Woman in gold colored shirt sitting in white armchair smiling and looking off camera

— Coach & Editor

Meet Kristen Schmidt

I’m a veteran editor and writer who excels at stepping into the shoes of audiences and creating experiences that speak to them with words that come from you and you alone. I work side by side with you, helping you learn more about yourself, your business and your audience, and leaving you with the tools you need to keep the conversation going.

Email — LinkedIn

 

What is Wordschmidt? Hear from the editor herself.

 

I believe that helping brands advocate for themselves and recognize their own voice creates more stimulating and inspiring communities.

 

Experience

Associate editor, Ohio State Alumni Magazine

Editor, Columbus Monthly

Editor, Columbus Alive

Line cook, prepared foods cook, pastry cook

Education & Training

The Ohio State University, coursework toward certificate in diversity, equity and inclusion

Washburne Culinary Institute, Certificate of Culinary Arts

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, BS Journalism

Project Reimagine, ECDI Women’s Business Centers of Ohio

Poynter Institute Leadership Academy

International Women’s Media Foundation Leadership Institute

Memberships & Affiliations

ECDI Women’s Business Centers of Ohio, member

National Resume Writers Association, member

Bowl of olive oil dotted with small pools of dark vinegar together in a white bowl

— Recipe for success

Life, mise en place, and the perfect sauce

In a restaurant, mise en place is the prep a cook does ahead of a meal service. In life, it means being ready to be ready to be ready. Thoughtful foresight — being able to see a creation several steps into the future — leads to better results. I don’t just dice onions and mince garlic before dinner. I organize the pantry, maintain an inventory of goods, evaluate it frequently, and replenish supply when it runs low. Preparation makes space for joy in the making. It works for cooking and all creative work.

I did not invent mustard vinaigrette, but I do have my own way of making it, and I do, to borrow from Frank’s Red Hot, put that bleep on everything. Make some tonight.

Ingredients

  • A spoonful of Dijon mustard

  • Juice of one lemon

  • A big pinch of salt, more than you think you should use

  • Many twists of freshly ground pepper

  • Olive oil

Process

  1. Whisk the mustard, lemon juice, salt and pepper together in a bowl. Get it all comfy together and a little bubbly.

  2. Now drizzle in olive oil, a speed just past a drip, whisking vigorously. If you use a ceramic or glass bowl, this will have the added benefit of calling your family to the table, a la dinner bell.

  3. Watch as the magic of emulsion begins. After the mustard and oil have become one, you can speed up that oil drizzle a touch, but don’t approach a glug. That’ll break the spell.

  4. Stick a fingertip in it and taste — it should be bracing but not face-puckering. If it’s too acidic, try adding a pinch of salt. If that doesn’t do the trick, add a bit more oil. You’re making this at the end of a long day. You have no time or energy for precision. This is a totally subjective exercise.

  5. Does it taste good to you? Then it’s done.

  6. Now go spoon it over chicken, fish, shrimp, smoked sausages, vegetables, salad, potatoes, whatever.

 

Wordschmidt footnotes

 

01

I’m a geek for wayfinding symbols.

02

I lost a regional grade-school spelling bee on the word guardrail.

 
 
 

03

My dreams are cinematic, with multiple camera views and intricate plots. I often fly in them.

04

My karaoke song is “Dreams” by Fleetwood Mac.

 

05

My chef-instructor had to call the paramedics for me the first week of culinary school.

 

06

My high school friends and I published an underground zine called Reality Asylum.

Let’s work together

Tell me what you’re working on, and I’ll share some ideas about how we can get you to the finish line, polished and confident.