Jennifer Singh, CEO of She’s Newsworthy Media.
Our next feature is truly helping change the landscape of women in media through her company She’s Newsworthy Media. Before starting her company in 2015, Jennifer worked in the Canadian media industry for over 15 years as a reporter, producer and writer for CTV, CBC, Global and CP24.
She has been featured in the Toronto Star and on Global News and CTV speaking about imposter syndrome, women in business and the need for more inclusive marketing. We love how she is fighting for representation on all fronts and is a voice for change towards a more balanced perspective for women and women of colour. Read on to find out more about Jennifer and the inspiration and success behind She’s Newsworthy Media.
(Pink Tank Group): You have carved out such a niche business in the media and PR world. How did this idea come about?
(Jennifer): I was working at a corporate job for years and we were trying to get pregnant at the same time. During that time, I was in my early ‘30’s and I was slowly transitioning out of typical daily news. I started off in hard news where you are covering things like politics and crime. I started in the industry when I was 19, moved into different positions and moved across the country. I was a real hard core newsperson who wanted to climb the ladder.
When I look back now, where I am in my life and journey, I think the fact that I was a woman of colour and outnumbered inside of the industry played a larger role more than I though. At the end of the day, when I was in charge of filling stories for CBC, CTV, Global, I was always booking older white men. Those were the experts that had the tools, the speaking skill, the contacts, etc. You end up booking them because you have deadlines and you don’t have time to explore other options.
When you do have time to explore other options, I would often be asking for women to come on camera but they would shy away. They would be worried about how they look, what they would say, etc.
When I started Shes Newsworthy Media, a series of events led up to it. I got pregnant and two weeks after I found out, I was laid off. For me, I was mentally checking out so it was a huge relief for me. It was draining and I was at a disadvantage since I live in the suburbs and it was not a lifestyle I wanted to continue after kids. That’s how the inception of the company came about and I was adamant I only wanted to work with women. I was told I would fail and the rest is history. I’m still here and we are talking and having a conversation.
(Pink Tank Group): The stat is quite powerful that 25% of media guests are female which creates a bias towards the male perspective. How have you seen this grow since you started your business? Do you have any success stories you can share?
(Jennifer): I’ve worked with over 60 women since I launched officially in 2018. In 2019 I launched a program called Media Success Coaching. A hybrid between the DIY Option and the full PR agency. We have helped over 60 women in total and landed over 90 interviews for the year. 2021 was when the business has gotten a lot of traction and we are seeing things such as shifting the conversation and going back to the purpose of the company. The election was a couple of months ago and several of my clients were getting booked for their expert opinions. One of them was a woman of colour. I think back to the time when I was in the news media covering elections. You never see women of colour talking about elections. I get goosebumps think about it as we are shifting the conversation.
We are bringing different perspectives. The company is providing a fresh perspective that nobody has covered before. I definitely have the media background but I built contacts from the ground up. I had to figure it out on my own.
(Pink Tank Group): Have you seen the climate change specifically in the last year for women and women of colour?
(Jennifer): Yes, we are paying more attention to women. The pandemic was a catalyst to help get women amplify their voices even more so. People are paying attention more. Now the shift is “lets listen, lean in and see what the have to say”. The pandemic was when my business started to really take off. Another perspective is accessibility and how it has helped create a virtual role and give more woman access. We aren’t limited anymore to the local newspaper. You can now get national exposure virtually.
The pandemic helped wake people up and getting women to have their voices heard. You don’t have to choose between picking up your son and doing a media interview. You can do both now.
(Pink Tank Group): We love how you focus solely on women entrepreneurs and have created such a strong sense of community. How has your community shaped what She’s Newsworthy Media is today?
(Jennifer): Community shows up not only when I talk about women in the media but also inclusive marketing. I have so many people in that community that identify white who are allies and constantly cheering me on and sharing my content.
Community is the foundation of my business. Without that community, who is listening? It is so important to have a community rally behind you and support you but also reflect back their voices. Understanding the community and the values bring everyone together.
If you really are part of a community that goes beyond. Whether it is referring someone to a role, or speaking their names in rooms where they wouldn’t normally be in.
(Pink Tank Group): How important is social media to the success of your business?
(Jennifer): I have a love hate relationship with it. The hate part is because it exerts so much energy to keep up with the changing technology. But this is where a lot of my networking does happen. Leaving voice notes for someone and being able to personally connect. If social media disappeared tomorrow, I don’t rely on it to run my business.
(Pink Tank Group): What has been the most rewarding outcome since starting your business?
(Jennifer): Seeing my clients go through the transformation. They feel like their voice doesn’t matter. It’s their first media feature which is a big production. Women getting over their fears and having faith in themselves -that is the most exhilarating thing that I do. My clients are my inspiration. We are attracted to the work that we need to do on ourselves.
Do you have any advice for the next generation of business women.
(Jennifer): If you are new to entrepreneurship, take the leap and do it with guidance. Invest in yourself from the start and hire the help to get from point A to point B.
(Pink Tank Group): What can women do more to support each other?
(Jennifer): Referring out to people and referring them for opportunities. We need more of the support when it comes to moving women forward and helping them with opportunities. There’s been a lot of talk that #womensupportingwomen doesn’t have any meaning because traditionally a women in a corporate environment can be competitive. But I feel that is more reflective of the culture of the organization. Media, specifically, is complicated and women are there partially for the way they look. But we need to move away from the competition and there is enough to go around. It’s so refreshing to see women supporting each other that are technically in competition.
(Pink Tank Group): Pay it forward – who inspires you?
(Jennifer): Rachel Rodgers. She has a book called Everyone Should Be A Millionaire. She is a badass when it comes to business. I admire her work, her sales, her delivery and her podcast. She is phenomenal and inspires me from an online business perspective.
The other person who is really interesting is Sara Koonar. She runs Platform Media which is a brand agency working with content creators and influencers from diverse backgrounds. She sent a letter to her brand partners and said you need to diversify your rosters and her company exists to create this.
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