
Most people who grew up reading mystery novels don't end up solving actual mysteries for a living, but Megan Graham at The Wall Street Journal found her version of it.
Her path from carrying heavy yellow books everywhere to covering how brands break into the cultural zeitgeist for CMO Today wasn't exactly linear—there was a spreadsheet tracking job applications that tells its own story about persistence in journalism—but it led somewhere worth going. Now she writes about the thing every company desperately wants to figure out: how to get people talking about them in a way that actually matters.
Watch to understand how observation beats pitching, why breaking through noise requires strategy most companies need to learn, and what happens when you still text your mom photos of what you cooked for dinner approval (even when you're a Wall Street Journal reporter who definitely knows how to cook by now).
Megan Graham: Her Take on What CMOs Actually Want to Read 📖
- Nancy Drew to Wall Street Journal: Obsessed with Nancy Drew as a kid, decided to become a reporter, worked her way from high school newspaper editor through college paper to eventually landing at WSJ after 4 years at Ad Age 📚
- 2012 Graduate Persistence: Graduated during a tough time for journalism jobs, applied to 75+ positions before Kokomo Tribune in Indiana hired her as a business reporter 📊
- CMO Today Focus: Covers how companies break through noise and into the zeitgeist at WSJ - "companies just want people to be talking about them positively" - writing for CMOs who can't get enough AI content 🎯
- Anti-Pitch Philosophy: Best stories don't come from pitches but from seeing something and noticing social media chatter - companies need to be more proactive before moments happen 💡
- Cooking Content Creator: Still sends cooking pics to her mom for approval (even though she now cooks for her boyfriend) - recently made crispy rice with smoked salmon and ate all but two pieces 🍳
📰News You Should Know



☀️Tomorrow on ATM
We are all Mc"DRAW"ing conclusions on who is coming tomorrow ✍️
XOXO,
