None of this clothing will work, she says. I look up. I am sitting in a dressing room chatting with my friend and her husband. We are about to go on national TV together. She looks amazing in a blue top. I am wearing pink. And the third guest? Is wearing jeans. A turtleneck. And holding an array of business suits for the wardrobe manager to inspect.
My mind races. Slows. We are about the same size. She can wear one of my spare outfits, I say. I pull them from the ziploc bag. Red. Blue. Peach. They will need to be steamed. Sue from wardrobe instantly zeroes in on the peach. Do you have a camisole? she asks. I have one, my new friend says. In minutes, she is dressed to go onstage. Jeans. Camisole. And? My peach top.
Why have I done this? Shared my clothing? Because it is the right thing to do. I do not know if I will ever see this person again after today. But going on national TV? Is a once in a lifetime experience. And knowing that she looks her best? Is all the payment I need.
Television was something I stumbled into. A friend sends me a casting for a national morning show. They are looking for children ages two to twelve. I have two kids who meet the requirements. I check the time stamp. This posting is recent. It’s worth a try. I email the casting director with pictures of my kids. A few days later, I hear back. Both your girls are adorable, she says. Can you bring the big one in to be fitted for a costume?
Soon, my family is appearing regularly on television. Aren’t you going on the morning show because it’s Halloween? a coworker asks my husband. Friends begin messaging me. If you know of any opportunities, please let me know, one says. Opportunities appear that I promptly share on social media. The requirements are extremely specific for families with children of a certain age. And then? The castings begin to come in for women. I am pulled in for emergency appearances that turn into girlfriend outings where we go on national television in the morning and then head to lunch. We are back in New Jersey in time for school pickup.
What should I wear on TV? a friend asks. I dig through my dresser to find all the outfits I have worn on television. Take pictures. Post them on social media. These are the preferred colors. Ignore the copious wrinkles. Clothing should fit tightly, to the point where it is almost too small. Questions pour in. What should kids wear? a friend asks. I have no idea. I reach out to producers. The response is immediate. The clothing rules for kids are the same as for women. Here is a recent modeling photo of my toddler to give you an idea of what works on camera.
I create one secret social media group to handle all the requests. Another for kids. Soon, I see the conversation moving onto private accounts. The producers have colonized my friends. I make one last social media post thanking the producers for an amazing segment that let me test myself to the limit. And then I let go of the reins.
Kathy Zucker is an international social media Shorty Award winner, mother of three and a startup founder at companies including the Metro Moms Network®.
