When I was back in Wisconsin in December, I did a TV program taping for Community Business Matters.

Jesse Austin is the co-host with Carla Lenk. It’s a monthly program that features business matters in the Wisconsin Rapids community.

So, how did I get featured?

I was lucky.

No, seriously.

Journalism experience pays off

I’ve never really been shy. I’m quiet. I like to observe, not necessarily take part. But I’ve got no problem with public speaking or getting in front of people. I will go and talk to people. Reporting for a small community newspaper meant you had to ask people questions you really didn’t want to, but you did it because it was your job.

Being on TV wasn’t a deal breaker. In fact, I knew it would be an easy interview, thanks to Jesse.

I’ve known Jesse for many years — since back when I was a journalist, too. He’s still a journalist, putting together programs for Wisconsin Rapids Community Media. We’ve worked together on a couple of projects.

I also volunteered for WRCM, recording programs we put on at Hilltop Grand Village, for Wisconsin Rapids Community Theatre and others.

How I got a spot on TV

After I started my official blog – this one you’re reading – I started emailing friends, family and associates. I sent an invite to Jesse to check out my blog. I thought as a writer, he might find it interesting or helpful and would be willing to subscribe.

Better than that, Jesse asked if I’d like to be featured on Community Business Matters. I thanked him and explained I had moved, so perhaps I wasn’t a good fit. He persisted, and it didn’t take much arm twisting to get me to say yes.

Legitimately, I lived in the Wisconsin Rapids area nearly my entire life. I worked there for decades, both as a newspaper editor and reporter, before switching to community relations for Hilltop. Because of that, I know a lot of people in the community and understand the business dynamics and challenges.

I knew what I was doing was different, and that viewers might be interested to know about it.

It also gave me a chance to potentially connect with some of my former Tribune readers who always told me they enjoyed my columns and writing.

Recording Community Business Matters

The interview itself focused on my website and blog and my plans for the future – moving to Portugal first, working remotely, turning this website/blog into a business that will support me. We talked about some of the challenges and exciting things associated with all that.

Carla and Jesse were great hosts. It was easy to just sit and talk to them. Watching it, I thought it went well. My biggest regret is I see I talk too much with my hands! I need to learn to sit on them.

If you’d like to watch my interview on Community Business Matters, you can see it on demand here. Please give it a thumbs up or add a comment so Jesse knows you’ve checked it out. It also airs on Solarus Channel 3 and Spectrum Channel 985, on Fridays at 11 a.m. and Mondays at 9 a.m.

You can find lots of other interesting content at WRCM. They do a good job of providing shows that inform about what’s happening in the community. Of course, they always welcome volunteers, too, if you’d like to record a program.

Be a Better Writer Tip

This particular television program involved an interview with a guest. As part of that process, Jesse Austin, the co-host, prepared a series of questions.

While some of the questions will likely be the same for each guest, he also has to prepare questions specific to an individual.

As a reporter, I would do the same. There always were basic questions — who are you, what are you doing, where are you from — but there were specific questions, too.

The best questions are open-ended questions — those you can’t answer with a yes or no. What is it like to start a website? What was the hardest part? These types of questions are good starters.

Then, a good interviewer will build on the answers he or she receives. How did you work through the problem? What takeaways did you learn? What advice would you give to others?

Depending on what you’re writing, there may be times you need to gather information from an interview. In future tips, we’ll discuss interviewing in greater detail, including how to prepare for it, how to conduct an interview, how to take notes and what you can gain from an interview.