We just got a wonderful note from Charla about what’s happened since she won our Hollywood Player Pitch Contest. It’s so exciting!
From Charla: What an amazingly, good, crazy month it has been! It seems like just yesterday I was searching online for more information about the next NATPE conference. Disappointed I had missed the big conference in Miami, I settled on attending the Pitchcon in Los Angeles, California. I really believed, at that time, I would just go to this conference make some connects and continue to make follow up phone calls in preparation for the big conference in Miami in January.
Boy, was I in for a big surprise!!!! Pitchcon was everything I expected and 1000 times better. It all started when I officially registered. The NATPE team went over the top communicating all I would need in hand to be successful at their event. I then decided to enter the Hollywood Player Contest and compete while in attendance at the pitch festival. About one week before my scheduled arrival into California, I learned I had made it to the semi-final round and would need to prepare to present to a panel of judges for the opportunity to win some great prizes.
Here at home, in Kentucky, my team and I went to work preparing a powerpoint presentation and making certain we did not want to make any changes to our video presentation before my scheduled departure. Just a few days before leaving, my husband told me the video presentation was “good”. His one word response prompted to me to dig deeper for something more and better and that extra effort paid off.
Shortly after registering for Pitchcon, I was whisked away to a room to get the rules of engagement for the Hollywood Player contest. During the semi-final rounds, a couple of the judges cried, and I felt I had a good shot at the final round. I made it to the final round and won the competition. In between the two rounds, I had some phenomenal pitch coaching critiques that really helped me to be better at selling my show concept and conveying my passion and POWER!
Winning the Hollywood Player contest was one of the most exciting things to happen since launching my television career. That win placed me in front of some powerful executives within the industry. In the past month, I’ve been to Los Angeles twice and New York in a quest to get my show concept and project to the next level.
I had incredible meetings with Lionsgate, Evolution, The CW, Creative Artists Agency, William Morris Entertainment and the United Talent Agency. Out of the pitch pit, I landed a meeting in New York with CNN and the opportunity to send more materials to BET, Gannett, and many, many other production and distribution companies. I have literally been off one plane and on to another as I share with the “powers that be” my vision and plans for my talk show, “Power to Change”. I’ve made incredible connections, I, as a talent, and my show have advanced to deeper discussions with many companies that could change my life.
I truly believe I’ve been in Television 101, 102 and 103 in the past month as NATPE and the LA experience afforded me the opportunity to get a crash course in the business and understand the lay of the land. It’s been really intense this past month playing follow up, scheduling and executing meetings, reviewing documents and establishing relationships. Now, we wait to find out what deal surfaces to the top, what representation we will get and just how far my “little dream” can fly.
I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that we will go far. From idea to conception to contest to now, I’ve always known my vision would be international. I have believed in my heart of hearts I would empower millions of people and help them tap into their Power to Change. Sitting here today, I can’t tell you if we will have to go through Los Angeles or New York or Chicago or Dallas, whether we will work with a network, production company or syndicators, how much money we will make or how long it will take us to get there, but this is what I know for sure…We will make it and one day…”Power to Change” will be a household concept and I, Charla Young will be a household name.
Thank you NATPE for the opportunity to share that knowledge on a platform that put us a giant leap closer to our ultimate goals.
I look forward to updating you on our quest to share the “Power to Change” with the world! Onward and Upward! We’ve got the Power. You do too!
Don’t let anyone tell you the sky is the limit when there are footprints on the moon.
Humbly,
Charla Young
Power to Change, talk show host
Executive Producer, Power to Change LLC
