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From Expert to Host...
June, 2013

I love to see talent out there who has taken something they've done organically and authentically and parlayed it into an on-camera career. Take for example, one of my favorite people ever -- Joe Zee, Creative Director of Elle Magazine. Joe has a background in fashion and has styled some of the biggest campaigns and stars in the world like Beyonce, Sarah Jessica Parker and Julia Roberts. Because of his knowledge of fashion combined with a great personality, he hosts the Sundance Channel series, "All on the Line" - a reality show where Zee helps fashion designers with their businesses. He also works as an on-camera red carpet fashion expert for top media outlets like Entertainment Tonight, E! and NBC. Joe's a perfect combination of great personality and expertise and because of that, the audience loves him. I'm sure he probably never realized that this was where his career was headed.

Kristin Dos Santos is the TV correspondent for E! She started there many years back with her E! Online column, "Watch With Wanda." I remember how the execs had to plead with her to do on-camera reporting. Kristin was a TV junkie and could tell you about all the shows on TV. She was also a really sweet person so the execs naturally wanted her to be on-camera. She's made a great career about doing what she naturally loved.

Another example is Emily Schuman, founder of the lifestyle blog, "Cupcakes and Cashmere." She recently told Elle Magazine with her blog, "I merely wanted a place to share my words and photographs with others, and that was it." Shuman took her passion and created the blog and now has released her first book, "Cupcakes and Cashmere: A Guide for Defining Your Style, Reinventing Your Space, and Entertaining with Ease." She has also become known on the fashion scene - collaborating with Coach on a handbag design, working as a guest editor for StyleMint and recently becoming Estee Lauder's official guest blogger. All for doing something that she would have done for herself anyway. It'll be interesting to see if she makes a transition to on-camera - that is if that's what she wants to do. As a casting director, we look for people like Emily who would do what they would be doing anyway if a camera wasn't on them.

So find what it is you're passionate about if a camera isn't on you and develop it. You may just be considered an "expert" in the field because of your passion and you never know where it could lead.

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