Raina Seitel is a seasoned television host, journalist, and mother who got her start in the journalism industry through an internship at CNN. The internship immersed her in the world of crazy deadlines and hard-hitting news. “The meat and potatoes came from creating a half-hour documentary at CNN called ‘Pinnacle’ where we interviewed people who had reached the pinnacle of their careers,” Seitel says. From there, Seitel went to ABC, where she did investigative work for over seven years, then started her own company that partnered with NBC (covering motherhood and all it entails), and now is a correspondent at New York Live, where she covers lifestyle for the tristate area. “It’s been wonderful. I get to do what I love every day and because I have my own production company,” Seitel says. “It allows me the flexibility to be a mom and carve out my own schedule.” A flexible schedule is especially important for maintaining her tight-knit relationship with son Hunter.
Seitel also frequents QVC as the new spokesperson for Kipling, a company that creates beautiful handbags and accessories. “I’m combining my love of fashion with my journalistic endeavors and TV experience,” Seitel explains. “I represent [Kipling] on QVC, which of course is a monstrous, amazing machine of a company, and it’s been such a blast because it’s using a different television muscle than I’m used to using every day.”
Seitel enjoys this television-focused side of her life, but also has other facets that keep her busy and connected to her son, Hunter. While she’s working and he’s in school, they and the rest of the family are working on a children’s book. “This [book] has been a labor of love for my son and myself and my son’s dad as we all collaborated.” Seitel says. “I feel like it’s going to be the next great children’s book…It’s based on real-life experiences and some little giraffe that has been in our family for the past 10 years, and they have personalities of their own.” As Seitel puts it, her son Hunter has an innate calling to writing. She notes: “He really is as much an author in this as I am.”
When Hunter isn’t busy writing the next great children’s book series, this 10-year-old boy–who has generations of writers and journalists in his lineage–is in the process of completing two different novels. Seitel laughs as she recalls his idea to write two books, “but what’s happened is, he literally dictates and I type. I am the secretary, I write, and he paces back and forth telling me to type quicker!” And when asked if this creativity for writing is due to Seitel’s successful career, she says, “He has his own ambition and he is a very creative mind, way more creative than I am.” Even though Hunter has his own creative path, there is a pull towards a journalism; Seitel says that his ultimate dream job is to be a sportscaster: “He’ll literally go take a shower and I’ll hear noises coming from outside, and I’ll put my ear up to the door and I’ll hear him doing a play-by-play of the recent game.”
Looking at Seitel’s picture-, or, rather, camera-perfect life, it’s clear that it takes work behind the scenes to keep the ship running smoothly in times of doubt. “I think that if you don’t have some doubt at some point in life, whether you’re talking about parenting or career choices, I don’t think that’s a reflective life; I try and reflect especially being mom.” Seitel says. “I have to understand that I’m modeling behavior to this little person who is new to this world we live in. I try and be cognizant of the fact that I make mistakes all the time and I allow my son to see that.” It’s even more important to promote emotions throughout motherhood, as she raises a young boy. “I express myself and I say to my son it is so okay to be emotional, it’s okay to cry when you’re frustrated or upset: In fact, I encourage you to express how you’re feeling,” Seitel says.
Seitel doesn’t exactly have an ordinary parenting system, either. She coins her family as a “classic modern family” and even calls her ex-husband her “Wasband.” “I don’t like the term ex-husband,” she says. “I affectionately refer to him as [Wasband] and I have to be honest, it wasn’t always roses and candy canes. We worked really hard to make sure that we are a family that is a 21st Century family, and we may not all live under the same roof at the same time, but Adam and I have developed a system where we operate as a cohesive unit.”
Raina Seitel and her 21st Century family are making big moves in the journalism field and beyond with their soon-to-come book series. But Seitel couldn’t leave out one of the most important family members of all: Theo, their 16-year-old long-haired Chihuahua! You can catch cute photos of the entire family–including Theo–on her Instagram @rainaseitel and tune in as she continues to promote Kipling through QVC and of course on New York Live!
