Gayle Hyden
Operations Manager/Human Resources
Job Duties:
Making sure every department meets its goals and key milestones
Formulating company policies and ensuring compliance
Performing quality control and assurance on production
Examine financial data and analyze it to improve profits
When I decided to start my professional editing business back in 2012, then named Hyde ‘n’ Seek Editing, my mother was my biggest fan. She did everything she could to encourage me to venture out from working for a publishing company (though one of the big fives) and instead create my own company, where I could work for the “regular” authors, the ones who preferred to self-publish their work.
A couple of years ago, when I decided to rebrand my business and book blog, she stood by my side, full of ideas, ready to help me take it to the next level. She was the one that told me I could do this, that reminded me why I started this business in the first place, and motivated me to make this more than, at the time, I thought it could be.
We joked about how she needed a “fancy title,” and I did my research, figuring out the best one for the things that she did each day. She was the one that kept me focused, who worked behind the scenes to make sure I stayed on schedule and met my goals. She was the one that worked with me to create company policies (whether you are a company of 1 or a company of 1 million, you should always have policies and procedures). She was the one that made sure I was being consistent in the quality of work I was putting out there. She was the one who looked at the time I was putting in compared to the amount I was asking, and though she wanted me to charge more, she understood why I chose to keep my prices low (not because I don’t have faith in my work and what I can do, but because I knew who I was working for and wanted to help them reach their goals).
Unfortunately, COVID happened. Which brought me back into the retail management field, unable to make it on editing alone. I lost site of my business, taking on more contract work from now two big five publishing companies, unable to find time for those “regular” authors that I loved working with so much.
At the beginning of this year, Gayle passed away unexpectedly. I lost my best friend, my roommate, my business partner, and my Disney-trip buddy all at once. I lost my purpose. I lost my reason to continue.
While going through her file cabinets over the weekend, something I have been putting off for some time, and something I was now using to put off other things, I found a scratch piece of paper full of notes on MeghanH Editing. Included was a list of goals we had talked about during a business meeting at the end of last year, the main goal being to put MeghanH Editing on the map, to venture out from the genre I had called “home” for so long and put myself out there for everyone. (Even beyond this world she is reminding me of why I started out doing this in the first place.)
Even though she has passed on, she will always have this “fancy title,” will always be considered a part of this company. Without her, I would have not even tried for this dream of mine, something I have wanted to do since I was in pre-K, something I went to school for (and continue my education for every year), something that I am extremely passionate about. Without her, Hyde ‘n’ Seek Editing, and now MeghanH Editing, would not be a thing. And I will never be able to thank her enough for what she did for me.
MeghanH Editing 