Westport Journalist’s Quiet Connection to a Major Golden Globes Nominee

Sometimes the wildest connections to Hollywood don’t come with red carpets or flashing cameras. Sometimes they come from Westport.

It just so happens that this year’s Golden Globe Awards added a brand-new category for Best Podcast, and one of the nominees has a quiet SouthCoast connection that hit real close to home for me.

That podcast is The Mel Robbins Podcast, and behind the scenes of that massive show is Phil Devitt, a Westport High grad, former newsroom leader across the SouthCoast, and a former member of our own Fun 107 and WBSM team.

Proud is a strong understatement.

A Westport Kid With a Journalism Dream

Devitt always knew he wanted to tell stories. After graduating from Westport High School, his brain was already wired for journalism and media.

His career didn’t start in some massive media tower. It started the old-school way.

• Local newspapers
• College radio
• College newspaper editor
• Freelancing at The Standard-Times

From there, the stops kept coming.

• Editor of the now-defunct Fall River Spirit
• Managing Editor at Hathaway Publishing (covering weekly papers all over Southeastern Mass)
• Digital City Editor at the Herald News

This was a grind. Headlines. Deadlines. Breaking news. Community storytelling at its rawest level.

Then the pandemic hit, media shifted, life pivoted, and one of my favorite full-circle moments took place when Phil landed with us at Fun 107 and WBSM as our Digital Managing Editor and News Anchor on Feb 17, 2022.

Truthfully, I couldn't wait to work alongside my friend.

The Leap That Changed Everything

Fast forward a year or so, to the moment Devitt told me he had a big opportunity in front of him and didn’t know whether to take the leap.

I told him something simple: You’ll always wonder “what if” if you don’t go.

That leap brought him to One Four Three Studio, the production company behind The Mel Robbins Podcast. You see, Devitt had been a fan of Robbins for years before that. One day, he took the shot, reached out, and made the connection.

READ MORE: Westport's Phil Devitt Guests on Conan O’Brien's Podcast

Fast-forward a little over a year later, and now he’s part of the producing team helping guide one of the biggest personal development podcasts on the planet from start to finish.

What makes it even cooler is that all of that hard work behind the camera and microphone is happening right here in Massachusetts.

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Who Is Mel Robbins, Anyway?

If you’ve somehow missed her clips on Instagram or TikTok, Mel Robbins is known for her no-nonsense, practical approach to motivation and self-growth. No fluff or sugarcoating, just real talk about getting out of your own way.

Her recent book, The Let Them Theory, exploded to the top of the New York Times Best Seller list. She’s gained millions of listeners, strong global reach, massive influence, and now a Golden Globe nomination.

The Moment It All Hit

This year marks the first time ever the Golden Globes introduced a Best Podcast category, and The Mel Robbins Podcast landed a nomination alongside absolute giants:

• Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard
• Call Her Daddy
• Good Hang with Amy Poehler
• The Mel Robbins Podcast
• SmartLess
• Up First

That’s not just a nomination, that’s history for the Massachusetts-based podcast and pride for the small town of Westport. So while Devitt would be the first to tell you that this nomination is a team win, I can’t help but feel proud seeing someone who once edited SouthCoast headlines now connected to one of the biggest digital platforms in the world.

He's not only a scholar, he's one of my best friends. Hell, he even officiated my wedding and married my wife and I. Truthfully, in fear of crossing the conflict of interest line, I'll admit that it brings a smile to my face knowing one of the little guys made it in this crazy world.

Let's be honest, this isn’t just a successful podcast or a Golden Globes nominee story. It’s a “bet on yourself” story. It’s a "local kid wins quietly” story, and a solid reminder that sometimes the people doing the biggest things aren’t always standing in front of the camera.

As someone who once worked beside him in the trenches of local media, I couldn’t be prouder.