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!
