Showing posts with label Looking Your Best. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Looking Your Best. Show all posts
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Sunday, August 29, 2010
A Twist on Looking Your Best
People often ask me what are the best clothes to wear in front of the camera. That's an important question. But one that I expect to hear more of is, "Should I get 'a little work done' before I am interviewed?"
As someone who got an extreme makeover every time I went to work for a different TV station, I can talk about makeup techniques and good hair. Since I started in this business nearly 30 years ago, I have learned tricks from makeup artists, stylists and colleagues who participated in beauty pageants. But it was a speaking colleague who took me aside three years ago and suggested I would benefit from Botox. She even offered her dermatologist's name and number. I took her advice and have had "a little work" done in the years since. My husband and mother could tell right away. Another observant close friend was horrified that I'd done such a thing. And another close friend didn't notice. If anyone else could tell, they didn't mention it. But I liked the results and felt more confident. I thought I looked well-rested, not necessarily younger. So, I recommend this to men and women alike to look your best. But consider these thoughts:
1. It can be expensive and painful. Ask about costs and numbing techniques up front.
2. Only go to a dermatologist or other medical doctor. A dermatologist can give you prescription for a retinol cream which can make your skin glow.
3. Do NOT have any work done less than two weeks before an on-camera appearance. As careful as a doctor is, you can have side effects, which include bruising.
4. Ask your friends of a certain age who look "well rested" if they can make a recommendation for a doctor.
5. Have realistic expectations.
6. Botox lasts 3-6 months. Fillers can last as long as a year. Nothing is permanent.
This whole idea may horrify you, like it did my friend. It's certainly not a requirement to being an on-camera newsmaker. But if every time you look in the mirror, you tell yourself you're not aging well, this may be a solution to try at least once. Some of us look older than we are and only want to look our age. Again, this may be a solution.
As someone who got an extreme makeover every time I went to work for a different TV station, I can talk about makeup techniques and good hair. Since I started in this business nearly 30 years ago, I have learned tricks from makeup artists, stylists and colleagues who participated in beauty pageants. But it was a speaking colleague who took me aside three years ago and suggested I would benefit from Botox. She even offered her dermatologist's name and number. I took her advice and have had "a little work" done in the years since. My husband and mother could tell right away. Another observant close friend was horrified that I'd done such a thing. And another close friend didn't notice. If anyone else could tell, they didn't mention it. But I liked the results and felt more confident. I thought I looked well-rested, not necessarily younger. So, I recommend this to men and women alike to look your best. But consider these thoughts:
1. It can be expensive and painful. Ask about costs and numbing techniques up front.
2. Only go to a dermatologist or other medical doctor. A dermatologist can give you prescription for a retinol cream which can make your skin glow.
3. Do NOT have any work done less than two weeks before an on-camera appearance. As careful as a doctor is, you can have side effects, which include bruising.
4. Ask your friends of a certain age who look "well rested" if they can make a recommendation for a doctor.
5. Have realistic expectations.
6. Botox lasts 3-6 months. Fillers can last as long as a year. Nothing is permanent.
This whole idea may horrify you, like it did my friend. It's certainly not a requirement to being an on-camera newsmaker. But if every time you look in the mirror, you tell yourself you're not aging well, this may be a solution to try at least once. Some of us look older than we are and only want to look our age. Again, this may be a solution.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
A Way to Get Ahead in the New Year
If you're in the Atlanta-North Georgia area, please keep reading...
Have you always wanted to speak better or represent your organization better? If so, I can help. For the first time, I’m teaching classes open to the public. Please take a look at the courses and see if any are a good fit for you or friends you know.
If you have questions about the class content, ask me. They will be held at The Etiquette School in Cumming. Space is limited, so please register soon. To see costs and enroll, click here.
Descriptions:
Speak to Success—Basic Presentation Skills—This is hands-on, interactive and fun. I guarantee you will leave a better, more confident speaker. Each participant will leave with a DVD of his or her speeches and feedback. The class runs every Tuesday night from 6-8 pm.
Basic Video Production—My award-winning, film-making husband is going to help teach this one. Never again be disappointed in your home movies. You will learn behind-the-scenes secrets for making your videos and YouTube posts look more professional. Offered Saturday, January 9 from 1-4 pm.
Be a Spokesperson—Do you represent your business or non-profit organization to the media or in public presentations? Learn how to sound smart and look your best on TV. We will also talk about how to get media coverage. This class will run from 6-7 pm on Thursdays, January 21 and 28.
Conversation Etiquette—Are you gracious and encouraging? Does your speech reflect who you really are, or do you come off sounding like a jerk sometimes? Are you ever at a loss for words? Do you wish you had a phrase for the person who ticks you off? If you are nodding your head, this class is for you! It will be held from 7-8 pm Thursdays, January 21 and 28.
Marketing on a Shoestring—This one-evening session will be jam-packed with no-cost and low-cost ways to make big bucks without spending dramatic dollars. It’s ideal for small business owners, non-profit leaders and anyone who needs to get the word out about a good cause. Attend January 25 from 6-8 pm.
Thank you for considering enrolling and thanks for passing along to others who may benefit from these practial classes! You will leave with resource material and great ideas to improve your communication skills. If you're still reading and don't live in the Atlanta area, contact me to bring these courses to your neck of the woods!
Have you always wanted to speak better or represent your organization better? If so, I can help. For the first time, I’m teaching classes open to the public. Please take a look at the courses and see if any are a good fit for you or friends you know.
If you have questions about the class content, ask me. They will be held at The Etiquette School in Cumming. Space is limited, so please register soon. To see costs and enroll, click here.
Descriptions:
Speak to Success—Basic Presentation Skills—This is hands-on, interactive and fun. I guarantee you will leave a better, more confident speaker. Each participant will leave with a DVD of his or her speeches and feedback. The class runs every Tuesday night from 6-8 pm.
Basic Video Production—My award-winning, film-making husband is going to help teach this one. Never again be disappointed in your home movies. You will learn behind-the-scenes secrets for making your videos and YouTube posts look more professional. Offered Saturday, January 9 from 1-4 pm.
Be a Spokesperson—Do you represent your business or non-profit organization to the media or in public presentations? Learn how to sound smart and look your best on TV. We will also talk about how to get media coverage. This class will run from 6-7 pm on Thursdays, January 21 and 28.
Conversation Etiquette—Are you gracious and encouraging? Does your speech reflect who you really are, or do you come off sounding like a jerk sometimes? Are you ever at a loss for words? Do you wish you had a phrase for the person who ticks you off? If you are nodding your head, this class is for you! It will be held from 7-8 pm Thursdays, January 21 and 28.
Marketing on a Shoestring—This one-evening session will be jam-packed with no-cost and low-cost ways to make big bucks without spending dramatic dollars. It’s ideal for small business owners, non-profit leaders and anyone who needs to get the word out about a good cause. Attend January 25 from 6-8 pm.
Thank you for considering enrolling and thanks for passing along to others who may benefit from these practial classes! You will leave with resource material and great ideas to improve your communication skills. If you're still reading and don't live in the Atlanta area, contact me to bring these courses to your neck of the woods!
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Bad Podcasts
Please don't put a video of yourself on You Tube or your website if it's not high quality. A substandard piece tells potential clients or reporters that you will not pay attention to detail when you are interviewed or hired.
Here are a few easy-to-correct mistakes I'm seeing:
1. People looking around, coughing, swallowing before talking. How to fix: The camera is rolling, so start talking immediately. Or figure out how to edit the distracting material at the beginning.
2. People sitting or standing in front of bad backgrounds, such as cheap-looking paneling, cluttered desks, and a VHS-TV combo unit. If you're telling the world that you're high-tech enough to create a podcast, a VHS machine sends the opposite message. How to fix: find a one-color (not black or white) wall or book shelves that you can stand about six feet in front of for depth.
3. People sitting or standing in front of a window. This means you're "backlit" in photography terms, and we can't see your face. How to fix: Move so that the light source shines on your face, not on your back.
4. People leaning back in a chair. Aren't you engaged and passionate about the material you have to share? How to fix: Get in job interview mode for this... sitting up straight, weight slightly forward and ready for anything!
5. People looking everywhere but into the camera. This can make you look unfocused or shifty. How to fix: look straight into the camera.
Use these tips as a checklist and make sure your video passes every point before you post it.
Here are a few easy-to-correct mistakes I'm seeing:
1. People looking around, coughing, swallowing before talking. How to fix: The camera is rolling, so start talking immediately. Or figure out how to edit the distracting material at the beginning.
2. People sitting or standing in front of bad backgrounds, such as cheap-looking paneling, cluttered desks, and a VHS-TV combo unit. If you're telling the world that you're high-tech enough to create a podcast, a VHS machine sends the opposite message. How to fix: find a one-color (not black or white) wall or book shelves that you can stand about six feet in front of for depth.
3. People sitting or standing in front of a window. This means you're "backlit" in photography terms, and we can't see your face. How to fix: Move so that the light source shines on your face, not on your back.
4. People leaning back in a chair. Aren't you engaged and passionate about the material you have to share? How to fix: Get in job interview mode for this... sitting up straight, weight slightly forward and ready for anything!
5. People looking everywhere but into the camera. This can make you look unfocused or shifty. How to fix: look straight into the camera.
Use these tips as a checklist and make sure your video passes every point before you post it.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Cures for Gapiosis
To my horror, I noticed in the monitor that my white bra was showing on national television! Mom called this "gapiosis," when your buttoned shirt gaps wide enough at the bust to show your lingerie underneath. Now let me set the record straight... this was not a Janet Jackson sighting... just a little bit of white in a field of royal blue.
I immediately clasped my hands together, covering the offending whiteness with my wrists. That was a stop-gap measure that worked temporarily. But here are a couple of steps you can take to prevent this dreaded disease from happening to you:
1. Wear a blouse without buttons. This is what my colleague Lisa Ryan does. She will wear a camisole under a button-up shirt, but never a buttoned shirt by itself. Or you could wear a blouse under a suit jacket that buttons or zips.
2. Use wardrobe or toupee tape. This is double-sided tape that holds the cloth between the buttons together. It works pretty well, but is hard to handle.
After the show, the first thing my husband said was, "Why did your producers let your bra show?" With a smile, I responded, "What? You didn't think it helped ratings?"
I went to the producers to ask them why they didn't alert me, and one said, "I didn't even notice." Let's hope the rest of the viewers didn't either.
I immediately clasped my hands together, covering the offending whiteness with my wrists. That was a stop-gap measure that worked temporarily. But here are a couple of steps you can take to prevent this dreaded disease from happening to you:
1. Wear a blouse without buttons. This is what my colleague Lisa Ryan does. She will wear a camisole under a button-up shirt, but never a buttoned shirt by itself. Or you could wear a blouse under a suit jacket that buttons or zips.
2. Use wardrobe or toupee tape. This is double-sided tape that holds the cloth between the buttons together. It works pretty well, but is hard to handle.
After the show, the first thing my husband said was, "Why did your producers let your bra show?" With a smile, I responded, "What? You didn't think it helped ratings?"
I went to the producers to ask them why they didn't alert me, and one said, "I didn't even notice." Let's hope the rest of the viewers didn't either.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Looking Your Best
So many questions I get are about how to look your best on camera. I've found a new product that will probably be of more interest to women than men. It helps your eyelashes grow! I was skeptical at first, but I tried it, and then came across an article about it. Apparently, people who were putting glaucoma drops in their eyes were growing fuller, thicker, longer lashes. So the product is based on that science.
The name brand I've been using is called, "RevitaLash." But the article I read said other manufacturers are about to come out with a similar product, so you might want to shop around. You put this on the base of your lids before going to bed, and it takes a few weeks to work, but it does work. So if you're lash-challenged, this may be good news to make you look better and feel more confident.
A cheaper alternative, but a big hassle: false eyelashes!
The name brand I've been using is called, "RevitaLash." But the article I read said other manufacturers are about to come out with a similar product, so you might want to shop around. You put this on the base of your lids before going to bed, and it takes a few weeks to work, but it does work. So if you're lash-challenged, this may be good news to make you look better and feel more confident.
A cheaper alternative, but a big hassle: false eyelashes!
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