Helene Epstein

Westchester, NY USA
Contact

Professional Experience

I write about passions and professions, be it parenting or religion, architecture or advertising, beauty or culture. For twenty years, my articles and columns have appeared in consumer magazines, business and literary publications under the bylines H.M. Epstein and Helene Kalmanson.

Expertise

Book Author
Entry Level
Writer
20 Years

Specialty

Family, Children & Teenagers
15 Years
Home & Garden
7 Years
Other, Specify
16 Years

Industries


Advertising agency
20 Years
Nonprofit
20 Years
Other
10 Years

Total Media Industry Experience

20 Years

Media Client List (# assignments last 2 yrs)

Inside Media (1-2), Hadassah Magazine (1-2), Advertising Age (1-2), Westchester Magazine (10+), AdWeek (3-5), Jewish Chronicle (3-5), Ad Business Report (3-5)

Equipment

Laptop, digital audio recorder, digital cameras (point-and-shoot and SLR), digital video recorder

Showcase

Human Interest

What would you do if you found your basement filled with drunken teens? This in-depth article looks at the issues surrounding underage drinking and the hosting law, from the point-of-view of the police, parents, parenting and legal experts and one respected couple whose New Year began in handcuffs.
Conversion in America has become a lightning-rod issue provoking intense, often emotional, responses about the essence of Judaism and religious identity. "This issue touches on identity and continuity, the gap between ethnicity and religion, and the lag between tradition and contemporary experience." (From the editor's intro-duction)

Business

In 1991, we had an Iraqi war, a recession and a high rate of business and new product failures. Amazingly, the advice in this column still works. I wrote often for Ad Business Report, a highly valued, subscription-only newsletter for advertising executives.
Top Media Directors talk about their roles in New Business Development.
My first published piece. This column offered an alternative to ad agencies who chased every New Business opportunity. In the pre-digital age, everyone in the ad business would grab their copy of Ad Age first thing Monday morning and read it cover to cover. This article gave me street cred.
Here are three examples of my "New Business Advisor" column in AdWeek - a national trade publication for the advertising industry. My byline is my maiden name, as well as the name I used for my business development consultancy.

Parenting

Parents are bombarded by serious advice from all quarters telling them how they've ruined their children's psyches. These poor folks need a laugh. I know I do. Mama Trauma is edgy humor geared towards all of us who are parents. It's based on my experiences and I offer them up to ease yours.

Architecture/Home Design

Meet the Bluestones: a Croton-on-Hudson couple designs an energy-efficient home back when most of us thought a "carbon footprint"? had something to do with fossil dating.
In the past three centuries, across a wide range of architectural styles and building uses, many Westchester structures can lay claim to the moniker "best". We asked a panel of leading local architects to choose their favorites. Not an easy task.
If you really want to get to know someone, don't walk a mile in her shoes. Spend 90 minutes interviewing her in her closet.
A Chappaqua Tudor's ingenious design both protects the owners' privacy while it supports frequent entertaining.

Health & Beauty

The toughest job you'll ever love? Visiting 17 new day spas in 20 days and getting treatments at every place. I was exfoliated within an inch of my life, but loved every minute.
I was having a bad hair day. However, I was loath to commute to Manhattan again for my over-priced stylist and her Greek chorus of assistants to "do" me. Cappuccino and a neck massage weren't going to sweep away the stress of running for the train. There must be good hairstylists in this county...somewhere.