Cosmo Magazine’s right-hand woman, explains it all.
( @samanthafeher / Instagram)
Samantha Feher’s not your average Gemini: She’s a triple. With a Gemini Sun, Moon and rising, she’s practically a unicorn.
We’ll hold for your gasps.
Is she two-faced? Don’t think so, even though her name can be (Sam or Samantha, depends on the day.)
She might be three-faced, however, given her three-part job title as a journalist, freelance consultant and founder of the online boutique Brunch Club. Oh, and she just casually got her dream job at Cosmopolitan Magazine straight out of college.
No biggie, right?
Astrologically speaking, this shouldn’t be surprising. She told Rowdy in an interview that it’s in her sign’s nature, after all, “to have your hands in a million different projects at once and want to say yes to everything.”
After hustling and bustling in New York City for years at internships, she finally made it past those coveted glass doors we’ve all dreamed of pushing open at some point or another. Like most of us, Sam had her nose dug in magazines while growing up, but there was just something different about Cosmo.
Unlike other magazines, Cosmo isn’t just fashion or beauty — a misconception Sam says she gets a lot. The brand has always been at the vanguard of caring about yourself and others: whether that be through life-changing sex advice or being a nifty-difty guide to dismantling racism among your peers.
When you hear her impressive job title, Assistant to the Editor-in-Chief, your mind may instantly flash to the chaotic scenes of Andrea dealing with the day-to-day life of Miranda Priestly in the Devil Wears Prada.
When asked if it’s really like that, she just laughs.
Jessica Pels, Cosmo’s current Editor-in-Chief isn’t just a mentor but has become one of Sam’s closest friends. And while there are unexpected challenges that come with being the right-hand-woman for one of the country’s top magazine editors, there’s one rule that Sam always has to remember: Do your job first, and worry about the fluff later.
Once you do that, she said, the floodgates open up.
Since joining Cosmo nearly two years ago, she’s become the internship supervisor, leading trailblazing Gen-Z journalists, and heads the brand’s Instagram Live content.
There’s been a few pinch-me moments when they’re thousands of people watching you from the other side of the screen. Among the notable highlights: legendary Sir John, Beyoncé’s makeup artist (!!!) and Black Lives Matter activist Ivirlei Brookes on how white people can become better allies.
The stars might’ve written it, but Samantha confirmed it: Geminis are anything but lazy.
When Sam’s not being a superstar at Cosmo, she’s being a whole She-EO for Brunch Club, a self-started clothing line. It’s more than just posting trendy fits and hoping someone makes a purchase. Sam models the clothes, edits the photos, manages social media, design the website, ships orders and deals with the ever-draining task of customer service.
And the best part about it all: Brunch Club was originally a back-up plan created in the scenario of her not getting the job at Cosmo.
Come again?
During her last semester at Elon University in 2018, she knew the editorial assistant job was perfect for her, but there was still that question of “What if?” in the back of her head. She had the work experience — grinding as an undergrad while juggling internships, freelance opportunities and working part-time for Blasé, Elon’s student-run fashion magazine (wink wink.)
But Sam had to prepare for the worst-case scenario.
It was her mom who suggested the idea of selling clothes, something that never occurred to Sam before. Ultimately, she loved the idea so much that she decided to do both.
Through and through, Samantha loves what she does. She loves talking to people and building connections she probably wouldn’t have made otherwise.
Of course, there’ll always be the word fumbles and the brain farts that can be especially scary in those live interviews. But they’re also moments of human ingenuity that you can’t help but love. The intimacy of speaking to someone face to face, or as of lately, screen to screen, connects us all
It’s why she does all the jobs that she does— She’s always doing her best to be there for other people, so always saying yes and seizing every opportunity has always been a motto she’s frequently lived by.
However, as the print publishing industry has slowly crept to a halt during the coronavirus pandemic and Sam has been working remotely, she’s realized that saying yes is only beneficial when you have the time, resources and energy to do so.
Strong women, like Samantha, almost feel pressured to take every shining opportunity at the drop of a hat. Because they love their job, because they’re more than just passionate. But with taking every task and leaving no time to recharge, you can lose sight of the most important thing: yourself.
That’s right: Sam’s learning how to say no after years of screaming yes — but more importantly, saying no without having to justify why.
“Just doing it for your own mental health and your own well being is a good enough reason,” she said. “It has really helped me be present and show up for myself in ways that I never did before.”
Burnout culture is real, especially for the women who lead some of our most important conversations. Sometimes the biggest opportunity isn’t ahead after saying yes, but it’s learning to hold space for yourself so you can continue showing up for others.
And maybe that’s the biggest multi-faceted Gemini lesson of them all.
Lauren Rousseau is the Online Editor at Rowdy Magazine. She loves watching drug-store versions of The Bachelor and baking cookies at inappropriate hours. You can find her on Instagram at @laurenxrousseau and email her pitches at rowdymagazine.submissions@gmail.com
Ana Escalante is Rowdy Magazine's Editor-in-chief. She likes podcasts, comfortable sneakers and yelling about being a Capricorn. You can reach her on Twitter @AEscalante22 or email her at rowdymagazine.eic@gmail.com