Psychiatrist Sigmund Freud once said, “all behavior has meaning.” I wish I had kept that little nugget in mind as I once flew to an interview with the CEO of a large media company. After coordinating dates and times for our meeting, the CEO sent me this email; “There is a non stop Southwest flight … Read more
There is a joke is about two hikers in the woods who are surprised by a bear. The first hiker yanks running shoes out of her backpack, prompting the other hiker to say, “You cannot run faster than that bear.” The first hiker laces up saying, “I don’t have to be faster than the bear. … Read more
Imagine that you are the head of Comedy Central and The Daily Show With Jon Stewart is going well, with great ratings, consistently great content and a solid place in the daily pop culture zeitgeist. Then Jon decides to leave. Or, imagine that you are the head of NBC News, and your Nightly News property … Read more
‘Tis the season for football playoffs, championships and Bowl Games. While basketball offers prime time showdowns at both the college and professional levels, for members of the media it means gearing up for a never ending string of press conferences. Media gets herded into a converted media area for a postgame press conference, or into … Read more
At The Randy Lane Company, we have learned a thing or two from coaching some very busy people. Imagine the crazy schedules of performers like Ryan Seacrest, Jimmy Kimmel, or Carson Daly. Would you like to know the secrets of how to do it all and do it so well? You are clearly destined for that … Read more
Walking my setter through downtown Portland this week, I laughed at a bumper sticker: “One lab accident away from being a superhero.” That is true! It turns out that life is one big big surprise after another. In an instant, success, failure, and fate can transform your life and career. If you had a crystal … Read more
To win big in broadcast sales today your team must be able to make others quickly see the value of working with and purchasing from your company. To accomplish this your team needs to also believe in the value they personally deliver and how valuable your products and services are. Having a process is great, … Read more
As a lifelong fan and coach of media personalities, I am sad when talented people shoot their career in the foot.
We all know that you will inevitably offend somebody if you are being authentic and entertaining, but the line keeps moving. Career-ending mistakes usually involve egregious content and/or workplace behavior.
It occurred to me that broadcasters today have more in common with movie actors than ever before. You tell stories, you emote, you create characters, and you dramatize. You also frequently experience long periods between jobs. Look up your favorite actors on IMDB and note the gaps between films. Broadcasters in 2017 are sort of … Read more
New podcasts are like those baby turtle hatchlings in nature documentaries, crawling desperately towards the sea. A few make it through and swim away, but seagulls devour most before they make it to the water. There are a lot of radio and television presenters crawling towards the ocean of podcasting. Podcasts are experiencing dramatic listener … Read more