Michele Promaulayko

Cosmo’s new editor isn’t just leading an iconic brand—she’s doing it on camera.

- Emma Bazilian

Right around the time that you were named editor of Cosmopolitan, E! began filming a docuseries about the magazine, So Cosmo. What was it like getting this huge job and then immediately being on a reality show?

It was next-level insane. It was kind of just a trial by fire, you just get thrown in. That’s Cosmo—everything’s done in big fashion—but it was kind of crazy.

Did you know that you were going to be part of a TV show when you signed on to become editor?

Well, it’s funny … Yes and no. Yes, in the sense that I knew about it from having read about it, but it wasn’t something that factored largely into the conversation. So it was a little head-spinning, but it’s such a great opportunity for our brand and also for the brands that work with us. And, I mean, what brand wouldn’t die to have this? But it’s a lot in your first eight weeks. It’s not like they were following me around all the time—I‘m peripheral [to the story]—but they were here.