RE LOG Fall 2017

20 Ransom Everglades LOG FALL 2017 enjoyed the job, but soon yearned to return to the field of education. He persuaded his sister, Carolyn, and a friend, Jeff, to help him found an educational counseling company called Achieva College Prep Service. The trio of 20-somethings lived together in Palo Alto, Calif., in a two- bedroom apartment with a couch in the living room. They worked relentlessly. “My parents really had a hard time” with this decision, Watson said. “That first year at McKinsey, while I really didn’t make a lot of money in the grand scheme of things, I made more money that year than my parents had ever made combined in a year. So the notion that I would walk away from that … they were understandably really nervous for me.” They needn’t have worried. Achieva grew quickly. As the company gained prominence, Watson was occasionally invited to talk about education trends on television news shows. With his energy, people skills and persistence – combined with his million-dollar smile and love of conversation – he proved a natural on camera. That ease and comfort drove him to his next career stop. In 2002, he and his partners sold Achieva to a subsidiary of The Washington Post Company. The sale provided Watson with a financial cushion for the first time in his life, and allowed him to audition for a number of jobs in television. Before long, he had earned guest appearances on Fox and Court TV. Those occasional appearance paved the way for a more formal gig as a political commentator on CNN. Over the next decade, he served as co- anchor or anchor for shows on MSNBC, Hearst Television and PBS. My television success “was an unexpected ride, but a delicious one,” he said. “I enjoyed it. I had fun, and I met a lot of good people.” Back to his roots It was near the end of Watson’s mother’s battle with kidney cancer – she died in July 2014 at 82 – that he was inspired to make his most recent career shift. As he sat by her bedside in Northern California, Rose Watson reminded her son to make sure he continued to chase his passions. He recalled the pleasurable nights he spent watching Nightline and other news shows with his father, an energetic consumer of news. Watson aspired not merely to talk about the day’s news, but to change the way it was presented. Late in 2013, he founded OZY Media, which promised fresh stories that would keep people ahead of the curve. Rewards have come slowly, but victories have been sweet. In the last 24 months, Watson said, the site has quintupled its web audience to 25 million viewers a month – surpassing Politico, the Economist and The New Yorker. It’s continued to attract investors. And, as it seeks to expand, OZY has dabbled in broadcast television and jumped into the events business. In July, the company held the second-annual OZY Fest in Central Park. Watson has come so far from his days at Ransom Everglades. Yet, in some ways, nothing has really changed. He’s working as hard as ever, thankful for every opportunity, and dreaming just as big. “The news and media can make you more creative and open, and bolder and savvier,” he said. “Who says the news has to be utilitarian, and it can’t be art? We hope we broaden people’s perspectives and elevate how they think about the world.” Success in television “was an unexpected ride, but a delicious one. I enjoyed it. I had fun, and I met a lot of good people.” – Carlos Watson