Camera Ready & Abel

Industrious with Matthew Hoffman

This feel great episode is brought to you by the word industrious which means diligent and hardworking, and also implies a habitual devotion to the work, which in the Camera, Ready & Abel universe is one of the keys to success.

This episode could also have been called Industrious: How to Get the Gig! because my guest, TV host, narrator, and media personality, Matthew Hoffman, generously - and hilariously - walks me step by step through how he landed the gig that propelled him to the next level, narrating and co-writing Love Island USA for CBS and Netflix. Hint: he focused on what he could control and put his energy not into getting the gig, but winning the hearts of the producers, casting directors and network executives (this part of the conversation starts around the 19 minute mark.)

Key Takeaways:

• working hard is working smart
• learn the power of saying no
• know your why and who you are doing it for
• finding joy in giving with no expectation of reward
• you have to build a life outside of waiting for your big break

Matthew's distinctive voice can also be heard as the co-creator, series producer, and host of Previously On...The Official Love Island USA Podcast for ITV America and Peacock, as well as the Co-creator and host of Love Notes, a LIVE weekly radio show for Amazon Amp. His diverse professional portfolio includes serving as a special correspondent for Extra and the host of Sit Down with the Stars for Regal Cinemas, as well as an investor in theatrical productions such as The National Tour of Magic Mike Live and the Broadway Productions of Life of Pi, Merrily We Roll Along in NYC, and Prima Facie…to name a few.

Bonus: If you are looking for an uplifting, heart-centered piece of content then be sure to check-out Tuesdays With Matthew, a volunteer program founded by Matthew for Senior Citizens who recreate famous scenes from iconic movies and read this glowing piece in the New York Times.

Keep up with Matthew at:

IG: @matthewhoffman.tv

Website: www.matthewhoffman.tv/

Matthew's Love Island USA greatest hits season 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QJgPjVbE9Y

You Choose! with Beth Schiff

Life is a series of choices. To choose means to select freely after consideration, to decide upon, to vote (important reminder!), to have a preference. This implies both freedom and responsibility.

Joining me to discuss on Camera Ready & Abel to discuss the phrase You Choose! is legendary Talent Executive, Producer and Casting Director, Beth Schiff, who believes in the power of choosing so much she named her business You Choose Creative.

Beth has more than twenty years in the entertainment industry, and for over 12 of those years led the casting team on Food Networks' juggernaut, Chopped, developed by our dear podcast friend, Dave Noll, and his partner Cleve Keller, and for the past two years has shaped the talent at Yahoo Creative Studios.

Beth reminded me that in any creative endeavor the rule of Fast-Good-Cheap applies. If you want Fast + Good, it won't be cheap. If you want Good + Cheap it won't be fast. If you want Fast + Cheap it most definitely won't be good. You get two out of three. You choose.

More key takeaways:

• Perspectives are always different
• Everyone can benefit from comedy improv training + media training
• Practice! Record yourself and do mirror work
• Be discoverable
• Be memorable because no means not now and we'll call you again next time
• Get out of your head by thinking about what makes you smile

In addition to uncovering and shaping compelling stories for TV, branded content, podcasts, events, and corporate projects, Beth is producing a documentary about climate change and our food system coming out late 2023.

Connect with Beth via Instagram and LinkedIn.

Alignment with Tamiko White

“Alignment is a real place,” shares my guest Tamiko White who joins me on this episode of Camera Ready & Abel to discuss the journey to alignment.

Tamiko White is the founder of White Noise Consulting and creator of #NOWTrending, a branding course and community for entrepreneurs. She is a fashion and media entrepreneur, creative brand consultant and writer who has worked with an impressive list of clients over the past 30 years- in front of the camera and behind the seams- to help everyone she works with build an inedible and profitable brand.

 

Tamiko has built a thriving and impactful business by aligning her values, skills, and interests.

Sometimes we are gently veering off the road and have to constantly tweak the wheel to stay on track. Tamiko is here to be your life mechanic and help keep you on the road to alignment one daily habit at a time.

Fun fact, Tamiko has been a hand model for 25 years and has played the hands of Viola Davis’! 

Learn more about Tamiko and her course #NOWTRENDING:

Website: www.tamikowhite.com

IG: https://www.instagram.com/tamikowhite/

#NOWTRENDING: https://tamikowhite.kartra.com/page/NOWTrending23

How to Pitch with Dave Noll

If you're thinking I'm not in sales or I'm not a creative, I'm never going to pitch anything, think again!

As my guest for this episode, Dave Noll, says, life's a pitch, life's a series of pitches...whether it's love or work or anything important. Selling anything, creating anything, anything important in life comes with a pitch.

Dave knows what he's talking about. He and his partner, Cleve Keller, are the mega-successful creators and producers of Chopped (the most successful show in the history of the Food Network) and America Says (the most successful show in the history of the Game Show Network) plus 60 other shows that went from idea to successful pitch.

Dave lives by these Four P's: Positive, polite, persistent, professional.

More Dave nuggets:

• Research, research, research! It's the end all and be all of a great pitch
• Rehearse what you are pitching
• Rehearse your pitch in front of someone and ask them to flag anything negative that seeps in
• Reframe any negatives into positives
• Identify that one thing that is going to make you memorable and be clear on that one thing
• One extraordinary idea can change your life
• Always ask: What about this...?

Dave's book, The Visionary in Charge, comes out fall 2023.

Enjoy Dave explaining the power and impact of positivity in this episode of Camera Ready & Abel.

Connect and follow Dave at www.linkedin.com/davenolltv

Dave recommends two of his favorite books: Jerry Weintraub's When I Stop Talking, You'll Know I'm Dead and The Last Great Ride by Brandon Tartikoff, former NBC programming chief.

Curiosity Didn’t Kill the Cat with Alice Ford

Dreams only become reality when we actually are curious enough to start implementing and making them happen. - Alice Ford

I say all the time that I'd be sitting in my villa in Tangier right now if I had a dollar or ten for every single person I've encountered who said I want to host a travel show. My guest for this episode, award winning host, adventure filmmaker and stunt woman, Alice Ford, created a travel show and turned it into a viable business.

Alice says curiosity is the key to all of it.

Curiosity not only didn't kill the cat, it made the cat smarter and more confident, according to Alice.

Key takeaways

• You can turn your curiosity into a career
• Curiosity allows you to be open to new opportunities
• Share your curiosity with others
• Ask questions!
• Be curious to start doing it, creating it, exploring it
• Know the limits/boundaries of your curiosity (ask yourself is this safe? how does my curiosity impact others?)

Alice's impressive resume is built on her exercising her curiosity. She is a self-described adrenaline junkie who has hiked some of the world’s tallest mountains, gone swimming with sharks, jumped out of airplanes, repelled down cliff sides and traveled solo all over the world documenting every moment for her award-winning series Alice’s Adventures on Earth, AND Alice has worked as a stuntwoman on some of Hollywood's biggest blockbusters over the last decade including Spiderman - No Way Home, Transformers 4 & 5, Star Trek Into Darkness, Red Notice and Tenet.

Get more curious about Alice: alicesadventuresonearth.com (website), AliceFordAdventures (youtube), AlicesAdventuresonEarth (instagram)

Civility with Kristi Spencer

I am a card-carrying etiquette nerd along with my guest, for this episode, Kristi Spencer, who spent over two decades working in the rough and tumble world of local news before becoming a certified business etiquette expert and launching her business The Polite Company.

Why does it matter?

Good manners are good for business. Good manners minimize or prevent problems with reputation and employee/client retention (which impact the bottom line), make you more memorable and good manners are key to building relationships, the foundation of all business.

9 Key takeaways:

• Assume good intentions
• Etiquette is built on consideration, respect and honesty
• Empowering etiquette means knowing how and when to ask for what you want
• Learn to disagree politely
• Rudeness is a two-way street (self-audit)
• Don't correct other people's bad manners if they're not in your immediate family
• You have two seconds to tell someone you've heard that story before
• Kindness and listening have a positive ripple effect
• Only say sorry when you really mean it

Kristi is a passionate advocate for workplace civility and professionalism and is regularly called on to provide etiquette expertise for media outlets. Learn more about Kristi's services at www.thepolitecompany.com.

Dealing with Bozos and Bullies with Iggy Perillo

The title of this episode of Camera Ready & Abel - Dealing with Bozos and Bullies - tells you a lot about my guest for this episode. Iggy Perillo, founder of WSL Leadership, helps leaders and educators do right by their people with warmth, humor and compassion, training them to do the hardest part of great work more easily, through group and one-on-one coaching masterminds and experiential workshops designed to make it simple for them to connect with their people, create meaningful change and amplify positive culture.

Because research shows positive work cultures lead to more innovation, growth and profit (and less stress).

You've probably encountered at least a few bozos and bullies in your life. I know I have. Iggy makes it clear your perception is a matter or perspective. More key takeaways:

• Power dynamics are real
• It really does start at the top
• We're all doing the best with what we have
• Leaders must promote psychological safety
• A thriving workplace requires cognitive empathy
• Know when to flex versus when to be flexible.

Learn more about Iggy's transformational work at https://www.wslleadership.com/

Here are the books we discuss inspired by Iggy's Books Applied Podcast 

Quit - Annie Duke

Mindset - Carol Dweck

Peak - Anders Ericsson

Atomic Habits - James Clear

Dare to Lead - Brene Brown

The Dawn of Everything - David Graeber and David Wengrow

The Creative Act - Rick Rubin

The Forty Rules of Love - Elif Shafak

Pachinko - Min Jin Lee 

Talent is Overrated - Geoffrey Colvin 

Latebloomers - Rick Karlgaard

The War of Art - Steven Pressfield

The Artists Journey - Steven Pressfield

Do the Work - Steven Pressfield

Turning Pro - Steven Pressfield

Nobody Wants to Read Your Sh*t - Steven Pressfield

Laughter On Call with Dani Klein Modisett

Dani Klein Modisett is a comedian, actor, author and accidental entrepreneur who (accidentally) founded, Laughter On Call - a company that runs innovative, interactive workshops for individuals and organizations rooted in mental wellness, designed to foster connection through shared laughter, by combining compassion with comedy to boost morale - when she saw the positive impact comedy had on her mother when she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. 

Since the company's founding in 2018, more than 20,000 people have been through the Laughter on Call program and it's now the subject of a Harvard Case Study.

I learned so much from this conversation. Key takeaways:

• Comedy is a craft that you can study and develop
• Comedy requires courage and a unique point of view 
• Slipping on a banana peel is universally funny
• Puppies are universally joyful and comforting
• Leaders create psychological safety by making vulnerability okay
• Yes AND will move you forward. Yes but or yeah maybe keep you stuck
• Surround yourself with Yes AND people
• Create opportunity

Visit Laughter On Call to learn more about their individual and group services or how your company can make Laughter On Call part of your benefits package.

On Brand Part 2: It’s Always an Audition

On this episode of Camera Ready & Abel my conversion with Aliza Licht continues but this time I am in the guest seat as I re-air my interview on her podcast, Leave Your Mark. This episode is brought to you by the phrase, it's always an audition, because no matter the career field you are in, a job interview is an audition. 

What makes a great audition? First off, to recognize that it starts the minute you walk into the building, so be memorable and be delightful. Leave the room better than you found it. Even if you don't land the gig, you'll make an impression that may pay dividends in the future.

Nuggets of wisdom shared in this episode became the seeds for what has grown to be Chapter 7 of Aliza’s new book ON BRAND: shape your narrative, share your vision, shift their perception, in which I was honored to be a contributor.

Aliza Licht is an award-winning marketer, bestselling author, podcaster, personal branding expert, and the founder of LEAVE YOUR MARK, a multimedia brand and consultancy. Learn more about Aliza and her check out her new book at www.alizalicht.com.

On Brand with Aliza Licht

Problem: What's my personal brand?

Solution: Aliza Licht, my guest for this episode of Camera Ready & Abel discussing her new book, ON BRAND: shape your narrative, share your vision, shift their perception.

Aliza explains being on brand means you have a clear understanding of what you align with, what it is you want to be known for and how to make sure other people see you that way.

That last bit is key because your brand is your story and in the absence of your story, people will create one for you. 

The book notes for ON BRAND say it best: How you present in person, over email, and on social media communicates your personal brand. That brand deserves thoughtful cultivation and crafting as you shape your narrative, build your network, grow your confidence, and plot your future.

In a world where we communicate nonstop in both obvious and subtle ways, getting your message right and learning how to market yourself is paramount to success.

Full disclosure: I am honored to be included in chapter 7 of ON BRAND: Become a captivating speaker and own the room

Aliza is an award-winning marketer, bestselling author, podcaster, personal branding expert, and the founder of LEAVE YOUR MARK, a multimedia brand and consultancy.

Aliza’s first book, LEAVE YOUR MARK: Land Your Dream Job. Kill It in Your Career. Rock Social Media, provides personal and professional guidance for people just starting their careers and for people who are well on their way.

Learn more about Aliza at www.alizalicht.com and listen to her weekly podcast, Leave Your Mark.

Listen to Aliza discussing mentorship on Camera Ready & Abel here

ON BRAND: shape your narrative, share your vision, shift their perception is available wherever books are sold.

Gratitude with Barbara Barna Abel

Time flies when you're learning and growing! I cannot believe this episode celebrates my two-year podaversary. It's been - and continues to be - a creative joy and an education which is why this episode of Camera Ready & Abel is brought to you by the word, GRATITUDE. From the Latin word gratis meaning thankful or pleasing.

I struggled for a bit before hitting the record button, wondering what I had to add to the Gratitude conversation, and then the Universe provided me with two quotes that helped reframe my internal dialogue on the subject:

The difference between thankfulness and gratitude is that thankfulness is an emotion, but gratitude is an attitude of appreciation under any circumstance which means gratitude is a state of being.

The second quote I heard in an online course I'm taking from the brilliant Gina Mollicone-Long who said, there's a difference between thinking about being grateful and actually physically being grateful. It's not enough to think you're grateful. You have to BE grateful.

The good news, which I explain in this episode, is that it's easy for all of us to get into a state of gratitude. As per usual, it begins with consciousness and intention.

I have endless gratitude to all of my guests for sharing their wit and wisdom and to you, for listening. Thank you.

If you need help getting to where you want to be from where you are today, please shoot me a note via my website abelintermedia.com and when you're there download my free ebook, 12 Tips for Success on Camera.

Decoding Success with Matt LeBris

Sometimes the universe brings you the person you absolutely need to speak with in that moment, and that’s what happened when I connected with my guest for this episode, Matt LeBris, host of the top 1% globally ranked podcast Decoding Success which is hyper-focused on delivering value through decoding others’ success.

 

Matt insists he’s not great at math but he shares two powerful equations:

Events + Perspective = Outcome

Knowing How to do something + the Courage to do it = What you really need

 

Key takeaways:

• We can't control everything in life but we can control our perspective
• Work with deliberate intention and act as if what you want is already happening
• The work never ends
• Don't waste time worrying about things that don't matter in the end
• Small daily steps yield big results

Matt LeBris is a born and raised NY’er with the hustler's spirit. A Forbes 30 Under 30 nominee, Matt previously worked with Daymond John of Shark Tank and lives the mission to positively impact one life every day. 

Learn more about Matt and the Decoding Success podcast at hoo.be/decodingsuccess.

Mindset with Tai Beauchamp

I was well into my adult years before I really started to understand how much choice I had in setting my mindset.

Mindset is defined as an established set of attitudes held by someone. It’s all about the way you think and feel about someone or something. This is typically reflected in our behavior, whether intentional or not. You can attach an infinite number of descriptors to mindset, including abundant, courageous, loving, positive, negative, fearful, or closed. The one I never connected until this powerful conversation about Mindset with Tai Beauchamp, is choice.

So many takeaways!

• Mindset is consciousness + intention
• Mindset is a choice
• Redirect anxiety to anticipation
• Be inspired by the mountaintops and then look at the cracks in the ground and be inspired there
• Ask how do I show up differently? 
• How you begin is half the win

Tai is the creator and host of the popular Instagram live series Morning Mindset with Tai, a daily live session aimed at spirit, heart and mind which has grown into a global community since launching two years ago.

Tai is also a former beauty and fashion magazine editor of O, The Oprah Magazine, Seventeen, and InStyle as well as an established serial entrepreneur and TV host who has hosted her own shows on TLC and GSN. Last summer, Tai hosted and produced Lens of Culture, a travel show created for millennials of color on CleoTV. A true multi-hyphenate committed to the upliftment of women, in 2019 Tai launched Beyond Ready, a purposeful development platform that partners with corporations, organizations, and brands to support the professional and personal growth of its employees. 

In April of 2020, Tai further expanded her entrepreneurial footprint joining Brown Girl jane, a plant-based wellness and CBD company, as Co-Founder and Chief Brand Officer. In partnership with two fellow Spelman alumni, Tai endeavors to not only shift the perception of what wellness means for women of color but is committed to providing education and access to natural products and services that meaningfully support women in actualizing wellness for themselves. 

Tai can be found online at Taibeauchamp.com and @taibeau across social platforms. Join the Brown Girl jane tribe at BrownGirljane.com and Instagram via @itsbrowngirljane.

Join Morning Mindset with Tai Monday-Friday 6:30am PT/9:30am PT on Instagram Live.

From the archives:

BBA on Morning Mindset with Tai.

7 Ways to Make an Entrance originally posted on The Tai Life

Rock N Roll Spirit with Allison Hagendorf

Rock N Roll Spirit is difficult to define but you know it when you feel it. 

I sure felt it when I met my guest for this episode, Allison Hagendorf, the first time she walked into my TV Hosting class at TVI 20 years ago. Allison brings her Rock N Roll Spirit to everything she does. That includes: 

• a trailblazing attitude and mindset
• a singular vision free of distraction
• relentless perseverance
• the will to go above and beyond (again and again)
• being comfortable outside your comfort zone because blazing trails is often scary

Allison's career is long and impressive. She is an accomplished music journalist, media personality, and influencer and the host of The Allison Hagendorf Show, a weekly video podcast featuring interviews with some of the most globally iconic musicians and tastemakers. 

Allison is the former  Head of Rock at Spotify and started her career as an A&R executive at Columbia and Epic Records (after talking them into creating a position for her), before transitioning to TV host and music journalist, interviewing artists and covering music news for Fuse Television Network and The CW’s music-competition show The Next, as well as The X Games on ABC and ESPN. In 2012, Allison became the Official Host of Times Square New Year’s Eve for over one million revelers and over one billion global livestream viewers.

Visit Allison at allisonhagendorf.com and follow her at @allihagendorf on Instagram and TikTok and listen to The Allison Hagendorf Show on iTunes or your favorite podcast platform.

Failure with Ben Currier

Embracing failure has been a throughline in many of the success stories shared on Camera Ready & Abel but this is the first time it has taken center stage.

According to experts on the interwebs, failure is defined as a lack of success or the inability to meet an expectation. I'm thrilled that here to discuss with me is Ben Currier, the self-proclaimed world's number one failure, who is the host of the ironically successful Failure Guy podcast, which Chartable ranks in the 99.8 percentile for global reach - certainly a marker of success.

Ben says he is amazed how much failure people can endure and still succeed.

Ben spent the last 15 years in corporate America financially forecasting billions of dollars across multiple industries. He is an extremely talented Excel guru, 4-time Microsoft MVP Award Winner, and creator of an enormously successful online Excel training (rated one of the six Best Online Excel Classes per Investopedia.) 

Despite these successes, Ben has been fired from every job he's had since graduating college. This has inspired him to investigate how to get better at dealing with failure, rather than avoiding facing the reality of his problems. 

Key takeaways:

• Turn setbacks into success
• The ultimate failure is failing to learn from failure 
• When we change our energy we change our lives
• Try new things and get proficient at them before moving on
• You (really) can learn to paint with Bob Ross

Learn more about Ben and the Failure Guy podcast at www.failureguy.com.