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“Sometimes good guys do finish first.” ✅
In this episode, I sit down with Bart Feder, former News Director at WABC, former SVP at CNN, and one of the most influential mentors I’ve ever had (and the mentor to dozens of news directors across Tribune).

Bart is now living his true Life After News as a certified executive coach, helping leaders grow without burning out and without turning into the kind of boss nobody wants to work for. 🙌

This is a wide-ranging conversation about leadership, reinvention, stress, purpose, Cambodia, presidential history, and what actually matters when the adrenaline fades.

⭐ What we talk about

📰 The peak era of local news (including the time WABC pulled a million viewers a night at 6pm)
🚪 Why Bart had an exit strategy and why so many of us don’t
🎥 The FeedRoom: “We were this close to being YouTube” (and the lessons that still sting)
📺 CNN in 2008 and why Bart says CNN is at its best as a history network
🏙️ Local news vs national politics: “Local, local, local”
🤝 Tribune’s “loose confederation” culture: trust, collaboration, and relationships that lasted
🎤 The legendary New Orleans karaoke night (and why those moments build real teams)
🧠 Emotional intelligence, executive presence, and the coaching tools Bart uses (360s + EQ assessments)
🔥 Stress tolerance, self-awareness, and why reacting too fast can change your career
🧘 Yoga, meditation, and the decision to build life on well-being first
🇰🇭 Bart and Karen’s 16-year commitment to education in Cambodia — and what hope looks like up close
🇺🇸 Presidential biographies, Teddy Roosevelt, and what Bart believes the presidency should be

💥 Quote-worthy moments

✅ “To give somebody an hour of your undivided attention is a gift.”
✅ “I decided to build my life on my well-being, not on my career.”
✅ “You can be a successful news director… and not be an asshole.”
✅ “We were this close to being YouTube.”

📣 Quick favor (this helps more than you think)

If you liked this episode, please:
⭐ Rate & review Life After News (especially on Apple Podcasts)
📲 Share this episode with one friend who needs a nudge, a plan, or a way out
🔁 Post it to your socials and tag me so I can thank you

Your reviews and shares are how this show grows.

🔥 Next week

A TV news anchor turned lawyer — she got her JD after leaving the business, and she’s bringing real insight about what’s possible after the newsroom. ⚖️📺

#LifeAfterNews #ExecutiveCoaching #NewsDirectors #TVNews #Leadership #EmotionalIntelligence #CareerTransition #BurnoutRecovery #LocalNews #MediaIndustry #Mentorship #SecondAct #WellBeing #Cambodia #PodcastRecommendations

Let Life After News inspire your next chapter. Because leaving the news doesn’t mean the story’s over—it means a new one’s just beginning.

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We normally drop new episodes on Tuesdays but today is a special Monday. Today would’ve been Sam Rubin’s 66th birthday. Sam was the entertainment reporter for KTLA 5 Morning News for decades until his untimely death in 2024. And it felt like the right day to pause, remember him, and talk about something we don’t always give enough space to in newsroom life: what it really means when a coworker dies.

Because in TV news, your coworkers aren’t just coworkers. You spend long hours together, you rely on each other, you laugh, you grind, you argue, and sometimes you spend more time with them than your own family. When someone in that world is suddenly gone, the grief can hard to process.

In this episode, I’m sharing a collection of moments from the last year of Life After News—people who knew Sam best describing his impact, his energy, his generosity, and his mischief. Plus, you’ll hear a throwback interview I did with Sam back in February 2019 during Oscar season, when he was absolutely in his element. 🎬✨

💬 You’ll hear stories from:
⭐ Carlos Amezcua — Sam “auditioning” on-air and instantly becoming the guy
⭐ Michaela Pereira — Sam making her feel welcome… and recruiting her as a “carpool dummy” 🚗😂
⭐ Sharon Tay — Sam helping her shine (and also… blowing up her dating life) 😳💥
⭐ Dorothy Lucey — junkets, hot chocolate, hikes, and a classic Sam parenting panic story 🧸😅

This one’s funny, tender, and real because Sam was all of those things.

✅ If Sam Rubin mattered to you (or if you ever worked with someone who changed your life), this episode is for you.

📲 CTA:
If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating + a thoughtful review—it helps more than you know. And share it with one friend who loved Sam, loved KTLA, or understands newsroom life. 🙏💛

#LifeAfterNews #SamRubin #KTLA #KTLA5 #NewsroomLife #BroadcastNews #TVNews #EntertainmentNews #OscarSeason #RememberingSamRubin #MediaIndustry #JournalismLife #GriefAndWork #LosAngelesMedia #PodcastRecommendation 🎧✨

Let Life After News inspire your next chapter. Because leaving the news doesn’t mean the story’s over—it means a new one’s just beginning.

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Last week was a tough one for journalism. The Washington Post laid off 300+ employees—about a third of its staff cutting deep, including foreign bureaus. 💔📰

So, this episode is about something we all need right now: two real-life “Life After News” success stories. ✨

Michaela Pereira returns with a big career update (and a big reminder that reinvention can happen at any age). Then we’re joined by her longtime friend Sumi Das—former TechTV / MSNBC / CNN journalist, now Senior Communications Manager at LinkedIn.

And yes… Sumi drops a very useful nugget for anyone job hunting right now: one word that’s showing up more and more in job descriptions—and it should make journalists feel a whole lot more confident. 👀🧠

⏱️ Episode Highlights

✅ Michaela’s major update: She’s now the Executive Producer of “Amazing America” 🇺🇸✨
🍔🚗 “Let’s Eat” and “Amazing Itineraries” — stories from the highways and byways, small towns, and the heartland
💥 Real talk on leadership whiplash: the creative dream + budgets + HR + performance reviews = “three jobs in one”
🧠 Imposter syndrome, learning curves, and why taking the leap at 55 is its own kind of power

✅ Sumi Das on her pivot: From on-air + field reporting to tech communications
📺 TechTV → MSNBC → CNN → tech journalism → in-house storytelling
🧩 How “connecting the dots backward” actually makes career changes make sense
🤝 The cross-functional culture shock in big tech: stakeholders, approvals, and learning who really needs to be in the thread (“adding for visibility” 👋)

✅ The LinkedIn insight you’ll want to steal:
📈 Sumi shares that “storyteller” is appearing far more often in job descriptions—great news for journalists looking to pivot. ✍️🎯
Because storytelling isn’t a “soft skill.” It’s a marketable advantage.

😂 Bonus: Michaela and Sumi’s legendary YouTube moment
⚔️ Search: “When Michaela Pereira Attacks” (lightsaber battle included) 🔥🪄

🎧 Listen + Take Action

If you (or someone you love) just got laid off and you’re trying to figure out what’s next: reach out. Jason wants to talk to you. 💬

⭐ If you enjoy the show, please give us GOOD RATINGS + GREAT REVIEWS + SHARE.
📲 Send this episode to a friend who needs a little hope (or a little shove).

#LifeAfterNews #Journalism #MediaJobs #CareerPivot #Layoffs #LinkedInTips #Storytelling #Communications #DigitalMedia #TechCareers #Podcast #JournalistToComms #NewBeginnings #Reinvention #WomenInMedia #ExecutiveProducer #CareerTransition

Let Life After News inspire your next chapter. Because leaving the news doesn’t mean the story’s over—it means a new one’s just beginning.