What I Do
Communications – Publishing, Broadcasting, Marketing, Advertising, Sales
- Job Title: Publisher
- Years in Profession: 30
- Job and Daily Responsibilities:
As Publisher of Westwood Living, I oversee the production and business development of a monthly magazine distributed to residents of Westwood and manage a small staff who helps run the many different initiatives we prioritize every day.
My main responsibility is generating revenue, which is why the sales component of the job is so critical. I work with local businesses to bring them aboard as sponsors, and together we market their companies through various channels, including the magazine, westwood-living.com, the Westwood Living Podcast Network, and advertising on Instagram, Facebook and Google.
We also organize and host quarterly parties which provide opportunities for our sponsors to interact with each other and also Westwood residents, who buy tickets to attend the party. These in-person interactions are vital to the success of our business model.
The Westwood Living Lessons From Leaders Series is an example of a program born from the Westwood Living brand that aims to serve a positive purpose in the community. Our goal is to serve the community and this program does so in many ways, allowing business owners to give back in a tangible way and students to learn about various professions that may interest them.
Separate from my role as Publisher of Westwood Living, I also serve as a National Broadcast Game Representative for the National Football League, working each week as a liaison between the NFL and the production truck of a specific game. I work with any of the broadcast partners – CBS, FOX, NBC, ESPN and Amazon – to coordinate commerical breaks and troubleshoot any issues that may present themselves during the flow of an NFL broadcast. This responsibility is sometimes handled in person, but frequently done remotely via satellite and cellular technology. I can be at the Patriots/Dolphins game in Foxboro one week, and the next week I can be working the Titans/Colts game remotely from the couch in my living room. Fascinating, high-pressured job that requires a significant knowledge of professional football and the intricacies of broadcating games.
I also serve as an emcee and host for various events. I host Northeastern University’s Hall of Fame induction ceremony and end-of-year Athletics Awards Show.
Prior to taking over as Publisher of Westwood Living, I spent 28 years in sports, working at the National Football League and the National Hockey League before embarking on a 22-year career as a sports broadcaster. My TV career took me from Allentown, PA to Detroit, MI to Boston, MA. In that time, I was honored with 33 Emmy nominations and was fortunate to win 11 Emmy Awards.
Education
High School: Fairfield College Preparatory School: 1986-1990
College: Boston College: 1990-1994
Pre-Employment Experience
1993 – Internship at WFAN – New York
1994 – Internship at WSBK-TV, Boston
1994 – Broadcast Liaison for the 1994 World Cup at Foxboro Stadium
List of classes that are most important/applicable to succeed in your profession:
Public Speaking, Creative Writing, Broadcast Production, Advertising, Marketing, Any Business Class, Logic, Art (Music) – that broadens your mind and expands your horizons
LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES
Opportunities available for high school and/or college students to learn:
I’m always happy to provide opportunities for a student to write columns for Westwood Living. I think it’s a great way for an aspiring journalist or columnist to perfect his or her skills. I also am open to allowing a student to shadow me for a day, or intern with me for a period of time.
Contact Me
Advice From A Leader
Live life by a simple motto – Do The Right Thing. It sounds easy, but that’s not always the case. There will be times that doing the right thing is very challenging and might set you back. You also won’t always do the right thing, and that’s ok. We’re human.
If someone you’re working with has trust that you have their best interest in mind, they will rely on you as a business partner and put equal trust in you as a colleague. The most important thing in business is relationships. I’ve frequently told people, “If you want to be thought of as an amazing person, you better start doing some amazing things!”
Buy the flowers, write the thank you card, make the phone call. Be thoughtful, courteous and empathetic. Remember we all go through ups and downs in life. Be honest with yourself and reach out to others in times of need. You can’t control how people think, but you can affect how people feel through your actions.
If you are working for someone, remember this. Your top responsibility is to make your boss’s job easier. If you are a pain in the butt, always complaining, unreliable and generally selfish, you are not making your boss’s job easier. Go out of your way to take things off your boss’s plate. Solve the problem. Get stuff done. Follow your inner moral compass and do the right thing. Right things come to those who do the right things. You’ll find the opposite to be true, as well.
Finally, have faith in yourself and pursue what makes you most happy, with an acceptance and understanding that happiness doesn’t always equal financial success. Seek counsel, ask questions and have a working knowledge of what path you can follow to reach your place of fulfillment and happiness.