When and why did you join the EFA?
I’ve been with the EFA since 2019. I joined at the recommendation of another editor. She thought it might be a good opportunity for me to mix and mingle with the kinds of folks whose editing clients also need my book design services. And boy howdy, was she right!
What are your freelance services and skills?
I am a book designer. I design “gotta have that book” covers, and I also format the interior. I do other design services as well: brochures, business cards, logos, trade show booth signage, swag, marketing materials, and even billboards for when my clients get really famous!
What volunteer work have you done with/for the EFA?
I have been volunteering for the New Member program, where we do a little hand-holding for new members to show them the ropes and the benefits of membership. It’s a wonderful program that I really wish had existed when I became a new member.
What benefits have you gotten out of EFA volunteer work?
The greatest benefit I’ve gotten is learning “the ropes and the benefits of membership.” Since the New Member program didn’t exist seven years ago, I’m learning it all now! Win-win! It’s great to meet the newbies too!
What advice would you offer EFA members about volunteering?
It always feels good to give back in some small way. And since I don’t do what the majority of members do, it’s harder to find ways to do my bit. I think volunteering makes your business more visible to the group at large. And increased exposure is never a bad thing.
Where have you volunteered other than the EFA?
I used to do volunteer transport for the Coastal Boxer Rescue Group down in Miami when we lived there. I transported various pups up and down the coast to their vet appointments, foster homes, or in the best of cases, their forever homes!
What else might colleagues like to know about you?
I have two loveable foster-fail boxers, Bunny the Brave (she/her) and Ajay the Chickenhearted (he/him), who love nothing more than being the spoilt brats they are (by my own hand). My darling husband has taken to calling them Piglette and Hog Dog for their antics at the food bowl … and demands for treats.
I am a lifelong dancer in many forms like ballet, belly dancing, fourteenth-century Italian Renaissance dancing, and, more recently, synchronized swimming, where I have won a few ribbons and medals. It’s essentially water ballet and is an excellent workout!
My husband and I love to travel and have plans to visit Italy in a couple of months. Can’t wait!
What are your social media links?
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamian-wood/
https://www.facebook.com/BeyondDesignInternational
https://www.pinterest.com/designertamian/graphic-design-by-tamian/
https://www.instagram.com/bookdesignertamian/
Interview by S. Robin Larin