WCW #18: Alaina Meets World

Another Wednesday, another day to celebrate an incredible woman!

Meet this week's WCW, Alaina Pinto!

Follow Alaina on Instagram

I met Alaina at the University of Akron, she's an Alpha Delta Pi and I am an Alpha Gamma Delta, in a small Greek community. She's an absolute sweetheart and a hoot and I just knew she needed to be included in KJB Meets World's Woman Crush Wednesday!

So here we go...

• How long have you been a news reporter? 

For everyday Monday through Friday I have been live doing something different on our morning show for 2 years. Time flies. 

• How did you get started? 

After I graduated college I thought I wanted to sell advertising spots for TV (they make more money). I went to a "boot camp" if you will - all for media sales. It's called the Media Sales Institute. I took classes for ten days at Ohio University. When I finished the institute I decided it wasn't for me... But I still had to complete the interviews. I was honest and confessed that I didn't feel passionate about selling ads. In one of the interviews I connected with one of the men asking me questions. He and I talked about what I really felt passionate about and I told him reporting. He gave me some people to contact. Low and behold he was one of the top people on the corporation I work for now and helped me talk to the right people to eventually lock down a job as the morning reporter for WFFF in Burlington Vermont! It's the fox and abc station in the area. 

• What is your brand? 

The sunshine to start your morning. 

Check out Alaina on YouTube too!

• How do you spread the word about your brand? 

Social media! And being consistent in my happy stories in the morning. I try to post something every day and plan a wide variety of stories. Then with my stories I post those to social media! I think a word to sum it up, though, would be consistency. 

• How important is social media to your brand? 

On a scale of doesn't matter to extremely important I would put huge circles around extremely important. It's the new generations way of getting news for many. 

• Who is your audience? 

It's so wide. Vermont, up state New York, a sliver of New Hampshire and far into Montreal/Quebec City. Moms, dads, babies, elementary, middle and high school kids. Young professionals. Maybe some college kids. And anyone who uses the hashtag #vermonting. 

• Do you ever get stressed out? How do you combat that? 

Oh yes. Stress for me comes with the planning process. I schedule all of my stories and sometimes that can be stressful if I'm lacking a few days filled for the next week and it's Friday (I plan a week in advance usually). When I'm stressed that way I ask for help. If I'm stressed and it's out of my control I run or get lost in a good book at the waterfront or pool. 

• How do you measure success? 

If I'm happy I'm successful. If others (viewers) tell me that I make them happy in the morning then I'm really successful. 

• How do you make a lasting impression? 

Just so you know I stared at this question for a while. If I'm true to myself, kind, generous and understanding all of that ties in. If happiness pours out of my pores and finds its way to someone else they'll remember that. I always think: you don't remember people for what they looked like or what they did... You remember how they made you feel.  

• What is your greatest professional achievement? 

Creating a position/role at the station I work for that they have never had before. I took a leap and it worked. 

• What was your big break? 

Breaking into the business. This is a tough one to crack and I cracked it pretty high. There are over 200 markets and the VT/NY/NH market is 98. That's a pretty big break to start at. 

• Where did you go to school? What did you go for? 

The University of Akron. I double majored in media production and radio/tv. Minored in theater. 

• What is happening right now in pop culture that has your attention? 

Recently Ben Stiller visited our area to scout the Clinton County Correctional facility. It's where those two prisoners (and murderers) escaped last summer. (Richard Matt and David Sweat were the escapees of the max prison). Stiller explored all over and saw the man hole they dug and everything. I'm betting for movie making purposes. It's so exciting because this was something I was part of. I was over there witnessing a lot of this and for Hollywood to make a movie out of it would be so interesting and also terrifying to watch. It was a rough couple of weeks. 

• What did you want to be before you grew up? 

An actress. 

• What advice do you have young women? 

You don't remember people for what they looked like or what they did... You remember how they made you feel.  Start connecting and making positive feelings and relationships now. Send notes, letters and texts every once in a while to check in. Networking is a dumb word. Just make new and important friends and mentors. 

• What can others learn from you? 

How to make any situation seem like it's the best place to be ever. 

• Are you a member of any organizations? Trade organization? etc. 

I'm an advisor for Alpha Delta Pi and the University of Vermont. And feel like I am a small slice of an activist for some organizations that are fundraising. I often do stories with the Ronald McDonald House or the Rotary groups here and many others. 

• How did you advance your career? 

Meeting the right people. 

• Who is your fashion icon? 

The mannequins at Banana Republic, J Crew and the Limited for work. And for fun I love the Coachella vibe mixed with prep. I think it's possible.  

• What makes up your wardrobe? 

Jewel tones. So many. The experts suggest we wear solid jewel tones on tv. So I have a lot of that. A few obnoxious patterns for weekends. So many dresses and skirts. Fun fact, I keep my printer in my closet too. 

• What is your ‘must have’ accessory? 

Every day I wear a necklace that says "smile" to remind people to do that if they see it while we are talking on tv. Also because it's cute. I only take it off to wear a statement piece which is rare. I also wear a watch that has a martini glass at 5pm.... It's five o'clock somewhere. 

• Why do you do what you do? 

If I can start even just one persons day off with a smile then I'm happy. It's fun. It's exciting. Anything can happen in a live situation and I love that. Keeps me on my toes and it's different every day. Plus, I get to meet some of the best people in the area. 

Thank you, Alaina!

xo,

KJB