Five Minutes With Pia Velasco.

Pia Velasco – Senior Beauty Editor, InStyle

1. Tell us about your current occupation and how you landed such a fabulous job.⁣

My career started when I applied to the internship program at Time Inc (RIP), and I actually wanted to go into politics, but since I’m bilingual, I was placed at People en Español magazine under the fashion and beauty director. Eventually, I fell in love with the beat and never left. Most recently, I got my job as Senior Beauty Editor at InStyle in a bit of an unorthodox way. The outlet I had previously worked for folded at the end of September ’21, and the company created a centralized beauty team for me and two others. Then, Meredith was acquired and that centralized team was disintegrated. I had previously expressed interested in joining InStyle, so when a lateral position to mine opened up, I went for it. Thankfully, it all worked out and now I’m part of an outstanding team.

2. What's your best advice for PR professionals?

Provide all the information editors need upfront! We receive hundreds of emails every day, and we are almost never able to answer all of them, so just assume we want all the information to prevent unnecessary back-and-forth.

3. What's a fun fact about you?

I was born ambidextrous, so my teachers trained me to be right-handed. However, I was never able to change my grasp, so while I write with my right hand, I hold my pens as if I were a leftie.

4. Tell us about your favorite nonprofit and why.

Planned Parenthood forever! I’m definitely pro-choice and that’s a huge part of why I support PP, but beyond that, they provide essential care to so many people beyond providing safe abortions. Think birth control, cancer screenings, STD tests, hormone therapy, etc.

5. What's your favorite meal, movie, or vacation spot?

I don’t know if I have a favorite vacation spot, but anywhere that has a warm ocean I can surf in, a boardwalk I can use my longboard on, and soft sand is good with me!