Welcome to Big Time TV!

I confess that my secret desire is to become the “Ali Velshi of Job Search”.  I want to be on CNN.  I want to have my own TV show.  Call me delusional, but we all have our dreams, and that's one of mine.

Well, big dreams start with small steps.  You want to be on TV?  You've got to start someplace.  My someplace was with ABC TV 15 here in Phoenix.

It all started about a month ago when I went to a local networking meeting at the invitation of the hostess, Christine Springer.  She's a LinkedIn Open Networker (known as a "LION" among the LinkedIn crowd) and the group is a local LION gathering. It turns out that the speaker for the day was a news reporter from the Phoenix ABC affiliate. The reporter explained how to get yourself interviewed on TV (and presumably have thousands of people see you). 

The talk was impressive and my wife, Sue, and I took notes. Afterwards we said, “Gee, TV exposure would be great! Free publicity and all that!”  I decided to put some effort into writing a strong press release with the goal of getting interviewed on TV.

The weeks passed, however, because life's about other priorities.  Finally, last Thursday Sue and I pulled out our notes, sat down and finally wrote a press release about effective job search and how to overcome the challenges of the recession. We included some powerful tips that people can use right now. We e-mailed the press release with a note to Christina. We had no expectations about what would happen next.

I received an e-mail back late Friday afternoon indicating possible interest from the producer. The e-mail added that the reporter would know for sure by Monday.  I received a call on Monday afternoon. The TV station wanted to do the interview…in about an hour! Yikes! 

OK, but where? 

“Well, let's see”, she said, “I'm coming up from central Phoenix and you're 30 miles away on the north side.  I have an appointment at 6 so I can't come to you. How about we meet half way?”

“OK”, I said. We agreed to meet at Bell Road and the freeway. Welcome to big time TV!

So after quickly dressing for the interview (no, I don't normally wear dress clothes and tie), Sue and I headed south on the freeway on a blisteringly hot 111-degree Phoenix afternoon.  The actual location of interview was to be determined later by cell phone with the reporter.  I arrived at the general area and spotted a small bank by a major shopping center just off the freeway.  We coordinated the spot and the reporter pulled up right behind us. 

She selected a spot in the shade right next to the bank building. Being very professional and efficient, she quickly set up while I stood there by a parking lot near a freeway in the middle of west Phoenix with a temp that could singe flesh.

I was miked and positioned for the camera right outside the bank with traffic zooming by just 20 yards away.  Showtime!  I was recorded and the interview was saved for posterity. 

My TV Interview on job search made the 10 o'clock news on ABC the next night.  My first of many steps toward becoming the “Ali Velshi of Job Search”.

Here's the link.

And that’s a wrap, as they say.