Facing Your Fears and the 3 Rs

Press is good for us, very good. Every time one of us gets a major press piece the phone starts ringing with great new potential clients and super-smart candidates looking for more flexible jobs. We've done print, glossies, TV, but last night I got the opportunity to do my first live TV segment on News Channel 8's Washington Business Tonight. I was terrified.

But realizing the potential upside for our little company I took a deep breath and lunged forward with three key steps:

1. Recline: Although I had a giant pile of post-Thanksgiving holiday to dos and calls and emails to return, I took an hour out of my busy morning to hit my favorite yoga class to be, or at least appear, a little less frazzled.
2. Research: I took my time reviewing national and local statistics as well as anecdotal and quantitative evidence from our own success stories, highlighting the main trends and keys to success.
3. Resources: This being an entirely new medium, I reached out to friends who worked in television for a few last-minute tips. I compared talking points with my partners, heck, I even had my 7 year old quiz me on the agreed-upon (but oddly, not asked) interview questions.

All told, the interview went as well as possible, even when the host was switched out at the last minute and the questions went off-script. Next time I have a big fear to face, I'm coming back to the 3 Rs.