Pamela Schein Murphy is a jack of all trades. She’s worked successfully in all kinds of media from film production to magazine and digital publication. A mom of two and a wife to an equally successful chef and restauranteur, Pamela has struck gold with her latest endeavor. As the Founder and Editorial Director of The Select 7, she happily shares her best reccomendations in many categories from beauty and wellness to travel and interior design and invites top tastemakers to do the same. Pamela’s undeniable eye for beauty and intrigue makes her the perfect person to bring this new media concept to the world. She’s bridging the international collective, sharing her knowledge, and traveling the globe.
We were invited to her offices in Chelsea and her favorite coffee and events space, Haven’s Kitchen to discuss all things Pamela Schein Murphy. From a lifetime in New York City and a keen understanding of social media, Pamela’s knows what’s up.
Hey Pamela! Tell us a little bit about your journey in the media world.
Well, I really hit my stride when I got to college, where I was an English major with minors in Psychology and Women’s Studies. When I graduated, I wasn’t ready to be done. I was trying to decide what I wanted to do: communications, law, and so many other things were feasible options. I found that NYU had a Master’s Degree in Journalism. Magazine journalism felt like it married all the things I really wanted to work on like long lead, more creative pieces.
So, after completing my degree, I went to work at Fitness, Mirabella, Elle and Glamour Magazine working my way up from an intern position to a Beauty Editor role. Then I went to Hamptons Magazine as the second in command to the Editor in Chief, then moved to Country Magazine. My partner there and I decided to publish our own magazine called “Madison”, which was published in print for four years and distributed by Hearst. It was a huge success… until we ran out of money. I didn’t know where to move next, as I was overqualified for the entry-level positions they were hiring for, but they hire internally for larger roles. Then I worked in the movie business for a bit, and on accident started my latest endeavor, The Select 7.
You’ve lived in New York City all your life! Has that informed your personality and drive?
I am a typical New Yorker. As a downside, I expect things to happen quickly and don’t have an enormous amount of patience. But as a plus, it also makes me open-minded, generous, and ambitious, which I think is basically what New York City is all about.
Because you get to travel the world, do you perceive social media differently?
I think that social media sort of allows you to see the whole world in the way that you never could before. You can see through other people’s lenses. You can get real-time recommendations like, “Oh, did you see that person is at this place? I want to go there.” Also, it allows me to share my travels in a much more media-driven way.
Your marriage and family are very international and bridges cultural backgrounds. How do you manage to merge your views?
Fortunately, we have very similar views which is why we are married! You choose your partner, and 99% of it is easy, and 1% you have to figure out the compromises. We’re able to bridge our values.
How does social media affect your industry?
Social media IS my industry. It is a blessing and a curse, I think. It feeds into everyone’s need to have information immediately, which is a relatively new thing brought on by social media, and it also allows me to share what The Select 7 is every day in a different and new way. When I was in the magazine business, we didn’t even have a website! It’s a totally different world than when I first started; you had to wait a month to read the new information on the stands. It’s a nice innovation, but it’s also kind of sad. It’s like binge-watching a series on Netflix. Or binge-eating. It feels great, but then it’s over and you feel pretty crappy.
Is social media as important around the globe as it in America?
Yes, I think it is how we’re all connected on this planet now. Maybe not everywhere, but certainly in countries like Europe. It allows us to find commonality with other people that you might not have found otherwise. It allows you to discover so many new things. The Select 7 is the perfect example of providing quality information and research that is applicable to anyone around the globe.
If you could travel to any place in the world today, where would you go?
If I could travel anywhere right this second and get on a plane, I’d go to Peru. Maybe Morocco. Greece. There are so many places! The salt flats in Bolivia are a current favorite. The list goes on.
How many countries have you traveled to, if you had to estimate?
Hold on, let me count. Maybe around 12? France, Italy, Spain, Denmark, Sweden, Iceland, England, The Netherlands, Mexico, Bermuda, Buenos Aires and Uruguay. I think!
Tell us about how you founded your lifestyle website, The Select 7.
Well, I was on a trip to Paris with friends of mine for my birthday. I had curated a great trip for them. On the last night, one of my friends said, “You’re so good at this. You should have a blog.” I sort of hated the idea of having a blog. And my daughter suggested that I start a website. It was actually her Mother’s Day gift to me since apparently, I always start things and never finish them. And a website had more appeal. It started as my own personal thing; I put up every trip I’d ever been on, the restaurant I frequented, clothing I purchased, and more.
Then I started inviting friends to contribute their 7 favorite things. Like Scott Conan’s 7 best restaurants, that sort of thing. I soon realized I had created a full-time job for myself. I took the idea of The Select 7, seven different verticals, and turned them into the days of the week and invited other people to be the focus of the site. So now, it’s one person, seven days. Seven days of content from one invited guest.
What kind of people are you excited to feature on The Select 7?
I think the reason that readers like The Select 7 is that it’s not always the obvious people. Everyone on this planet has something interesting to share if you only ask. Everyone has recipes, restaurants, charities, and more than they want to share. So, it varies. It’s not going to be every celebrity or every famous person of the now. It’s about finding those people who are cool and interesting, and who appreciate social media.
If you could summarize your mission in one sentence, what would it be?
I would say, to use social media for good.
What have you learned?
Mostly, I want to say that The Select 7 has featured people from a million walks of life, and everyone really is connected. People from all walks of life suggest the same things, from a travel bag to a restaurant in Mexico City. It’s so interesting to see how we really are all connected. For me, the way the world is right now, it’s very comforting to know that somehow, we really all exist in the same universe.
Where can we follow your journey?
You can find the website at theselect7.com, and the Instagram at @theselect7. We also post on Facebook, Pinterest, and Youtube, and are in the works to produce a podcast.
