Services

Freelance Writing, content creation, Editing

Let’s work together! I’m a freelance journalist , blogger , content creator, editor, and educator specializing in travel, hospitality, personal growth, parenting, education, diversity, nonprofits and liberal arts (music, film, dance, theater events and festivals). On Southern Girl Gone Global see publications, media kit, and links to coverage from blog collaborations with 45+ travel and hospitality brands. 

I love discovering, crafting, and telling compelling stories of people, experiences, and brands that add value to our lives.

writng, editing, designing…

  • ebooks
  • blog posts and website long and short-form content
  • print and online feature magazine and news articles
  • social media content
  • podcast and video scripts
  • newsletters
  • home listing descriptions
  • brochures
  • business cards
  • postcards
  • signage
  • resumes and cover letters
  • branding (fashion Look Books, line lists, tags, signage, designs)

Recommendations

Amelia Edelman, Former Senior Editor at SheKnows Media, now Senior Editorial Director at Parents magazine: 

Cindy is an experienced and authentic travel writer and photographer who knows how to search out the must-sees as well as the lesser-known gems in destinations around the globe. She reports with cultural sensitivity, thoughtfulness and an artistic eye. She is always a delight and ease to work with. 

Ashley Haugen, Current Editor at Flywheel Publishing and Former Editorial Director of StyleBlueprint Media:

I have worked with Cindy several times on articles for StyleBlueprint, and I have enjoyed it every time. She has creative ideas and is passionate about the topics on which she writes, both of which are qualities that make her work shine.

Autumn Mayfield, The Mayfield Group Public Relations:

Wow, Cindy! This (post on Captiva Island’s South Seas Island Resort) is fabulous. Thank you so much…the detail and the images are really well done and so thorough. Thank you. The resort team and partners are going to be so happy. You are a delight to work with and this is just over the top. Thank you!

Britney Guertin, Communications & Content Manager, Visit Sarasota County:

Working with Cindy was a breeze and she certainly overdelivered! Our businesses were grateful for the mentions and traffic to their sites based on her blog.

Morgan Henderson, condo owner at Florida Rentals by Owners.com:

I thought the YouTube link was an ‘advertisement’ that was embedded in the blog, but it WASN’T! Here I was watching a video of my little slice of heaven and ‘my island’ on a travel blog! I was very impressed! I shared the blog on all the various Facebook groups I belong to. I had strangers and other vacation rental owners on the island commenting on how well written the blog was. People were sharing my post of the blog to their friends. I had several comments on Facebook saying they have never really cared for previous write ups of Anna Maria, but really enjoyed Cindy’s viewpoint. Some people even jokingly asked me to take down my sharing of the blog, because they didn’t want the island to become too popular. I loved seeing some of my favorite restaurants and hangouts highlighted! To top everything off, my condo received a ‘Best of Award’ from Florida Vacation Rental by Owner on September 2, 2020. The award given was Most Popular listing on the entire site, with over 40,300 views in 2020 so far. I know Southern Girl Gone Global had something to do with this award!  I highly recommend Cindy McCain.

Dr. Gary Martin, owner of the iconic Jnane Tamsna and regular host to Hugh Jackman and other artists wrote: Thank you so much for this beautiful reflection and images. You have captured the essence of the garden better than anyone else.

Likewise, Alexandra Richards, Australian expat hotelier and barrister for Australia’s Queen’s Court, wrote of my review of her luxury boutique hotel: ” How beautifully you have prepared this presentation. Time, consideration and sensitivity. I believe you have encapsulated the essence and beauty of Riad Emberiza Sahari. Congratulations.”

Mallory Flynn, PR Coordinator at Biltmore wrote of coverage of Glamour on Board: Titanic Fashion at Biltmore Estate: Thanks so much for sharing, Cindy. And wow, what great photos – and what an extensive piece!

Nancy Keil, President and CEO of Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee wrote:

Thank you so much for your work with Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee. I wanted to personally reach out as it is incredibly motivating and fulfilling to see our friends of the food bank step forward to help in such substantial ways. The freelance story collecting you have done and are doing at our Mobile Food Distributions is so important to our work, and thank you for the kindness and trust you show our clients. You offer those in need an outlet to share their experiences and show gratitude, while also providing our donors amazing perspective of how generosity can positively impact the lives of many Middle Tennesseans …Thanks to caring friends like you, we are able to serve even more children, families and seniors who are food insecure.

writing COURSES and Retreats

Whether you’re a student writing a college entrance essay…a novice or pro adult writer working on a travel tale or other personal narrative… I’m here to help you write your best story.

See Adult Writing  Courses and Retreats in Nashville Area, Online, and Abroad here.

TEACHING AND COACHING Recommendations

Dr. Elizabeth Crowe, Student in 3 of my Courses (1 at The Porch, 2 Private):

I first took a travel writing class from Cindy at The Porch and it was one of the best courses I’ve taken there. I was excited when she offered a writing class outside this summer during the pandemic. Her classes have helped me think about structure, story arc, and character development with regard to my pieces and I’ve been able to make progress on my essays. I especially appreciate the structure and organization that Cindy brings to each class, yet she is also willing to get input from the students on how they want the classes to go. She starts off on the first day with an agenda for the course and includes readings to discuss in class. I also always enjoy the feeling of camaraderie with other writers for whom travel is important. Cindy obviously enjoys teaching and creates a supportive atmosphere for learning. I highly recommend her writing class — especially now!

More importantly, I was inspired personally as well as intellectually. In my first class with Cindy, she had us do a free write in which we described a time when we felt perfectly comfortable with ourselves and where we were. I described a time when I’d been in Haiti over twenty years ago. In the process of writing it, I realized that the joy of traveling and exploring was a core part of who I was, and was a part that I’d neglected for too long. As a result, I arranged to spend three months living in Italy with my husband. Our time was cut short due to covid – which led to my second course with Cindy, held over the summer in a picnic shelter. What better way to cope with the restrictions of the pandemic than writing about, and talking about, travel!

Stephanie Camille, Student in 3 of my courses (1 at The Porch, 2 Private):

Cindy McCain is an enthralling writer and excellent teacher. She has extensive knowledge of literature and is able to pull threads from various masters providing a framework for writing intriguing prose. She is able to help develop your voice as a writer by providing various pathways to inspire and elevate your own story. A class with Cindy is a colorful adventure worth taking.

Dr. Stephen Severn, Middle Tennessee State University English Department Chair:

Cindy’s students respond well to her teaching style. They regularly praise her subject-matter expertise, her frequent and effective communication and the insightful feedback that she provides on their work. 

Dr. Erica Stone, MTSU Associate Director of General Education:

Cindy is a wonderful teacher. Her approach to teaching first-year writing at MTSU is student-centered, conscientious, and thoughtful. Cindy’s impact on students in that course was palpably positive, and several students reached out to offer sincere thanks after the semester ended. In addition to stepping in where she is needed, and she designs assignments and assessments that offer students the opportunity to explore their communities alongside the course outcomes and goals… Professor McCain is deeply invested in helping her students become better readers, writers, thinkers, and researchers who understand that the world is rhetorically constructed, and therefore, can be changed through the work of rhetoric.

Photography  and PHotojournalism

Other Services

  • travel advice & inspiration
  • book reviews 
  • travel & lifestyle product reviews
  • writing courses, coaching & retreats
  • itinerary creation for themed travel—literature, history, arts, food, writing and yoga retreats, study abroad, etc.—with cultural context
  • speaking engagements on reinvention/growth

travel Planning for study abroad, FAmilies, girl getaways, or solo journeys

Travel Coordinator

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