There’s a mythology created around superstars that talent makes success easy. It perpetuates the idea that if you’re good enough, the world will open its arms and throw you opportunities. But it’s a myth—pure and simple. Everybody gets rejected over and over again. Steve Jobs. Oprah. Beyonce. Everybody. You’ve heard that fortune favors the brave, […]
Imagine this: You’ve finally scored a pre-interview call with a producer or editor. They liked your initial pitch enough to reach out, but they’re really interested in hearing what else you’ve got. Do your eyes go wide with panic, brain scrambling for something—anything—to say? Or do you say, “No problem! I’ve got seven ideas locked […]
To make your pitch stand out to a producer or editor, you have to find a counterintuitive hook or shiny new angle that will grab audiences’ attention. And finding that angle often requires some creativity—and a fully stocked pond of inspiration. Often, experts make the mistake of bearing down on their domain too hard, mining […]
So you’re fired up and ready to launch your media career…and then you see it. The giant mountain of Self-Promotion, looming ominously, standing between you and your goals. It’s ugly, it’s craggy, and it can come with a degree of altitude sickness. Self-promotion feels icky for most of us. Fear of self-promotion ranks on our […]
Think you’re ready to be a media star? Take the ultimate media-readiness challenge. It’s the one thing that you absolutely, no exceptions, must be able to do in order to kill it on TV or in print. Be able to explain what you do and why it matters—to a fifth grader. Yup. Here’s why: Fifth […]
Cass McCrory was waiting in line at Wegmans with a cart teeming with groceries, when the March issue of Oprah magazine caught her eye. She felt her pulse quicken. She had been interviewed a few months ago for an article, but hadn’t heard back from the editor. There was only one way to find out […]
When TV producers are looking for guests, what they want is a recognized expert. Someone who knows her stuff and can deliver information in a way that their viewers can digest. But before you even step foot on a TV set or talk to a magazine editor you have to have a special sparkle that […]
It’s Valentine’s Day! Whether you’re celebrating singlehood or blissfully coupled, romance is on the brain today. And there’s no better time to consider your relationship with the media. If you find yourself singing Adele’s “Hello” to producers and editors, and all you hear back is Beyonce’s “Sorry,” it might be time to step up your […]
You know that getting the attention of a producer or editor is key to raising the profile of your message and your brand. It’s just as important, however, to hold your own in front of a crowd. The ability to speak on camera and on stage are absolutely linked; they just require different applications of the […]
Imagine having about 3 seconds to decide to keep or toss an email. Hundreds of emails. That’s what a typical day is like for a producer or editor. We get so many emails into our inbox that it’s impossible to look at them all. So they have to really catch our attention and make us […]