Date Posted: Thursday 1st June 2017
Beauty journalist, podcaster, broadcaster, presenter Emma Gunavardhana was recently appointed acting beauty editor at Red magazine. Her previous roles include acting health & beauty editor at Women's Health, and fashion & beauty editor at OK! magazine. She continues to freelance, consult and publish her podcast The Emma Guns Show, where she has interviewed names including Sam and Nic from Pixiwoo, Leona Lewis, Sam Baker, Luke Hersheson, Sali Hughes and Caroline Hirons.
You’ve been in the business now for over a decade, what sparked your love of beauty?
I had to rely HARD on beauty products as a kid. I had terrible acne, lank greasy hair and just didn’t feel comfortable in my own skin. Beauty products gave me a sense of control over how I looked - even if my makeup skills were poor - and the feeling I was doing something to help myself. The beauty sections of magazines became a safe place and I knew I wanted to be writing for them some day. I worked on local newspapers and did an NCTJ in journalism but it was via a work experience placement that I landed my first job on a magazine.
I find the ‘vs’ thing a bit weak, to be honest. The digital dawn started when I was still working exclusively on print and I didn’t pay it much mind if I’m honest. I’d aspired to work on these printed institutions and it didn’t occur to me that anything could shake their foundations. However, after a little while and with the advent of social media, it became clear that digital publications and blogs were just as valid a source of information as the magazines I’d grown up reading and then writing for. While it’s tempting to speculate about the future of print and digital I actually think it’s as pointless as wondering whether a celebrity marriage is going to last. I think all of us are aware that developing digital skills just makes good business sense and that ultimately print and digital will exist alongside each other.
Discuss the difficulties you’ve found as a freelance journalist over the years...
I’ve been freelance for five years and I think one of the biggest challenges is staying in the loop. I began my career on magazines and was so used to invitations, press releases and new launches appearing at my desk that I just assumed it was normal. When you’re on a magazine attending launches is part of your salaried role, but as a freelancer it’s a much bigger consideration and so begins the dilemma of ‘should I be at my computer pitching’ vs ‘can I actually pitch if I don’t know what’s new?’
Going freelance can feel uncertain, but I felt really buoyed by the fact I started to work with brands not long after leaving magazines. It was the first time I’d ventured into working on a more commercial footing and realised the value the skills I’d learned on a magazine had in the wider industry as a whole. I worked on some projects and felt really good about developing these relationships, but then started to notice a shift. I might get called in for a ‘chat’ that would turn into a meeting with executives and be being asked for content for point-of-sale or insights into how to do a launch or what tone/style a campaign should take. It’s quite intimidating to have to put your hand up and say ‘you should be paying me for this’ but you have to flex that muscle, no matter how weedy you feel. I offer social media consultancy and get calls at least once a week from people asking if they can ‘pick my brains’, but I’ve had to develop those boundaries because working for free isn’t acceptable.
It’s why I really appreciate transparency among fellow journalists, editor and bloggers because if you don’t know a) your value or b) the going rate then it’s very easy to fall into the trap of underselling yourself.
As a long-time user, how has being a DIARY directory member assisted you in your capacity as a busy journalist?
DIARY has always felt like the doorway to the industry, the need-to-know contacts and information you need to do your job well. With new elements, such as social media stats etc, it's also added the element of transparency, which can be really helpful.
What sparked your interest in launching podcasts - any plans for YouTube?
I had been listening to podcasts for a couple of years and had built up a library of shows that I found both entertaining and inspirational. I was feeling a bit lost and out of touch in the industry and I had to be realistic about what I could offer. I think I spent a long time trying to be a kind of journalist that I’m not. I thought I had to write a certain kind of content or have a specific tone and it meant I’d almost sanitised and diluted myself and my output. I’ve always taken great pleasure and joy in getting to know the people in the industry when I’ve interviewed them, but often that hour long conversation for a story translates into a very short paragraph in a much bigger feature. The podcast was born when I realised there was a way of maximising one of the things I enjoy most, interviewing, and creating the kind of content that felt true to who I am too.
With all that said, the one thing I’d tell everyone to remember is that if you’re starting a new project you have to be prepared to start from scratch. You might be used to working for titles that sell hundreds of thousands of copies/page views, but it’s different matter when it’s your own project and people start asking ‘what are your numbers?’ My podcast is a year old, it’s self-funded and it’s self-published, but I knew at the outset I had to grow an audience from nothing. It’s been 12 months, but now I can say that I’ve been in the Top 10 on the iTunes Arts chart and that’s a great feeling.
"While it’s tempting to speculate about the future of print and digital I actually think it’s as pointless as wondering whether a celebrity marriage is going to last."
Best piece of career advice you’ve been given?
I’ve really struggled to think of one piece of advice in all honesty. The truth is that the network of journalists and PRs I’ve grown close to over the last 15 years is a constant source of advice and counsel. As we’ve grown, developed and expanded our skills we’ve shared what we’ve learned with each other. I actually shudder when I think about trying to navigate the industry without this kind of trusted network - it’s invaluable.
If you weren’t a journalist what would you be doing?
I would be headlining in Vegas, obviously. In all seriousness this is a question that makes me feel a bit anxious. At school I did these silly career aptitude tests and if you go by those results I’d be a social worker or a prison guard. Those results could have been incredibly demoralising because I knew the world of media and journalism existed and I wanted to be in it - plus it looked like a lot of fun - but they were saying ‘sorry Emma, not for you’. I think it’s why I had a spot of imposter syndrome when I first started out on magazines and found myself at three-course dinners in 5-star hotels celebrating the launch of a new fragrance or interviewing a Hollywood A-lister in a hotel suite in Cannes.
But I also think it’s another reason why I started my podcast, because in each episode I unpick how these incredible guests have achieved such success and I think the common theme is that it doesn’t come easy, there are challenges and that often it’s the mental and emotional barriers that you have to break down to get where you want to be.
What advice would you give to the younger generation within this industry?
In some ways, my advice is so outdated. When I started it was about being good at making tea and ingratiating yourself into a team by doing all the stuff that staffers didn’t have the time to do and working your way up the ranks. While it still pays to be helpful and proactive it’s a very different landscape today. That said, if you want to be a writer having a blog or an active social media feed that gives a sense of your style can help you build your profile and act as a portfolio.
What should PRs keep in mind when pitching ideas to the beauty team at Red?
I think pitching ideas well to any magazine is about knowing what their content is and offering something that will work within their pages. I know I’m more likely to respond if a PR messages me and says something like ‘we have [insert type of product] its USP is x, y or z, this is the innovation and here’s a stat that backs up the claims’. It’s just a few sentences but shares all the topline information you need. If it’s just a general ‘we have a new product and please find the press release attached’, it could, potentially, get overlooked.
Any pet peeves when working with brands/Prs?
I’m not going to suggest for a second that there aren’t any pet peeves, but it works both ways and it seems unfair to blast bad PR practice when I’m sure they have complaints about how journalists carry on too. Having worked as a consultant and seen behind the curtain of PR I now understand that some of the things that may have jarred me previously are activities that a PR or agency has to do in order to please a client. I also think that over the years plenty of journalists, including me, have pointed out the types of emails and phone calls that don’t work but they’ll never stop so I just block them out or put filters on my mailbox so I don’t see them.
I love black eyeliner and Kat von D Tattoo Liner is excellent, but I’m just as happy with one of the ones from GOSH, which has a great range of colours, or Estee Lauder’s Double-Ended Little Black Liner.
I pop two Imedeen Derma One tablets a day and I take Imedeen Tan Optimiser if I’m going away. If ever there’s a lapse in my intake I can feel it before I can see it. My skin really appreciates it. Alpha-H Liquid Gold is a game-changer. Whenever my skin used to feel off I’d do something excessive like some intense face mask or exfoliating treatment. This is so easy, requires no elbow grease and you notice a difference the next morning. For me, it feels as though my skin is put back to factory settings, which is brilliant if it’s reactive or feeling out of sorts.
One thing people may not know about you?
I am, to my detriment at times, an open book. If you listen to my podcast you have a pretty good idea about who I am.
What’s coming up for Red and for The Emma Guns Show?
The show has been live on my website and on iTunes for over a year now and I’ve had some incredible guests and some exciting opportunities in that time. The format has evolved to encompass more than just beauty and the feedback on episodes that have focused on topics such as nutrition, anxiety and business, for example, have also proved really popular. The audience is getting broader and the emails and messages I receive on social media from listeners have been amazing. Hearing from people who listen in Sydney, download in Canada or stream in New York has been really humbling and it’s a great feeling to know the show is reaching such a wide audience.
It’s been really wonderful to reach that point where people are asking to be guests and brands are keen to work with and get involved with the show. Watch this space - there’s lots of exciting news imminent...
I’ve only been at Red a short time and in my previous magazine roles I’ve always worked solo on a section, so despite being around for a long time, I wasn’t sure what to expect when I joined the team. I’ve known Annabel Meggeson for years, from launches and events, but working with her has been a revelation and Becky Hull is an absolute superstar. The team here are really collaborative and supportive and I’m excited for the issues that I’ll be working on with them over the coming months.
Contact
Emma Gunavardhana in 'media contacts'