Women In Media: It’s None Other Than The Incomparable Jackie Frank

B&T’s ongoing Women in Media profiles simply wouldn’t be complete without editor, publisher, TV presenter and more – yes, it’s none other than the fabulous Jackie Frank. The woman who edited marie claire for nigh on 20 years and is now Pacific Magazines’ publisher of health and fitness titles…

The publishing industry is so creative…
I am loving the fact it’s changing constantly, and that we are forever evolving and changing, adapting and having to be agile. To be able to think outside the square. To be able to put on different hats. To come up with creative concepts, with solutions for our advertisers, solutions for our consumers. Ways to engage. It’s really exciting for every evolving, dynamic industry, full of dynamic people, full of change. What you did yesterday is not good enough for tomorrow.

Everyone today is too quick, trying to move from here to there…
I feel they’re missing the boat, they’re looking at the next before they’re actually in the moment. It’s about being in the moment and being the best you can be, really exploring all opportunities. It’s not just about hard work, it’s about being able to see the opportunities, to be open-minded, so you’re receptive to seeing what’s right there in front of you.

Find something that you love to do…
And then you will put your heart and soul in and be the best you can be. I would also say to young people, don’t worry about the ancillary stuff i.e the titles, the hierarchy. Worry about the actual work and the content of the work and does that excite you, and does that challenge you, does that put you a little bit out of your comfort zone? Then do it, and conquer it before you move onto the next thing. Be the best at it and then move on.

I think everybody wants to be Oprah…
The secret fantasy job of mine was to be a pop star. I wanted to sing or be a newsreader. Or Oprah.

I’m very passionate about what I do…
If you’re passionate and you’re authentic about the love of what you’re doing it encourages others around you. Passion is contagious. It’s important for me to lead from the front and lead by example. I don’t like being a dictator, I like to pull everybody with me. It’s a bit of a whirlwind, it’s a bit crazy, it’s done with gusto and passion. It’s about rolling up your sleeves and getting your hands dirty and being inclusive. I have a very inclusive form of leadership.

My most defining moment was when Canberra invited me to speak with the Prime Minister about maternity rights…
Receiving that phone call and getting that access meant we’d done it. It was the Holy Grail. We were the voice of Australian women, constantly agitating for change with our paid maternity ‘I Do’ campaign and the day came when Canberra called us, and said, ‘we’d like you to come and talk to the then Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, and some female ministers’. The fact they saw us as being a vehicle to get their message out, meant marie claire really was the voice for Australian women, and I’m so proud of that.

My career goals are to be better than I was…
I’m very much about evolving and challenging myself and challenging what I do and wanting to be the best at what it is that you do. It’s not so much about competing with others but it’s competing with myself, and what I feel I can or can’t achieve.

I’m a stage mum when it comes to basketball…

I’m an absolute basketball fanatic and played in my younger days but have got such a bad back now that I can’t fly like I used to. So I live vicariously through my son’s basketball. I’m the one on the sidelines, screaming, shouting like a hyena. It’s terrible. I wish I could still play.

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