Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Amy DuBois Barnett.
📝 Summary of the Interview
Amy DuBois Barnett, a trailblazing media executive and author, joined Rushion McDonald to discuss her career, her upcoming debut novel If I Ruled the World, and her insights on success, authenticity, and navigating the evolving media landscape. The conversation covered her historic role as the first Black woman to helm a major mainstream U.S. magazine, her experiences in media and publishing, the importance of Black voices, and her journey toward becoming a novelist.
🔑 Key Takeaways 1. Career Milestones & Legacy
- Amy made history as the first Black woman editor-in-chief of a major mainstream U.S. magazine (Teen People).
- She held leadership roles at Harper’s Bazaar, Ebony, Honey Magazine, and digital platforms like BET and The Grio.
- Her editorial style focused on humanizing success, sharing personal stories and lessons rather than just promoting content.
2. New Novel: If I Ruled the World
- Set in late 1990s/early 2000s New York, the novel follows Nikki, a woman navigating the fashion and music magazine world.
- Themes include misogyny in hip hop, professional ambition, friendship, and self-discovery.
- The title is inspired by the Nas and Lauryn Hill song, and Lauryn Hill was the first cover of Honey Magazine under Amy’s leadership.
- Amy envisions the novel as a TV series, and is actively working toward that goal.
3. Importance of Preorders
- Preorders are critical for debut novelists to hit bestseller lists.
- All preorders count toward first-week sales, which are essential for making lists like the New York Times Bestseller.
4. Authenticity & Black Media
- Amy emphasized the need for authentic Black voices in media, especially in today’s political climate.
- She praised independent platforms and figures like Roland Martin, Joy Reid, and Don Lemon for maintaining integrity.
5. Success Principles
- Success requires more than talent—it’s about energy, attitude, collaboration, and kindness.
- She highlighted the importance of networking through genuine relationships, not just transactional exchanges.
- Believing in oneself is essential: “The universe will not give you an opportunity that you don’t think you deserve.”
6. Pivoting & Resilience
- Amy’s career involved multiple pivots—from finance to fashion to media.
- She stressed the importance of recognizing when to pivot and manifesting goals through vision and hard work.
7. Print vs. Digital Media
- Print magazines offer permanence and thoughtful journalism, while digital media provides speed and volume.
- She misses the visual artistry of print, like cover shoots and fashion spreads.
8. Personal Notes
- Amy’s son is a music producer and DJ, studying at Drexel University.
- Rushion and Amy have a long-standing friendship dating back to 2012, when she was at Ebony and he was producing the Steve Harvey show.
💬 Notable Quotes
- “You have to believe that you deserve all of the opportunity.”
- “Networking is not about handing out business cards. It’s about building relationships.”
- “Magazines have a permanence that made you incredibly careful.”
- “I’m manifesting big things.”
- “We are out here flawed and just trying to find success, love, and fulfillment like everyone else.”
#SHMS #STRAW #BEST
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hi. Ever, Sean McDonald host the weekly Money Making Conversation
Masterclass show. The interviews and information that this show provides
offer everyone It's time to start reading other people's success
stories and start living your own now. If you want
to be a guest on my show, Money Making Conversation Masterclass,
please visit our website, Moneymakingconversations dot com and.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Click the b against button.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
If you're a small business owner, entrepreneur, motivational speaker, influencer,
or nonprofit now let's get this show.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
Roller.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
My guest made History is the first black woman to
helm a major mainstream US magazine, and as deputy editor
in chief of Harper's Bazaarre. She's held senior leadership roles
at Paramount Herts, Disney Timing, and several independently owned brands.
Now she has a highly anticipated debate novel, If I
Rule the World, and it will be published by funt
(00:52):
Iron Books in January or twenty twenty six. Please welcome
to the Money Making Conversations Masterclass, Amy duoyce On.
Speaker 3 (00:59):
That so nice to be here, Rashaun, thanks for having me.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
Well, First of all, I got I got the d
Boys right? Correct? Yes, you did.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
My namesake so that's what I get that right.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
On the book. I don't want people to be looking
for Amy Barnett and mister see right there.
Speaker 1 (01:17):
If I say it's right, then you type that it
gonna come directly you because you're one of a kind.
Speaker 3 (01:22):
I appreciate you, sir, and I'm proud of my middle name. Again,
I'm named after wb D Boys, so I'd like to
use my whole name.
Speaker 1 (01:30):
Well, you know, I said some really amazing things, and
I've known you over the years and followed your career,
followed you through the injured leg and all that stuff.
But you're very humble, but you've been in a very
competitive industry.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
How do you balance that?
Speaker 3 (01:49):
Amy, I mean, I I appreciate that, and that's a
very kind thing to say. And it's interesting because it
is one of the things that I talked to people
that I mentor about, right, you know, I talk to
people about the energy that you put back in the
world and the way that that comes back to you
and the fact that you know, all of it is
(02:11):
sort of circular, and you have to really be intentional
about the way that you walk through the world. Right,
So I think that the way that you are treating
people around you is the kind of energy that you're
going to get yourself as it comes back to you.
And the other thing is, you know, I really spent
a lot of time over the course of my career
humanizing success. You know. I think that for a lot
(02:34):
of people, you know, they look at you know, those
folks who have had certain kinds of professional accomplishments, and
they think that these people are different or they're somehow
I don't want to say better, but they just have
a sort of different set of experiences or what have you.
And you know, my goal throughout a lot of my
career has been to help people understand that we all
(02:55):
make mistakes, like nobody is better than anybody else. You know,
we are out here flawed and you know, and just
trying to find success, fine, love, find fulfillment at the
same as everybody else. And that was actually one of
the reasons why I started writing my editor's letters at
Honey Magazine. That was actually my first editor in chief job.
(03:17):
So when I started writing my editor's letters at Honey Magazine,
I decided that I wasn't going to do the normal
editors letters where you say okay, well on page fifty
three is a great QD story on page twenty five
is a great fashion story. Instead, I chose to use
that magazine Real Estate to talk about my own stories
and my my failures and the lessons that I've learned
(03:39):
and the insights I wanted to impart. So, you know,
it's just it's part of who I am, and it's
it's part of what I want to leave with the world.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
What is Amy Well? Amy?
Speaker 1 (03:50):
You know it's really interesting because you know, I would say,
calm writer, Okay, I'm just say that, not your your
level of writing, because.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
There's a different it's different levels of writing out there,
ladies and gentlemen.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
Our the black the black information pipeline seems to be
under attack nowadays, where we're being discouraged to identify ourselves
and be proud and be able to.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
Say I want to do this. When you hear these
attack messages.
Speaker 1 (04:20):
Being put out there, I'm not going to direct it
to anybody in particular, but I do read it. I
do see it, and I feel uncomfortable. How do you respond?
How do you respond to that? Amy Well? I I.
Speaker 3 (04:34):
Think that it's incredibly important, especially in this political environment,
right you know that we find ourselves in in this country,
to Britain as much authenticity as possible, and to also
be very clear about where we stand both personally, professionally,
(04:55):
politic politically with regard to social issues. You know, I
just I think that we are in a position right
now where it's true, black voices, black people in this
country under attack, like across the board. I mean, I
really believe that, you know, and you know, black voices
are under attack, Black media is under attack. Anything having
(05:15):
to do with us is under attack. So you know,
we are going to have to remain strong, try to
you know, get together or you know, uh, solidify our
community and and remain authentic to our voices and to
who we are so that we can express ourselves, so
that we can you know, try to fight what's happening
(05:39):
to not just our own individual you know kind of
means of being successful, but also our voices and our media.
I mean, we you know, it is unfortunate that we
are finding ourselves in this position. But I'm so grateful
for those of us, you know, who have been able
to also establish these independent platforms that have been authentic
(05:59):
and have sort of resisted what's going on. We have
people like Roland Martin, and we have people like Joy Reed,
we have people like Don Lemon, who I'm just incredibly
grateful with people like yourself who are out here, you know,
trying to create a pipeline of information. And I would
just take that example and I would extend it to
everybody out there in our community and say, Okay, be authentic,
use your voice, stand together as a community fight cool.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
Well, it's great because I feel that's a transition to
your novel, which is in a different period in the nineties.
You know, you're titled it if I ruled the world.
If I ruled the world, If I rule the world?
Why if I rule the world? You know, because a
song pops into my head when I hear that if
I ruled the world.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
Why did you call it if I ruled the world?
Speaker 3 (06:45):
That is that is the song that should pop in
your head? That is true, you know. I mean so,
as you mentioned before, I do have a career in media.
So I I am a three time editor in chief.
I was editor in chief of Honeyman Magazine. I was
editor in chief of Team People Magazine. I was editor
(07:05):
in chief of Ebony Magazine, and I was deputy editor
in chief of Harper's Bizarre, and so this particular novel
has been in my head for years, and it is
about a woman who works at a fashion magazine and
eventually becomes the editor in chief of a you know,
urban women's music and lifestyle magazine called Sugar, somewhat similar
(07:28):
to Honey Magazine, if you will.
Speaker 1 (07:30):
And.
Speaker 3 (07:34):
Somewhat similar. And you know, initially the book was called Sugar,
right after the fictional magazine that my protagonist edits. But
I was like, I don't know if that's really conveying
what this book is about. Because my protagonist is a complicated, ambitious,
flawed woman who is trying to achieve her professional goals,
(07:58):
who is who is trying to find love, who is
fighting enemies, who ask you know, complicated relationships with her friends,
She's dealing with massogy and hip hop, and so she
is really on a journey that is about finding herself,
coming into her own and really you know, kind of
understanding the world of which she belongs. And so the
(08:22):
title I love the title of Obviously it's a NAS song, right,
So the title is you know, really about like if
I ruled the world. To me, it was like evocative
of like the journey that my protagonist is taking. And
then I was also thinking, well, who are the music
artists who are popular right during that time? Obviously nas right,
and he is still popular, but in the late nineties
and early two thousands, when my book is set, he
(08:42):
was incredibly popular. And this song features Lauren Hill, who
we all love and Revere and who was also a
little sort of you know, kind of low, you know,
small reference. Coincidentally, Lauren Hill was the very first cover
of Honey magazine back in the day, so there's lots of.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
Reference, so a lot of personal references. I think that
makes that makes for a great story.
Speaker 1 (09:04):
That means that you are more authentic like you, like
you stated earlier when we were referencing black history and
black information that's being denied, denied by to the general
public by a lot of sources nowadays. But I think
that you know, that's why when I heard about the
book and it's on pre order right, yes.
Speaker 3 (09:23):
So it's available for pre order now wherever you buy
books online, Amazon work.
Speaker 1 (09:28):
How does that work now? Because I think I know
that's important. I've been fortunate to be part of two
best sellers, Steve Harvey's Act Likely think like Man best seller.
Speaker 2 (09:37):
Pre orders played a major role in that, and Steven A.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
Smith's Straight Shooter, which is a New York Times best seller,
pre orders played a major role in that. Tell us
why pre orders are that important to your the success
of your book?
Speaker 2 (09:50):
Initially, Yes, sir, so pre.
Speaker 3 (09:52):
Orders are critical for all authors, but particularly debut authors.
I'm not a debut author. I did running on fiction book,
but I'm a debut novelist. And so what happens is
that all of the order. So for those of us,
those of us who have you know, goals of being
on bestseller lists, like you know, for me, being on
a bestseller list is the you know, would be the
(10:14):
fulfillment of a lifelong dream. When it's put it that way,
and my book officially goes on sale, meaning it will
start to ship January twenty seventh, two thousand and six, right,
twenty twenty six, but all of the pre orders that
I get, so every time you guys pre order my
book between now in January twenty seventh, all of those
(10:35):
sales count towards the first week sales, right, And to
get on bestseller lists, you need to have between five
thousand and ten thousand sales. That first week, and for
debut novelists, it's incredibly difficult to get that level of
sales in one week unless you have a really strong
pre order campaign. So that's why I'm super grateful for
(10:56):
the support my book has already gotten. And you know,
for all the pre orders you guys, you know make
between now and when it actually goes on sale, it
will count toward the books you know, first week, and
then it will drive the book towards success. So could
not be more grateful for the support.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
Well, I know that first, I do want to get
that out because I like, I've been fortunate to be
a part of two amazing books, and I don't take
that for granted. I know there's a lot of hard
work and getting it to be New York Times bestsellers.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
I know the pre sales played.
Speaker 1 (11:27):
A major role in that, because once you appear on that,
then then they stamp New York Times best Seller on
your book, and then that's like another stamp of okay,
you should buy this book, and it goes to another
cycle of success that can go to months on a
best seller list.
Speaker 2 (11:43):
Now, now let's go back to this book.
Speaker 1 (11:45):
If I ruled the world novel because I had a
comedy club called the Hip Hop Comedy Stop, and I
opened it in nineteen ninety two. And music, you know,
I just think about all the music. Hip hop is
just really you know Snoop Dogg and now I remember
everybody is just Doctor Dre.
Speaker 2 (12:04):
Everybody was coming out and so that.
Speaker 1 (12:06):
Music, I always tell everybody time period was such an
important time between deaf comedy, jam used music.
Speaker 2 (12:13):
So I know it's a novel, but do you are
you able to sell.
Speaker 1 (12:18):
The importance of music and media in your in your book?
Speaker 3 (12:23):
Absolutely well. I mean in urban media, you know, we
were completely intertwined with the music industry, you know, so
I like to say, I mean I've been music industry
adjacent for twenty years now. You know, most of the
artists that I featured, you know, earlier in my career
were music artists. Most of my covers were music covers.
(12:43):
I mean black Hollywood is I don't say it's new,
but you know there's been a real rise of you know,
black Hollywood in the past I'm going to say decade,
but for so many years, you know, music really drove
everything that media did from a celebrity perspective, and even today,
I mean music drives culture, you know, whereas Hollywood reflects
culture and you know how we love our music. So
(13:06):
you know, when you look at urban publishing, you know
you see magazines like you know, Honey Magazine, right, you
see Vibe, you see Double Xcel, you see the Source.
You know, these were all magazines that centered around music.
And this book in particular is very reflective of the
culture of the time. And what that means is that
(13:28):
it's not just about this woman's journey. It's also has
themes that talk about the music industry. So there's misogyny
and hip hop for example. You know, we're seeing the
kind of reckoning go on right now in the music industry,
and this book reflects a lot of what female executives
went through during that time, and so we're absolutely talking
(13:49):
about that. I'm referencing a lot of music artists that
were popular at the time. I also have fictional music
artists you know that I'm talking about, you know, who
also kind of go through things, you know, have a
journeys themselves in the book. So it is very very
music related.
Speaker 1 (14:06):
Well that's important that you know. The interesting thing about
this amy because you're always a planner. Now, female driven
young time. You know, I go all the way back
to you know, uh uh you know, living single, I
(14:27):
go all the way back there.
Speaker 2 (14:29):
Okay, you just come.
Speaker 1 (14:30):
Forward that magazine Driven is a is a television concept
or a movie concept, part of the bigger plan of
this or release.
Speaker 2 (14:41):
If I ruled the.
Speaker 3 (14:41):
World, Absolutely yeah, I mean I.
Speaker 2 (14:46):
You shine? No, absolutely yeah?
Speaker 3 (14:49):
No. You know, don't play about you know, you know,
I don't play about my goals for shot. You know,
I don't play about my goals. I'm over here manifesting
big thing, sir, so yes, And I'm a so a
very visual thinker. I'm a visual person, and so when
I was writing the book, I was thinking visually, I
was thinking about set pieces. I was just I was
thinking thematically. So I absolutely see my book as a
(15:13):
television series, and I'm not actually working on that right now.
Speaker 1 (15:16):
Imagine it is because when you write a book like this,
it's kind of close to who you are, Okay, kind
of close to your are you dropping kind of like
a memoir type tone to it, or this is just
so fictional you just because this is what you did
for a living, you can keep it accurate.
Speaker 2 (15:34):
You know.
Speaker 3 (15:34):
It's interesting everybody, many people will think that it's a
Roman ac clay, meaning that it's about me, But it's
actually not my story. It's just based in a world
that I know extremely well, that I know better than
almost anyone else, and I have referenced certain aspects of
my life and my journey, but it's not my story.
(15:56):
So you know, it's something that I know intimately and
organtic enough to be able to really talk about on
who have written about with a lot of authenticity, but
it's just not my personal journey.
Speaker 2 (16:08):
Stay with us.
Speaker 1 (16:09):
More money Making Conversation mastic Lass coming up next. Welcome
back to Money Making Conversation mastic Lass with me Rashaun McDonald.
Measure this amy because there are a lot of talented
people out there, Like there's a lot of talent basketball
players and athletes out there, but only a few breakthrough.
(16:32):
What what is your qualities or your skill set? Because
I got to put you in the skill set you know,
you know, there's a lot of people can dribble a basketball,
a lot of people can dunk it. A lot of
people can have baseball over the fence, but they can't
hit it consistently.
Speaker 2 (16:45):
What enabled your rise in this industry?
Speaker 1 (16:49):
Is it a writing style you you achieved what what?
Speaker 2 (16:53):
What qualities?
Speaker 1 (16:54):
If somebody's listening trying to get into this business that
they have to stick to and all to even be
considered a possibility of achieving success in this business, that's interesting.
Speaker 3 (17:05):
Well, you know, I think that this transcends media, It
transcends you know, being an author. I think that you know,
the qualities you need to be successful are are universal
across basically any industry, sports, medicine, I mean, law, I mean,
you know, I think that it's it's not just about
(17:28):
having the skills and the experience to do whatever you know,
job it is you're trying to do. There's a separate
success skill set that I talk about that is really
something different, right, And a lot of that is about
the energy, like I was saying earlier, but the energy
(17:49):
that you put forth right, It's not just about doing
your job. It's about doing your job with an energy
that makes people want to be around you. It's about
you know, being you know, very enthusiastic about what you're doing,
finishing what you have, asking for more, doing that with
a great attitude, you know, helping people around you, being collaborative,
(18:13):
being kind, you know, like a lot of that circles
back to you in ways that you can't possibly imagine.
You know, it's it's kind of part of networking. Networking
is definitely, you know, intrinsic to that success skill set.
But people think that networking is like going to these
events and giving people a business card, and that's that's
not what it is. It's about building relationships. It's about
(18:36):
supporting people. It's about asking people what you can do
for them, right, It's about being kind. You know, you
and I have known each other for a long time.
You reached out to me for this, for which I
am incredibly grateful, but that's because we have built a
relationship over years, right, And that's something that people don't understand.
It is it is really about having the kind of
(18:58):
energy that people want to be around, building relationships and
then supporting people in your community and so much of
that and you just don't know. And you're not doing
that because you think you're going to get something back.
You're doing that because that's how you authentically show up
in the world. You're walking through the world in a
way that is generating opportunities. And the other thing I
(19:19):
will say is that in terms of success, the universe
will not give you an opportunity that you don't think
you deserve. It just doesn't happen, you know, So you
have to believe that you deserve all of the opportunities.
So manifesting, you know, when I talk about manifesting something,
I'm not like cutting pictures out of you know, magazines
(19:41):
that I love so much and putting on post boards.
That's not what I'm doing. I'm envisioning a goal, right,
I am trying to understand or I'm then being who
I need to be in order to achieve that goal.
And part of that is believing that I deserve that goal, right,
and then I'm putting in the work, right, I'm putting
(20:01):
in the straight up work right to achieve it. So
it's it's, you know, sort of energetically being authentic and
being kind. It's envisioning your goal and manifesting it by
understanding that you deserve it and then putting in the work.
Speaker 1 (20:17):
Now, here's something interesting, she said. We've been friends a
long time, which she's accurately. We met in twenty twelve
when I was doing producing the Steve Harvey Talked Show
at Chicago, Yes, and she was at Epony and We
used to meet once a week for breakfast.
Speaker 2 (20:31):
She's very much. We got to meet once a week
planking me. She's very organized. We meet breakers until we
find the right place to eat. We would meet. But
you know, that was when print magazines mattered. Print magazines mattered,
and now we're in an era.
Speaker 1 (20:46):
I have a two part question for you. Okay, you've
seen the transition from newsstand to digital. Explain to us
the difference and what did what did it? The good
it brought to your industry and some things you felt,
well bad it brought into especially black print.
Speaker 3 (21:05):
The tough one. Rashan. I mean, because it's true, I've
been in both. I mean, I'm a magazine maker in
my core. I love magazines. I think that it's like
creating a piece of art every month, you know, and
I deeply respect you know what magazine making is because
it's very dichonomous. It's textual and visual and being editor
in chief, it's creative in business. I mean, it's you know,
(21:27):
in front of the camera, behind the camera. There's so
many aspects to it that are complicated that you don't
find as much in the digital universe.
Speaker 2 (21:34):
Now.
Speaker 3 (21:34):
I have run digital brands and I ran the Grio,
I ran digital for be Et And you know, what
you do have in the digital world is an ability
to put out a lot more information much more quickly,
you know what I mean. So that is a good thing.
I mean, you have there's speed to it, there's a
(21:54):
volume to it. I'm basically limitless volume, you know, to
the to the amount of information you can put out.
But what you lose is that kind of careful, you know,
thoughtful journalism that goes in creating something that's going to
live forever. You know, a magazine, you know, once you
have it, it exists, it lives forever, you know, when
(22:16):
you put something online. I mean, of course there's great
journalism on digital platforms, but there is a lot of
journalism that's much more rushed because you can change it,
you know, you it doesn't have to stay up forever.
You can take it down. You know, people won't see it,
you know it doesn't. It's it's more ephemeral. Whereas magazines
have a permanence that made you incredibly careful. Everybody went
(22:37):
into producing magazines, made us all incredibly careful with what
we put forth. So and I also missed the visual
aspect of it. Too. I missed the photo shoots. I
missed the cover shoots. You know that's something that, again,
you don't really get as much in the digital world,
at least not to the same extent. You have video,
which is fabulous, but you you don't have those same
kind of fashion shoots that really characterize magazines.
Speaker 1 (23:00):
I'm speaking of Amy dubois on that she is in
history first black woman to helm a major mainstream US magazine.
Speaker 2 (23:07):
That's big, y'all, and.
Speaker 1 (23:09):
As deputy editor in chief of Harper's Bazaarre, she held
senior leadership roles at Paramount Hers Disney just the name
of few, just a lot.
Speaker 2 (23:17):
I met her in Chicago when she was running the
helm of Ebney magazine at the time. She says, a
new book out, It's called If I Ruled the World.
Speaker 1 (23:23):
And I say book out means that you can go
pre order right now prior to being released. And that's
why she's on the show. Tell us about that book.
Get the word out, get these pre orders lined up.
So guess what, she can be on the New York
Times bestseller list and we can see her show eventually.
Speaker 2 (23:38):
On television on the big screen. That's the end goal.
But what did.
Speaker 1 (23:42):
I do know about Amy, and I've been a part
of her life, part of the last thirteen years. You
understand pivoting, you understand, And I talk about that a
lot on my show because a lot of people don't
know when to jump or understand when opportunities in that
current location is changing.
Speaker 2 (23:58):
They don't understand.
Speaker 1 (24:00):
They might devalue themselves and think it's all on them.
Let's talk about pivoting and understanding how you can maintain
a balance that it's not about you and you should
continue to be successful because it is about you.
Speaker 3 (24:15):
Well, that's interesting. I mean I have pivoted throughout my life,
throughout my career. In my personal life, you know, I've
lived in thirteen cities on three continents, you know. But
in my professional life, you know, I actually started off
my current finance and then I spent some time in
the fashion industry, and then I got a graduate degree
in creative writing and MFA and started a twenty year
(24:37):
approximate career in media. And even within media, I pivot
in multiple times. I started off as the fashion and
beauty futures editor for Essence magazine, and then I pitched
and eventually became the editor in chief of Honey Magazine,
and then I became the editor in chief of Team People, right,
which was a pivot, right because I'd gone from Essence
(24:57):
and Honey, which were black and urban magazines, to twen People,
which was a mainstream magazine. And that's where I became
the first black woman to run a major mainstream magazine.
That's the Team People with the Team version of People magazine.
Now that's key.
Speaker 1 (25:10):
Let's not understate that, because this is because people can
like stereotype you and then say, hey, now that's why
I keep talking. You know, one thing, I was no
Amy even when we met every week. You know, she
said across from me and I'm looking at this. I'm men,
just tell you this brilliant person tend to undersell herself.
And I go, I don't get this, Like she just went,
(25:31):
you know, Shu, I was alway Incense and then with
Honey and then went to Team People's magazine. Really, you
went with black black white like that black black black white,
and we're just supposed to take that was just like
normal normal you go white white white black, but black
black like white.
Speaker 2 (25:46):
Not that that's not that's something's happening there. So talkers
talk to us, miss authentic.
Speaker 1 (25:53):
Okay, I ruled the world author, Okay, just be real
that there's some skill there and not this casual conversation
of being in the room and being able to meet
people and doing the hard work you at the hustle
and you had to keep submitting.
Speaker 3 (26:09):
Come on now, oh, let me listen. That's why I
was trying to talk to you about it in this
sort of pivoting conversation because it was not just a pivot.
But you're right, it was some work. So let's just
keep it abup right, let's just talk about it. So
when I was editor in chief of Honey Magazine, there
was an organization and it still exists, called the American
(26:30):
Society for Magazine Editors. The acronym is ASMI, and that
is the most prestigious organization in the magazine and publishing
and frankly media world. Right, you can only be a
part of the organization if you are an executive editor
or above, so basically the top two positions on a
mass head of a respected magazine. That is the only
(26:52):
way that you were admitted into this organization. They weren't
admitting people in this organization from like the the source.
They were not admitting maybe vibe, I guess. Eventually even
people came in. I mean eventually people, they started opening up,
but largely because I hustled and I formed relationships, you know,
(27:15):
and I did what I had to do basically to
get myself admitted to this organization. I had to volunteer
for the events. I judged you know, the you know,
the asthms again that's their their their acronym for American
Society Magazine and or they had an awardever you're called
the ellies. I judged the ellis for them, and I
proved myself time and again so that they eventually admitted
(27:39):
me into the organization, right, and that opened up an
incredible number of doors. So when I was admitted into
the organization as the editor in chief of Honey, again
breaking round because they were not letting in people from
urban magazines at that time. So when I got admitted
to the organization, at that point I started to make,
(28:00):
you know, not just do the work right, not just
prove myself in these rooms with all these editors, which
is by the way, I looked scary, right, I'm in
there with the editor in chief of The New Yorker,
the editor in chief of the Atlantic, the editor in
chief of the Washington Post, the editor in chief, G
you se what I mean? Am the editor chief of
Vanity Fair, and me the editor chief of Honey Magazine.
Judging the l awards, you're making commentary about the future
(28:21):
of the industry. I had to prove myself, you know,
to be a worthy colleague. And when I did so,
that's when the people at Time Inc. That at that
time owned People Magazine and Team People Magazine, That's when
they took note and they started to talk to me
about coming on board to Time Inc. Because they recognized
that I understood culture. They knew that I was a
(28:42):
good editor, They saw that I could generate ideas and
that I was strategic. But it took a lot of
hustle and then a lot of proving myself and a
lot of being confident too. I had to walk in
those rooms with confidence, with the energy of somebody who belonged.
If I walked in with the energy of somebody who
felt unsure about out you know what I was doing there.
If I looked as scared as I felt, then I
(29:04):
would not have gotten the respect of the people who
then recruited me to be the editor in chief of
teen People.
Speaker 2 (29:10):
There you go, she's Amy Bornette now Amy.
Speaker 1 (29:13):
As we close out an interview, let's recap this fantastic
book that's coming out. Pre orders are available right now.
If I Ruled the World, give us a recap, said
in the nineties.
Speaker 3 (29:25):
Yes so. My debut novel, If I Ruled the World
is set at the intersection of hip hop and fashion
and magazine culture in New York City in the late
nineteen nineties and early two thousands, and it's about a
woman named Nikki who goes from you know, being an
editor at a high end fashion magazine and not finding
(29:48):
her voice there, to eventually becoming the editor in chief
of a magazine called Sugar, where she also struggles. She
struggles to navigate the dangerous music industry, where she's faced
with a lot of misogyny and you know, sexual violence.
She's forced to navigate a publisher company and a team
that doesn't necessarily believe that she can authentically do that job.
(30:09):
She's forced to navigate her own romantic relationships while she's
looking for love. She has front friendships that she's trying
to figure out how to manage, you know, with her
new job. And in this new world, and she's also
trying to become who she is. She's trying to figure
out where she belongs. So it's a sexy story, it's
a juicy story. There may be some anecdotes in there
(30:31):
that I personally lived, and I think you guys are
going to enjoy it. So it's called If I Ruled
the World, and it's available wherever you buy books.
Speaker 2 (30:37):
Online pre ortist. Great.
Speaker 1 (30:41):
That was going to be my last question, but I'll
be remissed because one of the people that we always
spoke about at our breakfast sessions was her son.
Speaker 2 (30:51):
How is that young man doing? My daughter now works
for me in our company.
Speaker 1 (30:55):
She graduated with a digital media degree from the University
used with honors.
Speaker 2 (30:59):
So how is you start doing?
Speaker 3 (31:00):
Oh, I'm so proud of her. Yes, my baby is
nineteen years old. He is a rising sophomore at Drexel
University in the Music Industry program. He's a music producer,
he's a DJ. He is a brilliant, lovely young man
and right now he is backpacking through Europe with a
friend of his. I swear to god he's in Vienna
(31:22):
at the moment. So my child is doing really well.
I appreciate you.
Speaker 2 (31:26):
It's kind of like his mama.
Speaker 3 (31:29):
I have the adventures though what we not go do?
What we're not go do?
Speaker 1 (31:34):
Yes, she's incredible. I think I want to take you
for coming on the show. I really was, you know,
like I said, I saw this note on LinkedIn Ladies
and LinkedIn. She used LinkedIn and that's why I found
out by a book and I say, hey, I want
to come home, bring you on my show, not just
to talk to you again. A big fan, always a
(31:54):
big fan of yours and anytime I could use my
gifts to promote your talents, I'm going to use it.
Speaker 2 (32:01):
And you know that.
Speaker 1 (32:02):
So again, if I Rule the World is available now
go to any Amazon inflicce you by your books is
be available. Thank you Amy for coming on Money Making
Conversations Masterclass.
Speaker 3 (32:14):
I appreciate you, Rashaun. As always, this.
Speaker 1 (32:17):
Has been Money Making Conversations Masterclass with me Rashaan McDonald.
Thanks to our guests and our audience. Visit Moneymakingconversations dot
com to listen or register to be a guest on
my show. Keep leading with your gifts, Keep winning,
Hi. Ever, Sean McDonald host the weekly Money Making Conversation
Masterclass show. The interviews and information that this show provides
offer everyone It's time to start reading other people's success
stories and start living your own now. If you want
to be a guest on my show, Money Making Conversation Masterclass,
please visit our website, Moneymakingconversations dot com and.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Click the b against button.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
If you're a small business owner, entrepreneur, motivational speaker, influencer,
or nonprofit now let's get this show.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
Roller.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
My guest made History is the first black woman to
helm a major mainstream US magazine, and as deputy editor
in chief of Harper's Bazaarre. She's held senior leadership roles
at Paramount Herts, Disney Timing, and several independently owned brands.
Now she has a highly anticipated debate novel, If I
Rule the World, and it will be published by funt
(00:52):
Iron Books in January or twenty twenty six. Please welcome
to the Money Making Conversations Masterclass, Amy duoyce On.
Speaker 3 (00:59):
That so nice to be here, Rashaun, thanks for having me.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
Well, First of all, I got I got the d
Boys right? Correct? Yes, you did.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
My namesake so that's what I get that right.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
On the book. I don't want people to be looking
for Amy Barnett and mister see right there.
Speaker 1 (01:17):
If I say it's right, then you type that it
gonna come directly you because you're one of a kind.
Speaker 3 (01:22):
I appreciate you, sir, and I'm proud of my middle name. Again,
I'm named after wb D Boys, so I'd like to
use my whole name.
Speaker 1 (01:30):
Well, you know, I said some really amazing things, and
I've known you over the years and followed your career,
followed you through the injured leg and all that stuff.
But you're very humble, but you've been in a very
competitive industry.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
How do you balance that?
Speaker 3 (01:49):
Amy, I mean, I I appreciate that, and that's a
very kind thing to say. And it's interesting because it
is one of the things that I talked to people
that I mentor about, right, you know, I talk to
people about the energy that you put back in the
world and the way that that comes back to you
and the fact that you know, all of it is
(02:11):
sort of circular, and you have to really be intentional
about the way that you walk through the world. Right,
So I think that the way that you are treating
people around you is the kind of energy that you're
going to get yourself as it comes back to you.
And the other thing is, you know, I really spent
a lot of time over the course of my career
humanizing success. You know. I think that for a lot
(02:34):
of people, you know, they look at you know, those
folks who have had certain kinds of professional accomplishments, and
they think that these people are different or they're somehow
I don't want to say better, but they just have
a sort of different set of experiences or what have you.
And you know, my goal throughout a lot of my
career has been to help people understand that we all
(02:55):
make mistakes, like nobody is better than anybody else. You know,
we are out here flawed and you know, and just
trying to find success, fine, love, find fulfillment at the
same as everybody else. And that was actually one of
the reasons why I started writing my editor's letters at
Honey Magazine. That was actually my first editor in chief job.
(03:17):
So when I started writing my editor's letters at Honey Magazine,
I decided that I wasn't going to do the normal
editors letters where you say okay, well on page fifty
three is a great QD story on page twenty five
is a great fashion story. Instead, I chose to use
that magazine Real Estate to talk about my own stories
and my my failures and the lessons that I've learned
(03:39):
and the insights I wanted to impart. So, you know,
it's just it's part of who I am, and it's
it's part of what I want to leave with the world.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
What is Amy Well? Amy?
Speaker 1 (03:50):
You know it's really interesting because you know, I would say,
calm writer, Okay, I'm just say that, not your your
level of writing, because.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
There's a different it's different levels of writing out there,
ladies and gentlemen.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
Our the black the black information pipeline seems to be
under attack nowadays, where we're being discouraged to identify ourselves
and be proud and be able to.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
Say I want to do this. When you hear these
attack messages.
Speaker 1 (04:20):
Being put out there, I'm not going to direct it
to anybody in particular, but I do read it. I
do see it, and I feel uncomfortable. How do you respond?
How do you respond to that? Amy Well? I I.
Speaker 3 (04:34):
Think that it's incredibly important, especially in this political environment,
right you know that we find ourselves in in this country,
to Britain as much authenticity as possible, and to also
be very clear about where we stand both personally, professionally,
(04:55):
politic politically with regard to social issues. You know, I
just I think that we are in a position right
now where it's true, black voices, black people in this
country under attack, like across the board. I mean, I
really believe that, you know, and you know, black voices
are under attack, Black media is under attack. Anything having
(05:15):
to do with us is under attack. So you know,
we are going to have to remain strong, try to
you know, get together or you know, uh, solidify our
community and and remain authentic to our voices and to
who we are so that we can express ourselves, so
that we can you know, try to fight what's happening
(05:39):
to not just our own individual you know kind of
means of being successful, but also our voices and our media.
I mean, we you know, it is unfortunate that we
are finding ourselves in this position. But I'm so grateful
for those of us, you know, who have been able
to also establish these independent platforms that have been authentic
(05:59):
and have sort of resisted what's going on. We have
people like Roland Martin, and we have people like Joy Reed,
we have people like Don Lemon, who I'm just incredibly
grateful with people like yourself who are out here, you know,
trying to create a pipeline of information. And I would
just take that example and I would extend it to
everybody out there in our community and say, Okay, be authentic,
use your voice, stand together as a community fight cool.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
Well, it's great because I feel that's a transition to
your novel, which is in a different period in the nineties.
You know, you're titled it if I ruled the world.
If I ruled the world, If I rule the world?
Why if I rule the world? You know, because a
song pops into my head when I hear that if
I ruled the world.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
Why did you call it if I ruled the world?
Speaker 3 (06:45):
That is that is the song that should pop in
your head? That is true, you know. I mean so,
as you mentioned before, I do have a career in media.
So I I am a three time editor in chief.
I was editor in chief of Honeyman Magazine. I was
editor in chief of Team People Magazine. I was editor
(07:05):
in chief of Ebony Magazine, and I was deputy editor
in chief of Harper's Bizarre, and so this particular novel
has been in my head for years, and it is
about a woman who works at a fashion magazine and
eventually becomes the editor in chief of a you know,
urban women's music and lifestyle magazine called Sugar, somewhat similar
(07:28):
to Honey Magazine, if you will.
Speaker 1 (07:30):
And.
Speaker 3 (07:34):
Somewhat similar. And you know, initially the book was called Sugar,
right after the fictional magazine that my protagonist edits. But
I was like, I don't know if that's really conveying
what this book is about. Because my protagonist is a complicated, ambitious,
flawed woman who is trying to achieve her professional goals,
(07:58):
who is who is trying to find love, who is
fighting enemies, who ask you know, complicated relationships with her friends,
She's dealing with massogy and hip hop, and so she
is really on a journey that is about finding herself,
coming into her own and really you know, kind of
understanding the world of which she belongs. And so the
(08:22):
title I love the title of Obviously it's a NAS song, right,
So the title is you know, really about like if
I ruled the world. To me, it was like evocative
of like the journey that my protagonist is taking. And
then I was also thinking, well, who are the music
artists who are popular right during that time? Obviously nas right,
and he is still popular, but in the late nineties
and early two thousands, when my book is set, he
(08:42):
was incredibly popular. And this song features Lauren Hill, who
we all love and Revere and who was also a
little sort of you know, kind of low, you know,
small reference. Coincidentally, Lauren Hill was the very first cover
of Honey magazine back in the day, so there's lots of.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
Reference, so a lot of personal references. I think that
makes that makes for a great story.
Speaker 1 (09:04):
That means that you are more authentic like you, like
you stated earlier when we were referencing black history and
black information that's being denied, denied by to the general
public by a lot of sources nowadays. But I think
that you know, that's why when I heard about the
book and it's on pre order right, yes.
Speaker 3 (09:23):
So it's available for pre order now wherever you buy
books online, Amazon work.
Speaker 1 (09:28):
How does that work now? Because I think I know
that's important. I've been fortunate to be part of two
best sellers, Steve Harvey's Act Likely think like Man best seller.
Speaker 2 (09:37):
Pre orders played a major role in that, and Steven A.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
Smith's Straight Shooter, which is a New York Times best seller,
pre orders played a major role in that. Tell us
why pre orders are that important to your the success
of your book?
Speaker 2 (09:50):
Initially, Yes, sir, so pre.
Speaker 3 (09:52):
Orders are critical for all authors, but particularly debut authors.
I'm not a debut author. I did running on fiction book,
but I'm a debut novelist. And so what happens is
that all of the order. So for those of us,
those of us who have you know, goals of being
on bestseller lists, like you know, for me, being on
a bestseller list is the you know, would be the
(10:14):
fulfillment of a lifelong dream. When it's put it that way,
and my book officially goes on sale, meaning it will
start to ship January twenty seventh, two thousand and six, right,
twenty twenty six, but all of the pre orders that
I get, so every time you guys pre order my
book between now in January twenty seventh, all of those
(10:35):
sales count towards the first week sales, right, And to
get on bestseller lists, you need to have between five
thousand and ten thousand sales. That first week, and for
debut novelists, it's incredibly difficult to get that level of
sales in one week unless you have a really strong
pre order campaign. So that's why I'm super grateful for
(10:56):
the support my book has already gotten. And you know,
for all the pre orders you guys, you know make
between now and when it actually goes on sale, it
will count toward the books you know, first week, and
then it will drive the book towards success. So could
not be more grateful for the support.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
Well, I know that first, I do want to get
that out because I like, I've been fortunate to be
a part of two amazing books, and I don't take
that for granted. I know there's a lot of hard
work and getting it to be New York Times bestsellers.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
I know the pre sales played.
Speaker 1 (11:27):
A major role in that, because once you appear on that,
then then they stamp New York Times best Seller on
your book, and then that's like another stamp of okay,
you should buy this book, and it goes to another
cycle of success that can go to months on a
best seller list.
Speaker 2 (11:43):
Now, now let's go back to this book.
Speaker 1 (11:45):
If I ruled the world novel because I had a
comedy club called the Hip Hop Comedy Stop, and I
opened it in nineteen ninety two. And music, you know,
I just think about all the music. Hip hop is
just really you know Snoop Dogg and now I remember
everybody is just Doctor Dre.
Speaker 2 (12:04):
Everybody was coming out and so that.
Speaker 1 (12:06):
Music, I always tell everybody time period was such an
important time between deaf comedy, jam used music.
Speaker 2 (12:13):
So I know it's a novel, but do you are
you able to sell.
Speaker 1 (12:18):
The importance of music and media in your in your book?
Speaker 3 (12:23):
Absolutely well. I mean in urban media, you know, we
were completely intertwined with the music industry, you know, so
I like to say, I mean I've been music industry
adjacent for twenty years now. You know, most of the
artists that I featured, you know, earlier in my career
were music artists. Most of my covers were music covers.
(12:43):
I mean black Hollywood is I don't say it's new,
but you know there's been a real rise of you know,
black Hollywood in the past I'm going to say decade,
but for so many years, you know, music really drove
everything that media did from a celebrity perspective, and even today,
I mean music drives culture, you know, whereas Hollywood reflects
culture and you know how we love our music. So
(13:06):
you know, when you look at urban publishing, you know
you see magazines like you know, Honey Magazine, right, you
see Vibe, you see Double Xcel, you see the Source.
You know, these were all magazines that centered around music.
And this book in particular is very reflective of the
culture of the time. And what that means is that
(13:28):
it's not just about this woman's journey. It's also has
themes that talk about the music industry. So there's misogyny
and hip hop for example. You know, we're seeing the
kind of reckoning go on right now in the music industry,
and this book reflects a lot of what female executives
went through during that time, and so we're absolutely talking
(13:49):
about that. I'm referencing a lot of music artists that
were popular at the time. I also have fictional music
artists you know that I'm talking about, you know, who
also kind of go through things, you know, have a
journeys themselves in the book. So it is very very
music related.
Speaker 1 (14:06):
Well that's important that you know. The interesting thing about
this amy because you're always a planner. Now, female driven
young time. You know, I go all the way back
to you know, uh uh you know, living single, I
(14:27):
go all the way back there.
Speaker 2 (14:29):
Okay, you just come.
Speaker 1 (14:30):
Forward that magazine Driven is a is a television concept
or a movie concept, part of the bigger plan of
this or release.
Speaker 2 (14:41):
If I ruled the.
Speaker 3 (14:41):
World, Absolutely yeah, I mean I.
Speaker 2 (14:46):
You shine? No, absolutely yeah?
Speaker 3 (14:49):
No. You know, don't play about you know, you know,
I don't play about my goals for shot. You know,
I don't play about my goals. I'm over here manifesting
big thing, sir, so yes, And I'm a so a
very visual thinker. I'm a visual person, and so when
I was writing the book, I was thinking visually, I
was thinking about set pieces. I was just I was
thinking thematically. So I absolutely see my book as a
(15:13):
television series, and I'm not actually working on that right now.
Speaker 1 (15:16):
Imagine it is because when you write a book like this,
it's kind of close to who you are, Okay, kind
of close to your are you dropping kind of like
a memoir type tone to it, or this is just
so fictional you just because this is what you did
for a living, you can keep it accurate.
Speaker 2 (15:34):
You know.
Speaker 3 (15:34):
It's interesting everybody, many people will think that it's a
Roman ac clay, meaning that it's about me, But it's
actually not my story. It's just based in a world
that I know extremely well, that I know better than
almost anyone else, and I have referenced certain aspects of
my life and my journey, but it's not my story.
(15:56):
So you know, it's something that I know intimately and
organtic enough to be able to really talk about on
who have written about with a lot of authenticity, but
it's just not my personal journey.
Speaker 2 (16:08):
Stay with us.
Speaker 1 (16:09):
More money Making Conversation mastic Lass coming up next. Welcome
back to Money Making Conversation mastic Lass with me Rashaun McDonald.
Measure this amy because there are a lot of talented
people out there, Like there's a lot of talent basketball
players and athletes out there, but only a few breakthrough.
(16:32):
What what is your qualities or your skill set? Because
I got to put you in the skill set you know,
you know, there's a lot of people can dribble a basketball,
a lot of people can dunk it. A lot of
people can have baseball over the fence, but they can't
hit it consistently.
Speaker 2 (16:45):
What enabled your rise in this industry?
Speaker 1 (16:49):
Is it a writing style you you achieved what what?
Speaker 2 (16:53):
What qualities?
Speaker 1 (16:54):
If somebody's listening trying to get into this business that
they have to stick to and all to even be
considered a possibility of achieving success in this business, that's interesting.
Speaker 3 (17:05):
Well, you know, I think that this transcends media, It
transcends you know, being an author. I think that you know,
the qualities you need to be successful are are universal
across basically any industry, sports, medicine, I mean, law, I mean,
you know, I think that it's it's not just about
(17:28):
having the skills and the experience to do whatever you know,
job it is you're trying to do. There's a separate
success skill set that I talk about that is really
something different, right, And a lot of that is about
the energy, like I was saying earlier, but the energy
(17:49):
that you put forth right, It's not just about doing
your job. It's about doing your job with an energy
that makes people want to be around you. It's about
you know, being you know, very enthusiastic about what you're doing,
finishing what you have, asking for more, doing that with
a great attitude, you know, helping people around you, being collaborative,
(18:13):
being kind, you know, like a lot of that circles
back to you in ways that you can't possibly imagine.
You know, it's it's kind of part of networking. Networking
is definitely, you know, intrinsic to that success skill set.
But people think that networking is like going to these
events and giving people a business card, and that's that's
not what it is. It's about building relationships. It's about
(18:36):
supporting people. It's about asking people what you can do
for them, right, It's about being kind. You know, you
and I have known each other for a long time.
You reached out to me for this, for which I
am incredibly grateful, but that's because we have built a
relationship over years, right, And that's something that people don't understand.
It is it is really about having the kind of
(18:58):
energy that people want to be around, building relationships and
then supporting people in your community and so much of
that and you just don't know. And you're not doing
that because you think you're going to get something back.
You're doing that because that's how you authentically show up
in the world. You're walking through the world in a
way that is generating opportunities. And the other thing I
(19:19):
will say is that in terms of success, the universe
will not give you an opportunity that you don't think
you deserve. It just doesn't happen, you know, So you
have to believe that you deserve all of the opportunities.
So manifesting, you know, when I talk about manifesting something,
I'm not like cutting pictures out of you know, magazines
(19:41):
that I love so much and putting on post boards.
That's not what I'm doing. I'm envisioning a goal, right,
I am trying to understand or I'm then being who
I need to be in order to achieve that goal.
And part of that is believing that I deserve that goal, right,
and then I'm putting in the work, right, I'm putting
(20:01):
in the straight up work right to achieve it. So
it's it's, you know, sort of energetically being authentic and
being kind. It's envisioning your goal and manifesting it by
understanding that you deserve it and then putting in the work.
Speaker 1 (20:17):
Now, here's something interesting, she said. We've been friends a
long time, which she's accurately. We met in twenty twelve
when I was doing producing the Steve Harvey Talked Show
at Chicago, Yes, and she was at Epony and We
used to meet once a week for breakfast.
Speaker 2 (20:31):
She's very much. We got to meet once a week
planking me. She's very organized. We meet breakers until we
find the right place to eat. We would meet. But
you know, that was when print magazines mattered. Print magazines mattered,
and now we're in an era.
Speaker 1 (20:46):
I have a two part question for you. Okay, you've
seen the transition from newsstand to digital. Explain to us
the difference and what did what did it? The good
it brought to your industry and some things you felt,
well bad it brought into especially black print.
Speaker 3 (21:05):
The tough one. Rashan. I mean, because it's true, I've
been in both. I mean, I'm a magazine maker in
my core. I love magazines. I think that it's like
creating a piece of art every month, you know, and
I deeply respect you know what magazine making is because
it's very dichonomous. It's textual and visual and being editor
in chief, it's creative in business. I mean, it's you know,
(21:27):
in front of the camera, behind the camera. There's so
many aspects to it that are complicated that you don't
find as much in the digital universe.
Speaker 2 (21:34):
Now.
Speaker 3 (21:34):
I have run digital brands and I ran the Grio,
I ran digital for be Et And you know, what
you do have in the digital world is an ability
to put out a lot more information much more quickly,
you know what I mean. So that is a good thing.
I mean, you have there's speed to it, there's a
(21:54):
volume to it. I'm basically limitless volume, you know, to
the to the amount of information you can put out.
But what you lose is that kind of careful, you know,
thoughtful journalism that goes in creating something that's going to
live forever. You know, a magazine, you know, once you
have it, it exists, it lives forever, you know, when
(22:16):
you put something online. I mean, of course there's great
journalism on digital platforms, but there is a lot of
journalism that's much more rushed because you can change it,
you know, you it doesn't have to stay up forever.
You can take it down. You know, people won't see it,
you know it doesn't. It's it's more ephemeral. Whereas magazines
have a permanence that made you incredibly careful. Everybody went
(22:37):
into producing magazines, made us all incredibly careful with what
we put forth. So and I also missed the visual
aspect of it. Too. I missed the photo shoots. I
missed the cover shoots. You know that's something that, again,
you don't really get as much in the digital world,
at least not to the same extent. You have video,
which is fabulous, but you you don't have those same
kind of fashion shoots that really characterize magazines.
Speaker 1 (23:00):
I'm speaking of Amy dubois on that she is in
history first black woman to helm a major mainstream US magazine.
Speaker 2 (23:07):
That's big, y'all, and.
Speaker 1 (23:09):
As deputy editor in chief of Harper's Bazaarre, she held
senior leadership roles at Paramount Hers Disney just the name
of few, just a lot.
Speaker 2 (23:17):
I met her in Chicago when she was running the
helm of Ebney magazine at the time. She says, a
new book out, It's called If I Ruled the World.
Speaker 1 (23:23):
And I say book out means that you can go
pre order right now prior to being released. And that's
why she's on the show. Tell us about that book.
Get the word out, get these pre orders lined up.
So guess what, she can be on the New York
Times bestseller list and we can see her show eventually.
Speaker 2 (23:38):
On television on the big screen. That's the end goal.
But what did.
Speaker 1 (23:42):
I do know about Amy, and I've been a part
of her life, part of the last thirteen years. You
understand pivoting, you understand, And I talk about that a
lot on my show because a lot of people don't
know when to jump or understand when opportunities in that
current location is changing.
Speaker 2 (23:58):
They don't understand.
Speaker 1 (24:00):
They might devalue themselves and think it's all on them.
Let's talk about pivoting and understanding how you can maintain
a balance that it's not about you and you should
continue to be successful because it is about you.
Speaker 3 (24:15):
Well, that's interesting. I mean I have pivoted throughout my life,
throughout my career. In my personal life, you know, I've
lived in thirteen cities on three continents, you know. But
in my professional life, you know, I actually started off
my current finance and then I spent some time in
the fashion industry, and then I got a graduate degree
in creative writing and MFA and started a twenty year
(24:37):
approximate career in media. And even within media, I pivot
in multiple times. I started off as the fashion and
beauty futures editor for Essence magazine, and then I pitched
and eventually became the editor in chief of Honey Magazine,
and then I became the editor in chief of Team People, right,
which was a pivot, right because I'd gone from Essence
(24:57):
and Honey, which were black and urban magazines, to twen People,
which was a mainstream magazine. And that's where I became
the first black woman to run a major mainstream magazine.
That's the Team People with the Team version of People magazine.
Now that's key.
Speaker 1 (25:10):
Let's not understate that, because this is because people can
like stereotype you and then say, hey, now that's why
I keep talking. You know, one thing, I was no
Amy even when we met every week. You know, she
said across from me and I'm looking at this. I'm men,
just tell you this brilliant person tend to undersell herself.
And I go, I don't get this, Like she just went,
(25:31):
you know, Shu, I was alway Incense and then with
Honey and then went to Team People's magazine. Really, you
went with black black white like that black black black white,
and we're just supposed to take that was just like
normal normal you go white white white black, but black
black like white.
Speaker 2 (25:46):
Not that that's not that's something's happening there. So talkers
talk to us, miss authentic.
Speaker 1 (25:53):
Okay, I ruled the world author, Okay, just be real
that there's some skill there and not this casual conversation
of being in the room and being able to meet
people and doing the hard work you at the hustle
and you had to keep submitting.
Speaker 3 (26:09):
Come on now, oh, let me listen. That's why I
was trying to talk to you about it in this
sort of pivoting conversation because it was not just a pivot.
But you're right, it was some work. So let's just
keep it abup right, let's just talk about it. So
when I was editor in chief of Honey Magazine, there
was an organization and it still exists, called the American
(26:30):
Society for Magazine Editors. The acronym is ASMI, and that
is the most prestigious organization in the magazine and publishing
and frankly media world. Right, you can only be a
part of the organization if you are an executive editor
or above, so basically the top two positions on a
mass head of a respected magazine. That is the only
(26:52):
way that you were admitted into this organization. They weren't
admitting people in this organization from like the the source.
They were not admitting maybe vibe, I guess. Eventually even
people came in. I mean eventually people, they started opening up,
but largely because I hustled and I formed relationships, you know,
(27:15):
and I did what I had to do basically to
get myself admitted to this organization. I had to volunteer
for the events. I judged you know, the you know,
the asthms again that's their their their acronym for American
Society Magazine and or they had an awardever you're called
the ellies. I judged the ellis for them, and I
proved myself time and again so that they eventually admitted
(27:39):
me into the organization, right, and that opened up an
incredible number of doors. So when I was admitted into
the organization as the editor in chief of Honey, again
breaking round because they were not letting in people from
urban magazines at that time. So when I got admitted
to the organization, at that point I started to make,
(28:00):
you know, not just do the work right, not just
prove myself in these rooms with all these editors, which
is by the way, I looked scary, right, I'm in
there with the editor in chief of The New Yorker,
the editor in chief of the Atlantic, the editor in
chief of the Washington Post, the editor in chief, G
you se what I mean? Am the editor chief of
Vanity Fair, and me the editor chief of Honey Magazine.
Judging the l awards, you're making commentary about the future
(28:21):
of the industry. I had to prove myself, you know,
to be a worthy colleague. And when I did so,
that's when the people at Time Inc. That at that
time owned People Magazine and Team People Magazine, That's when
they took note and they started to talk to me
about coming on board to Time Inc. Because they recognized
that I understood culture. They knew that I was a
(28:42):
good editor, They saw that I could generate ideas and
that I was strategic. But it took a lot of
hustle and then a lot of proving myself and a
lot of being confident too. I had to walk in
those rooms with confidence, with the energy of somebody who belonged.
If I walked in with the energy of somebody who
felt unsure about out you know what I was doing there.
If I looked as scared as I felt, then I
(29:04):
would not have gotten the respect of the people who
then recruited me to be the editor in chief of
teen People.
Speaker 2 (29:10):
There you go, she's Amy Bornette now Amy.
Speaker 1 (29:13):
As we close out an interview, let's recap this fantastic
book that's coming out. Pre orders are available right now.
If I Ruled the World, give us a recap, said
in the nineties.
Speaker 3 (29:25):
Yes so. My debut novel, If I Ruled the World
is set at the intersection of hip hop and fashion
and magazine culture in New York City in the late
nineteen nineties and early two thousands, and it's about a
woman named Nikki who goes from you know, being an
editor at a high end fashion magazine and not finding
(29:48):
her voice there, to eventually becoming the editor in chief
of a magazine called Sugar, where she also struggles. She
struggles to navigate the dangerous music industry, where she's faced
with a lot of misogyny and you know, sexual violence.
She's forced to navigate a publisher company and a team
that doesn't necessarily believe that she can authentically do that job.
(30:09):
She's forced to navigate her own romantic relationships while she's
looking for love. She has front friendships that she's trying
to figure out how to manage, you know, with her
new job. And in this new world, and she's also
trying to become who she is. She's trying to figure
out where she belongs. So it's a sexy story, it's
a juicy story. There may be some anecdotes in there
(30:31):
that I personally lived, and I think you guys are
going to enjoy it. So it's called If I Ruled
the World, and it's available wherever you buy books.
Speaker 2 (30:37):
Online pre ortist. Great.
Speaker 1 (30:41):
That was going to be my last question, but I'll
be remissed because one of the people that we always
spoke about at our breakfast sessions was her son.
Speaker 2 (30:51):
How is that young man doing? My daughter now works
for me in our company.
Speaker 1 (30:55):
She graduated with a digital media degree from the University
used with honors.
Speaker 2 (30:59):
So how is you start doing?
Speaker 3 (31:00):
Oh, I'm so proud of her. Yes, my baby is
nineteen years old. He is a rising sophomore at Drexel
University in the Music Industry program. He's a music producer,
he's a DJ. He is a brilliant, lovely young man
and right now he is backpacking through Europe with a
friend of his. I swear to god he's in Vienna
(31:22):
at the moment. So my child is doing really well.
I appreciate you.
Speaker 2 (31:26):
It's kind of like his mama.
Speaker 3 (31:29):
I have the adventures though what we not go do?
What we're not go do?
Speaker 1 (31:34):
Yes, she's incredible. I think I want to take you
for coming on the show. I really was, you know,
like I said, I saw this note on LinkedIn Ladies
and LinkedIn. She used LinkedIn and that's why I found
out by a book and I say, hey, I want
to come home, bring you on my show, not just
to talk to you again. A big fan, always a
(31:54):
big fan of yours and anytime I could use my
gifts to promote your talents, I'm going to use it.
Speaker 2 (32:01):
And you know that.
Speaker 1 (32:02):
So again, if I Rule the World is available now
go to any Amazon inflicce you by your books is
be available. Thank you Amy for coming on Money Making
Conversations Masterclass.
Speaker 3 (32:14):
I appreciate you, Rashaun. As always, this.
Speaker 1 (32:17):
Has been Money Making Conversations Masterclass with me Rashaan McDonald.
Thanks to our guests and our audience. Visit Moneymakingconversations dot
com to listen or register to be a guest on
my show. Keep leading with your gifts, Keep winning,
The Steve Harvey Morning Show News
Hosts And Creators
Steve Harvey
Shirley Strawberry
Thomas "Nephew Tommy" Miles
Carla Ferrell
Kier "Junior" Spates
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