Mark Graham on Asking for Advice Before Your First Baby is Born

In Chapter 1 of 15 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, media executive Mark Graham answers "How Did You Go About Seeking Advice as You Prepared for Parenthood?" Graham shares how he found a friend, Conrad Doucette, who had become a father only months before Graham and his wife were to have their baby. This gives Graham a chance to ask a lot of questions to a friend going through a similar experience at the same time. He gets advice to enjoy time alone with his newborn baby in the recovery room and build a bond with his child.

Mark Graham is currently a managing editor at MTV Networks. Previously Graham worked in editing and writing roles at New York Magazine and Gawker Media. He graduated from the University of Michigan with a B.A. in English.  

Mark Graham on Setting Aspirations as a New Father

In Chapter 2 of 15 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, media executive Mark Graham answers "To What Do You Aspire as a Father?" Graham takes inspiration from his own father as he sets goals for managing the responsibilities of being a new dad. Graham learns a lot about how to treat a young baby by watching his father bond with his son. Graham sets a goal of doing his best to be a role model father just like his dad.

Mark Graham is currently a managing editor at MTV Networks. Previously Graham worked in editing and writing roles at New York Magazine and Gawker Media. He graduated from the University of Michigan with a B.A. in English. 

Mark Graham on How Having a Baby Puts Life Balance in Perspective

In Chapter 3 of 15 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, media executive Mark Graham answers "How Has Becoming a Father Put Your Life in a New Perspective?" Three months after having a baby, Graham shares how having a son has given him a new appreciation for finding balance in his life. From being a husband to being a father to having a career, Graham sees the importance of being present where you are to be devoted and successful.

Mark Graham is currently a managing editor at MTV Networks. Previously Graham worked in editing and writing roles at New York Magazine and Gawker Media. He graduated from the University of Michigan with a B.A. in English.

Mark Graham on Making Child Care Choices After Maternity Leave Ends

In Chapter 4 of 15 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, media executive Mark Graham answers "What Have Been Your Challenges Starting a Family in a Dual-Income Household?" As he and his wife return to work after having a baby, Graham notes the importance of having short-term and long-term goal planning conversations with his spouse. This includes meeting with a financial planner to think through child care considerations and what is the best balance as he and his wife pursue their professional ambitions.

Mark Graham is currently a managing editor at MTV Networks. Previously Graham worked in editing and writing roles at New York Magazine and Gawker Media. He graduated from the University of Michigan with a B.A. in English. 

Mark Graham on Learning Work Ethic from Two Working Parents

In Chapter 5 of 15 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, media executive Mark Graham answers "Where Did You Learn Your Work Ethic?" Graham learns his work ethic from his mother and father.  To give his family a yard and good schools, Graham's father chooses a long, 55-mile commute over being close to work and still finds ways to make school events for the kids. Graham's mother teaches him the value that comes with working close to home and, over time, staying active as a community volunteer.

Mark Graham is currently a managing editor at MTV Networks. Previously Graham worked in editing and writing roles at New York Magazine and Gawker Media. He graduated from the University of Michigan with a B.A. in English. 

Mark Graham on How His Mother Instilled His Passion for Reading

In Chapter 6 of 15 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, media executive Mark Graham answers "What Childhood Experiences Have Been Most Fundamental to Shaping Who You Are Today?" Graham shares how his schoolteacher mother instilled his passion for reading at a young age. She takes him to the library regularly where he gets to read World Book encyclopedias, People magazines, and sports trivia books. This proves not only educational but also opens Graham up to the world of popular culture and trivia. Mark Graham is currently a managing editor at MTV Networks. Previously Graham worked in editing and writing roles at New York Magazine and Gawker Media. He graduated from the University of Michigan with a B.A. in English. 

Mark Graham on the Career Benefits of a Liberal Arts Education

In Chapter 7 of 15 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, media executive Mark Graham answers "Where Has Your Liberal Arts Education Been Most Valuable in Your Career?"  Studying liberal arts at the University of Michigan exposes Graham to a wide array of subjects. Graham takes this approach in his career, building a broad set of experiences working in marketing and digital media before transitioning into television and editorial publishing jobs. Mark Graham is currently a managing editor at MTV Networks. Previously Graham worked in editing and writing roles at New York Magazine and Gawker Media. He graduated from the University of Michigan with a B.A. in English. 

Mark Graham on How to Socialize Your Successes in an Entry-Level Job

In Chapter 8 of 15 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, media executive Mark Graham answers "What Did You Learn in Your First Job Out of College That is Still Relevant Today?" In an entry-level marketing assistant job, Graham learns the importance of socializing his successes on the job. As an entry-level hire working in a large corporation, Graham learns to clearly explain to others the value he contributes to a project and how that relates to the company's success as a whole. Mark Graham is currently a managing editor at MTV Networks. Previously Graham worked in editing and writing roles at New York Magazine and Gawker Media. He graduated from the University of Michigan with a B.A. in English. 

Mark Graham on Learning Social Media Platform Data Analytics Skills

In Chapter 9 of 15 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, media executive Mark Graham answers "What Skills Are You Working on Right Now to Become Better at Your Job?" Graham shares how he is learning more about data analytics that track digital media consumption and sharing across different social media platforms such as Vine, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. He sees media consumption rapidly changing in that content is mainly consumed off the main sites - in this case VH1 and MTV - and sees the need to invest tiem in understanding the marketing analytics behind tracking behavior off site.

Mark Graham is currently a managing editor at MTV Networks. Previously Graham worked in editing and writing roles at New York Magazine and Gawker Media. He graduated from the University of Michigan with a B.A. in English. 

Mark Graham on Marketing Editorial Content to Social Media Audiences

In Chapter 10 of 15 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, media executive Mark Graham answers "How Are Social Media Short Videos Like Vine and Instagram and gifs Becoming More Relevant to the Work That You Do and the Content That You Produce?" Graham shares how social media platforms offer varying user experiences and those users have expectations on how to interact with content. As a result, Graham learns to use pull marketing to develop editorial content that connects with social audiences on their respective terms across Instagram, Tumblr, Twitter, Vine, etc. and build audience relationships.

Mark Graham is currently a managing editor at MTV Networks. Previously Graham worked in editing and writing roles at New York Magazine and Gawker Media. He graduated from the University of Michigan with a B.A. in English. 

Mark Graham on How to Manage Ups and Downs in Life and Career

In Chapter 11 of 15 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, media executive Mark Graham answers "How Have You Learned to Adapt When Things Have Not Worked Out as Planned?" At age 40 and nearly 20 years into his career, Graham shares how he has had his share of ups and downs. He works through the challenges by staying focused on the levels of competency and effort he exhibits in his pursuits. Regularly reflecting on past failures and successes also helps him analyze situations, understand why they happened, and avoid repeating them if they were not positive ones.

Mark Graham is currently a managing editor at MTV Networks. Previously Graham worked in editing and writing roles at New York Magazine and Gawker Media. He graduated from the University of Michigan with a B.A. in English. 

Mark Graham on Assessing Fit Interviewing Job Candidates

In Chapter 12 of 15 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, media executive Mark Graham answers "How Do You Assess Fit When Interviewing People for a Job?" As a hiring manager who regularly interviews job candidates for writing and digital media jobs, Graham looks not only for talent but also for alignment of interests and skills to the brand's audience expectations. He makes sure to set clear expectations on what he is seeking from a job candidate and in the job description. Graham finds peer and ex-colleague feedback useful to assess fit and speaks to references as well.

Mark Graham is currently a managing editor at MTV Networks. Previously Graham worked in editing and writing roles at New York Magazine and Gawker Media. He graduated from the University of Michigan with a B.A. in English. 

Mark Graham on Effective Ways to Manage Creative Teams

In Chapter 13 of 15 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, media executive Mark Graham answers "How Are You Learning to Work More Effectively with Different Personality Types?" Graham finds managing creative teams as a team leader comes down to understanding what space each creative employee needs to be successful. Graham also shares what the team needs to be successful with employees and finds common ground where the individual has flexibility while staying aligned to team goals.

Mark Graham is currently a managing editor at MTV Networks. Previously Graham worked in editing and writing roles at New York Magazine and Gawker Media. He graduated from the University of Michigan with a B.A. in English. 

Mark Graham on Essential Advice Every Intern Needs to Know

In Chapter 14 of 15 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, media executive Mark Graham answers "How Have You Learned to Give Better Advice When People Ask You For Help?" Graham shares what he does to counsel interns on how to build career skills in an internship and get a full-time job working in media and entertainment. He shares the importance of making connections and keeping in touch with your professional network. Additionally, he shares the importance of saying yes and taking initiative to go above and beyond your job description. Lastly, he pushes interns to socialize their successes to others in the organization can better understand the contribution they make in their time working the internship.

Mark Graham is currently a managing editor at MTV Networks. Previously Graham worked in editing and writing roles at New York Magazine and Gawker Media. He graduated from the University of Michigan with a B.A. in English.

Mark Graham on Leading by Teaching in a Manager Job Role

In Chapter 15 of 15 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, media executive Mark Graham answers "How Are You Becoming a Better Teacher?" Graham shares how in a role that requires him to produce content and manage a team that produces content, he finds identifying teaching moments key to building productive bonds with this team. A big part of this is learning to be a better listener to understand different points of view specific to team members.

Mark Graham is currently a managing editor at MTV Networks. Previously Graham worked in editing and writing roles at New York Magazine and Gawker Media. He graduated from the University of Michigan with a B.A. in English. 

Mark Graham on What Marriage Teaches About Teamwork

In Chapter 1 of 17 in his 2012 Capture Your Flag interview, digital media executive Mark Graham answers "What Has Marriage Taught You About Teamwork?"   Graham, married in 2011, finds work skills useful when setting and working toward goals with his wife.  From short term goals such as moving into a new apartment to long term goals such as raising a family, Graham and his wife learn to make decisions together as a team. 

Mark Graham is currently a managing editor at VH1, an MTV Networks company. Previously Graham worked in editing and writing roles at New York Magazine and Gawker Media.  He graduated from the University of Michigan with a B.A. in English.  

Transcript: 

Erik Michielsen: What has marriage taught you about teamwork?

Mark Graham: It dovetails sort of nicely into some of my new roles at work. Learning how to work together towards goals, really making sure that we take the time to sort of lay out our plan, our framework both in the near term with things like: How do you move? What stuff do you pack? In longer term goals like: Where are we gonna live? Where are we gonna—Are we gonna rent an apartment for a while? Are we gonna – are we looking to buy a house? Are we gonna hang out as a married couple for a while or are we gonna have children at some point? So, you know, really sort of working together as a team, and I think more than anything else, it’s about learning how to communicate. It’s taught me a lot about shared sacrifice and sharing responsibilities, and more than anything else, it’s been great to have someone who’s on your team, who’s on your side, who you’re building and growing a life together, who has similar goals with what they wanna do with themselves and, you know, it’s been an awesome—It’s been awesome so far.

Mark Graham on How Personal Priorities Change With Age

In Chapter 2 of 17 in his 2012 Capture Your Flag interview, digital media executive Mark Graham answers "How Are Your Personal Priorities Changing as You Get Older?"  After getting married in the past year, Graham faces a new challenge of figuring out the balance of growing his career to provide for a family in the future and being an engaged, present, and supportive husband. 

Mark Graham is currently a managing editor at VH1, an MTV Networks company. Previously Graham worked in editing and writing roles at New York Magazine and Gawker Media.  He graduated from the University of Michigan with a B.A. in English.  

Transcript: 

Erik Michielsen: How are your personal priorities changing as you get older?

Mark Graham: Personal priorities and professional priorities haven’t always synced with me. I’ve always been someone who from a very early age has placed a lot of value and a lot of time in my week into making sure I succeed in a professional space. Particularly someone who graduated college with an English degree, which I quickly learned wasn’t the most helpful degree to have in the world. 

So I think I’ve really had to work hard to get where I’m at. You know, now that I got married in the last year, and understanding and balancing how important my wife and our relationship is, and how important our marriage is, you know, I need to learn how to dial down the amount of time that I spend at the job working on professional stuff, and be able to figure out how to spend more time, you know, continuing to build our relationship and make sure that my wife’s needs are being met, and that she’s happy, and that we’re having fun together, and that we’re doing things together more often. 

So that’s something that, you know, I’m really looking to spend more time on, and continuing to focus, and get that balance where it used to be professional-personal, you know, start to get those things a little bit more here. And, you know, as a man, hopefully, you know, we’ll have a family sometime soon, you know, I still need to place a lot of emphasis on, you know, ensuring that I’ve got a good career, and I’m able to provide for a family at some point. So, you know, figuring out that balance is something that’s definitely a work in progress, and something that I need to, you know, just continue to spend more time on, and figure out where that sweet spot is.

Mark Graham on Why Mutual Respect Matters in a Marriage

In Chapter 3 of 17 in his 2012 Capture Your Flag interview, digital media executive Mark Graham answers "Why is Mutual Respect Important in a Marriage?"  Graham talks about his pre-marriage or premarital process talking about goals with his fiancee.  The open communication puts a foundation of respect in place before and after the wedding. 

Mark Graham is currently a managing editor at VH1, an MTV Networks company. Previously Graham worked in editing and writing roles at New York Magazine and Gawker Media.  He graduated from the University of Michigan with a B.A. in English. 

Erik Michielsen: Why is mutual respect important in a marriage?

Mark Graham: Particularly before you get to a point where you’re going to get married and decide to commit your life to somebody, you need to make sure that you have a lot of open conversations. Again, like, I think throughout my relationships but particularly with this one and this is why this one was right is that we really worked hard from the very beginning to make sure that we were open and honest with each other about things that we wanted to do with our lives. Goals that we had, places we wanted to live, amount of time that we spend on our work and our careers and how you balance that with time at home, and really getting that information all together early and openly was very, very important to I think building us to a place where we were ready to take that next step and go from a couple who’d been dating for a year and a half and some change to getting engaged and going through the—you know, roughly 9 or 10 months of being engaged and making it all the way through the marriage process. 

So, you know, I think that for us, making sure that we’re always open and honest and forthcoming about what we want to do and where we wanna go, and those are the things that have been really, really important and something that I think that we’ve really learned from each other. And because we’re both—we both work in similar fields, being able to bring out, you know, mutually respecting each other, our boundaries, as well as what we do—professionally, you know, we’re sort of competitors in some way which makes for an interesting relationship, and our house is not a fun place to watch award shows and things like that because we’re always furiously typing, but we both have tons of mutual respect for each other, what we do. 

I think we both really have come to a place where we understand that, respect that in each other and try to help someone out when they’re feeling a little down and be sure to—you know, be really reassuring, and also, you know, celebrating successes I think is an important part, and the respect that we have for each other when we both do something well, whether that’s at home or in our professional lives, making sure that we really celebrate those things together and really work as a team, that’s been super important for us.