"I'll
never forget the feel of excitement in the air." - Erin
Como
Interview by Sean O'Brien
I had the opportunity to interview Erin Como, who is a reporter for Fox 17 Nashville.
As
she shared her experiences with me, it quickly became apparent why
she has rapidly achieved success in a very competitive media world.
From
Como's earliest childhood days, through her education and
diversified work experience, she consistently mentioned how she
liked helping people. Every truly accomplished person who I have
ever met has always noted that same point.
And
with that, her story begins...
Hello
Philly
Como's
family moved from Richmond, Va., to Bensalem, Pa., when she was
four-years-old.
Her
father David Como, who is a licensed clinical social worker, became
an Administrator for the Philadelphia's Northeast Community Center.
Her
mother, Patricia Trautman Como, became a Director at Head Start.
She
has one older sister, Leah, who is married and is a fifth grade
teacher in Havertown, Pa.
Como
recalls that her parents read the newspaper every day when she was
growing up. The day's events would often be discussed at dinner each
night.
"My
parents always wanted to know what my sister and I thought about
what was going on in the world," Como said.
"Because
they were always trying to help people to better themselves, keeping
up with the world around them was important to them."
Building
her foundation
Her
parents influence clearly helped form her social consciousness.
"I
always enjoyed organizing parties and events when I was little. When
I was in fifth grade, I remember starting a club. When we had a
talent show in seventh grade, I asked the teacher if I could host
it.
"I
was President of my class and the anchor of our television network
through all four years at Bensalem High School."
Como
would often help her father obtain food donations for the Community
Center. She also volunteered for four years on the Oxford Valley
Mall Teen Board.
Teen
Board programs were first started by Rainbow Promotions in East
Coast regional malls in 1990. They provide volunteer and educational
opportunities for young men and women, between the ages of thirteen
and eighteen, to represent and work with local malls to produce
fashion shows, create special events and participate in community
service projects.
Education
Because
of her close family ties, it was natural that Como chose to enroll
at Temple University.
"I
wanted to go to a school that allowed me to go home for dinner on
Sundays.
"In
the back of my mind I wasn't sure if I wanted to become lawyer, so I
double-majored in Broadcast Journalism and English."
She
worked as a legal assistant at a law office in Center City,
Philadelphia during her junior year. But, the boredom that she felt
made her realize that she needed to pursue a more interesting career
path.
During
her senior year she interned for Jeff Kolakowski, who was the
Assignment Manager at CBS 3.
"I
worked on the news desk and went out twice a week to work with their
nightside reporters.
"One
time I went with Walt Hunter (who is a veteran investigative
reporter) to a meth lab bust. I'll never forget the feel of
excitement in the air. That was where I fell in love with breaking
news."
Because
she was a double-major, Como also took a second internship. She did
that at NBC 10 during the summer of 2006.
Collegiate
scholars
Como
graduated in the top ten percent of her class at Temple, with
Bachelor of Arts degrees in Broadcast Journalism and English. Her
accomplishment earned her a place in the National Society of
Collegiate Scholars.
"NBC
10 Philadelphia offered me a position as a production assistant in
September 2006, and promoted me to weekend overnight assignment
editor in January 2007.
"I
was just turning 23-years-old and had to work from midnight to 9am.
I made a decision to choose my career over a busy social life."
Her
internship experience, combined with past marketing positions and
work as a promotional model, allowed for a smooth transition into a
full-time career in broadcast journalism.
Professional
experience
Como
performed a variety of behind-the-scenes roles during her first year
on the job. She ran news scripts into the studio for the 4, 5 and 6
o'clock newscasts, assisted at the assignment desk, welcomed guests
to the studio and answered phones.
She
also served as Tracy Davidson's intern, in her consumer department,
and helped to field produce the stations 'Backyard Weather' segments
with Doug Kammerer.
"There
is so much research and time that goes into a newscast. Research
must be done, facts need to be checked, sources have to be
contacted.
"As
a weekend overnight assignment editor and field producer, I was
learning the business from the ground up."
Get-it-done
attitude
Producing
television news is a never-ending grind and consistent hard work is
needed to produce excellent on-air results.
"You
are helping people to get their product on the air, so you have to
have a get-it-done attitude.
"You
always need to ask yourself questions like: Who can I call? What
facts can we check to enhance the story? Can we interview someone
who no one else has thought of? Can we contact a witness, or find an
element, to make the story into an exclusive?"
After
a year of consistently producing solid results, Como became a
full-time overnight assignment editor. That position gave her the
responsibility of processing all overnight breaking news and
preparing stories for the morning reporters.
Within
another year, she became a daytime planning and assignment editor.
Professional
mentors
"I've
been really lucky to have worked with a lot of people who have been
very helpful and have wanted to see me succeed."
One
of Como's career mentors has been Dawn Timmeney, NBC 10
Philadelphia's Emmy-winning news anchor, who she credits with
helping to develop her own broadcasting abilities.
Camille
Cwienkala is another individual who she acknowledged as being key to
her development as a journalist. Cwienkala, currently is Director of
Operations at LNS (Local
News Service) and was a former assignment manager at NBC10
Philadelphia when Como first began working.
"Camille
is so smart and hard working. She showed me how to be an assignment
editor and also helped me to develop my own on-air presence."
Chris
Blackman, who is the News Director at NBC 10, is another of Como's
mentors.
"He
is so accessible and such a talented leader. Three years ago, I
showed him a tape when I auditioned to be a traffic reporter. He was
honest and told me that I was not ready at that time. So, I asked
him what I could do to improve."
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Erin
Como Reveals Her Timeless Model for Success - Part 2
"People
want to feel that what they are doing in the world matters." -
Erin ComoThe
mark of a professionalComo
used Chris Blackman's advice about enhancing her on-air presence as a
learning experience.
In
addition to taking voice lessons, she gained on-air experience by
working for Philly.com in
2008. She began hosting 'Down the Shore', which is the website's
internet-based information series that is set at various New Jersey
shore points.
Those
experiences helped her to build a better on-camera presence, find her
broadcast voice and to hone her reporting skills.
"I
was confident behind the scenes, but I had been somewhat shy on air.
I learned to be persistent and to not give up," Como said.
"Chris
always made time to critique the tapes that I gave him. Then, last
summer, he said that I was ready to audition again for the traffic
position."
In
March 2011, she began filling in part-time and is now NBC 10
Philadelphia's weekend shore traffic reporter.
As
a result of her efforts over the years, Como has been honored with
two NBC Ovation awards. In November 2007, she was recognized for her
outstanding team work. In November 2008, she was recognized for use
of imagination in her work.
Work
ethic"I've
learned that being persistent, working hard and never turning down an
opportunity can lead to success."
In
the summer of 2010, Como worked full-time at the NBC 10 Assignment
Desk and hosted the 'Down the Shore' show on Philly.com.
She
also became a weekend host for Borgata
TV,
which is the Atlantic City-based Borgata Hotel, Casino and Spa's
website channel.
"Whenever
they had celebrity guests, I would conduct red carpet interviews.
"I
had the opportunity to interview many people, including Twilight's
Kellan Lutz, True Blood's Joe Manganiello and television personality
Mario Lopez."
Because
her experience has been so positive, she is open to becoming an
entertainment reporter in the future.
On-air
success
Successful
broadcast journalists are knowledgeable, project confidence, are well
spoken and understand that they are one part of a large group of
skilled professionals.
"You
have to be a team player and work well with your producers, writers,
photographers and editors. A quality newscast involves a large group
of talented people. In addition, because there is a performance value
to being on air, you have to be in control of the situation in case
you need to adapt during a broadcast."
How
the media benefits society
The
media serves many positive roles in today's society. It often
generates discussion on important topics and provides information
that the public might not otherwise have.
"I
am honored to be part of an industry with so many people who are
truly passionate about being quality journalists.
"In
the Philadelphia area we cover a lot of crime, but I love the stories
about people who are making a difference in their communities. By
covering these people, we are able to show that one person can create
positive change."
Beyond
work
In
addition to her career, Como also devotes time to volunteer work. She
uses her skills, along with her own creative talent in a variety of
ways.
"About
six months ago I got involved with RAW:natural
born artists .
I help that organization of artists, musicians, actors,
photographers, models, painters and jewelry designers by handling
public relations, hosting the monthly Showcases at G Lounge and by
interviewing the artists about their work so they can have a
professional media kit to help them network.
"Our
mission is to provide independent artists of all creative genres,
with the tools, resources and exposure needed to inspire and
cultivate creativity.
"RAW
connects people so that they might grow together, while also
providing them with opportunities to give back to their own local
youth communities through the arts."
Jenna
Communications is a Philadelphia-based public relations, event
planning and media training company that is led by Jennifer Sherlock.
Looking
to the future
Como offered some advice for those who would like to work in the media.
Como offered some advice for those who would like to work in the media.
"Work
hard. If you want something, go for it. Take the entry level position
and be willing to sacrifice if you want to achieve your goals.
"Success
happens so differently for everyone. Before there was a formula. You
would graduate from college and then work in a small market, until
you were ready to progress to a larger market. These days, with the
influence of the internet, old models no longer work as they had in
the past."
Como
concluded by reflecting on her values and looking ahead to the
future.
"There
are so many different ways that you can help people. I am so thankful
to have found a career that I love and that also allows me to help
others.
"Someday
I would like to get married and have children, but right now my focus
is on working toward my goals. My career goal is to continue to be a
good journalist and ultimately I would love to be an anchor.
"People
want to feel that what they are doing in the world matters."
Three,
two, one...
The
media, along with the rest of our society, continues to evolve
rapidly.
What
we see as commonplace today will change within the next year, or few
years. But, some things will likely never change.
Talent,
hard work and a strong ethical foundation will continue to allow
certain individuals to adapt and thrive.
Keep
an eye on Erin Como, because she is one of those people.
(I hold all copyrights to this article which originally appeared on Yahoo's Voices platform in 2011.)
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My illustrated children's book: Maddie: Teaching Tolerance with a Smile officially became a Top 10 Amazon best-seller as of January 29, 2014. The print and ebook editions were initially released in August, 2014.
Children's Alopecia Project
What a ride
This incredible and unexpected ride began in the spring of 2011. By August 2013, the book was published by the Children's Alopecia Project in print form. We have been very pleased with sales of that edition. Use, or share, this link --->>Maddie: Teaching Tolerance with a Smile to purchase the printed book directly from CAP.
I published a special ebook edition within weeks of the print book release. After starting in the tens of thousands (in terms of Amazon's children's book rankings), Maddie broke into the Top 50 just prior to Christmas. It climbed through the 30s and settled in the upper 20s before breaking into the Top 10.
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Thank you to Stacey Stauffer (Fox 29 Philadelphia). She interviewed Madison Woytovich, her parents (Jeff and Betsy Woytovich) and me about the latest chapter in this inspiring story. Here's a video link to Stacey's wonderful feature.
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Amazon.com is the number 1 online publishing platform in the world. That's why I used it to publish my first ebook: Fast Fiction and Other Stuff.
This mini-tome is a collection of stories and poems for readers who don't take themselves too seriously. I hope that you enjoy it and am always interested in your feedback.
