In between school drop-offs and coffee binges, Natalie Singer-Velush is ParentMap’s Managing Editor. Natalie’s background is journalism: She used to write for newspapers and once pumped milk for her baby in the bathroom of the King County Superior Courthouse while covering a murder trial. Natalie is Canadienne via California and now lives in Seattle with her husband and two school-aged daughters. She likes cool sheets, cupcakes, tall men and obedient children. In her spare time (ha) she writes and is completing a MFA in Creative Writing and Poetics at the University of Washington. Follow her on Twitter for more! We’re thrilled to feature Natalie in our Influencer 1:1 to get her insightful thoughts on one of our go-to parenting publications, and most importantly learn how we can be a better partner to her.   Tell us about your role at ParentMap. First, I have coffee! Then I get my kids to school. And more coffee. Actually, one thing I love about my job is that we are a family-friendly, virtual office. So while I do attend meetings every week (sometimes many meetings) I often work from home or from one of my favorite cafes. I love being out in the world in different spaces while I work. And I can be there for my daughters when I need to be. At ParentMap I oversee all print content and all digital content, so in a nutshell, my day is all about content, content, content! I manage a team of brilliant editors and content producers, and my time is spent juggling different aspects of my content role. I strategize, conceive of, assign and edit stories for our print magazines (we publish 18 monthly and special issues a year). I also spend a good part of my time strategizing and editing daily content on our website, and I oversee the team that manages our social media channels (so lots of required Facebook and Twitter time, which I really like). I serve on our company’s steering committee, setting larger content strategy goals. I ensure our brand voice is consistent across our content, events and partnership projects. And I represent ParentMap in the community, connecting with families, organizations and partners ― so some days that means lunches, interviews and tours. When I can, I write columns about issues that impact parents and communities.   How/where do you find your stories? Everywhere. From the news and cultural zeitgeist / buzz. Our writers pitch us stories. We monitor what moves and delights our readers and dream up other related stories. And my team comes up with a lot of the stories by just doing what parents do with each other: Talking about parenting (maybe sometimes a little whine with that talk). Many of us have kids, and we represent a broad range of ages and types of families. A recent story we did, “Ewww-Worthy Childhood Ailments,” came about after I was on the phone with my best friend and we were complaining about all the totally gross things our kids have picked up over the years. We do get story ideas from pitches of all kinds — PR pitches, news releases, product communications. Sometimes the pitch is a good topic for a story; other times the pitch leads us to an idea or related topic.   If you could tell PR people one thing, what would it be? That I am looking for authentic parenting and trend stories and resources for our readers. Make your pitch from the perspective of the editor and what she is trying to deliver to her readers. Take the voice of the publication into account. For example, the content we do around brands is all strictly editorial: For our editors to select a product to include in, say, a curated back-to-school lunchbox roundup or a camping gear list, we have to choose that product ourselves based off of independent factors: Reviews, word on the street, what our readers tell us, what we try and love ourselves. For pitches about amazing organizations, people and projects, again, it’s about being authentic. If it’s a great story with a really valuable message or something new and unique, I’ll be interested. So, bottom line: authentic and unique.   What do you love about your job? I feel really proud of our magazine: Its mission is to bring child-rearing advice, research, intelligence, resources and ideas to parents. We are a free publication and so we really do reach anyone and everyone who has a family or works with kids and wants to connect with other parents and experts. We cover serious topics like the issues transgender kids face, child sex trafficking, how technology is changing our kids, and the isolation that parenting can bring. And we cover the fun and awesome stuff ― the new, kid-friendly food truck that just rolled up, the hottest new summer camp trends, and how to throw the best Star Wars or Minecraft birthday party ever.   What is your favorite section/column in ParentMap, and why? When I came to ParentMap almost three years ago, I expanded our Voices category, inviting new contributors to write guest blogs and columns about many different aspects of parenting, and launching a personal essay in our monthly print magazine. In addition to the incomparable joy, parenting can be isolating, lonely and stressful, so broadening the community and building content around impactful conversations is now central to our mission. This year we launched a special ongoing series called Making It Work, examining the intersection of work and parenting. One consistent theme among all the parents I know is the challenges around career and family, whether it’s a question of on-ramping and off-ramping, or how to get healthy meals on the table every night. I wanted to look at these challenges through a solutions-oriented lens, sparking a long-term community conversation around how we can help each other and what changes we need to push for. --- We can’t agree more Natalie.  This Making It Work series is eye-opening.  A sincere thank you to Natalie and all of the writers/contributors at ParentMap. We look to your insight and advice daily for what’s happening in our own lives. For more insightful stories, fun weekend ideas, smart tips, and quick musings, connect with us on Facebook and Twitter!