I’m a Six-Time Emmy Award-Winning Journalist Nancy Glass, and This Is How I Work.

You may recognize her from her short cameo appearance on ABC’s The Goldbergs earlier this year (in which she plays herself), but Nancy Glass is more than a camera presenter. Through the decades in the media business – surviving seismic changes in how organizations make money and stay relevant – Glass has accomplished it all: she was the first woman to host a nationwide news show, and founded her own company, Glass Productions, for over twenty years. ago.

Glass spoke to Lifehacker about her approach to work over the years.

How to stay motivated in the face of failure?

There is no success without previous failures. When something goes wrong, no matter how painful the situation is, it is an opportunity to figure out how to do the right thing. When I rowed on the boat, my coach said, “If you made a mistake while rowing, don’t dwell on it. You have to concentrate on who is ahead. “

The point is, things will go wrong. You must have the ability to stay focused on what you want to achieve. If you focus on a bad moment instead of learning from it, your boat will capsize. And in my case, I had no choice. When I started my business, I had children to support. I had to keep rowing.

What became one of the main lessons that you learned in your work?

Everyone seems to be juggling now. We all have too much to do. The only way to be successful in this environment is to split up. Focus on one project at a time. It’s not always easy, but if you think about everything that you have to do at once, you will be amazed. It’s another matter if you have a long to-do list, do what you least like first. Then everything else seems a little less intimidating.

For those looking to pursue a career on their own – I’m thinking about how you started your own production company – what’s your top tip?

Do not give up. When I started my company 20 years ago, everyone I spoke to (and even those who just heard about it) said it was stupid and would never work. It was terrible, but I didn’t listen to people who underestimated my work ethic, learning ability, and optimism.

I also turned negative into positive. We don’t pay rent in New York or Los Angeles, so we can put money on the screen. Clients got quality work. In terms of employees, people enjoy living in Philadelphia; it is a great place for a family vacation.

What skills have you developed over the course of your career that you think apply beyond work?

Managing people was a wonderful learning experience. It made me a more patient and better listener. This teaches you that different points of view are useful and must be taken into account. You will learn how to help without interfering and how to maintain independent thinking. You will also learn that attention is needed not only for your stars or wrestlers. Everyone deserves to be heard.

What lies ahead for you?

A lot of interesting things are happening. Our podcast division is growing exponentially. This is a very interesting way of storytelling. We are working on new shows for CNN, A&E, TLC, Discovery and HGTV in addition to our current lineup. We have just partnered with Markus Lemonis of The Profit . As a company, we are constantly thinking about how to challenge ourselves, and in a business where shelf life is somewhere between curd and yoghurt, this has been a great success. Can’t wait to see what’s next.