If you’re a working mother, you are producing one of the most hilarious and heartwarming shows out there.

And you are doing it for a very selective audience – you, your family, colleagues and friends.

As you well know, it takes a talented Producer to keep a show on the air for many years and that is YOU.

Prior to working as a Coach, I spent many years in the Television Industry and I’ve noticed there are tricks to keeping a show relevant, enjoyable and fun to watch – that translate beautifully to the life of a Working Mother.

I’d love to hear from you about how you keep your show a success too!

Remember that you either created (or co-created with a partner) the show in the first place

You write each and every script.  You either married, partnered, adopted, fostered or gave birth to most of the principle players.   This is your vision and you have the ability to make changes when they need to be made.

If you don’t like how things are going on set, get out the big megaphone and call a meeting of your team.  Talk about your shared vision and get everyone back on board.

Appreciate the grips and technicians that work in the background to make your sitcom a success

Your helpful neighbor, devoted teacher and flexible boss all make it possible for your show to get on the air.  Load them up with gratitude, appreciation and a few perks along the way.

Don’t worry about the ratings

What other people think about your show, the storyline and the actors, is none of YOUR business.  Critics come and go.  You are the only one with the overall vision.  Trust your intuition.

Only allow your favorite episodes to go into syndication

With so many episodes in the can, you are going to have a few clunkers.  You know the one where you and your husband pretty much argue throughout the entire 30 minute show?

Or the episode about your daughter getting hit in the face with a softball and needing 12 stitches?  No one wants to see those over and over again.  Keep them in the vault.

A happy set is a productive set

Take the time to make sure that everyone involved in your production is getting their needs met and that includes YOU.  Be sure there are plenty of delicious snacks on the craft service table and that every once in a while there are some extra treats.  Let everyone feel like they are a participant in the show’s success.

Don’t be afraid to make changes

Just because something worked last year, doesn’t mean it has to work this year.  Change the sets, write in a new character or give an actor a few new props to play with.  Change is good and it happens.  Embrace it.

Coach Me quick Tips for earning Emmys every year:

1.  It’s your vision which means that you can make changes.

Taking responsibility for what’s working is easy.  But taking responsibility for what isn’t working, is where the real power can be found.  Step into that power and make changes.

2.  Gratitude and appreciation feel good and inspire us to move forward.

Dole it out liberally.

3.  Remember that when people have opinions about other people, they may mean well, but they are often talking about their own experience –

which may or may not have anything to do with what is going on in your life.

4.  Notice patterns in your life that don’t work for you and your family. 

See if you can acknowledge and work on the issue so that you don’t unconsciously repeat it.

5.  Bring humor into your life.

Take a deep breath and see the humor in difficult situations.  Laugh as much as possible.

6.  Change happens.

Sometimes it is painful, but most of that pain is caused by our resistance to it.  What is changing now that you are resisting?  Can you embrace it instead?

Relaxing in my “Star Waggon”

Jamee

Photo credit: Samantha twitchery via Compfight