Portfolio / Alyssa Towns

Career World Clips

Covering various topics helps keep my work interesting, exciting, and challenging. But I have a few sweet spots and areas I feel I can write in as a subject matter expert. I love writing about the career world, whether that's a piece on developing leadership skills, effectively setting goals, or integrating your career into your life in a meaningful way. And I'm slightly obsessed with time management and productivity tips because time is the only thing we can never get back, so we might as well make the most of it, right?

I was a subcontractor for various freelance writers in the project management and software spaces (and unfortunately, you can't see that work, but know that it helped me practice!) I've collaborated with technology and software companies like G2 and Clockwise and have written career-related features for The Everygirl, Babes Who Hustle, and more. You might also see my name appear in other writers' pieces on Zapier and Trello (which is pretty neat, if I say so myself).

Below are some of my favorite pieces I've written to give you a taste of my writing style and content. You can find more of my work in my full portfolio on Authory.

What is Your Bus Factor & How to Improve It | Clockwise

Have you ever written important information down or sent it an email at work with the note, “Here’s some information you may need, in case I get hit by a bus!”? Or maybe you’ve put together a plan with critical information to share with your colleagues pre-vacation or post-resignation so they could carry work forward without you. All of these scenarios describe the idea of the bus factor (also known as the truck factor or lorry factor).

The Surprising Trait That May Be Affecting Your Productivity

Do you ever feel like no matter how many productivity hacks, time management tips, or The Everygirl desk essentials you buy, you still aren’t operating at your peak productivity levels? We’ve all heard the same advice from productivity experts everywhere, “Wake up an hour earlier!” or “Have you tried [insert time management strategy here]? It’s a total game-changer.” We live in a world where productivity is always top of mind, but sometimes, something still feels off no matter how many strategi

Context Switching: The High-Cost Productivity Killer | Clockwise

What would you say if I asked you to describe how your typical workday goes, start to finish? Not the perfectly smooth and organized day you plan on paper when you get to your desk first thing in the morning, but how your day actually looks. I’ll start. I first look at my calendar and make a daily to-do list while I clean out my inbox. The day often begins quietly, and sometimes if I’m lucky, I’m able to dig into a project before I attend my first meeting.

Customer Marketing

Customer marketing increases retention, brand loyalty, revenue, and social proof. Learn how to build effective customer marketing strategies.

7 Tips & Tools to Manage Your Time as a Freelancer | Clockwise

In this post, we’re sharing seven tips (and some tool recommendations) for how to effectively manage your time as a freelancer (backed by freelancers themselves).

Onboarding

Onboarding processes are designed to integrate new employees into their organization. Learn more about the stages of onboarding and best practices.

BABES WHO HUSTLE

More Than a Job: The Underlying Reasons Women Stay in Positions

Last October, a rise in commotion crossed headlines as paid family leave was slashed from President Biden's framework for the Build Back Better plan. The provision included 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave before the administration cut it from the bill entirely. This news followed an already challenging conversation around women in the workforce, with activists like Reshma Saujani spearheading the Marshall Plan for Moms, which champions paid family leave, affordable childcare, and more

Overcome Parkinson's Law to Get More Done in Less Time | Clockwise

Work expands to fill our time. Read about Parkinson's Law and how to overcome it!

Window of Opportunity

Windows of opportunity are critical periods for taking action or making a decision. Learn about the benefits, factors, and how to spot them.

The Benefits of a Four Day Work Week | Clockwise

Read now to learn everything you need to know about the four-day workweek and the future of work.

6 Ways To Wrap Up at Work Before the Holidays (and Set Yourself Up for a Successful New Year)

The holidays are right around the corner. I know, we’re excited too! You’re probably counting down the days until your holiday break and can’t wait to enjoy festivities with your friends, quality time with your loved ones, rejuvenation for the new year—or a combination of the three.

Try This Instead: 10 Ways to Be More Confident at Work

We’ve all been there: Maybe you’ve been asked to take charge of party planning for your coworker’s birthdays or go on a coffee run (even if you said goodbye to the “intern” title years ago). Or perhaps one of your colleagues keeps talking over you in meetings (been there, done that!). You know you should be strong and confident, but maybe you aren’t sure where to start when it comes to empowerment in your career.

BABES WHO HUSTLE

Choosing Career Trajectories Based on Growth

I’ve worked in corporate America throughout my entire career. Over time, I’ve learned that projected growth for me often comes with a pre-defined corporate ladder and in landing management positions.

Passion Planner

How to Maximize Your Time with the Pomodoro Technique

As goal-getters, big dreamers, and visionaries, it seems like we could all use just a little bit more time in our day. In a world full of commitments, busy schedules, sprinkled with distractions and interruptions, maximizing one's time is no easy feat. Fortunately, we can savor and take advantage of as many of those precious minutes as possible with Passion Planner and an effective time management strategy such as the Pomodoro Technique.

How To Build A New Routine When Your Lifestyle Unexpectedly Changes

But what happens when you’ve worked hard to create a routine that worked for you, only to experience a lifestyle change that throws your routine off its tracks?

Lifestyle Clips

As an added bonus, here are a few of my favorite lifestyle pieces I've written. Enjoy!

Your ultimate travel guide for visiting Denver

Insider created a comprehensive travel guide for the best places to go, stay, and eat in Denver. At 5,280 feet above sea level, Denver, Colorado, offers a variety of activities for visitors amid its gorgeous landscapes and bustling downtown.

An expert in color psychology details how 5 bedroom shades can positively affect your mood

From blues to blushes, the colors in your bedroom can affect the energy of your space. Insider spoke with the color-psychology expert Amy Wax about the positive benefits certain shades can have on your mood and energy. This article is part of The Well-Designed Life, a series about optimizing your well-being through spatial design.

20 Magical Disney Wedding Cake Toppers

Complete your fairytale wedding day with a whimsical Disney cake topper.

Everything You Need to Throw a "Friends"-Themed Bachelorette Party

The one where your bestie is the bride-to-be.

Features

Here are some of the pieces I've been featured or quoted in.

Gratitude Plus Leader, Alyssa Towns — Gratitude Plus

What inspired you to be in the wellness world? I suppose I fell into the wellness world, not necessarily by choice (but I'm so grateful I did!) In 2015, I unexpectedly lost one set of my grandparents, ten weeks apart from one another. My grandmother and grandfather were in their early/mid-sixties, and grief shook my world. My only living grandfather passed away from esophageal cancer in April of this year at age 64. Why do their ages matter? I've thought long and hard about the kind of life I w

How to write a HARO pitch by Melissa King

To help prevent this, freelance writer Alyssa Towns adds the following blurb to her HARO queries: "You have a higher likelihood of being featured if your initial reply contains answers to the questions in the query. I will follow up with you if I have any questions about your response or need more details. Please do not pitch individuals for interviews."

The Clever Week #032

How To Create A Supportive Company Culture That Isn’t Just For Looks by Kat Boogaard

There’s one more thing to keep in mind: When employees actually do take their well-deserved PTO, they shouldn’t be bombarded with emails and pings while they’re out. In fact, make your best effort to avoid contacting them at all. “To me, this indicates a respect for boundaries,” says Alyssa Towns, a Business Operations Specialist at Adswerve and a freelance writer.

Meet Alyssa Towns | Freelance Writer & Content Creator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Alyssa Towns and we’ve shared our conversation below. Hi Alyssa, what role has risk played in your life or career? Growing up, I was never a risk-taker. The mere idea of taking risks and stepping outside my comfort zone was a concept I was unwilling to explore. I enjoyed operating and, more specifically, excelling within the confined bounds of my comfort zone. After college, I worked at a desk job that I loved but felt unchallenged by. For the first

How To Prioritize Tasks As A Team When Everything Seems Important by Kat Boogaard

That’s where this strategy comes into play. “Align team and project work with business objectives,” advises Alyssa Towns, a freelance writer and Business Operations Specialist at Adswerve. Take each task on your team’s to-do list and ask yourself: Which broader business goal does this task support? This is helpful for a few reasons.