Meet Rebekah Sager | Writer and journalist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Rebekah Sager and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Rebekah, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?

I began my journey as a writer and journalist just after former President Barack Obama was elected.

I was living in San Diego, California, at the time. The economy was taking a downward spiral, and independently-owned businesses in my community were suffering. I wanted to say something. I wanted to help people. So, I decided to begin writing a blog. It was called “Shmy Way or the Highway” and would later evolve into”Shop Local SD.”

I used the blog to shine a light on these primarily young, women-owned, and people-of-color businesses, hoping it would help them survive.

Additionally, a ton of exciting things were happening along the U.S.-Mexico border — a new culinary school and school of architecture had opened. Chefs were flooding the area to open restaurants, and wineries were flourishing. There were a lot of exciting innovations to write about, and very few writers were covering them. So, I placed myself in the center of this energetic space. Although I had never published my writing before, I’d been exposed to journalism via my first husband and learned through reading his work and watching his process.

A few months later, an editor from a local online website took notice of the blog and asked if I’d like to be paid to cover this burgeoning scene. Within a few months, I went from blogger to journalist. I was even put on the cover of the local regional magazine and named “Best Blogger.” Of course, it took years and lots of freelance work, building my portfolio, and a few full-time writing jobs to hone my skills and feel confident enough to really call myself a journalist.

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?

I’ve done a lot of different kinds of writing. I’ve worked as a full-time staff writer and a freelance writer. I’ve worked in television on the Dr. Phil Show, in radio at a legacy news station in Los Angeles, and in print and digital. I’ve covered politics, race, technology, real estate, entertainment, health, criminal justice, culture, and most recently, reproductive rights.

I think the diversity of my work has helped me grow and gives me an edge when I’m trying to pitch to a new editor or outlet.

But I’m not a trained journalist. I’ve taken some writing classes, but I’m 100% self-taught, and I continue to learn the craft every day. My real strength is my unwavering resilience in the doors that have been shut in my face. I’ve had editors tell me “no” countless times, but I keep coming back. I’ll retool a pitch or try another angle, but once I know there’s a story to tell, I often don’t take no for an answer.

Also, I’ve never missed a deadline, and I’ve never had a story killed — badges of honor in my business.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?

A week in Atlanta would include:

A walk through Piedmont or Sweetwater Park.
Dinner at Lanzhou Ramen for noodles on Buford Highway.
Shopping for spices at Dekalb Farmer’s Market.
Hanging in midtown with our friends at their fancy pool.
Buying books at A Cappella Books and candles at Bear and Honey Candles — both in Little Five Points
A bike ride on the Silver Comet Trail.
Spending time at the High Museum. Shout out to the current Sonya Clark exhibit. It’s absolutely amazing!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?

I give huge props to all my editors, fact-checkers, and copy editors who make me look better than I am.

I especially love those editors and mentors (most women and primarily women of color) who trusted in me and gave me a shot.

Shout out to Amy Joyce at the Washington Post; Claire McIntosh at Sisters from AARP; Shane Michael Singh, my editor at Playboy magazine; Carolyn Salazar, from our Fox News Latino days; Ryan Nave at Reckon Media; Isabel Gonzalez (my mentor); Andrea Collier (my mentor); and David Hochman, founder of the UPOD Academy. Of course, my partner in crime, my husband, Roger Fountain, a talented photographer and writer, who has endlessly supported me in work and life.

Website: https://rebekahsager.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rebekah.sager/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebekahsager/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Rebekah_Sager

Youtube: https://rebekahsager.com/video/

Image Credits
Rebekah Sager