About Me

Introduction

I’m Katie Hartwig, founder of Fair Columnist magazine for women. Originally I’m from South Dakota, USA but moved to Manchester, England to be with my fiancé Ian after meeting him on an adventure holiday. I’m an outdoors kind of girl as you can see from the photos here and spent most of my younger years up in the mountains, trekking across fields and climbing peaks. So why this blog? I’ve always been interested in health, exploration and since becoming a mother to be beautiful daughter Shannon, motherhood. My friends would say I like to portray myself as a strong independent woman with a feminist streak so you will find careers advice amongst other things here as well.

Where it all began

I grew up with 2 sisters and a brother in a small town called Pierre in South Dakota. We were all keen on the great outdoors and went on family trips staying in the mountains all through my childhood, it’s why I love being out adventuring so much. I soon discovered a passion for writing and decided to try and turn my hobby into a career so studied journalism where upon graduating I worked for a few years at the local paper. And this is where my site was born. I wanted to create a journal of my experiences and if I can empower just one woman to better herself I will be more than happy.

Moving to England

It’s safe to say that I didn’t expect a move to the UK would ever be on the cards but here I am! On one of the regular mountaineering trips we took I met a shy guy from England called Ian who after 3 days plucked up the courage to talk to me. We stayed in touch and met again on a trip to Europe backpacking. One thing led to another and the next thing I know I’m planning on upping sticks and moving to Manchester to be with him. It turned out to be the best decision I’d ever made, I love the Brits and their quirky sense of humour and been made to feel so welcome in the place I now call home.

My favourite topics

You may be wondering why I choose to write about the topics I do. I like to focus on a few areas where I know my input can be valuable.

01.

Health

As someone who couldn’t live without being able to go on hikes and climbs health is vitally important to me. I love to read up on the latest and greatest when it comes to nutrition, exercise and wellbeing. I don’t claim to be an expert but speak from experience and use examples from my life.

02.

Womanhood

My friends will tell you that I’m a fierce feminist. That’s not strictly true, I just believe in equality for everyone. With that in mind I blog about helping women find their place on the career ladder and how to deal with injustices and in balance in the workplace with the goal to become a leader.

03.

Motherhood

This one was somewhat unexpected! I never planned to be a mother but when I found out the news it changed me as a person. Something about having another human being as your responsibility to sharpen the senses. Read about what I learned along the way and the struggles I faced.

Careers

A woman’s place is no longer in the kitchen, times have thankfully moved on and so should you. Read our guides on how to get ahead in your career with a salary to match.