Meet Madison Conklin of Clevver News in Santa Monica

Today we’d like to introduce you to Madison Conklin.

Madison, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Like many kids, I was enamored by the glitz and glam of Hollywood. As a young girl from a suburb of St. Louis, Missouri, I knew I wanted to live in the lights of Hollywood and hopefully one day become ‘FAMOUS’! I studied Broadcast Journalism with an emphasis in Radio & TV as well as minored in Theatre. While the local news industry is extremely interesting and complex, I knew I wanted to talk about celebrities, so I made the decision my sophomore year of college that I would move to Los Angeles, California after graduating. I had to work EXTREMELY hard to make this dream a reality. In order to hone my craft in entertainment hosting, I auditioned for an anchor position for the “Red Carpet Report” at KOMU-8 News, which I booked. I also auditioned and booked an entertainment hosting position on the YouTube channel, “Hey Hollywood.” This random audition at an ad agency in Columbia, Missouri ended up being my ticket to Los Angeles!!! Who would’ve thunk!

However, before I got that full-time job, I had to face rejection from my parents about going to LA. I remember I had a job interview with Bunim-Murray productions in early 2014, a few months prior to graduating. It was for a part-time “freelance” PA position on Bad Girls Club and it paid $9.00/hour. While I was CONVINCED this was my ‘IN’ to the industry, both my mom and dad, who are extremely supportive parents, said “ABSOLUTELY NOT, MADISON.” This was not to discourage my dreams or stop me from chasing my dreams, it was a lesson in knowing my worth. Which looking back now, is one of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned!

After denying the position with Bunim-Murray productions, I was on a warpath to find a full-time, on-camera job in entertainment! Lo and behold “Hey Hollywood” came along and within three months of graduating, I was offered a full-time job with them in… Santa Monica, California! SUCCESS!!!

That success ended four months upon moving to LA and getting my first “Big Girl” job! I was at a loss, completely devastated and felt worthless. I soon got a researcher position at TMZ and this was one of the most emotionally and mentally draining jobs I’ve had. As much mental anguish I endured on the job, I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything. It made me smarter, stronger and resilient! In between TMZ and my job at Hollyscoop, I nannied, drove for Lyft and worked at Buffalo Wild Wings.

Trust me when I say I NEVER saw these jobs in my future! I had a college degree from one of the NUMBER ONE Journalism schools for undergrads! I continually asked myself, ‘How could I have failed so much, in such little time?’ ‘When will I get a break?’ ‘Why is God doing this to me?’

Once again, I realize now, this period of uncertainty was a blessing in disguise! I went on to audition three times for Hollyscoop and after my third audition, I booked the job! I worked at Hollyscoop for over two years, with a brief stint producing at NBC-Digital for “The Voice On Snapchat.” From Hollyscoop, I transitioned into a News Managing Editor position at Clevver News. I have been with Clevver News for over a year.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It has been FAR from a smooth road! I’ve been let go from two jobs, with one being four months after moving to Los Angeles. I was told twice that I was never going to host on Hollyscoop, but I defied the odds against me and made it happen.

I’ve lost confidence, self-worth and my purpose throughout my journey to becoming an entertainment host. The competition is fierce and it takes a very thick-skinned person to make it in this industry. In the beginning, I was very sensitive and easily deterred from taking the leap. I cared too much about what others thought of me and that in turn hindered my success.

I was also “let go” from a freelance red carpet interviewing position because I didn’t accept advances from the man running the company. That was a punch to the gut and a major eye-opener!

We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I run a newsroom, I work for Clevver News a subsidiary of Hearst Magazines. I am the News Managing Editor, so basically I run day-to-day operations of the Clevver News YouTube channel. I specialize in reporting the latest in entertainment news. I research, pitch, copyedit stories and once videos are ready to upload, I conduct quality control prior to upload.

Clevver News is known for factual, non-salacious entertainment news. We report celebrity news with integrity, sensitivity and kindness. We are focused on getting the facts straight and not taking sides.

I’m most proud of how far my team and I have come since Clevver’s “re-birth” in 2019. Since being bought by Hearst and coming back onto the YouTube scene, we have seen great success in views and subscribers. My team of about 12 and I have done this singlehandedly! It’s been a great year and “re-birth” for Clevver News!

If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
If I had to start my journey over… I’m not sure I would. I have learned a great deal about the industry, business and myself throughout my ongoing journey.

I think if there is one thing I would have done differently, it is to take have taken more risks when I was out of a job. I spent everyday inside on every job site imaginable. I should have dedicated a few hours to job searching and then gotten out into the city to see things, meet people and make connections. I should have been auditioning rather than staying holed up in my apartment frantically trying to find a new job.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.madisonconklin.com
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maddiesaysthis/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/madison.lynn.397/

Image Credit:
Courtney Lindbergh Photography, Kevin Lee

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