We were lucky to catch up with Giovana Gelhoren recently and have shared our conversation below.
Giovana, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.
When I thought of this question, two risks came to mind: when I left for university and when I left to start my career as an Entertainment Journalist in NYC.
For the first one, let me paint a picture. I was born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. And while I studied in the British School there all my life, the idea of leaving the country and moving halfway across the world felt crazy and daunting, to say the least. Nevertheless, in December of 2017, I got into Northwestern University and, about nine months later, packed my bags, borrowed all the sweaters my family ever had, and started a new life for myself.
A few years later, a few months after college, the opportunity to take another major risk came knocking. After working remotely for People Magazine after graduation, I felt the need to move to NYC and work my passion to the fullest. In October, I was hired as an Entertainment Writer for SheKnows and once again packed my bag and started a new life for myself all over again.
These two risks were the best decisions I’ve ever made.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I was born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and pursued Journalism at Northwestern University. While that seems like a straightforward answer, the journey was anything but. I originally enrolled as a communications major only to then love on-campus publications and find myself as a journalist. I then transferred to Journalism and have stayed with it ever since. In college, I interned for Country Living Magazine and did my Journalism Residency at People Magazine, where I got my first post-graduation job. In Oct. 2022, I left People for my job at SheKnows as an Entertainment Writer.
Among my proudest accomplishments in my career are interviewing some of the biggest celebrities in Hollywood like Anne Hathaway, Anna Kendrick and Halle Berry, and writing the cover story with Lais Ribeiro for SheKnows’ Sustainability Issue. I think what has set me apart in my career is my passion for what I do, I always want to interview more, attend more red carpet, and have the most meaningful conversations with my interviewees.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
As a Latina and Brazilian woman, I think my goal will always be to drive conversations that make an impact, be it with women or Latinas like me listening to it. My interview with Anne Hathaway, for example, ended up being about how women are flawed and complicated and how perfection to her is, honestly, overrated. In my interview with the Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson, she got candid about struggling to find her niche in the public eye, and why it took her time to find her passion in writing. These are the types of conversations I want to keep on doing, conversations that make an impact.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.
Weirdly enough, I find myself having to explain on occasion how doing my job as a journalist sometimes doesn’t feel like a job at all. Doing a red carpet where I get to interview celebrities I’ve been watching all my life, for example, is more of a dream than an actual job.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.sheknows.com/authors/giovana-gelhoren/articles/
- Instagram: @gigelhoren
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/giovana-gelhoren-494348189
- Twitter: @gigelhoren
Image Credits
Courtesy Giovana Gelhoren