The Best of Potentially Focused Interviews - Part One
Marco Bresaz
Creative Executive | Executive Producer | Storytelling | Multiplatform Content Development | Brand Strategy | Leadership | Mentoring
Welcome to Potentially Focused. It's Tuesday, November 5th. Election Day.
Your vote matters. Please vote today if you haven't already.
Since the election and its results will be the main things many of us are focused on for the next few days, we are not publishing new content this week.
Instead, for those looking for a break from politics, we're sharing the best of our recent interviews today and in Thursday's edition.
Below are my favorite answers to the questions we’ve asked our recent guests.
One question and answer from each interviewee. As well as a link to the edition it was in if you want to read the entire interview.
It's a great chance to catch up with the interesting people we've spoken with.
Potentially Focused is a newsletter for busy people in the TV business (or not) who are curious. Anyone interested in growth. Great new possibilities, and the stories we tell ourselves that get us there or hold us back. Each (regular) edition features quick links to at least one great piece of content on professional development and one centered on personal growth. It's practical information and it’s all just a click away.
Please like, subscribe, and share if you're so inclined.
Thank you, and wishing us all a peaceful week ahead,
Marco
PS - One quick personal note. Tomorrow, a brand new episode (the 3rd) of the great new MalContent Revolution podcast from Chris Bray drops. I'm thankful to Chris for having me on as a guest and for the wide-ranging conversation, he guided us through.
I hope you'll check out Chris' podcast series. It's good listen with great guests like Evan Shapīro , who is always thought-provoking, and Rory Flynn , who is an expert on how AI can help businesses.
Off we go...
THE BEST OF POTENTIALLY FOCUSED WITH...
Author, Founder of The Rose Effect, Performance Director, and Motivational Speaker
Many of us are called on to present or speak in front of people in our careers. For someone anxious about that kind of performance or new at it, what advice would you give them?
Most of the time, anxiety is related to preparedness or lack thereof. It is a projection of emotions based on the unknown. Early in my career, I had a debilitating stage fright when performing live...and the only solution was repetition. I rehearsed in a mirror for hours until the space that existed between "who I was" as a performer and "who I desired to be" grew more narrow. The reps allowed me to visually access the win so "winning on stage" never felt like unfamiliar territory and I could begin to take my power back from all the things that occupied my fear.
My job is to push my client beyond their perceived capacity...I don't give them anything they don't already possess - I simply re-introduce them to themselves using new data & metrics.
Vice President, Executive Operations, BlackRock
Like so many others, you have been impacted by layoffs in your career. What's been most effective for you while dealing with a career setback?
I sure have.? And it stinks.? For anyone going through it now, I can certainly empathize.? As the leader of a networking group I belonged to once put it, “You WILL land.”? I hope you’ll all take that to heart.
What I learned was that a layoff need not be fatal or permanent.? For me, the answer and the success started with re-framing my situation.? As with any setback, it’s a setup for a comeback.? And I had the “opportunity” to do things differently.
My parents were dying…I got to spend their last days caring for them; a time, in hindsight, that I wouldn’t now exchange for all the money in the world.? I stayed connected to my work through occasional 1099 assignments, gaining certifications, and meeting new people through networking.? I got to take care of myself a little better with good sleep and exercise.? I got to take on a passion project.? Ultimately, in returning to full-time work, I returned stronger, better, and more valuable than I was before.
And if being out of work was somehow an “existential threat” in my mind before the layoff, I also returned to work pretty much fearless having learned that I could sustain myself – and actually GROW – more than I ever would have imagined.? My whole notion of the word “resilience” has been transformed; it’s no longer an idea or concept.? Heck, now it’s a great answer to an interview question when I’m asked, “Tell me about a time when you had to do something really difficult.”? ??
As for the reframing…for all I did during that time, I view it today as more of a layoff-induced sabbatical than an actual layoff.? The difference between the two is acceptance of the situation and the taking of action.? I’ve been promising myself that I’d write about this in more detail in a piece for LinkedIn; especially if my learning might prove to be helpful for someone presently in a similar situation.? Let’s face it, it’s something we’re all likely to experience at some point in our careers.? It doesn’t have to be shameful or stigmatized.? Thank you for reminding me!
领英推荐
CEO of MESuite.com
How did the family you grew up in influence your career journey?
Everyone in my family is an entrepreneur, so I knew I would eventually own a company. I also saw a lot of hardship, so I was well prepared for the difficulties that entrepreneurship brings. I started working for myself when I was in my late 20’s. However, if I could do it all over again I would have never worked for anyone else and would have started my first company right after college at the age of 22. It’s never too early to start a business. At the same time, it’s also never too late. We hear a lot about the wonder kids that drop out of college and start businesses.
However, a study I saw a few years ago stated companies started by people between the ages of 40-50 actually perform better in terms of revenue and growth than companies started by those who were younger than 40.
Head of Business and Legal Affairs, Jesse Collins Entertainment
What is the best lesson a boss or mentor ever taught you?
The best lessons I have learned are: 1) You can almost always recover and learn from your mistakes.? The entertainment business is not a life and death matter and most things can be fixed. 2) Bask in the triumphs and know that the low points will not last forever.? If you don’t enjoy the good times, then you are missing out on the reward for all of your hard work.
Producer, Format Expert, and Entrepreneur
Right now, many people in our business are contemplating stepping outside of our business to leverage their skills in some other way. Unfortunately though, lots of folks are frozen in place and not sure how to move ahead. I've been impressed by your taking the leap into entrepreneurship. Tell us about your experience with business outside of TV.
Much of it was borne out of necessity. ?Pre-Covid I was starting to sense that executives of…ahem…a certain age were becoming less desirable. ?I made the decision to venture outside of entertainment, but I had two caveats: ?1) I wanted to do something that would still allow me to play in the content space and 2) I would only do something if I could call ALL the shots. ?For me, that meant buying a beauty franchise (why beauty? ?A much longer story for a different time). ?Now, I am a small business owner with 5 employees and, for better or worse, I am the CEO, COO, CMO, chief hiring manager, quality control, IT specialist, and maintenance supervisor all rolled into one. ?Not going to lie, it was a massive learning curve for me but one of the things about the franchise world in particular is that you’re paying for their expertise, vendors, marketing assets, etc. ?They hold your hand throughout the process. ?Without question, it’s been a positive move. ?
Am I making millions? No. ?But do I have an alternative revenue stream and tremendous flexibility to come and go and do other things as I please? ?
Yes, I do.
THAT'S IT!
Thanks to all of our interviewees for sharing their stories and experiences.
We'll be back with part two of the best of our recent interviews on Thursday.
Thanks to you all for reading. Please let us know what you want more or less of. Please feel free to share information you’d like me to pass along to our readers. Also, always happy to feature guest contributors.
And of course, please like, subscribe, and share.
With deep gratitude,
Marco