October 19 2010, 12:43PM
Lisa Wilkinson shares her story with The Big Issue
By The Big Issue
Lisa Wilkinson is one of Australia’s most admired and respected journalists. Her career got off to an astonishing start when she was appointed editor of the national women’s magazine Dolly at age 21 and for the past two decades she has successfully continued to apply her talents to magazine publishing, television and radio. She is currently the co-host of Channel Nine’s TODAY Show and this week took some time out to share with The Big Issue some of the incredible opportunities she has been given throughout her life for their Everyone Needs A Chance campaign…
The Big Issue believes that sometimes all it takes to turn your life around is for one person to give you a chance. I believe the same.
I also believe that people are inherently good and they look for the good in others; an example of paying it forward you could say.
I have been incredibly fortunate over the years to have people give me opportunities that I could never imagined coming my way. And probably one of the most significant was back on my last day of year 11 in high school.
Most of my friends had already left school by that stage and throughout that year I had lost a lot of focus. I had been suffering at the hands of a few bullies and had pretty low self esteem and very little confidence. Even though I knew back then that I wanted to become a Journalist at the time I just couldn’t imagine doing another year of school and continuing on the same track I was on.
It was on this last day of school, when I went to take my leave permission slip to my Year Master that the direction of my life changed forever. He took me aside and said: “I know you are here to finish up with your education but I believe you can go on to do whatever you want. I believe you will grow and prosper and do some amazing things if you stick with school for just another year. Get your HSC and see what happens beyond that because I think you have enormous potential.”
While I am sure teachers all around the country say similar things to their students every day, I remember what an impact this had on me at the time. I couldn’t remember when anyone had last believed in me like that, least of all myself. And it was the incredible belief in my teacher’s words and in his eyes that made me walk out of his office on this day, rip up the paperwork and decide that I would stick with school and see what I can do. It was definitely a life changing moment for me. It saw me get my HSC, go onto Business College to obtain the shorthand and typing skills needed for a cadetship in Journalism and steered me in a direction that has determined my path ever since.
I have spoken many times in the past about my time at Dolly Magazine, where I became editor by the time I was 21. The success I had there was again due to the belief that someone else had in me.
I started at Dolly straight after Business College when I saw a tiny three line ad in the Sydney Morning Herald for a ‘Secretary/Editorial Assistant/Girl Friday who was prepared to do absolutely anything’. And of course I had grown up reading, and loving, Dolly and thought ‘this had my name written all over it’. Unfortunately 249 other enthusiastic Dolly readers were thinking the same thing as I lined up for an interview.
It certainly was not my experience that got me the job at Dolly, but the fact that someone gave me a chance. And from the first day I walked through the door I decided I was going to make a ‘Lisa Wilkinson shaped hole’ in that employment structure and make myself indispensible to them.
From there every time I saw an opportunity I put my hand up and after two years and some very lucky breaks I was Editor of the magazine.
At 21 I didn’t dwell too much on the enormous task ahead because I would have quickly wondered how on earth I had got there and been overwhelmed by the responsibility. However what I did think about was that I must have been given this opportunity for a reason and that it was only appropriate from this point forward that I shared with others what is was to have someone believe in you and propel you forward.
So ever since I have always made sure to offer other young, talented, enthusiastic men and women the same ‘chance’ I was given.
When I look back now I can honestly say that the most rewarding part of my career has been giving others those opportunities, even if it has been based on nothing more than a hunch that someone has a whole lot of potential. And it brings me so much satisfaction to know that there are now 21 fantastic other men and women that have all worked under me at some point that have gone on to become magazine editors themselves.
As The Big Issue this week launches their Everyone Needs A Chance campaign based on the idea that all it takes to turn your life around is for one person to give you a chance I hope that sharing my story encourages you to take part, buy a subscription to The Big Issue magazine and help some of Australia’s 46 000 homeless women as they are given hope for a brighter future through their journey with the Women’s Subscription Enterprise.
Lisa Wilkinson.