The Conference Coach™

Carolyn Bradfield

Although this may tarnish my CEO image, I still really like the Oprah Winfrey show.  I was having withdrawal symptoms when she announced that my daily fix of advice, information, and emotional moments would end this year.  However, I’m feeling better that she is starting her own network in the fall.

On last Friday’s show, Oprah announced that she was teaming up with Mark Burnett (Survivor and The Apprentice) to hold a nationwide hunt for someone to host a reality TV show on her network.  I’m now in TV heaven.  I love reality shows, watch them all, and have tried to be on both the Amazing Race and Survivor.  I can’t get anyone to partner with me for the Amazing Race and I think I’ve aged out for being competitive on Survivor.  (My video wasn’t interesting enough and I looked too much like Tina Wesson who had won the previous year)  However I think I could host my own reality show.

My bet is that when Oprah and Burnett show up in Atlanta this summer, they are not only going to be looking for talent, but also for a concept.  At the risk of one of my readers taking my concept, I thought I would share it on the blog, then ask for you to respond to it so that I have time to refine it.  (Yes, I am going to the audition in June!)

One of the things I know how to do well is to start a business from scratch, grow it and make it successful.  Success to me means that it performs well financially, gives a great return to investors, has a strong value system, and promotes a positive work climate.  In the last 20 years, I have done this at InterCall, Quorum, InterAct, Phoenix Outdoor and now Copper Conferencing.

Now to the reality show concept.  Think hybrid between The Apprentice and The Shark Tank.  On the Apprentice, two teams execute business tasks, generally for a corporate client, a team winner is declared and the “The Donald” fires someone on the losing team.  Projects range from creating radio ads, to opening a restaurant to designing a corporate apartment.  The Shark Tank had a series of entrepreneurs who would go in front of a panel of celebrity investors who would hear their idea, and then offer them an investment in return for some percentage of the company.  The entrepreneur would have to either accept or reject the offer.  Even though most needed the money, not everyone accepted having someone own a large part of their business.

I would like to take several companies and have a team work with each of them over the course of a season to help them grow and improve their business.  Projects may include revamping their products, improving sales, running their operation better, improving employee morale and creatively pushing the envelope.  At the end, the business that has shown the most improvement, based on the judgment of a panel, would receive a monetary award to invest back in the business.

Each week’s tasks would be focused on something specific:
•    Teams get a budget to help improve employee camaraderie and morale.  Who does the best with a small amount of money?
•    Teams must launch a new product that complements their existing product line.  What is the product and the plan for launch?

Get the picture?  You would have an intimate look in the way a small business runs, the ability to watch the interpersonal dynamics of the management team, then see creative ways they have solved their business problems.

So blog readers, what do you think?  Burnett’s shows have some things in common:  challenges, overcoming personal conflict and personality differences to achieve a goal, and a “jury” or “panel” to decide the winner.  One could start with multiple management teams, whittle down the teams to those that are most deserving, then follow those teams as they compete for those investment dollars.

Weigh in……June is just around the corner.

Carolyn Bradfield is the CEO of Copper Conferencing, a provider of Earth-friendly communication tools – audio and web conferencing. Copper also provides wrap-around services including online account, invoice and recording management. You can try Copper’s great web and audio conferencing services — FREE. Just sign up now.