Sidnee Douyon Chartering Her Own Path and Leaving an Impressionable Mark on Young Girls
Interview by Carey-Lee Dixon
Despite her age, Sidnee Douyon is a rising star in editorial corporate America. She has a diverse background as a reporter and has made a name for herself in the music journalism industry and corporate America. Sidnee recently became one of the few women of colour reporting and writing for Forbes Magazine, a multi-million dollar company in New York City.
Sidnee is involved in several speaking engagements through her work and platform, connecting with and sharing her experiences with young girls worldwide. She emphasises the importance of self-respect and self-worth in empowering young women.
We had the opportunity to connect with Sidnee to learn more about her journey, challenges as a 20-something-year-old, the legacy she hopes to leave for those who aspire to follow in her footsteps, and the people who have influenced her career.
What was your first job out of college, and how has it prepared you for where you are now in your career?
After graduating from college, I got my first job as an intern at The Source Magazine in New York City. This experience taught me the values of hard work, dedication, and consistency and prepared me for my future career. Despite not receiving any payment, the internship taught me to work hard and impress those who could help me secure a good career opportunity.
Your 20s are defined as a time for exploring, learning, and finding yourself. How challenging has it been to identify your purpose and what you want to do?
My 20s have been anything but easy. I am learning about myself, my strengths and weaknesses, and what limits I can push myself to. It is an ongoing battle to continue to pursue my purpose not only as a journalist but also as a growing woman.
The biggest challenge in this, is using my voice as a journalist to produce quality and ethical content, both with Forbes and on my own accord.
“My 20’s have been anything but easy. It is a time I am learning myself, my strengths, weaknesses and what limit I can push myself to. ”
You recently became one of the only women of colour reporting and writing for Forbes, which is an excellent platform to share your story and leave an impressionable mark. What kind of legacy would you like to make that will inspire young girls and women who aspire to take a journey similar to yours?
Becoming one of the only women of colour to report for Forbes on camera is an accomplishment I didn’t expect to accomplish when I initially started reporting for them. It was one that I soon realised and was recognised for by many, but then I thought, “Why aren’t there more reporters like me?” I want my message and legacy to young girls to be fearful and make waves in avenues you never thought possible.
I never thought a music and entertainment reporter (especially of urban culture) could cross over into the Forbes Magazine media world. But then I realised that as the world grows more diverse, so should its media, and I wanted to be that face to help diversify Forbes. So I gathered my courage and did my first Forbes interview with Trey Songz; his face and mine would be the first time Forbes viewers witnessed an interview between an R&B singer and a young journalist of colour.
It was time!
What has been the most challenging yet rewarding experience in your career?
The most challenging yet rewarding experience this far in my career would be the experience of having to prove myself. This was incredibly challenging at Forbes, as though I was new and “different.” I had to work my way up to gain top interviews by showing the Forbes team I could not only do what you hired me for (originally an editorial assistant), but I could do so much more and bring so many more different types of viewers to your database, which only can lead to increased viewership/revenue. This challenge became rewarding when I completed my first interview with Trey Songz and almost immediately was asked to interview Tyra Banks.
I was like, yes, I can do this, and I will continue!
“I had to literally work my way to gain top interviews by showing the Forbes team I can not only do what you hired for but I can do so much more.”
Who has influenced you and your career most, and how has their journey inspired yours?
Sunny Hostin, Melissa Harris-Perry, Tamron Hall, Soledad O’Brien, and Sharon Carpenter have influenced my career the most. These women are examples of highly educated, strong, and beautiful reporters who aren’t afraid to break barriers.
Watching their career and personal progression has influenced me to climb to the top of the media world and do it classy and ethically.
What have you learned about yourself personally and professionally throughout your work experiences?
I have learned so much through work experiences.
I thought I knew hard work before, but between my residency at Forbes Magazine and my freelance gigs, such as with Sprite and Nike, I truly learned how far I can push myself. Sleepless nights with back-to-back interviews and other experiences helped me prove that I am cut out to be a journalist and reporter.
I wouldn’t have made it and accomplished the things I have if I wasn’t aware of my strength and wherewithal, which I learned and valued as I went through these experiences.
“I wouldn’t have ever made it and accomplished the things I have if I wasn’t aware of my own personal strength.”
What goals are you still working towards?
The stars! Literally and figuratively. I am working towards many personal and career goals, including residency at a major TV station such as MSNBC, CNN, and E! and eventually landing an anchoring position at a top news or entertainment outlet.
I hope to begin my speaking tour in the near future, speaking with young girls on the importance of self-love, respect, and dedication to getting ahead in today’s media industries.
What is your best advice to young girls and women about building confidence and believing in their vision to propel their careers?
The best advice I would give young women on owning their confidence and believing in their vision is knowing their strengths and running with them without letting anyone stop them.
You have to be real with yourself in identifying what you are or can be good at, but once you do, use that and build. I knew I didn’t have an extremely funny personality to do radio reporting as I wanted to early on, but once everyone kept telling me I had the face for broadcast reporting, I looked into it, decided this is what I’m doing to do and ran with it.
The way the world is, self-confidence and believing in yourself is something that can develop into something beautiful because once you believe in yourself and work hard to advance that, others will believe in you as well and follow suit.
“You have to be real with yourself in identifying what you are or can be good at, but once you do, use that and build.”
