About nine months ago, I was asked to host the TV show, Black Enterprise Business Report. It was an offer I never sought or expected, so I wasn’t at all prepared when my boss called me into his office late on a Thursday.
At the time, I was General Manager of Blackenterprise.com, knee-deep in the demands of that job and a hectic day. When I walked in, he took one look at me, laughed, and said, “Whatever you think I’ve called you in here for, that’s not it!â€
I took a seat, and he presented his offer, ending with, “You have two options. You can say yes, or you can say yes.â€
Literally dumbfounded, I said nothing. Writer, editor, author? That’s me. Brainstormer, project mover, team builder, public speaker? Sure. But, television host? “Yes.†And so it began.
I’m a planner, but I’m also a true believer that when valid opportunities — especially those that are off-plan — appear, you leap because, clearly, God’s all in it.
“Okay then,†my boss said. “You tape your first three shows in the studio on Tuesday.†Did I mention that it was Thursday? Late?
It’s been a wild ride ever since. I’ve learned a lot and am having a ball. I’ve interviewed some great people, made a ton of mistakes, and grown tremendously. I’ve discovered that, in spite of the make-up, new clothes, and bright lights, TV’s not glamorous but it is fun. It’s also more difficult and more work than it appears to be. Days can be long, every element of production is a moving target, and craft services (aka FOOD) is key!
I’ve also realized that what happens off camera (or gets left on the proverbial cutting room floor) is at times as revealing and compelling as what makes it onto the show. That’s why I’m starting this blog, Outtakes. It’s my window on what takes place behind the scenes, not only with the Powerplayers I interview for the show, but in my own life and career.
We all sort of live in our own independent films, don’t we? We put on certain clothes each day and present only the parts of ourselves that we want the world to see, editing out the rest to suit the circumstances of the moment. Outtakes shines a light on some of that.
I hope you’ll check it out, comment, and share some outtakes from your own life’s reel, because that’s where real life, and the lessons it teaches us, are found. That’s a wrap!