People Style Watch and US Weekly reporter, Megan French, sits down with the Odyssey to talk celebrities, style and advice for students who dream of working in the magazine industry. 

Meet Megan French! 

A native of North Carolina and Syracuse University alum, Megan is currently living the NYC lifestyle and working for US Weekly and People Style Watch magazines. I had the privilege of getting to know her and learning a little more about her exciting life in the big apple, one that most people only dream of!

Alexis: Have you always known you wanted to pursue a job in the magazine industry?
Megan: Yeah! Ever since probably eighth grade, I was really into magazines. I would force my mom to buy them at the grocery store. I also had subscriptions to a lot of magazines too. I never really thought I wanted to do anything else! I did yearbook and newspaper in high school, and all my internships have been in the magazine industry. I chose to go to college at Syracuse for their magazine program. 

Alexis:It’s awesome that you’ve always had a passion for magazines! Why do you like working in the industry? 
Megan: There’s definitely the cool, glamorous parts about it when you get to do things like interview celebrities and have access to designer clothes. You’re always up to date on the latest trends. But the coolest thing is when people tell me they see my work or see my name in the magazine. It’s cool to know that people are following what you’re working on! 

Alexis: Do you love living in NYC?
Megan: Yes! I’ve always wanted to live here. I feel like anywhere else would be boring now, there’s just always something going on. It’s awesome because of my job, I get to check out so many new and different spots in the city. 

Alexis: It must be so exciting to explore the city through your job. What’s a typical day at work like for you? 
Megan: I work for People Style Watch full time during the day, and I work at US Weekly on nights and weekends for events. Most of US Weekly reporters are freelance and we have other jobs. I get to cover fashion and celebrities, which are a couple of my main interests. I usually go into work at 10 a.m., which is earlier than most people. Today we were finalizing the October issue for People Style Watch, so it was a busy day. Then I have events for US Weekly at night. So tonight, I’m covering a party hosted by Nick Cannon and Lil Jon. 

Alexis: That sounds like so much fun! YEEEEAAAHHHH (Lil Jon voice).
Megan: Yeah! It’s awesome because I get access to these events that I never would have if I wasn’t in the magazine industry. This week, I’m going to a celebrity basketball tournament and Rihanna will be performing. 

Alexis: That sounds like a great time! What’s the coolest event you’ve been to? 
Megan: That’s a tough one. A few months ago, I went to a live TV taping for a show that I had never even heard of before, but it was at this cathedral in Harlem. It was beautiful! There was a ton of celebrities there like Adam Levine, Daniel Radcliffe, Demi Lovato and Perez Hilton. It was actually crazy because one of Perez Hilton’s insane fans crashed the party and photobombed him. Perez was just going along with him like, “Sure, yeah let’s take a picture together!” Meanwhile, security was freaking out trying to get the fan out of there. It was total chaos. But anyway, there was a really nice dinner while the show was going on. A bunch of artists performed their songs and presented some awards. I even had a personal seat holder! When I got up from my seat, there was a person specifically assigned to hold my seat for me. 

Alexis: Throughout your career, have you interviewed lots of cool celebs?            
Megan: Yeah! I have actually. I’m a really big Friends fan, so one of my favorite interviews was with Courteney Cox, a few months ago. She was so sweet! Courtney was with her boyfriend and they were so cute, it was right before they got engaged. It seemed like I was just talking to a friend, not like a celebrity. 

Alexis: It’s great to hear that some celebrities can be so down to earth. Are there any aspects of interviewing famous people that you find difficult? 
Megan: A lot of the time it seems so cool like, “oh I’m going to a red carpet event.” But actually, sometimes you’ll be standing outside in the rain for hours because reporters get there early and celebrities tend to get to the events late. Sometimes they are in a bad mood and they don't want to do press. It’s kind of a hit or miss. 

Alexis: Do you ever get nervous before interviewing celebrities? 
Megan: I used to, but I don’t really anymore! After a while, you kind of realize that they are just regular people. Celebs get interviewed all the time and I interview people all the time, so it’s not a big deal. I might get a little nervous if I’m interviewing a celebrity that I think is really cool, but for the most part, I’m really comfortable. 

Alexis: What advice would you give to someone interested in getting their foot in the door of the magazine industry? 
Megan: Before my internships in New York, I did a bunch of little internships in North Carolina (where I’m originally from). I gained experience from a couple local magazines in my area. When I applied for bigger jobs in New York, the companies saw that I had experience in the industry. I also wrote for two magazines at Syracuse. It sounds cliche, but just really take advantage of who you know and try to pull as many strings as you can. 

Alexis: What kind of personality traits make someone successful in the magazine industry?
Megan: I think confidence is really important to be a great interviewer. Sometimes you have to ask celebrities questions that might be kind of personal or awkward, like love life questions. You need to be able to ask uncomfortable questions to have a really great interview. It’s also important to be able to think really fast and be on your toes with your questions. A lot of the time, I won’t even know a celebrity is going to be at an event and the publicist will bring them to me for an interview and I won’t have questions prepared because I didn’t know they would be there. You have to be able to think of something fast. I always try to keep up with the industry and celebrities and what they are up to. I have apps on my phone that alert me of news going on with celebrities, so I always have an idea of what’s going on in order to be prepared for times when I have to give a last minute interview. 

Alexis: Tell me about the strangest encounter you’ve had with a celeb?
Megan: A few weeks ago, I was at this after party for the Bruno Mars concert and Joey Fatone from NSYNC was there. I ended up talking to him for a long time, and we got invited to a different event so I was like, "totally let’s go!" Fifteen minutes later, we got in Joey Fatone’s limo and his driver brought us to this weird Burlesque-type place. Joey Fatone was hilarious but at the same time, “Why am I here with this guy from NSYNC at this random, weird place???” You just never know where the night might take you!