How Ibecame a feminist icon
A pioneer in the magazine field writes about her journey
Elaine Welteroth blazed trail in magazine field.
Our series “How I became a …” digs into the stories of accomplished and influential people, finding out how they got to where they are in their careers.
As one of the most powerful trailblazers in the magazine world, Elaine Welteroth has been known as everything from a feminist icon and the first African American beauty and health director in Condé Nast’s history to the youngest person appointed as editor-in-chief and a judge on the new Project Runway. Most recently, Welteroth has written lessons, advice and powerful reminders to women everywhere with her debut book “More Than Enough: Claiming Space for Who You Are (No Matter What They Say),” which hits shelves Tuesday.
USA TODAY caught up with the award-winning journalist, author, TV personality and former editor-in-chief of Teen Vogue to talk about the truth behind balance and the importance of refusing to shrink.
Question: How did you get you start in the editorial world?
Elaine Welteroth: I basically coldcalled an editor that I admired – Harriette Cole at Ebony. It really wasn’t the magazine she worked for or even the role she held at the magazine. It was her career trajectory that inspired me. I read her bio and saw that she was able to create this multifaceted career path in media that allowed her to inspire women. She existed at this intersection between black culture, style and spirituality, and it was so inspiring that I basically stalked her. It led to an interview opportunity that landed me on a cover sheet with Serena Williams, and that day changed the trajectory of my entire life. Harriet offered me the job at the end of the day, and I moved from California to New York to work for her as an intern at Ebony Magazine, and the rest is history.
Q: What does your career path look like from the beginning up until now?
Welteroth: I worked from the ground up at (Ebony), from intern to beauty and style editor. From there, I went on to Glamour magazine, where I became the senior beauty editor, and then got the fateful call from Eva Chen one day, who was leaving her post at Teen Vogue as beauty and health director. She wanted to know if I was interested in the job. I was only 25 then and felt totally over my head – and yet, I got called in for the interview with Amy Astley, really felt a connection, and saw an opportunity to make a difference in that role. I said yes . ... That was the first time I ever saw my name in headlines. I learned in headlines after I accepted the job that I became the first black beauty editor in Condé Nast’s history, which certainly reframed the role for me, and the significance of this opportunity: for someone like me to represent the communities of people of color who have never been given this kind of opportunity. I came into that role at Teen Vogue with a sense of mission and purpose, and a larger social responsibility to my people, my community. I carried that with me into my position when I eventually became the editor-in-chief of Teen Vogue.
I think the headlines and the highlight reels only tell part of the story, and part of why I wanted to write this book was to tell the “why” and the “how” behind what you think you know based on what you see. We’re living in a really interesting time where we see each other’s successes play out in real-time on social media, but we’re only seeing the shiniest slice of them, and I think in some ways we’re doing a disservice to each other by not telling more of the story and sharing more of the hard-earned truths that are honestly universal. I think we all face so many universal trials that we never talk about, and I wanted to write this book so that we can crack open all of those conversations that we aren’t having as women, so that we can accelerate faster and move through the lessons quicker.
Q: What does your typical day look like?
Welteroth: No two days look the same. For the last year, I’ve been writing a book, shooting a TV show, covering live events for ABC News ... and none of that stops. I’m still putting the finishing touches on my book tour, and then I’ll be shooting Season 2 of “Project Runway,” which I’m really excited about. I’m always juggling different projects. No matter what, my days always start out with a big glass of water and my devotional, which gets me in the zone and the right headspace to tackle my day . ... And, this is not glamorous, but oatmeal: a big bowl of oatmeal. My mom always said, “You’ve always got to eat something that sticks to your ribs in the mornings,” because I then run so fast throughout the day that sometimes I forget to eat lunch, so a big breakfast is always a part of my day.
Q: What advice would you give to someone who wants to follow in your footsteps?
Welteroth: Have a vision, chase it relentlessly, follow what feeds you, and be brave enough to walk away from anything that threatens to keep you small.
“We all face so many universal trials that we never talk about, and I wanted to ... crack open all of those conversations that we aren’t having as women.”