FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM APRIL 1, 2021 • THE QUEENS COURIER 47
Victoria’s
SECRETS
Victoria
SCHNEPSYUNIS
vschneps@gmail.com
tweet me @vschneps
What a special week
My favorite saying is
“my life is a giant spider
web” because I’m
repeatedly fi nding and making
unexpected connections to people.
Th is week, my “spider web”
landed me on TV.
About two weeks ago I got a
call from a young production
intern at “Good Day New York”
on Fox 5, which features my
favorite media person Rosanna
Scotto and her co-host Lori
Stokes.
I had gotten to know Rosanna
aft er she hosted multiple Power
Women events we ran. Her
warmth and intelligence has
soared her audience, but I didn’t
realize how much!
Th eir intern was tasked with
fi nding women to recognize
for Women’s History Month
in March. He reached out and
shared with me that he had
interviewed a woman earlier in
the month and asked her to recommend
another person. She
had been one of our Caribbean
Impact Award honorees and
he told me she immediately
asked him, “Do you know Vicki
Schneps?” So, aft er a Google
search of my name, he gave me
a call.
To my delight, he invited me
to be on the show. Th e appearance
was fi rst scheduled to air
on a Monday, but then it was
switched to Wednesday. Until
the Zoom interview was actually
conducted, I didn’t know for sure
it would happen. Aft er all, this
was a feature story, and breaking
news always comes fi rst!
But we got the green light and
I immediately made plans for
hair and makeup preparations.
My hair was easy! Marissa, a
super hair cutter at Christie &
Co Salon in Bayside, gave me
a great cut, but fi guring out the
makeup was challenging, given
the COVID world we live in. So
into my “spider web” I went!
A friend of mine knew supermodel
Carol Alt, who in turn
recommended a makeup artist,
who took an Uber and appeared
just on time to work his magic
with my face. He even helped
me select what to wear for my
interview!
Th en I had my resident IT
specialist Eric help me navigate
my computer link to the TV
show. I panicked as I couldn’t
fi nd the Zoom link they sent,
but Eric swooped in to save the
day, thanks to a screen-sharing
app that helped him navigate
my computer from his home in
New Jersey.
Th anks to Eric’s help, I was
in the “room” with “Good Day
New York” producer Angela
Cascarano at 9:30, but there was
no sound! I don’t know how he
did it, but Eric again came to the
rescue — I could hear them and
they could hear me, and just in
time, as we were only one minute
away from being on air!
Suddenly, I heard Rosanna and
Lori welcome me to the show.
I couldn’t see them, but I heard
them loud and clear.
My staff had sent the producer
some shots of me marching
and picketing at Willowbrook
and fi ghting for my daughter
Lara’s rights, as well as front
pages of our Queens Courier,
my fi rst newspaper. We had also
sent some videos of our Power
Women events, but they chose
not to use them.
Th e interview went by quickly.
In fact, it was the fastest 15 minutes
of my life! Having previously
known Rosanna made me feel
so comfortable because it felt just
like “girl talk.”
I was grateful to share the
growth of our company from
one newspaper in northeast
Queens to where we are today:
74 media outlets in print and
digital. But no one builds a successful
business alone.
I was blessed that my son
Josh joined the company aft er
a successful stint as an investment
banker. He has helped us
with our organic growth and the
acquisitions that have forged our
company to the four divisions
we have today: print, digital,
events (more than 100 per year)
and broadcasting! And lucky for
me, my daughter Elizabeth has
helped our team grow a new
On the air with Rosanna Scotto and Lori Stokes!
division: webinars.
Th e magic of our company
surviving and thriving is how
we pivot and fi nd new ways to
reach our audience. Our media
motto, “WE’RE ALL ABOUT
YOU,” has kept us strong. As
community journalists, that is
our core. And it was an extraordinary
opportunity to be able to
share that with Rosanna, Lori
and their viewers!
HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM MY FAMILY TO YOURS
We held a COVID-safe traditional Passover seder outdoors, going back to the
traditional roots of our Jewish history. How great it was to celebrate together!
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