This YouTube interview ("From Contest Winner to Podcast Pioneer: My Journey") features TJ Walker and Elaine Lloyd in a conversational podcast-style exchange. TJ Walker recounts his start in media: winning a Fonzie lookalike contest in 1975 which led to a junior-high newscast and launched his interest in public speaking and media. Elaine Lloyd explains she began through writing a personal book (dedicated to her late husband, who died five years prior to the interview) and is launching "Lloyd's Worldwide Podcast." The pair discuss motivations for traditional broadcast roles (e.g., ITV presenter) versus independent podcasting and online platforms.
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I won a contest. It was 1975 and I won a lookalike contest for a well known American sitcom star called Fonzie from a show called Happy Days. And he had thick black hair, and I had thick black hair back then greased back like a character from the 50s. And the reward was I got to do the newscast for my junior high school the next day, the seventh grade newscast. And that was kind of my first time on camera and I liked it. And then I started getting involved in student government, student politics and speaking a lot. Everything I've ever done since then is some combination of speaking to live audiences, speaking to the media, helping people with politics or business. So it's all sort of started from there. How did you get started?
I just mainly got started really through doing my book. And when I kind of done my book, it was like my book on my enlightenment. And I dedicated it to my late husband who passed away five years ago. But I've always liked to put a negative situation into a positive situation. So through getting in touch with yourself, it's been really good because for me personally, I feel like we can bounce off one another. You know, you're giving me information and I'm giving you information back. And it's just, I think it's crazy how the universe works because I know I wanted you to come on my podcast and then you want me to come on your podcast. So we're kind of both interviewing one another. So this is kind of like throw me thinking, wow, I've never had this before, but it's just kind of resonated with myself, you know, I've just learned so much from yourself and to me it's just a nice relaxed podcast because I'm only just starting out doing my own podcasts. And my own podcast is going to be called. It's. It's Lloyd's Worldwide Podcast. But that is down to you. If it wasn't for your cause, I wouldn't be sat in this chair today.
Okay, well, I'm glad it had a positive impact on you. Big question I have. If this were 40 years ago, 30 years ago, even 12 years ago, I could understand wanting to have the goal of being a presenter on itv. I'm a little confused, and I'm not saying there's anything bad about it. I'm a little confused in this day and age because increasingly we see people like a Piers Morgan in your country leaving traditional broadcast media because they figure I can make more money, have more fun, have more freedom, just being on YouTube and social media and Twitter. Here in the United States, we have people like Joe Rogan, who used to work for big TV networks, start podcasting, grow an audience, and they're having more fun making more money, reaching more people than they ever would have in a traditional media environment. So my question, why do you even want to be a part of a big bureaucratic organization at nothing against ITV when you could just build your own pod, audio, podcast, video podcast, YouTube, LinkedIn spot. There's so many distribution methods now.
I agree 100% with you there. You spot on there. Well, it goes back to my childhood. When I was a child, I used to always, like, say to my parents, I want to be a TV presenter when I'm older. And this is my goal in life. And I think it's only now when I've kind of got to like, 52 years old, I'm thinking, I want to kind of do it before I'm too old. And, you know, age is just a number. You're never too old. And my late mother, God bless her, she used to always say, you can do absolutely anything, Elaine, if you put your mind to it. And it was kind of me mum who kind of inspired me to do me book and have launched me on perfume. And I kind of done everything I've wanted to do in my life. And then I keep thinking at the back of my mind, I used to always, you know, I've always said about being a TV presenter, and I've not kind of carried that out. Another one. I used to always say, I want to have my own car showroom, Lloyd's car showroom. But now I've kind of. I'm thinking, I should have done that way years ago. I should have set up doing my own car showroom. So I was kind of going on the road of do I do a car salesperson to kind of get me on that path again. But now at the back of my mind, I'm thinking, come on, Elaine, there's so many creativity going on in my brain.
