 |
As I often tell my students, the magazine business is all about the 3 F's: fun, fame and fortune. If there's anyone who embodies this, it's Bonnie Fuller. She has the fun, she has the fame and, of course, she has the fortune. Fuller is the editorial director of American Media, Inc. the company responsible for publications such as Shape, The National Enquirer, Men's Fitness and the successfully re-launched Star. Most recently she has added "author" to her list of achievements, with the release of her book The Joys of Much Too Much. I had the opportunity to chat with her about the new book and her path to success.
"I set out to write my book for younger women: women that are students, that are in college, women that are graduating and trying to figure out what to do with their lives," said Fuller. "I thought it was important to tell them they can have it all; that they could dream big dreams for themselves and really could make them happen."
In a way, The Joys of Much Too Much is a response to the negative media women are bombarded with regarding the realities of having a successful career. Fuller set out to give them the other side of the story. A mother of four, she knows firsthand the challenges of successfully balancing a career and family.
"I feel like women can have it all," said Fuller. "They can have a great career, they can find love and they can add a family into their lives when they are ready. I think it's really important that women know they don't have to make a choice between career and family, they can have both."
 |
|
Bonnie Fuller
|
"It's definitely hard work. It's not easy if you're trying to have both. You give up things. You take on things. You give up sleep. You give up having time for your friends. You give up time for yourself. But then on the other hand you gain a lot of self-esteem from accomplishment at work and you gain a lot of incredible love. When you have a family you find your capacity to love and receive love just grows so enormously that it's worth it."
Despite her massive success, her high-profile career and celebrity status in her field, Fuller still feels her family is central to who she is and exactly what drives her. Her head may be in the clouds (although she says, "definitely not") but her feet have remained firmly on the ground.
"I think ultimately at this point in my life, it's about making a safe, secure life for my family. I want my kids to have a better life than I've had. I don't want them to have to go through the trauma of divorce I had to go through as a teenager. I want them to realize their dreams, so I want to create a situation that allows them to have the best opportunity to make a good life for themselves."
Through her years in the industry, Fuller has experienced first-hand the ups and downs of her profession and has persevered regardless. Even from her self-described low point of being fired from Glamour, Fuller maintained her dreams and goals.
"You have to make failure temporary. It's up to you to make it temporary because you can make it permanent if you don't work to get out of it. Unfortunately there are not always going to be hands there to pull you out or up or whatever it is you need. Those hands are not always there; you have to go look for them."
|
