About Us

Everything you need to know about us

When we started talking about creating a new website for women, we wanted to avoid all of the common categories that advertisers or marketers tend to put us in. We didn’t want to be a site just for moms or just for single women or working women, or any specific demo- or psychographic. We wanted to create a smart, dynamic place for women to gather, get info and to connect with each other and the world around them. The important thing wasn’t how to talk to a 32.5 year-old with 2.2 kids but how to inspire you laugh, think, get mad, empathize, and be surprised and entertained. With Shine, we want to address the commonalities that make us such an amazing group. And we want you to be a part of it, not just a bystander. This isn’t a magazine or a tv show where you are an inactive participant. You help create this site. On Shine we want you to blog (go here to start your own, it’s pretty easy), to comment on articles, to vote in our daily polls, to join in the harangue as we discuss daily events.

We women are presently experiencing something very cool happening in our culture and shine intends on being a part of it. We’ve got a woman campaigning for the top job in the country, female bloggers now outnumber men, and we’ve got Tina Fey writing a hit network show for goodness sakes. We no longer need to stand by passively as the media portrays us as fashion-obsessed diet victims. With the internet as our megaphone, we can now portray ourselves as funny, opinionated women who are in charge of our incomes, careers, families and happiness.

So what you won’t find on Shine: Advice on how to please your man and diets that urge you to “lose 10 pounds fast!” What you will find on Shine: Why buying an expensive “It Bag” is a waste of money; how to make a meal in 30 minutes; how to make a face mask out of last night’s 30-minute meal (okay not really but you get the idea), how to de-stress at your desk; sharp, opinionated takes on the news; and finally, that you aren’t alone in your “Dancing with the Stars” obsession. We get it.

Thanks,
The ladies of Shine

Staff

Amy Iorio Publisher

Amy oversees all aspects of product development, content production, business development, sales and marketing for Yahoo!’s Lifestyles business unit, which includes: Yahoo! Shine, Health, Kids, Food, Tech, Green and Astrology. Prior to joining Yahoo! in January 2006, Amy led the Microsoft Developer Network and was the director of the marketing and developer programs for Microsoft’s TV division.
Brandon Holley Editor-in-Chief

About me:

I live in Red Hook, Brooklyn with my husband, two cats and a baby on the way.

Where I came from:

I was raised on a little farm in Virginia by parents who were crazy and very fun. I came to New York when I was 18, went to college and then started bartending so I could put off law school. It was at the bar that I was given my first writing assignment. I’m still procrastinating law school.

What I do on Shine:

I’m the editor-in-chief, which means I’m on the phone all day in various conference calls.

Number of items I currently own with a Yahoo! logo:

Like six or seven.

Favorite place to do work now that I work from home:

I WFH half the time and my home office = my couch that I bought on craigslist last month.

Best way to procrastinate now that I work from home:

Bothering my husband who also works from home and going to Baked, a café down the street, at precisely 3pm everyday to get tea and a ginger cookie.

Favorite book:

Sartoris by Mr. William Faulkner and The Happiest Baby on the Block (I said I’m pregnant).

Movie:

Valley Girl

Music song or band:

The Clash, Spanish Bombs
Annette Cardwell Managing Editor

About me:

I live in San Francisco, and have one incredibly cute little daughter with my amazing husband.

Where I came from:

Grew up in the former “sweatshirt capital of the world” — Martinsville, VA. Before Shine, I was the managing editor for Yahoo! Tech; and wrote about technology for CNET, Ziff Davis, and the Boston Herald.

What I do on Shine:

I'm the managing editor and resident TV snob.

Favorite book:

Pride and Prejudice (I’m a total sap)

TV show:

The Wire, The Soup, 30 Rock, The Office (both versions), The Mitchell and Webb Look, Breaking Bad, Mad Men,

Movie:

Rushmore

Song or band:

Beatles, all time; but currently loving MGMT and the last Radiohead album

Video game:

Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Favorite websites:

Jezebel, I Can Has Cheezburger?, Fark, What Would Tyler Durden Do, Deadspin

Editors

Jessica Ashley Editor, Healthy Living

About me:

I am a blogger, editor and writer. I have a thing for really bad reality TV, sugar-free vanilla skim lattes, killer shoes that murder my feet after ten minutes, Facebook and meditation cards. I’m all about celebrity snark, spiritual insights and singing Wheels on the Bus. I live in Chicago with my three-year old son who swears he’s going to be the next great golfer/construction worker/archeologist/American Idol contestant.

Where I came from:

My writing is featured on Strollerderby on Babble, Chicago Moms Blog, Mommy Track’d, CarePages, ParentsConnect, Feminist Review and That’s Fit.

What I do on Shine:

I believe that ginger tea will cure almost anything, avocado oil makes gorgeous skin, doing tree pose will teach you to balance your mind and body and that high fructose corn syrup is pure evil.

Favorite place to do work now that I work from home:

Next to a window so I can pretend I really do spend some time interacting with the real world and not just my laptop screen.

Best way to procrastinate now that I work from home:

I have an air-tight rationale for why reading PerezHilton.com is work research not procrastination.

Favorite book:

Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert, The Last Time We Met by Anita Shreve, The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. Whatever I’m reading.

Movies:

Why would you watch a movie when you could be jumping rope or doing lunges? Kidding, kidding. I’ve seen Grease 58 times. Sad, true.

Music:

My first musical love was Juice Newton. Today, I’m into angst rock by hardcore, soulful, tragically-wronged women in bad-ass shoes who could totally beat you down but instead choose to song lyric it out. And yes, that includes both Ani DiFranco and Dolly Parton.

Favorite websites:

I read over 50 or 60 blogs and sites a day and I have many favorites. Lots of them are listed on my own blog at Sassafrass.
Charlene Prince Birkeland Editor, Parenting

About me:

I live in Silicon Valley with my husband, two sons and a pup named Luna. But I’m a city girl at heart, born and raised in San Francisco. I’m Salvadoran, Irish, a Capricorn and the youngest of four kids. Translated: I’m feisty, stubborn and spoiled.

Where I came from:

In my Pre Shine days, I was the editor of Mayasmom.com (now part of Babycenter), a stringer for the San Francisco Chronicle, blogged at the working mom blog JobMom.net, and wrote for a host of other online parenting sites like Blogging Baby for AOL and Droolicious for Babble. And then some, including my personal blog, crazedparent.

Favorite place to hide from my kids for two minutes of silence:

I sneak into the garage and fold laundry until I see two little mugs peeking through the old cat door that separates the kitchen from the garage. This is followed by my youngest son sweetly saying, “Hi Mommy! THERE YOU ARE!”

Favorite place to do work now that I work from home:

Have you seen that American Express print ad with Tina Fey working under her desk while her kid sits at her laptop? Swap the desk for a dining room table and that’s me. Okay, it’s only like that during spring break. The rest of the time I can actually sit on a chair.

Best way to procrastinate now that I work from home:

I set the timer for 10 minutes and try to clean a room in the house, rationalizing that at least I’m doing something productive while I procrastinate.

Favorite Book:

Right now, “Good Dog. Stay.” by Anna Quindlen. It’s a tribute to her black lab and if this book doesn’t make you cry, you are ice cold.

Movie:

The last movie I watched in a theatre was Harry Potter: Order of the Phoenix. Is it wrong for me to think Daniel Radcliffe is super cute?

Music:

I’m the gal that will admit to loving the song you want to hate (um, Dirty Pop by N’sync anyone?). I dig every genre except twangy country music. Salsa, electronica, 80’s hair metal, pop, rap, R&B bring it. And, of course, there’s my neverending crush on Rick Springfield but I think that falls under a different category altogether. (Be nice).

Favorite websites:

The Happiness Project, Multiplicative Identity, and about 100 other blogs and news sites!
Dory Devlin Editor, Work & Money

I live in a New Jersey ‘burb about 40 miles from New York City, Basking Ridge, on a street filled with good friends and lots of kids. Mom of three, ages 15, 13, and 11. Girl, boy, girl. Love, love, love them.

I am the Work+Money editor on Shine, a dream job via many years as a newspaper reporter, freelance magazine writer, a columnist writing about the workplace, work/life balance, and entrepreneurism, and a blogger writing about family and technology on Yahoo! Tech.

I’ve worked full time, part time, and self-employed from home, but I’ve worked from home more than in any office. I’m kind of a work-at-home nomad; the best place to work around my house changes often because I need a change often. Sometimes, I love the library.

Working from home is great, but messy. Just where is that neat, demarcated line between work and home?

Best tip for saving money:

Don’t spend money you haven’t yet earned.

Best line for calling in sick:

Don’t have one of my own since I’ve worked from home for so long, so this one’s from my husband’s cub reporter days — “I’ve got a chill and I can’t get warm.”

Favorite book:

Cat’s Eye by Margaret Atwood

Favorite TV shows:

“The Office” and “30 Rock.” Workplace sitcoms, of course.

Music:

Fountains of Wayne

Favorite websites:

WorkItMom, Salon, and Zen Habits, and BlogHer
Erin Flaherty Editor, Love & Sex

About Me:

Sometimes I live in the Lower East Side of New York City, and other days I’m in Providence, RI. No matter where I am, I make sure to have taco night at least once a week.

Where I Came From:

Since I left Texas at a tender age I’ve worked and contributed to print publications such as Allure, Elle, Details, Marie Claire, Shape, ID, Men’s Fitness, Ladies Home Journal, New Mexico magazine and Jane magazine, where I worked for a long, long time until it was no more. But I tell ya, I think this whole online thing is really catching on!

Random:

Before I was lovin’ and sexin’ it up on Shine, I was traveling around the world in search of good food, good people, and indigenous beauty products. But since I work remotely, maybe I’ll get back to that at some point soon. We’ll see.

Favorite book:

Anything written by Shya Scanlon, Joshua Lyon, David Markson, Joyce Carol Oates and Zora Neale Hurston.

Music:

Right now I’m really loving Beirut, Bat for Lashes, Vampire weekend and Joanna Newsom, but all time favorites are David Bowie, the Beatles, the Misfits, the Flaming Lips, Mozart and the Cure among lots and lots of others…

Movie:

The ones Netflix sends me. It’s like they know me!

Favorite websites:

Shine, duh! I also can’t let a day go by without reading The New York Times, The Frisky, Product Fiend, Dame Magazine and Jezebel.
Anne Ichikawa Editor, Entertainment

About me:

Little. Yellow. Different.

Where I came from:

Sacramento, CA.

What I do on Shine:

Entertainment, Pop Culture, try to be witty and stuff.

I like reading liner notes. Is that dorky?

Favorite place to do work now that I work from home:

Grimace the Purple Couch.

Best way to procrastinate now that I work from home:

All of the above

Favorite book:

Baby-Sitters Club Super Special #1

Favorite movie:

Wayne’s World

Music song or band:

This question is too much pressure.

Favorite websites:

My brother’s blog about my twin niece and nephew:

twinchikawa.blogspot.com
Maggie Nemser Editor, Food

About me:

I live and eat in Los Angeles

Hometown:

New York City

What I do on Shine:

Blabber about food

Favorite Book:

Damien, by Herman Hesse

Movie:

Waiting for Guffman

Food:

Wild salmon, anything in a dumpling, bison burgers

Dessert:

Chocolate Banana Bread Pudding/peppermint patty’s

Drink:

Iced Coffee with tons of skim

Restaurants:

Buddha’s Belly, Giorgio Baldi, Library Alehouse and Lilly’s

Exercise to work off banana bread pudding:

spin class

Random food fact:

I eat a cliff bar every morning for breakfast:

Least Favorite Food:

Anything with cream sauce involved
Jennifer Romolini Editor, Fashion & Beauty

About me:

I was raised by vegan Italian Americans in Philly, came to New York to live some kind of late ‘70s New York movie dream, found another kind of dream in Brooklyn. I’m partial to long messy hair, red lipstick, overdone mascara, big earrings, ‘80s rap references, uninhibited enthusiasm, eBay shopping, flat boots, hyphenated phrasing, unicorns, looking like a lady whilst talking like a broad and trying not to be bitchy.

Something random about me:

I own more than 50 vintage sundresses, but not one decent bra.

Favorite place to do work now that I work from home:

By the back window in my Brooklyn apartment, staring at the birds (and squirrels, damn them) on my fire escape feeder.

Best way to procrastinate now that I work from home:

Flipping through the zillion magazines and catalogs I get a week.

Style icons:

Marianne Faithfull, Parker Posey, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Denise Huxtable, Faye Dunaway in Network, Julie Delpy in 2 Days in Paris

Favorite book:

The “Love” trilogy: Ava Gardner: Love is Nothing, Love is a Mix Tape, You’ll Never Make Love in This Town Again

Movie:

Working Girl (estimated viewings: 23), Broadcast News, Little Darlings, Flirting With Disaster, Black Cat/White Cat, Mogambo, The Apartment, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Lost In Translation, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Broken English, 2 Days in Paris, and many many ambitious failures.

TV:

America’s Next Top Model, 30 Rock, Countdown with Keith Olberman, Lost, The Wire (RIP)

Music:

David Bowie, Soffy O, Regina Spektor, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Bob Dylan, Dolly Parton, Marianne Faithfull, Liz Pappademas, Jay-Z, the Beastie Boys forever

Favorite websites

eBay, Politico.com, beautybrains.com, clarkandmichael.com, nogoodforme.filmstills.org
Valerie Rains Editor, At Home

About me:

Born and raised in Oklahoma, currently living in my 8th Brooklyn apartment

Where I came from:

Blueprint magazine, Real Simple, and Budget Living

What I do on Shine:

Edit and write At Home posts

Next piece(s) of furniture I plan to buy:

A taller bookcase and a shorter couch (It’s crucial to make good use of vertical space when you live in a 250-square-foot studio.)

Best D.I.Y. Project:

It’s a tie between mounted faux antlers (made of twigs, with silk birds and butterflies perching throughout) and a black velvet zip-up jacket on which I “embroidered” an Indian chief’s head with hundreds of tiny gold and silver safety pins

Favorite place to do work now that I work from home:

In bed, with lots of pillows

Best way to procrastinate now that I work from home:

I wish

Favorite book:

Currently loving Raymond Carver short stories

Movie:

For interiors inspiration — Royal Tenenbaums, Darjeeling Limited; for mood — Paris, Texas and anything involving deserts, long journeys on foot, and loneliness

Music, song, or band:

Bill Callahan (Smog)

Websites:

icanhascheezburger.com, jezebel.com, stuffonmycat.com, etsy.com, ebay.com