If you think the "Life" section of a major news outlet is just fluff and red-carpet photos, you haven't been paying attention to Joi-Marie McKenzie. As the Editor-in-Chief of Life at Business Insider, she isn't just managing a vertical; she’s basically redesigning how we consume culture through a business lens.
She's an Emmy winner. A fifth-generation writer. A woman who literally has journalism in her DNA but tried her hardest to run away from the "family business" before realizing her gift was too loud to ignore.
Who Is Joi-Marie McKenzie at Business Insider?
Honestly, the title "Editor-in-Chief" doesn't quite capture the scale of what she does. Since taking the helm of the Life division in late 2022, McKenzie has been overseeing a massive team of about 80 journalists spread across three continents. We’re talking about entertainment, lifestyle, digital culture, health, parenting, and travel—all under one umbrella.
Before she was the big boss, she joined the company in 2020 as the Deputy Editor for Entertainment. That was a wild time for the media industry, yet she managed to snag awards from the Los Angeles Press Club and GLAAD while the world was basically upside down.
She didn't just stumble into this. McKenzie spent nearly a decade in the trenches of network news at NBC and ABC. If you ever watched Good Morning America during its peak digital expansion, you’ve likely seen her influence. She knows the difference between a story that gets clicks and a story that actually changes the conversation.
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The Hustle That Built the Career
McKenzie is a Baltimore native who moved to New York and, like most people, found the transition pretty brutal at first. She's been open about going home every single weekend for the first six months. It’s a relatable human moment for someone who now sits at the top of a global media organization.
What's cool is how she built her own platform before the big networks came calling. She created The Fab Empire, a site that covered the social scenes in D.C., New York, and beyond. She didn't wait for a seat at the table; she built the table in her apartment.
Why Her Leadership Style Is Different
At Business Insider, the vibe under McKenzie is notably empathetic but high-performance. Nich Carlson, the former Editor-in-Chief of Insider, once described her as a "demanding editor" but also an "empathetic leader."
That’s a tough needle to thread.
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She focuses on helping her writers "own their narratives," a phrase she uses often. For her, it’s not just about reporting on celebrities; it’s about the business of being a human in the 2020s.
Beyond the Newsroom: The Engagement Game
You can't talk about Joi-Marie McKenzie without mentioning her book, The Engagement Game. It’s a memoir that’s basically a masterclass in self-reflection. She writes about the "games" women often feel pressured to play to get a marriage proposal—including the infamous "engagement chicken"—and why she eventually chose herself over the expected path.
She also ghostwrote The Pursuit of Porsha for Porsha Williams. Writing someone else's life story takes a level of ego-less craftsmanship that most journalists struggle with.
Why the "Life" Division Matters for Business
People sometimes wonder why a site called "Business Insider" cares about who's dating who or the latest TikTok trend. McKenzie’s work proves that culture is business. The creator economy, the travel industry’s post-pandemic boom, and the mental health crisis are all massive economic drivers.
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She has led her team to recognition from:
- ASME (American Society of Magazine Editors)
- The Society of Publication Designers
- The National Association of Travel Journalists
Breaking Down the Family Legacy
Her family tree is essentially a "Who's Who" of Black excellence and journalism. Her mother, Bishop Vashti McKenzie, was the first female bishop in the A.M.E. Church. Her great-grandfather, Carl J. Murphy, ran The Afro-American Newspaper.
She carries that weight, but she’s carved out a space that is entirely her own. She’s not just "the daughter of" or "the granddaughter of." She is the editor who decided that lifestyle journalism deserves the same rigor as a Wall Street earnings report.
Actionable Takeaways from McKenzie’s Career Path
If you're looking to mirror the kind of success Joi-Marie McKenzie has found at Business Insider, there are a few real-world strategies to steal:
- Build your own proof of concept. Don't wait for a job title. McKenzie’s blog The Fab Empire was the evidence she needed to show NBC and ABC that she knew how to find an audience.
- Discipline is the secret sauce. When she was writing her memoir, she wrote for two hours, three times a week, after working a full day at ABC News. There’s no shortcut for that.
- The "Iron Hand in a Velvet Glove" approach. This was advice from her grandmother. Be resilient and strong, but keep a sense of grace. It’s how you manage 80 people across multiple time zones without burning out.
- Stay in your lane. In a world of comparison, McKenzie emphasizes doing your specific work better than anyone else.
Joi-Marie McKenzie is currently one of the most influential Black women in digital media. Her move to Business Insider wasn't just a career jump; it was a signal that the "Life" side of news is where the real cultural and economic shifts are happening right now.
Keep an eye on the Life division's deep dives into the creator economy—that's where McKenzie's "business meets culture" philosophy is most visible. If you're a writer, study how her team structures features to blend data with narrative.