Game-Changers: Stephanie C. Harper
Our next Game-Changer is actually someone that I have had the opportunity of knowing for a little while now. She wears many hats, and is one of the true ambassadors for the career industry. If you don’t know who Stephanie C. Harper is now, you will definitely be hearing more of her in the near future.
Without any further ado, Stephanie C. Harper is our next Game-Changer.
Who Are you and What Do You Do?
My name means “Crowned in Victory” so let’s start by acknowledging, that I am Queen *giggles*. While that is something I joke about, it’s important to know WHO YOU ARE, so that you will know where you are going! Having a clear understanding of the meaning of your name helps you to define the rules by which you will play.
By trade, I am a certified human resources professional with more than 20 years of experience. My career has evolved from the Corporate Board room to the Entrepreneur Circle, allowing me to become an author, career expert, speaker, radio host, and Publisher of CAREER Magazine.
How did you get into this industry?
I have actually been in the human resources industry, my entire career! I started my career as an Administrative Assistant in the HR Department of a Los Angeles based Engineering and Construction Management firm, while in college.
Tell us a little bit about CAREER Magazine, and how the concept came about.
CAREER Magazine actually began as a newsletter – - only I didn’t know it was a Magazine. I started writing a newsletter as a means to stay in touch with people who were purchasing my first book, Why Should I Hire You?
The more I travelled, the more difficult it became to keep my newsletter current, so I started to ask colleagues to submit articles. The public demanded more from both me and my colleagues and I ended up producing a 12 page newsletter on steroids. Finally, I decided to turn it into a REAL publication and an additional stream of income.
Is there a particular angle your CAREER Magazine covers? What else can you tell us about the magazine?
CAREER Magazine focuses on career and business development. Our goal is to help others know better, do better and live better in the areas of career development, business development and authorpreneurship (authors must understand the business of publishing!).
What makes us different from many of the “career” publications is the contributing writers actually work in the trenches of what they write about (unlike many publications which are written by journalist who would interview us).
I keep up with you on Facebook, and I’ve been seeing some rumblings about a T.V. show. What can you tell us about that?
CAREER Magazine TV is definitely in the works. It will just be an extension of our Publication (and of course another stream of income). Our show topics will be taken from the articles that our readership make the most buzz about. Many times our readership will let us know when they want to keep the conversation going about something they’ve seen covered in an issue of CM and we’ll keep it going, via CMTV.
The September Jobs report recently came out, and to many people’s surprise the unemployment actually went down. Some have questioned the timing of the numbers and others have even suggested that the BLS is cooking the books. What’s your take on the current job market?
I did a radio show last year on “Understanding Unemployment” and my research showed that unemployment had gone up because some people have just stopped looking for work. I believe there ARE jobs out there! Many people are just picky about the job they want to do.
Please don’t mistake my comment for saying it’s not challenging out there, but I think we also need to become a bit more flexible in our current economy. However, I also believe if the job you want doesn’t exist than it’s up to you to create it! As for BLS, like everything else, I’d be willing to bet, it’s political.
What’s one thing you can’t live without?
Jesus! He is my lifeline!
If you were not in this field, what else would you be doing?
Hmmm….I’d probably be a school teacher…it runs in my family.
What does the future have in store for Mrs. Stephanie Harper?
I think you mean Stephanie C. Harper…which is my brand. If you add the Mrs. in there, then you have to call me by my husband’s last name – - which is NOT Harper! Or your might be talking about Stephanie Harper the wrester, Stephanie Harper the college basketball player, or Stephanie Harper the character in an Australian sitcom. (see…it’s important to know who you are!)
Very true.
But to answer your question, the immediate “future” includes staying busy working to bring CAREER Magazine TV to life as well as CAREER Magazine University (a learn and launch portal). I’m sure it also includes some bingo! *my mid-week mental break* I also have a new book coming out called, Married Now What? It’s a new venture for me (totally off topic from my other books), but I believe a healthy career begins with a healthy home!
Finally, what’s one piece of advice that you would give someone trying to break into the magazine or T.V. industry?
Ahhhhh…..purchase an annual subscription to CAREER Magazine so that you can see a great example of a publication that is changing lives and careers all over the world.
Next, I would suggest a ton of research and following/subscribing to various trade publications and study them. Watch the trends, the topics and see what the public responds to (and doesn’t). Market research is crucial to ensure a newbie finds their place and leaves their mark.
As for TV, I would suggest getting an account with a public access channel and learning from the bottom up! My first lesson was learning how to hold a camera and edit the footage before learning how to host a TV Show! Clearly, I’ve been a guest on many shows…but creating your own is another animal.
Lastly, but most important! Find a team of people that support you and your vision. Those are the people who will show up on a Saturday morning to help you proof the Magazine or prep the studio for taping a show in exchange for a pizza!
Great information, and thank you for taking the time to sit with me.
For more information and to keep up with what Stephanie C. Harper has going on, be sure to check out the CAREER Magazine website.
If you want to suggest someone who you think is a Game Changer, drop us a line. Thanks!
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October 19, 2012
Entertainment