Meet Amanda St. Pierre, Tiny Blue Sky’s Communications Strategist

Hello, friends! Let me begin with a proper introduction. My name is Amanda St. Pierre, and I am so pleased to be joining Tiny Blue Sky as Communication Strategist. For me, this is more than a new position, so I wanted to share with you the story that led me here.

It all began with nonprofits and communication

I was lucky enough to meet Tiny Blue Sky Co-founder Gretchen DeVault many years ago—it was pre-kids (because this is how my brain now organizes life events from that time). Gretchen and I were both involved in our local chapter of the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network. We worked together on a few projects. Gretchen was running her agency, and I was doing communications work with a fantastic community foundation.

Fast forward to a winter day post-kids. Gretchen and I were exchanging texts, likely about being sleep-deprived and the antics that come with raising toddlers, and one of said, 'hey, do you want to run a half marathon with me?' And the other quickly replied 'Yes!'

This moment was remarkable for two reasons:

1) We weren't runners—at all. It was January in Michigan, and our race was in April. This would be a challenge. Despite it all, we dug in. We made a plan and committed to it. We met for long runs on Saturday mornings in the snow. We learned that getting things done efficiently and with a certain amount of joy (for example, all training runs ended with coffee and a croissant) is part of who we are.

2) Running that far for that long provides ample opportunity for conversation. We really got to know one other, what makes each of us tick and our character. On these practice runs, we'd talk about everything—current events, TV shows, parenting, career planning, etc. We watched each other work through hard things. We became a team (and we have a team name...but that's for another time).

We achieved that impossible goal and that time sparked something in me.

Fast forward a few years, I decided to leave my position working in community philanthropy to do freelance communication work. My daughter was six at the time, and the flexibility was just too enticing.

Throughout my journey in freelance, Gretchen and I had lots of opportunities to collaborate. Our skills are so complimentary. I focus on the words, and she leads design. We're both driven by goals and strategy. We love mission work and understand the nuances of foundations and nonprofits.

When Gretchen approached me about more formally becoming part of Tiny Blue Sky, it was a no-brainer. I am excited to dig in, do meaningful work with a great team, and achieve awesome things for our clients!