Tea with Courtney Hollands

Kimya Kavehkar
Story #6: Journalist Profile
4/23/09

Tea with Boston Enthusiast and Globe Journalist Courtney Hollands

She waltzes into the basement of Tealuxe on Newbury five minutes late and already apologizing profusely. “I’m so sorry I’m late,” she says. “It’s so hard to find parking downtown!” Her blonde hair and persistently cheery face gives a stunning likeness to Kate Hudson with the sparkling personality to match. Of course a girl with so much life and vivacity has a career that demands her boundless amount of attention and energy.

As a Senior Production Manager for the Boston Globe’s website, Boston.com, her duties are largely creative, such as coming up with features for the “Things To Do” section and designing the webpage. But Hollands is not a one-trick-pony, along with her main job, she has picked up several other endeavors including writing for the Globe’s fashion blog, Stylephile, appearing on the radio every Friday to talk about what’s going on in Boston over the weekend, and writing for another Boston-centric website called Wickedlocal.com.

Her writing style is friendly and conversational that stays true to how she speaks in person. She grew up all over the U.S. from Las Vegas to Wisconsin, following her father who is a pharmaceutical representative, but ended up settling in New Hampshire in her teenage years. With her parents both involved in the science industry, Hollands felt like the “odd duck out” wanting to become a writer. When it came time to choose colleges, Hollands fell in love with Boston University, and set her sights on achieving an internship with Rolling Stone in Australia, which she calls “amazing.” “I kind of walked in and expected that I’d be filing,” Hollands reminisces. “The second day I went on tour with Good Charlotte and I was like ‘What? I did that! ‘”

After coming back from her overseas adventure of a lifetime, Hollands went to work for The Patriot Ledger in Quincy, Mass. She threw herself whole-heartedly into the job. She wasn’t used to reporting on zoning laws and town hall meetings, but she soon learned how to maneuver her way around the fast-paced world of being a full-time journalist. Soon she learned about an opportunity at the Globe and jumped at the chance. “When I learned the Globe had an opening, I was really excited about the job,” Holland says.

Part of working in the “Things to Do” section and at Wickedlocal.com requires her knowing all of the cool and hip things to do in Boston and the surrounding areas. “One of my goals is getting to know the city,” Hollands says. “I really value a job where I get to explore; but I love indulging my fun side.” She can rattle of a list of the best places to eat, to drink, and see a show off the top of her head. Ask her for a recommendation and whip out a notepad, she won’t leave a detail out and will specify her recommendations per district. It is clear through the excitement in her voice that she loves what she does, but there is also a worry about whether she can keep pursuing her passion.

With the current economic situation, nothing is certain as far as job safety goes, especially in the journalism industry. She fidgets with the frayed edges of her gray scarf as she speaks on the subject. “There’s definitely a feeling of uncertainty and stress,” she says. “That’s true across the board for the journalism community.” But being the bubbly woman she is, Hollands brings a pinch of optimism to a topic that has her peers tearing out their hair in worry. “It isn’t all gloom and doom. It’s a really cool time to be in journalism.”