I’ve been contacted by potential partners that would never have been a consideration before. It’s also allowed me to increase my skills and to demonstrate the outcomes as a host and broadcaster to bring out the best in the topics people really want to hear about and the best and most interesting information from each of our guests. I guess nothing proves a naysayer wrong like success, and that’s what we’ve been accomplishing so far, with no upper limits in sight.
I had the pleasure of interviewing Eric Mitchell.
Eric is a Marine Corp Veteran and marketer who’s spent the majority of the past six years leading media relations for clients as co-founder of LifeFlip Media in Portland, Oregon. With no formal broadcast background, he’s become a frequent face on national media as a color and opinion analyst for the Fox Network and NewsMaxTV and works with CNN, Cheddar TV, KGO Radio, CNBC, MSNBC and the New York Times. Although he’s spent the majority of his time behind the camera in support of clients, this year he’s taken a new step forward with the launch of his own show “TO THE POINT with Eric L. Mitchell” which airs weekdays at 2:00 p.m. ET (11:00 a.m. PT).
Are you working on any new or exciting projects now? How do you think that will help people?
Absolutely, the newest and most exciting project is the show. While it had been a thought for a long time, the sudden travel restrictions in March of this year, due to COVID, made it the ideal time to begin my show. I live and work in Seattle. Before the lockdown, I had been spending a week a month in Manhattan with my wife and business partner, Lucille Mitchell, to work with the producers of the major shows and to support our clients in their on-screen experiences there.
My close relationships with many of the producers made that process highly productive. But when COVID hit New York, that process was suddenly turned on its head for everyone — for the shows, the anchors, the producers and of course for anyone working with the shows and producers, like me, and for the potential incoming guests.
All at once, broadcasting remotely became the necessity and the norm. It was the ideal time to launch my show. I built out my home studio and had thoughts of running the show from Seattle for only a time. But while we don’t know the future, the launch has gone so well, it may not be necessary to locate it elsewhere, or at least not for some time. The show has developed a strong voice. The audience is growing and we’re security an amazing roster of guests such as Montel Williams, on topics related to support for our military Veterans … Kevin Harrington, on the newest innovations he’s working on and seeing… in fact, the producers are now watching the show not only out of interest but to scope out the people we have on the air as prospects for their own future guests. So, it’s providing service in a number of ways.
In your opinion, what do you think makes your company or organization stand out from the crowd?
My motto for marketing has always been to focus on storytelling, not storyselling. Every one of the guests has a relatable and an attainable story. There are so many creative entrepreneurs. A Navy SEAL who’s written 17 books, for example, is perhaps most interesting for their story about spending $90,000 to climb Mount Everest and nearly dying in the process, and the nature of the people he saw while there, many of whom did not make it… those are the real stories. Or the founder behind the Fit Body Bootcamp — a national franchise of training centers — who came to the U.S 20 years ago with nothing and worked his way up as an entrepreneur. Those are the stories that enthrall an audience. These are the things we’re able to bring out on my show and through our marketing organization for anyone we are working with.
Ok, thank you for that. I’d like to jump to the main focus of this interview. Has there ever been a time that someone told you something was impossible, but you did it anyway? Can you share the story with us? What was your idea? What was the reaction of the naysayers? And how did you overcome that?
I started my career in Silicon Valley. I had no background in journalism. No prior broadcasting career, beyond a couple of podcasts I’d started. And I had no special connections to any celebrities or anyone in professional sports. So, when I made the move to marketing and broadcast there were a lot of people who felt I had no business aspiring to that. I am a former Marine, and I’d done some podcasting, so the naysayers felt I should have done something down those two tracks.
In the end, how were all the naysayers proven wrong? 🙂
Well, after our first few months of broadcast we’ve achieved record growth, an unbelievable roster of guests, and I’ve discovered the producers I work with for the national shows are watching, even sometimes considering my show a kind of “Amazon store” to see the prospective guests they’d potentially want to be booking for their own shows in action.
And I’ve been contacted by potential partners that would never have been a consideration before. It’s also allowed me to increase my skills and to demonstrate the outcomes as a host and broadcaster to bring out the best in the topics people really want to hear about and the best and most interesting information from each of our guests. I guess nothing proves a naysayer wrong like success, and that’s what we’ve been accomplishing so far, with no upper limits in sight.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
Yes — it would have to be my wife and business partner, Lucille Mitchell. We’ve been married 16 years since March 20, 2004. Of anyone who has stood by my side during the darkest of times, it’s been her. A lot of people struggle with the concept of working with spouses, but she has made our company better. An entrepreneur doesn’t need someone around them saying, “yes, good idea.” She is able to challenge me, when I need to be challenged. And she is an entrepreneur in her own right as well, with a clothing brand she markets in addition to her work with LifeFlip Media.
The other would be my stepfather, Tim Perkins. We have an age difference — I’m in my 40s; he’s in his 70s — but he’s been through a lot, has done a lot and has a solid business background. His input has been vital to me.
It must not have been easy to ignore all the naysayers. Did you have any experiences growing up that have contributed to building your resiliency? Can you share the story with us?
My experience in the Marines did a great deal toward instilling resilience. Our motto, one that stands out to me then and now, was “adapt and overcome.” We don’t sit things out because our back hurts, our knees hurt, we’ve injured a toenail. We persevere. People’s lives depend on it. Sometimes our own lives depend on it, and we depend on each other. That time period inspired my lifetime love and respect of Veterans and my willingness to support Veteran-owned businesses at any time and to do what I can to market and promote them, free of charge.
It was an experience that did more than perhaps anything else could in teaching strength and resilience. Many have paid great prices for their time in service; many have paid the ultimate price. The time in service was absolutely a formative experience for me.
Based on your experience, can you share your favorite strategies people can use to harness the sense of tenacity and do what naysayers think is impossible? (Please share a story or an example for each)
Discipline over Distraction. This is my favorite motto and the one that stays with me through every part of my life. Jealousy, envy, worry about what other people are thinking — those have no place in your psyche and if I am honest, I will admit there are times in my life I let the naysayers take up space in my head, rent free. But no more. During all of the worry about COVID, we need to stay focused on what these new times open up; how we can use the time away from travel and in working from our homes to advance and succeed. And there’s no one I know who’s had high success without developing a solid work ethic and whole lot of hustle.
Adapt and Overcome. This, again, is from my time in the Marines. So, things aren’t ideal. Find a way to work through it. Figure it out. Do the work. Do the work other people are unwilling to do.
What is your favorite quote or personal philosophy that relates to the concept of resilience?
One of my favorite role models is Kobe Bryant. So much of what he said and the way he lived has been instrumental for me. But one of his quotes in particular is especially applicable to me and I believe to all of us right now: “If you do not believe in yourself no one will do it for you.” Of everything, this is profound.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good for the greatest number of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
I love this question, because it’s what I’m most passionate about. I’m a big supporter of #BlackLivesMatter. I feel that we talk about equality and justice for all in our country. We’re perhaps the only country that has freedom of speech. Even hateful things are legal to say. We have freedom of religion. We can bear arms. We can take care of one another.
I want us for the first time to actually to live this and get behind it. We get to be these voices. It’s our Woodstock, our 60s. We can live in our history books, or we can make history now. Being an anti-racist is one of the biggest things I implore upon people. Think how we can unite each other. It shouldn’t matter the color of your skin, your gender or who you lay down with at night. We need to fix what we do so we don’t have to repeat it, because repeating history sucks.
Can our readers follow you on social media?
Yes! @ToThePointTV @ToThePointwithEric on Facebook, www.LifeFlipMedia.com
Thank you for these great stories. We wish you only continued success!
Eric L. Mitchell of LifeFlip Media: They Told Me It Was Impossible And I Did It Anyway was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.