Rebecca Jarvis: From 45 rejection letters to 4-5 AM wake-up calls for ABC News.

What's their story?

Rebecca Jarvis spent the early days of her career in investment banking thinking of all the ways she could get out of a career in investment banking.

The journalism bug was tugging at her.

After plenty of rejections, she finally broke into the business. Then, a stint on a new reality show called?“The Apprentice” got her noticed by CNBC , and as they say, the rest is history. Now, she is leading business, technology, and economics coverage for ABC News .

We talk about her breakthrough reporting on the Theranos scandal for “The Dropout” podcast, reporting for?Good Morning America, early interviews that shaped her career, and as always, a whole lot more.

Listen here , or by clicking on the player below. And, continue reading to follow along with the transcript of our conversation.

????????????????? ??REBECCA JARVIS:

Hi, this is Rebecca Jarvis, ABC News's chief business technology and economics correspondent and the host of The Dropout podcast. And you're listening to Press Profiles. (MUSIC)

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

Welcome back, everybody. I am Russell Sherman and thanks for joining us on another edition of Press Profiles. We're here turning the tables on the leading reporters, anchors, editors, and business news. They're used to asking the questions, and on this podcast, they're answering them.

Today, we're joined by ABC News correspondent Rebecca Jarvis. We're gonna dive deep into her impressive career. We'll talk about her amazing roster of high profile interviews, her Theranos podcast that led to The Dropout series on Hulu, her Emmy awards, her 45, that's right, 45 job rejections when she tried to become a reporter.

Balancing family life and her busy work schedule, embracing the quirkiness of the University of Chicago. Yup, we're gonna hit it all. Here now is Rebecca Jarvis on Press Profiles. So good to have you, Rebecca. So 45 job rejections? That's really what it was?

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

(LAUGH) I had to stop keeping count at a certain bit. I was in investment banking at the time and I was trying really hard to land a job in journalism. And it's interesting, I-- I love what you do here, because it helps people see that there are so many different paths to this career.?

And I think the biggest error that I was making at the time is that I was trying to think of myself as the way anybody else who was coming to the field of thinking of themselves and downplaying the more interesting aspects of my background. And when I changed my strategy, and started really thinking in terms of, well, what did I learn in banking and what did I pick up from covering and being in the midst of finance, that's when things really changed for me.

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

So interesting. So you think about going in, you'd be like, "This is why I'd be a good journalist, this is why I'd be a good journalist." And then you said, "Wait a minute," the banking background was actually what was the differentiator on the publications that eventually hired you.

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

Exactly. At first, it was a matter of just trying to play up, "Oh, I was the editor in chief of my student newspaper in high school. And here's writing samples." And things like that, instead of saying, "Of course, those are aspects of my background." But I really was able to find opportunities when I started thinking about what was happening in investment banking, what was happening in the world of finance.

And I started pitching those stories. I was thinking in terms of what I had seen and what I had experienced in that expertise. And when I started pitching stories, I was cold calling editors, saying, "Meet me for coffee," and we'd chat and learn about their work.

And then I always showed up. And this was what really helped. I showed up with a list of story ideas. And at the end of the coffee, I would say, "Do you mind if I share some of these ideas?" And ultimately, Crain's, in Chicago, I was working in Chicago at the time, Crain's picked up on one of them and said, "Okay, write it for us."

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

That investment banking background, just to set the stage, you go to University of Chicago, you become an investment banking analyst at Bank of America, you're miserable.

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

(LAUGH) Yes. Very miserable.

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

Is it true that you were fantasizing about types of injuries you could have that would knock you out of commission from work, but not be too serious. (LAUGH)

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

Yeah, it's very sad. But that is accurate. You've really done your diligence, because I know I've said that once or twice.

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

Your mom, she was a journalist--

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

Yes.

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

--as well. Gail Marks Jarvis, nationally-syndicated columnist for The Chicago Tribune. So you grew up around this financial journalism and so I'm guessing the whole time that you're pursuing this investment banking world, this journalism bug is sort of tugging on your shoulder.

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

It is. But at the same time, there's the financial reality which is I-- I graduated from the University of Chicago, which I loved, and I would do it again a hundred times. But I graduated pretty deep in student loan debt. And when I started looking at various opportunities, outside of college, I pretty quickly realized that if I went straight to journalism, I wouldn't be able to cover any of my bills, including those student loans.

And I had to put that on hold. I was attracted to finance, I was interested to pull that curtain back and see what was going on. But I also pursued it in the early days of my career as a way to help alleviate some of that financial strain that I knew would be there.

And I have a mom who's a journalist. She basically said, "Becky, if you do this, you are not gonna be able to cover your bills." And I was not interested in moving home and there wasn't a safety net that was just gonna cover those bills for me.

So I needed to find an alternative and investment banking was a very good one because it also was a place where I learned a lot, despite the hundred-hour weeks and the staring at the window wondering what else was out there, outside the building, outside those four walls.

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

And your journey's just been such an interesting one. You v-- start doing reporting, as you said, after all those job rejections. And you end up writing for Crain's and some other publications. And then on a lark, you decide to go on this reality TV show and you go on The Apprentice on Season Four, which is just so funny. You do a great job there, finishing in second place. I think if you-- kind of interesting, looking back now, if you got hired, maybe you would eventually become secretary of state or something and--

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

But wow.

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

--just think what a better place the world would be today. But you're on the show and you obviously have a deep acumen for business, a good understanding and a wonderful personality. And CBNC calls after watching this and seeing you and basically you didn't win on the show, but you won in life.

First you end up in a job with CNBC, which is just an amazing jump. For someone who had wanted to be a journalist for so long, who had really struggled and gave up something really good, how redeeming was it when CNBC called and you got that opportunity? And I know it comes with a lot of pressure when you first get in. And it's just a trial and it has to work and all those things. But in your mind, you're like, "Wow, this is happening. This is what I really want." And you get that call.

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

Yeah, I mean, it really was a dream come true to get that call and have that opportunity. But like you said, there was this great amount of pressure, because I felt like walking into that building, these are the people who I've been watching now for years of my life, listening to.

I would listen to CNBC before every interview and for investment banking, before interviews that I would do. For my own job, as a journalist, I would be listening to the CNBC interview beforehand to prepare for the interview I was gonna do.

At the time, I felt giant pressure to live up to the standard of the place. And to live up to the standard that all of these people who were working so hard there were living up to every day. And it's hard to go back to that place entirely in my mind.

It's now almost 20 years ago. But I remember at that moment, I wanted to be the first person in and the last person out. I wanted not only to earn it, but also, for the people around me, to feel that I had earned it, that I was rightfully there.

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

It's really intimidating, right? You walk into a news room, watch these people all the time. It would almost be easier if they just dropped you into the BBC or something. (LAUGHTER) Some other-- some other location--

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

I don't know about that. As an American, at the BBC, I mean, they might look at me and say, "Why is this American girl there"--

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

Okay. The local news in California, whatever it may be right? (LAUGH)

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

I had deep respect. And it's funny, 'cause I would call my parents. In the early days, I remember I would call them and say, "You're never gonna bel-- Jim Cramer just walked past me. David Faber. Erin Burnett. And whisper into the phone and then say, "Oh, I gotta go. They're coming back. Okay, bye."

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

(LAUGH) That's excellent. And you had three years at CNBC, three and a half years at CBS, which was a big jump for you. And then the last ten years, ABC News. You work across a number of different shows, all the ABC News programs, Good Morning America, World News Tonight, 20/20, Nightline, This Week. Do you love the diversity of it all? And how does your schedule work in terms of where you're ending up and what are you focusing on?

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

Inside of ABC News, a great aspect of the company is that there are all of these outlets. And so as a journalist, I can think about what a story will be coming out of a different program or on a different platform. And that gives me, I think, a lot of flexibility in terms of the type of stories that I can really lean into.

You mentioned the Theranos podcast, The Dropout, about Elizabeth Holmes, being able to think in different formats, allows me to tell different types of business technology and economic stories. Some things are great for Good Morning America.

And most of my days begin with Good Morning America. I usually do one, two, three. Today, I actually did four stories for Good Morning America. There's a good diversity of the types of things I can cover. And yet, I am able to focus in these areas that really deeply interest me. So I like that there are all of these avenues to tell the stories through.

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

Often, early in the morning to do the GMA spot? So--

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

Oh yeah.

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

--typically, you're up early and then you're able to end your day, hopefully.

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

(LAUGH) I'm gonna laugh at that. Ha, ha, ha.

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

(LAUGH) Right.

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

No. You have to sleep, you have to take care of yourself. I learned that. And especially as I've gotten a little bit older, in my career, I've realized the need to take care of my physical self and have some of that balance.

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

And see your kid and see your husband and do all the other things you need to do, right?

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

Yes, of course. I mean, look, I think everybody is shooting for this. You wanna have a-- or I want to have a fulfilling career and something that nourishes me. But I also love my family and I love to be able to spend time with my husband and my daughter.

And be a mom and be a wife and a sister and a friend. I have a younger sister who lives in New York as well. But back to your question about schedule, it can be really all over the place. When I'm doing a story on GMA, I'm often starting my day at 5:00, 5:30.

And then World News is 6:30 p.m. But there's a lot during the day. I meet people, I go out, I talk to sources, I do a lot of interviews. I have to say this, the technology that we're using right now allows me to have really great conversations with people that maybe five or six years ago just were not possible to do.

I could talk to someone on the phone, but then we'd have to set a time to meet in person to be on camera. And I love the flexibility of this, because there are really important conversations that I'm just able to have them more frequently now because of technology.

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

You've done some amazing interviews while at ABC and throughout your career, Tim Cook, Warren Buffett, Jamie Dimon, Bill-- Gates, and Sheryl Sandberg and Richard Branson. All sorts of really amazing folks that you've had a chance to sit down with. Is there one that stands out or is there one that really was a little bit of a defining moment? I guess each one's bigger than the next. But was there one that was a defining moment for you?

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

All of the interviews, the people that you mentioned, I learn a great deal from. And I think one of the things I've seen over and over again from these incredibly high-profile, respected individuals, is the degree of uncertainty and insecurity that exists inside all of us.

And I find that to be a really fascinating aspect of power, that no matter who that person is, they've had to make decisions with incomplete information. So they're going with their instinct, they're going with their experience. But when you ask about a defining interview, I have to say, probably of every interview I've ever done, there are two that I would say are the most defining.

And they are way, way back in my history books. So when I was a kid growing up in Minnesota, I was very involved in community service. And it was a really important part of my life. And I got really involved in a handful of local organizations that were working with the local government and trying to improve the state.

And as part of that, I went to something called the President's Summit for America's Future. It was in Philadelphia, 1997. So pretty far back. But the reason I'm telling you this is that there were two interviews there. One was during a protest.

And I was 15 years old at the time and I was there as a delegate from the state of Minnesota but also a youth reporter. And I was standing on the side of a protest that was happening, it was going down the streets and I was interviewing protesters. And one of the protesters, a young woman, who's about my age, spit on me.

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

Oh.

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

And for me, it was a very pivotal moment to just feel the responsibility of being a journalist, of telling her story and the story that was happening all around me, and to also just feel this weight of wanting to be a great journalist.

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

Fifteen years old?

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

Yeah, I was 15.

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

Was this another teenager?

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

She was a teenager. And she was part of the protest. And--

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

Wow.

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

--it's hard to be back entirely in that moment. But in that moment, the word that I felt was responsibility. I-- I felt some fear. But I also just felt like this job that I'm here to do, which was a small job at the time, to cover this as a youth reporter and to be representing the state of Minnesota, it just really stood out to me.

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

Yeah, well, that says something about your character too. I mean, to have that happen and not lash out or not run and hide, to have that happen and then just recognize the responsibility that you have, I think, is an incredibly mature thing for-- certainly for a 15 year old to be able to do.

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

At the time, I felt a giant weight, and I still do, as a journalist. And I still think of the job as one where I'm so incredibly lucky to have it. But I also just think about what it means. And just what people trust me to do every day. And that is never lost on me.

The other pivotal thing that happened at that same event, I mentioned I was there as a youth reporter, and Colin Powell, General Colin Powell, had convened the president summit, it was all the living presidents convened by Colin Powell, around these objectives to help young people.

And at the event, I happened to see him. He was sitting in a conference room a few rows up from me while there was a speech going on. And I thought to myself, "Okay, well, if Colin Powell is in the same room as I am and I can see him, I should probably try and interview him here, right now." And so as soon as the lights came up, I charged up towards him. And I charged up towards him basically flailing my arms and screaming, like, "Colin Powell, Colin Powell, I have a question for you, Colin Powell." And his handler said--

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

None of the maturity and calm that you displayed in the other incident, by the way--

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

No, no. Because there, I was-- I was more worried honestly in this room that I wasn't the only person who spotted him, and there were gonna be 12 other camera crews running up to him at the same time. And they had press badges that said "NBC" and "ABC" and "CBS" on them.

So I was a little concerned that I wouldn't necessarily be able to get that conversation with him. So at the time, his handler turned to me and said, "The general is very busy." Of course, I hadn't addressed him that way, which was disrespectful.

And so I immediately said, "Okay, General Powell, do you have a minute to chat?" And the handler said, "I'm sorry, but the general is very busy." And I just looked at the two of them and I said, "Well, you say you're here to help young people, but you don't have five minutes for one of us?"

And I will never forget that General Powell, may he rest in peace, looked down at my name tag and he said, "Becky Jarvis, walk with me." And he walked-- we walked out of the hall, and he said, "I've got time to answer your questions while we're walking."

And I talked to him about Minnesota and wanting to help young people and what could I do and what kinds of things could we do together. And he promised me in that conversation that if I went back to Minnesota and I worked hard to build off of what they were trying to do in Philadelphia, that he would support it. And from there, he did support it. He came back. We created an organization called the Minnesota Alliance with Youth, he came back, he spoke at our event.

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

Is this when you were named one of People's 20 Teens Who Will Change the World?

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

Ultimately, yes.

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

Yeah.

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

But it is--

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

Another accolade that I never received, but just keep-- but keep going.

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

I really appreciate that. I do. Look, I was an incredibly driven, motivated young person. I didn't know exactly where I was going. But I'm grateful to people like General Powell who took the five minutes to walk with me when I maybe inappropriately but with all the best intentions attempted to speak to him.

And I think a lot about that now, when it comes to young people who reach out to me, and I'm sure they reach out to you too, when you have these conversations. It's amazing what small things, and that's why I call out both of those conversations, because there have been some great interviews that I've done, and I've loved and enjoyed them. But I think the power of these small things can be so great in the lives of people.

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

Especially at the early age.

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

Yeah, yeah--

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

Right? Excellent stories. I wanted to ask you about The Dropout Theranos story about Elizabeth Holmes and the podcast that you created and you mentioned it a little bit earlier. You're workin' at ABC News, you're working on a number of different assignments.

But you get pitched one day from probably a PR firm about this new company that can detect lots of different things from a simple blood test, to the perk of the hand. And for whatever reason, it starts to fascinate you, either because you thought it was an incredibly compelling technology, or maybe because it just didn't seem to all make sense. And you start doing research on your own in between other types of work assignments that you had. What sparked your interest in doing that and realizing, "Let's work on something," because it may develop into something bigger"?

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

You mentioned the pitch, so I was working early-- when I first got to ABC News, I was working on a series with Diane Sawyer for World News Tonight about exploding health care costs, medical costs. And how medical costs are one of the leading reasons people file for bankruptcy.

And we were looking for solutions to provide to viewers about ways to cut back on their medical costs and help them take some ownership over something that is largely out of their hands a lot of the time. And so I was pitched Theranos as a solution.

And when I started looking into it, at the time, just couldn't find anybody independent to tell me that it worked. And that didn't set off any alarm bells, but I didn't cover it as a result of that. Then, shortly after that pitch, Elizabeth Holmes started showing up everywhere.

And she was at conferences and on the cover of all of these magazines. And they were the conferences that I was attending at the time and covering at the time as a journalist. And so when you coupled this pitch that didn't quite come to fruition, and then this fascinating woman, who's on every stage, I became more and more engrossed in her story.

And started just pulling on that thread, talking to people, hearing more things. And yet, I just couldn't stop asking questions. So I started pursuing it, like you said, somewhat as a extracurricular. My producer, Taylor Dunn, and I and Victoria Thompson, every time I was going out to the West Coast to cover a major tech company, my sister lived in LA at the time.

And I'll never forget, one of our big, big sources was in LA, wanted to meet privately. There was nowhere to meet them but my sister's house at the time. And they came over to her house. And we met there and we did an interview and it was a really important interview for the story.

And then we heard that there were these tapes, these deposition tapes that no one had seen. And just started looking around, hunting for the right source to obtain the tapes from. And we ultimately got that. And at the point that the charges came down from the Department of Justice and the SEC, already we had been spending so much time with this story.

So at that point, that's when it became much more of an interest to a much broader audience. And we were really in a great position. And I wanted to do it as a podcast from early on. I had been playing around with different platforms and different avenues for storytelling.

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

You have those recordings and you're like, "Wait a minute, perfect outlet for these would be a podcast, where we could--"

(OVERTALK)

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

Absolutely.

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

"--and combine it with live interviews and other types of things."

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

Absolutely. So I think the other thing for people who are listening to this, as journalists, I loved the blank canvas of going to do, after a decade and a half of my career, doing TV news, I loved this blank canvas of a podcast where I hadn't done it before, I didn't have a rule set or a rule book that I was working with where this is paint by numbers and I know how I'm gonna do this. Not to say that that's what it is. But it was a great way of getting to explore the creative side too. Each step of the process was excellent. I loved it.

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

You put out the podcast, it rises to number one on the Apple podcast list, more than 13 million downloads. Hulu adopts it and says they're gonna convert it into a miniseries called The Dropout. You get executive producer credit on that and wa-- it won awards and you got to go to the award shows. (LAUGH) The-- that-- I mean, talk about that, just in that experience. Because that's a long way from creating a podcast on your off time, really, at ABC, and then all of a sudden, it becoming such a big deal.

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

Beyond every expectation. I genuinely believe this, if none of those things had happened, I still would've been so glad that I did this work. It started with the work, it started with the questions that kept me up at night, and it started with me wanting to see what happened, if I had a blank canvas, and I tried something new.

At first, I got that call that there's interest in this project beyond a podcast. And it was this simultaneously exciting call, but sort of nerve wracking. Because as a journalist, so many people have trusted you. Integrity, trust, those are so important to me. And so I wanted to know that the adaptation was going to be true to the story that--

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

You didn't want it to be a characterization or--

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

Right. And I feel so grateful to all of our partners, Hulu and Searchlight Liz Meriwether, who is a brilliant genius, and adopted this as the showrunner and creator into the limited series for Hulu, and Amanda Seyfried, who just, absolutely brilliant.

And all the people who worked on the project. So I the world some a very exciting experience. It was such a great learning experience, I loved the opportunity to see how do you take something, how do you take this material and turn it into entertaining TV that people would wanna watch.

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

And you got to go to the set and be on the set and see it all come to life.

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

Yeah, we went to the set. I'll never forget, the first time I walked onto the set in LA, I walked up and Amanda Seyfried had her back to me, and she was in a black suit. And it was the mannerisms. I mean, people talk about her voice. She did an incredible job with the voice.

But it was even from behind, the mannerisms, the way she held her hands, the way she held her shoulders, the way she walked. It was really surreal to see this manifestation of a person who I had spent so many years covering and dissecting and thinking about and asking people about and then see this manifestation, which felt so apt.

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

Gives you an appreciation for the ability, the talent to act.

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

Absolutely.

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

In addition to all the work you're doing at ABC and the podcast that you did on Dropout, you do have an ongoing podcast called No Limits with Rebecca Jarvis, where you focus on interviews with female CEOs and founders and innovators. I love that you finish each episode with a question asking, "The worst piece of advice that you've ever received?" Since we're turning the tables--

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

Ah.

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

--here on this podcast, I'm sure you've been asked the question, but answer it for us. What is the worst piece of advice you ever received?

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

I'll just give you my quick preamble to that, as I think about the worst advice. No, I'm kidding. I have it in my head. But this is why I'm gonna give you the preamble, because it's something really fascinating that I've seen now by asking this question of so many people.

There's a couple of different categories of who that worst advice comes from. One, there's the category of just somebody who's trying to harm you or give you bad advice to throw you off. There's the category of the person who doesn't understand you, who gives you bad advice.

And then there's the category that most the bad advice comes from. And that is the person who loves you, who's trying to keep you from a risk. Who's trying to protect you. And I would say nine times out of ten, the worst advice comes from somebody who loves you, wants you to succeed, wants everything to work out.

And they're advising you generally not to do something, because they're afraid that it's not gonna work out. And for me, that worst advice came from my parents. My parents are wonderful with advice. I will just preface this with that. But when I was in investment banking and I wanted to become a journalist, they were very apprehensive about it.

They thought, "You've got a stable job, you're getting good reviews at work, this seems like a possible career path. And why? Why would you leave that for the uncertainty of journalism?" And it was advice I really contemplated at the time.

I listened to what they said. And there were parts of it that were hard to sort of let go of. I mean, I had some security in my life. And I hadn't had that kind of security before then. But it was the worst advice, ultimately, because I can look back and say that, because here I am.

But I could even say it even if I wasn't here. And the reason is, if I didn't go after journalism, and this is how I ultimately made the choice to do it, I knew that I would regret more not knowing whether journalism was a path for me that was feasible.

I would regret that more than the failure. And I just needed to know and I needed to give it a try. And I'm so glad that I did. And it didn't take long to realize that it was the worst advice, not because I was succeeding. I was getting all of those rejections. And there were moments where I wondered about it. But--

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

How you felt?

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

Yeah. But I think not knowing, not going for things, when I interview people, when I talk to people about if they feel any sense of regret, it's not regret for the things that they did go after, it's the things that they didn't go after.

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

Congratulations to you. You took a risk and you got to where you wanted to go. And--

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

Thanks.

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

--and that's pretty impressive. All right, let's finish it off with some quick hits. Shall we--

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

Okay, let's do it--

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

We'll let people know a little bit more--

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

Yes.--

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

About Rebecca Jarvis and all the-- your likes and dislikes. All right, favorite sport or sports team? You know, some people lean on their colleges. I-- I'm gonna guess--

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

Oh, University of Chicago? (LAUGH)

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

--the University of Chicago, doesn't have much to offer, unfortunately--

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

I love the University of Chicago. I will say this. Okay, football is my favorite sport. When I was a kid, I used to play football on the lot at school. And it was always my goal to catch an interception. Because I felt like if you could just get an interception, then everybody would take you seriously. So I just ran towards wherever the ball was.

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

All right. Did you make an interception?

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

I did. I also broke this finger.

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

Oh.

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

Yeah, I broke it on a school trip. And we were playing tackle football. I was in seventh grade. I tackled an eighth grade boy. I broke this finger and didn't tell anyone because I was afraid we'd get in trouble, because we weren't supposed to be playing tackle football. And then a day later, my teacher saw it and said, "Okay, we need to go to the emergency room."

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

All right. Tackle football in junior high. You are earning my respect--

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

But I love it.

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

?--more and more as this continues--

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

I really-- I love it. So if there's an opportunity to throw a football around, I'll take it.

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

Right. Who's your team?

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

I grew up with the Vikings and I grew up near the Metrodome, which no longer exists. But yeah, I should say the Vikings. My husband's entire family, they're Packers fans. So I'll say the Vikings just to make them happy. (LAUGH)

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

How 'bout favorite movie?

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

Okay, I'm just gonna say the first one that came to mind, My Cousin Vinnie. I loved that movie.

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

(LAUGH) Nice.

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

There's a lotta great movies though.

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

Yeah, to muse.

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

Oh yeah.

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

What's streaming in your home, besides the Hulu docuseries The Dropout?

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

Okay. Look, if you're in my home, you're watching, Frozen, Frozen 2, or Encanto. DisneyPlus is basically all that we watch in my home right now, with my almost four year old.

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

Makes perfect sense. How 'bout favorite restaurants? Is there one in New York that you--

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

Oh, there are so many great restaurants here. I love Don Angie, Charlie Bird. I love food, so this is gonna be the hardest for me.

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

It's a good one. Those are two excellent restaurants.

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

Laser Wolf. Have you been there? It's really good.

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

No, no. But I did have the lasagna at Don Angie, it's pretty amazing--

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

Yum, yum.

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

Sports, music, literature, art, where are you spending your free time, not that you have much free time?

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

I listen to a lot of music. I like visiting art museums. Sports probably a little less so, to be honest. But I love the last five minutes--

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

No-- no more tackle football--

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

I love the last five minutes of a really big game. (LAUGH) I can get into it--

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

Got it.

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

--really a lot at that last five minutes--

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

Since you mentioned music, we'll get favorite musical artist then?

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

Oh, I mean, that's tough. So since the Super Bowl just happened, I loved both Chris Stapleton and Rihanna. Both of them serve different parts of my life. And they're both just exceptional performers.

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

How 'bout the best career honor? This is a question that we don't give to all our guests, but since you have a list of honors, two-time Emmy, fourth-time recipient of the Edward R. Murrow Award, you got a recognition from the Alliance for Women in Media, you were the class day speaker at University of Chicago, you won a duPont Award. What's the best career honor?

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

That's so tough. I think I would say that when I go back to the University of Chicago, I always feel such gratitude. Because it was such a special and important place in my life. And I'm so grateful to all the professors there. And when young people, who I see myself in them and they come to me and say, "You said something that mattered to me, you spoke and it resonated," that is the greatest honor for me, genuinely.

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

You've mentioned University of Chicago's a little quirky.

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

(LAUGH) I love it--

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

Embrace-- embrace the quirkiness, right--

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

Embrace the quirkiness. It's so important to embrace the quirkiness.

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

(LAUGH) If someone is trying to get you interested in doing a story, and this is more my world, right, the public relations world, or corporate executives, communicators at various places, what types of stories really interest you these days? What are some of the better, quote, unquote, "pitches" that you receive that really piqued your interest and make you wanna follow through?

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

I would put it in a handful of different buckets. One, help the viewer make the best choices. So help them distinguish between fact and fiction when it comes to their money. Help them make smart choices with their money. Help break down complicated things.

That's a lot of how I spend my time on Good Morning America. But I also think that stories are really about the people at the heart. And so for me, if I'm going to be really, really intrigued by something, I wanna understand who the people or persons are at the heart of that story. And why it matters to them and what questions remain.

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

We like to ask people when we hire them, have they ever had a dirty job. A job that was a little bit messy, where they had to roll up their sleeves in an interesting--

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

Okay.

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

--way. I'm kinda curious, for the girl who played tackle football and broke her finger, I'm guessing she wasn't afraid to get her hands dirty and do--

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

Yeah.

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

--some type of bizarre job over the years--

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

Well, look. I've had a lot of different jobs over the years. I worked in the Christmas of the Millennium, selling Christmas ornaments, which isn't really a dirty job, until it comes post-Christmas, and some of the ornaments are 75% off and you have to break up fights between people over who gets to take the ornament. And I genuinely did do that.

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

Oh, that's funny. Is that what the name of the store-- Christmas of the Millennium? Is that--

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

Christmas of the Millennium was the Christmas season at one of the retailers in Downtown Minneapolis where I worked.

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

Ah.

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

Yeah. And it was their--

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

Got it.

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

It was all the holiday decorations. And just boxes and boxes of Christmas ornaments.

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

I meant to ask you. When you were talking about providing advice, are you embracing social media? There are so many, obviously on TikTok and Instagram, and-- are you seeing that as an outlet, that complements what you're doing on ABC? Or not something that they-- where you're putting content?

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

No, it absolutely does. As a mom, I have some mixed feelings about social media, to be honest. And all of the research and studies that are coming out--

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

And she's only four, right--

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

Yeah.

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

Wait-- wait till she becomes a teenager. And then you'll really have mixed feelings.

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

Yeah, she's definitely not on social media. But I do think a lot about what message I'm sending to her and I wrestle with that. But I also, look, if you look at any of my social media profiles, the majority of what I'm doing, I'm talking about personal finance topics, I'm breaking down cryptocurrency, and things that I see in my day-to-day life, I'm sharing behind-the-scenes images from my work as a journalist.

So I do see it as an incredible resource and tool and a way to tell stories in different formats. And I love that experimentation and the creativity of it. At the same time, some of this new research that's coming out about the larger impact, it does make me pause.

And look, I think we're all evolving. I think the technology itself is evolving. And so my hope is that we find some sort of better balance where it doesn't have the impact in the negative ways. And I don't know that that's possible. I-- I think in the current format, we have not figured it out yet.

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

All right, finally, sum it all up for us. We, like, writing and thinking about headlines, right--

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

Oh great.

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

Give us the headline on your career thus far, or your life thus far.

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

This is a really tough one. Always learning. Seeking truth.

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

Perfect. Nice and succinct.

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

I don't know. I'm just--

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

We'll print it.

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

Yay.

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

We'll print it.

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

Thank you, Russell. By the way, do you have headline? What's your career headline--

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

Oh no. I don't-- we are not turning the tables that way--

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

Come on, what's your career headline? Have you ever shared that?

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

I haven't. I'm not ready for it either--

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

What? You can't ask me that question and not have--

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

??I--

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

--it yourself, Russell.

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

I know. All right. On the next episode of Press Profiles--

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

How 'bout this--

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

--we'll come back with my--

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

Lots of questions?

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

Lots of questions. (LAUGH) Lots of questions, still seeking answers. Rebecca, this was excellent.

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

Thank you, Russell.

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

So much fun. I really enjoyed it. You have such a great story and congratulations. Congratulations for making that leap.

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

Thank you.

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

I know that's not easy to leave the certainty of a world that you were in and take the jump. And you made it work and you continue to do great work.

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

Thank you, Russell. That means a lot and-- I just hope anyone who's listening recognizes that there are going to be massive valleys and peaks along the way. The biggest lesson that I've learned from being in this industry for the time that I have is that nobody gets the direct rocket ship to the moon.

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

That's Rebecca Jarvis, everybody.

?????????????????????????????????????REBECCA JARVIS:

Thanks, Russell.

?????????????????????????????????????RUSSELL SHERMAN:

She is just one of the many interesting, fascinating people that you will find and hear about on Press Profiles. Remember, all the episodes are on the website, or you can subscribe via Apple or Spotify or wherever it is you get your podcasts. We put the transcripts of each conversation on LinkedIn, so just head to my profile, subscribe to the Press Profiles podcast newsletter, thank you all so much for listening, and we will see you next time.