Category Archives: Web

My Summer at FITNESS

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This is the view I’m used to seeing every day.

And this is the view I’m now seeing.

Talk about a change of scenery. My internship has wrapped up and I’m back in good ole’ upstate New York. But I must say I miss the city that never sleeps. So in honor of my NYC withdrawals, I took a look back on my unforgettable summer (for the millionth time) and created a list of the top five things I did during my internship. Stay tuned for my top five things about being in the city!

#1. Seeing my byline.

The coveted goal of a frugal editorial intern, I dreamed of seeing my name in print or on the web before the summer was over. I did a lot of work for FITNESS and you’ll see the fruits of my labor in upcoming issues. My name won’t be attached to everything, but I love the rush I get when I flip through the glossy pages and know that I researched, edited, designed or wrote the content. When my name is there for everyone to see, well, that’s like walking into an air-conditioned building on a 103-degree day in NYC. So be on the lookout for my name in the next few months. But if you just can’t wait, take a gander here.

#2. Interviewing Jillian Michaels and Jackie Warner.

Do I really need to say more? I’m obsessed with “Biggest Loser,” and Jackie Warner is a huge fitness celebrity. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that I would be able to interview these two. They’re both extremely helpful and didn’t have diva syndrome. Be proud of me, too — inside my head, the “Oh my god, I’m such a huge fan” thoughts were racing a mile a minute, but I was calm and professional on the outside. Both were shocked when they later found out I was an intern because of my poise and professionalism. Score!

#3. Testing out fitness classes, equipment and events.

You know your job is awesome when you get paid to work out, test the latest machine, or go to press events in brand new Nike gear and run with four-time Olympic gold medalist, Michael Johnson. I love that on most days, I didn’t have to schedule in a workout because it was already a part of my work day.

#4. Finding a blue jump rope.

It sounds weird, right? I spent one day scouring all of NYC looking for a blue jump rope for a photo shoot. Living in the concrete jungle, you’d think I’d be able to cross this off my to-do list in under 10 minutes. Unfortunately, it’s not so easy. After checking eight sports stores and four toy stores, I decided to get creative. Not willing to fail, I went to the gym I had a membership with and “borrowed” the rope. Members aren’t allowed to take equipment out of the gym, but you can rent them out to use during your workout.  So in exchange for my ID, I slyly slipped the rope in my gym bag and waltzed out of there. The risk of being caught was worth it when I saw the overjoyed face of my editor. Besides, I returned the rope at the end of the day, no harm, no foul.

#5. Working with amazing people.

Never underestimate the importance of your co-workers. There wasn’t a single person I didn’t enjoy working with at FITNESS. Each one was imperative to the development of my skills and the success of my work. Working at a magazine is like being a part of a well-oiled machine. You have to rely on a lot of people to complete one project successfully. If you don’t enjoy working with them, you won’t end up with a great product. Always strive to say that you never worked a day in your life. This summer, that statement couldn’t have been more true. The fact that I was paid was just icing on the cake.

By Samantha Shelton

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My byline is online! My byline is online! My byline is onli-iiiii-ne!

Phew, I’m glad I got that out of my system.

My. byline. is. online!!!

Okay, now I got it out of my system. For now. It’s probably not as big of a deal to my followers as it is to me, but it’s still a pretty significant accomplishment. At 20 years old, I have achieved my first byline as a professional writer in a national magazine that circulates to over 1.5 million people.

The slideshow I created is connected to the homepage poll for the week, so you can access it on the main page of the website. That in itself is an accomplishment. It’s  about which celebrity our readers would want as a running buddy. People always dream of being able to hang out with a celebrity; our readers often dream of enduring an exhilarating sweat session with a celebrity. So in order to gauge reader interest, I created the slideshow to find out which celeb they most want to hit the pavement with.

When you check out the slideshow (Yes, I meant when, not if), you’ll probably notice how small it is. But even though it’s small, I’m still proud of it. A lot of work went into that slideshow. First, I’m used to writing for newspapers. No cute stuff and very minimal word-play exists in the newspaper world. So this project was actually one of my biggest challenges. I had to train myself to write for a magazine; to make sure  a personable voice came across with every word choice. Because our readers don’t want only straight facts. They want to be talked with rather than talked at; they want to read the words on the page as if they’re having a conversation with a friend. This isn’t exactly the easiest task after you’ve been trained to do the exact opposite for over three years. Nonetheless, after a lot of writing and re-writing, working with my editors and morphing my words to suit the FITNESS voice, I had the edit ready. Task number one was finished.

Second,  I had to secure the images. No, I didn’t spend my afternoons stalking Serena Williams, Kelly Ripa, Hilary Swank and Sheryl Crow (although that would’ve been cool for the day) to get these photos. Instead, I had to follow many procedures to ensure that I was not stealing any photos from people who do actually stalk these celebs. Once I did that, task number two was complete.

Next came story forming, which consists of inputting all your information onto a blank template that is sent to the production team. Text from the article, organized in a very specific manner, is included with links to the images I secured, as well as external links to other articles our readers could find on the website that are similar to my own. When I first started story forming, it would take me about 45 minutes to an hour to complete one. Luckily, I am now able to finish story forming a small-sized article in about 20 minutes. So once I filled out the form, it was sent to two of my editors for final review. Once approved, a release date is set and the form is whisked off to the production team, who makes sure the slideshow is live by that date. Task number three was done.

After that, I waited for the release date. As you can see, it is now live and people are voting. So log on to fitnessmagazine.com and vote for which star you would want as a running buddy in this celebrity face-off!

Fitness Required at FITNESS?

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Ever since I started my internship, I’ve had one question asked of me over and over again.

“Do you have to be in really good shape to work at FITNESS?

I’m actually surprised by how often I’ve heard this, and some of my fellow ASME interns have even said, “Sam, I’m so glad you were placed at FITNESS instead of me. I’m not fit enough to work there!”

Well everyone, I’m here to let you know that it is not a requirement that you be fit to be considered for employment at FITNESS (I’m pretty sure if this were true, the magazine would be in a lot of trouble with the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission). You don’t have to be an exercise enthusiast, nutrition expert or health guru.

However, it definitely doesn’t hurt if you are fitness savvy. The people I work with are not only knowledgeable about their field, they enjoy it. Casual conversation is often about the latest yoga DVD  that someone used or the class they’re going to test.

The office itself doesn’t hurt either. I can’t help but feel motivated when en route to the kitchen I pass a rack of bikinis, sports bras and workout clothes. Or on my way to the copy room I pass the shoe closet, which is filled with more sneakers than I’ve ever seen at one time. When I leave for lunch, I pass the fitness closet that is brimming with a wide array of workout equipment — yoga mats, medicine balls, bicycling helmets, etc — you name it; it’s probably in there.

Working at FITNESS has also inspired me to keep up with my own workout regime. I used to spend my summers somewhere close to home. In an old post, I made it clear that Oppenheim does not have a whole ton of civilization (I wasn’t kidding about the more cows than people quota). Well, minimal fitness opportunities go hand-in-hand with minimal civilization. The closest gym to my house is 20 minutes and it’s in serious need of an equipment upgrade. As a result, I didn’t work out as much. I’d sweat it out biking, hiking or running outside, sure, but it’s not the same as grunting out a fantastic strength training session at the gym where you can also escape the heat for a few glorious hours in AC.  (You didn’t think my house has AC, did you? Come on now!) Then top it off with all of mom’s fantastic home-cooked meals that you miss oh, so much while away during college and you’re on the fast road to out-of-shape city.

But being here has helped me stay in the fitness mindset I have while at school. This mindset can also be credited to my job at the Cooper/Glimmerglass Fitness Centers as a Student Manager and Personal Trainer. What always happens there happens at FITNESS, too. When you’re surrounded by people who love health and fitness, you can’t help but get sucked in. I’ve always been passionate about athletics and working out, but my love for it has grown exponentially the last two years. Working at this magazine motivates me to try the latest moves we’re telling our readers about or go to a yoga class that could inspire a story pitch. If I can combine my passions and succeed at my job while staying in shape, aren’t I getting the best of both worlds? I think so.

I’ve found my motivation to stay fit through my job at FITNESS, not because I have to be fit in order to work there. What’s your motivation? I’d love to hear about it here, or at The Pulse, my personal health and fitness blog. Hope to hear from you soon!

New way of communicating

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So I just got an iPhone! This means I’ll be able to blog on the go. Life has been absolutely amazing lately. SA is more than I thought it would be. I spend a lot of time in the office getting things ready for the year. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a bad thing, but I sure wish I had some people here to help me.

There is a lot to plan. The director of SAPB and I, along with the help of the concerts coordinator are planning an opening concert for September. As of now we think it will be an alternative rock or ska group. Reel Big Fish is at the top of the list and we are working hard to figure out the exact date to have the concert on. Residence Life and Housing is having their annual Lakerfest, so we are hoping to cap off the day with an outdoor concert.

It’s things like this that I love about my job. Although I must do a lot of the “business” stuff, I don’t enjoy it as much as the event planning and creative stuff.

Well, today is my birthday so I’m out for the day. Have a great holiday weekend everyone.

Livin’ the Dream

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After completing six local journalism internships, I knew this summer was my chance to break out of my comfort zone and really chase my dreams. What it all boils down to is New York City. I’ve always wanted to live here and I’ve always wanted to work in the magazine industry. So after months of scouring for internships, frantically filling out applications and sending off my best work to people who didn’t know me, I waited.

And waited.

Whenever life got me down and I second-guessed my skills and education, I turned to two things. FRIENDS, and “Empire State of Mind” by Jay-Z and Alicia Keys. The two completely capture the essence of New York City and the dreams that I want to achieve. “Empire State of Mind” became my theme song, my mantra to keep me motivated and inspired.

Concrete jungle where dreams are made of

There’s nothing you can’t do,  now you’re in New York

These streets will make you feel brand new

These lights will inspire you

Let’s hear it for New York

It didn’t matter that I grew up in wide open spaces, in a town with more cows than people. Or that our best option for a night out was a 30-minute drive to the closest movie theater with some friends and a bag of popcorn. All that mattered was that the glossy pages that came in my mailbox each month meant the world to me, and I needed to immerse myself in that world. New York City wasn’t about the hustle and bustle that people automatically associate with this place. To me, New York City was about livin’ the dream.

FRIENDS captures the homey, loving and endearing side of New York City, and it’s the show that made me fall in love with this place before I realized what journalism really was. It emphasized that New York City, again, wasn’t always about hustle and bustle.

Instead, it was about opportunity. It was about being carefree. It was about enjoying life. I wanted that life.

The witty banter and carefree friendships on this show captured my hometown and the people I wanted to meet while living my dream. Whenever I need to relax with a few laughs, I pop in one of the ten seasons (yes, I have each one) of this show and it works every single time. This show not only made New York City about fulfilling a dream, it became about getting the lifestyle I wanted.

Without these things, I’m not sure what my mantra would have been, what my support system would be like. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not doubting my friends, family and teachers who have helped me along the way. Without them, there’s no way I would be here. But you need to enjoy the small things in life, too. You need something to keep pushing you, to remind you of what you’re doing and why you’re doing it. These two things do it for me. I encourage you to find yours.

There’s nothing you can’t do, now you’re in New York.

Let’s show ’em what I’m made of.

Just Do It

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Cloud nine can’t even begin to describe the state of euphoria I am in right now.

After working all day,  my fitness editor, Mary, asked me to attend a press event with her. Clearly, I said yes. Then I found out it was for Nike and we were testing their new products that are launching in July. I couldn’t have been more psyched.

After our car service dropped us off at 555 West 18th Street, we mingled with other editors in attendance and waited for the event to start. For those of you who are not familiar with the media industry, press events are attended by various editors, writers, staffers and bloggers from multiple magazines. The goal is to find out about new products and come back with any new, exciting information that could possibly run in the magazine. Usually, you get gift bags as well so that all of the promoted products can be tested!

When the program began, a lot of the new products were discussed and technologically explained. Nike’s new gear is launching in July, and it ranges from new sneakers to sports bras. Everything discussed today was geared toward women because, well, everyone there was female and worked at some form of a women’s magazine. I’d tell you about the new stuff coming out, but you’ll have to check out my health and fitness blog, The Pulse, for that insider info.

A huge surprise came next.

Michael Johnson, four-time Olympic gold medalist and world record-holder for the 400-meter and 4 X 400 m relay, spoke to us about proper preparation for running. I was slightly star struck. To make it better, he also Skyped (possibly another system used, but I think it was Skype) with Sanya Richards, the defending U.S. and world champion in the 400-meter. She provided tips specifically for females to prepare their mind and body for running. But again, if you want that info, you’re going to have to check out The Pulse.

Finally, we were decked in Nike’s latest gear from head to toe, all the way down to the socks and sports bras. Everyone decided to run two, four or six miles and Nike brought in professionals to pace us throughout our run. I stuck with two because of my blood disorder, but I think next time I’m going to tough out four. Oh, and Michael Johnson ran with us two-milers! (I finished the run before he did, if that counts for anything.) And yes, we got to keep all of our gear, so I now have a ton of new fitness gear!

So this is just a few toes dipped into the ocean of things that magazine journalists are able to experience. I can’t wait to dive in.

Living the Crazy, Good Life

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Life in New York City is crazy.

But in such an amazing, satisfying, beautiful way.

I’ve been so extremely busy at work but I love every second of my day. I work almost nonstop from 9 a.m. to around 5:30 p.m., but I love everything I’m doing. The days just fly by and then I have events to go to at night so I can get my networking on.

Tonight I went to a Microsoft preview event at Stage 37 with my ASME mentor, Lorelei, and my ASME coordinator, Nina. Technically, they were set up with me to help me succeed, but they’ve become so much more than that. They’re my friends, my confidantes, and they’ve got my back in this crazy magazine industry we all love to immerse ourselves in. Believe me, there’s nothing like having a few good people behind you to make sure you succeed in the end. And when you’re friends with those who have already broken into the industry, it’s even better.

So back to the Microsoft event. They had some pretty cool new equipment coming out — my favorite involved a system for the XBox 360 called Kinect. It tracks your movements through camera sensors and allows you to move around without any controllers. My favorite game was Dance Central, which was made in collaboration with MTV Games. It reminded me of Dance Dance Revolution, but it’s a lot less complicated and more fun. You can pull off silly dance moves (such as disco moves and chicken leg) and advance the levels through a wide variety of songs. We were able to test out the game right then and there, and it was a lot of fun. Personally, I rocked Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face.” This game is definitely going to sell.

But my night wasn’t over.

After we left Stage 37, we headed over to West 30th for Robert Verdi’s fashion event. It was held at this really high-end apartment (I wish I could live there) and we enjoyed casual conversation while learning about his new endorsements. I wish I had some pictures of the apartment for you, but here’s some of the stuff from the goodie bag.

There was a lot of other great stuff in the bag, but Lorelei, Nina and I split the bag.

So that was basically my day, once you add in a lot of work for FITNESS, too. Oh, and did I mention I had lunch with the Deputy Editor at The New Yorker today? Yeah, that also happened.

So yes, I love my life. I’ll have some more stories for you soon!

Getting into ASME

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Working at a magazine is everything I’ve imagined it would be.

People keep asking me how great my internship is and whether or not I love what I’m doing, and that’s the only thing I can say in response. Working at FITNESS has been amazing and it’s only been a week. I’ve already learned so much; I’ve floated between departments so that I’m getting a taste of everything to figure out what I like.

I want to explain how I got this amazing internship so that future aspiring journalists can possibly take the same route. Beginning my junior year of college, I started looking for bigger internships because I had already completed my required one last summer at the Utica Observer-Dispatch newspaper (Journalism majors at Oswego State are required to complete at least one).  I always knew I wanted to work in New York City someday, so that was my first location to scour. Seventeen was at the top of my list because that’s one of my dream jobs. Then Professor Loomis forwarded me an e-mail to apply for an internship with the American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME), which operates under the Magazine Publishers of America (MPA). It told me that if I were accepted, I would be placed at one of 21 magazines in New York City as a paid intern. I was sold.

After a long application process and an even longer wait, I got the great news that I had been accepted! ASME is an extremely competitive program: only 24 interns are accepted, 21 to N.Y.C. and three to Washington, D.C. Later, I found out I’d be working at FITNESS, my number one choice out of the participating magazines! Life couldn’t get any better.

Now that I’m here, I’ve learned how competitive and how prestigious this program actually is. People in Human Resources look for ASME on resumes when deciding who’s going to get an interview. And the community here is incredibly strong. In the magazine industry, and many others, it’s all about who you know these days. Your contacts get you the interview; your skills get you the job. And once you’re in ASME, the community there has got your back. It’s often being compared to a sorority, and I just finished pledging.

So to anyone looking to break into the magazine industry: apply to be an ASME intern. You must have completed your junior year, heading into your senior year. You need two recommendations, an application, and a bunch of other little things. Download the application and start plugging away. This could be your foot in the door.

Oh, and don’t think that you can’t get in just because you go to a small school. Yes, I’m the first one to get in at Oswego State, but I’m confident I won’t be the last.

That is way too scary

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Micro video blogging…OK, it is not scary, just different.

Today again I want to talk about micro video blogging/micro sharing and how I want to feed it into my blog. I have talked about it a while back but once again my technology is not cooperating. That is a really long story though and involves way too much ranting about brands, low quality products and being really broke as most of us are 🙂

However, micro video blogging is an interesting topic. Would you want to post a short video of yourself once a week? I would, but I am really extroverted. Does that mean that only the extroverted people will get involved for personal micro blogs, or does it mean the introverted people will be more inclined as they could perhaps find it more freeing?

While micro video blogging/sharing is mostly about sharing videos and media of all kinds. I am unsure how Oswego readers would react to my videos as opposed to text. I don’t think I would always do them of myself. I still like the idea of Meg’s Multicultural Minute but the real question is…what do you think and why?

Be Ozzy