Professional

I'm Known For...

Quirky, off-beat features, my ability to get anyone to talk about anything. I like to joke that my writing is like a mutual fund: the more diversified the better.

More importantly, I'm a storyteller.

My Current Project

Working in the digital age.

My Greatest Achievement

Is still to come.

I Truly Respect

My mom and my dad. They are the most generous, hardworking people I know. They have influenced me so much. I'm grateful to have a wonderful crazy family (think My Big Fat Greek wedding, Italian-style.)

I have so many people who have helped me along the way, the list is too long to count. I am blessed and thankful for each and every one of you.

Moments I'd Like To Forget

Almost dying in a car accident, twice. The first time being rear ended by an oil tanker. (I don't remember it, it's like a blank part on a movie screen, but I remember waking up in the hospital with a bunch of broken ribs, puncture lung and being released from the hospital too early so more ribs broke on the plane ride home. The second time, I was hit by a MACK truck on the driver's side.)

Blocks I've Been Around

I spent four months driving to every NFL city in the country for The Sporting News' Ultimate NFL Road Trip for the 2000-01 NFL season. Two guys, a gal in the car and 30 cities. At the end we had a chance to cover Super Bowl XXXV.

Things That Really Happened

(Or 26 Random Facts About Me...)

1. While in Cambodia, a man purchased a cricket for me and said if it’s “good enough for Cambodians it should be good enough for Americans.”

2.And yes, I ate it. It was crispy and then chewy. It dissolved into a messy ball of goo, and I tried not to taste too much.

3. I was one of three women who graduated from Indiana University’s inaugural varsity (NCAA) rowing program.

4.My senior year in college I made it to CRASH-B’s (the world indoor rowing championship). The time I pulled on the erg was fast enough to be offered an alternate spot at the Olympic rowing camp in Chula Visa, Calif.

5.I have made “Tiffany-style” stained glass lamps, painted Sumi-e style Japanese watercolors and two large murals.

6. I call myself “politely aggressive.” And yes, there is a difference.

7. It may sound cheesy and trite, but I really believe that every person can make a difference.

8. Changing up my office décor from red to Key Lime green really helped me to become happier – and more productive - when I write.

9. I’ve been to every state in the U.S. except for: Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming and Hawaii.

10. Growing up, I never really liked football, but after getting a chance to drive to every NFL city in the country for The Sporting News, I fell in love with the game.

11. I went dog sledding, zip-lining and rock climbing in Alaska to get over my fear of heights.

12. I went on my check out dive (for a six-month scuba diving class) instead of going to my Senior prom.

13. When it comes to life and sports (okay, let’s be honest, for everything) I root for the underdog. And usually all roads lead back to Chicago.

14. I was sitting in the back seat of a car that was hit by an oil tanker, and I don’t remember any of it. It is like a blank spot on a DVD.

15. While in the coma after the accident, I vaguely remember going through a white tunnel of light and being told it’s not your time, go back. Maybe it was the morphine, or maybe it wasn’t. I think it was the latter.

16. I’ve also been hit by a MACK truck (while driving a car.) but I ultimately had back surgery – once - after falling down a flight of basement stairs – where each step was covered by a beach towel (at someone else’s house.)

17. I’m the oldest (and tallest, sorry little bro) of four.

18. In college, I would DJ dance music in the dorm (I know, big surprise) and used the name “Funky D.”

19. I was born at Dawn and it was the only name my parents could agree on.

20. I was taller than my mother in third grade.

21. I’ve been scuba diving off shipwrecks and with sharks but I get claustrophobic when I’ve gone spelunking.

22. The most difficult and the wisest decision I ever made was turning down a marriage proposal.

23. I talked my way past four rounds of security guards and convinced the USA Today credential rep to give me press pass at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta.

24. My favorite place in the world is at my parents’ lake house in Elkhart, Wis. It has been in my family for more than 60 years.

25. I’ve interviewed many celebrities like Magic Johnson, Maya Angelou and Bob Costas, but my favorite people are the random encounters I’ve made like the cross-dressing Italian owner (Alfredo) whose wife is a fashion designer in Milan and still can embarrass me, not matter how long its been, or the 70+year-old blind salsa dancing couple (George & Dora) who could make a stripper blush and still be cute in a grandparent-kind-of-way. There is something real and honest and genuine about meeting people this way.

26. My former next-door neighbor, Larry, came to a going-away party I was throwing for a friend, co-worker at the St. Petersburg Times. During the party there was a freak accident. Larry, a rail-thin, 70+year-old man sat at the end of my outdoor lawn chair. The base of the lawn chair collapsed and severed his pinky finger. We had to search for it and I rushed him to the hospital. Luckily after four hours, the doctor was able to reattach it. But Larry, an avid cyclist couldn't bike for months, so we sat on our communal porch and became friends for life after it.

Where I'd Like To Be 10 Years From Now

Who knows what. I like change and challenges. Life is short. Play hard. Have fun and appreciate small, special moments (and people) along the way.

Why True/Slant

A reputable news site. Real journalists. Real writers who have something to say. The blogosphere is where its at, plus there is something to be said about a site that pays its writers and lets you own your own content.

My Other Website

www.mediabistro.com/dawnreiss

Personal

This Is Annoying Me...

People who make excuses. Talk is cheap. Do something. (My second pet-peeve: people who consistently butcher my name .... it is pronounced R-I-C-E (Think Weiss with an R, not Reese.) Why? It's Germanic in origin. The e is silent.)

This Is Making Me Worry...

That some people are against healthcare reform. If you've ever known someone who was really sick, you'd understand how important it is. So many entrepreneurs don't star their own business because they are worried about finding health insurance. As a freelance writer, I understand and share those concerns. I also helped a woman, the wife of a former co-worker, who had a brain aneurysm and has been locked in her body for years. To say healthcare is only for the rich (like a certain CEO of Whole Foods did) and to say it is your own problem is a crime. It's like telling people they should expect a house fire, or rape or mugging. It's unconscionable and I'm sure if it happened to them, they'd feel differently.

This Is Bringing Me Joy...

My friends. My family. Having my health. So many things, including finishing the 2009 Chicago Triathlon (the world's largest with 9,300 competitors) in 1 hour, 56 minutes a year after having back surgery.

The distance: 1/4 mile swim, 1/4 mile barefoot run, 13.5 mile bike, 3.1 mile run in less than 2 hours.

I'm Running From...

Nothing. When I'm fearful of something, I run to it, not away from it. You have to go through fear, to really grow and learn.

I was scared of heights, so I went zip-lining. I'm a terrible singer and got kicked out of my high school choir for being tone deaf, so I recently rounded up my friends for a wild night of karaoke.

This Is Helping Me Create...

I paint. I meditate. I run, I swim and I bike. I'm a former collegiate rower and I think to be a great writer you have to free your mind to really see what is around you.

This Is Making Me Think - Hard...

I'm reading Swimming to Swimming to Antarctica by Lynne Cox. Amazing woman. Amazing story.

This Makes My Teeth Itch

Eating a cricket while on assignment in Cambodia.

Can't Do Without

Creative, open-minded people.

My Most Awkward Moment

Too many to count.

My Secret Ambition

To paint a mural in Chicago. I've paint two before, but not in the city.