Celebrity or CEO, nurse or national bass fishing champion: Whoever the subject, Katie Neal finds the heart of their story. Whether she’s chatting with teen phenom Taylor Swift about her confessional songwriting, interviewing a healthcare executive about crucial legislation, or chronicling the day-to-day life of a truck driver, Katie infuses her pieces with warmth and creativity.

Katie began her career as a copy editor at Country Weekly magazine in Nashville, where she learned about both the craft and business of making music. That insight has helped inform profiles of artists including Mandy Moore, Jewel, Jakob Dylan, Steven Curtis Chapman, Sugarland, Brenda Lee and the Indigo Girls, for both local alt-weeklies and national consumer magazines.

A versatile storyteller, Katie has tailored her bright and engaging style to corporate communications, PR, critical analysis, cover stories, departments and features. Her portfolio encompasses everything from a publicity bio for TV wedding planner Donnie Brown to a look behind the scenes at a Freightliner truck plant, for which she won her first of six Truck Writers of North America awards.

After graduating from the University of Virginia, Katie earned her Master’s degree from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. She has contributed to publications including American Profile, Community Health, M Music & Musicians, Performing Songwriter, Weekly Reader’s Career World, Road King, health2you, Country Life, the Nashville Business Journal and the Nashville Scene. She is the associate editor for Spry magazine and Spryliving.com.

Katie lives in Nashville with her husband, Chris, a music journalist.

Photo by Kristen Steele