Want to land your dream job? Follow Arianna Davis’ lead. While at a scholarship dinner at Penn State, Arianna saw O’s Jayne Jamison and decided to make a connection. “I followed her to the bathroom, and was like, ‘I want to work in magazines; what do I do?’ And she kindly didn't think I was a stalker, and she gave me her card.” What started as a rather unconventional meet-and-greet turned into Arianna’s first magazine internship.

A decade later, Arianna is the Digital Director for OprahMag.com and has a book about living boldly (inspired by artist Frida Kahlo) that comes out this fall. She spoke with us about how she’s transitioning to work from home, how brands can do better with inclusivity, and her tips for avoiding burnout.

What’s your current WFH situation?
I’m in Queens, right over the bridge. I love my apartment and I’m so blessed to be right by the river, but there isn’t that much space. I’m in a studio, so it’s just me and four walls. I created my own standing desk by putting two stacks of books together. I get so restless because my days in the office were so busy running in and out of meetings, so having a standing desk makes me feel like I’m more active.

What’s one item that’s become a quarantine staple?
I’m a leggings or sweatpants on the bottom kind of girl. I have not worn jeans in months, but I have been really into headbands right now, because it looks like you put in a lot of effort, so that’s been my staple. My friends have been teasing me that I’ve become the headband queen.

In addition to running the digital team at O, you’ve also written a book. How do you balance your projects?
Working on digital is a 24/7 job, especially given that we recently launched a brand new website. I am such a perfectionist that I don’t know how to create boundaries. It took about a year and a half to find my groove… But even now, if I see an image at midnight, I’ll think, “OMG we have to post that now!” I definitely need to get better at learning to unplug.

How do you deal with burnout?
I just operate from the space that if something excites me, I have to say yes. With my book, the publisher approached me because they were looking for a writer, and heard I had a Frida Kahlo obsession… it was too big of an opportunity to turn down. The writing itself took six months, so I would give myself a hard stop time at work at 7 P.M., and all day Saturday and Sunday, I would spend writing. But I had to motivate myself, definitely. I think burnout is real, and I’m super self-aware, so I try my best to listen to my body and be honest with my friends and co-workers when I’m reaching my limits.

How have you shifted focus on social media and editorial in response to the Black Lives Matter protests?
First and foremost, I feel for me as a Black woman and the site director, supporting the Black community is always a priority. I’ve worked at a lot of places, and I’ve always made it a priority to make sure that it’s a big piece of the brand. With the BLM movement specifically, in addition to our day-to-day content, we wanted to make sure we were covering it in a way that was informing our reader and keeping them educated, and providing ways to be active by giving them options to help. I think we’ve seen a great response, and we’re always so aware of having diverse writers and being as inclusive as possible for the Black community and LGBTQ+ community, and all body shapes and types.

How do movements like the current BLM marches make your job more difficult? How do they provide new opportunities for growth?
I think working in digital is 24/7 no matter what. But at this moment, it feels even moreso. It feels like every time things feel more hopeful, there’s another police brutality instance in the news. For me, as a Black woman leading the digital leg of the brand… it’s a lot. It’s a lot. Paying attention to everything that is happening in the news is a constant job. I think everyone should be doing their part to lead. People are already going back to posting puppies, but George Floyd  was only [murdered] three weeks ago, and it very much feels like brands just want to go back to normal. We should always be thinking about diversity… not just when there’s a news cycle that feels urgent.

How can brands do better at extending that conversation?
I’m not sure there’s any one answer. I think it just takes a change of perspective of who readers are. I think a lot of people have a set idea of who is reading their magazine or website, and we need to be as inclusive as possible. Stories should not just be told from one perspective. If you’re writing stories, you want to think about your blonde and brunette readers, but you should also think of people with natural hair. It’s an ongoing conversation. The time is up for not making this a priority, and not feeling like this is an urgent thing that needs to change. I hope brands that say “Black Lives Matter” today still say that six weeks from now and six months from now.

How can companies who have failed in the past make productive, positive change?
So much of what we have seen with brands being called out is because they were tweeting about Black Lives Matter, and it’s like, “That’s great that you care now, but what about the past?” You have to be as specific as possible with action plans. How are you going to be more inclusive when hiring; what are you going to do for content? Plans and accountability are two things I would love to see more of. There are so many ways we can talk about dismantling inequality and it’s not something that happens overnight, but the first step is looking at how you can do better.

How do you relax after a long day?
I put time aside to take a bath, or I’m a really big reader, so I find that reading before bed is my way to unplug. Reading is the one thing I do when I’m burnt out or feeling like I need a break. I put my phone far away from my bed and give myself some down time.