Mandi Norwood, mom, author of Michelle (Obama) Style & award-winning Editor-in-Chief
as told by Butterfly co-founder Bradi Nathan
At a recent parent conference my son’s teacher revealed that “his thoughts go elsewhere” during daily writing lessons. But when it comes time for a tutorial in Math, he is very astute. Well, it doesn’t take a brain surgeon to figure out that Jack does not enjoy writing or learning the fundamentals of good penmanship. How can you force a child to become more interested in a particular subject, hoping he doesn’t excuse himself to go to the bathroom sixteen times to avoid a lesson plan?
I, on the contrary, have always enjoyed writing as means of self-expression, even at young age. It is math that I loathe. I will admit, keep it low, that I was in “Honors English” and “Lower Math.” It is my guess that Mandi Norwood, writer and award-winning Editor-in-Chief of women’s magazines, was in “Honor’s English” as well. Perhaps Mandi could help to inject a passion for the written word into my son.
Mandi is a mother with two young daughters, was Editor-in Chief of Mademoiselle and Shop Etc and is the author of How to Be Number One in Your Own World. She is a regular contributor to CBS, CNN and has established herself as an icon in the world of beauty, fashion and home in the 30 plus market. In an exclusive interview with Butterfly, Mandi shares her tale of writing and raising kids:
BN: As a young girl, did you know what you wanted to be when you grew up?
MN: I did, but it changed all the way up to 18 years old. For years, I dreamed of being a ballerina or an actress. But, I grew too tall to be a ballerina and acting was deemed just too pie in the sky. I grew up in the north east of England where dreams need to be tempered with reality. Still, having ambitions to be a magazine editor was considered lofty, but I just thought to myself, “Someone has to edit all those magazines. Why not me?”
BN: Did you ever keep a diary when you were young as a means of self-expression?
MN: As a means of self-expression? No. I kept diaries as a way of making sure every day counted. I would use them to plan ahead rather than to reflect on the past. Every day had to have an entry, no matter what.
BN: How did your own mother foster and recognize your skills as a writer?
MN: My mother encouraged everything I did, whether it was writing or dancing. She was the one person who did not believe my dreams were too big. If anything, she’d simply advise me not to tell too many people of my ambitions. It’s amazing how many people scoff when a child reveals they want to pursue something out of the ordinary.
BN: At what point did you know you wanted to make journalism your career?
MN: I started reading magazines in my early teens and I confess it wasn’t the heavy-duty articles that turned me on. It was the glamour and fashion and fun that magazines evoked that inspired me. They represented a world very different to the one in which I grew up and I wanted to be a part of that world. Luckily, I was pretty good at writing so, by the time I was 18, I was very clear that the magazine world would become my destiny.
BN: Where were you at in your profession when you had your first baby?
MN: I was 29 and the Editor-in-Chief of Company magazine, a young women’s magazine in the U.K. I had been there about three years and had turned the magazine around from one that was on its knees, to a very profitable publication.
BN: How did that alter your work schedule?
MN: Luckily, the magazine was running like clockwork by the time I had my daughter. That’s not to say combining work and motherhood was a breeze. But my husband was very hands-on and we had good childcare. However, some of the evening functions had to fall by the wayside.
BN: What advice do you have for moms who want to continue at the same pace professionally once they have had children?
MN: Pay for extremely good childcare if you can. If I ever had the slightest anxiety about my two daughters’ wellbeing, I was overcome with paralysis. I just couldn’t function. It’s the same today – and they’re teenagers! And, very important, it requires some serious conversations with your partner or husband. Women naturally take on the burden of childcare even when they have demanding careers – and their husbands tend to let them. Don’t feel guilty about asking/telling your husband to pull his weight! There is no decree that you can only be a good mother if you do everything!
BN: Who has inspired you along your way both professionally and personally?
MN: I have taken bits and pieces of advice from so many sources, but I have never measured myself against anyone. If I had to name one woman who has not necessarily inspired me but has been a role model, I would say Margaret Thatcher. Britain’s first female Prime Minister was tough and charismatic. Was she a good mother? I don’t know. What is the measure?
BN: Do your girls know what they want to be when they grow up?
MN: Most of the time! Then they change their minds… That’s ok. At least they don’t feel restricted by their gender. In many ways, the fact that they know they can be anything makes them more confused. I just want them to dream big.
BN: What type of role model do you hope to be for them?
MN: Publishing has always been a tough profession and right now, it’s tougher than ever because the industry is undergoing such radical change. Nevertheless, I continue to create opportunities and new ideas, work really hard and deliver 110%. It’s that work ethic I hope to pass on to my girls. I’ve shown them that tenacity and sheer will power are key ingredients for success. As are a sense of humor and good manners.
BN: How have you involved your girls in your work as a mother and journalist?
MN: My daughters have often spent time at my office, helping to clean out the fashion closet or organize the beauty cupboard – or fix someone’s computer! I have consulted in retail over the past couple of years, advising on new marketing ideas or ways to communicate with customers – my clients would be amazed at how many great ideas have actually come from my daughters!!
BN: What are some of the best family moments you share when you break from your work?
MN: We are very low-key. Great times are simple times – walking on the beach, watching movies together, taking our annual trip to Nantucket and spotting sea lions, playing Scrabble, kayaking on Georgica Pond…
BN: Has there been one particular career highlight for you?
MN: Having an idea for a magazine and then making it happen with Hearst! That magazine was SHOP Etc, which grew out of my book, Sex & The Married Girl, for which I interviewed 100 women. Although most of my questions were about marriage and intimacy, we would always end up talking about shopping! I realized then that there was no real shopping magazine for women in their 30s. I put an outline together, presented it to Cathie Black at Hearst and, the very next week, I was working on the prototype and launched it a year later. I also loved being Editor-in-Chief of Cosmopolitan in the UK – there’s nothing like editing an iconic magazine. And I’m very proud of my latest book, Michelle Style: Celebrating the First Lady of Fashion.
BN: What’s next for Mandi Norwood?
MN: As ever, I have a bunch of ideas up my sleeve, ranging from crazy and creative to high-level corporate. I love new things, new projects, new challenges, new people… I have done so much in my career and yet I’m always surprised by just how much there is yet to learn and accomplish – and how great the potential still is for having fun!
BN: Any words of advice for women who would like to pursue a career in journalism?
MN: Go for it! Understand that the pool of magazines and newspapers is shrinking rapidly, so it may be wise to have two strings to your bow… not just a brilliance with words, but also a keen eye for design and layout, or a talent for styling. If you can do the job of two people, you stand a far greater chance of making it.
Visit Mandi's Profile Page
Back to Celebrity Interviews
At a recent parent conference my son’s teacher revealed that “his thoughts go elsewhere” during daily writing lessons. But when it comes time for a tutorial in Math, he is very astute. Well, it doesn’t take a brain surgeon to figure out that Jack does not enjoy writing or learning the fundamentals of good penmanship. How can you force a child to become more interested in a particular subject, hoping he doesn’t excuse himself to go to the bathroom sixteen times to avoid a lesson plan?
I, on the contrary, have always enjoyed writing as means of self-expression, even at young age. It is math that I loathe. I will admit, keep it low, that I was in “Honors English” and “Lower Math.” It is my guess that Mandi Norwood, writer and award-winning Editor-in-Chief of women’s magazines, was in “Honor’s English” as well. Perhaps Mandi could help to inject a passion for the written word into my son.
Mandi is a mother with two young daughters, was Editor-in Chief of Mademoiselle and Shop Etc and is the author of How to Be Number One in Your Own World. She is a regular contributor to CBS, CNN and has established herself as an icon in the world of beauty, fashion and home in the 30 plus market. In an exclusive interview with Butterfly, Mandi shares her tale of writing and raising kids:
BN: As a young girl, did you know what you wanted to be when you grew up?
MN: I did, but it changed all the way up to 18 years old. For years, I dreamed of being a ballerina or an actress. But, I grew too tall to be a ballerina and acting was deemed just too pie in the sky. I grew up in the north east of England where dreams need to be tempered with reality. Still, having ambitions to be a magazine editor was considered lofty, but I just thought to myself, “Someone has to edit all those magazines. Why not me?”
BN: Did you ever keep a diary when you were young as a means of self-expression?
MN: As a means of self-expression? No. I kept diaries as a way of making sure every day counted. I would use them to plan ahead rather than to reflect on the past. Every day had to have an entry, no matter what.
BN: How did your own mother foster and recognize your skills as a writer?
MN: My mother encouraged everything I did, whether it was writing or dancing. She was the one person who did not believe my dreams were too big. If anything, she’d simply advise me not to tell too many people of my ambitions. It’s amazing how many people scoff when a child reveals they want to pursue something out of the ordinary.
BN: At what point did you know you wanted to make journalism your career?
MN: I started reading magazines in my early teens and I confess it wasn’t the heavy-duty articles that turned me on. It was the glamour and fashion and fun that magazines evoked that inspired me. They represented a world very different to the one in which I grew up and I wanted to be a part of that world. Luckily, I was pretty good at writing so, by the time I was 18, I was very clear that the magazine world would become my destiny.
BN: Where were you at in your profession when you had your first baby?
MN: I was 29 and the Editor-in-Chief of Company magazine, a young women’s magazine in the U.K. I had been there about three years and had turned the magazine around from one that was on its knees, to a very profitable publication.
BN: How did that alter your work schedule?
MN: Luckily, the magazine was running like clockwork by the time I had my daughter. That’s not to say combining work and motherhood was a breeze. But my husband was very hands-on and we had good childcare. However, some of the evening functions had to fall by the wayside.
BN: What advice do you have for moms who want to continue at the same pace professionally once they have had children?
MN: Pay for extremely good childcare if you can. If I ever had the slightest anxiety about my two daughters’ wellbeing, I was overcome with paralysis. I just couldn’t function. It’s the same today – and they’re teenagers! And, very important, it requires some serious conversations with your partner or husband. Women naturally take on the burden of childcare even when they have demanding careers – and their husbands tend to let them. Don’t feel guilty about asking/telling your husband to pull his weight! There is no decree that you can only be a good mother if you do everything!
BN: Who has inspired you along your way both professionally and personally?
MN: I have taken bits and pieces of advice from so many sources, but I have never measured myself against anyone. If I had to name one woman who has not necessarily inspired me but has been a role model, I would say Margaret Thatcher. Britain’s first female Prime Minister was tough and charismatic. Was she a good mother? I don’t know. What is the measure?
BN: Do your girls know what they want to be when they grow up?
MN: Most of the time! Then they change their minds… That’s ok. At least they don’t feel restricted by their gender. In many ways, the fact that they know they can be anything makes them more confused. I just want them to dream big.
BN: What type of role model do you hope to be for them?
MN: Publishing has always been a tough profession and right now, it’s tougher than ever because the industry is undergoing such radical change. Nevertheless, I continue to create opportunities and new ideas, work really hard and deliver 110%. It’s that work ethic I hope to pass on to my girls. I’ve shown them that tenacity and sheer will power are key ingredients for success. As are a sense of humor and good manners.
BN: How have you involved your girls in your work as a mother and journalist?
MN: My daughters have often spent time at my office, helping to clean out the fashion closet or organize the beauty cupboard – or fix someone’s computer! I have consulted in retail over the past couple of years, advising on new marketing ideas or ways to communicate with customers – my clients would be amazed at how many great ideas have actually come from my daughters!!
BN: What are some of the best family moments you share when you break from your work?
MN: We are very low-key. Great times are simple times – walking on the beach, watching movies together, taking our annual trip to Nantucket and spotting sea lions, playing Scrabble, kayaking on Georgica Pond…
BN: Has there been one particular career highlight for you?
MN: Having an idea for a magazine and then making it happen with Hearst! That magazine was SHOP Etc, which grew out of my book, Sex & The Married Girl, for which I interviewed 100 women. Although most of my questions were about marriage and intimacy, we would always end up talking about shopping! I realized then that there was no real shopping magazine for women in their 30s. I put an outline together, presented it to Cathie Black at Hearst and, the very next week, I was working on the prototype and launched it a year later. I also loved being Editor-in-Chief of Cosmopolitan in the UK – there’s nothing like editing an iconic magazine. And I’m very proud of my latest book, Michelle Style: Celebrating the First Lady of Fashion.
BN: What’s next for Mandi Norwood?
MN: As ever, I have a bunch of ideas up my sleeve, ranging from crazy and creative to high-level corporate. I love new things, new projects, new challenges, new people… I have done so much in my career and yet I’m always surprised by just how much there is yet to learn and accomplish – and how great the potential still is for having fun!
BN: Any words of advice for women who would like to pursue a career in journalism?
MN: Go for it! Understand that the pool of magazines and newspapers is shrinking rapidly, so it may be wise to have two strings to your bow… not just a brilliance with words, but also a keen eye for design and layout, or a talent for styling. If you can do the job of two people, you stand a far greater chance of making it.
Visit Mandi's Profile Page
Back to Celebrity Interviews
Comment
Hiring & Business Opportunities!
Sponsors
Quick Poll & Survey
© 2012 Created by MyWorkButterfly.
You need to be a member of Working Mother's Social Network | MyWorkButterfly to add comments!
Join Working Mother's Social Network | MyWorkButterfly