Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Gracie Watt. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Gracie thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you share a story with us from back when you were an intern or apprentice? Maybe it’s a story that illustrates an important lesson you learned or maybe it’s a just a story that makes you laugh (or cry)?

When I was in college at St. Edward’s, I was a journalism major. I got my first internship at Texas Lifestyle Magazine my sophomore year and I was so excited. That internship sparked my love for lifestyle journalism. My senior year, I decided I wanted to explore the broadcast side of journalism. So I applied to the local lifestyle show, Studio 512. Luckily I ended up getting it and it was a dream come true. The leader of the program was the host of the show, Rosie Newberry, and she taught me almost everything I know today about producing and the world of TV. We didn’t have broadcast classes at my school, so everything I learned was through that internship. I got to produce my own segments, and even go live on TV a few times. It was so nerve-wracking, but also so exhilarating and rewarding. That experience was so invaluable to me, and eventually led to me getting hired at the very same place. I’ve been working there for three years now and am so grateful.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’m a lifestyle producer for Austin’s local morning show, Studio 512. It’s a crazy fun job that I do feel very blessed to have. It’s a good mix of fast-paced at times and mellow. Our show is an hour long and it’s live, so during that hour, my responsibility is to make sure everything goes smoothly. I am in charge of handling the guests, making sure all the content is correct and everyone is on the same page, setting up, tearing down, running around and timing the show… all while taking photos and videos for social content. It’s a bit hectic, but our small team has it down to a science, so now it feels pretty simple. My favorite thing about this job is how every day is so different. We’ve had such a variety of topics and guests on the show, and everyone has an interesting story. I’ve always loved stories, and listening and learning about people. It’s probably why I mostly read autobiographies! We have had all different types of guests from celebrities, dancers, comedians, local business-people, artists, mental health professionals and so much more. We’ve even had tons of animals big and small! From a tiny baby chick to a pig, we’ve really seen it all in the studio. And I helped decorate our set with items from my own home, so it makes me happy that even if I should move on eventually, a piece of me will always be with Studio 512.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding part of being in a creative field for me is the flexibility and flow of creative direction that I am allowed. The amount of trust that my team and my boss have in me is really motivating, and I feel rewarded whenever they are impressed or compliment my work. My role includes reaching out to book people on the show and producing the segment. I pretty much have free rein with this now. Of course we have guidelines that I follow, but no one is looking over my shoulder or telling me what to book. Of course, it took a while to build morale and get to this point. And there were a few missteps when I booked someone that didn’t fall into our guidelines or wasn’t necessarily a fit for the show. Even though these situations were tough, they helped me improve. It is really hard to call or tell someone face-to-face that expected to be on TV that it’s not going to work out last minute, or that we have to completely change their segment. No one wants to hear that. But, I have learned how to try my best to accommodate people, be very hospitable, and if all else fails, deliver bad news gracefully. I think a lot of people underestimate just how important people skills are. And in my job they are absolutely essential, as I have to meet and accommodate so many people every day. I probably meet about 50 new people every week. And each person is unique and I have to listen and be attentive to their needs.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Every one in the professional world will deal with hardships in their personal life that they have to very quickly get over and keep on working. I am so thankful that I have a good work environment that helps make situations like that bearable. We have a very small team- there’s only 4 of us running the whole show- and I am so grateful that they have been my mentors, my sounding board, and my friends. They have helped me through some really difficult things that I’ve dealt with in my personal life whether they know it or not. One difficult moment that I think of is when my mentor and friend from my first internship at Texas Lifestyle Magazine passed away. She was battling cancer, but didn’t let on to us how progressed it was, so it came as quite a shock. Her name was Julie, and she was the Editor-In-Chief of the magazine. We had weekly calls where she would guide me and encourage me, always telling me how proud she was of me. She genuinely cared about me and my success. It was pretty early on at my new job when she passed, and it was extremely hard for me to lose my mentor and friend during that time. It really is true what people say about how it takes about 6 months to a year to really get the hang of a new job. Before that time has passed, it can feel very discouraging, and losing my friend and mentor just really made it much harder to adjust. But in the professional world you need to just be able to pick yourself up and go on. I know it’s what Julie would want for me. And after that time passes and you get the hang of things, and start to feel like you are getting good at your job, it finally feels encouraging and even exciting. I hope that Julie would be proud of the work that I’ve done.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://graciewatt.journoportfolio.com
• Instagram: @studio512tv, @graciethatgirl
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gracie-watt-741055183/

Image Credits

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