One thing I know about life is this:
You have to believe in what you are doing...and most importantly...you have to believe in yourself. If you do, others will get it. This is especially true when it comes to developing your own media content. It comes across in your presence. No one else can give you that. You have to find it within.
I've been thinking a lot about how each of us presents ourselves to the world. As I help small business people, authors, writers, and other experts create their own video, audio and print content, there is a lot we can do to polish and enhance their performance. However, there is more to it than that and that's what I'm trying to get to here.
When it comes to your dream, that idea inside you that you want to create--whether it's a new business, or an article you want to write, or any new project you want to develop and create, you have to be its biggest cheerleader.
Yes, we all have doubts at times. Sometimes in the middle of the night when we've been struggling to create something and it just isn't coming together, we may have some doubts. Sometimes we need to look to someone else close to us who believes in us for some support, but for the most part, you must have that deep, deep, strong conviction inside that this is your path and nothing is going to rock you off of that.
That is conviction. That is believing in yourself. Even if you aren't sure how it's all going to come together, whenever others hear you talk about your idea or project, they will feel your conviction. They will believe in you too. But it starts with you.
When it's time for you to do video and audio recordings, this essence needs to be present. My work is often about helping someone with the mechanics of communicating well, and sometimes it involves learning to embrace that belief in himself or herself. When you believe in yourself, all things are possible.
What is your dream? Is your belief in yourself and your ability to reach that dream strong? If not yet, what can you do to help make it so? What can you do today to believe in yourself and in your dreams?
Warmly,
Joanne
Joanne
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Media Polisher Helps Media Train Entrepreneurs and Small Business owners
This is a very big weekend for me, and I am so excited that after a full year of planning and development, it is finally here. One year ago it became abundantly clear to me that I needed to add additional services to my business in order to help my clients. In addition, I needed to develop and conduct numerous workshops which would allow me to understand the kinds of offerings I could make with the Media Polisher. And now, finally, after all of that work, we have hit the road. I'm in San Francisco with a team of people conducting a Media Polisher weekend. It's so much fun to have people fly in from all over the country, such as Houston, Seattle, Sacramento, Boston, and Denver to get polished. These are mostly entrepreneurs who are building out their businesses and need a little help in getting their messages out there. The weekend includes coaching, developing key messages, and training on camera to get them ready for media interviews, in addition to preparing them to do their own media. On the agenda today is getting all those home page videos shot. There are "experts" out there who boldly tell entrepreneurs and small business owners to just flip open aflip camera and spew forth, but I don't agree with that strategy. I think it's a much better idea to figure out who your market is (if you're not sure), develop key messages that speak directly to your audience, and then practice the "gozinta" (the intro) and the "goesouta" (the outro), in addtion to all the meat in the middle. Then fine tuning one's actual on-camera presence will help to create an image that shines online....something that is so needed. The results of this weekend have been spectacular. Everyone who attended was fully engaged in the process and ended up with an excellent, professional shot video for their Web site. Many did a home page video in addition to the video on the sales page. What I love about the Media Polisher is that it brings forth all the skills I have developed over the years from my life in broadcasting, to my PR firm, and now training individuals. It truly is a gift to do what I love to do. And how about you? Are you engaged in doing the work you were meant to be doing on this planet? If not, are you taking some steps to make that happen? Warmly, Joanne
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Living your dream...Teaching Social Media
So what have you always wanted to do with you life in terms of work and career? Are you living that dream you once had, or are you still working your way toward it?
Ever since I can remember, I have always wanted to teach. First I had my publicity and marketing classes in which I helped authors, writers, and other small business professionals learn how to promote themselves to media. Then, as things changed over the last few years, I've helped movers and shakers create a shining online presence through video, audio, and the written word. I still do this work and consider myself very lucky to be doing what I love, and making a living at it. Let's face it: We are living in challenging times.
But the greatest teaching opportunity for me is teaching at my alma mater, Marylhurst University. This week, another class filled with students who want to learn about social media has begun and the challenge of helping them to understand the power of this medium and how it may enhance their lives is underway. We also explore the challenges it presents in terms of privacy and other important issues.
They don't know this yet, but I know that by the end of this class we will have developed a very close-knit group of individuals who really care about one another. For all the discussion that social media is impersonal (and it can be), and that it's a time suck (and it can be), and that it serves no real purpose (depends on the individual), we will have gotten past many of these objections to see what truly wonderful opportunities these communication channels offer us. We will have many discussions about the effect on our culture and in each of our lives.
Will social media replace face-to-face contact? No, but it can be a great alternative when you are away from family, friends, or those you work with because they're scattered in other parts of the world.
It's also a wonderful medium for small business people, entrepreneurs, writers, authors, coaches, consultants, etc., to share with their audience what they do and how they can help them.
I believe living your dreams is a big part of why we are here. What are you doing that is a part of your dream? For me, it's teaching. Always has been. Always will be.
Joanne
P.S. I offer tips and suggestions on how you can develop and polish your own online presence at www.facebook.com/themediapolisher. Would love to see you there.
Ever since I can remember, I have always wanted to teach. First I had my publicity and marketing classes in which I helped authors, writers, and other small business professionals learn how to promote themselves to media. Then, as things changed over the last few years, I've helped movers and shakers create a shining online presence through video, audio, and the written word. I still do this work and consider myself very lucky to be doing what I love, and making a living at it. Let's face it: We are living in challenging times.
But the greatest teaching opportunity for me is teaching at my alma mater, Marylhurst University. This week, another class filled with students who want to learn about social media has begun and the challenge of helping them to understand the power of this medium and how it may enhance their lives is underway. We also explore the challenges it presents in terms of privacy and other important issues.
They don't know this yet, but I know that by the end of this class we will have developed a very close-knit group of individuals who really care about one another. For all the discussion that social media is impersonal (and it can be), and that it's a time suck (and it can be), and that it serves no real purpose (depends on the individual), we will have gotten past many of these objections to see what truly wonderful opportunities these communication channels offer us. We will have many discussions about the effect on our culture and in each of our lives.
Will social media replace face-to-face contact? No, but it can be a great alternative when you are away from family, friends, or those you work with because they're scattered in other parts of the world.
It's also a wonderful medium for small business people, entrepreneurs, writers, authors, coaches, consultants, etc., to share with their audience what they do and how they can help them.
I believe living your dreams is a big part of why we are here. What are you doing that is a part of your dream? For me, it's teaching. Always has been. Always will be.
Joanne
P.S. I offer tips and suggestions on how you can develop and polish your own online presence at www.facebook.com/themediapolisher. Would love to see you there.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Tips for Producing Great Video for More Visibility for your Business
What are some of the most important qualities you must possess if you want to have a successful business? There are many, but I think persistence, determination, and a willingness to embrace change are key.
Of course, you have to have a great idea, one that the marketplace is craving, and a way to implement it, in order to even have a business. Then, the above qualities will help carry you through those times when you can't quite see how it's all going to work out. At that point, you have to step out on faith, even when (especially when) you don't feel quite ready.
Probably should throw in a good dose of faith here. Whether you're starting a new business or working to increase the visibility of the one you have through more online channels, eventually you have to get it out there for the world to see. Waiting for perfection is a great way to procrastinate and never get it out there. The key is knowing when to let go and push.
You have to believe in yourself and in your dream. You have to surround yourself with people who are supportive, encouraging, and throw in a few truth tellers too. (They're the ones who will tell you the truth, even when you don't really want to hear it.) Maybe something isn't working very well, or there's some other problem that you just can't see because you're attached to the idea of it working. We all need truth tellers at times.
This past fall I launched some new services that the marketplace is craving. The brand is called The Media Polisher. Since then, I have had the privledge of working with small business owners, coaches, authors, entrepreneurs, sales people, consultants, etc., who are looking to increase their visibility online. My broadcasting background, my publicity firm, and the media training I have done over the years has uniquely prepared me to offer these new services. And I absolutely love it.
Last weekend I had a wonderful group of people in my Build Your Own Media Empire Workshop. What an honor it is to be in a position to help others to look their best, and bring their best selves forward on camera and through social media engagement. We covered a lot of ground and I know the participants are well on their way to producing some fantastic video footage where they look like pros. If you want to include video in your business, here are a few tips to get you going:
1. Get an external mic for your video camera. Don't use the internal one. Nothing screams "amateur" as loudly as when the person's voice sounds like it's half way across the room and the individual is actually close up to the camera.
2. Plan your "gozintas" and your "getsoutas". That means start with the hook straight away. Don't begin with your name and what you're going to talk about and blah, blah, blah...zzzzz...click. Your viewer is G-O-N-E and on to the next video. You want to hook them right away so they'll stay. Then your close has to be just as strong and elegant.
3. Know the purpose of the video. Is it for new potential customers and clients who have never seen you before? Or is it for regular clients who already know and love you? Your presentation will likely be different based on who you are talking to.
4. Remember to have fun. Learning is much faster and easier when we have good feelings and our brain juices are flowing. Stress and worry do not help us give our best performance and they rarely help us achieve our bigger goals.
There are many tips and tools for creating great video, audio and written content. Learning these strategies and tactics will help build more self confidence, and self confidence is that magic potion that helps us to create the business and the life we really want. When we're self confident (the real, genuine kind), others feel good about working with us. It comes from training and experience, persistence, determination, faith, and a willingness to embrace change.
If visibility is something you're trying to increase in order to create more business, then the Media Polisher is something can explore now. I invite you to sign up for our newsletter, in which we'll share many more tips and techniques to have you look like a pro. You can like us on facebook, (and I hope you will) follow us on Twitter (mediapolisher) and (Joanne McCall). And, by all means, you can always post a comment or question below if you'd like to. I'd love to hear from you.
Warmly,
Joanne
Of course, you have to have a great idea, one that the marketplace is craving, and a way to implement it, in order to even have a business. Then, the above qualities will help carry you through those times when you can't quite see how it's all going to work out. At that point, you have to step out on faith, even when (especially when) you don't feel quite ready.
Probably should throw in a good dose of faith here. Whether you're starting a new business or working to increase the visibility of the one you have through more online channels, eventually you have to get it out there for the world to see. Waiting for perfection is a great way to procrastinate and never get it out there. The key is knowing when to let go and push.
You have to believe in yourself and in your dream. You have to surround yourself with people who are supportive, encouraging, and throw in a few truth tellers too. (They're the ones who will tell you the truth, even when you don't really want to hear it.) Maybe something isn't working very well, or there's some other problem that you just can't see because you're attached to the idea of it working. We all need truth tellers at times.
This past fall I launched some new services that the marketplace is craving. The brand is called The Media Polisher. Since then, I have had the privledge of working with small business owners, coaches, authors, entrepreneurs, sales people, consultants, etc., who are looking to increase their visibility online. My broadcasting background, my publicity firm, and the media training I have done over the years has uniquely prepared me to offer these new services. And I absolutely love it.
Last weekend I had a wonderful group of people in my Build Your Own Media Empire Workshop. What an honor it is to be in a position to help others to look their best, and bring their best selves forward on camera and through social media engagement. We covered a lot of ground and I know the participants are well on their way to producing some fantastic video footage where they look like pros. If you want to include video in your business, here are a few tips to get you going:
1. Get an external mic for your video camera. Don't use the internal one. Nothing screams "amateur" as loudly as when the person's voice sounds like it's half way across the room and the individual is actually close up to the camera.
2. Plan your "gozintas" and your "getsoutas". That means start with the hook straight away. Don't begin with your name and what you're going to talk about and blah, blah, blah...zzzzz...click. Your viewer is G-O-N-E and on to the next video. You want to hook them right away so they'll stay. Then your close has to be just as strong and elegant.
3. Know the purpose of the video. Is it for new potential customers and clients who have never seen you before? Or is it for regular clients who already know and love you? Your presentation will likely be different based on who you are talking to.
4. Remember to have fun. Learning is much faster and easier when we have good feelings and our brain juices are flowing. Stress and worry do not help us give our best performance and they rarely help us achieve our bigger goals.
There are many tips and tools for creating great video, audio and written content. Learning these strategies and tactics will help build more self confidence, and self confidence is that magic potion that helps us to create the business and the life we really want. When we're self confident (the real, genuine kind), others feel good about working with us. It comes from training and experience, persistence, determination, faith, and a willingness to embrace change.
If visibility is something you're trying to increase in order to create more business, then the Media Polisher is something can explore now. I invite you to sign up for our newsletter, in which we'll share many more tips and techniques to have you look like a pro. You can like us on facebook, (and I hope you will) follow us on Twitter (mediapolisher) and (Joanne McCall). And, by all means, you can always post a comment or question below if you'd like to. I'd love to hear from you.
Warmly,
Joanne
Thursday, March 3, 2011
The Secret to Being Self Confident in Front of the Camera
I have been saying for years that everyone needs to get media trained if they want to promote their book, business, cause or service through the media. In fact, not only is that still the case, but my position has expanded well beyond that now. For those who are planning to do their own media content through their platform, particularly if you're going to do video, you must get some training. No exceptions. Well, almost no exceptions. Maybe 1/10th of 1 percent of the population can do it and come across well, but most need a little bit of help.
When the subject of media training comes up, most know they need it and sign up right away. These are the folks that know they don't know everything and realize they need some pointers on how to do it and come across well. Then there a some who say, "Oh, I can do it. How hard can it be?" and either they find out that sitting in the hot seat isn't as easy as it looks, or someone tells them afterwards, "Gee, that really wasn't very good." (Hopefully it was said by a friend and with kindness.) I 've shared this before, and I will say it again. I watched someone blow their brand in 6 seconds in a bad video posted on Facebook. Please do not let that be you. If you have spent some time building your business and building your brand, or even if you're just starting to, you never get a second chance to make a great first impression. Mom was right.
Here's the thing. Why would someone want to try it themselves without any coaching or training? What am I missing here? I know there are "experts" out there who say you should just get a flip camera, flip it open and start recording, but that is really bad advice--particularly if you are a business owner. Your potential clients and customers know in less that one second if they are going to do business with you, so you want to increase your chances of a "yes", right? Media training can help you with so many different elements: key messenging, the hook, the purpose of the video, along with some tools and strategies for coming across beautifully...Strong, self confident, relaxed, and engaging. This is not something that comes natually to people because you are not talking to a person, you are talking into a cameral lens.
So how do you make sure that you are coming across in an engaging, natural way? Some of the tools and strategies I teach come from the work I have done with Dr. Richard Bandler, the co-founder of NLP. I have had the pleasure of publicizing two of his many books, Get the Life You Want and Richard Bandler's Guide to Trance-formations, along with a third book on the way, The Secret to Being Happy. Through NLP we learn about accessing resourceful states such as feeling really confident, particularly in what many would call a stressful situation, and then anchor that so that while in front of the camera, the person feels relaxed and confident or excited and motivated--the emotion depending on the brand and the purpose of the video. This is just one of many techniques that once you learn, you will have them for a lifetime. This is a great investment in yourself that you can use in all kinds of situations.
If you are ready to take your media presence to a whole new level, then consider my next workshop called Camera Shy? Not for Long. It's scheduled for the evening of Friday, March 11th from 6 to 9 p.m. Pacific Time. The following day is the Build your Own Media Empire workshop during which you will have lots of camera time and personal coaching from me to help you put your best face forward. You have the option of one or the other, although both together will bring about the best results, in addition to giving you a very nice discount. Again, the strategies you learn will serve you for the rest of your life.
Please click here to learn more about it. I'd love to help you look great on camera.
http://mediapolisher.com/en/?sv=&category=Media%20Polisher&title=Workshops
For now,
Joanne
When the subject of media training comes up, most know they need it and sign up right away. These are the folks that know they don't know everything and realize they need some pointers on how to do it and come across well. Then there a some who say, "Oh, I can do it. How hard can it be?" and either they find out that sitting in the hot seat isn't as easy as it looks, or someone tells them afterwards, "Gee, that really wasn't very good." (Hopefully it was said by a friend and with kindness.) I 've shared this before, and I will say it again. I watched someone blow their brand in 6 seconds in a bad video posted on Facebook. Please do not let that be you. If you have spent some time building your business and building your brand, or even if you're just starting to, you never get a second chance to make a great first impression. Mom was right.
Here's the thing. Why would someone want to try it themselves without any coaching or training? What am I missing here? I know there are "experts" out there who say you should just get a flip camera, flip it open and start recording, but that is really bad advice--particularly if you are a business owner. Your potential clients and customers know in less that one second if they are going to do business with you, so you want to increase your chances of a "yes", right? Media training can help you with so many different elements: key messenging, the hook, the purpose of the video, along with some tools and strategies for coming across beautifully...Strong, self confident, relaxed, and engaging. This is not something that comes natually to people because you are not talking to a person, you are talking into a cameral lens.
So how do you make sure that you are coming across in an engaging, natural way? Some of the tools and strategies I teach come from the work I have done with Dr. Richard Bandler, the co-founder of NLP. I have had the pleasure of publicizing two of his many books, Get the Life You Want and Richard Bandler's Guide to Trance-formations, along with a third book on the way, The Secret to Being Happy. Through NLP we learn about accessing resourceful states such as feeling really confident, particularly in what many would call a stressful situation, and then anchor that so that while in front of the camera, the person feels relaxed and confident or excited and motivated--the emotion depending on the brand and the purpose of the video. This is just one of many techniques that once you learn, you will have them for a lifetime. This is a great investment in yourself that you can use in all kinds of situations.
If you are ready to take your media presence to a whole new level, then consider my next workshop called Camera Shy? Not for Long. It's scheduled for the evening of Friday, March 11th from 6 to 9 p.m. Pacific Time. The following day is the Build your Own Media Empire workshop during which you will have lots of camera time and personal coaching from me to help you put your best face forward. You have the option of one or the other, although both together will bring about the best results, in addition to giving you a very nice discount. Again, the strategies you learn will serve you for the rest of your life.
Please click here to learn more about it. I'd love to help you look great on camera.
http://mediapolisher.com/en/?sv=&category=Media%20Polisher&title=Workshops
For now,
Joanne
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Having a Birthday on Facebook
It is no secret to my Facebook friends that I have been dealing with a huge loss in my life -- someone very, very important to me passed on 6 weeks ago. So, I wasn't sure what to think about my birthday, which was quickly approaching. I mean, I certainly didn't feel like celebrating. After all, I wouldn't hear from my sister, her card and gift would never arrive, she wasn't going to call me so that I could hear her voice, she wasn't going to stop by so I could see her; There was just this huge void inside me. A loss that's hard to describe unless you have lost a sibling. So in terms of my birthday, I was choosing to ignore it.
So imagine my surprise when many of my facebook friends began posting their good wishes on on the eve of my birthday, right there on my wall. Some sent videos, like
Paul McCartney singing They Say it's Your Birthday, others sent greeting cards, some left beautiful thoughts and prose on my wall, while others kept it at a simple "Happy Birthday." Others sent private messages to me and still others called me on my cell and emailed. Much to my surprise, posts of good wishes just kept rolling in--hour after hour...throughout the day and into the night...the "I'm thinking of you" comments, and all the other genuine, heart-felt thoughts made their say to me. It was truly amazing. And it touched me.
Before this, I sometimes sent Happy Birthday messages to Facebook friends, but for the most part I opted not to because it just looked like it swamped their walls. I even heard someone say that she was going to remove her birth date from her profile because it was too much. I didn't want to be a part of this kind of deluge if it turned someone off, and I didn't want to contribute to swamping someone's wall, so I have been very careful as to whom I posted greetings.
But I have learned some very important lessons from this birthday. You never know how you are impacting someone else with your kind words. For me, hearing from all of you who posted to my page was like a cool drink of water in the middle of a hot dry desert. It lifted my spirits and helped me more than I can say, and if you took the time to post, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart.
My birthday was bitter sweet. The loss is still there, but having so many people simply check in with a few words was a soothing balm on this spirit. So, from now on, you can count on a Happy Birthday message from me when your birthday rolls around. I truly hope it will make you feel good and I hope it lift your spirits as well. Thank you again.
So imagine my surprise when many of my facebook friends began posting their good wishes on on the eve of my birthday, right there on my wall. Some sent videos, like
Paul McCartney singing They Say it's Your Birthday, others sent greeting cards, some left beautiful thoughts and prose on my wall, while others kept it at a simple "Happy Birthday." Others sent private messages to me and still others called me on my cell and emailed. Much to my surprise, posts of good wishes just kept rolling in--hour after hour...throughout the day and into the night...the "I'm thinking of you" comments, and all the other genuine, heart-felt thoughts made their say to me. It was truly amazing. And it touched me.
Before this, I sometimes sent Happy Birthday messages to Facebook friends, but for the most part I opted not to because it just looked like it swamped their walls. I even heard someone say that she was going to remove her birth date from her profile because it was too much. I didn't want to be a part of this kind of deluge if it turned someone off, and I didn't want to contribute to swamping someone's wall, so I have been very careful as to whom I posted greetings.
But I have learned some very important lessons from this birthday. You never know how you are impacting someone else with your kind words. For me, hearing from all of you who posted to my page was like a cool drink of water in the middle of a hot dry desert. It lifted my spirits and helped me more than I can say, and if you took the time to post, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart.
My birthday was bitter sweet. The loss is still there, but having so many people simply check in with a few words was a soothing balm on this spirit. So, from now on, you can count on a Happy Birthday message from me when your birthday rolls around. I truly hope it will make you feel good and I hope it lift your spirits as well. Thank you again.
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