by Lisa Boghosian Papas
It's just past 10 in the morning on Friday before the long President's Day weekend and Donna Kalajian is in her car with her 2-year-old son, Joey, on her way to her parent's house in Northern New Jersey. Her foot is on the pedal, her eyes fixed on the road and her conversation over the cellular phone is clear, except for the occasional connection break-ups around the tollbooths. She fields questions with ease, making sure to keep Joey entertained along the way. "Say hi," she tells her son. "How old are you, Joey?"
In an instant it is clear why Kalajian, three and a half-year Sr. vice president/ publisher of Cosmopolitan Magazine, has found her seat on top of one of the loftiest peaks in the publishing industry. Her ability to successfully manage multiple tasks at once is evident. Her charisma is contagious. And her capacity to see opportunities where others see limitations is the edge that's helped her transform one of the nation's leading publications. How does she see it?
"I absolutely love my responsibilities and job," Kalajian says, declaring that she is ultimately a 'Cosmo girl' at heart. "I have very high expectations of myself and my staff. And I've been fortunate enough to hire great people around me whom I can learn from as well as teach." Her advice to others interested in publishing is to work hard, don't listen to people who tell you it can't be done, shoot for the stars and go for it.
At age 44, Kalajian reports directly to the President of Hearst Magazines, a division of the multi-media giant Hearst Corporation, the world's largest publisher of consumer monthlies. With a portfolio of 16 magazines in all, Hearst is best known for titles such as Cosmopolitan, Good Housekeeping, Harper's BAZAAR, Redbook and Town & Country. Kalajian's responsibilities include overseeing the domestic financial performance of Hearst's leading brand whose readership extends to over 16 million women in 100 different countries.
"I am not a numbers cruncher," she proclaims with enthusiasm. "Most of my time is spent trying to convince our largest advertising clients, like Proctor and Gamble and Cosmair, why they should spend more money to advertise with our magazine." In addition, Kalajian's biggest challenge is figuring out ways to move the magazine into the future. Her responsibilities outside of advertising, sales, marketing and promotions include developing new media business, on mediums such as the Internet or television, to attract new readers and advertisers.
"The most important part of my job is to have a vision larger than what most people can believe possible," she states. "In the life-cycle of a magazine, Cosmopolitan is very mature. For that reason, we are constantly trying to think of new ways to make money for the brand. Just because it is the biggest and most profitable now doesn't mean that it can't grow-even by double-digit figures each year."
Her ultimate secret to success is attitude. Kalajian wants to win. For her, there is no such word as no. If she wants something bad enough, she charges forward until she gets it. It's a principle that has enabled her and her staff to achieve more than many could imagine. As for obstacles, she's had plenty. "Everyday I am faced with hurdles," she says. "In the early days of my career, I was so totally trusting-I never thought I could get burned. But when I did, it made me more aware. My greatest lessons and growth in the business world have come from my mistakes. Making mistakes is okay. I just don't like to make the same mistake twice."
As for the glamour factor of the job, she reluctantly confesses that it is. Having started in commercial banking back in the late 70s, Kalajian has a clear reference point to judge from. After graduating from Penn State University where she earned a degree in business and finance, Kalajian set out to be a Wall Street tycoon. One year later she decided to start her career anew as magazine account executive for BMT Publications.
A jump to Woman's Day where she worked as eastern advertising manager then led Kalajian to Ladies' Home Journal where she served as vice president and advertising director for the publication starting in 1987. Two years later, she was named publisher, becoming the first female publisher in the magazine's 112-year history. During her time with Ladies' Home Journal, advertising pages increased 13 percent, with the number of pages in the cosmetic/beauty aids category increasing by 101 percent.
With a style that matches her own ad-campaign for Cosmo-Fun, Fearless and Female-Kalajian says she owes a great deal of her achievements to her parents who always encouraged her to push her own limits. "My parents were great role models," she says. "Mom had a career as a commercial artist, drawing characters like Mighty Mouse and Lulu. Dad was involved in the stock market-which is probably why I was drawn to Wall Street just after college. From a young age, they taught me I could do anything I chose to do."
Reinforcing those teachings, Kalajian has found great strength in her own Armenian culture. Despite having grown up in Mountainside, New Jersey, where there was no sight of another Armenian family for miles, Kalajian notes that the values of her heritage were a daily part of her home life. "From a young age, I felt a pride in being Armenian," she says. "I certainly learned about the foods-that they are an important part of the culture to keep alive. I learned how important the family unit is. How education is everything. And I saw the moral fiber that binds us as a people."
But as a second generation American, Kalajian sought to know more. "Have you ever read the Forty Days of Musa Dagh by Franz Werfel?" she asks. "When I first went to Penn State, I went to the library to find all the books I could on Armenia. Expecting to see only a few books, I was astonished when I found three large stacks of references. I started reading Werfel's novel-it's a story about a small Armenian community who, despite being outnumbered by the Turks, defeats them through ingenuity and smarts. I realized after I finished the book that it supported everything that my parents had ever taught me."
It is this very concept that Kalajian, and her husband Joe Lagani, hope to instill in Joey. "You're my perfect angel, aren't you," Kalajian says peaking through the rear view mirror to get a quick glimpse of her son in the back seat. "I call him my Italiamanian after my husband, who is full Italian, and myself, the Armenian. Both of us agree that it is very important to teach him all there is to know about being Italian and Armenian. You know, it is sad to see that many Armenian kids these days don't have any sense what their heritage is all about. We've come through a lot as a people and share so much strength. When I think about the early Armenians who came and fought for their education and became great business leaders, I want Joey to share in this pride."
More importantly, Kalajian and Lagani, publishing director at Meredith Corporation, parent to such titles as Better Homes and Gardens, Ladies' Home Journal and Country Home, hope to be role models for Joey, teaching him to be a compassionate, loving human being. "It's not about financial success," says Kalajian. "You know what I mean. It's about helping Joey follow his dreams so that one day he can give back to his community."
Though she admits that all business pales in comparison to her favorite role as mom, Kalajian sees herself at Cosmopolitan for the long term. One of the things that she enjoys about her job now is that she is on top of the operations of the business and has a pulse on the customer. "I also have a great boss who allows me to be very entrepreneurial," she says. "This is what I love most about my position because it allows me to be creative in building Cosmo's business and making it a more profitable brand."
