Jill Ebstein
Jill Ebstein is the editor of the “At My Pace” series of books — At My Pace: Twenty Somethings Finding Their Way” (April 2018), “At My Pace: Lessons from Our Mothers” (Nov. 2016) and “At My Pace: Ordinary Women Tell Extraordinary Stories” (2015). She’s the founder of Sized Right Marketing, a Newton, Massachusetts, consulting and strategic planning firm that helps Fortune 500 companies.
Who are you?
I am many things. A wife, mom of three twenty-somethings, sister, and dear friend to my world of tennis players, dog owners, business colleagues, and contributors who have written for my series, titled “At My Pace.”
I have an MBA from Wharton and have done classic business consulting and intrapreneurship inside larger companies, but I have spent the last 20 years working for myself, helping clients understand their customers’ voice and assorted services that complement the market feedback.
I have always had a passion for writing which I fit in on the side. It is helpful for me that I don’t depend on writing to cover my needs. It is a wonderful way to reach people, discover how I view a particular issue and grow a skill that I care about.
Through my writing, I have also learned to be a speaker as I share what I’ve learned in the At My Pace series. I have spoken at a wide range of venues from Fortune 100 companies (e.g., Oracle, Google, Disney) to synagogues and senior community centers. In every instant, I have learned something valuable.
Why write on Medium?
Medium provides me the space to write without having to pitch a piece. It means I get to write what I want when I want. This process allows me to groove the habit of daily writing.
Also, I have had the chance to engage with other writers and their pieces, which is a significant “value-add.”
If I depended on Medium for compensation, then I would sound like a much angrier writer versus someone who is having fun with a keyboard.
What are your writing interests?
As my profile says, “the intersection of business, family and modern-day peculiarities.” I like to muse on happenings with work, moments in my daily life that others might find interesting, and at the macro level, trends that affect us (for example conversation as I’ve experienced it in my life has been dramatically reduced by texting).
What do you hope to accomplish by writing?
I hope to sharpen my thinking and share my musing in a thought-provoking way — maybe help someone along the way and, at the very least, keep my mind and pen active.
To take a page from my AtMyPacebooks website, writing the series, and writing, in general, is about “sharing stories, expanding the conversation, finding our truths.”
Can you share a highlight of your life?
This is a hard question. Certainly marrying my terrific husband, having children, walking down the aisle of my daughter’s wedding are all highlights. Taking care of my mother in her last year and writing “Lessons From Our Mothers” as a tribute to her is a highlight as well.
Waking up every day and doing my day — dog walking, hitting a tennis ball, watching The Crown with my husband at night, attending a Boston Symphony concert — are highlights that I routinely enjoy.
The annual highlight of Thanksgiving with all my family (extended family and close friends) and singing “T’is a gift to be simple” and then going around the table where each person gives thanks for something is another highlight.
Share a few article links
I have many, many articles, but I will share some popular ones below:
- My Littermates
- A Trainer, a Stylist, Customer Feedback and Me
- From Great to Good
- The Truth About 20-Somethings
- When the Howl Is Gone
Also, there is my website for the At My Pace series which is http://atmypacebook.com
Where else do you write?
InsideSources, Wharton Healthcare Alumni magazine, LinkedIn.
Any big plans for 2020?
I will be working on two books. One book has a working title of “Middle-Age Musings: From Someone Not Rich, Not Famous, Not Beautiful (unless inside counts)”
The other book focuses on sayings (proverbs, idioms, etc.), as seen through a 21st-century lens. Some resonate, and some are very dated (example: Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me). There are new sayings too that say a lot about how we see the world today (“Ok boomer” though I have never actually heard it used).
Medium authors in the niche
Here are some people I follow (* by their name if they follow me):
Share this interview link:
https://mediumauthor.com/@jebstein
