Over the course of her career, Katie Couric has been underestimated, not taken seriously, and deemed \u201cincapable\u201d of completing the task at hand simply because of her gender.<\/p>\n

Her legacy will certainly show otherwise.<\/p>\n

Inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 2004, there are few high-profile leaders, entertainers, or corporate executives she hasn\u2019t sat down with, countries she hasn\u2019t reported from, or questions she\u2019s been reluctant to ask.<\/p>\n

Her tenacity and willingness to dismantle the status quo while unapologetically refusing to accept the superficial mark the cornerstones of her singular abilities. Few journalists are willing to face potentially excruciating embarrassment and act upon the commensurate uncalculated risks that accompany such choices in the manner Katie does … daily.<\/p>\n

The Latin phrase \u201cAudentes fortuna iuvat\u201d undoubtedly applies to her 40+ years in journalism:<\/p>\n

Fortune favors the bold.<\/p>\n

Katie is bold\u2014and the rewards for embodying this way of being have been substantial.<\/p>\n

The well-deserved beneficiary of many lucrative contracts over the years, perhaps her proudest career achievement is becoming the highest-paid journalist in the world (male or female) when, in January 2002, she signed the largest financial deal ever in television news\u2014$65M over four-and-a-half years to stay at the helm of NBC\u2019s Today.<\/p>\n

The secret to her success? Honoring the guidance of her parents\u2026 and, her intuition.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy parents were incredibly supportive,\u201d Katie recalls. \u201cThey encouraged me to make mistakes and forge my own path while staying true to who I inherently am.\u201d<\/p>\n

An admitted \u201cunabashed extrovert,\u201d Katie\u2019s curiosity about people and ideas, combined with her love of words and language, make for a powerful combination. Writing came naturally to her\u2026 perhaps because Dad was a print journalist. Not surprisingly, she chose to follow in his journalistic footsteps.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am a huge observer of life,\u201d Katie said. \u201cJournalism is a great fit for me professionally and tailor-made for someone with my personality traits and skills. I can honestly say this has never felt like work. I\u2019m fortunate, because my career is always exciting, fun, and interesting.\u201d<\/p>\n

Podcasting has opened up an entirely new paradigm for sharing her affinity for telling stories through sound and conversations. One of her unexpected (and unofficial) audio mentors? Shock-Jock DJ Howard Stern.<\/p>\n

\u201cHoward discovered a long time ago that audio affords an entirely different level of intimacy between the host and the guest, and ultimately, the listeners,\u201d Katie shared. \u201cWhen people are interviewed on radio, they\u2019re more prone to let their hair down. They\u2019re not worried about how they look, their facial expressions, or their body language. To a large degree, it\u2019s an anonymous medium.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is very liberating for someone who has a story to tell or intimate details to share. Podcasts afford the same degree of anonymity as radio. We\u2019ve found that many of our guests are willing to talk about delicate subjects that may be difficult for them to discuss through other channels such as video.\u201d<\/p>\n

In a profession historically laden with can\u2019ts, should\u2019s and don\u2019ts, Katie\u2019s unwillingness to compromise her standards and sway from her patented, hard-hitting approach to uncovering the real story has attracted fans across multiple generations. Arguably, it is this commitment to running her own race that has empowered her to stay at the pinnacle of the industry for decades.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m guided by my own North Star,\u201d Katie revealed. \u201cOver the course of my career, there were numerous occasions where those who supposedly knew better than me tried to turn me into something I wasn\u2019t. I rejected those notions time and time again.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo thrive in this business, one must have a certain \u2018sixth sense.\u2019 It\u2019s imperative to know in your gut what your next best move is. And, you have to let empathy guide you when someone is talking about a deeply personal matter.\u201d<\/p>\n

Often, Katie conducts interviews that are difficult at best, addressing issues such as rape, abuse, misconduct, and other controversial subjects. These conversations can become confrontational in nature.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt every juncture, I convey genuine compassion,\u201d Katie shared. \u201cEmotional intelligence is required to properly address sensitive subject matter. I have always been wired as an extremely empathetic person. To unearth the truth, you have to make people feel safe enough to share it.\u201d<\/p>\n

And, confide in her they do. This is part of her genius. To befriend even those who have participated in questionable activity. To solicit the truth. To ask the questions no one else dares. To be neither judge nor jury.<\/p>\n

It is not an act. She prides herself on being the same off camera as she is in front of it\u2014off the microphone as she is on it.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom an early age, I knew I didn\u2019t want to be a poser or pretender,\u201d Katie said. \u201cPeople can smell phonies, and I can\u2019t stand \u2018em either.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her kind nature earned her the nickname \u2018America\u2019s Sweetheart,\u2019 although she\u2019s long moved past the moniker. \u201cThere\u2019s a statute of limitations on that,\u201d she told Emily Heil of The Washington Post. \u201cAnd, on \u2018perky\u2019\u2026 I think after 40, that\u2019s really hard to claim, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

While Katie has every right to claim whatever moniker she\u2019d like, \u2018The Real Deal\u2019 is perhaps a better fit.<\/p>\n

On her podcast, Next Question with Katie Couric, and through her diversified media company, Katie Couric Media, she absolutely keeps it real. Recognizing that the media landscape is changing daily, she endeavors to be at the forefront of those shifts.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe whole premise of Katie Couric Media is to not only take on independent projects we want to give voice to, but to also work with purpose-driven brands that care about important issues, like the environment or gender-related concerns, and help them best convey their mission,\u201d said Couric. \u201cCBD, violent pornography, eSports, ageism, online radicalization, anxiety, astrology, maternal mortality, how eating meat impacts the environment, etc.\u2014we\u2019re taking it all on and aim to be the source people can trust to help delineate fact from fiction.\u201d<\/p>\n

To help bring her vision to fruition, Katie leverages her A-list rolodex to enlist many of the world\u2019s greatest minds. Playing the role of conduit is one she does not take lightly.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a journalist, I\u2019m in a unique position to help others elevate their knowledge and provide them with access to incredible talent,\u201d Katie shared. \u201cI love hearing from people about what they learned and want us to explore in the future. Our goal is to identify stories we feel are important and, hopefully, others will find interesting, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

On occasion, these choices are met with less-than-stellar feedback. Katie takes the criticism in stride knowing that the democratization of media is a two-way street: producer and consumer can readily share their thoughts with a simple push of a button.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery artist wants to be well-received, and I consider my work in its purest form to be art,\u201d Katie said. \u201cWhen you receive praise from the people you\u2019re creating for, that\u2019s the best affirmation of all. Critics, whether professional or amateur, have one job\u2026 to criticize. At the end of the day, the consumer has the ultimate say in the conversation.\u201d<\/p>\n

One of the conversations Katie considers especially important is the one around the battle to find a cure for cancer\u2014specifically, colon cancer. She\u2019s played an integral role in that conversation since 1998, when her first husband, Jay, died from the disease at just 42 years old, leaving Katie to raise their daughters, then six and two, alone.<\/p>\n

Instead of curling up into a ball or falling into a deep depression\u2014which she would have had every right to do\u2014Katie got on the table\u2026 for a colonoscopy. Emboldened, horrified, frightened, and genuinely concerned about the lack of awareness around this preventable disease, Katie underwent a colon screening, live on air, during The Today Show.<\/p>\n

The impact was immediate. According to a 2003 report from the University of Michigan School of Medicine, in the nine months following her campaign, not only did the number of colonoscopies increase significantly overall (15.0 per month per CORI physician prior versus 18.1 per month after), but so did the number of women who underwent the procedure (43.4% prior versus 47.4% after).<\/p>\n

Her sister\u2019s death from pancreatic cancer several years later only strengthened her dedication to raising awareness and facing cancer head-on. She is a founding member of Stand-Up To Cancer, the National Colorectal Cancer Research Alliance, and the Jay Monahan Center for Gastrointestinal Health among myriad other cancer-related initiatives.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of people would have done what I did if they had the pulpit I had,\u201d says Couric. \u201cI don\u2019t feel like a hero for raising awareness. Others who have experienced unimaginable loss would have done this too.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt would have been grossly irresponsible not to share as I did on The Today Show. It helped me recover, heal, and move forward after losing Jay. I was lucky I had that platform. It is both a privilege and an obligation to use it in a productive and positive way. Cancer just makes you feel so powerless.\u201d<\/p>\n

While the acute pain has subsided, the fire to share stories that matter burns strong. Now approaching what some consider \u2018the golden years,\u2019 Katie has no plans of slowing down.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe live in such exciting times. Mass media has really been replaced by niche media,\u201d Katie said. \u201cYes, there is a lot of content being produced and the paradox of choice exists. However, people will gravitate toward what they\u2019re MOST interested in. There\u2019s a lid for every pot.\u201d<\/p>\n

And, rather than bask in the island sun, sipping on Pina Coladas, enjoying the fruits of her labor she has deservedly earned, Katie has other plans.<\/p>\n

\u201cFact is, I never saw work as a means to an end,\u201d Katie said. \u201cIt is something I have always wanted and continue to do with enthusiasm. I honestly believe that, even in my sunset years when I\u2019m living in an old-folks home, I\u2019ll likely be the editor-in-chief of its newsletter. The day I stop asking questions will be the day I die.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hopefully, that day is far, far away.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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