Susan Doherty

Like many kids, Susan Doherty ’88 dreamed about being in show business. “I would watch Evening Magazine and tell myself, ‘I want to host a show like that,’” Doherty recalled.

Her dreaming-and dogged determination-paid off. Today, she’s the producer and host of Six Minute Style, a Web-based lifestyle program that debuted in October 2007.

“Six Minute Style is the culmination of my crazy career path,” Doherty said.

It’s a path that has its origins at Plymouth State, where she graduated with a bachelor’s in interdisciplinary studies. Following graduation, Doherty honed her writing skills in a variety of communications-related positions, including news magazine editor, freelance writer, and grant writer. At the same time, she moonlighted as an actress in theater productions, commercials, and industrial films.

After relocating to Los Angeles, Doherty once again assumed the role of student when she enrolled in UCLA’s professional program in screenwriting, which she completed in 2001. Doherty also wrote, acted, produced, and directed corporate films. And like many show business hopefuls, she waited tables.

When she decided to leave her hectic Los Angeles lifestyle behind for the slower pace and natural beauty of Missoula, MT, Doherty assumed she’d have to let go of her long-held dream of hosting a show. “But the Internet changed everything,” she said. Thanks to the Web, Doherty’s tips and trends in fashion, cooking, entertaining, and more reach a far broader audience than she could have ever dreamed. “Here I am in Montana, producing and hosting a show that is getting hits from around the world.”