It dawned on me the other day that I’ve appeared on North Dakota Today for over 100 Mondays; 105, to be exact. In the US, television shows usually become syndicated for reruns at 100 episodes and, usually, those shows celebrate Number 100 with an episode made up of their favorite clips. I thought about doing something similar here – favorite Nice People of the Week, favorite stories behind the stories, favorite creepy messages I’ve received (fewer than you might guess about my feet) – but, instead, I’ve decided to use my 105 episodes for good and give back by prepping you, dear reader, for your own time on television.
Sophia Richards and Tatum Miller are the hosts of North Dakota Today, and I really like them. They are fun, and sweet, and smart, and helpful, and I love the seven-minute microbursts when I, like all of the guests on the show, see them each week. There are anywhere from 20-30 guest segments on the show each week and many of those segments have four or five guests, meaning that if you live in North Dakota the chance that you or someone you know has appeared on North Dakota Today is high.
Sophia and Tatum are great at maximizing the few precious moments they have between live segments to get guests prepped and on the couch. However, the time the hosts are able to spend off-camera with anyone is very limited (live television is a ride), meaning that any instructions Sophia and Tatum give to guests are on a “This is what you need to know right now” basis.
As there are a handful of “You don’t really need to know this but it’s nice” additional behaviors that I’ve picked up over 105 episodes thanks to Sophia and Tatum (and Ashlyn, Jessie, and Jordan), here are Amanda’s Not Necessary But Helpful Best Practices for Appearing on North Dakota Today. These are not a joke; they are for real. When I told my husband I was writing this he thought I was going to make it tongue in cheek, but there is nothing funny about having mustard yellow legs on TV; click here for the reminder.
Amanda’s Not Necessary But Helpful Best Practices for Appearing on North Dakota Today
If you are sitting on the couch, sit up straight. Or, if you don’t want to sit up straight, lean waaay back, spread your legs, put your arms across the back of the couch, and eat from a bowl of popcorn from one side of your mouth while balancing a cigar on the other side. Sitting up straight makes you seem confident and engaged and helps you project out your voice (more on that in a moment). Lounging waaay back is a brand choice. Every other seated position makes it look like you are pooping. Maybe you ARE pooping, but unless you were asked to be on the show for a topic related to pooping, looking like you are pooping will distract from your message.
Speak as though people are watching. While North Dakota Today is live, it is not physically filmed in front of anyone. Sometimes the next set of guests are waiting just beyond the view of the cameras, and sometimes Lisa Green is preparing her weather report in a nook next to the set; outside of that, it’s just you and the hosts. If you were having a conversation with a person who was sitting a foot away in normal life, you’d speak in a tone appropriate for the proximity. When you do that on TV, it sounds like you are 1) mumbling and 2) bored. I have a habit of shouting in Sophia and Tatum’s faces and I’ve had more than one person tell me they could hear me in the hall so don’t go as far as that, but…you know…get close. Think of yourself as the cheerleader of your topic. Yay, Topic!
Also, if you don’t have it in yourself to speak with power, speak clearly. I’ve never spoken clearly – or slowly – ever once on TV. If I have to watch my segment back again for any reason, I have to slow the video down so I don’t barf at my own suckiness. If you don’t want to barf at your own suckiness, speak clearly.
Stick it to them. Identify the ONE thing you want viewers to do and repeat it over and over until it’s embedded in their brains. Let’s say you’re on the show to give the audience tips and tricks for healthy pooping. There are all sorts of things you can do for healthy pooping, but the #1 A+ most important thing is to drink more water. No matter what question Sophia or Tatum ask you, bring it back to water. For example:
Tatum: What surprises most people about pooping?
You: Most people are surprised that you don’t need to poop every day to be healthy. However, whether or not you don’t poop every day, you need to double your water intake because water keeps you moving.
Sophia: Great! And where can we learn more about pooping?
You: You can learn more on my website, where I have a chart on how much water you should drink per hour depending on your gender and age. Remember that water is the key. Happy Pooping!
And, finally –
Smile! You are up and at ‘em on a Monday morning! You are talking to a live audience and they are also up and at ‘em and listening to you! You have air in your lungs and an important place in this universe! Yay, all of you! Smiles and exclamation points all around!
If you are on North Dakota Today on a Monday morning, grab me on my way out and say hello. I’ll trade you an exclamation point for a story about one of the awesome people in your life because sharing awesome people is MY one point. Happy Televisioning!
The photo above is of Sophia, Tatum, and yours truly. In addition to being lovely inside and out, those girls are TALL. They are bending down in that photo and I’m still only up to their elbows. Let us all take a moment to think about how exhausting it must be to be tall and beautiful.
This week on North Dakota Today we talked about Darrell Roorda, my Nice Person of the Week, as well as staff and residents of the Department of Corrections doing good around the state. (Valley News Live)
Bismarck’s Ben Enzminger is preparing for his first marathon alongside his therapists, teachers, and friends, and now he can run wearing a crown. (KFYR TV)
Tune into Fox’s “The Floor” to see Jeremy Johnston and Julie Johnson represent North Dakota. (KFYR TV)
Who gets to come up with the scenario for a mock crime scene, and how does one apply for that job? (Facebook)
It’s Norsk Hostfest time! (Hostfest)
The North Dakota Association for Lifelong Learning honored two of its students with Highest GED Score in the state and Student of the Year. (North Dakota Monitor, found via Oops Only Good News)
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