THE ROAD TAKEN – An inside look at a SIPA member, the choices he or she has made on the road to success, and the challenges ahead
Lisa Getter, Editorial Director, UCG
SIPA: What was your first job out of college and how did you get into this business?
GETTER: My first job out of college was as a suburban reporter for the Miami Herald. I was recruited out of the Medill School of Journalism by the legendary Gene Miller and Pete Weitzel. They wanted an intern. I wanted a job. I talked my way into a full-time spot, starting that April. (I had enough credits to graduate a quarter early). I stayed in newspapers for 23 years, first at the Herald and then the Los Angeles Times, before joining UCG in 2005. I got my job at UCG on a whim. I emailed Dan Brown, one of the partners, with my resume. I told him I thought my skills might match his needs. To my surprise, he created a job for me.
Has there been a defining moment in your career? Perhaps when you knew you were on the right road.
Early on, I realized there were great stories to be found in public records. I was reporting a piece on zoning rules in a small Florida town and found a zoning violation stamped, “Void. A VIP.” I knew then that I would one day be an investigative reporter. The skills I learned as an investigative reporter – how to cull information from reluctant sources, how to background a company or person, how to find hard-to-get information fast – are especially useful in the B2B world.
In brief, describe your business/company?
I work as the editorial director for UCG, a specialty business information provider in Gaithersburg, Md. We provide newsletters, Websites, data, conferences and other business information products to niche audiences. These days I primarily work in our financial services group.
What are two or three important concepts or rules that have helped you to succeed in business?
Dig for the truth. Stand up for what is right. Document everything. Treat people fairly. Write clearly!
What is the single-most successful thing that your company is doing right now?
Delivering high-quality, must-need content to businesses.
Do you see a trend or path in 2010 that you know you have to lock onto? Any key business models?
Subscribers want information that is precisely responsive to a specific challenge they’re facing. This means more emphasis on building searchable knowledge-bases that allow targeted and timely delivery of content. We are also viewing our competitors much more broadly than in years past. The next niche publisher might not be as big a competitor as the government, blogs and other free content providers. Readers don’t need us for news; what they need is smart, instructional and analytical content and proprietary data.
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What are the key benefits of SIPA membership for you and your team?
Networking with others to share successes and failures.
Where did you grow up?
Long Island, New York.
What college did you attend?
Northwestern.
Is there a moment from that time that stands out?
Realizing that if I got a line item in the provost’s budget for a new literary magazine, we’d have funding for years. (The magazine still publishes, 30 years later.)
Are you married?
Yes.
Do you have children?
One son and two stepdaughters.
What is your favorite hobby and how did it develop in your life?
Cooking. It developed out of necessity!
What was the last book you read and movie you saw?
Last book, A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick. Last movie, How to Train Your Dragon.
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