Professional profile: Janna Johnson O’Toole, beauty and fitness director ELLE Australia

With a line-up of some of the top names in the Australian magazine industry, the media is eagerly awaiting the launch of Elle Australia this September. But it’s not just Australia that the magazine has been pulling talent from, with Janna Johnson O’Toole making her way from the US media industry into the line-up. Having worked for ELLE US, we sat down with the beauty and fitness director to discover why she made the move Down Under, how she got started in the media industry, and the differences between working on a magazine in Australia and the US.

How did you get your start in the media industry?

For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to be a magazine editor. In high school, I interned at a local interior design magazine, and later selected a university with a renowned journalism school (go Mizzou Tigers!). During college, I spent my summers interning in New York City at ELLEgirl (RIP) and SELF. I moved to NYC two weeks after college graduation, and secured a freelance job. Four months later, I started my first full time job as an editorial assistant at Woman’s Day, covering beauty, fashion and home décor. I was made redundant 18 months later during a huge layoff at the height of the US economic recession. The job market was incredibly bleak, and I was terrified I wouldn’t find anything, let alone a gig in editorial. But less than a week later I got a call from Emily Dougherty, the beauty director of ELLE US, about a spot in her department. I would have never known about the opening had Eva Chen, whom I had met a few months earlier, not recommended me for the job (lesson learned: the industry is incredibly small). A few weeks later I started at ELLE.

What has been your career progression since starting out?

I consider my progression to be the result of hard work and being in the right place at the right time. In hindsight, getting laid off was the best thing to ever happen to my career. I credit Emily for teaching me everything I know about beauty journalism. She’s Mensa-level brilliant and really pushed me to grow in my writing and editing skills. ELLE US has a very specific, sophisticated approach to beauty, and while the learning curve was at times very steep, I learned a lot, and fast. Thanks to well-timed job openings and a lot of hard work, I was able to progress to a senior level in a few years.

Have you always had a passion for beauty?

I never gave much thought to working in beauty until my internship at ELLEgirl. One day I had a chance to chat with the then EIC, Brandon Holley, and she asked what department I was interested in focusing on. I told her I wasn’t quite sure, probably features, but had really enjoyed my time assisting the beauty team. Without hesitation she said Beauty editors are always the happiest people on staff. Definitely go into beauty.” Her words certainly stuck with me!

Do you find it hard to juggle beauty and fitness or do the two fit seamlessly together?

It’s definitely seamless. Physical and mental health is incredibly interconnected to one’s appearance. I also love fitness, so I’m happy to test the latest workout and read the newest study in the name of a good story.

Had you always planned on moving to Australia?

When my husband started grad school nearly two years ago, it quickly became apparent that there were job opportunities abroad and we began discussing a move. We loved NYC, but wanted an international adventure before we settled down.” We’d heard nothing but great things about Australia, and Asia-Pacific was a part of the world we hadn’t seen, so we set our sights on Sydney and got the ball rolling on transferring my husband’s job. I truly feel like the stars aligned, because two months after he signed his new contract, the announcement of ELLE Australia was made. Through some persistent email stalking, I was able to get my resumé in front of Peter Holder (our publisher) and here I am today. 

What were the challenges in moving your career overseas?

This is an industry built on contacts and relationships and all of mine are in NYC! Building up my Rolodex has definitely been the biggest challenge, but I love meeting new people and it’s fun to learn how brands are positioned from a PR and marketing perspective in a different market. Wrapping my head around the reverse seasons and when things launch has also been a bit of an adjustment. Products will come across my desk that I saw six months ago, but are just landing in Australia now. But overall the industry operates very similarly, so it’s been an easy transition. Aussies are also incredibly friendly- so that’s helped, too!

What advice would you offer young journalists in the media industry today?

Embrace the changing media landscape. Solely focusing on print is a surefire way to make yourself obsolete in a few years. And the obvious advice is worth repeating: word hard, find a mentor, and ditch the ego or sense of entitlement.