Getting comfortable under the lights
Scrappy social media videos led to live reporting on the floor of the stock exchange.
It took seven years of writing online before I could muster the courage to publish my first video.
What I didn’t realize early on was that penning countless blogs, news articles and books actually helped prepare me for the camera.
High-volume writing forced me to string ideas into some semblance of coherence, which is the same process required for on-air work.
Since leaving Business Insider last April, I’ve found myself participating more and more in New York’s financial media ecosystem.
I’m doing far more and reaching a wider audience now as an independent journalist than I ever did in a mainstream newsroom.
It started with nervously posting my own short clips on social media, talking markets while walking through midtown Manhattan.
It felt awkward and uncomfortable.
But those led to podcast invites, some of which turned into repeat appearances and eventually larger stages on radio and TV.
I’m now a recurring guest on two different shows at the New York Stock Exchange.
I feel myself getting more relaxed with every segment. Some appearances are stronger than others, but even the ones I feel less confident about I know are pushing me in the right direction.
Like writing or or lifting weights or shooting hoops, it’s all about reps.
Of course, the engine behind it all has been my morning newsletter (I’ve skipped four days in 19 months — and that was for my wedding!).
The discipline of writing each day and being diligent in my reporting and interviews arms me with the context I can then speak to on air.
I have a lot more to improve on but I’m having a great time learning and improving.
Below are links to some recent segments. Let me know if you want me to put these video roundups together periodically.
Talk soon!
Phil Rosen
Co-founder & Editor-in-Chief, Opening Bell Daily