The Best Advice From The Guests Of How She Made It

Simran Narwani, Content Editor @ Media x Women

We learnt alot from the guests of How She Made it season 1, from their struggles to success each guest was authentic and gave us advice that we carry through our own journeys ahead. Here are some of our favorite words of wisdom.

Kayla Brantley, Reporter and Correspondent at Daily Mail (Episode 1, Season 1)

When asked about the best advice she’s gotten from a mentor:

“The importance of storytelling, you can be a reporter and you can lay out the facts but that gets boring after a while. Nobody wants to hear regurgitated facts. So the importance of telling a story and connecting to the reader, is something I will always take with me. And remembering why you are telling the story in the first place, is it in the interest of the people or are you just trying to get words on a page.”

Sana Srinivasan, CG Generalist at Buck (Episode 2, Season 1)

When asked what advice she would give girls or women who are aspiring to get into the field:

“I would say reach out to other women because I feel like thats the easiest jumping off point, I don’t think any woman in this field..like if there was someone who said ‘hi I don’t know what to do? I really like your work, what would you advise?’ I don’t think any of us would turn them away at all”

Monica Perez, Director of Graphic Arts at Saminole Boosters (Episode 3, Season 1)

When asked  about what she learnt to help her grow and achieve her job role:

“I think the biggest thing is to always be open to taking that lesser job. The way I got here, I didn't graduate and say ‘well I'm gonna get my dream job now’ and just apply and get this. It was a very long, stepping stone kind of road.”

Mckenzie Sullivan, Broadcast Research intern at NBC Entertainment (Episode 4, Season 1)

When asked how she was able to find and internship but with one of the big 3 companies NBC:

“Coming back to school i knew this was really my goal, so after the first semester fall 2020, over Christmas break i did a spreadsheet of all the places that were Top 5 and Top 10 and when the applications were due. Most of them were to be honest due in early January so I was still on break by then. So I was just really serious about it, diligent and made sure to fire off as many (resumes), I must’ve fired off about fifty”

Kim Youngberg, Transactional Attorney and General Counsel (Episode 5, Season 1)

When asked about what point of her career did she feel like “She Made it”

“When I turned thirty I remember thinking ‘you know what now I’m going to get a little more respect around here’ because I’m in my thirties I’ve done a lot of stuff and I think that was true. And then I turned forty and I remember thinking, ‘I don’t really give a crap about a lot of stuff’. That's what happened between thirty and forty, and when I turned fifty I remember thinking, ‘ you know what I’m just very thankful for what I have’. I have a job that I love, I have kids that are athletic and smart and I have a husband who is awesome. So there are stages of success, but maybe thirties when I felt like I was getting some respect”

Dantee Ramos, Multimedia Journalist (Episode 6, Season 1)

When asked about what someone can showcase to “prove who they are”:

“If you’re looking for a media outlet to work with and getting camera time, Don’t! Start making your own. Start doing your own news report, start doing your own podcast, because that is going to be your work ethic. That is  them seeing that you are able to bounce on your toes, to be a creative mind.”

Sakshi Arora, Social Media Lead at Disney+ Hotstar (Episode 7, Season 1)

When asked if there was anything she wish she had known before starting out this career:“You learn things as you do them. To want to know something beforehand means you want to know it all, which is impossible. Even if I knew something back then that could be of effect now I think it would’ve changed. I don’t think there is anything that will stay static in this space”

Julia Sub, Post Production Supervisor at NYBA Films, Inc/ HBO (Episode 8, Season 1)

When ask about somethings she learnt along the way that she will continue to do when negotiating for another job:

“You are not going to get what you feel you deserve or the growth that you want for yourself unless you ask for what you want, or try to have a conversation about what the next few months could look like or the next year”

Shauna James, Urban Digital Marketing Assistant at Atlantic Records. (Episode 9, Season 1)

When asked what advice she would give her younger self:

“Don’t let the no’s cause you to lose your confidence, remain confident at all times, what’s for you is for you”

Jennifer Kho, Director of strategic information at HuffPost (Episode 10, Season 1)

When asked if there is anything she wish she knew when starting out in media:

“I didn’t wanna be myself, i really wanted to be professional. I wanted to be this perfect warrior for journalism right out of the gate. One of the things i really learnt is you really can’t do that without embracing your own personality and understanding yourself and understanding what you bring to the table and what you don’t. And really being able to kind of lean into the stuff that you do that is unique or the way that you think is unique, is really what is gonna ultimately determine if you can succeed.”