We over here at Pomp & Circumstance couldn’t be more pleased with welcoming woman-about-town Nell Alk to our boutique team. A mutual friend over at Magnum PR/Musebox made the introduction and Ms. Nell has been blogging for us ever since. Her work is witty, timely and honest. Fresh in the best sense of the word. She seems to have a sixth sense, with an uncanny ability to detect the faintest of details and reiterate in a voice all her own. Writing on topics ranging from music to fashion to food, the woman has a way with words.
These reasons, along with her can-do attitude and bubbly personality, are why we’re backing her in her race to the top of Sunglass Hut’s Full Time Fabulous. (By the looks of it, she seems currently to be in 4th place out of 335 candidates.) Given what we’ve explained here and what we’ve experienced since she started contributing in August, it goes without saying she’d be the best man for the job. But don’t take our word for it; Google her name for stacks of articles (she’s written for over 15 outlets, including Zink Magazine, Paper Magazine and InterviewMagazine.com), friend her on Facebook and pore over her posh ensembles and seemingly endless but entertaining and informative posts; or simply browse her entries here on PompOnline.com. What can we say, she’s really rounded out our content.
She’s presently spreading her attention among four main sites; Pomp, FabricMag.com, OurStage.com, and NBC’s Niteside.That said, we know her to be between jobs and prepared to take the next step. That step, she says, which is obvious, involves more and more writing and reporting, on a more regular basis, continuing to do what she already does, but on a grander scale: consuming culture and devouring the aesthetic gems New York City and other metropolitan Meccas have to offer.
Of the contest, which entailed creating a that, considering the limited time, conveys her eligibility to excel with this 12-month gig, she tells us: “I couldn’t not do it. A friend forwarded me the link and, once on the site, I was hooked.” She explains, “At first I wasn’t sure how best to communicate my drive, desire and ability to run with the role, but I drafted ‘scripts’ and called on dear friends to help make the final product happen.” The process wasn’t simple, entailing an entire day of shooting (which she says was “An absolute blast!”) and a long afternoon of editing. She even approached bands to lend her permission to use their music. “I reached out to bands that are awesome but also who are personal friends of mine. I’ve interviewed Hot Chip and Dragonette and I’m friends with Moby, but there’s no way the former bands were feasible and, for a production like this one, Moby simply didn’t suit. Needed to be uber upbeat.”
So she spoke to Yes Giantess, Letting Up Despite Great Faults and Jupiter One. Of those three, she went with the latter. “I know Dave [the drummer] and really love their sound. They’ve always reminded me a little bit of Phoenix. Plus, my video editor dug how their song ‘Countdown’ leads in with ‘And so it begins…’, after which we inserted my voiceover.” The video looked and sounded great. But there was one potentially disqualifying detail. Copyright. That’s where she ran into problems. Long story short, at the request of Sunglass Hut, she stripped the masterpiece of music and slowed her VO. Which is a bummer if you think about it, because she felt her true voice couldn’t come through as well at the reduced pace. She is so energetic (some might even go so far as to call her “perky”) so she’s simply crossing her fingers viewers and voters are able to give her the benefit of the doubt. “You won’t meet a more socially active and approachable person. After all, I’m from Wisconsin. I still have that wide-eyed awe. I never tired of New York and am endlessly fascinated by its many wonders. Also, I’m an only child, so ever since my youth I’ve been making up for so much quiet time by meeting and talking to everyone I can. Well, when I’m not tuning everyone out to write…” she laughs.
Anyway, Nell’s got what it takes. The X-factor. A way with words and a ravenous appetite for finding the story and approaching the angle in a sincere but insightful way. ’Nuf said. Bottom line: she’s got our vote. Does she have yours?
View her entry here. “Like” the page and feel free to re-Tweet on Twitter or re-Post on Facebook. The buttons to do so are RIGHT. THERE. One vote per e-mail account. Compliments? Concerns? Comment below. We are – and especially she is – all ears.
From the contender herself: “Thank you to director Bryce Ward, editor Waseem Ghattas and, despite the band’s present absence from my entry, Jupiter One. Especially drummer David Heilman. Thank you also to those who support me in this daring endeavor.”
