She launched her journalism career more than 20 years ago at the Mail on Sunday in London and rapidly ascended the corporate ladder with a combination of sheer talent and hard work. According to Raphaely her success can be attributed to being smart and focused.
"People say I am passionate. I’ve been lucky enough to have a very strong and professional team work with me for a long time – consistency and experience really helps in this industry, where there is huge turnover," she comments. She adds that she has never patronised her readers and that she has been “at it” for a long, long time.
As Editor of Cosmopolitan Magazine South Africa and Editorial Director of Associated Magazines in Cape Town, Raphaely does not have a lot of free time on her hands, however she recently took time from her hectic schedule to speak to Suite101.
Why did you want to become a journalist/editor?
"It was just about the only natural talent I had!"
What qualities do you need to become the editor of a high profile glossy magazine such as COSMO?
"In my case it is just as important to be business-minded, as it is to be good at communicating with young women. COSMO is the engine of our entire company and our turn-over is significant."
Do you ever suffer from writer's block and if so, how do you treat it?
"I honestly cannot imagine what more I have to say in my editor’s letters, but each month, I somehow come up with something. If I never have to write a Advertising Mailer again, it would be too soon.
But I can always find something to say on my blog. I am not a very good writer, I am a good vacuum cleaner. I am a natural curator of information. Somehow I know what readers want to read."
What is the best career advice you ever received?
"You have two ears, two eyes and only one mouth. Use them accordingly."
As the editor of COSMO you have an inside look into the hearts and minds of young women. What, according to you, is the biggest challenge facing young women today?
"Fear. In our country – fear is a very real handicap. Women are more fearful of being alone, than they are of being abused. They are more fearful of speaking up – instead of making their voices heard. They are fearful of rejection, of people laughing at them, of what people think about them. I hope to instill bravery in every COSMO reader."
How do you handle criticism such as the controversy surrounding the launch of Cosmo's first sealed sex section?
"Like an Irishman treats a dose of the clap, with contempt! (Joke). I have never been much bothered by what “people” think. COSMO is ONLY for it’s reader, and like Marmite, if you aren’t that keen on it, you don’t have to have anything to do with it."
Apart from having a very successful career you are also a wife and a mother. How do you manage all these areas of your life without feeling overwhelmed?
"I do feel overwhelmed. I don’t sleep. And I also run the company with my partner, Julia Raphaely and I am Editorial Director (which is a very hands on job) of three other magazines and COSMO OnLine and Digital. It is too much!"
Cosmoplitan has retained its position as the number one glossy magazine in SA for more than a decade already. How do you stay ahead of the game in this competitive industry?
"It would help if I had a massive infrastructure, some healthy working capital and to own the means of distribution. But as I never have had any of those, I’ll say a healthy respect for both the readers and the advertisers. And learning very quickly that any successful title is a brand and not merely expressions of any one person’s whims."
What advice do you have for women who want to follow in your footsteps?
"When you start to work, work like a demon. Before that, educate yourself as much as you can, and travel as much as you can. That kind of sophistication makes all the difference.
Understand that we are all immigrants now. There is no “print” industry, just content, communities and communication - which can exist on any platform."
Apart from inspiring and encouraging readers with interesting articles, COSMO has literally saved someone's life. Raphaely initiated a self-defense programme called COSMO Kicks Butt 7 years ago and says that this has helped women in South Africa deal with the scrouge of crime in a meaningful way. "One reader went to a workshop, was attacked and broke the man’s nose with her December COSMO. That was a good result: an enormous issue (those re the days!) and a lesson learned," Raphaely recounts.
When asked about her motto in life, Raphaely says that she doesn't think that she has one. However, she says that she doesn't do functions on her children’s time and that the words please and thank you matter. She advises that if at first, 100th or 1000th time you haven’t succeeded, just go right back in, and try something different. "But I am grateful for what I have and don’t pine over what I can’t. Except handbags. And art. I have a bit of a problem with both of those," she admits.
She also reveals that her best escape time is time spent with her children and friends. "We have a house up the coast and I like to swim in the sea and walk in the fynbos. Watch the dolphins. Drink wine. Cook meals for people I love. Read books. Simple stuff."
Honest, entertaining and wise – these qualities are personified by Raphaely and undoubtedly transpire through COSMO's pages which keeps readers coming back for more.
Nadine Visagie - I am a freelance journalist and full-time French student who currently live in the South of France with my fiancé. I graduated ...
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