Get to Know Us

Adrian loves words, but not just words. She adores language. She also has a knack for spotting errors in text, a habit and hobby she picked up as a preteen that has carried over into her adult career. Speaking of which, throughout her career, Adrian has proofread and edited books, short stories, magazines, brochures, web content, news articles, and materials for multichannel marketing campaigns. Her favorite aspects of her role are being able to genuinely connect with others and help people refine their stories into well-crafted, beautiful works of art.

Be the artist I seek. Corey Blake heard his call to adventure long before he accepted it. As founder and CEO of Round Table Companies, Corey tells us why he believes The Story Hero is his 250-year-contribution to the long arc of time, and how his own heroic tale became what it is today.

Sarah Byrd is a dialogue dynamo. She can take any narrative scene and paint the most exquisite literary composition using thoughtful conversation within the quotation marks. With over 12 years of writing experience, Sarah brings a level of authenticity to her work that delights clients and inspires her team members. We took a moment to have a chat with Sarah so she could share more about herself with the world.

Sheila Harris is one of those souls who is always content if she has something to read. As an editor and “technically” an award-winning writer for nearly 20 years, Sheila brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the proofreading section of the RTC table. We sat down with Sheila to learn a little more about this lovely, introverted Canadian.

Kelsey Servi loves stories and connecting with others, which makes her the perfect fit as an RTC client care coordinator. Kelsey serves as a catalyst between clients and the RTC team. This highly compassionate and organized maven is one of the kindest people you’ll ever meet. When she’s not working, you can find her traveling or planning her next adventure with her family. We asked Kelsey a few questions.

Christy Watson is the type of person who makes sure everyone’s needs are met before her own. She looks out fiercely for her team, RTC’s clients, and our vendors. Her keen intuition sets up all those around her for success. In short, she is a force to be reckoned with in the best possible way.

Kristen is a master multitasker with keen organizational skills (sometimes color-coded) and the most easy-going attitude in existence. No, really. She keeps the RTC team on track and is always ready to dive in and lend a hand to help her team and our clients lead efficient and productive lives. Did we mention she is also a super mom and an owner and head coach at a dynamic cheerleading gym?

Annie Rose Stathes has a huge heart and a brilliant mind. She strives to make the world a better place and thrives on genuine positivity. This RTC book editor is a master storyteller and knows just the right questions to ask clients, uncovering the story they were meant to write all along.

Fitness enthusiast, karaoke queen, super mom to five brilliant children, and director of operations. These are just a few titles that apply to the wonder that is Keli McNeill. As director of operations, Keli leads and supports our team to ensure that RTC runs like a well-oiled machine.

Nathan Lueth has been with RTC since 2010. In addition to illustrating many RTC works, Nathan is also a graphic novelist, caricature artist, martial artist, and fascinating human being. Nathan has a lot of passion projects coming up including the conclusion of his steam-fantasy novel series and the debut of his own graphic novel series.

Andrea Yahr wears many hats. She is a devoted mother and wife, a talented pianist, a business owner, a rockstar accountant, and has also been head of finance at RTC since 2016. To Andrea, every day is an experience. Her life is driven by the need to provide for her family and make sure they have everything they could want or need. That drive is what gets Andrea up and out of bed every morning even though she is a night owl and can often be seen working at three or four a.m. during tax season.

Kelsey Schurer has an unparalleled love for language and literature, which gives her the ability to see the crux of a story by observing the language used and reading between the lines. A natural storyteller, Kelsey is a deeply talented yet humble artist, both with words and visual art. Kelsey’s profound observations lead clients down fruitful paths and awaken a sense of wonder that strengthens each manuscript’s foundation and draws readers into the heart of the story.

From pens and pencils to graphic design software, Christy Bui, RTC book designer, found a career in a hobby she enjoyed. In another life, Christy would probably be a dancer or Cirque du Soleil performer. She may be an indoor kid who loves playing video games, crafting, and watching Netflix, but Christy was once a talented member of her high school’s color guard. Today, you can find Christy working on RTC visions, blueprints, forms, and, yes, book designs. The introspective and highly talented designer is both empathetic and compassionate when it comes to her work as well as her life. She’s humble and quiet at times, but when given the freedom to design, her intended message is loud and clear.

Liz Bauman is a master at decoding a plethora of schedules. She does a little bit of everything at RTC including assisting with human resources projects, scheduling client calls and team calls, providing transcription resources, and more. She’s been the keeper of calls for over 10 years and her role continues to expand with RTC.

Andrea Yahr is an accounting icon with a knack for all things administration. The keeper of RTC’s payroll, budgets, book orders, and more, as well as the go-to for human resource needs, Andrea is a highly knowledgeable, skilled, and compassionate member of our team. With a head for numbers and a heart of service, Andrea brings more than 20 years of experience in taxes and accounting to the table.

Little boys do all sorts of crazy things to get attention, but many do not have a picture of their 8-ish years old selves hovering over a typewriter. But RTC’s book editor David Lins does.

RTC book editor, Mary Anna, has an effervescent energy often compared to “childlike wonder.” Her unwavering optimism elevates her team members and encourages clients to step into the unknown without fear or hesitation. A journalist at heart, Mary Anna loves getting to the root of one’s individual story and watching it flourish into a manuscript. She has also been told she is kind of funny.

Yolanda, also affectionately known as “Mama Yo” is the heartbeat of Round Table Companies. Her nurturing spirit, unmatched professionalism, and intuitive sense of connection make for a dazzling combination of gifts, talents, and leadership. Yolanda embodies RTC’s value of L.O.V.E. daily through her work with clients and staff.

James rediscovered writing, a skill he had pursued his entire life, and made it his profession in 2016. This witty and compassionate book editor has an uncanny knack for encouraging authors to get into the deeper parts of their story. An empathic mastermind, James helps clients get into the right frame of mind to explore their own vulnerability.

As a trained graphic designer and self-taught artist, Christy Bui brings words and images to life on the page, on the art installation wall, and on the book cover. Whether it is experimenting with typography or piecing together images to tell a broader story, Christy’s graphic design talent is unmatched.

Whether it's coordinating her family, coaching her cheer squad, or managing the staff of RTC, we can rest assured that Kristen Mitchell has a plan and that it will be carried out seamlessly. Read on to find out more about our newest project manager.

Energetic, ambitious, with the desire to champion people through their lives, Mary Anna, whose stories give you a hearty laugh, is a person that has the drive to get things done.

It is no secret that Gen has the ability to help others feel through her extraordinary gift of storytelling. Whether the story is told behind a camera or on a page, her heart-dropping one-liners give you pause and revelation.

Keli is a southern firecracker that brings an energetic flow to every project she touches. Her deft solutions have served her well throughout her life as a teacher, a mama, and a senior project manager.

Clean lines and the curve of the perfectly placed character is part of what makes Sunny’s heart sing when it comes to design. That, coupled with her mad talent for organizing processes here at RTC, make her the powerhouse in our publishing and design departments.

No matter the role—actor, writer, editor, or teacher—Kathy Catmull is always playing the part of cocreator with her fellow artists by staying in conversation with colleagues, clients, and students until the work is ready to enter the world.

Annie Rose is a powerhouse at communication across cultures and beliefs. Her desire to invite others to expand their perspectives changes the narrative on what “normal” is.

Liz Bauman embodies the spirit of finding magic in the everyday. Through her playfulness, curiosity, and care, Liz delivers joy and brilliance in every piece of her life, from her role as a mother to her work with RTC.

A motivated person who swiftly moved up the ranks at JPMorgan, Christy has no problem stepping up to make any project work. Number crunching is her superpower, and she has the gumption of creating her own system to make sure our RTC clients’ time is well spent.

Sarah’s hunt for an agent to help her launch her own book is what led her to RTC. Her heart, optimism, brilliance, and encouragement are what made her a beautiful fit.

Kelsey Schurer is an artist in every sense of the word. Not only does she create magic with a paintbrush, but she also creates it with words, bringing them to life and helping others do the same.

A love of family, deep sense of adventure, and gratitude for days. Those are just a few of the words that we would use to describe our client care coordinator, Kelsey.

In 10th grade, James realized the power of words, and he hasn’t looked back. Every job he’s held has included the written word in some way. When he came to RTC, he discovered the true power of using them to connect with our higher purpose.

With a positive attitude and a determination for loving people where they are, Yolanda allows her servant’s heart to flourish as she steps into the role that she was always meant to have.

We all have that one job we want to have when we grow up. We dream about it, work toward it, and hope that we succeed. For RTC artist Nathan Lueth, his dream became a reality! From caricatures to comics, he can do it all!