Today we’d like to introduce you to Tamisha Harris.
Hi Tamisha, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
As a News Producer, I tell stories that hopefully assist you in making the best decisions in your daily lives. What sets me apart is being a vocal black voice in the room where decisions are made. I speak up to ensure our on-air experts and contributors are diverse. We need more black men and women in the producer’s chair because that’s where stories are told with accuracy and authenticity. I didn’t begin my career in Broadcast News. After college, I began working at a call center. I worked overtime to buy cameras and editing equipment to produce a reality show that I created. I used the money I earned and bought a 1am time slot on a television station in Atlanta called UPN. It was $700 per week. My local reality show aired and the ratings outperformed Girlfriends, Bernie Mac, and Everybody Hates Chris. I was thrilled! The problem was that I didn’t understand the business of television or how to make money. I removed the show from air. The executives at the television station called me in for a meeting and hired me as a Producer. Yay! I worked on shows like America’s Next Top Model and Girlfriends. Once The CW acquired the network, I was hired by Warner Music Group to direct music videos for artists like Gucci Mane and produce documentaries featuring Jay Z, Russel Simmons, Birdman, etc.
Afterward, I began working for BET as a freelance producer in Atlanta. That was one of the most remarkable eras of my career because it was at the height of the Atlanta music takeover–from Young Jeezy to T.I., I had the opportunity to work with the best in music. My most significant tests and testimony happened once I moved forward to the business of News. It was the most challenging transition because I’m not a formally-studied journalist. The bottom line is I bought every book and took every class I could on producing news. I was self-taught, and after many conversations with God, I took the leap and moved to New York. Early on, I failed countless times, and I was fired from the job that relocated me to New York, so I needed it to survive. And get this – I was fired the first day. I knew the job in theory but not in application. The key for me was having a faithful relationship with God, developing tough skin, so when someone (or in my case, several people) questioned whether I belonged in a room, I continued walking with my head up, studied my work and sharpened myself. They may not have been nice, but they also weren’t entirely wrong. I learned that when more than one person tells you something about yourself, take the meat and spit out the bones. Try not to get in your feelings about their delivery. Determine the truth, adjust and do what it takes to get better. I started out working at one of the smallest news stations in New York. Now, many years later, after tears, failures, wins, and work, I produce for one of the biggest networks in the country.
As a side hustle, I consult experts and professionals on how to pitch to producers like myself to get their brand in front of millions of viewers. This brings me immense joy because there are so many influential people out there, but they struggle with finding producers, or they fumble once they email us or get us in a room. I teach professionals everything they need to know to make a producer’s work easier and how to get a “yes!” when you pitch to us.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The biggest struggle was believing that I belonged in rooms with brilliant minds. I could have given myself more grace. I had unrealistically high expectations of myself, I didn’t give myself room for error or the grace to allow growth.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
At the end of my 9-5 workday, I begin doing the work I love most of all-that’s teaching entrepreneurs, professionals and subject matter experts how to pitch to news producers. I love this because my course, pitcherperfectcourse.com, helps change the trajectory of people’s lives and careers. It’s incredibly impactful. It’s exciting to see my clients get their first TV appearances. It’s impressive to see them go on to become permanent contributors with local and national news outlets. It’s through the diligent work of following the plan we’ve created. I can see the real-world impact I’m making at my 9-5p job and my 5-9p.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
Reach out to people! Find them on social media and simply reach out.
Contact Info:
- Website: Pitcherperfectcourse.com
- Instagram: Tamisha Harris
Image Credits
Professional outdoor photos done by Carol Lee Rose
