Sue Blake Media - News and Views from Personal Publicist and Communications Expert, Sue Blake

How to become an Tv expert

Claire Richmond is a friend and a client. She is an entrepreneur, TV producer,The Talent Hunter and founder of www.findatvexpert.com which launched over 2 years ago because Claire spotted a gap in the market for a product to showcase new talent to the TV industry and the internet was the vehicle.  If you are an expert on something and think you have what it takes to get on the TV then you might find Claire's 10 STEPS TO BECOMING A TV EXPERT interesting and check out her site too www.findatvexpert.com

In summary, Claire's 10 steps are:

1. define your USP

2. understand the market

3. write a book and become an authority (this one is music to my ears and have long advised experts with an 'ology to author a book IF they will then get behind the promotion of it!)

4. give presentations at consumer fairs, trade fairs, networking events and exhibitions (more music to my ears as it has to all be about being easier to find these days!)

5. be at the top of google/yahoo/bing searches under key words that relate to your expertise

6. join clubs, associations and networking groups (check out online ones  in www.linkedin.com for starters)

7. join the online directories of experts

8. get quoted (the media read the media and will often look in the media for experts!)

9. be pro-active (why should anything terrific just happen to you if you're not helping yourself!)

10. get a showreel

Claire says "The harder you work at promoting yourself and increasing your visibility, the luckier you will be.  The TV industry is always on the hunt for new experts!"

So, could it be you? Do you have a great niche and a presence for TV?  This is without a doubt one of the most exciting mediums to make it into.  To read the full explanations of the  10 STEPS, read Claire's blog here

http://findatvexpert.blogspot.com/

See you on the tele then!

www.findatvexpert.com

claire@findatvexpert.com (she also produces showreels so do ask her!)

Follow Claire on Twitter @findatvexpert

And connect to Claire via www.linkedin.com

29.9.10 - and I heard of this fab new book this week which Claire also recommends!

http://www.greenlitbook.com/

Lesser known facts about strengths

My friend, strengths coach, Gail Macindoe, wrote to me a couple of days ago letting me know about her forthcoming workshop - Uncover your hidden talents - improve your wellbeing and ability to achieve more with ease.  I didn't take it personally nor did I wonder if Gail was trying to tell me something!  I knew she thought I would find it interesting and Gail was asking my advice on how to get some high speed short lead promotion for it to which I said that social media is THE way to go for this.  Having written a recent blog titled 'Being Easier to Find', well, 'erm, it has to be OK then to be, well, easier to find and self promoting.  Who else is going to do it for us?

Sharing what we're doing, involved with, recommend and contribute to is necessary in this day and age.  It's important to share and help others and not because money changes hands!  I'm not wired that way. If I am excited about something (many things!!!) I don't see why I should 'sit on my hands' and not share.

So, as I genuinely find Gail's niche as a strengths coach very interesting, I'm very happy to do my blog bit to help raise awareness of her forthcoming workshop.

I asked Gail to let me know some lesser known facts about strengths.  Here is what she said (with some comments from me within too):

We often discount our strengths as they come easily to us.  Some people feel that it it comes easy it doesn't have a value and that if we can do it easily we wrongly assume others can too.  This reminds me of something I learnt ages ago.  If we add some full stops in the word 'assume' like this - ass.u.me - interesting isn't it?

We need to watch we don't overplay our strengths so that they can tip us into the weakness zone. Ie: a person who is great with detail may become so focused on the detail that they don't see the bigger picture.  A creative person may have so many ideas and never actually put them into action.

Playing to our strengths is a key way to be authentic.  This word has long been bandied about yet the truth is, if we're not being who we are, then who are we being? Why do we have to apologise or minimise who we are??

If we do more of what we love in our 9-5 it doesn't feel like work! Playing to our strengths creates flow, makes us feel great, makes us feel alive and excited, time seems to stop, we get heaps done!

Playing to our strengths allows us to be fully present rather than doing and getting stuck in the past or the future.

We get a natural high from playing to our strengths!  It can be contagious!

Top performers spend over 75% of their time playing to their strengths every day - track the time you are using your strengths on a daily basis (My Strengths Journal?) and set about making small changes and track the difference that they make on your performance, wellness, attitude and opportunities!

UNCOVER YOUR HIDDEN TALENTS WORKSHOP presented by Gail Macindoe

Saturday 18th September

Ewell/Surrey - £75 pp 9.30am - 4pm

Connect to Gail via

www.linkedin.com

Twitter @gailmacindoe

gail@macindoe.com

See Gail explain what the acronym AHEAD means via http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sS8wlThLXvE

 

 

Lesser known benefits of meditation

I am part of the Peace of Mind Meditation Group near Richmond, Surrey which was founded by Sonia Wynn-Jones wo's well known to many for her insightfulness and wisdom as she is her meditation teaching skills.  I've been with 'PoM' for many years now and it has been a pleasure to co-write articles with Sonia. I'd like to share them here.  Regular meditation has been, and is, a cornerstone 'tool for life' in my life.  I can't recommend it highly enough and I know it is the regular practice of it - and comitment to it - that literally makes all the difference.

"Recommended use - daily, 30 minutes"  No excuses.

It's always great to see 'meditation make the news'.  Broadening the awareness of it is really helpful and when high profile, public eye people say they meditate regularly it all helps  It's a shame that meditation is sometimes subject to negative 'press' from people.  Perhaps it's those who are 'against' it that might benefit from it most.

Here are assorted 'PoM' article links:

Bringing peace to a fearful mind http://www.peaceofmind-online.com/articles/june12_09.htm

Acceptance http://www.peaceofmind-online.com/articles/july2_09.htm

Letting go http://www.peaceofmind-online.com/articles/aug1_09.htm

Strengthening throughn meditation http://www.peaceofmind-online.com/articles/nov_09.htm

Working lives and motherhood http://www.peaceofmind-online.com/articles/nov_09.htm

Here are some links I found on 'meditation in the news' which I really enjoyed reading:

Meditation  builds up the brain http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn8317-meditation-builds-up-the-brain.html

Meditation is good for the brain http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn8317-meditation-builds-up-the-brain.html

Sonia Wynn-Jones MBRCP is a member of the British Register of Complementary Practitioners.  Her Meditation 3-part CD set is available on amazon and from http://www.peaceofmind-online.com/shop.htm

 

Blogging for the Entrepreneurs' Business Academy

It's been immensely exciting working with Bev James, Founder of the EBA, since February this year and to be right there at the beginning of what has become, withinjust  6 months, such a highly regarded service for entrepreneurs and business owners.  Gill Fielding from Channel 4's Secret Millionaire TV series (Gill was in the original series 3 years ago) said "the EBA is leading the way in entrepreneurship education." So, it was a thrill this week to blog for the EBA - thanks Bj!

Here is the link http://www.the-eba.com/entrepreneur-blog/

The next TOTAL Business Mastery Seminar is taking place on Saturday 25th September in Central London.  Gold tickets sold out a while back but you can still purchase a ticket if you book fast!  James Caan is presenting (as he always does at these seminars) together with the EBA Millionaire Mentors.  This is the hottest business ticket in town when it happens!  This is not for the flim flam flaky business owners!  It's so high energy, informational and motivating!

Tickets can be booked via http://www.the-eba.com/ebapartner/?p=TWIT&w=seminar