Sunday, December 20, 2015

All in the Reflexes

ALL IN THE REFLEXES

I’ve got an exciting new announcement, a new creative endeavor I’m beginning, and I want to announce it here first!

I’m hosting a new online talk show—a LIVE event twice a month that I’m calling “All in the Reflexes.”

Let me tell why I’m doing this, what it’s all about, and a few things I hope you will do to help be a part of it!



THE WHY

I’m a teacher and an author, and these are two unique but not completely disconnected passions. In short, I started thinking about ways to combine my passions.

I have a long list of Facebook friends who are podcasters. That’s wonderful, and I’ve long wanted to do something like that, but I hate to be the 100th guy you know who is starting his own podcast.

I also have been the guest of different podcasts and radio interviews. My favorite was Jim Sullivan’s Poets’ Voices. Sullivan is a colleague of mine, and he devoted each of his episodes to a different writer. He’s a writer himself, but his show was devoted to others. A lot of the shows I enjoy may feature interviews, but they also are largely about the hosts’ thoughts and passions. Nothing wrong with that, but I don’t want to be the last guy to that party.

So I started thinking: what else could I do besides a podcast or a blog (like this) or even a video blog? How annoyed have you been when you search for a song or something on YouTube only to find an obnoxious face talking to you about that song? I don’t want to be that guy, either.

So put all of the above together:

1. I have a talent in communication that I want to expand on and do more with outside of the classroom.

2. I want to do a program that features OTHERS, other people with great passions and talents that I would enjoy discussing. I could use my social media reach and author platforms to share their stories with my audience.

3. I want to do something that’s NOT a podcast, blog, or just me talking into my webcam.


THE RESULT

A LIVE VIDEO TALK SHOW!

Each episode I do will stream LIVE through YouTube. You’ll be able to watch them later, but I love the live component. No editing, no do-overs, just fun and LIVE discussion!

The show will feature a new guest each episode. Initially, I want to highlight college students that I’ve had the privilege to work with. I want to talk about their passions and talents, and give them a medium in which to speak about such things.

The show will be a mix of serious to silly. Ideally, each episode will feature a serious discussion, a silly/obnoxious game that we will do LIVE that will probably go horribly wrong, a fun discussion on something pop culture related, and more.

You’ll be able to comment during the show, and we’ll be able to see and read your comments LIVE each episode. I’ll have games and prizes to give away for anyone who is watching, too!

Sound fun? I hope so!


WHAT YOU CAN DO

Lots of things!

Want to be a guest? Go here and fill out the form on my website. Know someone who would make a good guest? Tell them about it!

WATCH! You can start by subscribing to my YouTube channel HERE. And of course—follow me on Facebook HERE. Links will go live when we’re on-air! You can RSVP to THIS FACEBOOK EVENT so you get a reminder of when the show launches. 

SHARE! Share this blog article. I’ve got about 24 days till the first episode. If you see things like the Facebook event invite and other stories, share and invite your friends!

What I love about technology today is that it gives any of us this power, so let’s share some love and take a moment to learn about the passionate and talented people we have in our own community!


THE FIRST EPISODE

The show starts Wednesday January 13, 2016 at 6:00 p.m. Central. My first guest is a current student of mine at Illinois Central College, Ruben Ramirez. Ruben will be taking his fourth college class with me next semester. (Yes, you can feel sorry for him, ha!)

I met Ruben in COMM 110, an introductory COMM course in the fall of 2014. He’s a motivating and talented young man with quite a unique back story and several diverse passions. Since that first class, Ruben has enrolled in almost every class I’ve taught, and we’ve gone beyond the classroom in our lessons. Ruben has accompanied me at motivational programs at several area schools. He wants to be a motivational speaker, and he will make a perfect first guest on this show.

I’ll be writing more about Ruben before the first episode, so keep an eye out for that post.

Ruben speaking to East Peoria High students.


ALL IN THE REFLEXES

Like the name of my book Rabbit in Red, the name of this show is also a pop culture reference to one of my favorite movies. It will likely be a (rather easy) viewer trivia question during the first episode. But it also fits the theme perfectly. LIVE shows require a good back and forth, a good “reflex” for discussion.

I hope you’ll tune in to see what we come up with!

FOLLOW ON FACEBOOK!


SUBSCRIBE TO THE YOUTUBECHANNEL!

APPLY TO BE A GUEST!

2 comments:

  1. Wow. I'm so excited to see your new show! Ruben a good first choice. Good luck Joe!

    ReplyDelete