Inc. & Fast Company CEO: How Stephanie Mehta Redefined the Path from Editor to CEO | E144
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How did Stephanie Mehta’s love of journalism shape her early career?
The thing about journalism that I love is that it is a big tent and it requires all different kinds of talents. I loved every minute of it until I didn't. I took what I think most people would look at on paper as, you know, a lateral move or a step back. At that point I was confident enough in my abilities to believe that The promotions would come.
How do you move from journalism to writing in prominent publications like Bloomberg Media, Fortune, Warseat Journal, and then to leaping to C suite of global media powerhouses? I am so so excited to have Stephanie Meta with us today.
I had a little bit of imposter syndrome. When I first found myself at the Wall Street Journal in particular, but once I had been there for a few years, it was very clear that if I wanted to thrive and succeed there, I needed to raise my hand for a different kind of opportunity. I would say to young Stephanie, relax. Enjoy the work, enjoy what you're learning. You will get there.
The world is changing. How do people rise above the noise now?
It's really important to know what your priorities are. How
as a CEO do you prioritize? A couple of things. I would say Welcome to the Leap Academy with Zilana Golan Show. I'm so glad you're here. In the Leap Academy podcast, I get to speak to the biggest leaders of our time about their career, how they got where they are today, the challenges, the failures, and countless lessons. So lean in. This episode is going to be amazing. I'm in a mission to help millions reinvent their career and leap into their full potential, land their dream roles, fast track to leadership, jump to Entrepreneurship or build portfolio careers. This is what we do in our Leap Academy programs for individuals and teams. And with this podcast, we can give this career blueprint for free to tens of millions.
So please help my mission by sharing this with every single person you know because this show has the power to change countless of lives. Dio? Okay, so let's dive in.
I am so, so, so excited to have Stephanie Meta with us today. Throughout her career, Stephanie literally mastered the art of leaping. And we're gonna talk about knowing when to leap and how to leap and the challenges that come with it. And in this episode, I love to just jump into these pivotal career moments and those big bets that she has taken. And The advice that you are going to get is going to be so incredible. So lean in, buckle up, Stephanie, so great to have you with us. Thank you, Alana. Thank you so much for having me. You studied English and journalism. When did you know in your childhood or afterwards, like when did you know that this is it? This is what you want to study? It's interesting.
I went to college thinking I was going to get a degree in English and maybe go into book publishing. So I was interested in the written arts, but I thought maybe I might get a law degree. I really didn't quite know what career path I was going to take. But I went to a university that had a really strong journalism program. And The woman who lived across the hall from me at my dorm freshman year came back into the dorm one day and she had a copy of the school paper and she had the front page story. As a first-year student at university.
What challenges did Stephanie face at The Wall Street Journal and how did she grow from them?
And having not worked for my high school newspaper or had any experience with media at all, I just thought this was the most miraculous thing in the world. And again, this is the days of print journalism. This was pre-digital. So the fact that you could walk into the newspaper at five o'clock on a Monday evening and by six AM the next morning, your name was on the front page of the college paper. I just thought it was magical and I wanted to know more and she let me tag along. and follow her into the paper and they let me join the new reporters bureau and I was hooked. I just thought it was a combination of all of the things I loved. It was writing, but it was instant gratification because you weren't working on a
five page term paper. You got to go and ask people impertinent questions. Who doesn't want to do that?
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
How did Stephanie Mehta’s love of journalism shape her early career?
0:00–3:41
2
What challenges did Stephanie face at The Wall Street Journal and how did she grow from them?
3:41–11:52
3
Why did Stephanie decide to move from The Wall Street Journal to Fortune Magazine?
11:52–18:58
4
What did Stephanie learn during her 14‑year tenure at Fortune?
18:58–27:17
5
How did a sabbatical and family priorities lead Stephanie to new opportunities at Bloomberg and Vanity Fair?
27:17–35:23
6
What motivated Stephanie to become CEO of Fast Company and how did that transition happen?
35:23–43:07
7
How does Stephanie help journalists get their stories published in major media outlets today?
43:07–51:02
8
What strategies does Stephanie use to rise above the noise and prioritize as a media CEO?
51:02–1:00:43
Speakers
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