Meet Trailblazer Peyton Garcia

Today we’d like to introduce you to Peyton Garcia.

Peyton, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I consider myself fortunate that I’ve always known exactly what I wanted to do. I’ve loved writing since I can remember. And more than just writing, I love telling stories—my stories, other people’s stories, make-believe stories. Writing is an amazingly pliable medium for entertainment, self-expression, and communication. I knew writing was my future with a blind-faith, gut-feeling sense of security. I loved it so much, I was never really bothered with the ‘how’—how I’d get there, how I’d make myself stand out, how I’d survive on a writer’s paycheck—I just knew it’s what I wanted.

I had teachers and peers and loved ones encouraging me from day one, all the way from elementary exercises to AP Creative Writing courses in high school. I studied journalism in college, and it was then that I really began to understand what the reality of a career in writing looked like: Freelance work is nearly impossible to live on. The competition is high. Your very psyche is laid bare for criticism, red pen, and rejection. And you have to be creative every working day of your life. But none of that turned me off from it. That’s how I knew I was on the right path.

I scored a paid position writing for the campus newspaper during my freshman year of college covering the arts and entertainment scene. It was small-scale stories and meager pay, but it was thrilling, and seeing my name in print for the very first time was an adrenaline junkie kind of rush.

A month out of college, I landed an internship position with Denver’s 303 Magazine. I was in charge of social media, but after only a few weeks I managed to (enthusiastically) pester my way into my first assignment. After one byline, I earned myself a few stories a month, all centered around Denver entertainment and lifestyle. My time at 303 was an excellent introduction to the industry and Denver’s tight network of writers.

It took me two applications, several ardent emails, and an insider nudge from a friend of a friend of a friend’s girlfriend to get my foot in the door at the Denver Post. But at 22, only five months out of college and in an industry with an extraordinarily high drop-out rate, I was the youngest member on my team at the state’s most established newspaper.

At Denver Post, I covered community news. It wasn’t theater reviews, concert previews, and book recommendations anymore, but real-time news, and sometimes even breaking news. It was a fast-paced, deadline-driven, by-the-book job that chiseled my writing and editing skills. I’m also proud to say I was a part of the Denver Post during a tumultuous time for the industry as a whole that sparked the #NewsMatters movement within the organization and across a number of major local media outlets.

But as print newsrooms across the nation started (and continue) to feel the growing weight of an industry rapidly turning digital, and layoffs across the industry began to surge, I made the decision to leave the world of hard news and again pursue my interests in lifestyle and print magazines.

In April of 2018, I joined DiningOut Magazine as the Web Editor. One year later, I stepped into the role of Managing Editor. Today, I am 25, in a position I love, with more hands-on experience than I ever could have dreamed of, and I still can’t believe I’m getting paid to do what I love most. I’ve found endless nourishment in an industry that isn’t always kind or easy. A lot of my success has been, I believe, a combination of lucky timing and undisguised enthusiasm, but even more of it has been persistent optimism and VERY hard work.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I’ve been fortunate and I’ve worked hard, but this is not an easy industry to break into. One of my biggest worries upon graduating college was that I would have paid all this money and spent all this time earning a degree that would leave me waitressing tables for the rest of my life. You have to want this, and you have to be ready to get back up after every rejection. This industry can really take its toll. This career path requires you to put your best creative efforts out there to be scrutinized not only by your editors but by a massive public audience. It’s an invaluable piece of advice to accept that there will ALWAYS be consumers who find something to dislike about your work. Learn to thrive on criticism and constructive feedback. Learn to identify which responses are valuable and which aren’t worth the rise—it will only make you a stronger writer and editor. And always put up a fight for what you want. I never wait to be noticed, I ask for what I want (sometimes two or three times!) and I never undersell my worth.

I’ve also been fortunate enough to have exclusively female editors who are just powerhouses, real-life Wonder Women, and who, to me, have served as tenacious symbols of female empowerment. It’s an extremely powerful thing, as a female, to be surrounded by accomplished and capable women in charge. I hope to someday offer the same sense of security to young women in the industry, as well as continue to see a shift in society as a whole when it comes to the treatment of women in the workplace. Surround yourself with positive, like-minded individuals, and you’ll thrive.

Please tell us about DiningOut Magazine – what should we know?
DiningOut Magazine is a national publication available in seven major cities/areas across the U.S. (San Diego, Orange County, Denver, Chicago, New Jersey, Atlanta, and Miami) with a headquarters in Denver. We serve as a guide to fine dining and food culture within each respective market, covering everything from chef personalities and Michelin-starred restaurants to the mixology scene and DIY recipes. As Managing Editor, I oversee the print and web production of all seven markets. To describe it in a nutshell, my workload involves assigning stories, setting production deadlines, communicating with the publishers and printers, and editing and producing all editorial content. But when I can find the time, I still enjoy getting out on assignment, doing interviews, writing features, and dabbling in photography. DiningOut also produces the DiningOut Passbook, a coupon book with buy-one-get-one deals to several dozen area restaurants. We also put on a number of popular food festivals, including Top Taco, Chicken Fight, and RARE Steak Championship.

Which women have inspired you in your life?
I have been lucky enough to find myself surrounded by powerful, talented women throughout my career: Brittany Werges at 303 Magazine, who took that first chance on me out of college, is a true titaness of our industry and everything I hope to be as an editor; Alison Borden and Dena Rosenberry at Denver Post finessed my writing and strengthened my sea legs; and Morgan Carter at DiningOut Magazine—a real firecracker of a woman—inspires women all around her to stand up and speak out.

But deeper than that, my mother shaped me in every way possible which resulted in the woman I am today. She was a young, single mother of three, working odd-end jobs to get by, who made a name for herself and continues to defy the odds in an established career path of her own. Because of her, I was the very first person in my family to attend and graduate college. Because of her, I’ve never had any doubt in my abilities to do exactly what I want to do. Because of her, I am a hardworking, faith-driven, try-to-tell-me-I-can’t woman who has only ever felt proud and powerful to be a girl.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://diningout.com/
• Email: pgarcia@diningout.com
• Other: http://peytongarciamedia.com/

Image Credit:
Christine Vazquez (Image 1) Kiddest Metaferia (Image 4)

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