From newsroom editor to YouTube lead

 

Can you tell us a bit about your background?

I started out editing gaming content with my brother. We loved making it together, so we both went to school for it, and I did minors in communications and film studies. That's where I realised I really liked video editing, and anything to do with film and production.

News appealed to me, but COVID had other plans for my first start in Charlotte, North Carolina. My brother had moved to Denver, I got into news there, and I moved out to live with him. I've spent the last five years editing, producing specials and sports programmes, and I was lucky enough to get an Emmy nomination.

I enjoyed news. But I was missing a sense of creativity that I felt I'd lost.

 

What was going on when you first reached out?

I found your content and thought, this is the person to speak to. You knew my industry from the inside, but you could help me pivot out of it. And you were in the UK. I was working on a global talent visa, so having someone who knew that landscape and had connections there was a huge part of it.

It was an important time for me personally too. I'd just celebrated my first year of marriage, and I want to be a good provider for my family. I came out of every session with the mindset to think about them, have some ambition and make a go of things.

 

What were your goals at the start, and how did they change?

At the start I was adamant about moving to the UK and living in Glasgow. So it was about working on a visa and pivoting out of news at the same time.

You opened my eyes to the possibilities of where my skill set could take me. You gave me a really broad sense of who I am, skill-wise and creatively, and what values matter to me most. Then you'd ask, have you thought about this? Have you thought about doing it this way? It was a rollercoaster. We started in one place and now I'm somewhere else.

 

What created the shift for you?

You told me: you want to pivot out of news, so don't make news the main focus. I'd made a narrated editing reel for my portfolio website, and it opened with a lot of news. Your advice was to put my heaviest skill sets first. We talked about authenticity too, being professional but being myself and letting the creativity shine through. A lot of it was getting out of my own way.

We also brainstormed the ideal place for me to work. The same answer came back every time. Small, tight-knit, hybrid or remote, with room to grow.

 

How did the interviews go?

Three rounds. The first was over an hour on how I'd fit and what I could bring to elevate their channel. The second was a practical edit, about 16 minutes of their content, where I could let my creativity flow. The last was meeting everyone at the company, including the creator herself.

We had a session a few days before that final interview. We worked through how to approach the questions, what I wanted to ask, and how to get the offer I wanted. I went in with a clear head, not nervous, and I got the offer and the benefits I really wanted.

 

Where are you now?

I'm editing true crime for one of the most popular creators on YouTube. It combines where I started with what I learned in news. I've covered a lot of court cases, so it's narrative storytelling that's very reporting based, without the corporate feel.

Everything we talked about is a box that's been ticked. The tight-knit team, hybrid working, the chance to do more than just edit.

New position, new mindset. I feel like I'm where I want to be. I'm going where I want to be. I'm feeling successful and I'm feeling confident.

 

What was it like working with me?

Being from the US and working with someone in the UK was a really interesting experience, because I don't have many UK connections. But it was the rapport. We could talk like friends, and you provided so much value for what I'm trying to do with my life. I can't thank you enough.