We were lucky to catch up with Taylor Leverett recently and have shared our conversation below.

Taylor , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about the things you feel your parents did right and how those things have impacted your career and life.

My parents certainly taught me important life skills in terms of fending for myself and how to handle tough situations that may arise. I’m appreciative of my parents for teaching me something as simple as how to cook or write a check. It’s funny because as a child you do not see the importance of those valuable life lessons/skills until you become an adult and you have to use them in every aspect of life. I’m so thankful for that!

Taylor , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My journey to journalism was not a straight path. I began my undergraduate year majoring in Biology with a desire, at the time, to be a doctor. I ended up getting my Bachelor of Science and taking a gap year before deciding to apply for medical schools, taking the MCAT, etc. It was during the summer of 2021 that I found an old camera in my dad’s closet and decided to try photography. I ended up taking photos for graduations and birthdays as a side job but I figured if I was serious I needed to go back to school and get a degree in the craft. I moved to San Francisco where I enrolled as a Master of Photography student at the Academy of Art University. After getting my degree, I moved back home with my camera still in tow. As I thought about my degree, the feeling of satisfaction wasn’t fully there as I knew I loved taking photos/videos but there was something missing. A friend from high school told me about a job at the local news station in my city where I could use the photography and video editing skills I’d learned in school. Once I started my job at the news station, I knew this was what was missing. I started asking my manager at the time if could I shadow an anchor or reporter. After shadowing a few people at the news station, I knew being a journalist, a storyteller was what I wanted to do and be in terms of my career. I have done countless interviews with many people from all walks of life and the thing that keeps bringing me back to loving what I do is knowing that I share stories that could help hundreds if not thousands to stay inform about their community and the world.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

A lesson I had to unlearn is to work hard but be appreciative along the way. I feel in today’s society we’re taught to make success the goal in life and to do any and everything we can to reach success. As I enter a new decade as a 30-year-old I think back on the times in my twenties when I was so focused on the finish line and not the ride along the way. That’s a goal of mine–to work hard but be present during the process.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect is knowing that you, as the artist or creative, came up with something to share with the world. It gives you a sense of authority and self-confidence to know you created that and no one else and that what you created is uniquely yours.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taylortalkstv_/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/taylorleverett/
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@taylortalkstv_?si=_NcKgh4Sj81r0TWp
• Other: vm.tiktok.com/s5XSVh