Launching a business isn’t for the faint of heart. I love the excitement of it but it’s also a stressful, unpredictable endeavour. Then again, that’s also part of what I love about it.
“Consultant” is a bad word for half of the broadcasting industry – the half that actually does the broadcasting! So I prefer to call myself a “talent coach”. I’m happy to say that my clients seem very happy with my work and I truly love doing it. My aim is to empower the broadcaster to be the best that they can be. Sure, I criticize, but along with those particular comments come practical solutions and ways of wrapping one’s head around why a particular approach should/could/can be improved. It’s philosophy mixed with tangible applications that help an announcer get closer to their goal.
Yesterday I had a crop of airchecks come in that made my jaw drop! In 6 to 8 short weeks, two of my clients had made such vast improvements in their work that I actually had to double and triple check that I wasn’t mixing them up with someone else. I confirmed and reconfirmed that their previous work was truly theirs – and it was. And I was thrilled! It’s my reason for launching Lisa Brandt Creative Services. When I was a budding broadcaster there were precious few people to turn to for coaching. Oh, I had Dick Joseph at CKSL back in the day, who was kind enough to cut me down like a sapling when I needed it. His best piece of advice? Stop showing up in sweatshirts and jeans if you want to impress the higher ups! Dress for success! That didn’t help my on-air performance but it did help my career.
These days, Program and News Directors are also pseudo-GM’s and sales managers. They want to work with their talent but at the end of the day, there just isn’t always enough time. So they hire some high-priced consultant out of the US and have them listen to a tape of their shows and jot down some notes. (If you’re not in radio and you’re shocked that this is how it often works, well, consider yourself informed!) I offer a cost-effective, homegrown alternative to that. And if you’re interested in my service, please check the page titled “aircheck” and drop me a line.