MADE Maven Special Women's Issue April 2018 | Page 52

MADE: After many years of being on
television, what still excites you the
most about what you do?
VW: When you say many years,
you’re right because it’s been 20 plus
years that I’ve been in the business,
if you want to count the intern
years. I [interned] at a TV station
in San Diego, KGTV, for three years.
What still excites me about what
I do are the people I get to meet
every day, the stories I get to tell
and the reaction and the feedback
from everybody. Windy City Live is
really unique because we get instant
feedback on whether people like
something or don’t like something.
Whatever emotion they’re feeling, we
get that because we have a live studio
audience. It’s one of the things that
energizes Ryan and I both because we
can tell when we talk about a story
that really resonates with people.
That’s what still excites me and just
being able to bring those stories and
segments to people where they’re
learning and they’re entertained. We
get to just run the gamut and that’s
what really exciting about my job.
MADE: We love WCL because when
we’re watching you and Ryan, it feels
like we’re just listening to friends
talk. Your energy exudes through
the TV screen. Going back to being
on television for 20 plus years, what
sacrifices have contributed to your
longevity?
VW: I think one of the biggest
sacrifices is that I’m willing to move
with this business. That’s one of the
biggest things I tell kids when I’m out
talking to them about this business
and the things it takes to get started
in this business. You have to make the
sacrifice to leave your comfort zone.
So for me, I grew up in Los Angeles—
big city, number two market in the
country, but I knew I was never going
to start off on TV in LA. That was just
impossible. I had to put in the work.
I had to pay my dues. I was willing to
leave the comfort of family and friends
and everything I knew and love.
My first TV job, I interviewed over
the phone, I had never gone there. I
took a job in Roswell, New Mexico. I
never even heard of Roswell before.
Just the fact that a news director was
willing to gamble on me as a person
who has never been on camera. I
had just a tape of what I could do in
college and he had given me a shot. I
packed up my little Honda Civic and I
went so that’s a big sacrifice to leave
your friends and family and go pursue
your career.
MADE: The sacrifice was well worth
it. Throughout your career, you’ve
been able to reinvent yourself in way
that’s authentic and relatable. How
were you able to accomplish that?
VW: I really don’t have a good
answer for that other than I am
extremely blessed and I’ve always
stayed myself. Every job I’ve had, I’ve
never been anybody other than me.
When I got Windy City Live I was
leaving WGN as a traffic reporter and
morning anchor and I was stepping
out on faith, taking a risky job
doing a startup and everyone kept
saying, “You’ll do a good job. Just be
yourself.” I was thinking, I don’t know
any other way to be! (laughs) I’ve
just been really fortunate and really
blessed and I don’t take any of that
for granted that I can just connect
with people because I think when they
watch me on the TV, they think of
me as Val their girlfriend. Sometimes
I’m out and about and it’s so funny
because people will come up to me
and say, “Hey Auntie!” (laughs) I love
that because at the end of the day,
they see Val. Val the momma, Val the
daughter, Val the forever engaged
fiancée and just somebody as their
friend and who can help them figure
things out and entertain them and
hopefully make them smile and laugh.
That’s the bottom line.
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