OK, so this is the only interview where we will use the first and last name — I had the great pleasure of interviewing Natalie Morales of “The Today Show” for Finding Forty. What a treat! She was funny, honest, warm and genuine. I’ve posted a few excerpts from her chapter and will have some video soon.
It’s 4:15 am and Natalie’s alarm clock abruptly signals it’s time to get up for work. Like many women, she works in a large group setting…Unlike most women, that group is 6 million people a day. As news anchor on NBC’s “The Today Show,” Natalie finds herself in a very public arena, delivering vital news and updates to viewers nationwide and around the world thanks to the Internet. She always knew she would be a journalist, but never really imagined her career would take her to The Today Show.
Setting out after getting her degree in journalism, Natalie applied for countless positions in her chosen field, but nothing was available. “This was during the last real recession…No one was hiring, so I made a tough choice to give up on journalism.” Natalie was recruited by Chemical Bank for their management training program. “I thought this would be a great opportunity, a fantastic education, basically getting a master’s in business while I learned.” While the program was educational, Natalie knew this wasn’t her intended path. After two years, she resumed her search for a job in her first love of journalism and eventually landed a position at CourtTV. Her new job got her back on the right path; however, it involved taking a 50% pay cut and more uncertainty.
… Where does that risk take her? Stay tuned for more!
Regarding work in the USA vs. other countries:
“People overseas work to live. Here, I think we live to work…there is an importance on how you make a living, and it’s too easy to get sucked in and trapped in a sense,” she adds. Natalie even sees this in her own life: “I work in a very competitive industry, and sometimes I get caught up in what I do too much – I start thinking ‘I should be getting more interviews,’ etc. It’s great when I travel overseas and I see stories that are more meaningful. I get to see how the rest of the world is living.” A famous saying rings true for her: “You always hear that when you are older and wiser, you never will wish you spent more time in the office; it’s so true.”
Africa