Q&A Spotlight: Chelsea Scott
Q: Tell us about yourself!
A: I was born and raised in Holland, Michigan and have a BA in Writing with a minor in English from Grand Valley State University. Before the pandemic, I loved to travel and hope to get back to that soon. I had plans to go to Iceland with my sister in July of 2020, so we’re back to planning and dreaming about making that happen! I love cooking, singing, hiking, reading, trying new restaurants, spending time with my spoiled dog (Penny), and hanging out with my wife. We’re excited to welcome Baby Scott this summer and experience life as a family!
Q: When did you join BVM? What were your previous work experiences?
A: After graduating from college in 2006, I worked at Starbucks and freelanced for about five years before accepting a job at a property preservation company. I stayed there for two years before leaving to write full time. I loved that season of my life! I did everything from travel and recipe writing to e-book editing and greeting cards. That’s actually how I stumbled upon BVM. There was an ad (on Craigslist of all places) to freelance for my local magazine. I started out by writing articles and ultimately became a Content Coordinator for a few BVM magazines. I was hired as a Content Specialist in 2018 and the rest is history!
Q: What is your favorite part about working at Best Version Media?
A: My favorite part about working with BVM has to be the people. The Publishers, Content Coordinators, Home Office and Production Office staff are some of the most warm, welcoming, positive, competent and hard working people I have interacted with professionally. Culture isn’t just a buzzword here – it’s something all team members embody and fiercely protect. I love the willingness of the Content Team to embrace change, take on new projects and continually push themselves to be better. I feel so lucky to lead this team of amazing individuals.
Q: Describe the BVM culture in your own words.
A: For me, the BVM culture boils down to trust and respect. We trust each other and our direct reports to get their work done. We respect each other’s time and are understanding when someone takes off to spend time with family or run to an appointment. We trust our leadership to guide the company in the right direction. We acknowledge and respect the need for balance – meaning that sometimes team meetings must include a game or another fun way to blow off steam. BVM could write the book on “work hard, play hard”!
Q: Explain you and your department’s role within BVM.
A: The Content Department ensures the content in every BVM magazine meets our standards of being family-friendly, uplifting, neighborhood-focused and original. We do this by training the magazine teams to produce high-quality content for their local magazines.
As the Director of Content, I’m able to lead our team and oversee all of the awesome aspects of it such as training, working on new projects and developing programs. A large part of my role is also to assist and support our Publishers in the field. No two days are the same, which I love!
Q: What is unique about working at BVM? How is it different from the typical corporate environment?
A: BVM is different from a typical corporate environment because everyone truly wants what is best for their colleagues and the company. There isn’t a cutthroat, “I’m going to get ahead of you” type of attitude here.
Q: Who inspires you to become the best version of yourself?
A: I have to say my wife. She is a nontraditional nursing school student and, come August, she will be the first in her family to graduate from college. She has overcome so much to accomplish this goal and constantly challenges herself to take on more. She doesn’t let fear of failure stop her from trying – in fact, she lets that fuel her fire. I have never witnessed a harder worker and I am in awe of her!
Q: What do you enjoy most about our community magazines?
A: Even though our magazines follow the same program and have similar components, I love that each one is unique and represents the local community. No one else is doing what we’re doing!
Q: What have you gained from working at BVM?
A: Experience! I thought my freelancing career had exposed me to lots of different people, projects and personalities (and it did) but BVM has given me the opportunity to learn and grow in new ways. Whether it’s updating resources, creating SOPs or developing the team professionally, I have become so much more well-rounded in the past four years. I feel like I have grown up with BVM and have loved growing with the company.
Q: What three words best describe the Content Department?
A: Dependable, positive and fun!
