I started my journalism career in 2004. In a matter of months, it was clear: the industry was changing, fast. The layoffs of the writing room, the budget cuts and the reduction of the personnel became routine. Whispers or “imminent cuts” became annual realities. Every year brought less resources, FEER colleagues and more pressure to do more with less.
In all, the tone of the industry changed completely. We get used to the news to defend their own existence. I remember that they gave me scripts to read in the air, asking viewers to “support local journalism.” Imagine informing about the world while campaigning silently to save your own work. He was humiliating and revealing.
It was then that I realized that I needed a plan B.
Approximately eight years in my 15 -year career as a reporter and presenter of the largest private station in Canada, I began to build a marketing agency centered on real estate. In silence. In the drafting room, lateral bustle were frowned upon. Some managers prohibited them. It was a strange contradiction: everyone knew that the industry was reducing, but no one was allowed to prepare for what came later.
So I did it anyway.
Approximately that agency grew in silence in the background. And one day, it was large enough as I no longer needed the writing room. I walked away and entered the entrepreneurship.
What I did not expect was how many of my journalism skills would be fundamental to build and manage a successful business.
This is what was translated, and why it is important for anyone who sails in uncertainty in their career today.
Related: the 3 greatest mistakes that made me a better entrepreneur
The deadlines build more than discipline: they build trust
In journalism, the deadlines were not flexible. If his segment was ready for air time, he did not air, simple like that. There was “I’m running a little behind.” That real -time pressure son enables him to deliver no matter what. And what is more important, teaches you that other people have you for delivery.
In business, that same mentality, a competitive advantage is. When it constantly meets the deadlines, for customers, collaborators or even for you, build a reputation as some in whom you can trust. In a world full of slices, that trust is strange and valuable.
Clarity is the most underestimated communication ability
As a journalist, my work was to take some complicated (legislation, economy, crime statistics) and make it clear, fast. I learned to break down ideas so that a spectator without background knowledge could understand the story.
That ability was taken directly to the business. Customers don’t look for more information: they want clarity. Some who can explain things in simple language, with confidence and precision. If you can do that, you will win attentive and loyalty, only in crowded markets.
Reading the room is a commercial ability, not only social
Each writing room has an energy without seeing. Some days are tense. Others are collaborative. Learn to read body language, anticipate reactions and adjust your tone accordingly. Sometimes you learn in the difficult way, saying the wrong time at the wrong time. But possible, you become good in that.
That emotional intelligence became essential in business. Whether it is in a sales call, a customer tone or a check-in of the equipment, I trust that same ability to evaluate the room. Knowing when to speak, when to mark and when to pivot it is not good to have it, this is how you build reports, close agreements and lead people.
Your visual presence sends a signal, you like it or not
On television, how you appear is part of the work. Lighting, clothing, posture, visual contact: everything matters. You are trained to think about Visa because they are seeing you, not only is heard.
As owner of a business, I took that forward. Whether you are in a zoom call, recording video content or knowing a customer in person, I think about how it appears. Not because I care about superficial enamel, but because I understand that the presence generates credibility. People make quick judgments. Being intentional about your appearance (your energy, tone, body language) is part of your brand.
Make intelligent questions leads to better results
They do not happen great interviews because the journalist speaks a lot: they happen because they ask questions that nobody else thought about doing. They listen. They dig. They help the subject to reach something real.
This skill set is applied almost everywhere in businesses. Whether you are incorporating a customer, hiring a new team member or solving problems of a campaign, asking reflective and open questions makes the difference. It leads to ideas, not just answers. The better your questions, the more valuable your results will be.
Content creation is not a fashion word: it is a daily practice
Before the “content marketing” was fashionable, journalists did it every day. Writing headlines. Filming segments. Recording voices off. Clips edition. We were creating daily, on the deadline, with quality and consistency.
When I pivot in the business, that content muscle was already built. I could write quickly. I could record video. I could find the angle of history. That made building a content -based agency much easier. But most importantly, it helped me communicate my value consistently: through blogs, videos, emails and social networks.
Story narration is the bridge between facts and emotion
In the center of each news there is a story. That does not change in business. In fact, the need for narrative is equally important. Because people do not buy database, buy a basis in belief.
Whether you are creating a brand strategy, writing a sales page or looting a web seminar, I am asking: What is the story? What is the tension? What changes in the end? Who is the hero? The storytelling is not fluff. Its structure. This is how you help people to worry.
Investigate before speaking, create credibility
Journalists cannot invent things. We are trained to search for sources, verify facts and support each claim. That instinct, to validate before publishing, translated directly into the business.
When I make marketing recommendations, I don’t trust only the feeling of intestine. I quote trends, they extract performance data, reference case studies. This approach backed by research generates confidence and helps customers feel safer in their investment.
Related: why entrepreneurship is better than any personal growth book
Writing is a business superpower
In journalism, you write every day. Scripts, voiceover, headlines, tweets, subtitles. You learn to write well. You learn to write with impact. And you learn to combine your voice with your audience.
In business, that has been one of the most useful tools I have taken with me. Clear and persuasive writing helps in all areas: copy of the website, email campaigns, launch mallets, customer reports. Special now, when so much content is a human writing generated by the AI and generic that is more acute and intentional really stands out.
Working under pressure is the best equipment test
Television is not a solo act. Each show depends on producers, editors, camera operators and anchors that work in synchronization, under adjusted deadlines. If some drop the ball, everyone feels it.
That taught me how to lead under pressure, and how to hire people who can also handle it. In business, things go sideways. Customers change direction. Break spear. The ability to keep calm, adapt and continue moving is what separates professionals from professionals.
The final result
When I left journalism, I thought I was moving away from a small industry. What did not realize was that I was entering something that would prepare my legs for all the time. Entrepreneurship was the opposite of journalism: it was its evolution. The same skills that helped me happen in the Chamber helped me in business.
So, if you are in a professional who feels uncertain at this time, I will say this: look closely. You are likely construction skills that will serve you long after your current role ends. You may only be gathering the exact tools you will need for the next chapter.
Do not wait for a crisis to begin your plan B. Build now, even if you are on the margins. That quiet parallel project, that independent weekend concert, that little experiment: it could be what gives you security when the work can no longer.