Inspiration, Determination and Risk

Sometimes things happen when the universe is ready to deliver them to you. There is no universal time line that says when things will begin or will end. Through inspiration, determination and risk you set out with your goal and hope for the best.

When it comes to pitching my television concepts, I realize that when the timing is right - the universe will deliver. I did get incredible news on Friday, which I am dying to share, but can’t until everything is in order…

After talking to friends in the industry before I got this good news, they brought up many scenarios and stories of great projects that didn’t happen until the universe was ready to let them happen. There were many stories that involved people who put their heart and soul into writing, creating and pitching all for the hope of a sale. One story stood out in my mind and this person’s determination reminded me of mine and my recent path…it’s about Reality Creator and really the Father of Reality TV, Mark Burnett.

Of course you know of him. His name is Mark Burnett. He is the genius behind the wildly popular "Survivor" and "Apprentice" series. But this reality television producer wasn’t always the hottest reality producer in town. When he first came to Los Angeles he was a nanny…or “manny” as I like to call the male nannies. In 1990, he was selling t-shirts on our beaches.

In 1995, with no television experience he sold a show to MTV called Eco-Challenge. Through inspiration, determination and risk he transformed his life from manny to on his way to becoming a mogul reality tv producer. But it didn’t happen overnight…

In the summer of 1999, he pitched an unknown executive at the time, Ghen Maynard over at CBS. Ghen was a young executive at the network who took a call from Conrad Riggs about a hot producer with an exciting idea for a new kind of show…Burnett was an unknown producer that was producing Eco-Challenge. So on July 27, 1999, Burnett pitched Ghen “Survivor.” In May 2000, Survivor aired and the reality frenzy began! And so did the making of a reality superstar producer and creator.

Here is someone that took many risks. He went out virtually as an unknown and pitched his ideas. He found that “someone” to believe in his idea and who ultimately saw that same vision that Mark saw. It wasn’t easy - even with a big believer like Ghen, who pitched his boss Leslie Moonves several times to get him to see the great vision that he saw in Mark’s idea.

If someone like Mark Burnett who was virtually a nobody in our reality tv world can set out and carve his path...so can you. I say three cheers for anyone who is out pitching and determined with their vision to sell a show. Keep pitching and paint your vision with your words like its a painting...with hard work and determination your bound to be rewarded by the universe if your ideas are good!