When Brandi Smith left KHOU 11 Houston at the end of 2023, she thought she had made a "terrible mistake." It turns out she was just moving on to the next exciting chapter of her life.
After being hired at Channel 11 in 2017, Smith was immediately thrust into a viral storm after Hurricane Harvey's destruction of the KHOU studios, followed by a promotion to weekend morning anchor and then to the pioneering position of digital anchor.
Now working at Rice University for the last few years, Smith tells us about embarking on another career phase as she becomes co-owner of Houston Moms still putting those TV news skills to good use.
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Mike McGuff: Have you missed local TV news since leaving KHOU?
Brandi Smith: The first three or so months after I left KHOU 11, I worried I had made a terrible mistake by leaving and joining Rice News, the news arm of Rice University. I missed the adrenaline that comes with breaking news and chasing down stories for a "win." But then it sort of hit me that every story I get to do at Rice is a win. I get to share stories about students and faculty who are making a huge impact in Houston and beyond. They're professors like Benjamin Kamins who worked on developing a more affordable bassoon so more kids can access classical music. And students like Maya Harpavat who blended her English and health sciences majors and created writing workshops to teach cancer patients and their caretakers how to journal as an outlet. I've also recently taken on responsibilities with Rice Global, which has meant more travel to Rice's campus in Paris (the Rice Global Paris Center), India (Rice has established an office in Bangalore) and Venice, where Rice has joined the esteemed consortium Venice International University.
What I found I missed was the direct connection I had with viewers. That still exists on social media, but it just felt like I didn't have as much to share or discuss when I wasn't posting the news of the day. Last fall, my friend Meagan Clanahan approached me about producing some videos for Houston Moms and I was excited to tap into that side of things again. Those conversations just kind of evolved and we started talking about me joining HM as an owner, which was a really exciting prospect for me.
How are you using your TV career skills with Houston Moms?
Brandi: I think the simplest answer here is my video production skills. Houston Moms already has a team of extremely talented writers and some of them are also strong on social media. But let's be real, with apps like TikTok, Instagram and even Facebook now pushing videos more than static posts, one of the things I've been tasked with is creating videos that get the word out about the incredible content our contributors are creating.
As a mother yourself, what experiences do you hope to bring to your readers?
Brandi: I'm further along in my mom journey than a lot of our other contributors since my youngest is about to start her freshman year in college. I shared about that in one of my first articles for HM. But I still remember the challenges and celebrations, the tough talks, the ongoing battles. I can tap into all of that when the time is right. I mean, shoot, I just updated our list of family-friendly breweries, which anyone who follows me will know is right up my alley!
What is your advice for those still in TV news who are looking to use their skills and transition out of the media biz?
Brandi: We need journalists. I want to be clear about that. I don't want to discourage anyone from staying in an industry they love and have a passion for. But that industry has flaws: journalists are undervalued, underpaid and overworked --- so burnout can come on fast. So my advice for someone who is considering transitioning out of a traditional newsroom would be to consider all the incredible skills they've developed that are valuable anywhere: clear, concise communication; research and fact-checking; time management; working under pressure; interviewing and listening; adaptability; critical thinking and analysis; video and audio production; digital and social media fluency; problem-solving --- and that's just off the top of my head! In the past few years, organizations of all sizes have really started to understand and appreciate what someone with a newsroom background can bring into almost any environment.
- Yes, Justin Stapleton and Brandi are a couple
Is there anything else you'd like to mention?
Brandi: I truly never thought I would leave a traditional newsroom. I started in one at 19 as a multimedia journalist at my hometown TV station and I would have stayed in my role at KHOU 11 if management there had treated its people better. When Rice offered me the job, I was so conflicted because we're talking about Rice (!!), one of the best universities in the entire country! But I loved what I did at KHOU 11. I had so many discussions with my family about it and I was confused about why it was so clear to them that Rice was the right choice. But they'd watched me through 22 years of this journalism career --- moving every couple of years, scraping to get by, working long hours --- and, though they knew how passionate I was about it, they wanted me to have a position where I would be fulfilled but also appreciated. Almost two years later, I can say they were completely right.
