“I’ve got snacks…. and here, have a beer,” said Jon at this week’s production meeting as Anthony, our brand new filmographer, set up camera, lights, and ran a sound check. I was enjoying working together–the three of us forming a team–for the first time. In fact, as I popped grapes in my mouth, I could almost pretend that the impending humiliation wasn’t coming. Oh well, I thought, glancing at my comrades, I signed myself up for this….

You see, dear reader,  I was about to sit on the other side of the camera.

Over the last few months of being a producer, I’ve calmly sat behind the camera on dozens of occasions while the personalities do all the real work–the work that you’ll actually see. It’s pretty comfortable behind the camera. I said as much to Jon and he said, “I know…. Cheers, drink up, it’ll help.”

A few hasty sips later I was sitting with two lights shining in my eyes, a reflector held right in front of me, a microphone tucked into my sweater,  and a camera in my face. I gotta give the cast credit–being articulate with so much going on is NOT a walk in the park.  And I was struck by how ironic it is that often, when I’m trying to fall asleep, my mind is cruising at full speed, but when I want to speak on camera, it goes so completely, traitorously blank!

Sometime late next week or the following, videos of me and Jon talking about how Mission: Sustainable was born will be available next to our bios on the About page of the website. If you check them out, remember this…. sometimes sustainability is easier to swallow with a local microbrew.