The Essence Girls United Disruptor Summit recently began a series of Office Hours called The Writer’s Room, aimed at providing a supportive environment for aspiring journalists and content creators to explore the changing landscape of journalism. The series, led by Essence’s Content VP Nandi Howard, focused on the art of pitching and finding purpose as content creators. As journalism continues to evolve, this series aims to examine modern techniques in media and expand the art of storytelling in content creation.
Nandi shared her experiences in journalism and her journey at Essence Magazine, demonstrating the multifaceted nature of the industry. She emphasized the importance of presenting oneself as a business professional and a content creator through her extensive resume. Nandi also encouraged the attendees to form genuine connections and not succumb to imposter syndrome in the industry.
During the session, Nandi urged attendees to reflect on their passion and curiosity when pitching ideas. She stressed the importance of focusing on one’s niche and creating content that aligns with their interests. Whether it’s beauty, accessories, or other topics, content creators should channel their passion into digital, visual, or written formats.
Furthermore, Nandi highlighted the significance of self-care and seeking guidance to develop one’s skills. She emphasized the impact of the environment on creativity and the need for reflection on how mental space, physical location, and skillset intersect to influence content creation.
Attendees were encouraged to consider their future goals in content creation and vocalize their content through various formats. Nandi also emphasized the avoidance of self-comparison and the importance of building genuine relationships with editors by meeting your editor where they are and inquiring about the editor’s needs or priorities along with developing pitches.
The workshop concluded with a challenge for attendees to create a pitch for a global beauty issue in just seven minutes, rooted in the history of black beauty for Essence’s March/April issue. Attendees collaborated in groups to present their pitches, with Nandi offering to personally review the pitches to further the collaboration with Essence.
This session aimed to underscore the importance of networking in the content creation world and emphasized the need to focus on creativity and future skill development when approaching the art of pitching.