Before teaching English at Brookdale, Geri Girard spent years working in the fast-paced world of national magazines, interviewing celebrities and traveling across the country for photo shoots.
Girard began preparing for a writing career early. “When I was a sophomore, I knew I wanted to be a journalism major, so I started working for my college newspaper and getting internships right away,” she said. She interned at Sesame Street Magazine and People Magazine while still in school, gaining experience in New York City before graduating.
After college, she moved to Manhattan and took her first job at Country Living. “ By the time I graduated, I had already worked in New York for a few summers, so moving there at 22 felt exciting… You’re broke, but it is so much fun.”
Girard later worked at Good Housekeeping and then joined Twist Magazine, where she moved into the entertainment editor position. Her responsibilities included assigning stories, editing articles, working with celebrities’ teams and helping shape the layout of each issue. “It wasn’t a nine-to-five. It was like an eight-to-10 kind of job, but it was so much fun.”
During that time, she interviewed some of the biggest names in pop culture. “I interviewed Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, *NSYNC, Backstreet Boys, but then also the sort of indie side and all the celebrities, like Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher.” She also traveled for photo shoots to places like San Francisco and Florida.
But the constant pressure eventually caught up to her. The turning point came during a delayed interview with Jessica Simpson. “I realized I was at the beck and call of a celebrity, and I was just done…I went home that week and called my parents and said, ‘I need a new job.’”
Soon after, she resigned from Twist Magazine, walking into her boss’s office unsure of what would come next. “I was really nervous because she took a chance on me,” Girard said.
“The scariest thing was, I didn’t have a job. I just knew I had to do it.”
Girard began freelancing and found success quickly. The shift also taught her an important lesson. “At any point in your life, you can switch careers, and it is a risk,” she said. “If you’re feeling it in your gut, even though you may have spent so much money on a degree, if that career doesn’t feel right, then do something about it.”
“You have to listen to your inner voice. Listen to your heart,” she said.
