Today we’d like to introduce you to Rylie Shore.
Hi Rylie, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been fascinated by the power of stories. I was the kid who always had a book and journal tucked into her backpack, and for most of my life, paper and pen have been my tools for processing through day-to-day life. But after experiencing some trauma in my early twenties, writing went from something I enjoyed to something I relied on for survival.
It was 2016. I was twenty-two and in my first year out of college. I had been in Kansas City for about seven months. Unexpectedly, I lost a newfound friend to a domestic violence homicide, and her younger sister–sixteen at the time–moved in with my two roommates and me. The circumstances still feel hard to articulate: I was both at the epicenter of the aftermath and an outsider looking in.
I attended the vigils, weeped at the funeral. I listened to the guttural wails of her younger sister as I silently cried in the middle of the night. I followed the investigation that traced the murder back to her father. I feared for myself and my roommates when we learned that he was nowhere to be found.
I hadn’t known Daizsa long, but I had quickly come to love her. She was a feisty cheerleader, top of her senior class, about to graduate high school and be the first in her family to go to college. The loss of her young life and the circumstances surrounding it gutted me.
When I moved back to San Diego later that year, I was determined to do everything I could to prevent this from happening to anyone else.
For seven years, I worked for local nonprofits that addressed domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking. My favorite work days were those spent interviewing a survivor and writing a piece of their story for a newsletter, annual report, or campaign. Some of the stories I’ve heard have woken me up at 3am with debilitating anxiety. But many of them have inspired me to live a more bold and beautiful life. The women I’ve met through my work have overcome unthinkable harm, but they are still raising courageous kids, pursuing dream careers, starting creative ventures, and giving back to their communities.
Over the summer, I transitioned out of my 9-5 job to pursue writing full-time as a freelance content marketer, copywriter, and journalist. Amidst growing my business and building my client base, I’m still trying to carve out time to write about women who are creating something incredible out of their adversity. I want us to be able to celebrate our resiliency together, find empowerment in each other’s stories, and remember that we can live with both grit and tenderness.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
In May of 2023, I had my son, Maverick. During his delivery, I suffered a severe and long-term birth injury. The fallout from my fourth-degree tear made it difficult to walk and impossible to stand in one place for more than a few seconds. But after depleting my 12 weeks of state-funded maternity leave, I had no choice but to go back to work. For over a year, I was drowning in the pain and grief of the injury, the burnout of a nonprofit leadership role, and the exhaustion of being a full-time working parent with limited childcare.
In December of 2024–after feeling uninspired in my hunt for a healthier job–I decided I wanted to start my own freelance writing business. I’ve always dreamed of writing full-time, but the uncertainty of freelance work made me hesitant to leave the “security” of my nonprofit roles. But the unique cocktail of burnout and a desire to savor this fleeting time with my two-year-old gave me the courage I needed to take the leap.
Because my family lives in San Diego, I didn’t have the luxury to quit my job until I had established writing clients. Every spare moment that wasn’t already dedicated to my day-job or my son went to building my business––which basically meant that every night at 8pm I went straight from rocking my son to sleep to researching business licenses, scheduling emails to potential clients, and reading about content marketing. For about seven months, I got very minimal sleep and had more than my fair share of meltdowns.
But I kept chipping away, week after week, and by July, I was able to quit my job as Director of Communications and Donor Relations and launch my own freelance writing business.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a freelance writer who specializes in content marketing, copywriting, and journalism. For those outside the industry, this means I support companies and organizations with things like: email marketing, website copy, newsletters, brochures, blogs, reports, and articles.
My business is built on a passion for creating content that moves people, and I love helping my clients grow and engage their customer/donor base through the power of a good story.
Prior to freelancing, I spent seven years doing communications, marketing, and fundraising for organizations that support victims and survivors of gender-based violence. It was through this work that I discovered my unique gift: translating complex ideas into content that resonates with people in their everyday lives.
Writing is not just a job for me––it’s a way of living well and making sense of our human experience. I wholeheartedly believe it is our stories that make us who we are. When we put these stories into words, they have the ability to transform and heal the community around us.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
I can’t think of a profound childhood memory that connects to my love of writing, but the one thing that came to mind was hearing the story of Anne Frank for the first time. It struck me that Anne continued to write through her fear and confinement. Despite our dramatically different life experiences and times, she found solace in her journal, just like I did.
Later that day, I got home from swim practice and told my mom I wanted to buy a new journal. We went to Barnes & Noble––this was before Amazon––and I picked out a journal with a plaid cover, similar to Anne’s. It reminded me of her strength to be creative and honest, even when life was scary.
I still have that plaid journal sitting on my bookshelf, though I would probably be embarrassed to read whatever my fourteen-year-old brain filled those pages with. But I do think the sentiment still rings true for me. There is something so inspiring and brave about an artist continuing to create and process their life, even when the circumstances are impossibly hard or terrifying.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://rylieshore.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryliewrites/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rylieshore/
