I cover workplace culture, from the rise of the gig economy, automation and #MeToo to wellness programs, digital nomads and pay transparency.
What was your first job?
When I was 13, I got a work permit so I could do children's face painting at our local fruit stand/pumpkin patch for about $4 an hour. Full-face sparkle butterflies were my specialty!
What do you think is the hardest part of your job that no one knows?
Because we often turn around stories on really tight deadlines (like a few hours), I'll often frantically reach out to way more people than I need for a story because I don't know who's going to get back to me in time for air. Often, I end up with more interviews than I can fit in the allotted time and I have to leave someone out. I try as hard as possible to use that interview to feed another story, but it's not always possible. Telling people who have been kind enough to take time out of their busy schedule and share their expertise and experience with me that I didn't include them in the final story is the stuff of nightmares!
What advice do you wish someone had given you before you started this career?
Trust your gut. The things that make you laugh or confuse you are often the best, most human way into a story.
In your next life, what would your career be?
I would run tours for off-the-beaten-path travel, not just because I love traveling, but because it is seemingly the only area of life in which I manage to be insanely, supremely organized. While I can't find my tax returns or family members' addresses, when I'm planning a trip, I make color-coded Google maps and spreadsheet budgets, I memorize best restaurant lists and optimize itineraries to hit the maximum number of eating opportunities and happy hours.
Fill in the blank: Money can’t buy you happiness, but it can buy you ______.
Chateauneuf-du-Pape.
What is something that everyone should own, no matter how much it costs?
A Japanese chef's knife.
What’s something that you thought you knew but later found out you were wrong about?
I was one of those annoying people who didn't own a television in their 20s because I was too cool for mass media. Then I discovered “Mad Men.” And “Game of Thrones.” And “House Hunters International.” Now I'm a bona fide TV addict, and I truly believe that experiencing popular TV shows together is an amazing way of connecting with our fellow humans.
What’s your most memorable Marketplace moment?
The first time I used the term "blockchain" in a story. I never thought I would know what that meant until I worked here. Actually, I'm still not really sure.
What’s the favorite item in your workspace and why?
Kleenex. Thanks to allergies, I go through about a box a week.
