Lorne Michaels, producer of SNL, The Tonight Show, Late Night and many other movies and television shows, knows a thing or two about creating successful entertainment. In an interview he was riffing on the creation of comedy and entertainment for American audiences and mentioned that one philosophy he subscribes to is, “looks like fun.” The idea being if you, the audience, see something that looks fun then it must actually be fun to watch.

“Well duh!” was my first somewhat dismissive reaction but as I reflected on those three simple words “looks like fun” their importance should be appreciated. If an audience believes that a show or movie “looks like fun,” whether because of the way the trailer portrays the film or it’s your first impression as you flip through TV channels, then the chances are you’ll watch. You’ll go see the movie. You’ll keep watching the TV show. When we want our mood enhanced we seek out pleasure. We search for what “looks like fun”.

If you’re an on-air talent no doubt at some time you have been told, “the best show-prep is having a life”. It’s been said so many times it almost feels like a cliché. It’s almost easy to dismiss. There’s nothing wrong with ...

As you embark on your next creative project or piece of work, I invite you to think about it a little differently… What if you lowered your expectations Set the bar lower than you think is needed. What if there was no right or wrong? What if there was no good ...

We are in business to win. The secret to winning, and to the continuation of winning, is to build the best team. It is essential to form a cohesive group of individuals all working to achieve the same goal. Having a bulletproof strategy and flawless execution are ...

Rick Rubin is a legendary music producer and record company boss. He was responsible for popularizing HipHop in the 80s and has worked with a huge roster of stars ever since like The Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Metallica, Johnny Cash, Tom Petty, Neil Diamond, Justin ...

One of the greatest, and often under-used, strengths of radio is our ability to connect in the moment. We teach a simple concept to the talent we work with, the 4M’s of content, as it is our belief that great content is centered around the Moment, Mood, Market and ...

There’s been a lot of talk recently about interaction on the radio, and formats that put caller interaction at the center of the execution. The reality is great listener interaction has often been an integral part of many successful personality-driven shows. For ...

Set goals with the team. Explain the mission. Establish expectations. Tailor your approach to the talent. It's about helping them learn. It's about encouragement, not discouragement. Focus on inspiration and motivation, not fear. Feedback only about the ...

When working with shows and coaching personalities we talk about the 4M’s of content. Great content is centered around the Moment, Mood, Market and Music. We encourage personalities to think about creating content that is either relevant to the moment, reflective of ...

I feel fortunate to work with so many different shows and talent each week. I work with new shows and experienced shows, multi-player shows and individual talent. Every show has its unique strengths and its unique weaknesses, and my work is to help amplify the strengths, ...