What are you?
On questionnaires and surveys, I check the "Asian American" box. By citizenship, I'm both American and Filipino. By blood, I am Filipino.
Where are you from?
I was born in Angeles, Philippines. I grew up mostly in San Diego, California and a handful of military bases around the world. We're usually called "military brats" and/or "third-culture kids."
How did you get into radio, TV, [insert digital platform here] and how can I do it, too?
I'll eventually have to write up a more well-thought-out, process-filled article about this, but for broadcast media like radio and TV (where there are still gatekeepers), I had to get to know someone on the inside to get inside.
You could try recording a demo, but the people who make the decisions won't bother seeing it. You could also try joining a student jock competition or an audition, but you'll be competing with hundreds of others.
Your best shot, really, is knowing someone on the inside, getting insider info, and asking for their help.
For digital media? Just get up and actually go. Somewhere. Anywhere. And record it. All the popular vloggers and streamers we look up to today also started with zero views, and they'll tell you the same thing: Just get started.
Get from zero to one. From one, don't stop. Keep going.
Can we have coffee together so I can show you my pitch deck?
I'll probably be on my third or fourth cup of coffee for the day should we actually meet up together, so I'll have to pass to save my heart.
How about emailing it to me with an irresistible one-liner about what you do?
Can I copy, republish, or share your work?
Yup! But be good at it. "Good at it" meaning you give me appropriate credit, you link to my original article, and you indicate if you’ve made any personal changes on your end to any of my words or ideas.
Pro Tip: Reading about this Creative Commons license will help you get good at it.
