caroline jaffe-pickett

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Janet Migliore, Mercedes Benz (MB) Garage, Inc

December 8, 2008

I first met Carrie at a local business networking group, where she gave a great presentation about her carriefreelance services.  I had been printing a hard copy newsletter and sending it out by regular mail, but as my database grew, the costs of printing and distributing the newsletter had become prohibitive.  So I had become increasingly interested in web 2.0 and electronic media. Carrie helped me greatly in converting my customer database into e-mail form using Constant Contact, as well as setting up my profile, template, and settings. She also explained many details about effective layout, including different kinds of graphic images, paying attention to image size, margins, and links,  the importance of using the right fonts and typefaces, and other details.  After just 2 sessions with Carrie, I was able to send out my first issue filled with graphics and color, and my customers loved it! Also, her follow-up was great, and she made certain to contact me after the mailing to find out if I had questions or needed any help, even beyond the specific project at hand. I would highly recommend her for any assistance you might need with e-newsletters. Thank you, Carrie.

Christopher Shepherd, vice-president, Shepherd & Associates Insurance Services

August 26, 2008

“Carrie Jaffe-Picket arrived just in the nick of time for our firm.  We have a family insurance brokerage and had been struggling with a brochure that discussed our services as well as educated our clients about business insurance and small group employee benefits.  Carrie came over to our office in person, accommodating our schedules,  sat down with us,  and not only took time out to understand our business, but to really understand what we were trying to deliver to our clients.  Carrie quickly grasped what services our firm provides, and applied that learned knowledge into our brochure with better than expected results. Carrie delivered everything she promised and then some.  We knew exactly what was going on from the first meeting until we received the final product with her recommendations.  Each member of our office was overly impressed with Carrie’s professionalism and organization.  Our office can become very busy very quickly.  Her gentle reminders and “nudges” kept us on task and we met our deadline.

I would not hesitate to recommend Carrie’s services for help with your editing, proofreading, and general business project consulting.  Thanks to Carrie, we’ve generated an informative and educational brochure for our existing clients, and I’m sure will see more business come through our door because of Carrie’s great work.

Thank you Carrie from all of us at Shepherd & Associates Insurance Services!"

chris@shepherd-insurance.com   www.shepherd-insurance.com

Angela Festa, partner, La Biscotteria Gourmet Foods

August 25, 2008

"From the moment Carrie walked into our bakery, I knew that there would be a sweet connection.  Trusting my instincts, I hired her to write as well as edit our web site pages in conjunction with a web redesign we had undertaken.  I was very pleased with the editing results. Her professionalism and attention to detail assured me that I had hired the right individual for this job. She not only was able to deliver in a timely fashion, but also kept me well informed along the process. I cannot wait to complete the web site changes using many of Carrie's creative ideas and concepts,  and I am looking forward to hiring her for future work. She receives my highest recommendation, and I would not hesitate to

hire Carrie for any of your business communications projects."

angela@labiscotteria.com
labiscotteria.com

Julia Dodge, Managing Editor, Bay Area Business Woman

July 28, 2008

"Carrie Jaffe-Pickett is an excellent writer, editor, and business communicator.  She truly stands out from the crowd, and I am very pleased to be able to recommend her. She is very enthusiastic about writing projects, asks questions to ensure accuracy, demonstrates critical thinking, and reliably makes deadline every time.  In addition to being a pleasure to work with, her writing is very creative and inspiring, and her monthly features always meet the publication’s criteria and reflect the editor’s desired focus. I am pleased to have Ms. Jaffe-Pickett on board at BABW, and I feel she would be an asset to your organization’s writing, editing, and print and online communications needs as well."

Kaine Thompson, senior director, Office of University Communications, California State University San Marcos

November 14, 2007

"I am pleased to recommend Carrie Jaffe-Pickett for all your writing needs. I contracted with Carrie to write two feature articles for our university’s magazine, Steps, and was very satisfied with the results and the interaction between us.

One article was a faculty profile in which she needed to interview the professor and emphasize his new role as Director of Educational Equity and race relations. The professor was very pleased with her interviewing manner, and her interviewing skills were demonstrated in the finished article. She was able to interview via the telephone, which made it easy for the professor to schedule. I was very pleased with the final piece as it covered all the angles I asked her to cover and was written sensitively in a lively prose that our readers will enjoy.

 The second article was very complex since it dealt with different partnerships the university has created with a number of school districts. I asked that she focus on the student impact of these partnerships.  She made the contacts, scheduled the appointments and met face-to-face with the school administrators and students. The result was an in-depth approach to the subject and conveyed the human element revealed through her candid interviews with the students. I believe that this rather dry subject was enlivened by her writing style and her ability to obtain good quotes from the students.

I was also very impressed with Carrie’s professional manner and organizational skills. Once we had established the scope of the project, Carrie took control and kept me informed all along the way. She made this a stress-free arrangement and delivered on time the articles I needed."


Steven Matt, CEO, One Earth, Video Testimonial

View the video

One Earth, an award-winning wiki site focusing on building sustainable communities and resources, was created by Brooklyn graphic designer Steven Matt. Steven was the Presidential Scholar at Pratt Institute in New York. Projects completed for Steven included:

  • close editing of e-mail blasts, press releases, and web site content
  • conception and execution of related collateral materials
  • feedback on web site navigation and new media such as blog and videos
  • customized coaching on marketing and building brand awareness


    November 26, 2007

    "From the spring of 2007 and continuing to the present, I have engaged the services of Carrie Jaffe-Pickett for my communications needs, including writing, editing, marketing, and public relations. I highly recommend her for these tasks on a number of levels.  I recently launched One Earth Network, Inc., a communications company that provides environmental resources where users assist in generating the content in a web 2.0 social network. While still in beta development, my company is already flourishing, having recently been chosen for the Pratt Institute Incubator, which includes a $20,000 grant. I am certain that the important role Carrie played in my communications is integral to much of my success.

    There were a number of collateral materials generated to coincide with the web site launch, including an introductory marketing e-mail campaign; a series of press releases highlighting a documentary film series and tour of sustainable businesses I conducted in the western United States;  interviews profiling my company, and more. Carrie consistently provided thoughtful and careful editing on all documents, maintaining the integrity of my ideas while streamlining the language and transitions between paragraphs to ensure that the content was communicated clearly and had a natural progression.  She demonstrated a unique ability to extract the broader meaning of a sentence or paragraph by deleting unnecessary text and highlighting the most relevant content, always ensuring that clarity and flow were maintained. Carrie also has a strong eye for detail, and I could always rely on her to catch typos as well as any phrases that might be considered slang, ungrammatical, or confusing. She kept in touch with me on a regular basis via e-mail and phone, and always provided prompt turnaround time, even on our more complex projects.

    In terms of marketing, Carrie did an excellent job helping me to focus on my audience and to heighten my awareness of what information needed to be conveyed and when.  She provided excellent public relations coaching, including a suggested timeline for sending press releases, tips for establishing and refining my press list, and increasing my awareness of newsworthy developments in my company and how to maximize their appeal to the press. Carrie also showed a flair for working with new media, helping me launch a blog, providing valuable feedback on my web site, and making keen observations on the documentary films I produced, which I plan on incorporating in the future.

    As a graphic designer who frequently works with editors, I appreciate the value of clear communication in the production process.  I recently generated several projects for Carrie, including a brochure and logo, and was pleased with her ability to supervise the design effectively. She communicated her preferences articulately, providing specific parameters while allowing my creativity and artistic expression to come through. She demonstrated a solid understanding of design principles such as use of color, type, and white space, and the complex elements that define any printed piece.

    In addition to her wealth of knowledge and experience, Carrie is a pleasure to work with, and I have the utmost confidence that she would excel in every way in any publications management position."

    Sincerely,

    Steven S. Matt
    Graphic Designer
    Founder and CEO, One Earth Network, Inc.