Allena started her writing career as a full time editor and marketing writer, but left the cube to freelance full time in 2006. She built her writing and editing firm, GardenWall Publications , from scratch with just one client, and was turning a profit within 6 months. Within just a couple years, GWP began writing for companies, websites, publishers and magazines such as the New York Times' About.com, EBSCO, Gale, The Current Events newspaper, and Latino Leaders magazine.

Allena has over 7 years of experience in writing and editing, including full time, part time and contractual gigs. She currently runs a (busy!) freelance writing and editing business, GardenWall Publications and blogs about the freelance business at GardenWall's Freelance Writing blog. Major contracts include managing editorial duties for a Adelante Forward magazine, copyediting for a 40,000-circulation weekly newspaper (The Current Events), freelancing arrangements with publishers like EBSCO and Gale, and editorial credits in published curriculum materials. She shares her passion for writing by teaching classes at a local community college in Michigan ("How To Break Into Freelance Writing" and "Blogging for Fun and Profit") and by participating in a writers critique group. She has been invited to speak on freelancing and writing at both local and national writers rallies and conferences.

Allena earned a baccalaureate degree in English from Michigan State University, which included an internship at a nationally distributed magazine, and a grant writing internship with a local non-profit. She minored in her other two passions: Spanish and Elementary Education. She is currently pursuing her Masters degree.

"The day I decided to pursue full time freelance writing, I had a sheaf of papers in my fist--about 50 pages of freelance writing jobs. I told my husband 'Look, the jobs are out there. I know they are. I just need the time to pursue them!' He finally agreed with me, and I took the plunge. Now, it wasn't easy, and there was a lot of trial and error, but I learned what works and what doesn't, and am very proud of my thriving writing business and the credits I've accumulated. I want to tell other people how it happened for me. I truly believe it's a viable career."