It's mid-afternoon at King World's upper East Side office, and "American Journal" anchor Nancy Glass is trying to locate the key to her office.
Don't get the wrong idea - Glass hasn't lost it, misplaced it or forgotten it at home. She just can't find her key because, well, she rarely uses it.Glass eschews her roomy office, preferring instead to spend her days at a modest - and cluttered - desk in the heart of the newsroom, surrounded by "American Journal" and "Inside Edition" staffers.
"I like to be where the action is," she explains.
Finally, Glass turns to her assistant, who finds the key.
It's a great office, with leather and faux-mahogany furniture and a faint new-carpet smell. The huge desk is mostly bare, with the exception of a lamp and a few framed photos of Glass' family: husband Mark Snyder, son Max, who turns 7 in April, and daughter Sloane, who turns 2 in June.
A framed cartoon drawing of a mohawked killer poodle leans against an unplugged TV monitor, and Glass' collection of snow globes - which she acquired during her travels - litter a bookcase shelf.
So much for fitting into the stereotypical TV-anchor image.
But make no mistake, no matter how laid-back Glass is behind the scenes, on the air, she's all business. And she makes it clear that there's nowhere else she'd rather be.
Even with "American Journal" the highest-rated first-year syndicated show, Glass still practices a hands-on approach to journalism, still making her own phone calls and doing all her own research and writing.
Such habits have helped Glass orchestrate several coups, including TV's first chats with Jeffrey Dahmer, Amy Fisher and Baby Jessica's birth parents, Dan and Cara Schmidt.
Glass says she had no doubt about her future career when, at 17, she began an internship at Boston's WBZ-TV while attending Tufts University. "I walked in the door, I smelled the air and said this is for me."
By her junior year, Glass was producing; by her senior year, she was on air. After a stint as a reporter/anchor at New York's Channel 5, she hosted and produced a Philadelphia-based magazine show, co-hosted Lifetime's "Attitudes" and contributed to PBS' "Sneak Previews."
Then, after a short stay in San Francisco hosting a newsmag, Glass landed at "Inside Edition," serving as senior correspondent and weekend anchor. Last year, King World developed "American Journal," specifically to showcase her talents.
Despite a hectic schedule, the thirtysomething Glass manages to deftly juggle her personal and professional lives. One time-saving tip:
"I never go out to lunch," she explains as she uncovers her usual meal of Chinese delivery: steamed chicken and vegetables, with garlic sauce on the side. "If I work through lunch, I can leave the office at a decent hour, work on the train, get home and have dinner with my family."
Sound hectic? Maybe. But Glass takes it in stride. "You can't complain about the life you choose," she says.