Category Archives: work

The Triangle of Life

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Man, this may be the most accurate portrayal of school college. When I use to play the “you only get 2 games” I always got fustrated because I could never decide which I wanted. Yet here I am , again always stuck trying to decide between the three. Could this have been the source of my recent frustrations?

Maybe, but chances are it has more to do with these 4 major classes I am taking and trying to stay afloat in. Whatever the reason , it all leads back to this triangle. There has been a lack of consistency on my part this semester. At times, I’ve laid under the covers and said “rest!” then only but a few times, I have decided to go out and party and or drink(soda) all night long. Truest in its location however right at the top, hanging over my head has been the reminder that I want those great grades (not good). At times this has meant I went beast. Just running all around, staying up till all times of night, making a home of the library. Mostly though I have stressed myself to miserable levels and abandoned my promise to self to make sure I am taking time to enjoy life a little.

The sad truth (to me at least) about this triangle is that there is no one right way to approach it. In my eyes there is only room for one other choice. Getting good grades are not an option, nor should it be optional . But again to each their own, “Live let Live”. This leaves the conundrum of choosing between sleep and social life. For a couple of weeks I decided to choose sleep but that did me no good. It left me tense and ready to blow over like a pressure cooker. You see if you do what is required of you academically, you owe it to yourself to take a few moments if not hours to just enjoy the simpler or more carefree parts of life. Beware however it comes with a price, that price being precious time outside of your twin size bed  and head under the covers.

So I guess there is no way to truly win or to come out successful is there? I’m lost and still trying to figure it out. Maybe you have the answer though. If so , don’t act stingy share it with the rest of the world!!! Me 0_0!

Journalists: be prepared to get your world rocked…

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That’s what they should warn journalism majors before they start their program.

Be prepared to get your world rocked, because you will write something that you think is really good and then your editor will rip it to shreds.

I’m still getting used to having my work torn apart by editors, and I’m a graduating journalism senior. Such fun!

I suppose getting harsh reviews is supposed to help you do better and build up your work as well as strengthen your skin against criticism, but sometimes I’m a big softy.

I just wrote a blog post for my internship, and I thought it was pretty good. It was about new bills on the floor of the House of Representatives that seek to cut off funding for family planning and reproductive health. I sent my blog to my supervisor, who proceeded to strikethrough nearly everything I wrote. Case in point:

Talk about rocking my world. She told me my writing was still good, and it laid a framework for what she edited into the new blog post. But still, less than 10 percent of what I originally wrote was intact! I survived an editorial run-in.

It just goes to show you that no matter what sort of confidence you may have about a piece, it is still subject to the editor’s appeal. Just a reminder that I shouldn’t get overconfident in my writing, as well as I should prepare myself more for constructive criticism.

Real life 101 note: you may think what you wrote as a journalist is the cat’s meow, but just remember, you’re writing for an audience, and if your editor doesn’t like what you wrote – don’t take it personal when they completely scrap your work. It’s just the life as a journalist after all.

Busy Bee in NYC

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Although I feel more like an actual New Yorker the longer I’m in NYC, I’ve still done a decent job of hitting up tourist locations. Since I can’t share a lot about what I’m doing at work, here’s a sneak peak into my life outside of magazines!

First and foremost, I’m still a fitness guru at heart and it’s always been on my bucket list to go running in Central Park. I’m always so envious whenever I see people in their jogging pants and sneaks, just trucking around the reservoir like they do any other day. I realized that my time here was quickly running out, so I laced up my sneaks and hit the pavement in the cold 35-degree weather, looking just like any other local.

And let me tell you, the views were worth it.

While I wasn’t in NYC for it, I was lucky enough to see the Trans-Siberian Orchestra live. My mom and step-dad bought tickets for my three brothers, sister and I for Christmas, so we were all able to experience some awesome musicianship together. The pyrotechnics they used throughout the show covered the price of the ticket alone.

Once I was back in NYC, my boyfriend, Dustin, came to visit, as did my ASME friends and future roommates, Libby and Victoria to celebrate the new year. We made sure to hit up plenty of restaurants along the way, including my favorite Mexican restaurant, La Esquina. If you’re ever in the city, I highly recommend you try it. Insider tip: It’s a big place for celebrity spottings, so you have to reserve two to three weeks in advance.

We also made sure to hit up Tom’s Restaurant, famous for it’s recurring presence in Seinfeld.

I walk by this retro-looking diner every day on my walk home from work as well, so I tested out an Italian meatball sub and french fries at the Metro Diner, too. It was my first time having fries in over six months, but these were delicious!

Dustin and I also ventured around Times Square and took advantage of the M&M factory because he had never been. After we were hopped up on sugar, we played in Toys R Us. I tried to ride the ferris wheel, but you had to pay, plus the line was really long and full of little kids. I settled for a huge lollipop from the Willy Wonka side of the store instead.

And to prove I do super-cool things for my job, I took Dustin to a Harlem Globetrotters game! We were able to go to the VIP party and eat dinner with the players before the game. The Globetrotters worked with us on an article to help make a girl’s dream come true — she always wanted to play with the wacky team, so we made her dreams a reality! Check out a spring issue of FITNESS to read all about it.

What fun things have you done over winter break? Are you ready to head back to school?

Changing Your Life

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I was perusing some of my favorite blogs the other day and while I was on She’s a Fit Chick, I read this post about an article that questions where you are in life and where you want to be. Like Jennifer, I decided to answer the questions. This gets a bit long, but hopefully you enjoy it anyway.

1. Where do you want to be in life right now and in the future?

I’m in a really good place in my life, so there isn’t much that I would change. I’m in my senior year at an amazing college, where I’ve met so many fantastic people and learned more than I imagined. I’ve been involved in various organizations that I’m passionate about, started a club that will hopefully continue to grow and help other students who are interested in the magazine industry, and had a fantastic job at the fitness centers where I’ve discovered passions I never knew I had. Not to mention I’ve been lucky enough to live in New York City twice in a year and work at a magazine I absolutely love and 100 percent support.

But that’s only the work and education side. I’m also in a very loving relationship with my boyfriend of practically two years (13 days away) and I’ve never felt more sure of myself than I do when I’m with him. He listens to my worries, basks in my successes and encourages me to keep pushing even though I doubt myself at times and want to give up. He makes me laugh, I never (ok, maybe sometimes) get sick of him and he’s not too shabby on the eyes, either. What else could you ask for in a boyfriend?

I also have fantastic friends that I’ve kept in touch with throughout life and I can’t wait to see these friendships grow. My roommates in Oswego, Kayleigh and Meghan, are phenomenal; I love my good friends from back home and I can’t wait to be reunited with my ASME friends from NYC! I’m so blessed to know this many amazing people.

So yeah, I’m pretty content right now.

But that doesn’t mean I’m going to stop moving forward. My college career is ending in four months, which means a new part of my life is beginning. The adult part. The no-relying-on-anyone-else part. The make-it-or-break-it part. I’m moving to NYC with two of my ASME friends, Libby and Victoria, and I couldn’t be more excited. Or scared. I’m nervous about getting a job in the magazine industry. You never know if the timing will play out and in magazine world you can’t start looking for a job until two months before graduation (So if I’m a stress ball the last few months of college, you’ll know why). However, I’ll be positive and hope for the best! This time next year, I want to be living in NYC and working at a magazine I love. Hopefully I’ll be able to do it without living on Spaghetti O’s, too!

2. Is there something you’ve always wanted to do, but haven’t?

I’ve always wanted to go on a cruise. Since I was little, I’ve dreamed of traveling on a huge ship to some exotic and warm location with my friends. I don’t care if it’s with my family, a girls’ getaway, a mix of guys and gals, or a vacation with Dustin — as long as I’m with people who are ready to relax and have fun in the sun! This year, I’m determined to go on a cruise, possibly to the Bahamas, to celebrate my graduation!

3. What’s something you would regret never having done in life?

Applying for the ASME summer internship, hands down. I remember looking at the application, talking with my professor about it and wondering whether or not I should apply because all of the students who were accepted last year were from big-name schools. I mean, I went to a SUNY school — did I really have a shot of getting in? Turns out I did. I had no idea how ASME determined who got in, but I later found out it’s based completely on what you’ve done to get ahead. Nobody cared that I went to a state school. If I had let my fears get the best of me, I never would have gone to NYC and worked at FITNESS, met great people from all over the country and had the best summer of my life.

4. What are you doing to make yourself available to new opportunities?

Networking like a mad woman. I try to meet someone new every day and learn about who they are and what they do in life. I’ve learned not to be shy around new people and just say hi. I’ve been meeting with a lot of different magazine editors as well, just to learn about how they got to where they are. The mag industry is very much about paying it forward, so making that initial contact, and then preserving it, opens a whole new world of opportunity every time.

5. What do you like/dislike about your life?

  • I love my friends, family and boyfriend.
  • I like that I’m graduating in four months.
  • I like that I’m living with two fantastic people in NYC in a few months.
  • I like that I’m studying to become a nationally certified personal trainer.
  • I dislike that I’m going to be six hours away from my family and best friend.
  • I dislike that my college friends and I are going separate ways (except for Tom!)
  • I dislike that one of my closest friends and I no longer talk because of what he thinks are irreconcilable differences.

6. What are you doing in your life right now to make it better?

I’m working in my desired career field at a magazine I love, growing a networking organization at Oswego State to help future journalism students, launching an online magazine, meeting amazing people through blogging, and training to run my first half-marathon and complete my first triathlon!

7. Are you comfortable with yourself?

More and more every day. There are things I don’t like about myself, but movements like Operation Beautiful are teaching me that I’m an amazing person despite my flaws.

8. What’s holding you back from what you want in life?

A fear of failing. Which I guess segues into confidence. I’ve been successful at a lot of things because I push myself to the limit and because I’m afraid of what it will be like if I fail at something. I need to learn to forget fear and just go for it. I know life is lived to the fullest when fear isn’t a part of the equation.

What suggestions do you have for fighting fear? I encourage you to answer these questions about yourself and if you blog about it, send it my way!

Back at My Dream Job

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I’m nestled into a seat on Megabus, staring out the window as the bus leaves New York City and heads to Albany. I’m on my way home for Christmas and I absolutely can’t wait to see my family, yet I’m always a little sad when I watch the skyline disappear behind me.

I’ve been back in N.Y.C. for a little over a week now and I’ve fallen in love all over again. I’m living in a different area now — this summer I was in the Village, right by Union Square, and now I’m subletting a room from a Columbia student on the Upper West Side — but I’ve found just as many quirks as I did before. There are cute diners, boutiques and a Starbucks on every corner. Since we’re mentioning Starbucks, let me just say I’ve realized how lucky I am that I don’t like coffee — I save so much money!

Anyway, the living arrangements aren’t that bad. Yeah, it’s a little pricey, but everything is pricey in the city. You just have to learn to suck it up and take it as part of the package. I don’t have Internet at my house, which is why the blogs have been few and far between. When I get home from work, I usually head to the gym and then it’s time to go to sleep so I can wake up early for work again. Unfortunately, that doesn’t leave me with much time to walk over to Starbucks to snag some free Wi-Fi. I’m sure I’ll do it though!

Just like before, I love everything about working at FITNESS. I received such a warm welcoming, and our editor-in-chief even said it was like I had never left. It makes me happy that I left everyone with such a positive impression, and it drives me to work as hard as I possibly can to maintain that reputation.

I can’t give too many details of what I’ve been doing right now because I can’t let the competition in on our secrets! But I will say that I’ve been doing a lot of researching and writing, so keep your eyes peeled for my byline! Last week was really awesome too because I went to a photo shoot with a celeb personal trainer! Which one? You’ll have to wait and see! I love that I get to meet such awesome people and incorporate so much fitness into my job. You know you’ve found your dream job when it combines two of your passions. Not to mention every day goes by so fast. Even if I happen to be making a lot of photocopies, the day zooms past and I never find it dragging.

Also, make sure you run out and grab the January issue that’s on newsstands now! My picture is in there — can you spot me?

What kind of things do you want in your dream job?

Back to the Concrete Jungle

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For those of you who don’t know, this past summer I participated in an internship program through the American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME), which is a highly competitive 10-week program that selects 24 college juniors from across the country to work at well-known magazine companies in New York City and Washington, D.C. Only 10 percent of those who applied were accepted in 2010.

Did I mention it was paid, too?

That may not seem like a big deal to some, but for those struggling in the journalism field, we know how precious it actually is. Unpaid magazine internships are hard enough to land — paid mag internships? Well, you rarely hear of that these days, especially in such a struggling economy.

So, in the beginning of June I packed my bags and moved into a quaint NYU dorm nestled right in the heart of Greenwich Village. I had the time of my life, met amazing people and got to do the work I love every single day at FITNESS magazine. Life couldn’t get any better.

Then I came back to Oswego for my senior year. This semester has been a struggle, to say the least. I’ve been taking extremely demanding classes (but learning a lot!), working as a public relations student manager and a personal trainer at the fitness centers, blogging here and for my fitness blog, The Pulse, and I launched the Ed2010 chapter at Oswego State.

So what’s on the agenda for winter break? You’d think it would be a lot of relaxation, sleeping in and watching mindless television, right? Wrong. Instead, I’m not giving myself a vacation. Right after my finals are finished Monday, I’m packing my bags once more and heading back to the concrete jungle!

Fortunately, the editors at FITNESS were impressed with my work ethic and the quality of work I presented to them on a daily basis (at least, this is what they told me). I’ve kept in touch with quite a few of them while continuing my studies here in Oswego, and as it got closer to winter break, I asked the Executive Editor, Pam O’Brien, if they would be interested in taking me back on the staff while I’m out of school. She, along with the editors she spoke with about it, said yes right away! It felt really good to be accepted back so quickly because it made me feel as though I really left my mark. So in less than a week, I get to reclaim my old desk and resume working at a magazine I absolutely love.

But that’s not all.

As if it couldn’t get any better, right? Starting in January, I will begin a second job while in NYC. I’ll work for FITNESS three days a week and the remainder of the week I will work for The Association of Magazine Media, formerly known as the Magazine Publishers of America (MPA), to assist with their National Magazine Awards. Not to mention I’ll be working alongside one of my good friends, Nina Fortuna, every day I’m there. Once again, it’s a paid position, so both jobs will definitely help me work toward the permanent move to the city in six months.

So keep your eyes peeled for blog posts about all of my activities while I’m back in the city, readers! I’ll be talking about the goings-on at the mag and MPA, and my experiences of living on the Upper West Side. I rented a room from a student who is traveling over break, and will have two other roommates, so I’m sure there will be adventures to share!

Have you ever done a winter internship? What are your plans for this break?

NYC, the Perfect Boyfriend

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My best friend recently went through a gruesome breakup. Our idea of consolation doesn’t involve crying and holding each other, but rather laughter, insults and good drinks in hand. While consoling her, she once again wondered why she hadn’t found her dream guy.

Smiling coyly over my glass, I looked at her and said, “I found the perfect boyfriend.” Rolling her eyes, she assumed I was talking about my actual boyfriend, Dustin. Oh, how she was mistaken.

“No silly, it’s NYC,” I said. “Think about it. He has everything you could ever want in a boyfriend.”

1. He’s interesting. There’s always something new to discover.

The Frying Pan = delicious dive bar in the Village.

2. He’s smart. There’s an array of museums, libraries and galleries to explore.

Andy Warhol @ MoMa

3. He’s funny. First, you have the comedy clubs such as Dangerfield’s or the Laugh Lounge. Plus, there are always a few interesting characters roaming around that are sure to provoke a chuckle or two.

4. He’s a perfect 10. Maybe you don’t judge looks on a number scale, but sometimes my friends and I cave to this belittling concept. And NYC, ooohh, he makes me swoon. There are so many beautiful sights; it’d be easy for me to sit and stare all day.

5. He’s cultured. You can meet someone from any culture or race here. Not to mention the glorious fact that you can try nearly any type of food!

6. You can go home and relax with him. After a long, grueling day at work, nothing is quite as good as feeling the stress melt away with a relaxing yoga session.

Strala Yoga with Tara Stiles

7. He’s passionate. People come here from all over the world to make their dreams a reality.

8. He’s fun. There’s always something to do to satisfy any craving.

9. You can’t be mad at him. He can have other girlfriends without upsetting you because those girls just make the ride so much more enjoyable.

I could’ve given you a tenth quality, but my lucky number is nine, so it just feels right to stop here. My advice? Go to New York City and fall in love with the perfect boyfriend, too. I promise to share : )

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!