We had the good fortune of connecting with Ryan Torok and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ryan, what role has risk played in your life or career?

For more than 10 years, I worked at as a staff writer at a local newspaper. When the pandemic happened, the paper suspended its print edition and laid off most of its staff, and I was forced to find new employment. I went from working in journalism, in a nonprofit newsroom with approximately 15 employees, to a role in internal communications at a leading hospital with more than 15,000 employees. Talk about change.

In my new role, I had to acclimate to faster turnarounds, an unfamiliar style of writing marked by acronyms, encyclopedic professional titles and healthcare jargon and working in a much more impersonal, corporate environment where much of the communication with my coworkers occurred in “Mar/Comm huddles” over Microsoft Teams.

Gone were the days of eating bagels and rugelach while pitching stories about challah bakes and hamantaschen contests during informal editorial meetings.

Still, with the help of a responsive supervisor, I was able to make the transition, and soon I was developing new skills, including in content management, graphic design and digital marketing—skills I’d never dreamt of adding to my vocational toolbox.

Transitioning to a new company, especially after having worked at the same place for all my professional career, was a risk, and I’m proud to say I managed that challenge successfully. It also helped that after losing my job, I didn’t have much choice but to find something new!

As they say, “Necessity is the mother of invention.”

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
One of the most significant lessons I’ve learned, and it’s something I’m still learning: the importance of keeping one’s cool. In the professional world, there’s very little that’s worth freaking out over—and in a workplace, nobody wants to be around a jerk. In some respects, your attitude and ability to interact well with others matters just as much as the quality of your work.

It’s also imperative, and I realize I’m not exactly breaking ground here: ask questions when clarifications are needed. Don’t be afraid to email your boss and admit you’re confused about something they asked you to do. In professional relationships, just like in any relationship, communication is key to a successful partnership.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
In San Diego, we’d check out La Jolla Cove. Later that night, take in a show at the Comedy Store in La Jolla. Spend an evening or two bar-hopping around the Gaslamp Quarter. Do an Escape Room at The Escape Room San Diego. If it’s baseball season, go to a Padres game at Petco Park.

Being a L.A. native, I’d take my buddy to L.A.: We’d have breakfast at John O’Groats, drive to Pacific Coast Highway and head north toward Malibu. Stop along the way for a hike at Temescal Canyon. Hang out in the afternoon at Point Dume. Head back toward Beverly Hills/West Hollywood area and have dinner at Mulberry Pizza. Then a concert on the Sunset Strip or the Hollywood Bowl.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’m dedicating my Shoutout to my family—my dad, mom, sister and brother-in-law. In one way or the other, each of them has been there for me and supported me along my professional journey. My dad is available 24/7 to talk me through anything. My mom never fails to forward me story ideas, and she even makes herself available to edit my writing. My sister and brother-in-law have given me an awesome nephew and an amazing niece, and playing with them is the best mental break from writing that anybody could ask for!

Website: https://muckrack.com/ryan-torok

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryanharrytorok/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-torok/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ryanharrytorok

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ryan.torok.92

Other: jewishjournal.com/author/ryan-torok/

Image Credits
Robert Lurie Esther Kustanowitz

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