Introduction!

A little bit about me and how I will wield the power of substack to discuss carbs.

Name: Joy Eggerichs Reed

Age: 41

Nationality: American

Currently Living: Paris, France (7+ years and I like to say I speak the “cultural language” more than the “language” language.)

Where I grew up: East Lansing, Michigan (Where I spoke the language of the Spartans.)

Where I went to college: Westmont College in Montecito California. (Yes, Oprah was my neighbor.)

How I ended up in Paris: My husband Matt’s work and a magnetic pull to baguettes. (I don’t have anything to put in a parenthetical here because baguette talk deserves to be front matter.)

What I do for work: I am the founder of Punchline Agency. I am a literary agent and have written two books on writing, one for kids and one for people trying to navigate the world of writing and publishing.* I have represented speakers and had seasons of being on stage myself for keynotes as well as doing improv comedy for a short stint. I’ve been behind the stage producing and directing events and now after several years of living in Paris as an expat, I am scratching that itch again by starting Women, Work and Wine to connect those of us here who are looking for professional and personal networking—or “friendship networking” as I like to call it.

So while my 20 years of experience covers several different aspects of communication, the thread that has weaved through it all is active listening, heightening questions and helping people clarify their ideas or connect to other people, platforms or organisations that align with their goals.

In an alternate universe: My husband and I would be matchmakers.

Why Substack: I wanted to shift from the platform Punchline was using for company newsletters to something that was more interactive and allow more of the connections I love to make. Plus, several authors have either asked me for my thoughts on Substack so I’m doing recon like a communications operative. I’ll report back at dawn.

What I am reading: Besides my authors’ writings or proposals that come across my desk, my primary genre would be any book that my five year old Millie, three year old Emerson and seven month old Fern demand. Emerson and Millie are very into the Lilly Huckleberry series and I’m grateful to it’s authors for making me laugh and teaching me about different cultures! Fifteen Animals by Sandra Boynton is my go to with Baby Fern and if she doesn’t like it, she’ll have to learn to talk so she can request a new title.

My favorite tradition: Pizza night with my husband every Friday. Kids are in bed, (except for the typical breakouts right when we are going to take our first bites and our blood sugar level get shakily apparent) we each have an entire pizza to ourselves, candles are lit and we push play on a low-stakes Netflix show. Sometimes we even make popcorn after pizza so as you can imagine by Saturday morning our sodium levels rival that of the Dead Sea. 

My substack will include but not be limited to (because I’m a free agent): 

• Writing / Publishing 

• Speaking / Communication 

• Paris / Expat life / Love of Carbohydrates

• Parenting / Marriage / Faith / Carbohydrates Revisited 

Welcome! Please introduce yourself and tell me what you’re reading on Substack or to your toddlers.

Sincerely,

Joy

*Please don’t confuse being a literary agent to mean I have a perfect grasp of spelling or grammar. That would be the job of an editor, my husband or my mother but they are all really expensive. If it wasn’t for spell check I’d misspell February and Restaurant until death do us part.