Industry Insights: Jennifer Chan of People Magazine
In our Industry Insights series, we take the opportunity to interview leaders of interest in the Communications, Marketing, or Travel industries. This month, we had the opportunity to meet with Jennifer Chan, Fashion and Beauty Editor at People Magazine and On-Air Host at Access Hollywood. Jennifer has over 16 years of industry experience between New York, Los Angeles, Paris, London, and Chicago. CIIC’s Emma Cusick had the pleasure of discussing the development of her role within the company, personal victories, advice on pitching, and how to prevent burnout.
Q: How did your previous experience help you to prepare for your current role at PEOPLE?
JC: I've been working in fashion, beauty, and entertainment media for 16 years, but I think a few specific editorial experiences proved to be extremely useful training as a building block for my current role at PEOPLE. Several years ago, I was the Senior Fashion and Trends editor at E! Online where I led a team and covered celebrity style and beauty on a very fast, chaotic daily deadline. I spearheaded our awards season content (Oscars, Emmys, Grammys, Golden Globes, etc.) and produced fresh content around the clock. I worked nimbly and utilized my professional relationships within the fashion/beauty/entertainment industry to ideate and confirm coverage and produce click-worthy stories that were competitive, accurate, creative, and compelling to a digital audience. In another role, I launched the Kardashians' mobile apps ( and served as Senior Editor to Kim Kardashian and Kourtney Kardashian), and managed and created their unique and exclusive content for their subscribers, so I'm very well versed in the ever-changing world of celebrity media. My role at InStyle.com (circa 2006) in the very beginning oy my career was the catalyst for my passion (I launched never-before-seen celebrity style features like 'Look for Less' and 'Where Can I Find') that really honed in on my specific skill set as a fashion and beauty digital editor before anyone else was really in this space.
Q: Do you have any advice when beginning to pitch out to media? What are your pitching do’s and don’ts?
JC: Familiarize yourself with a writer's body of work, try to personalize your email in some small way, and make sure the client or product actually makes sense for their coverage. In my case, because I cover fashion and beauty products on a daily deadline, it's always advisable to offer samples to try and test, if possible. You never know when a story might land, and if I've already tested or tried a sample of something, it has a much higher chance of landing coverage than something I have not. For pitches -- I would say that a million follow-ups is never necessary (I see every email that comes across my three inboxes. If I am not getting back to you within a few days, I am probably not interested, or simply not able to provide feedback given my bandwidth. If I am interested in something, you will hear from me!)
Q: What have been some of the biggest challenges you faced within your career? How did you overcome them?
JC: I've definitely had a few stressful, all-consuming jobs throughout my career, often giving up weekends, holidays, birthdays, etc. Unlike other professions, media/news doesn't ever take a break, and I've often been tapped for roles that rely on timely, engaging coverage, so it's been challenging from a work/life balance perspective. I love what I do, so despite the long work hours and personal sacrifices, I wouldn't have it any other way. When you love what you do, it doesn't feel like work. On the freelance side, travel writing has actually been an amazing refuge in a way, because I love getting out and seeing the world, and it's the perfect blend of work and play.
Q: What’s the most important thing you have learned throughout your career?
JC: Know your value. Life is short — find meaning and purpose in the work that you do, and don't be afraid to ask for what you want. My best advice is to be mindful about where you allocate your time and energy, and who you let into your inner circle. I juggle several roles (full-time editorial with People, a PR consultant for beauty clients, TV hosting as an on-air expert, and freelance travel writing); so I have to be incredibly efficient, focused, and diligent with what I prioritize on the day to day. If something (or someone) isn't serving you, don't be afraid to walk away from it and find what does. I only take on work that makes me happy now, and that includes managers or bosses that support and value my time and talent.
Q: With so many ongoing tasks day to day, do you have any suggestions on how to prevent burnout?
JC: I get asked this all of the time! As much as I love my work, I pour a lot of myself into nurturing my relationships and friendships (especially outside of the media/PR industry) because it's really relationships that make it all worthwhile. Your inner circle will help ground you when life or work obligations can feel overwhelming, so don't forget to find a squad that has your back when the going gets tough. Travel as often as you humanly can to see the beauty of the world and meet others that you normally wouldn't. Find a hobby, a walking trail, or a workout that gives you mental clarity, even if it's only for 45 minutes a day (and at 6AM, in my case with my early morning boxing workouts)! Take care of yourself, and know when you're pushing yourself too hard to avoid getting sick or burnt out. Travel far and wide -- that's the best remedy for most anything, if you ask me.
Q: What accomplishment are you most proud of and why?
JC: Being on national TV regularly as a style and beauty expert. It's a dream come true to be on Access Hollywood, Extra, KTLA, and more week after week. Writing has always come naturally to me, so long ago (early in my career), I decided to set larger, loftier goals to work towards so that I never become complacent with the work that I do. (Truth is, seeing your byline so many times can lose its luster after a while, and I'm not one to not challenge myself.) For me, the big picture goal was to bring my passion and expertise to TV or video format. Very few writers can do on camera, and very few on-air professionals can write. I wanted to master both. For so long, I never saw anyone who looked remotely like me in the media, and I knew as a young girl growing up that I wanted to do something to change that. We've come a LONG way with inclusivity and diversity in media, and I am so proud to see the change during my career and continue to do my part to be an AAPI voice in the media today. I recently started hosting social media videos for Lonely Planet, and have also contributed several articles about Asian-American history for Lonely Planet, too. It's so rewarding and humbling to be recognized by this MASSIVE global travel outlet as an authority in this space, and I am proud to represent my culture with every opportunity that comes my way. My next big goal? To host an international travel show, of course!
Q: What do you love most about your job?
JC: I love connecting with real women (all ages, shapes, ethnicities, etc.) and helping them feel more confident and beautiful through their fashion and beauty choices. It gives me such joy to turn someone on to a product that really works for them. When you look good, you feel good, and my mission is to help others embrace and own their beauty from the inside out. It's surreal to know that I am truly living my dreams every time I publish a story, walk out on a TV set, host a social media video, or hopefully inspire someone in a meaningful way through the content I create.