Meet the Media: Laura Green

Associate Editor

Smart Business Network

My dream assignment would be…

One of the markets I write for is Northern California, so I would love to interview Jeff Bezos, the founder and CEO of Amazon. The company continues to do amazing things, and like Apple, innovates and changes the way we live in the process.

 The wackiest story I’ve written was…

In my interview for the job I have now, my managing editor gave me a pen and paper and told me I could ask him any question I wanted in 20 minutes. Then I had to use whatever information I’d gathered to write a story in the next half hour. While it caught me off guard, I think that the reverse-interview was a great exercise for seeing how fast people can think on their feet. Still, it was definitely a hot-seat experience when you’re writing a story about someone that you want to hire you.

 What is your PR pet peeve?

I never shut down an idea for no good reason, and as someone whose job is to write about finding success in the business world, I completely appreciate the value of perseverance in business. But when I say something isn’t going to work for a feature there’s always a valid reason.
Trying to pitch the same idea six different ways isn’t productive.  A “no” doesn’t have to close the door on a relationship, but it should close the door on the initial pitch. I’ve had great stories come out of a discussion where the first story idea didn’t work, but
the person later suggested a different idea that did.

 Top trend in the industry:

A lot of business leaders I’ve talked to lately have brought up concerns about cyber security. With the rate at which mobile technology, applications, social media etc. are progressing, it’s an issue that affects consumers and businesses alike, whether it’s protecting intellectual property, medical and bank records or other personal information. The cloud is going to play a big part in the future of that. I think it’s an issue to watch because the government and businesses seem to be odds over who needs to take the lead on solving these issues.

 A little about me:

Before I worked at Smart Business I wrote for a trade publishing company in Chicago as well as freelanced for a few other businesses, living on granola and dreams. I also spent several years as a publicist did a stint as a resume writer for a staffing company. I moved to Cleveland, Ohio to join Smart Business about a year ago, and while I had never considered a career in business writing, it’s pretty rewarding. Our magazines span 17 markets, and I handle content for our Northern California, Florida and Akron, Ohio publications. When I’m not working I’m going running, travelling or rooting on my sports teams.

Reach me at: [email protected] or www.sbnonline.com or follow us at @Smart_Business!