How To Step Out of Your Comfort Zone and Onto the News Channel: The 11 Steps I took to get out of my comfort zone, embrace PR, and get on television…twice!

If you follow me on social media or have read my blogs recently you’ve probably seen that I appeared on a health segment called Bloom for a local news channel twice so far. Since sharing this with you all via my blogs and social media I’ve received quite a few inquiries about how to do something like this. 

Whether you’re employed by a small company, consider yourself a part of Corporate America, a self-employed, sole entrepreneur, or someone looking to make change in your career, I am going to fill you in on a little secret. You will have to get out of your comfort zone. 

The first thing I did when I started getting the influx of these questions was run to my good friend and marketing extraordinaire, Nicole. 

With this being my first time ever debuting on television, (Yes! I made that sound fancy, didn’t I?!) I turned to her for some more insight. I was originally thinking a pretty simple answer like “I sent over some of my ideas, and a few emails and calls later- it happened” would do. 

Her response was a bit different though. Although sounded so effortless coming from her marketing background, it stopped me in my tracks. 

“It’s really just basic PR,” she said.

I’m going to tell you a secret of mine. 

Putting a title on what I did, like “PR,” still makes the little hairs on the back of my neck stand up. 

“Basic PR.” That term really stuck with me. 

I don’t know about you, but the term “PR” just gives me the heebie jeebies! 

Give me a troubled couple with fidelity issues, a single individual, or even the whole dang Brady Bunch, stir in lots of mental health obstacles, relationship, and just life issues, and I’ll take it any day. No problem.

But say the word, PR…

PUBLIC RELATIONS…PUBLIC!? I’m running!

Or I guess I should say I used to run. 

And even when I still feel like that at times, I don’t run anymore. I don’t run because running is not going to help me to successfully reach the goals I’ve set for myself- personally and definitely not professionally.  

If you are an entrepreneur, like many of my clients (and also myself,) might love to soak up every bit of information that you can on how to grow personally and professionally. 

If this sounds like you, then read on because I’m going to list the steps that I took to get the ball rolling with the media, kickstart my “PR,” and get THE HECK OUT OF MY COMFORT ZONE. 

I am not by any means at Tony Robbins level and I will not be starting a cult or yelling at you from stage anytime soon, in case you were wondering. 

However one piece of advice I have before I share how I have been able to get myself and my business featured on the news is to not blindly follow everything I or anyone else tells you. I’m still and hopefully will always be learning and growing as I go. 

And since many of you have reached out, I figured why not share it with all of my goal setters out there! 

The steps I took to get out of my comfort zone and get featured on the news…TWICE!

Baby Steps…

1. Follow your competition, mentors and heros. 
2. Find magazines, online sites, podcasts, radio shows, TV stations that cater to your ideal clients. 
3. Write up ideas for content that you could bring to the show (aka. Your pitch)
4. Find their contact information and send them an email with your pitch. 
5. Wait.
6. Don’t get discouraged if you don;t hear back right away. Send follow ups if need-be but don’t give up. 
7. Hear back and get excited! 
8. Show up and rock it!
9. Send follow up “thank you’s” and include new ideas/pitches for future segments.
10. Keep up the momentum and good communication.
11. Use the smaller stuff to get to the bigger stuff! Save everything you have done when working with the media, just like a portfolio. You will need this to share with future potential (larger) news or media partners. 

Why Getting Out of Your Comfort Zone Is Important Even if Business is Not Your Thing

This type of thought process goes way beyond solely business matters. Everyday with every action we are working towards something. Without identifying what that something is we may spend a lot of time working towards exactly what we don’t want in our lives. 

Why not create a life you actually want to live a life you dream about? 

Why not work towards goals you actually want for yourself? 

Whether your goals are personal or professional ask yourself the questions below and get started on creating a life you thought was only in your dreams. 

ASK YOURSELF THESE QUESTIONS:

1. What dreams or goals have I been thinking about, but havent started working toward? 
2. Do you think that they will just happen? 
3. Are you stuck in your comfort zone? 
4. Will staying in my comfort zone get me closer to my goals? 

…If the answer is NO (which it likely is) then it’s either time to start changing your goals or start taking action toward them. It all starts with that dang comfort zone. 

The choice is solely yours. However, I’m happy to help you along your goals journey. It is what I do day-in and day-out, after all!

Remember we all have the ability to reach our big badass goals. Together, let’s develop our Inherent Strengths to do so. 

I’m always just a phone call or email away… I look forward to hearing from you soon! 

Victoria