As a journalist and an American, I believe that transparency and full disclosure are important and valuable. So I want to show you, my readers and advertisers (whenever I get some), my connections, my sources of income and my potential conflicts of interest.

When I have a clear connection to someone in this blog, I will identify that in the post. So if I’m writing about my sister, or someone who gave me a big research contract five years ago, I will disclose that.  Likewise, I will disclose any ownership stake or connection to a company, an event, a blog or other organization – for myself and for my fiance’ Mark Loeb.  (He organizes events such as the Royal Oak Clay, Glass & Metal show and is the operations manager for the Detroit International Jazz Festival.)

With that in mind, here’s my current list of connections, commitments and conflicts:

• I earn most of my living as a freelance writer. My main clients are the Washington Post, the AARP Bulletin and the Ann Arbor Observer. I also contribute to CareerFocus, a quarterly produced by Washtenaw Community College, and have written for Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, Jet magazine and the Financial Times.
• I have started a bit of career coaching of individuals from around the country. Some receive pro bono assistance; many pay for it.  (My goal is to have three  to four paying clients for every one person I assist without compensation.) I would never use someone I coach in an article without their express permission. I may however get ideas for articles from them, and may even get some coaching clients from my writing and research.
• I speak at seminars and events related to job search and careers, sometimes pro bono. I hope to win more paid speaking and teaching activities in the future.
• I blog about careers, kindness and creativity at WorkingKind.com. While I treat it as a journalistic endeavor, sometimes I slip into personal perspective and opinions in the postings. I intend to seek advertising and sponsorship for this blog and will disclose them when they happen.
• I am co-owner of a small seasonal business called Mity Nice LLC, which sells Italian ice from a cart. It was created last summer to give teens jobs. We plan to operate it again this summer in Ann Arbor and possibly other locales in and around metro Detroit.
• I used to own a variety of media stocks, including McClatchy and maybe a few New York Times shares. And I may own or co-own some others too.  I generally do not  buy shares of companies I may have to cover as a journalist.
• I have a few 401(K) accounts which are mostly invested in mutual funds, including Fidelity.  When I write about money management and personal finance topics, I will try to disclose more on these.
• I have two smaller savings accounts that are my emergency reserves and my “Forget You” account – in case I ever need to run away and leave a job or a situation immediately.

I am posting this as a way to practice transparency, and encourage it of others. I will update this at least three times a year, so it reflects current activities and interests.

And I will answer questions gladly about this list and about my services; email me at Vickie.Elmer@gmail.com or Vickie@WorkingKind.com .