Five Minutes With Sonia Azad.
Sonia Azad – health and wellness reporter
1. Tell us about your current occupation and how you landed such a fabulous job.
I am a health & wellness reporter -- covering everything from the science of fitness and nutrition to infectious disease and medicine. I have a background in studying anatomy and physiology through my training as a dancer and certified yoga instructor. I have also studied neurology/ brain science through my meditation teacher training. I've completed additional coursework in: cardiology and epidemiology. I guess you could say I love learning about how our bodies work. I came back into health reporting after more than a decade as a crime reporter. This feels more in alignment with what I personally enjoy learning about and sharing with audiences.
2. What's your best advice for PR professionals?
Watch local news and read local newspapers. Often, I am disappointed to receive pitches from PR professionals who are unfamiliar with my work, my segments and who lack knowledge about me as a reporter or person. Many of them come to me with pitches for my "Wellness Wednesday" segment-- but don't even know how the segments are structured or what time they typically air. They want airtime, but aren't familiar with the franchises that they're pitching for. I would say-- establish a relationship with the reporters you want to pitch to. Follow them on social media, reach out to ask what they're working on and if you can help to fill in the blanks-- rather than just reaching out when you want to get a client on TV or quoted in the paper.
3. What's a fun fact about you?
I grew up as a trained dancer (ballet, tap, jazz, modern, lyrical, hip hop etc) -- and taught classes from high school until I went to grad school. My childhood dream was to be in an MTV music video as a backup dancer for some huge celebrity... maybe someone will see this and make it happen. 😉
4. Tell us about your favorite nonprofit and why.
Be The Difference Foundation: This nonprofit offers resources, help and guidance to ovarian cancer survivors. The four major symptoms of ovarian cancer are tricky (bloating, feeling full after eating, belly pain, frequent urination) -- meaning, they can be mistaken for a million other issues or ailments. If a person doesn't have a conversation with her doctor, the cancer can advance and that's why it's typically caught in late-stages. Be The Difference Foundation hosts an annual event called Wheel to Survive... a cycle class fundraiser. It's SO fun, and marries my two great loves: fitness and women's health. Because September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness month, I hope to bring more attention and awareness to the Foundation's efforts -- and to remind anyone with ovaries to please see a doctor and start a conversation if you're having questionable symptoms.
5. What's your favorite meal, movie, or vacation spot?
Traveling is magic for me. It can offer adventure, relaxation, inspiration, indulgence... So I will go with favorite vacation spot: Bora Bora, French Polynesia. I swam with sharks and sting rays, ate local food, and drove an ATV to the highest point for the most spectacular sunset view I've ever seen. The climate, water, sun and sand were refreshing-- and the people were warm, incredibly kind and generous. If I ever just disappear and you wonder where I went... that's where you'll find me. 😊