter than what you might include on a company page or LinkedIn summary.

These executive bios build credibility for you and your company while positioning you as an expert on the topic you will be speaking about.

Vera Manoukian | Hilton

Hilton’s Vera Manoukian provided this bio when she spoke on a panel titled “The Rebirth of Full-Service Hotels,” effectively demonstrating her leadership experience in the hospitality sector.

Nonprofit Bio

Executive bios for nonprofit organizations often employ a storytelling approach to introduce readers to the organization’s mission and impact.

Ben Justus | EGBOK Mission

In his bio, Ben explains why he started EGBOK, the work his organization does, and how it has grown.

When you contribute to an industry blog, you may have the opportunity to include additional information that showcases why you are an authority on the topic.

In this context, your bio can also serve as publicity for your company.

Arianna Huffington | THRIVE Global

Brian X. Chen | The New York Times

Other times, you may have very limited space to work with, making it especially important to consider how each word is adding value.

A resume and professional bio are both personal marketing documents, but they are used in different contexts.

Resumes are generally used to apply for a job. They are written in third person, follow a conventional structure, and are predominantly based on facts and achievements .

Professional bios , on the other hand, provide a more informal narrative that serves as a compelling elevator pitch.

Professionals of all experience levels can benefit from a bio.

As an executive, you should have a long and short version of a professional bio to use on:

• Corporate or personal websites
• Company marketing brochures
• Conference materials

If you are a student , you can use yours as a LinkedIn summary or on the webpage of a campus organization you are a part of. You never know who might come across it!

We hope these examples have given you inspiration and an understanding of what to include in your bio.

When writing yours, remember to keep the following in mind:

The best bios are written thoughtfully and intentionally, so it’s not something you want to leave to the last minute!

Need a compelling executive bio? You can order our professional bio writing service here !

About resume pilots.

Resume Pilots is an award-winning executive resume writing firm and a proud member of the Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches. Our previous clients include CEOs and senior executives at the world's leading companies.

As a professional services firm, we take your reputation seriously. We are committed to delivering writing excellence and superior service while operating with integrity and discretion. Recruitment firms we partner with also trust us to consistently deliver quality documents for their clients.

Our writers have studied in the Ivy League and other top-tier universities and have strong writing backgrounds coupled with industry experience.

Here's how we can help you:

Resume, Cover Letter, and LinkedIn Writing Services : If you are looking for end-to-end support, hire one of our professional resume writers to rewrite your documents from the ground up.

Executive Resume Template Downloads : If you plan to prepare your own resume, consider using one of our classic, ATS-friendly resume templates for Microsoft Word.

To learn more about our services, book an introductory call with our founder here or email [email protected] .

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About the Author Matt Glodz

Matt Glodz is the Founder and Managing Partner of Resume Pilots and a Certified Professional Resume Writer. After studying business communication at Cornell University, Matt worked within Fortune 500 companies, where he noted that qualified candidates were frequently denied interview opportunities due to poorly written documents. At Resume Pilots, Matt combines his business and writing background - which includes prior work for a Chicago Tribune publication - to craft resumes that give his clients the best chance of landing interviews. He works with clients ranging from CEOs to recent graduates and has been writing resumes for over 10 years. He has been quoted on numerous business and career-related topics in outlets including Business Insider, CNBC, Fortune, Glassdoor, The Ladders, and Thrive Global.

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7 Steps to Compelling Staff Bios on Your Nonprofit Website [Updated]

Updated March 24, 2022

If you’ve spent any time in the world of nonprofit copywriting, you’ll have heard the maxim: people give to people, not causes . We like people. We care about real people because they remind us of those we love and care about. Ourselves, our friends, our kids, and our communities. However, many nonprofits forget that the same applies to our own organizations as well, not just our fundraising materials. We’re in the relationship business. Major gifts fundraisers—how much time do you spend getting to know your donors? Then it makes sense to let your donors get to know you too! Here’s why you should include staff bios on your website (and how to make them compelling).

How to Have a Great Staff Page (with Examples!)

Have a biography.

Bio page from Cross-Cultural Solutions – short and sweet bio, and you can click for more.

One of the cardinal sins of nonprofit staff pages is not having a bio for your staff members at all .

It’s not enough to have a contact number and email, or a name. Stopping there would be very corporate—and not in a good way. In addition, don’t put up a wall between people and get them to stop thinking of you not as a real, breathing person who cares about the world.

You don’t want to be a name and a job title.

Plus, subconsciously, you’ll communicate the same thing about your donors: they aren’t real, dynamic people. They’re just anonymous billfolds, like you’re an anonymous suit.

So what should you put in your bio? Good question. Keep reading.

Don’t Be BORING

Okay, here’s the one exception to the rule of always having a biography: if your bio is boring, kill it .

You might as well select your bio text, hit DELETE and click SAVE.

Why Boring Bios Happen

If you’re like me, having a boring bio is tempting because of the potential rewards of doing so:

• Trying to be impressive to funders : We worry that grant-givers don’t give to organizations that are not professional and serious about what they do. So we stuff all of our biggest, most boring achievements in our biographies. Believe me, if funders aren’t sure about giving to your organization, your impressive biography is not going to sway them.
• Attempting to be impressive to individual donors : Okay, when individual donors click on your About page, they care about two things. A) Whether you are run by real people, and B) If you are the kind of people she would be friends with. If you have staff bios at all, you pass Test A. And if you’re not boring, you pass Test B. There is no Test C for whether you’re impressive. Individual donors don’t care about your job title. They won’t remember it in 10 minutes.
• Trying to impress our bosses : Your bosses are neither your donors or funders. Send them to this article if they want you to have boring bios (they probably don’t).
• Wanting to feel impressive to yourself : You aren’t your donors or your funders, either. You are special. You don’t need to brag to know that.
• Trying to fill space : We have a hard time talking about ourselves, sometimes. So we put all the obvious boring stuff in our biographies to fill space. Stop and just be normal! See “Have a Personality” below.
• Not having to try too hard : It’s really easy to write your job title and how many years you’ve been in the organization and where you went to school. Stop being lazy.

Now that you know there are no rewards for being boring, you can stop! Feels good to be interesting, doesn’t it?

Have a Picture

Back on My Feet ’s bio page pictures are polaroid-esque photos that incorporate the running theme into them. Awesome job.

First, too many people don’t have a picture at all . This is a huge mistake.

Why don’t you have a picture? People like pictures. Today, we’re spoiled by visual social media like Facebook and Pinterest. If you have a picture, people are much more likely to believe you exist, and to feel connected to you.

Have a GOOD Picture

Secondly, make sure your picture isn’t terrible . A professional headshot is the best way to go, but you don’t necessarily need a full-fledged photoshoot. Pull out a smartphone, have someone who understands photography just a little bit take the photo, and use a photo editor app to adjust the lighting or background. Then you’re all set to add it to your website.

Most of us walk around with little high-resolution cameras in our pockets, so you’re out of excuses for not having a photo of yourself on your website.

Have a Personality

DoSomething.org ’s bio pages have personality that matches their target demographic’s sensibilities, as younger kids.

Again, people only want a couple things from your staff biographies: they want to know you’re real and that you’re someone they wouldn’t hate to be associated with. This is a really low bar! You can do it if you have a little personality .

Think about these things:

• What do you like to do in your spare time?
• What inspires you?
• Why are you in nonprofit work? What are the emotional reasons?
• Who is a hero of yours?
• What’s something quirky about you?

We want to connect with real people , so be unapologetically real. Err on the side of too much personality. It’s way better to be a little weird and remembered than being boring, safe… and totally ignored.

Here is a real staff bio from an operations manager at a nonprofit in Oregon. (Allison—you are a wonderful human being!)

I bolded the most personable parts of Allison’s bio:

Allison provides administrative support to the Capacity Building Services team. Allison is a native Oregonian and has worked in the nonprofit community in Portland as an Office Manager and Program Coordinator for the last six years. She received a BA in Community Development from Portland State University with a focus in community organization and change. Allison developed a strong sense of devotion for the nonprofit sector as a beneficiary of an informal youth development program at the Audubon Society of Portland nearly 16 years ago . This experience gave her a deep appreciation for how nonprofits seek to improve the quality of life for our region; one program at a time .

Allison’s bio is 110 words long—a great length. It even has a great picture. The one problem: the bio could use more personality .

For one, the language is pretty stiff and formal. Might be trying to impress us with notable achievements. But instead of being impressed, I’m a little bored. This is tragic because Allison is a vibrant, interesting person! Here’s a quick revision of her bio:

A native Oregonian, Allison fell in love with nonprofits when she was only a teenager. Inspired at a summer camp led by the Audubon Society of Portland, Allison quickly developed a deep passion for charitable work. This resolve stuck with her through college, leading her to get her BA in Community Development from Portland State U. Over 16 years later, Allison provides support to our Capacity Building Services team and is happy spending her days keeping Oregon an amazing place to live, one program at a time.

Notice how the personal details, not the job title, are the details we focus on most. The tone is casual, and we’re told a STORY of Allison’s journey, not given a list of plain facts. Native Oregonians are probably nodding and thinking to themselves “ I remember summer camp! I hope other people get to experience that .”

The bio could still be more fun (what does Allison love about Oregon? It’s lush state parks? Hiking? Kayaking? The open skies?)—but it feels fresher already! Not too difficult, right? With your own bio, focus on varying the sentences and being personable with your language. This will keep boredom at bay.

Practice Storytelling

Acumen Fund ’s bio page—loving the quotes. Very personable.

Your bio page is a great time to practice your nonprofit storytelling .

In the nonprofit world, literally every time you answer the question “ So what do you do? ” you’re given a chance to tell a story about what you do and why your work matters. Your answer is fundraising 101, and it should be fun!

For example, if your bio mentions a specific field like journalism or environmental work, make it part of your story! In other words, don’t just drop it for no reason .

Unless there’s some specific reason your school affiliation would resonate with or legitimize you with potential donors or constituents, I wouldn’t even mention it. Most of your website visitors wouldn’t trade the time of day for information about your alma mater. You may have that sense of school pride, but it’s not the same for others who take pride in their own educational path.

More story tips: Ask yourself, why are you involved in this work? What about your life experiences makes it matter so much to you? Don’t just say “because my cause is important”—that’s lazy. Say why it’s important to you individually . It’s likely your motivations are similar to potential donors’ own motivations, so it’s a great chance to connect on a deeper level and build stronger relationships with them.

Provide a Way to Contact You

Sarah Durham , one of our favorite nonprofit thought leaders. So many good things about this bio page, but note—you can reach out to her on Twitter! Hurrah!

Above all, make sure there’s a way to contact each staff member .

This can be a phone number, email, or even your Twitter handle or LinkedIn profile. Just make sure there’s a way that folks can reach out to you and connect. You’re in the relationship business, after all—connection is what it’s all about.

In conclusion, remember people give to people . People connect with people. When it comes to compelling staff bios, you want your words to make that connection for you. You want donors and website visitors to really get to know you.

Always make your communications more personal, more genuine and more human, and you’ll never go wrong.

*Originally published in 2013

Marc Koenig

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Blog • Perfecting your Craft

Posted on Jun 30, 2023

How to Write a Biography: A 7-Step Guide [+Template]

From time to time, nonfiction authors become so captivated by a particular figure from either the present or the past, that they feel compelled to write an entire book about their life. Whether casting them as heroes or villains, there is an interesting quality in their humanity that compels these authors to revisit their life paths and write their story.

However, portraying someone’s life on paper in a comprehensive and engaging way requires solid preparation. If you’re looking to write a biography yourself, in this post we’ll share a step-by-step blueprint that you can follow. 

How to write a biography: 

1. Seek permission when possible 

2. research your subject thoroughly, 3. do interviews and visit locations, 4. organize your findings, 5. identify a central thesis, 6. write it using narrative elements, 7. get feedback and polish the text.

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Biography Outline Template

Craft a satisfying story arc for your biography with our free template.

While you technically don’t need permission to write about public figures (or deceased ones), that doesn't guarantee their legal team won't pursue legal action against you. Author Kitty Kelley was sued by Frank Sinatra before she even started to write His Way , a biography that paints Ol Blue Eyes in a controversial light. (Kelley ended up winning the lawsuit, however).  

Whenever feasible, advise the subject’s representatives of your intentions. If all goes according to plan, you’ll get a green light to proceed, or potentially an offer to collaborate. It's a matter of common sense; if someone were to write a book about you, you would likely want to know about it well prior to publication. So, make a sincere effort to reach out to their PR staff to negotiate an agreement or at least a mutual understanding of the scope of your project. 

At the same time, make sure that you still retain editorial control over the project, and not end up writing a puff piece that treats its protagonist like a saint or hero. No biography can ever be entirely objective, but you should always strive for a portrayal that closely aligns with facts and reality.

If you can’t get an answer from your subject, or you’re asked not to proceed forward, you can still accept the potential repercussions and write an unauthorized biography . The “rebellious act” of publishing without consent indeed makes for great marketing, though it’ll likely bring more headaches with it too. 

✋ Please note that, like other nonfiction books, if you intend to release your biography with a publishing house , you can put together a book proposal to send to them before you even write the book. If they like it enough, they might pay you an advance to write it.  

Book Proposal Template

Craft a professional pitch for your nonfiction book with our handy template.

Once you’ve settled (or not) the permission part, it’s time to dive deep into your character’s story.  

Deep and thorough research skills are the cornerstone of every biographer worth their salt. To paint a vivid and accurate portrait of someone's life, you’ll have to gather qualitative information from a wide range of reliable sources. 

Start with the information already available, from books on your subject to archival documents, then collect new ones firsthand by interviewing people or traveling to locations. 

Browse the web and library archives

Put your researcher hat on and start consuming any piece on your subject you can find, from their Wikipedia page to news articles, interviews, TV and radio appearances, YouTube videos, podcasts, books, magazines, and any other media outlets they may have been featured in. 

Establish a system to orderly collect the information you find 一 even seemingly insignificant details can prove valuable during the writing process, so be sure to save them. 

Depending on their era, you may find most of the information readily available online, or you may need to search through university libraries for older references. 

For his landmark biography of Alexander Hamilton, Ron Chernow spent untold hours at Columbia University’s library , reading through the Hamilton family papers, visiting the New York Historical Society, as well as interviewing the archivist of the New York Stock Exchange, and so on. The research process took years, but it certainly paid off. Chernow discovered that Hamilton created the first five securities originally traded on Wall Street. This finding, among others, revealed his significant contributions to shaping the current American financial and political systems, a legacy previously often overshadowed by other founding fathers. Today Alexander Hamilton is one of the best-selling biographies of all time, and it has become a cultural phenomenon with its own dedicated musical. 

Besides reading documents about your subject, research can help you understand the world that your subject lived in. 

Try to understand their time and social environment

Many biographies show how their protagonists have had a profound impact on society through their philosophical, artistic, or scientific contributions. But at the same time, it’s worth it as a biographer to make an effort to understand how their societal and historical context influenced their life’s path and work.

An interesting example is Stephen Greenblatt’s Will in the World . Finding himself limited by a lack of verified detail surrounding William Shakespeare's personal life, Greenblatt, instead, employs literary interpretation and imaginative reenactments to transport readers back to the Elizabethan era. The result is a vivid (though speculative) depiction of the playwright's life, enriching our understanding of his world.

Many readers enjoy biographies that transport them to a time and place, so exploring a historical period through the lens of a character can be entertaining in its own right. The Diary of Samuel Pepys became a classic not because people were enthralled by his life as an administrator, but rather from his meticulous and vivid documentation of everyday existence during the Restoration period.

Once you’ve gotten your hands on as many secondary sources as you can find, you’ll want to go hunting for stories first-hand from people who are (or were) close to your subject.

With all the material you’ve been through, by now you should already have a pretty good picture of your protagonist. But you’ll surely have some curiosities and missing dots in their character arc to figure out, which you can only get by interviewing primary sources.

Interview friends and associates

This part is more relevant if your subject is contemporary, and you can actually meet up or call with relatives, friends, colleagues, business partners, neighbors, or any other person related to them. 

In writing the popular biography of Steve Jobs, Walter Isaacson interviewed more than one hundred people, including Jobs’s family, colleagues, former college mates, business rivals, and the man himself.

🔍 Read other biographies to get a sense of what makes a great one. Check out our list of the 30 best biographies of all time , or take our 30-second quiz below for tips on which one you should read next. 

Which biography should you read next?

Discover the perfect biography for you. Takes 30 seconds!

When you conduct your interviews, make sure to record them with high quality audio you can revisit later. Then use tools like Otter.ai or Descript to transcribe them 一 it’ll save you countless hours. 

You can approach the interview with a specific set of questions, or follow your curiosity blindly, trying to uncover revealing stories and anecdotes about your subject. Whatever your method, author and biography editor Tom Bromley suggests that every interviewer arrives prepared, "Show that you’ve done your work. This will help to put the interviewee at ease, and get their best answers.” 

Bromley also places emphasis on the order in which you conduct interviews. “You may want to interview different members of the family or friends first, to get their perspective on something, and then go directly to the main interviewee. You'll be able to use that knowledge to ask sharper, more specific questions.” 

Finally, consider how much time you have with each interviewee. If you only have a 30-minute phone call with an important person, make it count by asking directly the most pressing questions you have. And, if you find a reliable source who is also particularly willing to help, conduct several interviews and ask them, if appropriate, to write a foreword as part of the book’s front matter .

Sometimes an important part of the process is packing your bags, getting on a plane, and personally visiting significant places in your character’s journey.

Visit significant places in their life

A place, whether that’s a city, a rural house, or a bodhi tree, can carry a particular energy that you can only truly experience by being there. In putting the pieces together about someone’s life, it may be useful to go visit where they grew up, or where other significant events of their lives happened. It will be easier to imagine what they experienced, and better tell their story. 

In researching The Lost City of Z , author David Grann embarked on a trek through the Amazon, retracing the steps of British explorer Percy Fawcett. This led Grann to develop new theories about the circumstances surrounding the explorer's disappearance.

Hopefully, you won’t have to deal with jaguars and anacondas to better understand your subject’s environment, but try to walk into their shoes as much as possible. 

Once you’ve researched your character enough, it’s time to put together all the puzzle pieces you collected so far. 

Take the bulk of notes, media, and other documents you’ve collected, and start to give them some order and structure. A simple way to do this is by creating a timeline. 

Create a chronological timeline

It helps to organize your notes chronologically 一 from childhood to the senior years, line up the most significant events of your subject’s life, including dates, places, names and other relevant bits. 

You should be able to divide their life into distinct periods, each with their unique events and significance. Based on that, you can start drafting an outline of the narrative you want to create.  

Draft a story outline 

Since a biography entails writing about a person’s entire life, it will have a beginning, a middle, and an end. You can pick where you want to end the story, depending on how consequential the last years of your subject were. But the nature of the work will give you a starting character arc to work with. 

To outline the story then, you could turn to the popular Three-Act Structure , which divides the narrative in three main parts. In a nutshell, you’ll want to make sure to have the following:

• Act 1. Setup : Introduce the protagonist's background and the turning points that set them on a path to achieve a goal. 
• Act 2. Confrontation : Describe the challenges they encounter, both internal and external, and how they rise to them. Then..
• Act 3. Resolution : Reach a climactic point in their story in which they succeed (or fail), showing how they (and the world around them) have changed as a result. 

Only one question remains before you begin writing: what will be the main focus of your biography?

Think about why you’re so drawn to your subject to dedicate years of your life to recounting their own. What aspect of their life do you want to highlight? Is it their evil nature, artistic genius, or visionary mindset? And what evidence have you got to back that up? Find a central thesis or focus to weave as the main thread throughout your narrative. 

Or find a unique angle

If you don’t have a particular theme to explore, finding a distinct angle on your subject’s story can also help you distinguish your work from other biographies or existing works on the same subject.

Plenty of biographies have been published about The Beatles 一 many of which have different focuses and approaches: 

• Philip Norman's Shout is sometimes regarded as leaning more towards a pro-Lennon and anti-McCartney stance, offering insights into the band's inner dynamics. 
• Ian McDonald's Revolution in the Head closely examines their music track by track, shifting the focus back to McCartney as a primary creative force. 
• Craig Brown's One Two Three Four aims to capture their story through anecdotes, fan letters, diary entries, and interviews. 
• Mark Lewisohn's monumental three-volume biography, Tune In , stands as a testament to over a decade of meticulous research, chronicling every intricate detail of the Beatles' journey.

Finally, consider that biographies are often more than recounting the life of a person. Similar to how Dickens’ Great Expectations is not solely about a boy named Pip (but an examination and critique of Britain’s fickle, unforgiving class system), a biography should strive to illuminate a broader truth — be it social, political, or human — beyond the immediate subject of the book. 

Once you’ve identified your main focus or angle, it’s time to write a great story. 

While biographies are often highly informative, they do not have to be dry and purely expository in nature . You can play with storytelling elements to make it an engaging read. 

You could do that by thoroughly detailing the setting of the story , depicting the people involved in the story as fully-fledged characters , or using rising action and building to a climax when describing a particularly significant milestone of the subject’s life. 

One common way to make a biography interesting to read is starting on a strong foot…

Hook the reader from the start

Just because you're honoring your character's whole life doesn't mean you have to begin when they said their first word. Starting from the middle or end of their life can be more captivating as it introduces conflicts and stakes that shaped their journey.

When he wrote about Christopher McCandless in Into the Wild , author Jon Krakauer didn’t open his subject’s childhood and abusive family environment. Instead, the book begins with McCandless hitchhiking his way into the wilderness, and subsequently being discovered dead in an abandoned bus. By starting in medias res , Krakauer hooks the reader’s interest, before tracing back the causes and motivations that led McCandless to die alone in that bus in the first place.

You can bend the timeline to improve the reader’s reading experience throughout the rest of the story too…

Play with flashback 

While biographies tend to follow a chronological narrative, you can use flashbacks to tell brief stories or anecdotes when appropriate. For example, if you were telling the story of footballer Lionel Messi, before the climax of winning the World Cup with Argentina, you could recall when he was just 13 years old, giving an interview to a local newspaper, expressing his lifelong dream of playing for the national team. 

Used sparsely and intentionally, flashbacks can add more context to the story and keep the narrative interesting. Just like including dialogue does…

Reimagine conversations

Recreating conversations that your subject had with people around them is another effective way to color the story. Dialogue helps the reader imagine the story like a movie, providing a deeper sensory experience. 

One thing is trying to articulate the root of Steve Jobs’ obsession with product design, another would be to quote his father , teaching him how to build a fence when he was young: “You've got to make the back of the fence just as good looking as the front of the fence. Even though nobody will see it, you will know. And that will show that you're dedicated to making something perfect.”

Unlike memoirs and autobiographies, in which the author tells the story from their personal viewpoint and enjoys greater freedom to recall conversations, biographies require a commitment to facts. So, when recreating dialogue, try to quote directly from reliable sources like personal diaries, emails, and text messages. You could also use your interview scripts as an alternative to dialogue. As Tom Bromley suggests, “If you talk with a good amount of people, you can try to tell the story from their perspective, interweaving different segments and quoting the interviewees directly.”

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These are just some of the story elements you can use to make your biography more compelling. Once you’ve finished your manuscript, it’s a good idea to ask for feedback. 

If you’re going to self-publish your biography, you’ll have to polish it to professional standards. After leaving your work to rest for a while, look at it with fresh eyes and self-edit your manuscript eliminating passive voice, filler words, and redundant adverbs. 

Then, have a professional editor give you a general assessment. They’ll look at the structure and shape of your manuscript and tell you which parts need to be expanded on or cut. As someone who edited and commissioned several biographies, Tom Bromley points out that a professional “will look at the sources used and assess whether they back up the points made, or if more are needed. They would also look for context, and whether or not more background information is needed for the reader to understand the story fully. And they might check your facts, too.”  

In addition to structural editing, you may want to have someone copy-edit and proofread your work.

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Importantly, make sure to include a bibliography with a list of all the interviews, documents, and sources used in the writing process. You’ll have to compile it according to a manual of style, but you can easily create one by using tools like EasyBib . Once the text is nicely polished and typeset in your writing software , you can prepare for the publication process.  

In conclusion, by mixing storytelling elements with diligent research, you’ll be able to breathe life into a powerful biography that immerses readers in another individual’s life experience. Whether that’ll spark inspiration or controversy, remember you could have an important role in shaping their legacy 一 and that’s something not to take lightly. 

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Guide: How to Write an Acting Bio (Templates + Examples)

An acting bio, short for acting biography, is a brief written summary of an actor’s career, including their training, experience, notable roles, and sometimes personal background.

An actor’s bio serves as a professional introduction that gives casting directors, agents, producers , and audiences a quick overview of who the actor is and what they have accomplished in acting.

An acting bio is usually concise, aiming to fit on a single page, and is often included in a press kit or program for a performance.

It should be written in the third person and crafted to engage the reader while providing a professional overview of the actor’s career and abilities.

Even though most acting bios are seen in things such as programs (playbills), they can be a helpful tool for getting you hired and are a convenient way for people to read about your path within the acting industry. 

In this article, you can see what – and  not  – to put in an acting bio.

Table of Contents

Actor bio templates.

Creating an acting biography is a good exercise for any aspiring actor, as it helps you hone in on who you are as an actor.

When writing an actor biography, you should always follow these four rules:

• Write in the third person
• Use active voice
• Keep it short
• Keep it professional

To help you out, I’ve created three templates you can use: a short professional bio template intended for Playbills and two Website Templates.

Playbill Bio Template

The first actor bio template is great for theater playbills and press kits.

[Your Full Name] (Role). [Notable Roles] + [Education] + [Awards/Honors] + [unique skills] + [personal statement].

Remember,  you don’t need all of these if they’re irrelevant.  A short bio is always preferred to fluff.  

Also, you can  leave out the supporting text if you have many credits to your name .

Here’s a fictional  example  of how it can be applied to an experienced actor:

“John Doe (Tom Wingfield). Theatre:  Charlie and the Chocolate Factory  (Playhouse),  Wicked!   (regional tour). Film:  The Twilight Saga: New Moon  and  Oppenheimer . TV:  Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis . Voiced the character of Moff Gideon in  LEGO Star Wars . B.F.A. Carnegie Mellon University. Nominated for Best Performance by Male Actor in Supporting Role on Television at the Golden Globes for his role as Coach Beard in  Ted Lasso  Apple TV+.”

If you are an actor with no or few credits yet , try something closer to this:

“Jane Doe (Laura Wingfield). Jane is very excited to make her professional acting debut in  The Glass Menagerie.  Jane holds a BFA from the David Geffen School of Drama. When she is not on stage, she enjoys working with her friends on short films or going to improv class at U of M. She would like to thank her friends for their encouragement and support.”

General Actor Bio Template for Websites

Websites sometimes have a little more space to include extra details. You should still keep your actor’s bio ultra-short , though.

Below are two templates you can use. 

The  first template  is generic and can be applied in multiple ways. Remember, you don’t have to include everything if it isn’t relevant:

[Full Name], [age], is a [theatre genre/style] actor with [number of years] years of experience, known for [notable roles/performances], trained at [institution or teacher], and recognized for [awards/honors] and [unique skills or contributions to theatre/film].

The  second template  is great for actors seeking a role internationally and wanting to include their nationality (or national heritage) as part of their actors’ bio.

[Full Name], born [Date of Birth] in [Place of Birth/Nationality], is known for [defining role(s)] and has received [awards/recognition] for performances in [genre/type of productions], showcasing a range in [acting styles/skills] since [year of debut].

Here’s a fictional example of the  first template applied:

“Jane Doe (26) is a classically trained actor with five years of professional experience, known for her role as Jane in the TV series  Tarzan: Jungle King  (2021-2022) and as Bunny the Vampire Hunter in  Dark Forest  (2017-2020). Jane holds a BA in acting from RADA , where she specialized in Alexander Technique . While living in London, Jane was deeply involved with teaching acting to kids from marginalized families for a local theatre company.”

Here’s a fictional example of the  second template applied:

“John Doe (born August 1, 2000, in Stockholm, Sweden) is known for his roles as Tarzan in the TV series  Tarzan: Jungle King  (2021-2022) and as Bill the Vampire in  Dark Forest  (2017-2020). In movies, he acted in  My Danish Sister  (2019),  Game of Gamers  (2020), and  The Breaking Apart  (2022), directed by Anthony Fitzgerald. For the last part, he was nominated as Best Actor at Cannes Film Festival. He recently made his theatrical debut in  Hamlet  (as Rosencrantz) at the Globe Theatre in London. His classical acting skills combined with a background in martial arts have already made John a demanded actor in various genres ranging from action fantasy blockbusters to stage drama since his debut in 2015.”

A Breakdown of the Essential Components of an Actor Bio

The above templates should be tweaked so they fit your profile. 

Below is some additional explanation of each component. Typically, an acting bio includes the following information:

• Introduction:  This usually includes your first name and last name and sometimes your unique qualities or acting style.
• Background:  Your origins and relevant personal history that has shaped your acting career.
• Training:  Your formal training and education, such as drama school, acting workshops, masterclasses, online acting classes , or any other relevant instruction.
• Theatre/Stage Experience:  If applicable, list your theatre credits, including the play’s name, role, and the production company or theatre.
• Film and Television Credits:  List your work in film, television, and other screen media, highlighting any prominent roles or projects.
• Voiceover work:  If you’ve done work as a voice actor, include it.  See this article on how to find voice-acting casting calls.
• Special Skills:  Here, you should mention any special skills that might set them apart, such as fluency in other languages, dance, martial arts, singing, or the ability to play musical instruments.
• Awards and Special Recognition:  If you have received any awards or nominations for their work, they are noted here.
• Personal Interests:  Sometimes, actors briefly mention their interests or hobbies, especially if they relate to acting or performance.
• Contact Information:  An acting bio  may  conclude with contact information (email address) or representation details (e.g., the actor’s agent or manager).

In a sense, an actor biography is your acting resume summarized in a series of 3-4 short paragraphs.

And it needs to be something that can be remembered by audience members and agents alike.

You might like this article on how to get an agent .

Advice for Upcoming Actors: don’t fear bio writing!

I know it can seem daunting when you see the bio of a working actor. But fear not! They also started from scratch without any acting experience.

You need to focus on what makes you, you!

There’s only one of you with your life experience. Use it to your advantage! 

Anything that helped you get to where you are is worth putting down.

​Examples of what to include

You can mention what you enjoy outside of acting. If you have  various interests or special skills , use the ones that will make casting directors notice.

You can mention your  education  if you took any  classes  or  seminars  contributing to your talents. If you went to an  acting school , mention it.

Even if you took a couple of acting classes but do not have a college degree , include those classes! 

Educational experiences are also marketing materials for you.

Adding  personal anecdotes is encouraged  since it will connect you with the reader. Many actors use a phrase to thank their family or friends or talk about how excited they are for the future.

It sounds basic, but having a “human-sounding” sentence makes you relatable to those reading it instead of making you seem distant. 

No one wants to work with someone who looks out of touch, and we are all people at the end of the day.

What  not  to put in an Actor’s bio: prioritize the important stuff!

If you loved being in your first play in seventh grade and were the lead role but have had many more credible roles  since put those in your bio instead of the middle school production.

Even though you like it, it does not necessarily make you the most marketable to casting directors.

Similarly, if you were in a play in college that you had a small role in and were not exactly fond of, and if it isn’t something that doesn’t help you land future roles, there is no need to mention it in your acting bio.

However, if there is a production you did not necessarily enjoy but was still a  big project , you should keep it as part of your bio. 

Keep the things that sell you the best and eliminate the roles that don’t represent you well.

Keep the things that grab attention and display your progress, and lose the rest!

Remember to remove any specific phrases  regarding earlier projects.

Fx, if you put an acting bio on your website that you previously used in a production, remove the specific phrases to that project (such as “John Smith is ecstatic to be a part of [X] production!”).

​Keep it organized

If you have experience in theatre, TV and film,  split that experience into different sections  instead of keeping them together. 

This keeps your acting bio more organized and helps those reading it to keep track of your work more easily.

If a casting director were to read your bio and you had a short film next to a play, either they would  struggle to decide which format to find your work in .

Any time you can save the reader from sorting out your experience, the better. 

Show that you’re organized – that tiny difference  makes you more marketable . 

Wouldn’t you want to work with an actor who wrote a formulated couple of paragraphs over one who didn’t?

When Should I Use My Acting Bio?

Besides theatre programs and your website, your bio can be used in various ways. These include:

• Whenever a director asks you to submit something to be used in the program describing you and your work, submit an acting bio.
• When you submit your information to a casting director for a project, and they need more information about you, submit an acting bio.
• If you are asked to submit a cover letter on a casting site , use your bio as the letter.
• Use your bio if there is a section on your agency’s website for you to write a little about yourself.
• If you are emailing agencies for representation , use a bio in your email thread to show why you are worth being brought on as a client.
• You promote yourself on social media pages (fx in an Instagram bio).

Should I Write My Bio Myself?

As a general rule, you should always be the one to write your bio.  Agents have many clients and, frankly, have no time to write out acting bios for all their clients. 

Besides, if someone else writes it for you, there is no way to make it sound personal. Connecting with whoever is reading the bio is key, so keeping the personal touch is very important.

That being said, if a theatre has a specific template, you should use it, and try to make it personal within the limits of that template.

Closing Thoughts

Casting directors, managers, and agency representatives show up to productions to see the work of actors, which makes an acting bio extremely important.

Your career could change overnight based on what a director reads about you. 

Casting directors click on your website to see who you are and what you’re all about.

If they see a solid bio in there, that may be the thing that makes them decide to work with you.

Casting directors will see if you have social media connected to your agency site. Your bio being there may sway them as well.

While there are many different ways that you can be hired for multiple projects as an actor, ensuring that you have all of the right materials in order is essential for your success in this type of work. 

Even if an acting bio seems less important than headshots or a resume, it is just as imperative to have.

Keep the following things in mind:

Having a bio for any project, professional or through the community, is a good idea.

You never know who will be in the audience, which is good practice for you.

Even without much experience, short professional bios will look good if they are organized.

Remember to keep the biggest credits that have helped your professional life since they will reach your target audience.

Remember that something such as a well-written bio can build up your acting career, even in the likes of industry professionals. Every good actor should have a good bio.

While you could be the one in a million who gets a lucky break or gets a Marvel role and is set to act in films for the next 12 years, being prepared for any path your acting opportunities take you is nothing but positive. 

Always be your biggest supporter by doing what you can to succeed!

Richelle Talor is an actress with talent agencies based in the Midwestern area. A driven creative, she uses her creative skills to write and direct her own short films when she's not on the other side of the camera.

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How to Write Your Board Bio

Develop your board bio.

We’ve hosted dozens of workshops all across the world preparing women for their first, or next board position and we’ve built a planning guide to help you navigate the journey leading up to joining a board. And now we’ve organized a resource to help you craft your board bio in hopes that you are moving all that much closer to landing the board seat you deserve.

First things first, let’s define exactly what a Board Bio is. Board Bios are not repurposed executive bios or resumes. This is the most common point of confusion for board candidates. When you reach the point in your career where you are ready for board work, you’ll most likely have a polished executive bio and resume readily available and published on your corporate website, LinkedIn account, and other relevant places. While your executive bio and resume are good resources to use when building your board bio, they are not specific enough to pass for a board bio.

theBoardlist definition of a board bio:

An outline of your current and past career highlights, plus your credentials, and accomplishments that are framed around your unique value proposition emphasizing the skills necessary for board work.

In other words, your board bio needs to specifically articulate the value you will bring to a company as a Board member.

Making It Personal

Before beginning the construction of your board bio, we suggest answering some pointed questions about your intentions, expectations and personal preferences about board work. These questions will have you examine your personal brand, passions, and goals for joining a board.

Board work requires a significant amount of your time - an average of about 15 - 20 full days each year - dedicated to education, meetings, and possible travel. So, like making any big career decision, we encourage you to thoughtfully answer these initial questions:

• What is your unique value proposition? In other words, there are many great leaders, but why do you stand out?
• What are you personally passionate about? Joining a board should be a “win-win” for identifying the overlap in your personal life, professional career and the company’s needs.
• What type of company’s board do you want to join? Public vs. Private. Large vs. Small. Current Industry vs. New Industry.
• Have you managed a significant P&L? As part of a board of directors, you will be required to review the company’s P&L at every meeting as well as make decisions on spending, salaries, and investments.
• Can you demonstrate effective leadership? On a board you will advise, not necessarily execute. How have you provided guidance or directly helped shape the larger picture in your career?
• Why do you want to join a board? How does holding a board position fit into your overall career plan?

Structuring your Board Bio

Using the approach opposite to building a resume, this will not be an extensive list of broad skills you possess, but rather a tailored bio built for the board - be it a specific company, category, industry - you wish to join.

There are specific questions that must be answered in your Board Bio.

• Current title and reporting structure
• P&L knowledge
• Experience or exposure to boards
• Contact information

Next, frame your most advanced or in-demand skills for the board you want. For example, a bio for a board seat at a national retailer should look different than a bio created for a technology startup. This might require some research about what a company just invested in, or a company's mission or most recent CEO interviews stating their future goals. Taking the time to understand a company or industry will pay off big time when applied to your board bio.

And lastly, you’ve most likely acquired a considerable list of professional skills, but now is the time to tighten them up to craft the narrative you wish to tell based on both the personal and professional questions you’ve answered above and the board seat you are targeting.

Building your Board Bio

Now that you’ve considered your personal reasons for wanting to join a board, as well as the type of board and your unique value proposition to make you stand out, let’s build your bio.

A Board Bio basic overview should closely follow this order:

Paragraph #1: Your Unique Value Positioning (1 - 2 sentences)

Paragraph #2: Current Position (2 - 3 sentences)

Paragraph #3: Career Highlights (3 - 5 sentences)

Paragraph #4: Credentials, Accomplishments & Framed Skills (2 -3 sentences)

Contact information & Optional Education Background

A board bio should be around 200 - 350 words that fit onto a single page with your full name, current title and professional headshot displayed at the top. If you have already served on board(s), that information can either be displayed at the top of the bio by your name and current title, included in the accomplishments section or bullet-pointed at the bottom of the bio next to your contact information. It doesn’t matter as much where you place that information as much as ensuring it is included in your bio to emphasize your board experience.

Where to Use Your Board Bio

theBoardlist is a curated talent marketplace for business leaders to recommend, discover and connect highly qualified women across industries with private and public board opportunities at scale. Companies looking to fill board seats can easily search our over 22,000 candidates - the only board search tool in existence today. Join today and become part of a movement of global business leaders achieving better performance through diversity.

The Ultimate Guide to Developing Your Board Bio, includes theBoardlist's Workbook & Board Journey Planning Guide: here .

Advance your board career .

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Jay write-in candidates for two RSU 73 director terms request inspection of ballots, recount

Write-in candidate Shari Ouellette has asked to inspect the ballots. Write-in candidate Danielle Brotherton has requested the recount. There was five votes separating her from candidate Dawn Strout.

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JAY — Ballots cast Tuesday for directors for Regional School Unit 73 will be inspected and recounted at noon Monday at the Town Office, Town Clerk Rhonda Palmer said Friday. The process will be open to the public.

Write-in candidate Shari Ouellette received 63 votes and asked for the inspection. Write-in candidate Danielle Brotherton got 125 votes and asked for a recount.

Newcomers Bryan Riley and Dawn Strout were elected with 232 and 130 votes, respectively.

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‘I was severely stalked and severely abused’: Richard Gadd on the true story behind Baby Reindeer

The chilling, visceral, deeply compelling comedy-drama has caused shock waves worldwide since launching last weekend. But what about the experiences that inspired it?

W hen Richard Gadd wrote Monkey See Monkey Do for the Edinburgh fringe in 2016, he says, “it was pre-#MeToo; sexual assault wasn’t really in the public consciousness, and male sexual assault particularly wasn’t”. He was 27 and catastrophically anxious, and his flatmates were worried, asking him: “What are you doing? No, like, really what are you doing?”

The show – you’d struggle to call it standup, though it won the Edinburgh comedy award that year – is a personal and harrowing account of being raped by a manipulative older man he met earlier in his career. It’s extremely painful to watch, as Gadd’s nascent professional hopes and fantasies are traded on and exploited, leaving him isolated and hollowed out.

Were his friends worried that reliving it would destroy him? Or that an indifferent response from audiences would destroy his residual faith in other people? “I guess all of the above, but they were particularly worried because they didn’t think it was funny.”

Gadd is, on stage and screen (I spoke to him by video call), funny in a lot of ways, deadpan, effortless, penetrating … Most of all, you’d group it under: “It’s funny because it’s true.”

His TV miniseries Baby Reindeer landed on Netflix last Sunday, and was officially a global hit by the middle of this week, with 2.6 million viewers. It has been the streaming service’s No 1 TV show in both the US and the UK and, at the time of writing, boasted a rarely spotted Rotten Tomatoes score of 100%. The programme is technically a screen adaptation of Gadd’s show of the same name, which came three years after Monkey See Monkey Do, but it’s actually more of a meld of both.

“It’s clearly struck a chord,” he says. “I really did believe in it, but it’s taken off so quickly that I do feel a bit windswept.”

Audiences weren’t necessarily drawn in by the fact that this was based on a true story, since some have been astonished to find that out. Names and identifying details have been changed – Gadd plays the lead, but his character is called Donny – while chronology and some events have been “tweaked slightly to create dramatic climaxes”, he says. “It’s very emotionally true, obviously: I was severely stalked and severely abused. But we wanted it to exist in the sphere of art, as well as protect the people it’s based on.”

In 2015, a woman, who can’t be named but is called Martha in Baby Reindeer, began stalking Gadd. Somewhat older than him in the drama, two decades older in real life, Martha is a chilling presence from the outset. Donny works in a bar and cannot stop her sitting opposite him for hours on end, drinking a single Diet Coke and love-bombing him with eerily closely observed compliments. She gets hold of his email address and messages him hundreds of times a day. When she finds out he’s a comedian, she derails all his gigs, standing up in the audience and telling everyone she’s his girlfriend. It’s particularly piquant because Gadd’s comedy itself is studiedly awkward and confusing; you can see an audience being genuinely perplexed by this intense, besotted, unhinged participant. Is she part of the act? Or is the act about to disintegrate?

Martha is a fantasist about a lot of things. She says she’s a lawyer, whereas in fact she was struck off after a previous conviction for stalking her barrister boss. She says a lot of things, but most insistently she says she loves Donny and he loves her. Once she knows where he lives, she watches the house and harasses his ex-girlfriend both virtually and in person.

While stalking is much more common than one might realise – the most recent figures show that about 7 million people in England and Wales have been stalked – there is also something about Gadd’s story that speaks to universal anxieties, and may account for its overnight success, which he describes as “like lightning in a bottle”. So much happens between strangers online – overfamiliarity flipping into aggressive fantasy, sexual obsession shading into hatred and rage – and it’s never plain how seriously you’re supposed to take it. The best way to stay sane is to treat it as nothing, the wallpaper of modernity, like muzak in a lift. But there’s always this lingering question: what if it transferred to the physical world? And how, given the casual personal disclosures of the virtual world, would you ever escape from someone who had decided to pass from one to the other? The answer is: you can’t.

Gadd, 34, is incredibly hard on himself and his part in this nightmare dynamic; the plot really lingers on the times he might have shut the situation down. Did he lead Martha on by giving her a Diet Coke on the house? Was the real catastrophe that he took her for a cup of tea once? I personally doubt there was any path of righteous firmness that he could successfully have taken, since his stalker was miles from reality from the outset. But Gadd is resolute on his own part in this: “People are afraid to admit they made mistakes, and I think a lot of mistakes by humans are made through people-pleasing. You stay in a lie because it’s easier to circumvent the tension of a situation. I never wanted to upset someone who was vulnerable.”

A year in, the situation has worsened: Martha has forced Donny to move house, so she no longer knows where he lives, but has started harassing his parents. He is also at the end of his rope, having stayed silent about the sexual assault, just as Gadd himself was. “The silence was intolerable. To go through this thing, and have to go home for Christmas, and nobody knows … It is unbelievable, the pressure that puts on.” He’s on the comedy circuit, with Martha at all his gigs, falling flat most of the time. In the show, he’s a sort of terrible performer: daft props, kitsch sound effects and spangly onesies dragging partial, embarrassed laughs out of cranky audiences. It wasn’t quite that bad in real life, he says. “I don’t think I was a bad comedian,” he says tentatively, “and I actually don’t think Donny is a bad comedian – he’s just performing in the wrong way.”

It comes to a head when his agent tells him he should go to Edinburgh. This was always a high point for Gadd’s popularity: “I would go to the fringe, and I would have an amazing month. People love weird stuff up there. But then I’d perform on the comedy circuit 11 months out of the year, to silence, because people expect more stuff that they see on TV. Especially if they pay a high ticket price, they want to see dependable, seasoned, veteran comedians, and there’s this guy who’s taping ears to his nose, and they’re thinking: ‘This isn’t what I paid for.’”

By 2016, though, “I’d gone through these things, hugely tormenting experiences, and I was just thinking: ‘I can’t believe I’m about to put on a wig and false teeth again.’ The juxtaposition was impossible – I thought I couldn’t exist inside it any more.” He fell in love with a trans woman, played here by the luminous Nava Mau, and it fell apart as she became yet another focal point for his stalker’s toxic obsession. As he was preparing for Edinburgh, he recalls: “I could almost cut a line, with a knife and fork, through my anxiety. I could feel it emanating from my body.”

In the show, the story of his sexual assault pours out on stage, spontaneously. In real life, he wrote Monkey See Monkey Do and remembers the 45 minutes before its first performance, while he was trying to do the technical rehearsal. “I remember cracking up, because it was all going so badly, and the producer said, ‘What do you want from this, man?’ And I turned to him with tears in my eyes, and said, ‘I just want to make it out alive.’ Little did I know that it would provide a lifeline for me. The way people received that show, and received me, and accepted what happened to me: it saved my life. It’s mad that it happened that way.”

His stalker, however, became inflamed by his success after Monkey See Monkey Do. She cranked up her activity and threatened to start calling his parents again. Gadd grew up in Fife; his father worked in a lab in a university, while his mother had various jobs in schools. They weren’t a repressed or difficult family, but he hadn’t felt able to talk to them about being raped, nor about his confusion afterwards about his sexual identity. “You know, they’ve been lovely and supportive,” he says – but the scene in Baby Reindeer, where he’s racing up to Scotland to get to his parents and talk to them before Martha calls, is almost unbearably tense, like watching 24 but with meaning .

Gadd has worked with a charity called We Are Survivors . “I’ll always give them a shout out,” he says, “because they’ve helped me tremendously down the years, and they say breaking the silence is the first step. Sometimes I speak to male survivors, and I’m not an advice giver or a professional, but the first advice is: break the silence. Talk to someone, and if that’s too scary, just write it down, process it into something. Because I think the more you get it out, the smaller it becomes.

“I think this is changing a bit, with the generation below me,” he says. “But I certainly grew up with draconian ideas: the prince rescues the princess, to be a man is to have a stiff upper lip, don’t cry, shoulders back. Not that my dad was ever like that, but that’s the societal expectation and it really makes its way into your subconscious. When you go through something like sexual abuse, a lot of the disempowerment can come from these old ideas of what it means to be a man. Certainly when I shook off that idea, and realised that speaking out and saying ‘I’m struggling’ is a form of strength, sloughing off the idea that masculinity was the only form of survival – that was very healing.”

The show Gadd is writing now for the BBC, Lions, “is about two brothers, and explores the themes of masculinity, growing up”. While Baby Reindeer isn’t the first time he has acted – he was in the comedy-drama Code 404 between 2020 and 2022 – Gadd is a revelation on screen. Playing a comedian, he comes off much more actor than comedian. But that standup hinterland has made his writing credentials unassailable. Nobody expects or even lets actors write very often, while that’s half the job of comedy.

So far, he has been writing from life, “and I don’t have a limitless backstory of pain to go off – I’m not going to start walking through dodgy areas just to see what happens. I don’t want to be known as the guy that just plumbs the depths of his soul, but every writer writes from within. I almost think you could have ‘based on a true story’ before every show, because all the best shows come from a certain place within someone.”

He didn’t report his sexual assault to the police; and when he finally reports his stalker in Baby Reindeer, you see a lot of those expectations around masculinity in their institutional form, such as the way the police assume Donny couldn’t possibly be in physical peril from Martha (in fact, she is violent and often terrifying). That’s alongside more general inadequacies in the policing of stalking: for instance, that Donny is required to trawl through endless messages, written and verbal, looking for the smoking gun of explicit threat, which is traumatising of itself and ultimately unproductive.

Gadd says: “I’d like to point out that I have met some good police officers in my time, that I did feel care and they did try their best.” Nevertheless, “it is almost common belief now that there is a systemic problem with the police. It is an institution which needs to change. I was always aware of the complete lack of resources available to them, the stress in their eyes and in their bodies – I could almost see it. Our public services are in complete disarray. I don’t want to get too political, but I think it’s shocking that things have been allowed to get to this point. I can think of so many examples where something’s been reported, ignored, reported, ignored, and gone on to have some very severe consequences. I did feel it when I was reporting stalking – I did feel the pinch, shall we say.”

In the stage version of Baby Reindeer, the stalker is represented by a stool. Monkey See Monkey Do was a one-man show. To have to re-enact these events with other actors – Martha is played by Jessica Gunning, in an absolutely stunning performance, and Darrien, the rapist, is played by Tom Goodman-Hill – has been “difficult”, Gadd says carefully. “It’s had triggering elements. But you hope that it builds to a catharsis, which doesn’t really come from revisiting it, but the positive response, the acceptance that people show you.

“Yes, some of the scenes we re-enacted on set were really tough – I could even see that some of the props department were choked up, even the lighting people – but we all knew that we were pushing towards something that was important. I hope the show has a certain degree of greater good, and that it was worth a certain degree of self-sacrifice.”

Baby Reindeer is available to watch on Netflix now.

In the UK, the National Stalking Helpline is on 0808 802 0300 or email via their inquiry form . In the US, resources are available at stalkingawareness.org .

Information and support for anyone affected by rape or sexual abuse issues is available from the following organisations. In the UK, Rape Crisis offers support on 0808 500 2222 in England and Wales, 0808 801 0302 in Scotland , or 0800 0246 991 in Northern Ireland . In the US, Rainn offers support on 800-656-4673. In Australia, support is available at 1800Respect (1800 737 732). Other international helplines can be found at ibiblio.org/rcip/internl.html

• Richard Gadd
• Edinburgh festival

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My friend copies things I say, wear and do, and watches my house. Is this stalking?

Woman stalked by ex-partner issues warning before his prison release

Stalking victims face ‘postcode lottery’, says coroner after Gracie Spinks killing

Gracie Spinks: police response to stalking case ‘diabolical’, parents say

‘At first I tried to be polite, not to hurt his feelings’: how a regular ‘liker’ on social media became my stalker

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Amc entertainment preview of q1 results shows top movie theater circuit beating wall street estimates, francis galluppi tapped to write & direct new ‘evil dead’ movie.

By Matt Grobar

Matt Grobar

Senior Film Reporter

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EXCLUSIVE : Francis Galluppi ( The Last Stop in Yuma County ) has been tapped to write and direct a new Evil Dead movie for Sam Raimi and Robert Tapert’s Ghost House Pictures , sources tell Deadline.

The project is described only as an original story that Galluppi developed and brought to Raimi and team. No word on a plot or who all will be producing, as it’s early days here.

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Evil Dead is, of course, Raimi’s horror franchise going back to 1981’s same-name film starring Bruce Campbell as Ash Williams, a combatant of various supernatural entities. That pic grew into a trilogy, also spurring the creation of Starz’s Ash vs. Evil Dead and a number of other projects. The most recent, standalone film Evil Dead Rise from writer-director Lee Cronin, grossed more than $147M worldwide last year when it hit theaters via Warner Bros, after launching at SXSW.

At present, Galluppi’s Evil Dead film is one of two in the works. Earlier this year, Ghost House tapped Sébastien Vaniček ( Infested ) to co-write and direct a new spin-off for the franchise, as we were also first to report.

Galluppi’s debut feature, crime thriller The Last Stop In Yuma County , follows a traveling salesman who, while stranded at a rural Arizona rest stop, is thrust into a dire hostage situation by the arrival of two bank robbers with no qualms about using cruelty — or cold, hard steel — to protect their bloodstained fortune. Pic premiered at Fantastic Fest and will be released by Well Go USA Entertainment on May 10th.

In addition to a number of award-winning shorts, like High Desert Hell and The Gemini Project , the up-and-coming genre filmmaker has previously been tapped to helm multiple music videos for the L.A.-based indie rock band Mt. Joy.

Galluppi is repped by UTA and Anonymous Content.

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NPR editor Uri Berliner resigns with blast at new CEO

David Folkenflik

Uri Berliner resigned from NPR on Wednesday saying he could not work under the new CEO Katherine Maher. He cautioned that he did not support calls to defund NPR. Uri Berliner hide caption

Uri Berliner resigned from NPR on Wednesday saying he could not work under the new CEO Katherine Maher. He cautioned that he did not support calls to defund NPR.

NPR senior business editor Uri Berliner resigned this morning, citing the response of the network's chief executive to his outside essay accusing NPR of losing the public's trust.

"I am resigning from NPR, a great American institution where I have worked for 25 years," Berliner wrote in an email to CEO Katherine Maher. "I respect the integrity of my colleagues and wish for NPR to thrive and do important journalism. But I cannot work in a newsroom where I am disparaged by a new CEO whose divisive views confirm the very problems at NPR I cite in my Free Press essay."

NPR and Maher declined to comment on his resignation.

The Free Press, an online site embraced by journalists who believe that the mainstream media has become too liberal, published Berliner's piece last Tuesday. In it, he argued that NPR's coverage has increasingly reflected a rigid progressive ideology. And he argued that the network's quest for greater diversity in its workforce — a priority under prior chief executive John Lansing – has not been accompanied by a diversity of viewpoints presented in NPR shows, podcasts or online coverage.

Later that same day, NPR pushed back against Berliner's critique.

"We're proud to stand behind the exceptional work that our desks and shows do to cover a wide range of challenging stories," NPR's chief news executive, Edith Chapin, wrote in a memo to staff . "We believe that inclusion — among our staff, with our sourcing, and in our overall coverage — is critical to telling the nuanced stories of this country and our world."

Yet Berliner's commentary has been embraced by conservative and partisan Republican critics of the network, including former President Donald Trump and the activist Christopher Rufo.

Rufo is posting a parade of old social media posts from Maher, who took over NPR last month. In two examples, she called Trump a racist and also seemed to minimize the effects of rioting in 2020. Rufo is using those to rally public pressure for Maher's ouster, as he did for former Harvard University President Claudine Gay .

Others have used the moment to call for the elimination of federal funding for NPR – less than one percent of its roughly $300 million annual budget – and local public radio stations, which derive more of their funding from the government.

NPR names tech executive Katherine Maher to lead in turbulent era

Berliner reiterated in his resignation letter that he does not support such calls.

In a brief interview, he condemned a statement Maher issued Friday in which she suggested that he had questioned "whether our people are serving our mission with integrity, based on little more than the recognition of their identity." She called that "profoundly disrespectful, hurtful, and demeaning."

Berliner subsequently exchanged emails with Maher, but she did not address those comments.

"It's been building up," Berliner said of his decision to resign, "and it became clear it was on today."

For publishing his essay in The Free Press and appearing on its podcast, NPR had suspended Berliner for five days without pay. Its formal rebuke noted he had done work outside NPR without its permission, as is required, and shared proprietary information.

(Disclosure: Like Berliner, I am part of NPR's Business Desk. He has edited many of my past stories. But he did not see any version of this article or participate in its preparation before it was posted publicly.)

Earlier in the day, Berliner forwarded to NPR editors and other colleagues a note saying he had "never questioned" their integrity and had been trying to raise these issues within the newsroom for more than seven years.

What followed was an email he had sent to newsroom leaders after Trump's 2016 win. He wrote then: "Primarily for the sake of our journalism, we can't align ourselves with a tribe. So we don't exist in a cocoon that blinds us to the views and experience of tens of millions of our fellow citizens."

Berliner's critique has inspired anger and dismay within the network. Some colleagues said they could no longer trust him after he chose to publicize such concerns rather than pursue them as part of ongoing newsroom debates, as is customary. Many signed a letter to Maher and Edith Chapin, NPR's chief news executive. They asked for clarity on, among other things, how Berliner's essay and the resulting public controversy would affect news coverage.

Yet some colleagues privately said Berliner's critique carried some truth. Chapin also announced monthly reviews of the network's coverage for fairness and diversity - including diversity of viewpoint.

She said in a text message earlier this week that that initiative had been discussed long before Berliner's essay, but "Now seemed [the] time to deliver if we were going to do it."

She added, "Healthy discussion is something we need more of."

Disclosure: This story was reported and written by NPR Media Correspondent David Folkenflik and edited by Deputy Business Editor Emily Kopp and Managing Editor Gerry Holmes. Under NPR's protocol for reporting on itself, no NPR corporate official or news executive reviewed this story before it was posted publicly.

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5 things to know about new Missouri athletic director Laird Veatch

Laird Veatch is coming back to Columbia.

Missouri announced Tuesday that Veatch is set to be named the university’s next athletic director, which will make him the fourth person to hold the post in the past nine years.

Veatch held a prominent role in the Tigers’ fundraising arm in the late 1990s and early 2000s and has since held roles at Kansas State, Iowa State, Learfield Sports, Florida and, most recently, as the athletic director at Memphis since 2019.

It’s a new era in the MU athletics department, where Eli Drinkwitz’s Missouri football team is enjoying the type of success the Tigers haven’t seen in a decade; a $250 million renovation is coming to Memorial Stadium’s North Concourse; men’s basketball is rebounding from a historically poor year with a hot streak of recruiting; and much more coming to Veatch’s plate.

Here are five things to know about Missouri’s next athletic director.

More: Laird Veatch officially named next athletic director at Missouri

New Missouri athletic director Laird Veatch brings fundraising, SEC experience

When you’re looking for a new athletic director at Missouri, there are a few boxes you’d ideally like to check.

Experience in the conference is one; fundraising is another; past ties to the university are a bonus.

Veatch has all three.

The new Missouri athletic director spent more than a decade either with Mizzou or in a Missouri-adjacent role. He spent five years with MU between 1997-2002, holding titles such as assistant AD for development; director of athletics development for major giving; and director of annual giving and development coordinator. He also worked for Learfield Sports, a sports marketing company, managing Mizzou Sports Properties between 2003-06.

Most of Veach’s time at Missouri, which came under then-athletic directors Joe Castiglione and Mike Alden, was spent as the head of the Tigers’ fundraising arm. Veatch oversaw fundraising activities with a special focus on facility upgrades, managed the Tigers Scholarship fund and directed a $102 million capital fundraising campaign.

He’s put that fundraising experience to good use.

While at Memphis, Veatch partnered with the city for a $200 million renovation to the school’s football stadium. Missouri recently approved a $250 million upgrade to Memorial Stadium’s north concourse, a project that Veatch will oversee and is expected to be completed by October 2026. Mizzou must finance half of the project.

He brings three years of SEC experience, as he was the executive associate athletics director of internal affairs at Florida from 2017-19, his final stop before becoming Memphis AD. While at Florida, he oversaw a $15 million renovation to the Gators’ softball stadium and a groundbreaking on a baseball stadium worth $65 million, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

Memphis also has been forward-thinking in the Name, Image and Likeness age. On Friday, Veatch and Memphis secured a $25 million NIL partnership with FedEx. 

Who did Veatch hire at Memphis?

Veatch’s time at Memphis saw several coaching hires and a couple of extensions.

Veatch hired, and recently extended, football coach Ryan Silverfield, extended men’s basketball coach Penny Hardaway and made two hires for the women’s basketball program — Katrina Merriwether and Alex Simmons — during his time as AD. He also hired current Missouri baseball coach Kerrick Jackson, who joined Missouri last year.

Silverfield was awarded a five-year, $12.25 million contract extension earlier this month, according to the Memphis Commercial Appeal. He's 31-18 since becoming Memphis’ head football coach in 2020. The Tigers have won all three bowls they’ve been to with him at the helm. Last season, Memphis went 10-3, with one of those three losses coming in Week 4 against Eli Drinkwitz’s Missouri team in St. Louis.

Veatch also extended basketball coach Penny Hardaway under Veatch’s leadership, as the coach penned a $16.5 million deal through the 2027-28 season in October 2022.

After 13-year head coach Melissa McFerrin retired in 2021, Veatch hired Merriwether to coach Memphis’ women’s basketball team. She went 38-23 in two seasons and made it to one WNIT, before leaving to take the head coaching role at her alma mater, Cincinnati. Veatch then hired Simmons, who went 13-17 with a .500 mark in AAC play last season.

What is Laird Veatch’s salary and buyout?

According to the Memphis Commercial Appeal, Veatch signed a five-year deal in August 2019 worth $500,000 annually. The deal was due to expire Sept. 30, 2024.

Veatch and Missouri do not owe Memphis any money in liquidated damages, more commonly known as a buyout, according to a contract obtained by the USA Today Network in September 2023.

“If the University fails to exercise an amendment or extend the term with less than two years remaining (i.e. July 2020),” the contract reads, “then Athletics Director (Veatch) shall no longer have a liquidated damages obligation.”

There is a clause in the contract that says Veatch was to engage in good-faith renewal negotiations with Memphis on or before Sept. 1, 2022. The contract was obtained through an open records request in September 2023. It is possible Veatch's contract was renewed after that point.

Missouri is expected to receive approximately $3 million from Arizona for hiring away Reed-Francois.

Veatch’s contract details at Missouri will likely be made available in the coming days.

Laird Veatch was a linebacker and team captain on Bill Snyder’s Kansas State team in the early 1990s. He graduated from KSU in 1995 and later spent two months as the Wildcats’ interim athletic director in 2017 when John Currie left for Tennessee.

Veatch grew up in Manhattan, Kansas, and graduated from Manhattan High before committing to Kansas State. He was recruited by Missouri out of high school, according to an interview with Memphis Magazine.

Veatch has a wife, Brandy; three daughters, Jordyn, Taylor and Sydney; and one son, Dru.

Veatch’s full employment history

• Memphis (athletic director), October 2019 - April 2024
• Florida (Executive Associate Athletics Director, Internal Affairs), July 2017-19: 
• Kansas State (deputy athletics director and chief of staff), 2016-17
• Kansas State (deputy athletics director), 2015-16
• Kansas State (executive associate athletics director), 2013-15
• Kansas State (senior associate athletics director for strategic initiatives), 2012-13
• Kansas State (associate athletics director for capital support), 2010-12
• Learfield Sports, Heartland Division (regional vice president), 2006-10
• Learfield Sports, Mizzou Sports Properties (general manager), 2003-06
• Iowa State (senior associate athletics director for external operations), 2002-03
• Missouri (assistant athletics director for development), 2000-02
• Missouri (director of athletics development for major giving), 1998-2000
• Missouri (director of annual giving and development coordinator), 1997-98
• Texas (graduate assistant for external operations and the Longhorn Foundation), 1995-97