A. GET ORGANIZED WITH THE SHOW PRODUCER:
The producer is your key to a great show. This person is the go-between in between you and the show hosts and all of the technical support. Here are some basic questions you will want to ask the producer:

1. How long is the segment?
2. What do you want to feature in the segment? (all question and answer?, instructing the hosts? instructing the audience? performance?)
3. What is the main element which you want to highlight?
4. Can I submit a list of key questions which can be used or can I get a copy of the questions you will be asking me?
5. Can music be played during any actual hooping which takes place?
6. What time should I arrive? What time am I on air?
7. Is there a green room and will hair and makeup be provided?
8. What are the names of the show hosts?
9. Can I have a few moments to give some hooping tips to anyone who will be hooping on air before we are live?
10. Is the show live or taped?
11. What is the environment for the segment? In the studio? Outside? A gym?
12. How many hoops you should bring? For how many hosts and guests?

**If they want you to present a performance, request that it happens at the end of the segment so you are not breathless before answering questions.

B. PREPARE YOUR RAP
Keep in mind that no matter what you get asked, being interviewed is an opportunity to creatively share strategic marketing information about your HoopGirl Workout classes and your personal business. You need to invest time practicing answering questions in mock situations where you can create unique and fluid ways of delivering the message you want to share no matter what has been asked. This will be easy if the station takes your suggested questions. If you are delivered questions, however, and if hosts go off subject in the moment, you will benefit greatly from having practiced ahead of time. I suggest the following:

1. Type and Edit Answers. Type out all questions and your answer. Edit this down as tight as possible and make every word count towards delivering your hoop marketing message.

2. Create Calls to Action. Every word should contribute to a "call to action" in viewers. Are you inspiring them to get a hoop? Come to a performance? Come to a class? Consider what emotion you want to evoke through your words and remember that your personal story and how you feel while hooping will inspire an actual response.

3. Get Clear About Your 3 Key Messages. You may also want to have a list of bulleted points which are your three key points you aim to make in the show. In case the questions change in the segment or you can't include them in answering the question, have them strong in your mind so you can casually add them while hosts are hooping, etc.

4. Begin Answers With Your Branded Affiliations. Make sure you name your company and branded HoopGirl Workout classes at the beginning of answering questions so your affiliations are continually reinforced and contribute to viewer awareness. Remember you can add some additional facts about HoopGirl to boost your expertise: mention you a a HoopGirl licensed instructor, that the HoopGirl Workout is approved by the American Aerobics and Fitness Association for continuing education for fitness professionals, that the new book Hooping is available in stores nationally, etc.

5. Memorize Benefits of Hooping. You may also want to review the Hooping book and memorize the quick lists of body and mind benefits of hooping so you can rattle these off with ease. TV hosts love facts.

6. Practice! Look in the mirror and practice answering each question and point until you can deliver it easily again and again. Watch your face and body for any strange ticks or mannerisms. Listen closely to make sure you don't have any excess fodder such as "ums", "ahs' etc in your verbage. Be sure to be breathing deeply in and out while you speak so you can relax your nervous system. Watch your posture, especially your shoulders.

7. Train With a Friend. Have a friend ask you these questions and share their observations with you about your answers. Next, have your friend deliberately ask you questions NOT on your list and make it your challenge to somehow answer smoothly and tie in the following information ~ how to get your hoops, when and where your classes are and their benefits, etc. See how graceful you can become at saying what you want to say, when you want to say it.
d. Practice as you walk around for a few days before, practice in the shower, in the car, etc.

8. Visualize the Actual Setting. When you are doing all this practicing, imagine you are speaking into a several cameras, with a studio audience behind them and looking at show hosts. Just this visualization will help you prepare energetically to feel at ease on the actual day.

C. PREPARE YOUR SEGMENT.
You will appreciate every moment of time you invested beforehand when you are live! Here are some ideas about how you can prepare...

a. Stay Aware of Time. Be clear on exactly what the timeline is for the segment. Every second counts on TV so you must plan out exactly what you will share ahead of time.

b. Keep Moves Basic. If you are teaching a move, keep it SUPER basic. Most hosts can't even do Pump and producers have no idea how long it takes to teach a move. Remember that you are the expert so if a producer suggests something that sounds unrealistic, settle the plan beforehand instead of letting things get out of hand when you are live.

c. Request a Moment of Practice Before Going Live. Really emphasize the need to practice for a few minutes with the hosts ahead of time so they can look good while live (even if they resist~ it will make the segment much better). Let the producer know how much space hooping takes up so they are realistic about placement.

d. Do What You Do Best. If you are doing a short performance, practice it ahead of time so it is clean and tight. I generally keep it limited to moves which are super easy for me to do instead of taking chances on air. Remember that TV watchers are easily dazzled with things which seem super basic to us. There are also a host of other things to keep in mind during performance... The HoopGirl Performance Training Program can be a useful resource for this.

D. PREPARE YOUR LOOK
Television is all about how you look and sound. It is worth your time to take extreme care in what you assemble as your "costume" and persona. Here are some thoughts...

a. Look Professional. Even if you are as creative and colorful as a peacock, keep in mind that television caters to the masses who generally perceive professionalism based on how someone looks. For this reason, I generally choose extremely mainstream, conservative and flattering looks which have clean lines and create an expert image.

b. Choose the Most Flattering Clothes and Colors. Even when my thighs are super toned, I usually wear long pants because they are simply more flattering. Black is always a great choice because black denotes power subconsciously for humans. I like to wear Sassy pants because they add a bit of fun flair, but they are still professional looking. As far as a top, a sangria HoopGirl Workout top is ideal because it is bright red and also has the branded logo on it to promote your HoopGirl Workout classes. I always wear a sports bra underneath in black since this adds a bit more coverage and holds me securely. If you are not feeling confident in a tank top, you can always wear a tee shirt, but I suggest wearing something athletic looking. Lululemon is a great company who manufactures pants and tops I have worn on tv and HoopGirl Workout instructors get a discount on their clothes by signing up as product feedback professionals... so you may want to explore this option. Note: recently I experimented with wearing a plain black bodysuit jumper and actually felt it was a bit too racey looking overall. I think because it was skin tight all over. So I really encourage sticking to more athletic looking combinations which have clean lines, but also room for movement.

c. Do Hair and Makeup Ahead of Time. Even if they tv show promises hair and makeup, arrive ready to go on air. Just this past week I was promised hair and makeup but it was not there so I was glad I did mine ahead of time! I wear a good foundation, blush, eyeliner, mascara and a lipstick or gloss, remembering that it needs to be a bit stronger than usual to be good on tv, but that it still needs to look fitness-oriented, so not over the top. If you have never done this before you may want to meet with a MAC makeup pro at their counter in a nearby store to get some application tips. Generally there is a lot involved in creating a "natural" look for tv! I keep my hair simple with gel to help hold it and often add bobby pins on the sides to keep my hair from falling in my face while hooping. Wear clean black sneakers or dance shoes to top off your look.

d. Wear Professional Accessories. Avoid bare feet which does not look pro on tv. I suggest clean black dance sneakers or black street sneakers. (There is nothing more distracting than someone wearing black pants and white dirty sneakers!) If you wear jewelry, keep it subtle so it doesn't distract from you. For example, I like to wear thin hoops because it adds a feminine fun element but I am careful to wear smaller ones that don's distract.

E. PLAN FOR A FUN DAY
The day has arrived! Think about these suggestions to keep it easy and fun.

1. Get Yourself Feeling Good. Get lots of sleep the night before and do things that make you feel good to reduce any possible nerves. Keep practicing your lines as you get ready. For example, I love doing laughter yoga beforehand at home because it gets me into the radiant, happy mood of hooping and helps me show up with an authentic smile.

2. Bring Promotional Materials. Bring HoopGirl Workout business cards to the station to hand out to other guests in the green room and show audience members.

3. Make the Day a Moving Meditation. Remember to keep doing a nice breathing meditation to keep your nervous system relaxed and feeling good. Do it while driving to the segment, in the green room, while chatting with others and when live.

4. Place Your Mic Consciously. You will need to be "mic-ed". I like to have them place the powerbox facing the back inside of my sportsbra so that it is out of the way of my hips. Be sure about this. Otherwise, they may try to place it at your hips or facing out where your hooping will easily knock it off and create a tangle of cords while live! It is nice is you can take a moment and practice the most dynamic movement you will be doing before being live so you can be sure the box will stay in place.

5. Keep an Eye on Hosts. Also note where the box is on the hosts and advise them on any strategic movement if possible. If you hosts are wearing anything tied around their waist or a blazer, you may want to encourage them to move it so that they have easier success while hooping. Also, if a female host is wearing heels, she may want to kick them off.

6. Pay Attention to Camera Placement. If you are lucky, you will actually do a rehearsal before you are live but this is rare. If yes, take advantage to practice calming your breath and especially look at where the cameras are placed in relation to where you are standing. Many times your hosts will be staggered behind you and it can be challenging to keep facing the camera while speaking back to them. Always keep your body facing the camera!

7. Stand and Move Purposefully. Avoid figeting with your hoop while standing when answering questions. Hold it in a strong grasp and steady.

8. Be Prepared for Anything to Happen! Now... the chaos. You can pretty much expect total chaos to happen, so be prepared for it. Often show hosts get super flustered while trying to hoop, often dropping the hoop many times and saying crazy things like, "this is SO hard" or "I can't do this" live on air. It is your job to be prepared to smile graciously and be super positive and encouraging in the face of their challenges and negative self-talk. Remember, keep nodding your head and using uplifting body gestures and share encouraging words about their experience. And be ready to share your key points in creative ways! Keep breathing while they speak and you speak and make every single word count. They could cut you off at any moment and move on to another segment very easily and it is important to get your message out clearly. Remember, if they throw a question at you from left field, stay on track with your key message and answer in a way which works for your needs. It can be very easy to start chatting about something else and suddenly realize the segment is over.

9. Leave Gifts. Generously offer the hosts the hoops to keep afterwards. You may also want to give them each a Hoopdance for Beginners DVD.

F. WHAT TO DO AFTERWARDS
What you do afterwards is as important as what you did in preparation!

1. Say Thank You! After the segment, email the producer thanking them for the opportunity and ask how you can get a copy of the segment or view it online. Note that it is standard procedure for you to have to purchase one from a media watching service: expect to pay between $50-100. They will likely respond to your inquiry with the service's contact information. Order it no matter what the cost.

2. Watch and Learn! Scrutinize what worked and what didn't and make notes so that you can improve your performance next time.

3. Share Your Video. Share your segment via Twitter, YouTube and Facebook and send HoopGirl HQ a link so we can share it with the entire Licensed HoopGirl Workout teacher network! This will help promote your professional image and get you valuable feedback from others.

Closing thoughts on your larger vision of service...

Remember, like anything else, practice makes perfect. The best way to practice being on tv is to be on tv! It is LOTS of fun and very rewarding to reach so many people through such a dynamic medium. Throughout the whole process, I like to stay focused on the larger vision of why I am doing it all~ to spread the love of hoopdance! Keep it light and fun and positive. I like to remember that my larger purpose is bringing more joy and happiness to the planet. Focus on how you can serve your larger vision rather than what you can get from viewers. I often set an intention right before going live where I ask for the Universe to support me in this healing purpose. It feels good to be aligned to a higher mission.

Also, on a personal note, I like to take time in each segment to really educate the masses about the artistic potential of hooping as more than child's play. I always endeavor to professionalize hooping as a movement meditation form by inserting key phrases which help people view hooping as "the new yoga". I speak about it as holistic or integrative fitness and speak in articulate well rehearsed ways about how hooping provides empowerment and transformation. Of course, this is because these are main interests of mine! Take time to consider what your key interests are and how you view hooping as more than child's play. Watch as many youtube hooping tv segments as you can and learn from seeing what you like and don't like in others. Take time to create your own signature, unique vocabulary! Present in ways which are original to your own life experience and speak from your point of passion. If you speak from a place of love, you cannot help but uplift and inspire others...

Enjoy!

xoxo,
Christabel