Imposter syndrome and ending diet headlines with Liz Plosser, editor-in-chief of Women's Health magazine

It can be tough to navigate a high-powered role while maintaining your own voice. In this open interview, Liz Plosser, editor-in-chief of Women's Health magazine, talks about imposter syndrome, initial fears, and leaning in to her own strength. 

We chat about how Women's Health magazine has changed and is still changing as a global brand. The publication aims to be a space for women to share their own truths -- no more diet headlines required. 

"We don't photoshop. We're not changing people's bodies. We're putting women out there on whatever platform it is as they most beautifully and authentically are, whether it's what they're sharing from the inside or what they look like on the outside," said Liz. 

Find out more about Liz as instagram.com/lizplosser 
Find out about Women's Health at instagram.com/womenshealthmag

Transcript

Danae Mercer

Hi, guys, welcome back to Talking Out Loud, the podcast that's all about helping you navigate body image issues, confidence and finding your own voice. Today, I am so excited. I have such an incredible guest on the show. Her name's Liz Plosser. She's the editor in chief of Women's Health. And I have been following her journey for several years now. So this is just incredible. Liz, thank you so much for joining me.

Liz Plosser, editor in chief of Women's Health

Oh, my gosh, it's such a pleasure to be here. I'm happy to finally hear your voice in real life and to connect this way.

Danae Mercer

Well, it's incredible, I mean, just to connect on social media and dip into the world of podcasting and talk on, you know, over the joy of the Internet, really.

Liz Plosser

I know exactly it's funny, I called it in real life because it's about as close as we can get to it these days, but I'll take it. 

Danae Mercer

You and me both, well, Liz, why don't we just start by you talking us through your journey, like how did you become the editor in chief of one of the biggest health magazines around the world?

Liz Plosser

Oh, my gosh, sure. Well, I often say when I'm describing my journey to WH of that it was a zigzag path. The one thing that was always constant was my passion for the wellness space. So health, nutrition, fitness, all of that good stuff, including mental health, too. And I'd always been really interested in those topics as a kid, as a child, playing sports, growing up, playing soccer, tennis and basketball. And then I got really into them after college. And the great irony of that is that my first job out of school was an investment banking. I was an analyst and I love business and I'd taken economics classes in college. So it wasn't as farfetched as it sounds, but I knew that it wasn't going to be my forever passion.

And so I did what seemed perfectly natural at the time to sort of find an outlet for all the thoughts and feelings happening inside me, which was signing up for my first marathon, and that through those long runs with strangers who I met in my training program is when I really started to articulate my desire to make health the center of my career in my profession. And that's when it all began. And I've had multiple roles in this space, both on the journalism side, on the brand side and at digital only brands.

I started out working at Self magazine in the fitness department as an editorial assistant and sort of moved my way up the ladder there. I did a stint in Chicago as the editor overseeing health and fitness content at Time Out Chicago Weekly magazine, while my husband was in grad school, came back to New York, continued in this space, and then left for a little bit to go to the brand side overseeing content for Soul Cycle, the boutique fitness brand, and then went to Well and Good, which is another wellness and lifestyle brand, digital only.

And truly, I was so happy in each of these roles. And if you'd asked me at the time, I would have honestly said from my heart of hearts I was living my dream job. And that's kind of the magic and beauty of life.

I guess that if you don't if you stay open minded and continue to talk to people and say yes to the conversation, just more and more beautiful things can happen. And so that's how that's how WH came to be. They were looking for a new leader at Hearst, which owns Women's Health and many other brands, and started talking to me. And I mean, I think all of all of the different roles, I'd had almost like a 360 degree look at health and fitness, I think prepared me to really lead the brand into its next chapter. So that was my zigzaggy way of getting to W.H, which has been my favorite brand since it launched about 15 years ago.

Danae Mercer

And. Do you know what? I love hearing you say that this is essentially your dream job, like I was on Reddit today because I'm kind of that kind of nerd and there is a thread that was like, oh, does anyone actually like their job? And what do you do? If so? So, it's really beautiful to hear you say, you know, every role that I was chasing, they were my ideal roles. That's incredible and. Yeah, and how do you manage, like keeping your own voice while you're the head of such a large and well known and respected brand, like is it is it difficult to say, you know, I'm Liz, I'm an individual. I'm not only the face of, you know, the editorial side of this publication or is that effortless for you? Absolutely, I'm over here nodding at my microphone because, you know, I  was editor of Women's Health Middle East for a year and during that time like that, like you, that was my dream job and it was such a blessing. But you're also hyper aware of the fact that you are seen as an ambassador of the brand and you love the brand so much that you don't want to do anything to hurt it.

Liz Plosser

Yeah, no, I yeah, I appreciate that and yeah, it's pretty awesome to be able to say that and believe it with every cell in my little body.

Danae Mercer

Yeah, and that I think that can be complicated, especially with social media, so that that kind of brings me onto the next question. I mean, the world has changed. The world has changed so much in this last year, but it's also changed massively when we look at the media scene over the last five to 10 years. And I would love to hear you talk about what is Women's Health doing to navigate these changes and how are they leading it or fitting into it or opening those discussions.

Liz Plosser

Such a such a good question, you know, the answer is complicated, and it's partially because I am living my dream job and because I am so personally passionate about the health and wellness space and all of the topics that ladder up to it. It just is like naturally part of my life. So it's not like I'm turning my professional self on and my personal self-off and vice versa. They kind of effortlessly weave or braid together. Having said that, and, you know, this is such a powerful voice in the social media space in a role like that, many eyes are on you. And I I guess I'm not sure if this is exactly what you're asking, but I do feel a little bit of extra pressure because I feel like I have such a responsibility as the leader of this global wellness brand that we that reaches more than forty five million women a month to sort of gut check myself.

And that doesn't mean to not share honestly on my personal channels, but to know that I'm not I'm not I'm not just Liz. I mean, it's just it's part of the job. Right. And to be to be thoughtful about the content that I'm putting into the world.

Danae Mercer

I love that I think that's a great answer, and I know I mean, for me, like, I love the art of photo shoots. I love the art of photography. I love that there are sets and there's lighting and there are professionals like creatives who come up with these visions or the photographers that want to tell a story like there is so much beauty in that. And I do worry sometimes I think my message can be a bit misconstrued where people are like, oh, then you think you think, you know, professional photography is bad and angels are bad and lighting is bad and like no 100% not like there's an art to this and there's a joy in that. But yeah, you're absolutely right. It's navigating how you present that. And it's complex. Honestly, I think it's increasingly complex. 

Liz Plosser

Right. Yup, exactly. Yeah, that's another great question. So many mixed emotions and thoughts about social media, but I guess in true fashion, I in general like to focus on the upsides and the positives of it, which is that in my mind, it's created a space for women to connect with one another, to share their truths, to be vulnerable and to be like open in a way that we weren't before or to reveal parts of themselves, whether it's their struggles or health conditions or mental health problems that they're going through, and not only to be able to destigmatize it by talking about it in a conversational way, but also to tap into the support from other women and men who find them and instantly feel supported and not so alone because somebody else has given voice to what they're thinking and feeling.

So I think I think that's just a magical part about social media. I think I mean, I could really go on about this for a long time.

But two other quick things I'll say is that I think we have a responsibility and it's our great honor as editors to find women, as we like to say, find women who move us. And that can be you can be from any profession, from an astrophysicist to an actor to a poet and everything in between. And that also means your experience, your background, where you grew up, your ethnicity, your body type, all the different beautiful things that make us different and unique, and then to create a space for them to feel comfortable sharing their truth.

So whether that's on our social media platforms and video digitally or in our pages, like that's the trick, right. It's not just finding these amazing women, but also assuring them that we will handle their truth and their story respectfully and to let them really have their own words and voice to articulate to the world.

And then finally, and I know this is a big passion of yours, I think visuals are so important. And that is that is one of the things that makes me anxious about social media in particular. But, of course, in magazines is that everything is staged with great lighting and hair and makeup. And the outfit that the the person tried on after like 17 looks were wheeled in on a rack. And so I am Hyper aware that this is not real life, but we're also creating content that is supposed to be aspirational and motivational and inspirational. So just being really thoughtful about what we're putting forth and to us, that means, you know, we don't Photoshop, we're not changing people's bodies. We are putting women out there on whatever platform it is as they most beautifully and authentically are, whether it's what they're sharing from the inside or what they look like on the outside.

Danae Mercer

I love that I think that's a great answer, and I know I mean, for me, like, I love the art of photo shoots. I love the art of photography. I love that there are sets and there's lighting and there are professionals like creatives who come up with these visions or the photographers that want to tell a story like there is so much beauty in that. And I do worry sometimes I think my message can be a bit misconstrued where people are like, oh, then you think you think, you know, professional photography is bad and angels are bad and lighting is bad and like no 100% not like there's an art to this and there's a joy in that. But yeah, you're absolutely right. It's navigating how you present that. And it's complex. Honestly, I think it's increasingly complex. 

Liz Plosser

Yeah, I'm totally right there with you, I get goose bumps even thinking about, you know, photo shoot vibes and the beautiful visuals that a team of creative professionals are able to make when they all come together and collaborate. And that's what that's what the magazine is meant to be and in the brand and all of its different forms. But I very much appreciate how you share the back story behind those photos, because I do think there's a misconception that the hashtag I woke up like this, you know, that it's not it's not an effortless just rolled out of bed and took this gorgeous picture.

There's a lot of people and resources and energy going into making it happen, whether it's getting the right angle for your Instagram on your personal feed or shooting a video or whatever the content might be. So.

Danae Mercer

And now I want to switch topics just slightly, I would love to know, I mean, my podcast is focused on body image and finding your own voice, finding your confidence. And, you know, I have I followed you for years. You are a mother, you are runner, like you are an incredible editor. How do you navigate? Have you ever had any body image issues or confidence issues or even stepping into a role of power and being strong and authoritative? Has any of that been tough for you and how have you handled it? 

Liz Plosser

So, yes, that's on all of the above, I feel really lucky because I'm one of those people who I think is hard wired to just love working out, not just for the aesthetic benefits of it, though I will fully own that. It feels good to fit into my jeans and feel comfortable walking around in them. But because, honestly, I just feel I feel clear. I feel stronger, I feel more confident. I feel calmer when I've moved my body.

So to me, those things are just intrinsically linked. And I think I get a lot of my powering up every day through fitness. Having said that, are there times in my life when I felt imposter syndrome or, you know, fish out of water? A thousand percent Yes. I would also own it that when I came into this role, I was like, oh, my gosh, this is do they make the wrong choice?

Am I really up to this task? And it takes a minute to find your footing.

And I would say the biggest journey for me is to embrace who I am authentically.

And I'm not even sure how to say this tactfully. But I guess there's this image of an editor in chief as sort of that The Devil Wears Prada, Meryl Streep role. Right. And I will even if I try my hardest, I will never I'm just I'm not going to be that person. It would be like dressing up in a Halloween costume or something. And so that no shade to women and men who naturally their leadership qualities veer in that direction or they're that's what elicits the best out of their team members.

But that's not that's not my style. And I worried sometimes in the beginning like I am I am I too soft. I'm this nice girl from the Midwest and I don't mean like, oh, you know, country mouse lives. But I do think whatever your personality type is, you're always going to a question like, is this the right or is this the right vibe? Like, so and so does it differently. And I think when you can step into who you really are and embrace that, like that's when the magic happens.

So my leadership style at WH, of course, I'm going to go with a sports metaphor, but I don't I don't even know if I've ever said this or thought of this until now. I almost think of myself as like the team captain. Right. Like on a soccer team. And I've got all these different people who are playing different positions and they're each incredible at them. And my job is to be there like cheerleader, their motivator, and to get the best possible game out of them every single day.

And I think when I realized that and leaned into it, that's when I felt most comfortable and confident and honestly, when everything started gelling for us as a team and as a brand. 

Danae Mercer

I love that I think I do think it's hard as a woman to really know how to manage, like to know if what we're doing is right, if it's too strong or too soft, or if we should be, you know, quote unquote, more masculine or if we should. So there are so many tricky things there to try to learn to handle. And I love the sports metaphor. I thought that was spot on. And it's since we mentioned body image at this obviously is a growing topic and it's really shot up over the last few years, again on social media, but more and more in magazines. And our understanding of what health is has broadened significantly to include more of that that mental side and oh, health can look different on different bodies and all of that. And again, I would love to know how Women's Health, the brand is kind of navigating that space.

Liz Plosser

Yes, so just for starters, before I arrived at Women's Health and I started in early January of 2018, my predecessor and that amazing team had already made a decision as a as a brand that weight loss specific cover lines would no longer show up on the newsstand or subscriber covers.

So, I mean, I like cringe even saying this, but we all remember the days when there were cover lines that were like lose 10 pounds in two weeks and the diet to get flat abs and all those sorts of things like how to get a bikini body in X days, which, you know, I'm so glad that the pendulum has shifted in a new direction where we can all agree universally, there's nothing helpful about that that is just perpetuating unhealthy toxic feelings, thoughts, emotions about your body.

So that was already done before I got there. And I was very happy to carry the torch on that front. But to your point, we wanted to take it a step further. So mental health was already a cornerstone of the brand and we just wanted to expand that coverage. So, we have a mind section in the magazine every month. We added a lot more mental health topics into our regular digital output. We do a lot more mental health focus posts on our social feeds, particularly Instagram.

And it started out as a gut instinct. But are we very quickly saw that our our audience responded to it? They loved it. They wanted more of it. They were engaged with it. And so that that just you know, that was the momentum at our back that we needed to lean into it even further. Having said all of that, I do want to be clear that a lot of our traffic comes from women who are Googling or searching about weight loss or body transformations.

And we will we do body transformations on our website, where I would say and we've talked about this as a team and the hours and hours that have gone into how we think about these is that we are always there to tell the story of the emotional and mental journey of that woman. You know, sometimes the body transformation is about her gaining weight and she might have lost 10 pounds. But sure, we'll say that. But our focus is really on, you know, maybe her inflammatory markers for diabetes changed through her weight loss or something happens mentally when she started lifting heavier weights at the gym.

So I think those nuances are really important when you're talking about body image, whatever, whether you're looking to go up or down the scale. And then I said this a second ago. But I also want to be clear that we're there to support women and to hold their hands wherever they are on their journey. So we never we have an internal phrase we call shame free service. That means we are not going to judge you or chide you If you would like to Google that, you're looking to lose five pounds. I wrote an editor's letter about this and our naked issue back in September 2018. But there are times in my life when I've done like I've been a little bit off the rails. I know I'd feel better and stronger mentally and physically and as a mom if I if I lost a couple pounds and I'm not ashamed to say that. I think that's fine. I just I just always want our content to include the nuances.

So it's not just about the six pack abs, though. If you're interested in having stronger abs. Great. There's a lot more to the story. 

Danae Mercer

Yeah, I think sometimes we can get so focused on the black or white, the inner out, the right or wrong and life and humans were not like that. There's so much gray. And I love the focus on not shaming like that is that is something that I believe in so strongly, because women we are taught to shame each other. We are taught to accept shame. We are taught to be torn down through shame. And no matter what decision we make, it's often there's often some shame or shaming that can happen around it. And I'm just I'm just such a strong advocate of not shaming another woman for what she chooses to do if it is her choice. 

Liz Plosser

Amen and I absolutely love what you said about shades of grey. I think that is so well articulated and that that rings very true to me. 

Danae Mercer

Well, thank you, I have two rapid fire questions from our, I guess, the community, and then I'm going to ask you one last question and then we will wrap this up. So, one of them is what would be your one piece of advice for someone who wants to become an editor or get into the publishing world?

Liz Plosser

My one piece of advice, so I would say if you have a target like favorite brand, perhaps it's Women's Health, get really cozy and comfortable with our content. So read our magazine, read our website, follow us on Social to get a sense of what types of topics we cover and how. And then this is one of the one of the silver lining, glimmers of the social media world. It's so easy to connect with anyone these days. Start a conversation with the editor.

You can very quickly find me on Instagram or the leader of one of our different content pillars, whether it's beauty or fitness. I've had so many women reach out to me that way over DM. And then we take the conversation to my email. And I personally am a big fan of finding undiscovered voices there. I think and I think that you're training it doesn't have to be journalism school or an English major to get a published byline at a brand like W.H. And I think the world needs more of these voices that aren't necessarily from inside this this wheelhouse and training that many editors have. So if you have a great story to tell, find a way to connect with the editor who's in charge of that content or whatever brand it is, find them on social media, find their email address and politely reach out to them, show that you've done your homework and share your awesome idea. That's such a great question, I get this one all the time, so my advice is to follow the four-minute rule, which even though I just said I love sweating and I really do.

Danae Mercer

Perfect, great answer, and then the second question is, what would you say to someone who hates working out but wants to start working out?

Liz Plosser

There are, of course, days when even I am not feeling it. And that's when I implement the four-minute rule, which actually has science and physiology behind it. It takes about four minutes for your body to acclimate to the work of some sort of movement or effort. So I always tell myself, if I'm not feeling it after four minutes, then I can walk away from the workout and call it a day. And I guarantee you, like, I cannot remember one time in the history of the universe, nor can in terms of how many people have talked to you about this little trick who have walked away from a workout once they were four minutes into it.

Chances are once you warm up and start feeling the movement in your cells and your oxygen are starting to open up and feel the endorphins flowing, that you're going to be into it and stick it out. So if you're just starting out or don't have a love affair with fitness yet, try giving yourself that four minute rule to give it a chance.

Danae Mercer

Fantastic, I'm going to I'm going to start doing that, that's great. OK, and a final question. What would be your favorite inspirational quote?

Liz Plosser

OK, there are so many good ones, I love this one, I love this one, it is let's make better mistakes tomorrow and I love that because it gives us permission to try something to experiment, to fail, but not to beat yourself up about it, but to learn from it and to come back tomorrow with those learnings and experience under your belt and make a better decision and to be healthier and happier because of it. And honestly, I feel like you can apply that to anything in life, whether it's professional or personal.

Danae Mercer

That's beautiful. Let's make that our mistakes tomorrow. I yes, big fan, Liz, where can we find you? Do you want to share your Instagram with us? 

Liz Plosser

Absolutely, my personal Instagram is @lizPlosser, and you can find the US version of Women's Health at Women's Health Mag on Instagram or womenshealthmag.com Bye.

Danae Mercer

Perfect, well Liz, thank you so, so much for joining us and thanks, everyone, for tuning in to talking out loud. There will be another podcast up next week. So, remember to hit that subscribe button. We'll talk to you soon. Bye.