Turn It Loose Read Free

the L.A. Weekly made her forget just how nerve-wracking job interviews could be. But sitting in Kim’s breezy Santa Monica office brought it all home: she was out of work and her future lay in someone else’s hands.
    The thought of being unable to control her destiny unsettled Jaylah. Was she really ready to dive head first into taking orders from another editor who may not have her best interests in mind? Did she really want to sell her soul for pageviews again?
    Jaylah wanted to be the captain of her own ship, but she wasn’t sure she could pull it off.
    While she waited, the thought of starting her own publication fluttered through her mind. She quickly ran through her mental Rolodex and realized she had the names, numbers, and email addresses of some of the top managers, agents, and PR people in Hollywood. If she wanted, Jaylah could probably make it happen.
    But did she want it?
    Kim ’s observations snapped Jaylah out of her thoughts. “Summa Cum Laude at NYU, internships at Glamour and Essence , five years with the L.A. Weekly …impressive.”
    “Thank you.”
    “I see you were with the L.A. Weekly for five years, why’d you leave?” Kim asked, still looking at Jaylah’s resume.
    “Just looking for something different,” she swallowed hard. “I’d like to cover a wider range of topics. More substance, less celebrities,” Jaylah let out a nervous laugh.
    “I see. C elebs sell magazines, are you’re opposed to writing about them?”
    “No, not at all. I just want broader creative flexibility. I love being able to cover multiple topics. That’s why I think I’ll be a good fit for the culture beat. I’d get to dabble in several different areas—music, fashion, art, politics.”
    “Look,” Kim cut her off. “ I don’t want to waste your time Ms. Baldwin.”
    “Please, call me Jaylah.”
    “Jaylah, I’m really impressed with your resume and clips, but I’m not sure this job will be a good fit for you.”
    “I’m not sure I understand. ”
    “To be honest, I don’t have much of a budget at the moment. We’re sort of building the team out and I’m looking for a writer who won’t mind putting her nose down and doing the heavy lifting.“
    “ That’s definitely me, Ms. Prescott. I helped build the L.A. Weekly’s social media platform from scratch. I can definitely do this,” Jaylah said, trying to sell herself.
    “I have no doubt, and Lee gave you glowing reviews. It’s just—“ she looked Jaylah squarely in her eyes, “What kind of salary are you looking for?”
    She hated this part of the process, haggling over money. “I’m flexible.”
    “Well, I can offer you 30 ….”
    “Thousand? ” Jaylah was dumbfounded. She wasn’t expecting six-figures, but she needed to eat. “Is that full time?”
    “Unfortunately, yes. I wish I could offer more, but I just can’t right now. If you came on board, we could maybe kick it up to 35 in six months.”
    “I see…”
    “Think about it and let me know tomorrow.” Kim stood and extended her hand, signaling the end of the interview.
    Jaylah left Haute’s offices in utter disbelief. Thirty thousand dollars? They had to be joking. If this was the going rate for someone with her background and experience she knew she was in serious trouble. Thirty thousand dollars might cut it in the sticks, but in L.A. it was damn near minimum wage, and she certainly didn’t graduate at the top of her class for that .
    She drove home knowing she had to figure something out—quick. While she had bills to pay, she also had pride, and she wasn’t going to bust her ass to build someone else’s brand, yet again, for pennies on the dollar. No, if she was going to put in long hours for little pay Jaylah figured she should be the one reaping the benefits.
    She might not have thought she was completely ready, but Jaylah knew it was time to bet on herself.
     
    * * *
     
    After agonizing over the job search for the last week, Jaylah needed a break. She