Unassigned
Being Cheeky is practicing camaraderie with your colleagues, with other women, with female professionals in your field. And because we were feeling a bit Cheeky this week…per usual, we interviewed the managing editor of one of our favorite Chi-town pubs, Cassandra Gaddo. Let’s promote women who are doing big things, going great places, and serving the city we love. That’s why – as editor of this here online publication – I am interviewing the editor of another one.
Cheeky: Tell us a little bit about your background and your path towards becoming managing editor of Today’s Chicago Woman magazine.
Cassandra Gaddo: My “career path” is very unusual in that it was very straightforward. I went to Loyola University Chicago and majored in Journalism (with minors in English, Women’s Studies, and Political Science). While I was there, I completed a few different internships. One of those was at Today’s Chicago Woman. After school, I was hired by Associated Publications, Inc. – a Chicago-based, national publisher of women’s beauty magazines – as an assistant editor, and was promoted to senior assistant editor, and then associate editor. Then the managing editor position at TCW opened up, and the rest is history. This is why I’m always preaching the power of internships!
Cheeky: How does it feel being a young woman in an extremely high-powered job? That’s so cheeky!
CG: At first it was challenging – I was 24 when I was hired as managing editor! I may not have had as much experience as other people when they come into this job, but I’ll work harder and learn faster than anyone else. As time has gone on, it’s become more of a non-issue – honestly, people are usually surprised when they find out how old I actually am. (And “extremely high powered” makes me laugh, because so often people just think of the glamorous aspects of magazines and publishing, when in reality, it’s a lot of long hours and hard work.)
Cheeky: What is the most exciting thing going on with TCW right now? Is it working with photographer Victor Skrebneski?
CG: There are a lot of exciting things happening at TCW right now! Victor Skrebneski has definitely been one of them. He shot our first fashion spread for October 2008 and our first cover for November 2008, and visually, TCW has really taken off since then. I like to believe it sets our fashion section apart from anything else that’s out there in Chicago right now. He’s not afraid to take chances and push the envelope, for sure. Another major undertaking has been expanding our presence in Chicago. We partner up with dozens of organizations as media sponsors – for example, we were the media sponsor of the Joffrey Ballet’s production of Cinderella, which premiered in LA a couple weeks ago and is now in Chicago.
Cheeky: TCW has always been a paper publication – are you taking strides towards becoming more of an online presence? If so, what?
CG: Definitely! We’ve had a presence on Twitter and Facebook for a year or so, and it’s really great to interact with readers in that forum. In November, we launched our bloggers on ChicagoNow.com, the Tribune-owned blogger site, and it’s been wonderful to be a part of that project. It’s just grown exponentially, and the TCW page has grown right along with it. Right now I have 12 bloggers who write about everything from travel, to wine, to politics, to movies, to working moms, to careers, to fashion, to nightlife…I think of it as a “one stop shop” for anything a Chicago woman would be interested in or want to know more about. Our bloggers are really talented and work very hard to post often. I’m not stopping at 12, though. There’s more to come, so keep an eye out.
Last, but certainly not least, is the new TCWmag.com. It’s gorgeous, more modern, more user friendly. We’re featuring expanded content from print articles, as well as completely original content. Our entire issue is online. We have expanded photo pages. Our bloggers are there. We’ll have a comprehensive events calendar up soon. Plus, there’s access to many of our archived articles, all of the useful and interesting things we’ve covered over the years. It’s a very natural, organic extension of the print publication, and I’m excited to continue to grow the online presence and influence.
Cheeky: What makes you different than other Chicago publications out there?
CG: Our tag line is “Smart Women. Smart Read.” and I think that’s my guiding focus for everything we put in the magazine. There’s no other magazine like us that targets professional women – which, to me, means women who are truly driven in their careers and are either at the top of their field or on their way there – from so many different angles. I think there are a lot of magazines that talk down to their readers. We don’t do that. We don’t make the assumption that because a reader is interested in the newest fashion trends, she can’t also be interested in what’s happening with inclusion initiatives in major Chicago corporations. Or that because she might want to read a dating article, she wouldn’t also want to read about the new laws regarding Roth IRAs. Women aren’t only one thing. TCW recognizes that.
Cheeky: Do you partake in any other writing outlets? Blogs, other publications, etc.?
CG: I blog for TCWmag.com and ChicagoNow.com on TCW’s page. My blog is called Twice As Well, and I focus on issues of working women and feminist topics in the news. I love it, because it’s an outlet for me to talk about topics I’m really interested in and passionate about, and I can take a much stronger stance on them in a personal blog than I could in the print publication.
Cheeky: This city is chock-full-of activities/to-dos/events – are you involved with anything outside of the magazine?
CG: One organization I’ve been involved with for some time is Step Up Women’s Network. They focus on professional networking, but they also have a separate mission that centers around teen girls and what they call the “three C’s” – confidence, career, and college. They do career panels, one-on-one college prep mentorships, lunches, and great events where teen girls can just talk with and get to know professional women who’ve “made it.” I’m also on the Young Women’s Leadership Council of the Chicago Foundation for Women. We plan educational events, networking nights for young women and fundraising, which allows us to give grants to groups in the city that benefit young women. For example, one organization the council has granted is the Rogers Park Young Women’s Action Team.
Cheeky: Now for some cheeky questions! What is your definition of cheeky?
CG: When I think of “cheeky” I think of someone who works and plays with equal passion and enthusiasm. I think of someone who’s spontaneous and not afraid of the unexpected or unknown. I think of someone who finds joy in the frivolous things in life, but knows there are more important things and finds a balance. And in Chicago, the smallest town of big cities, I think of someone who knows the value of connecting people, of reaching out and creating a network of people not because of what they can do for you, but just for the value of knowing them.
Cheeky: What’s your favorite restaurant in Chicago?
CG: I have so many favorites! If I had to choose just one, I love m.henry in Andersonville. Seriously, bring out-of-town guests here for brunch, and you won’t have to cart them anywhere else, because they’ll consider the trip worth it. Plus, everyone who works there is incredibly nice and lovely.
Cheeky: Favorite thing to do in the spring (because I’m getting all excited just thinking about it)?
CG: After a long Chicago winter, I’m ridiculously happy just to go outside and walk around without 15 layers of wool and down and Gore-tex. I love that first time of the season that you can eat at an al fresco restaurant. Pitchers of sangria at Moody’s Pub is a must-do. Having an after-work glass of wine at Salute Wine Bar’s patio. I love going to Andersonville or Southport for brunch, and wandering in and out of the home shops and boutiques. I love doing walking tours with CAF. Or going to an exhibit at the Field Museum or Art Institute and then just enjoying Michigan Avenue with all the flowers. Is that too touristy? I can’t help it. I love it. I think spring is a waiting period, though – you can start to do some outdoor things, but Chicago really hits its stride after Memorial Day when the weather is warmer and you can’t go three feet without bumping into a street fest. Until then, the weather is still hit-or-miss.
Cheeky: I’m a little partial, but tell us more about this TCW Top Singles party you’re throwing in March?
CG: It’s going to be amazing! The Top Singles party is our annual spring fundraiser for the TCW Foundation, which is a 501(c)(3) charity that raises and distributes funds to women’s and children’s charities with operating budgets of under $500,000. We fund rape crisis centers, homeless and domestic violence shelters, job skills programs. It’s a great charity and I’m really proud to be a part of it.
The party basically introduces the Top 40 Singles featured in our February issue. We have an amazing group this year – I’ve met them all and I can personally say they are great, fantastic, must-know people. Our emcees, 2009 top singles Kelli Zink (CelebTV.com) and Tsi-tsi-ki Felix (Telemundo) will introduce the singles. The party is Friday, March 12 at Enclave nightclub from 7-10 pm, and is only $50. This is what that ticket price gets you: three hour sponsored open bar. Passed hors d’oeuvres from Salute Wine Bar. Dessert buffets packed with goodies. DJ. Dancing. Access to our amazing raffle and silent auction – and this isn’t a silent auction where the opening bid starts at $3,000. Plus, mixing and mingling with one fun group of people. It’s a fun, high-energy party, so grab a group of girls and come. Better yet, grab some of your guy friends, too—they make better wing-people, anyway. You must RSVP in advance, so head over to TCW.com now!*
Cheeky: And, last but not least, what is the cheekiest thing you’ve done this week?
CG: Hmmm, that’s a hard one! Well, I made my radio debut on WGN to talk up the singles party with two of our featured singles, Anthony Fiore and Laura Schwartz. That was nerve-wracking but turned out to be a blast, which I think makes it definitely ‘cheeky.’
*CheekyChicago readers who enter the promo code CKY will receive $5 off their ticket price! That’s $45 if you purchase your ticket by March 5, and $55 if you purchase your ticket March 6 or after.
