I think we all do. It feels good to find a group of people who share your interests. I belong to a number of organizations and groups—each feeds my soul in its own way.

As a Mom.

In 2005, after the birth of my second child, I met with a group of moms in the park near my home throughout the summer. Once the weather turned cold, we realized that we need a more formal arrangement for meeting up. Our numbers grew and in time we incorporated as nonprofit organization HRPMamas, where I was a founding board member and remained involved as my kids got older. What started as our little mother’s group at the park now has more than 3,000 members!

As a Professional.

Association of University Presses

For more than 25 years, I worked for two Association of University Presses (AUP) member presses (Columbia and Oxford) and had the opportunity to attend annual AUP meetings where I often spoke about book design, XML workflows, and other production issues. Overtime at the AUP, I found mentors and connected with colleagues who I now call my friends. In 2018, shortly after starting Studiolo Secondari, I was asked by the AUP to produce their new logo. It was a huge honor! The resulting visual identity system is something I am really proud of.

Learn about how I supported AUP in creating its visual identity!

Book Industry Organizations

As with AUP, I first associated with the Book Industry Study Group (BISG) and Book Industry Group of New York (BIGNY) as an employee of a member press. I attended many a BIGNY barge bash and book show event and had the honor of jurying the acclaimed New York Book Show in 1999 and 2010. Once I started my own business, I made sure to secure BISG and BIGNY memberships for Studiolo Secondari. The communities, working groups, and annual meetings are full of great information. In 2020, BISG asked me to review their brand and website, develop an assessment report based on the discovery process, and present to the board—and my respect for the organization only grew as I learned more about them.

Graphic Artists Guild

As a member and board Treasurer of the Graphic Artists Guild, my time with the organization has been busy. Over the past year, I oversaw the production and publication of the “Graphic Artists Guild’s Handbook for Pricing & Ethical Guidelines,” which gave me the chance to work with amazing designers Kim Glyder and Jill Shimabukuro and do fun stuff like unboxing videos, work with our co-publisher MIT Press on publishing, and develop a social media campaign.

Marketing Mentor

Ilise Benun’s Marketing Mentor community is another amazing and generous group that I consistently lean on for professional guidance. Creative coach, author, and teacher Ilise Benun has curated an engaging community of creative entrepreneurs who are ready to collaborate on projects or share business advice to help one another achieve success.

Belonging Takes Time (Well Spent).

People have remarked to me, “All this belonging must take a lot of time.” And it does. But it also gives back. I have so many experts that I can rely on to give me good advice when I need it. My network is large and varied. I receive job leads, referrals, and collaboration requests through these networks. They help me keep up to date on ever-changing things like technology and business practices. I am grateful for my communities.