Whenever Ed meets with whippersnappers he always asks why they decided to go into the magazine industry. Reasons include, in this order: I loved The Devil Wears Prada (no joke! but more on that in another post), I’ve always wanted to be a writer, and I want to do good in the world. But he’s also been hearing folks say because they wanted to follow in the footsteps of a parent who was also in publishing. Ed knows of several parent-child magazine editors in the biz. And this got him to scratch his head, especially since the industry has never been more volatile than it is today. Are their parents encouraging of their child’s career choice? Do they have advice to share about breaking into this industry now compared to when they did? Ed was curious, so he’s doing a series of posts where magazine whippersnappers interview their magazine veteran parents. And he started with one of his own—T.K. Brady, a Senior Editor here at Ed2010 and an online editor at Food Network Magazine, and asked her to interview her magazine veteran mom, Anne Vaccaro Brady, who started her career as an editorial assistant for Ladies’ Home Journal and ultimately became a managing editor of the now-iconic (and defunct) teen mag, Sassy, at the ripe age of 28. T.K. sat down with her mom recently and “interviewed” her (in quotes because it was more like a convo) about what’s different then, and now.
I wasn’t always set on pursuing a career in magazines. Remember when I wanted to be an interior designer and then a physical therapist? But you always knew you wanted to be a writer, right?
Yes, I remember, which is why I was surprised when you decided to major in journalism. I knew I wanted to be writer when I was eight years old. When I was in high school figuring out career stuff and I realized I probably couldn’t make a living being a novelist, but I could be a writer and do it for a magazine to make a living. I grew up reading magazines of all kinds and I realized it’s a way to make a difference in people’s lives.
What did you think when I got my web internship at Ladies’ Home Journal [in 2012]?
I actually thought that was pretty cool. I had a good experience as an editorial assistant there and it was something we had in common. Just the idea that we had worked at the same publication even though it was different when each of us was there was exciting. The fact that something has that longevity and was around for both of us was kind of remarkable.
But Ladies’ Home Journal as we knew it has folded now, too. Do you worry about print mags being a dying field?
I always thought you had talent as a writer. I thought you were more talented than I was, so I knew you could do it. And despite what everyone says about it being a dying business, even if you don’t stick with magazines, there are a lot of career options in journalism. I think I assumed you were going to go more to the fashion side of it. Did you think about it being a dying field?
I never really thought about it. I grew up with you saying that print was always going to be around, so I assumed I would always find a way to make it work. I never had a dream publication that if it folded, I’d want to give up on the industry. And after taking economics and calculus in college, I realized I’d never be happy working with numbers or money. Did you ever think I would go into food?
No, but when you were younger we always joked you should be a restaurant critic because you always liked good food. And you thought that sounded like a fun job.
I don’t think I realized how iconic Sassy was until I got into this business. Once I started, I realized what a huge impact the magazine had made. I’ve even met people who read your column, “Help,” which made you seem like a celebrity. And the fact you knew [founding editor] Jane Pratt, who now runs xoJane, is really cool, since she’s basically a celebrity in this business.
I think it’s cool that you see it that way. It’s been so long, so I kind of forget about that. I don’t know that the opportunities I had are there for you now. I don’t know that you could be a managing editor at 28. Sassy was an opportunity for young people to have big jobs and do big things and have a big impact. That opportunity might be available to you guys in digital now. There aren’t going to be many people who could be like Jane and be an editor-in-chief at 25. There are few publications that would take that chance on someone that young today.
Do you think you realized how far you had made it at 28?
Yes, because I think at the time Jane and I were the same age. We were the youngest people at a national magazine with those titles—at least as far as we knew.
Do you think her age helped you when it came to getting the managing editor job at Sassy?
Yeah, definitely. She just saw talent and what worked and we worked well together even when I had other positions at the magazine. She had to push harder for me because the company wasn’t sure they wanted someone so young in that position. So that was a bit of a challenge for her. Obviously she did it well, since I got the job. I was appreciative of that.
Do you ever wish you could come back? Especially now that I’m in it.
Sometimes I miss it. I still love magazines and the work and there are times I’d like to go back to it. On the other hand, I’m not sorry I left, because other than becoming an editor-in-chief, I accomplished what I set out to do.
Even now, I still come to you for career advice. What’s the one piece of advice you hope I never forget?
The most important thing is to be versatile, don’t pigeonhole yourself, don’t be afraid of opportunities and don’t be afraid to try something brand new. It might introduce you to a part of the business you never knew you’d really like.
I feel like the best advice you’ve given me is do what makes you happy. It’s not about the money.
Yes, you have to enjoy going to work most days. You’re never going to be happy every day. In this business you have to enjoy the work. It’s not just about making money for your employer, it’s about impacting millions of people with the information you share. You should always be thinking about the readers.
What was your dream publication when you were my age? And what’s your dream publication now?
In the ’80s, my dream was to work for Glamour. After Sassy, my dream publication would have been More before it folded or Parents, since I took parenting so seriously.
What’s been the best part of having your kid pursue the same career path as you?
Because I understand what you do, it makes it easy to talk with you about work. I’m still learning from you because things are changing. I’ve worried about you comparing yourself to me and your career to mine. I feel like you looked up to me, and in some ways it’s nice because you validate my career more than I do.
Do you know someone whose parent is or was a magazine editor? The editors at Ed2010 would love to talk to them. Shoot an email to [email protected].
Photo retouching by Yan Ruan. (Thanks, Yan.)
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