
GMA producer on the right and Julie on the left
Today we welcomed a Good Morning America Weekend team to the Cannon Beach Farmer’s Market. The producer was extremely complimentary about our little town and was enthused to discover that we are very friendly folk. She said, “and I don’t think it’s even because we are with Good Morning America!” It was quite funny as we reassured her that here on the Oregon Coast, we are truly genuine and friendly people.
Off course, I tweeted all about the experience and my followers enjoyed hearing about the farmer’s market and the visit.
In addition to the Farmer’s Market, the camera crew and Producer visited Haystack Rock (extremely low tide today), Indian Beach (great for surfing) and Ecola State Park. They also visited with local artist, Richard Gorsuch. They said they were able to get great footage of Haystack Rock in particular.
We will keep you updated to let you know when the segment will air.
Thanks Good Morning America Weekend for the visit! Hope you truly enjoyed your time here.

Haystack Rock
There is only one day a year when beach parking is allowed in Cannon Beach. That is on Sandcastle Day. The sheer overflow of cars on the streets would likely close the town down so it is allowed that one day as visitors pour into town to see the amazing creations made of sand.
I have a formal complaint. Sandcastle Day is always held in early June and the last three years in a row, it has been a cold experience. Take today for instance. It was overcast and chilly. And of course on the beach you can increase the chilliness ten-fold when you take the wind into account. I have personally heard people say they don’t attend because of the chill and I admit that I always go home sooner than planned for the same reason. My sister in law with small children agrees.
Why do they have it in early June? Well, Cannon Beach schedules it then on purpose. They want to bring in tourists during this time when tourists often don’t come because of the risk of colder weather. Who wants to plan a trip to the beach and have it rain all week? Very few.
It does work of course. Sandcastle Day is a big event here and there are people that attend every year and spend their money in Cannon Beach.
But attendance has been dropping the last few years and because many I talk to say that the weather is a deterrent, I am seriously wondering if this marketing move on the City’s part was the best one. (I should note that I don’t believe that is the only reason for the dropping attendance-there are other factors I won’t discuss here).
Granted, weather on the Oregon Coast is never a guarantee. But I can tell you that you have a much better chance of sunny skies in August and September.
So why not make it a certain weekend every year a little later in the summer? I wonder if attendance would once again increase?
P.S. These pics are from previous years as my camera broke this week.
A conversation with a major network this past week really got me to thinking. It’s been a little while since I have
been on TV and when I am, I rely heavily on my improvisation skills, people skills and natural wit. =)
Preparing other people for television appearances is part of my job when my clients are heading for a TV spot, whether it be for a commercial or an interview. And when I look at the industry, I don’t see a lot of information out there that can help prepare people for being on camera. I see a need there–especially when I see Twitter friends like ResourcefulMom (Amy Lupold Bair) post: “I’m getting ready to go on TV! Is there anything that I should know?”
It made me want to laugh. Not at Amy of course. But just because it’s an unusual, but glorious experience for most people. And unless you are on TV a bunch, you will probably get slightly high in the afterglow of it. It’s a bit like being on stage, you see. And most anyone enjoys being center-stage here and there. You won’t get the applause immediately afterward (unless you, for instance, trip on a cord going off set), but people will see you, and if you become a regular you become high risk of being recognized at the grocery store. Which means that you shouldn’t run up to the store in sweats and a ponytail-unless you really, really want to.
Before I digress too much, I must say that there are likely books on this subject that I am not aware of. And if not, one should be written for sure. I certainly cannot post all of my TV Tips in one post. But today I would like you to be aware that most everyone on camera occasionally or for the first time really needs to look at any nervous habits that they brought with them and cut them out.
Common nervous habits on TV, especially when being interviewed, include:
- Foot bouncing
- Playing with hair
- Playing with anything
- Nose rubbing
- Picking cuticles or nails
- Continuous shifting
- Crossing/Uncrossing of legs
- Clearing throat
- Verbal repeats that make you look DUMB like “Um”, “Ya”, “Okay”, “Uh huh”…over and over again
I suggest that before filming, you take a tip from Speech 101 and videotape yourself either making a speech or in a practice interview. Have family and friends be an audience if you want. When you are done, watch it several times and make a note of any weird or nervous actions/speech patterns. Then videotape another segment. The more you watch yourself, the more aware you will become of what your nervous habits are. It is the first step to controlling them when you are filming.
Please help me get rid of any nervous ticks I have by commenting after you watch the video below. Thanks!








