EP. 15 / From Stay-at-Home mom to Standup Comedian while raising three babies and never letting go of her dreams - Leanne Morgan’s amazing story
SHOW NOTES:
Signup for the Mom’s Exit newsletter here and follow @kimrittberg on Instagram.
Want Kim to help you make top-ranked podcasts & award-winning video to grow your business? Or improve your on-camera presence? Contact her and get her newsletter here.
Did you enjoy the show? We would love your support! Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen or DM me. We love hearing what our listeners think of the show!
NEVER GIVING UP ON YOUR DREAMS
Do you love being a mom, but feel like you never really reached your full career potential? Are there unrealized dreams you feel like you’ll never achieve with little ones at home? Is it really possible to have your dream job if you’ve got babies to take care of?
Leanne Morgan loved being a mom to her three kids more than anything, but she’d always felt her goal of being a professional comedian nagging at her. Find out how she made it work by putting in the hours on nights and weekends (and practicing her act at jewelry parties!) while still being there for her babies and how she cornered an untapped comedy market by being real about mom struggles. She used her second act to realize her lifelong dream of taking the stand up stage—and she wants you to trust your gut to find your passion.
LISTEN BELOW! And don’t forget to ‘follow’ and leave a rating & review!
Quotes:
Leanne Morgan on going for your goals, when you feel that desire: “Take that risk. Do it. What are we here for if we don’t do that?”
Leanne Morgan on making her comedy dreams come true even as a mom of 3, no matter what it took:: “I was getting up anywhere I could, which was kind of pitiful because there was no comedy club.I would get up and do 30 minutes for the volunteers at the hospital. I would go to the rotary club—they didn't pay me, they'd give me lunch. I did all that kind of stuff, which I felt very serious about even though I wasn't in a comedy club. I was able to pave a path that was different than everybody I've ever known in comedy.”
Takeaways from our guests:
In this conversation with Leanne you’ll learn:
How she got her start doing stand-up at jewelry parties, churches, and rotary clubs
How she used nights and weekends to get her practice in
The big move that allowed her to become more serious about her goals
Why she regrets living vicariously through her babies
What she knows she did right when raising her kids
FORMER TV ANCHOR LYNN SMITH ON HOW TO BE BETTER ON CAMERA AND MORE COMFORTABLE ON ZOOMS OR INTERVIEWS:
Lynn Smith spent 15 years reporting and being an anchor at NBC News, MSNBC and CNN Headline News…and now she advises leaders on how to develop, craft and communicate a compelling message as well as how to take that message to powerful platforms in the media.
As a fellow media trainer, Lynn’s tips are great for anyone who wants to improve on camera, in meetings — increase their confidence across the board!
Lynn Smith on how to be better on camera and more comfortable: So the hardest thing for people to do is to be able to look into that little black lens and actually talk through the lens rather than at the camera. So my biggest tip is name your “most trusted person,” the person that you're your most authentic self with and then I want you to look into the camera and actually picture their face.
Lynn and I talk about the importance of practicing. One of my tips is to take every opportunity. I was recently at my child’s kindergarten graduation and got up to thank the parents. I even took that casual interaction - which was in front of 40 people - to have some bullet points ready and project my voice. Every time you’re in front of people use that opportunity to practice. If you wait til a high-pressure presentation or a media interview, it’ll be too late! Practice those soundbites!
Recent episodes that you should hear if you’re interested in this!
Click below to Follow, Review & Give a 5-star rating to Mom’s Exit Interview Podcast.
SHOW LINKS:
For more tips head to our podcast homepage.
If you found value in this content, I would love it if you shared this in your Instagram stories by clicking below or share this newsletter signup link.
Follow Kim Rittberg, Host of Mom’s Exit Interview
Want to make top-ranked podcasts & award-winning video to grow your business?
Or improve your on-camera presence? Contact Kim here and sign up for her video and on-camera newsletter here.
EPISODE LINKS:
FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
Kim Rittberg (00:01):
From hosting jewelry parties to standup comedy. That is the incredible path of comedian, Leanne Morgan. She launched her comedy career while being a stay at home. Mom,
Leanne Morgan (00:11):
He said to me, lean you, it's too hard to do this with little children. I mean, you won't be able to raise your own children. I just had to find another way. I was able to pave a path that was different than, than everybody I've ever known in comedy.
Kim Rittberg (00:24):
Leanne talks about how other women gave her the confidence to pursue her dream of comedy, how she balanced parenting and her passion and why you should always trust your gut. And for those of you who aren't yet ready to take the stage and maybe wanna get comfortable on zooms or in interviews. I have Lynn Smith with us. She's a former anchor turned media and confidence coach, and she has some great tips.
Kim Rittberg (00:47):
Leave your lanyard and swipe card at the door. Welcome to mom's exit interview, a podcast for mom's seeking fulfillment and contentment outside the traditional nine to five, whether you're considering taking the leap or you're already mid-air, this podcast is for you. You'll meet moms for consultants, entrepreneurs stay at home moms side hustles and part-time workers across various industries and levels. Plus every episode will have experts with tips so you can turn your inspiration into action. I'm Kim Rittberg. I was a Netflix executive and former head of video at us weekly. And I'm a mom of two. I quit the corporate world and I've never looked back, but I'm still on this journey. So join me. We don't need a boss to give us permission or a promotion to lead the lives we want.
Kim Rittberg (01:42):
Thank you for listening. I am happy to be here. I'm having a bit of a weird morning. I have glitter all over my face. <laugh> I, I was trying to be a fun mom this weekend. The kids were like, can we play with your eyeshadow? I'm like, sure. I'm a cool mom. So anyway, this morning, I try to like put on a little bit of eyeshadow, like Matt peach, eyeshadow, like totally basic, like kind of even neutral almost. And I look in the mirror and I have like nineties rave, glitter all over my face because the kids went bananas with this eyeshadow palette. So anyway, I don't know. I think the moral of the story is like, don't let your kids have fun or let your kids have fun, but don't be a helicopter parent. I don't know. There is no moral to the story except that I'm super glittered up and very excited for today's episode.
Kim Rittberg (02:28):
Um, I'm gonna remind you if you like the show. I would love it. If you would tell a friend, follow the show rate and review the show that helps more people find it. And we have a great newsletter, a great, great newsletter. I take the time to type up all the tips and takeaways from the show and I send it out every single week. So you can sign up for that. And all that is at www.kimrittberg.com or you can always just DM me on Instagram at Kim Rittberg. So today you are in for a really fun treat. We have an amazing comedian named Leanne Morgan. She's also a mom of three and a grandma, but like a cool young happening grandma. There aren't a lot of moms in comedy because it's a really hard lifestyle, right? To be traveling on the road to truly make it.
Kim Rittberg (03:10):
What I love is that Leanne totally made it work for her. She did it on her own terms and started in the middle of Appalachia. When she began. Leanne's gonna tell you how she knew she wanted to be a comedian, but put it on the side and how she went from, get this being a stay at home. Mom, hosting jewelry parties to a comedian after hours, still around for her kids' school drop off and activities. Leanne has great advice on parenting and on never giving up your passion. Lean incorporates being a parent into her comedy. And here's a joke about teenagers becoming mean
Speaker 3 (03:45):
She's, um, athletic and, uh, she's mean, and, um, we're scared to death of her one day. They'll just turn on you. And I think that God allows that because he knows that you're about to let your baby go off to college or whatever they're gonna do. And he knows that you're grieving. So he makes them just as mean as he can so that you can let 'em go. And I believe that.
Kim Rittberg (04:15):
So to be honest, lean and I started on a very strange note.
Leanne Morgan (04:19):
Okay. Is that I, I am trying to prompt it up on a pair of kindergarten scissors. I don't know honey is that I usually have a camera. And I think, I mean, I think
Kim Rittberg (04:31):
It was one of those days where her computer wasn't working and we had to switch to zoom on her iPhone and it was a comedy of errors, pun intended, but lean was so amazing and so upbeat. And we had a great interview. Here we go. So talk to me a little bit about where, where you're from and, and how you got your start in comedy.
Leanne Morgan (04:52):
Okay. My darling, I'm from a town of 500 people, a farming community in middle Tennessee, outside of Nashville. And I went to the university of Tennessee to college and I married my husband and the father of these three kids. And he moved me to the foothills of the Appalachia mountains. And I wanted, I always wanted to be a comedian, but I just didn't have the confidence. And I didn't know being from the country. I just didn't know how, when, and I mean, I just didn't know. And so I, and I wanted, I, I did wanna, uh, being a mama was the most important thing to me that I wanted, but I think that also being from the country, like I didn't have anybody to look to. Like if I wish I could have, if I could, if I could do over again, I would not change a thing, but I, I understand like 18 year olds going and, and being in the groundings in LA, like, I would've loved that, but I just didn't know how all that worked.
Leanne Morgan (05:46):
And I didn't know. Anyway. Uh, and so I went the traditional route and I went to college and I've married and had my babies. My first baby, I wanna stay home with him, a nurse. And my husband had a small business that he had bought and he was only 26 years old and we needed money. So I started selling jewelry like women sold Mary Kay and Tupperware. And, uh, and I look back on it now and what a perfect outlet it was because I still, in my mind thought I was gonna be a comedian, but I, but it's just crazy. Anyway, I started getting out and schlepping this jewelry and eating depth with women and talking, and I developed an act and my, uh, some of my first material by talking about breastfeeding and hemorrhoids and, you know, having babies and all that, which is a wonderful prolific time in my life. Cuz you know what it's like when you have babies, women won't talk about their pregnancy and their birth and all that. So women started booking me a year in advance and at these parties for the,
Kim Rittberg (06:44):
For the jewelry part is they wanted you to be like this amazing MC comedian jewelry seller.
Leanne Morgan (06:50):
Yeah. But instead, I mean I, people loved the jewelry and it was inexpensive and it was fun. And you could get your friends together, but people thought I was funny and would, and started booking me so far in advance that the company noticed and asked me to start speaking at their national and regional things. And that's what gave me the confidence cuz it was all women. And I would get up and talk about breastfeeding hemorrhoids instead of jewelry. And women would say, you need to be a standup. And that gave me the confidence to try it. And, and because, and here I was in the middle of nowhere in the foothills of the Appalachia mountains, there were no comedy clubs or anything. And so then I went, my husband sold that business and went to work for a big mobile home company and they moved us to south Texas. So I had one of the best comedy clubs in the United States, in Austin, Texas at cap city comedy club. So that's where I really got started. But then by then my babies were three, five and seven.
Kim Rittberg (07:45):
So you're this like amazing, bright, shiny, hilarious jewelry salesperson then you and your husband moved to Austin, but your kids are still little. So how do you balance starting to pursue comedy? If were you a stay at home? Mom?
Leanne Morgan (07:58):
I, I was a stay at home mom through this whole thing, honey through 20 years and I never had to hire anybody every once in a while my parents would help me or I have a cousin that would help, but my husband was a, is an executive for that company. And he would, he would be with him on the weekend so that I could go and do shows. But, but through the years, like I just couldn't be a comedy club comedian and get out and work every week. I couldn't have raised my own children. That's why you don't see a lot of moms doing comedy.
Kim Rittberg (08:31):
So it was for a hobby. So for a while it was, it was like a good almost side hobby type of thing you weren't like in the club one night, a week or two nights a week, you would do it sometimes.
Leanne Morgan (08:42):
Um, well, and I was when I got to Texas before I went to Texas at east SSA, I was doing, I was getting up anywhere I could, which was kind of pitiful because there was no comedy club. So I would go, I would do stuff I would get up and do, um, 30 minutes for the volunteers at the hospital. Got it. I would go to, um, the rotary club and they would, you know, they didn't pay me. I would get, you know, or they'd give me lunch and I would get up. And you know, so I did all that kind of stuff, which I felt very serious about, even though I wasn't in a comedy club, cause you could do comedy, you don't have to start in comedy clubs. I mean, he has a lot of people that, but I, I was able to pave a path that was different than, than everybody I've ever known in comedy.
Leanne Morgan (09:25):
And when I got to Austin, I was doing comedy clubs in all that. And I would, once I started, you know, people would hire me, I would go and maybe do five a year comedy clubs, but it was hard on my kids. It was hard on my husband. And so I, I found another way, like I would do corporate private things and I'd be gone one, one day out of a week. And then I would come home and I, I did churches. I did women's groups. I got up anywhere. Anybody would have me. So I just, I just knew I had somebody in the comedy club business who is my co my promoter. Now we've known each other for 20 years. And he said to me, Lynn, you it's too hard to do this with little children. I mean, you won't be able to raise your own children. Right. And that I did not want that. So I just had to find another way.
Kim Rittberg (10:12):
And then, so as your kids went from like toddler to elementary school, middle school, high school, you, you were doing it and you were getting paid for it, but you were doing it in a way that worked for you. So you weren't like, I'm gonna go to like Carolines in New York city and I'm gonna go to the Hollywood improv. Like you worked it so that it worked for you. I love that by the way. Cause I feel like so many people feel and it is hard. I'm truly, truly, it's very hard to be a really big working comedian if your kids are little, but I love that you found a way to pursue your passion. What really lit you up and make money from it. It sounds like you were getting paid for it.
Leanne Morgan (10:44):
Yeah. And by then when they were in elementary school, I was on Nick at night's funniest mom in America and I, so I was going to New York and I was doing, you know, spots here and there in front of industry when they were in middle, uh, elementary. I got my first television deal for a sitcom with ABC and Warner brothers. Oh wow. So it, it didn't make it, but I was always in the game. And even though I wasn't out doing clubs, EV you know, like most men are out doing clubs every week and trying to make it in comedy. I was always in the game. I always had attention. I would get invited places. And I think like to comedy, uh, um, Montreal and things like that, comedy festivals, but I think it was because I was unique. I have this thick accent, even though I don't talk about being Southern.
Leanne Morgan (11:33):
I talk about universal things, being a mom and I, and I'm a clean comedian, pretty clean. So I think, I, I think I just stood out, you know, there's a lot of men in comedy and they're all talking about not all of them, but a lot of 'em are talking about the same thing. And I think that today, I mean, with everything that's happening with me today, I've hit a niche. I'm in a lane that there's just not many women in co there's not as many women as in comedy. There's not as many that have raised a family and that are clean. And I, and so, but anyway, yes, when they were all little, I mean, I just did what I could and you know, it worked out y'all, it just worked out. And I, I was on tour with two other female comedians and I would work on the weekends. My husband would have 'em during the week. I mean, it was hard on our family, but we, but my husband was always supportive and he, you know, took care of, I got to pick him up at school every day and drop him off. And I looked back on it and it was really perfect.
Kim Rittberg (12:32):
And now that her kids are grown up, Leanne has taken the opportunity to go all in on her career. Like she never could before
Leanne Morgan (12:39):
For years I would just, um, the main thing, I always put them first, you know, I always, they were my first priority, but I always had this desire and this, um, dream. And, um, and I, and I just need to keep going. There were bad times, but I just knew in my gut, I had to keep going and now they don't need me, you know? I mean, it's perfect the way it, it turned out.
Kim Rittberg (13:03):
And how old are they now?
Leanne Morgan (13:05):
They are 28, 26 and 24. And I've got a grand baby.
Kim Rittberg (13:11):
I know. Look at you so beautiful and young and a grandma
Leanne Morgan (13:14):
<laugh> thank you. Thank you. My boy got married right outta college to his college sweetheart. But, um, but you know, through the years, like my kids would be like, yeah, we know mom does this thing, but they didn't understand until this all happened until later on in life. When I got, because really I was just a mom with them. Yeah. You know, even though Nick at Knight would come and film our family and weird stuff like that. Yeah. It was always like, oh, cook your mom. I mean, you know, they just, it, it didn't take over our lives.
Kim Rittberg (13:42):
Okay. So we had, we had mentioned earlier, so what would you do differently if you could do it over it again,
Leanne Morgan (13:48):
I would have more babies. I would have had that fourth baby, which I begged their daddy for. And he was worried about money. And then he said later, good night, we're never gonna have enough money. What difference does it make? We should have had a fourth baby, but, um, I wish I'd have had that fourth baby. I, um, don't I tell you what I, I know that I did, right. I laughed and had a ball with these kids and we danced in the kitchen and we didn't take ourselves that seriously. And you know, my children and I, same thing is they, and I don't mean to brag, but they wanna be with me, like they are grown and they've got their own lives and they've got boyfriends and you know, and, uh, my son's married got a baby, but, but we're with them all the time.
Leanne Morgan (14:32):
And I think it's because I was fun and they're fun. And we had a good time and I've looked back on it. I had friends that were very anal, repetitive, and they kept everything. Their house spot was clean and all that. And that's great. But I think you just lose the fun and the, you know, kids are messy, life's messy. Everybody's got crayons out. I just think it's good to enjoy 'em while you can, because it's gonna be gone like that. And that's the one thing that I feel good that I did that we, we had a good time. There were times when, I mean, I took their education very seriously. I did, but I would say, Hey, y'all wanna go to the zoo. I mean, you know, we took days off and went to Dollywood. Oh my God. I just think it's good to enjoy. Yeah. Time and, and have a good time with them because it's, it goes by so fast.
Kim Rittberg (15:22):
I'm already teaching my kids. I'm like, sometimes you don't have to follow the rules. Sometimes you can go to Dollywood. I was listening to you saying, God, <laugh>, your kids are rude as teenagers because it's, God's way of letting you let them go off to college. And you only wanna let them go if they've been jerks to you. So any, any, you know, what what's, what are some of the, the sort of things, when you look back at parenting, funny observations or advice to listeners,
Leanne Morgan (15:47):
Uh, this is what I would tell young mamas and I'm, and I, I don't mean to preach, but if anybody saw a bit about me talking about my baby being in competition chair, and they, in those little uniforms, there were who outfits. I don't know if you ever saw that bit, but she was a cheerleader and we would travel. And, and my girls were very athletic. I know I projected my failure on the van and I didn't care. I was athletic, but I didn't care. I was worried about my high school board friend, honey, and I hot rolled my hair when I played basketball and I didn't pay attention and do like I was supposed to. And so what did I do? I projected onto my children and I made them play every sport, cuz I knew my girls had talent and I drove them like meals.
Leanne Morgan (16:29):
And I went, my husband is athletic and he is very anal-retentive and overachiever. And so he drove him like a meal and we, they played volleyball, travel, volleyball all over the United States. And I regret that. And I think that nowadays and my baby did, uh, competition, cheer, which, you know, they sexualized little children with her outfits on that's a whole nother thing. But I think that all this travel sports and all this crap, I look back on it and I think it took away from my son. It took away from our family time, children, our children only so long. And I don't know what it is about our generation driving these children to achieve. And they've gotta be unbelievable athletes and they've gotta be, you know, the most academic and all that. And I just would tell young moms lighten up and, and have a good time. Go, go hike in the mountains, go camping and have family time.
Kim Rittberg (17:23):
We have kids in New York and my husband and I are like, what sport can we get our kids into that they can play in high school, but not be on the travel team. Like we want them to have the comradery learn about leadership. Like I was an athlete. It was great for my self-esteem. It was great for me to see my body as like a tool and not just a bikini mannequin hanger, but I'll tell you, we are like, we need to put them in sports that they're not gonna be in a travel team, but just enough to be in school. You know, I asked Leanne, if she'd mind doing some rapid fire Q and a with me to end our time together. So funniest thing your kid ever said,
Leanne Morgan (17:58):
Uh, oh my gosh, Lord, oh, murder. What? I'm in menopause. And I can't think quick what these funniest things. Well, my son, um, is an old soul and would say things like these girls don't need to wear these to out outfits. He was 16. And I took him to a cheerlead competition and because we wanted to be with him and we took him to this and he went, this smells like, Hey, he goes, mom, what are you doing? Cause she was in sixth grade and that was his baby sister. And he was like, this is awful. Like what are you doing? And I thought that he would be 16 and think, oh, look at these kid girl. He thought it was horrible. He's like an old man. You know, he always has been,
Kim Rittberg (18:42):
Um, can I have an, an embarrassing parenting moment on your end? Something you did that you're like, Ugh.
Leanne Morgan (18:49):
Um, yes, there was a time that I did do comedy for their school, which I should have never done if they asked me to MC the talent show in elementary and my kids were so humiliated. And, and I, after that, I did not do it anymore. Cause I thought this is their safe, this is their place, their space. They don't need, you know, little kids would be like, your mom's not funny. And I'd be like, I'm trying to finish a be while miss Phil y'all turns the curtain down right in the middle of a talent show. I mean, you know, and, and my can, I hate that. I embarrass them and I knew from then on, I would never do that again.
Kim Rittberg (19:22):
Uh, your favorite food?
Leanne Morgan (19:25):
Oh, pizza is my weight Watchers. Red flag, honey. I could eat it every day. Oh,
Kim Rittberg (19:32):
Favorite? Kids' food. Like what's the food you steal off your kids' plate when they were little,
Leanne Morgan (19:36):
Oh, a grilled cheese crossed and a Mac and cheese. Oh Lord. I do that off my grandbaby. Now
Kim Rittberg (19:44):
This is a show. We talk a lot about jobs. Do you have any really weird jobs as a kid, as a
Leanne Morgan (19:50):
Teenager? I worked in my mom and Dan's neat processing plant. So I, I actually wrapped hamburger meat, dear meat, honey. And it was not fun. And especially in the eighties, when I hot rolled my hair and I, I wanted to be Madonna and I was up in that, in that meat house. Oh, I would be so mad. I know that I was not good help to my sweet mom and daddy. And they worked like Trojans and my sister and I would be, I thought, uh, and we would complain. But yeah, that's a weird thing. I wrapped meat. I worked in a meat house like Rocky Balboa. <laugh>
Kim Rittberg (20:24):
Did you, do you walk out like smelling like meat? Like you went on a date and like you smell like meat.
Leanne Morgan (20:29):
Yes. But thank goodness. My high school boyfriend was up firming kid too. And his family, we cut up their meat. So he didn't care that I smelled like me cause I was really cute too. I wanna tell you I was really cute in the eighties. So he, he wanted to make out with me, even though I hadn't needed smell on me.
Kim Rittberg (20:44):
Um, best person you've met, you know, you're a comedian now touring all over the country, who is the person you've met that you've loved or been most excited to meet?
Leanne Morgan (20:53):
Oh my gosh, you've got the best questions and let think, I mean, cause I have met so many people I have as far as comedy, um, Jeff Foxworthy and you know, I grew up listening to him, but I, but needing him and what all he's been able to accomplish and build, he takes his money and he be, he gives it to the oncology department, the pediatric and at chapel hill and that kind of thing. And he has a Bible study with homeless man that he's had for 12 years in Atlanta. So when I say I've met a lot of NFTY people and I've let met a lot of talented people, but to meet somebody that successful that has been that sweet and that charitable and so down to earth, he was, he was my favorite. I'll just tell you. But it was because he's so precious and he and his wife do so much for children and be homeless.
Kim Rittberg (21:48):
Any woman, any female comedian or another working mom. Like I love that you were a mom and that's such a part of your life and been a part of your story. Any other working moms you've met that you're like, all right, cool. Like we're in this together. You know, that sort of thing.
Leanne Morgan (21:59):
Um, there's been a lot of comedians. I tell you, Tammy, Pesca telling is a comedian that I love. I'm a, she's a good friend of mine. She would do anything for me. You know, as comedians, a lot of times comedians don't have health insurance or, you know, if something happens, she's the first person to be right there for you.
Kim Rittberg (22:17):
What advice would you give to, to moms trying to figure out their path
Leanne Morgan (22:22):
If they've got something deep in their soul that I believe that is God speaking to them, but, but your gut, listen to your gut. If there's something knowing at you that, you know, you should be doing that, you know, you wanna do, do it, take that risk, get outside of your comfort zone. What are we here for? If we don't do that, you know what I'm saying?
Kim Rittberg (22:42):
How can people find you? Where can they listen to your amazing comedy
Leanne Morgan (22:45):
Leannemorgan.com and I'm on YouTube and all that other voodoo. So all that, um, you know, YouTube and Facebook and Instagram and all of that, but leannemorgan.com. Thank you. You angel, from how much I need to come and clean your house and make this up to you.
Kim Rittberg (23:02):
So to explain what lean just offered to clean my house, it's not because it's so messy on zoom, although that's obviously very possible, but it just like wasn't that day I did neaten it up. It's that at the beginning of our interview, we had so many technical issues and I helped us work through the very desperate situation with the video recording, but we ended up doing it and it was really fun, but Leanne I'll never say no to a house cleaning and one filled with jokes. So yes, please. And didn't you all love hearing Leanne's story, DME, what you liked most. And again, her website is leannemorgan.com and she has a big tour. So check it out. And it'll of course be linked out in the show notes.
Kim Rittberg (23:42):
So we've been hearing from Leanne Morgan about performing comedy on stage, but frankly that terrifies most people <laugh> of course, except for the exceptional and amazing Leanne Morgan. So I'm gonna bring in Lynn Smith, who's gonna offer you some tips on how to be better on camera and to be more confident. Lynn spent 15 years reporting and be in anchor at NBC news, MSNBC and CNN headline news. And now she advises leaders on how to develop craft and communicate a compelling message and how to bring that message to powerful platforms in the media. So she's a mom's exit interviewer as well. I asked Lynn for her top three tips for being on camera.
Lynn Smith (24:23):
So the hardest thing for people to do is to be able to look into that little black lens and actually talk through the lens rather than at the camera. That is the most challenging thing for people. It's not natural to look into this box and actually connect with it. Right? So what I, and, and I know cuz I had the exact same thing happen to me when I was told I'd never make it as a news anchor. So my biggest tip for that is your most trusted person. Your MTP is someone I want you to name today. This is the person you feel you're most comfortable with. This is the person that you're your most authentic self with and is the most honest with you. And then I want you to look into the camera and actually picture their face, picture the face of them.
Lynn Smith (25:02):
In the every time I do it, I picture the face of my MTP and I smile. And it's because it's natural that your MTP is somebody that makes you smile. And so you look into that lens, you picture their face and you talk to them. You literally talk to that face so that you are not looking into a black lens. You're not just talking into an abyss. And the second is getting out of your own head. If you master getting out of your head, you will transform your delivery on camera. The number one mistake people make is that they're thinking to themselves, oh my gosh, I'm gonna stumble over this word. Oh my gosh, did that just come out? Right? And they just don't talk from the heart and talk from their expertise. I describe it as kind of ju bungee jumping, a media appearance.
Lynn Smith (25:45):
You hook yourself up, you got all your beaners and your checks, safety checks. And then you just gotta jump and fall and trust that, that beaner and that safety belt, which is your expertise catches you, you just jump and just free fall. And you gotta just go. And then the third piece of advice that I really try and help is this mindset shift of, oh my gosh, I've gotta do this. Oh no, I'm gonna mess this up. Oh gosh. Oh no, I've gotta do this two. I get to do this. I get to do this. And I got that from John O'Leary, he's an inspirational speaker. And I had him on my Instagram live and he talked about how he still gets nervous going on stage. He still gets those butterflies. And I'm like, you you're you talk to like millions of people. How do you still get nervous?
Lynn Smith (26:31):
And he said, it's just nature. We're human beings. He's like, I was nervous before coming on this Instagram live. And he goes, and what I do to get over that is I start thinking to myself, I get to do this. I get to do this. And it brought this excitement. And when you come with excitement and genuine energy and authenticity, it comes through the lens. It's amazing. So those three things are my top tips on how to exude confidence on camera and it's strategies. I need to, I, I say I'm a confident person in progress. I implement these strategies to overcome my own nerves. When I go up in public speaking, when I, I did my first Instagram live or my first LinkedIn live yesterday. And I was like, getting that nervous feeling. I was like, why am I feeling nervous right now? And so I implement these strategies and that's how I know that they work. In addition to seeing it work for my clients
Kim Rittberg (27:25):
Because not everyone is doing media appearances or going on TV or podcasts. I asked Lynn, what are some other situations or scenarios in which these strategies could be useful?
Lynn Smith (27:35):
So everyone's a broadcaster today, right? Like we are all broadcasters, whether it's your zoom calls or it's your social content. If you have a business or a brand, you have to be able to be dominating video. It's just a piece of, you know, you can't not do it or else you'll be left behind in the competition. So I have people that say to me, you know, I just got a new job and they want me to be doing more video. And I don't feel as confident in that. Or, um, I had one, I, I had one girl that was saying to me, I run a meeting for like 50 of the top managers and I have to present five minutes and I just don't feel like I can do this on zoom. I don't have any confidence at all. Or I have some people that are like, I wanna start a podcast and I wanna be able to do it on video.
Lynn Smith (28:23):
And I just don't know how to be able to exude that confidence. So some of the tips that I talk about with them, and these are my pillars of confidence, I have three pillars of confidence. And the first one is preparation. When you have extensively prepared for whatever it is that you're gonna do, whether it's presenting to management or job interview, when you have three to five really valuable takeaways that you're going to offer within that appearance, you will be successful, cuz you've prepared for it. The second is purpose. A lot of people over promise themselves on their purpose. They think more as expected of them than it really is. And then they're trying too hard. And so really define what the purpose of that appearance is. If it's a zoom call and you need to deliver to those managers, what's your purpose in that role? And the third one is promise, and this is a promise to let the little things go. You know, don't worry about talking with your hands. Don't worry about if you feel like you fidget a little bit, change the big things, but if you're focusing on all the little things, you're just going to be beating yourself up. So if you follow those three pillars of confidence, you'll increase that confidence quotient that I talk about in any situation, even if it's just your Instagram videos.
Kim Rittberg (29:44):
I also do on camera media training and interview prep as a part of my business. And one thing I've started doing is using every opportunity to practice these skills. Like not waiting until you have a TV interview or a podcast interview, which may come pretty infrequently. So using those tips in your everyday life, for example, when my son was graduating kindergarten, I as a class parent had to get up and thank the teachers and, and say, thank you to the parents. And I just gave like a short speech, but I used bullet points and I might have even practiced it once. And someone actually came over to me after I was like, wow, you sounded so well spoken. Like you have such a good presence. And it made me feel good because the important thing is not that you're perfect today, but it's that we're always improving. And in order to improve, you need to be practicing a lot. So all of these tips can apply to people or moms who are shifting or rebranding themselves job interviews and anything like that on camera interview is not just for press interviews. It can be used for zooms or meetings.
Lynn Smith (30:43):
Well, and that's why I wrote confidence quotient because all of my clients that I media trained were like, all of this helped me actually in my work and in my life. They're like, I feel like I now talk in soundbites, which makes me more clear and effective. And he's like, like I have one client that got on a huge board position because of some of the strategies or getting more speaking engagements or getting more clients because they're able to sell better. And so that's, that was really why I wrote the book, cuz it was like this isn't really just about the media. This is about confidence in life. In general.
Kim Rittberg (31:16):
One of the things I do when I work with people for on camera coaching is I take their elevator pitch. So if you're an elevator with someone and you're trying to sell yourself to that person, I love taking that pitch, which often is two minutes or three minutes. And I feel like my superpower is boiling that down to 30 seconds. And I just, I love talking about this because I feel it's so important to focus on your message cuz you really only get a few seconds to capture someone's attention and to really let them know that you're confident and you believe in yourself, your story, your product, your service, whatever it is. So focusing on how you're telling your story and how you're presenting yourself. It helps so much in life and in work, whether you're on a zoom or on a presentation or on a TV interview,
Kim Rittberg (32:00):
You can grab a lot of Free's at Lynn site, lynnsmithtv.com, and that'll be linked out in the show notes. She offers how to tell a great story, how to crush a zoom call and so much more.
Kim Rittberg (32:13):
Here's our real mom moment from Alexis Barad Cutler, she's a journalist and community builder. She founded the not safe for mom group where you can talk about all the things you can't talk about anywhere else in a safe and judgment free space. She's also a co-founder of the chamber of moms. When Alexis was a new mom, she was in control of her schedule. So she wanted to get back into shape. And she went back to pole dancing classes, which she did for fun and for exercise before the, the baby. But this time it didn't go as planned.
Alexis Barad Cutler (32:43):
The dance studio had moved. So we were in a new building that was kind of weird. So I, I went to the studio and I brought my big pump bag along with me, cuz I wasn't yet at the stage where I felt confident taking like a mini hand pump. So I had that giant pump bag with me, um, in my pole dancing class. And I didn't quite feel confident enough to pump in the class cuz everyone there was like 12 or you know, 16, 18. Um, and then there was me and I felt like I was the only mom there. So I, I went into the bathroom in the hallway, which I knew was like shared with the rest of the building. What I didn't realize was that it was like a corporate building that they had this dance studio, but then there were also offices and I'm standing there.
Alexis Barad Cutler (33:31):
I hook up the big pump apparatus and the little suction things. And if you've ever pumped, you know what I'm talking about? So you feel like you're a milk machine or a cow and it's, if you've never pumped then to see someone pumping is kind of a bizarre site. And um, I'm standing there in my hot pants, booty shorts and they tend to have sparkles that day. And like this tiny little, not even a tank top didn't even qualify. I mean kudos to me for even feeling like I could wear that outfit at the time. Um, but I did and I'm standing there just with my ass hanging out and milking myself. And then I realized like, oh crap, other people not from dance class are coming in here. And then there's just like random women in suits coming in and looking at me and being like what is happening. Um, and I realized that maybe pumping in a public bathroom, in a corporate building in your hot pant booty shorts, sports bra attire is the way to go.
Kim Rittberg (34:53):
Thank you so much for listening. We wanna hear from you tell us what topics you want us to cover and what questions you have for upcoming shows and experts. We will read everyone and we will use them. You can find us everywhere, go to www.kimrittberg.com, scroll down to find the contact button or you can DM me on Instagram at Kim Rittberg, or you can leave your feedback right inside your review in the podcast app. Please follow the show in apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen and leave a review in a five star rating. And don't forget to share it with people who will find it valuable. It's truly meant to be a resource. And this is mom's exit interview. I'm your host and executive producer, Kim Berg. The show is produced by Henry street media. John Haitz is our editor and Aliza. Friedlander is our producer and publicist.