Memorable Moments in Chicagoland Innovation

 

About This Series: The story of innovation in Chicago is best told through the experiences of accomplished local visionaries. All innovators are blessed with imagination, drive and at least a bit of serendipity. In this 10-part series, we will showcase how inspiration turns into execution and the creation of new systems. These stories are only the beginning.
 

Featured Chicago Innovator: Susanna Negovan, Editor in Chief, Michigan Avenue Magazine

 

Susanna Negovan of Michigan Avenue Magazine shares how her passion for people is a guiding force in her career.

 

Susanna Negovan on how relationships can define a job:

There is nobody in Chicago more in the know than Michigan Avenue Magazine Editor in Chief Susanna Homan Negovan.

 

After serving as the Chicago Sun-Times society and nightlife columnist for nearly a decade, Negovan took on the audacious task of launching a glossy luxury magazine at the beginning of a recession. Despite the tough economy and shift in media consumption patterns toward the Internet, Michigan Avenue Magazine has thrived by focusing on the individual visionaries behind Chicago’s swankiest restaurants, galleries and boutiques.

 

“If you don’t write about the person, the story means nothing,” explains Negovan, adding that cultivating relationships with virtually everyone she comes into contact with is a critical component of her success.

 

“It used to be that every party I went to I would get 20 business cards,” says Negovan. “But if there wasn’t a reason to get in touch with someone right away I would just throw the cards away. I have learned that there are so many ways to cross network and be involved with people.”

 

As all industries go through a “seismic shift” in how they operate, Negovan believes it is critical for everyone to not only develop, but also systematically manage their professional networks. Properly maintained relationships are the key to success in storytelling and all professional walks of life.

 

“If you are a salesperson,” she says, “it is a good thing if you are persuasive. It is even better if you have a database of 2,000 people.”

 

 

 

 

The "Innovation in Chicago" series features interviews and work by Brad Spirrison. Brad is a local technology writer and media creator. Each week he authors the “Tech Matters” column in the Chicago Sun-Times. He can be reached at brad@chicago.com.