Talk show host Bridgette Lateice is president and CEO of TaylorField, a successful multimedia production and marketing firm based in Wisconsin.
As a producer and on-air personality, Lateice has amassed several national awards beginning with her very first show as a member of the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee Broadcast Club.
“I had to talk for 30 minutes, live-to-air, without editing. I went to the advisor and said that I’d like to enter that program into the Gracies, and he said, ‘We’ve never won a national award before,’ and, in my belly, I said, ‘You don’t know me. No is not in my vocabulary.’
I used linen paper, envelopes, gold seals — I acted as if I was entering it into the Oscars, and I’ve never entered into an award program in my life. I submitted my entries, and I received three letters of congratulations. I had won three Gracies.” –zondra hughes
Here, Lateice shares her winning formula for getting quality works recognized:
1. Get Organized.
Create a list of your best work, write your category, your topic and the date, and keep that list.
You want to note the deadlines, the entry criteria and the entry fees. Some of them are free, some of them cost hundreds of dollars. Figure out what you can afford.
The first year I started entering awards, I had a budget of $500, and I entered as many competitions that I could, as many as the $500 would take me.
Buy 12 folders, whatever color makes you happy, and write the month on each folder. These folders are based on the award entry deadline. Put the upcoming award information in its proper folder, and send out your applications one month ahead of the due date.
2. Find Likely Award Competitions.
Google and research the category or the topic and type in your award programs and print them. Those are the programs that support and celebrate your masterpiece. Those are the programs that you want to see your work.
3. Be humble always. Never expect to win.
I walked [into an Emmy awards ceremony] thinking that I was going to hear my name, and that was a mistake. My boyfriend was with me. The category was one of the first categories of the evening, and they did not call my name. My eyes glazed over, and I made it to the lobby and broke down. God was teaching me a lesson: “You don’t get everything, Bridget. You get what I want you to have.”
4. Volunteer with other organizations. I am a four-time lead judge for the Emmy Awards. I may not have won one, but I’m on my way, and I know the criteria that they’re looking for. I volunteer to be a judge with the National Press Club awards and Regional Press Club awards. I want to know what criteria judges are looking for so that I know how to position myself to win.
5. Develop a network of supporters.
Surround yourself with friends and family who love, support, and believe in you. Those are the people who can ride in your limo!
