Who is Heather? Heather Buen, MBA (and soon to be Masters in Finance) is a mom of three, an Energy Utilities Analyst, former Adjunct Professor, Freelance writer, Blogging Extraordinaire and Light Worker.
I consider myself to be a spiritual warrior of insight. Dependable, consistent, caring and a problem solver. This is how I am described. I am not afraid to get into the thick of things or problem solve and work my way out and help others. I believe in a simple mantra called “The Buen Life – Living your life on purpose.”
I was born and raised on Maui, Hawaii and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree from Hawaii Pacific University in Honolulu, Hawaii. I moved to Texas in 2001 working for Verizon Communications eventually moving on to TXU Energy where I currently work. I began freelance writing in 2010. Personally I have been married and divorced but always stayed in Dallas-Fort Worth. As a mom and a Gen-X, I have reinvented myself through life’s changes and I refer to myself as the ‘Re-Invention’ Agent. I have developed an efficient work life balance for myself and my family that works for our unique situation. I just celebrated my 9 year service anniversary at TXU Energy as a Sr. Analyst for Utilities Active Collections. I am in great company as I get to spend my days working with such awesome folks that are all part of an organization that is one of the top ten out of the Dallas Morning News’ Top 100 Places to Work for in Dallas-Fort Worth.
Education
I am a big advocate for continuous learning. It is why I got my MBA from the University of Maryland – University College and I am currently obtaining my Masters in Finance there. I have taught from 2013 to 2016 at UT Arlington in their Continuing Education Department. If you need mentoring, want to set aside time to chat or want to hear about how I teach and coaching others you can contact me.
Blogging and Freelance Work
I started the blog, Dallas Single Mom in 2010, and it has quickly become of the top lifestyle blogs in Dallas-Fort Worth. It has helped me share my experiences with work life balance, learn about digital marketing in an experiential way (and Teach It), network with other social media influencers and open up a world of possibilities for me. In 2017 I transferred ownership so that I could pursue other endeavors and learning to quit, quitting to learn has taught me so much about tuning into your calling and changing your frequency in order to achieve the buen life – or the life on YOUR purpose.
Learn more about me in my Corporate Resume and view a list of my writing projects in my portfolio. In my spare time I enjoy cooking, traveling, art and being all about Dallas.
Awards and Honors include:
- 2016 – Honor Roll at TXU Energy – Top 5 employees for most community service hours
- 2016 – Part of Winning Team in TXU Energy’s First Case Study Competition
- 2015 – Featured VIP Panel Speaker and Presenter at 2015 Blogger 2 Boss Conference,
- 2015 – Judge at 2015 Dallas InnovateHER women’s small business challenge
- 2014 – Expert blogging panel member at Market Mommy
- 2014 – Influencer at zillow.com
- 2013 – Achieved Toastmaster’s Competent Communicator Status by completing ten speeches.
- 2010 – Completed Level 1 Leadership Practitioner for NLP Training Concepts – Building Powerful Relationships
- 2009 – Attended the 2009 Dallas Regional Chamber Women’s Conference
- 2007 – Customer Service Award at FedEx Kinko’s
- 2004 – June Employee of the Month
- 2003 – 2nd Place – Largest Corporate Fundraiser for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society – $12, 000
- Nominated as best local blogger 4 years straight by Dallas A List.
Highlights of her career:
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2016
- Reinvention Agent
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02.08.2016Begin marketing at a life transitions coach under the name "Re-invention" Agent. Utilizing life experiences and experiential learning to teach those in transition how to use their present tools in a more efficient manner towards achieving their goals.
- Newscastic Writer for CW33
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07.2016Began writing for CW33 with Newscastic as a Dallas lifestyle writer.
2013
- Seasonal Sales at Best Buy - Part Time
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15.11.2013I worked for a short amount of time at Best Buy as a seasonal sales associate. I did it so I could refresh my selling skills and learn about new technologies and electronics. I was a top salesperson in Home Theater and Audio sales and I had the lowest amount of returns due to my thorough selling presentations and belief in customer satisfaction.
- Adjunct Professor Continuing Education - UT Arlington
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10.2013With the success I gained as a blogger and social media influencer, along with my experience in corporate training I successfully began teaching web marketing and Google analytics at UT Arlington in their continuing education department. It has been rewarding and I help students understand digital marketing, SEO, affiliate marketing through experiential learning and critical thinking.
2010
- Start of Dallas Single Mom Blog
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05.2010This was when I created my blog Dallas Single Mom to talk about my life as a single mom. Since then it has morphed into being one of the top mom and Dallas blogs and has led to much success as a digital expert, brand ambassador, social media influencer and more.
- Freelance Writer - Examiner.com
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03.2010I began writing for Examiner.com and ended my stint there when they closed for business in June of 2016. This was my first foray into paid publishing and I haven't looked back since. See the entire Examiner.com portfolio here!
2008
- Started working for TXU Energy
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08.2008In the summer of 2008 I got the pleasure of taking a position with TXU Energy and that is where I have been every since. For a few years I started with the telemarketing group managing the vendor relationship and performance of call center vendors and eventually ended up managing all communications in the Active Collections area. It has truly been a rewarding experience filled with a lot of great successes and challenges.
2007
- Account Executive - Fed Ex Office
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02.2007In Februrary of 2007 I took a position at FedEx Office doing inside sales and eventually transitioning to field sales. In this position I got the chance to meet with many FedEx counterparts and our commitment to success in the printing and shipping arena. It was great servicing business customers in this capacity and hitting sales goals.
2003
- Project Management Specialist - Verizon
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03.2003As a project management specialist I learned the ins and outs of project management for some of the most advanced network technologies at the time. Utilizing Microsoft Office products such as Excel, Powerpoint, Word, Database and SQL and SAS technologies there were numerous product implementations, sales skills training and department objectives that I was glad to be a part of. Success was around every corner.
2001
- Began work at Verizon Communications
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01.2001
The start of my post bachelor degree began at Verizon Communications as a part of their Marketing Development program. A two year rotational program offering graduates the opportunity to experience corporate level experience in various marketing and product management capacities as well as a year long rotation managing employees. The gamut of my rotation included Small Business Sales Operations Support, Product Management and Verizon retail store management.
2000
- Graduated BSBA Corporate Communications
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12.2000
Graduating with a Bachelors or Science degree in Corporate Communications and a 3.8 GPA I am proud to have been a Sea Warrior. Having been born and raised on the island of Maui, I am very thankful to be able to represent my home state and Aloha where ever I go. My time here was filled with fun, friends and a lot of academic success. I got the opportunity to be on the winning team to win the district level for the National Student Advertising Competition in 2000 with the American Advertising Federation while at HPU.
While attending college I had three jobs. I worked at State Farm Insurance in insurance sales from when I was in high school in May 1996 with various agents until December of 2000. I also was a waitress and hostess for Le Guignol French Restaurant, worked as a sales clerk at Liberty House (now known as Macy's) and interned in the summer of 2000 with GTE Hawaiian Tel (now Verizon).
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