Interview with Jessica Davis of NW Kids Magazine

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December 4, 2009 by Cecilia D. | Comments (0)

Jessica Davis is the owner of NW Kids Magazine and nwkids.com, a resource guide for local parents and caregivers to find family-friendly events and kid activities in the Portland, Oregon metro area. Jessica believes that time spent with your kids should also be fun for parents as well. Since taking over the publication in 2007, Jessica has worked to transform NW Kids into a hip, modern parenting guide that’s all about Portland. With a background in media, her career path has taken her from CNN, to Waggener Edstrom Worldwide, Forbes, Inc. and now back in her native hometown with NW Kids.

Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I grew up in Portland and I love it here, it’s a wonderful place to live. I have two small kids and I’m the owner of the media magazine publication NW Kids!

When you took over NW Kids in 2007, what were your objectives for the publication and how were you going to achieve them?
When I first took over the magazine there had been little content and hardly any design work in the magazine. This of course, has changed. My ongoing objective is to make NW Kids about parenting lifestyle, but not in the voice of an authority on parenthood. Instead, we look to provide fun, guilt-free information on parenting and activities for the entire family to enjoy.

Who is your ideal audience?
Parents and caregivers who look to find activities that are engaging for everyone in the family. Parents don’t have to be “martyrs” and do things just for the kids—they can also enjoy themselves while spending time with their little ones.

In your past career as a newsroom journalist for CNN, what was it like covering assassinations, bombings, airplane crashes, politics … and then switching over to a family-friendly publication?
My time at CNN was very high energy and high stress, there were a lot of unexpected things that were thrown at you and you’d have to cover it whenever it occurred. I was able to do it then, but I knew I couldn’t live with that news cycle forever while raising a family. With NW Kids, it is still high energy and I put in a lot of hours, but at least I know what to expect most of the time.

What were you able to take from your experiences working for such large media establishments and was able to apply to your current position?
At Forbes, everyone is really creative and there are a lot of reknown artists and designers who create amazing work. Knowing ways design can be used and working with designers are things I took from Forbes and have been useful in my work now.

If there’s one thing that would make NW Kids better, what would it be?
I see potential in web and the site’s navigation that will allow for more ways to engage our readers.

Where do you see NW kids 10 years from now?
We’ll always have new readers because there will always be new moms and new babies. But kids get older and we also want to grow with them, so we’d like to reach out to a broader range of readers. I want NW Kids to be the go-to resource for all parents at all stages of their child’s growth.

Can you share with us any memories of how you spent your childhood?
I grew up in Portland going to OMSI, the Oregon Zoo, local theaters, and reading a lot. These are all the things I’ve been able to share with my own children now. I remember Beverly Cleary, the author of the Ramona books that I read growing up. It was so exciting knowing she’s from Oregon and reading her books and having my kids read her works too.

What are your favorite activities and ways to spend time with your family?
We do a lot—we go to bouncy play houses if the kids need to release some energy, we spend time at community indoor swimming pools (great during the winter), we attend concerts together … there’s always so much to do!

What skills or traits do you feel are necessary to manage your own business?
Soft skills are very important if you have others working for you. I also believe that it’s important to know your limitations and know what your core competencies are—make sure you only bite off what you can handle.

How many copies of NW kids are distributed every month?
We distribute approximately 16-20,000 copies every month in Portland and five different counties. It is also offered online and available for download. We receive 4-5,000 views online per monthly issue.

We’re excited to have you as a premier sponsor for our Holiday Cravings shopping party on December 9th. Do you have any thoughts on the upcoming event?
CRAVE parties are one of my favorite events. It’s not just shopping, but shopping locally and supporting local brands and cute shops. And they always evoke such a fun and vibrant atmosphere!

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