Booher - What More Can I Say?

You can change your world by changing your words.... Remember, death and life are in the power of the tongue.

Joel Osteen

P hils name sounded vaguely familiar. A quick Internet search confirmed the connection: Our paths had crossed about twenty years earlier at a client organization. His interview for my companys general manager position ended up more like a college reunion. We reminisced about mutual friends in the business, swapped client names, and bemoaned travel mishaps.

So why do you want to go to work for me? I ask him. Your LinkedIn page says youre vice president of marketing for some company.

Thats only part-time right now. The new company Im with is just a little ahead of the market. I need something else to bridge that gap before they can afford to hire me full-time.

Tell me about the new business, then.

His eyes light up like a Christmas tree, and he launches into an explanation about the new venture. Hes working for a Hollywood movie producer, who has a few sideline businesses of play-on-demand movies in hotel chains. They produce 3-D programming sold to networks such as ESPN, Hallmark, and Disney.

Got any reality TV shows in mind? he asks offhandedly as he ends his tale.

As a matter of fact, I do. I toss out a concept that had occurred to me while writing my last book.

Hmmm. That could work. Seriously. Ill pass the idea on to Barry if you want me to. Hes in LA this week. Have you been to Universal Studios? Amazing place. Anyway. Barry makes all those show decisions. I dont get into that. I just sell the programming into the hotels once the shows are shot. Occasionally, I go on one of the funding meetingsif theyre close by. Like a couple of weeks ago. Barry got a few doctors in a room. Pitched them on a new series hes doing. Twenty-five minutes. They all invested $50,000, and that was enough to put the first series in the can.... But its unusual for me to go.

We talk a little further about the general managers job. But I quickly decide its a no-go. Hes a nice guy, but I need a long-termer in the position.

A week later Phil calls again. Barry will be back from LA tomorrow afternoon. I mentioned your reality TV show to him. He wants to talk to you. Can you meet with him tomorrow at two?

Sure. Actually, I hadnt given the idea another minutes thought since Phil had left my office a week earlier. But I spend the rest of the day and evening writing up a treatment.

The next day Barry, Phil, and I meet in my office. We trade background information. Barry tells me about the movies he and his business partner have produceda long string of titles that I recognize immediately. Then he overviews several reality TV shows they are currently shooting.

At this point, I decide to show him the two-page concept that Id drafted.

He skims it, then looks up. I like it.

So you would be expecting me to invest in this show?

No. Thats my jobto raise the funding. We would own the show together and split the net profits fifty-fifty.

My first thought: Maybe hes taking money out of the proceeds, so that there is no profit. Could you forward a typical production budget for my review? His assistant does so the next day.

Over the next few weeks, we meet several times to discuss the specifics of the deal. On one occasion, he brings his son with him, who is working on a documentary for the History Channel.

Barry agrees to add every clause and safeguard I propose into our written contract. He reports that a couple of networks have already expressed interest in my concept, and he has an investor for our first $60,000.

So when are we going to start shooting the pilot? I ask.

As soon as I finish up the series Im onend of December.

December comes and goes. So are you ready to schedule the pilot? I need to line up the talent. They travel frequently, so I need to nail down dates with them.