Of Powerful Women

One of the big benefits of journalism is the element of surprise. You can never be completely sure what the day will bring. I knew I was in for that kind of day Monday morning when I answered my cell phone and found myself talking to Martha Stewart. Yes, that Martha Stewart.
The call was previously scheduled by Kodak to discuss a partnership involving the company's EasyShare Gallery online photofinishing site. I didn't know when the day started that that partnership was with Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia and I certainly didn't expect to be talking with the domestic diva herself. Here's an Associated Press story on the subject. And here's a link to a press release on the subject on the Kodak site (with adjacent photo, downloaded from the Kodak site. That's Kodak CEO Antonio Perez with Stewart, who visited Rochester before signing the deal.)

What made the day unusual was that I was also assigned in the afternoon to attend a press conference called by U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York. Sen. Clinton was in town to participate in a conference on alternative energy and join in a call to organize resources to make Rochester a leader in the field. The conference was held by New Jobs New York, a non-profit economic development group.

Through my career I've interviewed any number of well-known individuals -- governors, quarterbacks, CEOs, actors, etc. -- but rarely have I had a day with two such encounters.