Anna Coke Buckman is living her dream of writing and editing about all things shopping-related, including can’t-miss sales, new product launches and brand collaborations.
At 26, she is the shopping news editor at The Zoe Report, an online media publication based in New York City that is part of the Bustle Group.
“I love discovering new products and telling others about them, and I love working with my amazing team of writers,” she said.
Although Buckman lived in Manhattan when she began the job, she has returned to Lexington, Ky., where she went to the University of Kentucky. She is glad to return as her family still lives outside Owensboro and she can visit more frequently.
It was during college that Buckman, who was trying to find ways to be connected to the fashion industry, found an online internship called College Fashionista.
“I applied and was accepted, and I started photographing stylish students on campus and writing about them for CF’s website,” Buckman said.
She continued this while a student and during that time, ended up becoming “very close” with College Fashionista’s team and founders.
“Right before I graduated they offered me a job and I moved to Manhattan weeks after graduating from college,” she said.
She worked for them for more than two years, and then she started stretching her editorial wings and began applying for editorial positions in fashion and beauty. This led to her current position at The Zoe Report.
Buckman, who graduated from Daviess County High School, originally went to Savannah College of Art and Design to study fashion marketing and management, transferred to the University of Kentucky to be closer to friends and family. That same pull has brought her back to her home state as she is able to complete her work digitally.
She said her typical day can “get wild,” and is “pretty much the same” every day. She works at her computer prior to her four writers to get a head start on the day. Throughout the day, she assigns her team stories while also looking for newsworthy stories. She also responds to publicists, interviews people for stories and edits her writers’ work.
“I actually work from home, though, as do all of the writers I manage, which is a nice perk,” she said.
Buckman also writes content for The Zoe Report and said that she has “favorites,” including “2019s Logomaina Isn’t Slowing Down for This Unexpected Reason” and “The 2020 Paint Trends That Will Be Huge In Your City (& Which Colors You Might Want To Avoid,” among others.
She also provides personal styling services as well as home styling services that can be virtual or in-person.
“That can mean anything from sending a client a few links to things they’re looking for, or coming in and overhauling their entire closet or space,” she said.
The COVID-19 limitations have not affected Buckman, who has been working remotely for a year and has adjusted to this type of work situation.
“I feel very fortunate for that,” she said. “So other than some of the types of content my team is creating — and the fact that I can no longer go work at Starbucks when I get sick of my house — not much has changed.”
