While I rarely meet a stranger and love talking and making new friends, I am terrified of public speaking!! My palms get clammy, and I start to “glisten” because in the South we ladies do not sweat; we glisten. I recently got an exciting opportunity to make a second appearance on Houston Life, basically Houston’s version of the third hour of the Today show. Yep, you read that right I had already tackled this fear once and needed to gear up for another round. I love the chance to share my passion for design and help inspire others BUT that still doesn’t settle my nerves!!! I want to share how’s and what’s it take when preparing for live TV.
Today I wanted to take you behind the scenes of what it takes to prepare for a live on-air TV segment. You might think this doesn’t apply to me. We all have something to prep for whether just an overall fear of public speaking that is keeping you from tackling a project or an important business presentation you have been delaying. I hope in sharing my preparation process; it will guide you to take on something that makes you uncomfortable, to grow and tackle that fear.
ORGANIZE & SIMPLIFY
Take time to organize your thoughts. Spend time writing, re-writing and organizing your thoughts until you get a clear step by step list of what you want to convey. Next, tackle each point just as you did prior until it is clear and concise. The more you work each step/point down to a simple thought out concept the more comfortable you will be in conveying YOUR message. Don’t over complicate, keep your wording true to you. Don’t feel that because you are “on stage” you need to change who you are.
PROPS & DEMO DISPLAYS
For me, I prefer doing a TV segment with home décor props and a demonstration, keeping my hands busy and guiding me through my talking points. Practice makes perfect, and there is no more accurate statement when preparing for live TV. Practicing will reveal if a particular part of your segment doesn’t come off naturally or if an item doesn’t work when trying to demo it. It gives you time to redo and edit until you get it down perfectly.
WHAT TO WEAR
Do your homework and research what past guests have worn on the show. Let this guide your outfit selection. You do not want to come over/under-dressed. When choosing an outfit for television, there are a few rules to follow; selecting solid and bright colors are a must so that you don’t appear washed out. You want to avoid wearing white as it doesn’t show up great on camera and busy prints or stripes can be distracting. Comfort is key. The last thing you want is to be fidgeting with a top with a too low cut or heels that you have never worn before. I decided on black jeans, a plum blouse paired with a neon blazer.
SHOP MY LOOK
TV MAKEUP
TV makeup is always a little hard for me. Day to day I don’t wear a ton of makeup, and even when I do, I prefer a more subtle look. BUT when preparing for TV, you need a more dramatic/heavier look. I did my own makeup but got a touch up by the on-set makeup artist after my rehearsal to make sure I was camera ready.
SHOP BEAUTY FAVORITES
Lastly, my biggest piece of advice when preparing for live TV is to stay TRUE to yourself. They invited YOU and the brand that you represent on their show. Meaning they already like you and know that you are great at what you do. We often get uncomfortable telling others how amazing we are when referring to our talents and gifts, but you shouldn’t! God has given a gift, and you have a platform to inspire others to follow their dreams and create something they didn’t know was possible. Never let fear hold you back, do the work preparing for live TV the best you can and nail it!
Thoughts?
YOUR COMMENT