Eat Shrink And Be Merry

Phew!! Greta and I have just returned from a hectic, whirlwind four days in New York City where we took part in a really unique and exciting event called “The National Publicity Summit.” Basically, it was a conference where only 100 attendees were accepted, from authors to entrepreneurs, who were looking for the opportunity to get big-time, national publicity for their books or products or services. Nowadays, with the celebrity-centric culture in the US, and also with so much competition for “air time,” it’s harder than ever to get the attention of TV producers and magazine writers.

But at this Publicity Summit, you were given the chance to personally meet those top producers and journalists face-to-face, behind closed doors…guaranteed! Producers from The View, Live with Regis and Kelly, The Today Show, and CBS Early Morning were all going to be there, among others. Writers for Time Magazine, Woman’s World, Family Circle and other large mags were all slated to attend. There were about 100 different media types in all. Wow!

This seemed like a no-brainer for us. We’ve had a lot of success in Canada, but to be honest, breaking into the US market is like starting over again. Hey, when Jamie Oliver or Nigella came over to the US, they had to start somewhere, too, even though they were already huge stars in the UK, right? You just need a big break.

So we got to thinking, “If we could just get in front of producers and decision makers, if we could just meet them in person, and if they could get to know us and what we’re all about, if they could see that we were unique, that we’re funny, that we have tons of experience doing TV interviews, that we’re bundles of information, that we can help change people’s lives, that might make all the difference in the world.”

This is how it all shook down: Basically, it was like speed dating! You got two-and-a-half minutes to give your pitch at each “station” where a producer or writer was sitting. Someone was right there with a timer, and then you had to go! You had to plead your case, to convince that producer why they should have you on their show, or sell that journalist on why they should do a story on you. You had to sell, sell, sell! When your time was up, someone tapped you on the shoulder, or tugged on your shirt and or did whatever they had to do to pry you away. And then you moved on to the next one.

It was nuts! And really, really hard! For one thing, Greta and I are very humble, so for us to pitch ourselves–to toot our own horns (and aggressively, too!)–was one of the most difficult things we’ve ever had to do. And we had to do it for three days straight. It was exhausting, yet exhilarating. (I couldn’t fall asleep at night in the hotel because I was so “jacked up” on adrenaline from the day’s events. Conversations and faces just kept going around and around in my head. Monkey mind at its worst.)

The results of our publicity speed dating? Were there any matches made in heaven? Did anyone fall in love with us? Well, we hope so! We think it went really, really well. My sister and I put our best feet forward (all four of them), and felt like we did a good job convincing producers that Americans want to “Eat, Shrink & Be Merry” as much as Canadians. Maybe even more so! Nowadays, with these troubled economic times, everyone has been watching their bottom lines shrink. We’d like to show Americans how to shrink their “real” bottoms, without shrinking their bank accounts. We’d show them how cooking at home can not only save them money, but save their waistlines and their overall health, too. In addition to providing great-tasting food that won’t go from your lips to your hips, our book makes people laugh. It can brighten peoples’ days, and give them hope and inspiration at a time when they really need it. Frankly, Americans NEED to Eat, Shrink & Be Merry! Let’s hope those producers give us a chance to show them how.

Don’t worry, we’ll be sure to let you know if we’ll be performing an Extreme Recipe Makeover on Regis’ favorite comfort food, or chatting about “Shocklate Cheesecake” with the gals on The View, or making “The Roast of Christmas Past” for Matt Lauer. Keep your fingers and toes crossed for us!

P.S. If you’ve written a book or if you have a product or service, and you’re looking for national publicity, I highly recommend you attend this summit. For more information, check out www.NationalPublicitySummit.com