As the chief content officer for Hearst Magazines, a post she assumed after acting as editor-in-chief for both Cosmopolitan and Marie Claire, Joanna Coles' days are never the same. And the Yorkshire, United Kingdom, native likes it that way.
In her day job, Coles heads up development for the magazine group and new business ventures. This may seem quite the tall order to fill. But as a wife, mother and industry titan, she tackles her seemingly chaotic life head-on, and enjoys every bit of it.
espnW talked with Coles about her first writing gig, working in male-dominated environments, and what inspires her now.
This interview has been edited for length.
espnW: What career advice would you have given your younger self?
Joanna Coles: At 15 years old, I would have told myself to stop worrying about what the boys in my class thought about me. At 25, I was pretty focused, but I would have told myself to move to America a bit earlier than I did, as that's when I really focused on the magazine business. And at 35, I would have said, "Don't worry, it's all going to be fine."
espnW: How did you know publishing was the right career path for you?
JC: At the age of 10, I had my first piece published in what was known as the Junior Post, which was part of the Yorkshire Post, and it was just for kids. I read it every week. And I got paid for it. So I thought ... I can actually do this. I can get paid to write, and this going to be fine. I wrote several pieces for them. I was getting paid £2 per piece, so I felt quite rich at the time.
espnW: You had early success. But did you have any career setbacks? And if so, what did they teach you?
JC:I think probably the moments of failure have been when I didn't really understand that other people were around to actually help me. There were moments when I thought I had to solve everything on my own, and I didn't realize that I had resources. In the past I interpreted their help as a critique. As I've gotten older, I've become much more effective at seeking and accepting help, and bringing other people into the discussion. You start to understand that you can control or fix everything on your own.
espnW: What does your average workday look like?
JC: I don't really have an average day, and that works for me. If I knew what I had to do ahead of time, I would be so depressed. I love the unexpected. I love change. I love things being thrown at me.
espnW: Have you ever felt uncomfortable in a male-dominated work environment?
JC: I was working in a café when I was about 21, and I had a male colleague kind of sexually harass me, and I've never socked anyone as hard as I socked him. Thankfully, after that he never tried it again. [In my professional career], I haven't felt as much uncomfortable as I felt irritated. I often feel [bothered] in entirely male-dominated environments, because diversity gives you a much wider point of view.
espnW: What motivates you on the job now?
JC: Trying to create big, new, excellent ideas, and finding new talent excites me. And taking a traditional magazine and bringing it to a platform like Snapchat. Or discovering a new voice is just super-exciting.
espnW: Speaking of finding new talent, do you mentor emerging writers? And did you have mentors?
JC: I don't think of things in terms of mentors. I think in terms of good colleagues and bad colleagues. And I've had spectacular bosses. And I've been incredibly lucky to work with some of the best people in media. And I've learned from a handful of really bad people. In the workplace, I wasn't needy in terms of needing a mentor, but people would take me on one side because they understood I was young and hungry, and they wanted to help me. But I do the same for people that I think have spunk. When I feel particularly excited about people, I will endeavor to give them my learnings along the way. I don't think in terms of people I have mentored, and I never had a formal [mentoring] relationship. But in the fast business of media, you look for people who are fast and responsible. And when you're on the way up, you'll look for those who are willing to help you get better.
espnW: Best piece of advice you'd give someone pursuing a career in journalism?
JC: Be open to opportunity and be flexible. And always take the call, you never know where it's going to go.
espnW: What is your greatest passion right now?
JC: Just how I can constantly produce and change magazines. Oh, and improving my paddle tennis game.
Ericka N. Goodman-Hughey is a senior editor at espnW. Follow her on Twitter @ericka_editor