I'd like to introduce you to someone whose hard work, dedication, commitment, and passion has led to a fulfilling career in the entertainment industry. I truly admire and am very proud of my old high school friend, Vanessa Pascale , who has not only made a name for herself but followed her dreams.
My admiration for Vanessa's success provoked me to ask her a little bit about her journey along the way and her experiences in the industry. I plan to share her story and thoughts with you for they have been very inspirational and I am certain that it will be very influential to my career as well.
Vanessa is a fellow University of Central Florida alumni who, like many of us, did not have an easy start. She explained, "I spent almost an entire year actively contacting every major and minor publication I knew of. Finally, Orlando Style Magazine gave me a shot and asked me to interview Genevieve Gorder--an interior designer from the TV show Trading Spaces who now has her own show on HGTV: Dear Genevieve." Genevieve Gorder was her first big celebrity interview. I asked Vanessa of that experience and she feels thankful to have had the opportunity to have interviewed her since she was "incredibly nervous, as I’d never interviewed anyone before, and she was very patient and comforting. She really was so sweet and the perfect person to ease me into interviewing."
She declares that after graduating, she actively sought employment and even flew to New York City for interviews but nothing seemed to come of it. It wasn't until a close friend of hers mentioned that she was moving to California for grad school, she jumped at the opportunity to relocate, thinking there would be more writing opportunities in Los Angeles- the entertainment capital. She moved to Los Angeles in 2008 and continued freelance writing. It wasn't until 2009, that Miami Living Magazine's Editor-in-Chief decided to leave and suggested her for the job. She was beyond ecstatic she says, "I never even considered becoming an Editor, especially this early in my writing career".
I would think it to be normal for someone so early in her career to be filled with nerves and doubt in holding such a position, but not Vanessa. She immediately came into that title with grace and much determination, "since becoming the Editor-in-Chief, I’ve made sure to use this position to my advantage. I’ve actively and steadily built strong relationships with L.A. public relations firms enabling me to garner many celebrity interviews for the magazine and allowing me to showcase the type of writing I’m really passionate about: interviews. And I’ve been able to help my friends promote their careers and businesses, which is really great." Not only does Vanessa love what she does, she uses her talents and connections to help family and friends and she seems to find that rewarding. I'm sure this is one of the many reasons I am such a fan of this young, talented, and ambitious woman; she finds it within herself to do more with what is given to her and it shows.
I asked Vanessa what she enjoys best about her career. She responded, "What I enjoy most about my career is hearing about the journey of these incredibly successful people that I get to interview. It’s enlightening and inspiring. I am a very curious person so this feeds my need to understand people and learn from them." Its no secret that any good writer needs to satisfy their need to seek answers in order to understand and grow. Her response definitely leads me to believe that she has met her calling.
I also asked for her thoughts on the entertainment industry over the years and how she sees it evolving. "In my experience, this industry is very hard to break into. After speaking with people in the industry who have high up positions at major publications/companies, I have found that a lot of them have gotten their jobs because of who they know."
She continues, "There are so many talented writers out there and not enough positions (magazines) available. It’s really cutthroat. I asked a friend of a friend, who works at Vogue, for some advice and who I should contact about a job and she completely blew me off – did not want to help at all." It is no surprise that the entertainment industry is the most competitive and one must be resourceful and learn to use their networking skills.
To close the interview, I asked Vanessa what advice she would give to anyone pursuing a career in the entertainment industry. This was her response: "If I could go back and do it over, I would’ve tried to intern at Hearst while in college, that way I would’ve had my foot in the door and would’ve been able to move my way up the ranks. I think the industry is only going to get more exclusive and harder to break into as the years go on. For anyone who wants to pursue a career in media/entertainment, I suggest that they hit the pavement full force –this is advice I’ve been given and really live by. Anything worth having takes tons of hard work and if the talent is there and the determination is there, it’s only a matter of time till you’re given the opportunity to shine. Don’t give up."
***I want to personally thank Vanessa Pascale for taking the time to answer my questions and share some of her experiences, insights, and advice. I admire your work, your passion, and your drive. You are truly blessed to be living your dreams. I wish you well always. ~Drea***
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