July 14, 2017

Late last week I was interviewed by CTV Windsor’s Rich Garton for a story about the EPICentre’s 125 for 125. The story covered the 125 for 125 social media campaign which celebrates 125 Windsor-Essex entrepreneurs for Windsor’s 125th birthday.

While I knew the story was being produced that day, I had no idea that I would be one of the interviewees so when Rich asked if I wanted to be on camera, I had a flood of different emotions. Of course my immediate answer was a confident “Absolutely” but instantly I felt shy, nervous and slightly panicked. “What would I say? What would he ask? Do I have anything on my face?”

Luckily there wasn’t much time between Rich asking me to be on camera and him turning on the camera to record so I didn’t have much time to think. The interview ended up going really well and received a lot of positive reaction from family, friends and clients. Looking back on it now, I realize that there was really nothing to worry about. Here’s how (I think) I was able to overcome being nervous for that TV interview.

1. Speak to the Reporter Off Camera Beforehand

Getting to know Rich a little before my interview made me feel really comfortable talking to him on camera. We spoke for a few minutes off camera before the interview to get to know each other and also to discuss what type of questions he’d be asking on camera so that I could mentally prepare a few answers. Knowing what to expect really helped me battle some of those initial nerves.

2. Know That Things Can Be Re-Shot or Cut

Not all TV interviews are live, in fact, most TV interviews end up being edited so you don’t have to worry about messing up a word or stumbling on a thought. Sure there are tons of blooper news cast videos out there, but most of those happen live or are shared on a blooper reel after the fact. Before each interview Rich conducted, he told us that we could pause, cut and re-shoot if we happened to not like how a particular interview question was answered.

3. You Know Your Stuff, Be Confident

I think the reason why I answered “Absolutely” so quickly to Rich asking me if I wanted to be on camera was because deep down, even further down than the shy, nervous and panicked feelings I was having, I was confident I knew what I was talking about. At the end of the day he was simply interviewing me about the 125 for 125 social media campaign which I, along with several members of the EPICentre team, developed. Regardless of the questions Rich would ask, I felt confident I would be able to come up with an answer because I knew the subject matter so well.

4. Get Yourself Camera-Ready

If you’re like me, you might be a little self-conscious about your appearance so do whatever you have to do to get over that shyness. Whether that be putting on your favorite “I look good” outfit, adding that last touch of makeup or wearing a “good luck” accessory or piece of jewelry, do what you have to to feel confident in your appearance. Fortunately for me, I happened to have on the “good luck” watch my nephew gave me as a gift for being his confirmation sponsor last year. Also fortunately for me, I happened to be having a pretty good hair day.