Cleveland.com Called to Do a Story on NOSOTROS & I Did Bad

Reporter : Can you describe what this gym will look like?

Me : Uh, yea. There's gonna be a lot of plywood.

You know how I told you that Startup Lakewood suggested I try writing for newspapers and such? Well I gave it a shot. Yesterday I emailed Cleveland.com and asked if I could start a column about climbing and family because I'm starting a gym about climbing and family.

DDO

The Cleveland.com Director of Digital Operations emailed me back and said he already noticed the blog a week ago on Facebook. He was really cool. He said he's from Lakewood, he'd like to check out the gym one day and he'd pass along my request.

3HL

Three hours later, I get an email from a really nice reporter interested in doing a story on NOSOTROS. I was looking to write an article and I'm getting an interview. I said, "Thank you! But it may be too soon". I explained that we haven't started building yet. I didn't want to give him a premature story. He came back to say that he talked to his editor and they'd like to do a short story now and a longer story later.

Interview

I had notes prepared for my interview. But I didn't know what my demeanor should be like. Should I be funny? Conversational? I was planning to start by asking the reporter about his fourth of July. I quickly learned that he was writing while I'm talking. So I've got to be cool, collected and clear. I was 0 for 3.

Question 1

He started by asking how we got the idea for the gym. I told him my parents are divorced! What? Whoa! I talked about how my parents are divorced and it sucks, and when I worked with kids most of their parents were divorced and that sucked, and now we're starting a gym to fix failing families by providing them quality time together. Yes. All this is true. But, I laid it on too thick too quick. The cool thing would've been to say, " I was invited to climb in Columbus and the rest is history". Why didn't I just say that.

Question 2

I was not collected for Q 2. It's like I was distracted. He asked where the gym will be located. I said we've got our eyes set on this church basement. ...Which church? ...Oh yea, Lakewood Baptist...Where's that at? ...Oh yea, uh, on Detroit by Bob Evans. Next question.

Question 3

Here's the best. He asked, "Can you describe what this gym will look like?" I said, "There's gonna be a lot of plywood." Hot. Dang.

Conclusion

I sounded like an idiot today. Sometimes we sound like idiots. Who cares. I'm thankful for the opportunity. Gracias Dios. The reporter did a great job dealing with my answers. Let's hope his writing can mask my talking.

Practical Suggestions

• If you're speaking well today, good job

• If you're not speaking well today, good luck

• Speaking comes and goes; Find humor in failure

#RockGymMonday