In a candid discussion, Maria Boden, executive producer of CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street,” Casey Dolan, senior executive producer for MSNBC Reports, and Joey Cole, executive producer of NBC News Daily/News NOW, talked about their careers and challenges. The following is a selection of their remarks, edited for length and clarity.
Getting Started in a Career
Dolan: Say yes to everything, but with your mental health and well-being as a priority. Learn everything, be a sponge. When you’re asked to do something, say yes, do it well, and people will ask you to do it again. And then it’s about working hard, teamwork, having a collaborative spirit and a good attitude.
Cole: Learn from your mistakes. That helped me become more genuine and authentic because I can say, “Hey, I messed up. But here’s what I learned from it,” and then I moved forward. That builds your character, to figure out who you are.
Have a Healthy Work-Life Balance
Cole: Folks who are entry level: Have a work-life balance, because I didn’t. There are things I regret, like missing weddings or not being able to go to family events because I was working.
Boden: If you have time off, take the time. Your growth will not be stunted because you took your one-week vacation with your family.
Dolan: When I go home, I find those moments where I can put my phone down and can focus on my family. I would argue it doesn’t stunt your growth, but it makes you a better manager and leader, to recharge and take time. Because if you don’t, you’re going to burn out.
Stay True to Yourself
Dolan: Stay true to yourself, especially when you have risen to a management position. You are in that position for a reason. And be yourself. That will get you where you need to go.
Boden: Someone once said to me, “You need to take it down a notch.” I said, “Excuse me, I got here because I didn’t take it down.” And now I’m sitting in this chair because I amped it up a couple notches.
