EDITOR'S NOTE
I am thrilled to turn over this issue of The Cohort to my colleague, Poynter faculty Samantha Ragland. Ever since she started working at Poynter at the end of March, I’ve wanted to introduce you all to her ebullient spirit and brilliant mind.

This year, Sam is co-leading Poynter’s Leadership Academy for Women in Media — the wellspring of this newsletter — and will fully take it over next year. She’s an expert in digital strategy, audience growth, advocating for diversity and inclusion, and engaging her students in both professional and personal development.

That’s the topic for today: the personal. We just surpassed the midpoint of a year that has robbed us, reverted us, revealed us. Let’s take a moment to reflect and find a way to stare down the second half of this year with a little more fire.

Oh, and if you haven’t filled out The Cohort survey yet, please take three minutes to share your feedback -- [link removed]
One lucky respondent will win a $100 Amazon gift card.

— Mel Grau, editor, The Cohort

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Read this when you need a reminder
By Samantha Ragland

Joining the Poynter Institute at the beginning of a global pandemic was … interesting. And challenging. And rewarding.

It’s been three months. I know because I just had my three-month review with boss lady Doris Truong. And good news: I’m passing! Today, because many of you Cohort newsletter readers don’t know me, I thought I’d focus on the rewarding part because, well, I’m just a good news kinda woman. Plus, I think it can help.

First, a side note. Every year, my husband and I make each other valentines. A few years ago, I made him an “open this letter when” package that held a dozen handwritten letters. The envelopes had CTAs on them (shoutout to all my CTA peeps) — things like “open this when we’ve had a huge fight” or “open this when you wonder why I love you.”

Fast forward to today, several years after that package and three months into my new job at Poynter and a few more months away from my first Women’s Leadership Academy as co-lead, and I find myself wanting to give you a similar gift.

Because things are tough right now. We’re tired. Our teams are tired. Our kids need places to go besides our kitchens or yards. Shoot, we need places to go! But more than that, I have found we, digital women leaders across the world, need reminders.

Yes, going back to “normal" may be nice, but we’re well aware that looking backward can slow our momentum forward, and so, we look forward. I know this because the reward in this job is being able to speak with so many of you, to be your sounding board, your coach, your cheerleader — whatever it is that you need the moment you add yourself to my Calendly (or any of our Calendlys).

So, for those of you I haven’t spoken with yet, I have two reminders for you. They’re inspired by the countless conversations I’ve had over the past three months, and I love writing them because they allow me to live in my giftedness, which is simply reminding you of yours.

If you’re reading this while feeling like a fraud:
Listen, sis: Imposter Syndrome is real. This much is true. But from my experience, it’s also a liar. I know it may not come easy but now’s the time to know who you are. You’re a woman who deserves to be here, a woman who has been tried and proven, tried and proven. So now’s not the time to question or get fragile. It’s certainly not the time to attribute your success to luck.

Now is the time to know your strengths
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, call them by name and walk in them as you’ve walked so many days before
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. Make a list. Don’t brag a little — brag a lot. Keep it for yourself, share it with your world. Your choice. Just write it. See, I don’t even know you but I know you’re the one: the one who disrupts and unsettles
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, who sees her team and really sees them, the one who amplifies other’s ideas, who’s resilient as hell and wakes up every morning a little more tired than the day before but who still believes her work is good and necessary. If I know you’re the one, please, like Neo in the Matrix, come out from under that imposter syndrome
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and know that you’re the one too.

If you’re reading this while feeling overwhelmed:
Give yourself permission
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to feel this, but also give yourself a deadline. We are news people, after all. I know you’re slower to bounce back than usual. I know you probably still think about life “before the pandemic.” I also know that you, my friend, were never meant to park in your pain. You’re a woman with vision and not just vision but you’re a woman with the capacity to fulfill that vision. So be overwhelmed. Acknowledge you’re tired. But don’t stay there
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Move through this as you’ve moved through it so many times before. Come out on the other side, take note of the valley you just emerged from, be grateful, share the good news and then ask: What’s next? Because yeah, you’re more ready than you think you are.

Listen, ladies… Whatever question you have, issue you’re troubleshooting, there are other women who can and who want to help. Sometimes, the best thing we can do is talk to a stranger. How nice, though, the added layer of knowing the stranger can speak our language as a fellow digital woman leader
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So please, from one open book to — hopefully — another, don’t keep you to yourself. There are too many lessons within the pages of our lives that go unshared as it is, so when it comes to this work at this moment for this industry, let’s remember: We were born for such a time as this. It won’t always be easy but the trek will be worth it, the impact will be lasting and we are only as alone as we allow ourselves to be.
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OPEN SOURCE
Sam’s sources of energy and inspiration. You can follow her at @sammyragland
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What’s your pump-up song right now?
“Life is Good” by Future ft. Drake

What’s your go-to work snack?
Honey Sweet Cashews (been my go-to for at least three years now!)

Who do you look up to professionally?
There are things that don’t come naturally to me so I find myself looking up to folks whose strengths are my weaknesses. Two people come to my mind. My former boss, Clay Clifton, and my dad. They’re similar in the way they handle opposition, never spending too much time considering the threat of a situation and instead position it as a challenge. I think they’re both incredibly resilient, but the way they dial-in to that resilience is what inspires me. They just kind of turn it on. And I appreciate that because I can sometimes default to doom-and-gloom before I dial-in to a challenge. I think this wastes so much important energy, so I appreciate being around people who are my opposites. It’s been a blessing watching them both work and following their lead — and sometimes even watching them follow mine. I would say, if my career ahead continues to allow me the opportunity to grow and admire folks who don’t just have different strengths than my own but who I have direct access to, well, that’ll be a damn fine career.

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FREE MENTORING
There are more than 130 women who volunteer to be coaches on Digital Women Leaders — including Sam Ragland. Meet them by following DWL on Twitter
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and Instagram
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. If you’re looking for more pep talks, these women can help you navigate work when life is hard:

Kari Cobham
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, senior associate director of The Carter Center’s Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism and Media. A mom of two, Kari is also a co-founder of the Media Moms Facebook group
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Heather Burns
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, deputy editor, NFL Nation at ESPN. She is a career sports journalist who has spent more than 30 years in the industry but champions cross-platform storytelling beyond the football field.
Anne Godlasky
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, Nieman fellow at Harvard University. Previously, she worked at USA Today for 14 years on breaking news, audience engagement, big projects and most recently as a news enterprise editor. She has a wife, two young kids and a dog.
As Sam said, you’re only as alone as you allow yourself to be.

FIND YOUR MENTOR
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COHORT IN CONVERSATION
I want to hear from you this week about how you’re doing, both personally and professionally. Your feedback will help me write and commission the Cohort columns that will be most relevant to you the rest of this year. Please take three minutes to fill out this survey
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A few respondents already asked to see more job postings, so I’d like to highlight these resources from a previous issue of The Cohort featuring Mandy Hofmockel:
A roundup
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of dozens of websites, social media searches and newsletters with links to recent openings
A spreadsheet
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that can be replicated so you can track all your applications over time

If you don’t already, do yourself a favor and subscribe to Mandy’s weekly newsletter, Journalism Jobs and a Photo of my Dog
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. Poynter also has two open positions
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right now, and the Fuller Project is hiring
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, too.

Until next time,

Mel


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