Meet Taylor Leverett | TV Reporter & Journalist

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

Hi Taylor, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
Risks are meant to be taken in life because you never know what it may lead to in the future. I have always been a risk taker-moving to San Francisco with literally $12 in my savings account. Did I struggle? Sure, but that’s all a part of life. Eventually, I branded myself and my photography business and got a job with an event company that did events for companies like Netflix, Facebook, and Google.

How did I end up in news? At a company event, I was photographing I had a lady come up to me and tell me “You should be in front of the camera not behind it.” I ended up moving back home for a little bit to prepare for my next adventure and I ended up getting an editing job with the local news station in my hometown. After that, I took off in the world of journalism and reporting. It’s the best kind of work because I’m never too long in one place and I get to meet different types of people from all around. Those experiences of meeting new people and networking all began with the risk-taking of moving to California and stepping out of faith. You gotta believe in yourself first and foremost and once you have that, there is nothing that you cannot accomplish.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Currently, I am a Reporter/Journalist in Nebraska. In news, there are typically two types of reporters: lifestyle and hard news. I would consider myself someone who LOVES reporting on the “feel good” stuff. In the media, there is so much negative that can be reported on from COVID-19 to elections and in my journalistic career, I want to show the ones that matter and tell the stories of the people that are maybe looked over on regular TV.

Is it easy? No. There are days where I second guess myself and question my decision of becoming a reporter (because let me tell you, as someone in their second market the pay is not great) but at the end of the day, I have to know and be comfortable with the journey that life is taking me on and knowing that not every story is going to be an award-winner but if I can do my best, the rest falls in place naturally.

A lesson that I’ve learned along the way is to not beat myself up over a 1 minute and 30-second package. In news, a story that runs on TV for every to see is called a ‘package’ and typically it is between 1 minute and 30 seconds but can be longer. I have learned to write it, track it, and dump it because there will be a critic out there that will not like how you portrayed them on TV. I’ve learned you CANNOT please everyone and to move on to what really matters which is learning and growing.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Seeing as I’ve only lived in Nebraska for a total of four months, I would plan a road trip around the state and even to Colorado which is only five hours away.

Day one would be dinner and a move in town. Drinks later in the night at a hip bar in Kearney called Brix and Cunninghams

Day Two would drive and explore downtown Kearney which has cool boutiques and little record shops that bring an old town feel.

Day Three would be a spa day. There is a small sauna/spa in town that takes last-minute reservations.

Day Four would be Road Trip to Denver, Colorado. It is only five hours away so it is drivable. We could stay there for the remainder of the trip! (Days Five through Seven)

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My biggest shoutout goes to my grandmother. She has always been a person I admire to be like because she’s so confident and strong both in life and as a woman.

My grandmother was a stronghold for my family after my aunt passed away last year during the height of the pandemic. Was she sad? Yes, but she showed everyone resilience which is something that comes with age. She is someone I want to be like one day.

Website: https://nebraska.tv/station/people/taylor-leverett

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taylortalkstv_/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/taylor-leverett-417534a8

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TaylorNTVNews

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/curtisleverett

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTts_IY2A-VqB6AB7gqmgIQ

Image Credits
NTV News