I’m Kelly McMichael, and while Electra Editing and Creative Services opened in 2022, our story begins in 1999.

That year I was finishing a Phd in American History, hoping I could get a full-time teaching position to pay the bills, but which would also allow me enough time to write. Writing for a living is what I wanted to do—write and read, but I had no idea HOW to do that, especially given that I believed my grammar and syntax lacked the polish to be published. In short, I lacked confidence in myself and my ability to be a “real writer” (whatever that was).

I gave birth to Emma that year and finished my dissertation the next. Over the next twenty years I paid the bills with writing-adjacent jobs while working on my writing skills, reading, and taking classes to improve my understanding of narrative and craft. I published monographs with traditional publishers in my field of history and wrote fiction in my free-time, self-publishing through services like Amazon’s KDP.

During Covid I realized how much I missed a community of like-minded people and I knew my tribe were those who loved story, whether that was fiction, creative non-fiction, or even business. We each have a story and, as humans, we are all wired for story. After those months at home alone, I knew I wanted to share what I had learned with others, helping them to get their stories into the world.

After completing an editing certification with the University of Washington in 2022, I believed I was ready to take that next step. I asked Emma if she wanted to join me.

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I’m Emma Stott and from the start, my mom instilled in me a deep love of story, though my interests were always in film and emerging media. I struggled in my undergrad program, loving the Psychology classes I was taking but knowing that my heart wasn’t in that field. With graduation looming, I had no idea what I should do next but felt that this was my one chance to go big. I applied to several colleges to complete a master’s degree and was accepted to two—one in Portland, Oregon and the other in New York City.

I wanted to attend the New School in New York to study Media but though I was accepted into the program, the idea felt more like a dream. How would I pay for this? Could I even do it? And if I figured out answers to these questions, then what?

My mom told me to go for it—it was a once in a lifetime opportunity. I took out loans to make it happen and the experience proved a personal revelation. Where once I had struggled with school, I now excelled. I loved the pace associated with the new technologies I was learning and how story was a crucial part of every platform.

My contacts in New York allowed me the opportunity to work with several international companies and as a social media content creator, partner with brands I loved. My skills grew. Soon, friends were asking me for help with how to grow their media platforms and I discovered that I loved working with others, teaching them the skills I had learned in classes and through my own experiences.

When my mom asked me if I wanted to partner with her and start an editing and social media management service, I jumped at the chance.

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Staring out at the Pacific ocean in the summer of 2022, sitting in wobbly beach chairs, sand between our toes, Emma and I made a wish. We wanted to help others—artists, emerging writers, and people starting small businesses—who might have felt like us (unsure, lacking confidence, needing a little push and encouragement). We wished to be of service to them.

And with that little desire pushed into the universe, Electra Editing and Creative Services was born. The daughter and mom team of Emma Stott and Kelly McMichael joined forces, bringing their experience and education together to build a full-service, one-stop shop with the goal of helping creatives and small businesses with all their editing and social media needs.