Hayley Frerichs channels creativity through storytelling

In a time before smartphones and social media, Hayley Frerichs grew up telling stories. 

In elementary school, she often wrote diaries for imaginary historical characters or stories that transformed her friends into fairies. 

Today, Frerichs is a marketing and digital content specialist for Lehigh’s College of Arts and Sciences, but that role is just one outlet for her creativity. 

Outside of Lehigh, she writes for The Cardinal, authors romantic fantasy books and maintains a personal social media presence.

The same imaginative spark that inspired her as a child continues to shape her career, which has been less linear and more driven by creativity.

Frerichs attended Pennsylvania State University in 2013 intending to study engineering. After two semesters, she pivoted to English and education. 

After graduation, she worked as a high school teacher for a year before teaching English at a bilingual elementary school in Spain.

She returned to the U.S. in 2018, and taught for another year, but said she eventually felt burned out. In 2019, she left teaching and took a job as a server at a local restaurant while focusing on her writing.

It was during this period of uncertainty that an unexpected career path began to take shape.

Using her storytelling ability, eye for aesthetics and writing skills, Frerichs said she quickly grew a social media following for the restaurant. She posted specials, wrote captions and shared short videos. 

“Social media didn’t really exist when I was growing up,” she said. “I never expected to work in it. (The restaurant is) where I got my start in social media, and it really translated into my job (at Lehigh). It all came together on a wandering path.”

In 2024, Frerichs began working at Lehigh, where her responsibilities include writing articles, producing website content, promoting events and managing email campaigns and social media accounts. 

She said the work is cyclical, shifting with each season. In early spring, she focuses on event promotion, while later in the semester she turns to writing. 

Frerichs said her favorite part of the job is interviewing students and professors about their work. 

Blair Lieberman, Frerichs’s co-worker, said she’s wonderful to work with. 

“She’s a natural storyteller who is always ready to take on new projects,” Lieberman said. “She does an incredible job covering the steady stream of news coming out of our office.”

In 2025, Frerichs also began writing monthly feature content for The Cardinal, a role she said allows her to explore the more creative side of content creation.

She writes themed monthly features about community events and local businesses in the Lehigh Valley. March’s theme was “blooming,” highlighting local nurseries and garden centers. 

“I have a lot of freedom with what I want to write about,” Frerichs said. “I really love just taking it month-by-month.”

In her novels and short stories, she said she blends history, fantasy and romance.

She said her writing process often begins with an “idea spark.” 

Frerichs currently has a literary agent for her novel, “The Blind Perfumer,” which was inspired by a Google search about perfume.

“I like perfume, but it gives me asthma,” she said. “Modern perfumes are very triggering, so I was researching how to make oil perfume and came across an article about an archaeologist who had discovered an ancient tin of lotion.”

A few days later, she said she woke up with a storyline: set in a magical ancient Persia, a blind perfumer is forced on a quest with a mysterious bodyguard to find her brother, who was kidnapped for his ability to see the future.

In addition to her creative writing, Frerichs shares her interests through her blog and Pinterest, posting about her garden, home and crafts. She said she aims to use social media to inspire others.

“From having a creative idea to a creative caption, creativity is something that really is one of my core values,” she said. “It really bleeds into all aspects of work and life, including novels, journalism and social media.”

Frerichs’ friend Jessica Jackson said she enjoys reading her work and following her blog. She said many people don’t spend hours editing a book or carefully curating a blog, but for Frerichs, it brings joy.

Jackson also said she admires Frerichs’ love for books and the “cottage-core vibe” she creates, and is impressed by her dedication to her creative passions.

“Something I think that (Frerichs) does beautifully is that she intentionally creates the life that she wants,” Jackson said.

Reflecting on her path, Frerichs said she’s proud of pursuing a creative life, even when it hasn’t been the most financially lucrative. She said she’s grateful for what she learned from teaching, working as a server and her roles at Lehigh and The Cardinal.