As Elaine Espinola stepped into a new role as co-host of Great Day Washington in March, she was fulfilling a dream she’d had for a decade.
“I hope to bring great, inspiring stories to Great Day Washington,” she said. “I have a strong interest in highlighting women, diverse people, and anyone who’s doing something powerful for the community, the entire DMV.”
She’s taken an unusual journey to becoming a network TV host, and along the way she’s relied on a community of strong women, believed in herself, and prioritized giving back.
She began her career with almost a decade in pharmaceutical sales before becoming a parent. She then used her sales background to excel with jewelry and makeup companies.
“I was killing it in those roles, making President’s Club, meeting the founders of the companies,” Espinola said, “and somewhere along the line, I ended up meeting someone who said, ‘Hey, would you be interested in doing the Mrs. DC America pageant?’”
She won the pageant in 2015.
As Mrs. DC America, Espinola met a producer who asked if she’d ever been on television. “I’m kind of a ‘why not’ girl,” she said. “I tried it and loved it, and from there I ended up hosting and producing my own show. Then other opportunities started happening—commercials, a podcast for the Better Business Bureau. I set my sights on my goal: to host a lifestyle show on a major network. It was a full 10 years, and here I am.”
Espinola lives in Ashburn with her husband, Billy Keltz, and children Jaden, Nina and Alyssa Keltz, who’ve joined her in acting and modeling. As a family, they’ve created commercials for companies like Newman’s Own and Hershey Park, and Nina recently had a shoot in Leesburg for Adidas.
“It’s been a lot of fun doing that, and the kids really enjoy it,” Espinola said.
She serves on the Advisory Board of Touching Heart, a nonprofit that teaches children the joy of giving back. “It goes beyond having a kid tag along to volunteer with mom,” Espinola said, explaining how her daughter worked with Loudoun County foster care. "They came up with a plan, run by the kids. They hosted a big singing event and raised $5,000. She took so much pride in that. It was all her, and she was 7.”
What do you love most about conducting on-camera interviews?
I feel like it blends my professional skills with my interests. I’m a good communicator, which is what sales taught me, but I love highlighting people doing great things.
Tell me about your thriving social media presence.
Because I was an entrepreneur, it was important to brand myself, so people know who I am and what I do. I have several profiles—Facebook for personal friends, a public page and an Instagram page, which is more about who I am in the community, who I am as a public person. I strive to keep it positive but also genuine. I’ve been very comfortable sharing my successes and things I do professionally. Not to overinflate things, but I’m proud of what I do, and it serves me well because work begets work. When emceeing, I’d post pics, and now people call me to host things. If you brand yourself and are proud of the work, it comes naturally.
What kind of challenges have you faced along your professional journey?
Anyone in business knows the picture of the iceberg where you see the successes, but what you don’t see is 75 percent of the iceberg under water, with the failures and no’s and things you messed up on. I tried to get this exact job probably three or four times in the last 10 years. A position would open, I’d put my resume out there and try to get hold of the hiring person, and the answer was no—there was always someone more experienced. That hurt, because I wanted it, but I never gave up on my dream. I never let it make me question, “Am I not good enough?” It encouraged me to keep trying harder. Anyone following their passions is going to have no’s, but if you keep at it, those serve to make you better.
As Mrs. DC America 2015, you championed women’s empowerment through entrepreneurship. Why was that important to you?
Every pageant girl has a platform. As a mom, I was thinking, “What is relevant to me?” I was doing stay-at-home mom sales—jewelry, makeup. Some people think it’s corny, but it can be an avenue for women to work flexibly. For me and for a lot of women who did that with me, it was awesome. I was able to stay home with my kids but be social, make money, and I found it very empowering. So I said, “Well, my platform is empowering women through entrepreneurship, using her intelligence and skills to better herself, her household, and community.” There have been so many opportunities for me to give back. I’ve been able to donate jewelry to causes and auctions for charities. I became a champion for women so that we can live our best lives. I’ve worked among women, been supported by women, and I wanted to give that back. It fills me with joy to talk to young women about what it means to be confident and to support girls and women.
What advice do you have for women looking to build professional confidence?
There’s no time like the present—it sounds cliché, but a lot of people think you need experience before you can try something or before anyone will take you seriously. The bottom line is, you just have to believe in yourself, get started, and you will figure it out along the way. Surround yourself with other women and people in that field who are doing well. Watch what they are doing.
I didn't go to school for broadcasting. I simply decided later in life I was good at it and wanted to do it. I started going to emcee things for free, just to do the things I love because I needed to learn them. I wanted to host a TV show for a major network, and I got there because I told myself I don’t need the background, I’m going to learn from others. There are so many amazing journalists in the DC area, and I watched them to see how they are doing it.
People are always willing to help. When you’re doing well, help other people too.
Who has been the biggest influence in your professional journey?
It’s the community of women. My first job in pharmaceutical sales was on a team of five women. They were all a little older, and they were my mentors, four strong, smart women teaching me the ropes. They embraced me, and I had such positive experiences working with other women.
At Great Day Washington, we are a team of women, and we support and help one another. Whatever negative stereotypes exist of women working together, for me it’s never been the case, and I’ve worked in teams of women for the last 20 years.
Why did you choose the Loudoun area for your family?
I lived in DC when we had kids, and we were looking for a place to raise our family. We found Loudoun and immediately loved how beautiful it was, how family-friendly. It’s a safe, thriving environment for a young family, yet it’s still close to DC. It’s proven to be exactly what we hoped it would be, a great place to raise kids and go to school. My husband and I have met awesome friends, and we’re happy to be here. I find Loudoun to be a diverse community, and I really love and appreciate that.
Looking ahead, what are your biggest goals in media and advocacy?
Right now, I’m exactly where I want to be professionally. I have finally arrived, and it’s been a 10-year dream come true. Personally, I am so invested in making sure that I am very present with my three teenagers because I feel like sand is slipping between my fingers. They’re about to head to college, so I want to be present while I can.
I also continue to want to support great local charities and events. If I can be of service to help raise money, I’m happy to do that.