After Magazines

Josh Wolk, former Editorial Director for NY Magazine's Vulture.com, talks about how the relentless churn of entertainment journalism led him to start his own company, Fixate Media, where he helps studios and networks create digital content to promote their projects.

Among the tips Josh shares are:

1. No one is better at generating authentic excitement around a product than the journalists who provide objective coverage of that product.

2. "Marketing" isn't a dirty word, even if some journalists are conditioned to think it is.

3. The key to a career pivot may simply be realizing how good you are at something you aren't yet doing.

FIXATE DIGITAL
https://fixatedigital.com/

AFTER MAGAZINES
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1350197931719900/

Please let me know what you think of the show and who you'd like to see interviewed next:
[email protected]

Josh Wolk, former Editorial Director for NY Magazine's Vulture.com, talks about how the relentless churn of entertainment journalism led him to start his own company, Fixate Media, where he helps studios and networks create digital content to promote their projects.

Among the tips Josh shares are:

1. No one is better at generating authentic excitement around a product than the journalists who provide objective coverage of that product.

2. "Marketing" isn't a dirty word, even if some journalists are conditioned to think it is.

3. The key to a career pivot may simply be realizing how good you are at something you aren't yet doing.

FIXATE DIGITAL
https://fixatedigital.com/

AFTER MAGAZINES
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1350197931719900/

Please let me know what you think of the show and who you'd like to see interviewed next:
[email protected]

I spoke with career coach Stacey Staaterman, a 20-year marketing and advertising magazine industry vet. Stacey talks about her run in the mag biz, when and why she decided it was time to try something different, and shares insights and strategies she uses with clients looking to make a pivot themselves.

Among the tips Stacey shares in the episode:

1. When considering a career pivot, go back to the basics. Deconstruct what you love and what you want to do more of, and use that to model your ideal next step.

2. Surround yourself with people who are already in the place you’re trying to get to.

3. "The Future Does Not Fit in the Containers of the Past” -- a quote she got from advertising guruRishad Tobaccowala that absolutely changed her life.

STACEY STAATERMAN
https://staceystaaterman.com/

AFTER MAGAZINES
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1350197931719900/

Please let me know what you think of the show and who you'd like to see interviewed next:
[email protected]

I spoke with my former Entertainment Weekly colleague Jason Adams about his pivot from magazines to a new gig as head of Owned Media at T-Mobile. We talked about how and why he decided to move away from his magazine career and some of the challenges, both professional and personal, he had to overcome to land a great job working for a brand.

Among the tips Jason shares in the episode:

1. Lean on others for help.
2. Know that your journey is your own and you need to figure it out for yourself.
3. Don't expect a great resumé to magically get you that next big gig. Hustle.

AFTER MAGAZINES
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1350197931719900/

Please let me know what you think of the show and who you'd like to see interviewed next:
[email protected]

I talked with Chandra Turner, co-founder of the After Magazines Facebook Group, about how her belief in "career karma" inspired her and friend Jillian Mackenzie to create the group, and how it "took on a life of its own" thanks to the amazing writers and editors in the community. We also run through Chandra's tours of duty in the mag biz, including stints at Cosmo, Parents and American Baby, as well as a more recent branded content gig at Scholastic.

Her latest endeavor is an expansion of the publishing industry job listing and community website she created many years ago, Ed2010, and development of her recruitment, consulting and training company Talent Fairy.

Among the tips Chandra shares in the episode:

1. Take the time to learn "brand" lingo if you want to translate your skills as a mag veteran to a brand gig
2. Tweak your bio and resumé and present yourself as some kind of specialist rather than a generalist
3. Spend more time networking than you do responding to online ads

AFTER MAGAZINES
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1350197931719900/

ED2010/TALENT FAIRY
http://ed2010.com/

Please let me know what you think of the show and who you'd like to see interviewed next:
[email protected]

Welcome to the After Magazines podcast!

I'm an NYC-based magazine journalist as well as a member and huge fan of the After Magazines Facebook Group. Earlier this year, I started toying with the idea of creating a podcast for the community. There are so many smart, fascinating members with stories to tell, and so many other ways for us to help each other find that next great endeavor. I took the idea to group founders Chandra Turner and Jillian MacKenzie, and they were instantly supportive, so I decided to run with it. And here we are.

I myself am a veteran journalist with a magazine history that includes tours of duty at Entertainment Weekly, Billboard and a few other print titles. I've recently pivoted to add e-commerce and content marketing work to my profile, and the ideas, connections and inspiration I get in the After Magazines Group have been really helpful in making that transition.

This weekly podcast will provide tactical advice After Magazine professionals can use to further their careers. I'll talk to members of the After Magazines community sharing what they've learned in their journeys, career and life coaches who can give advice specific to our community, and the AM Group founders themselves, of course.

Please subscribe and let me know what you think and what you want to hear moving forward.

Glad you're here!

--Mike

[email protected]

My website