What I Learned About Leadership and Communication From Live TV Shopping
Not many people know this, but some of the most powerful lessons I have ever learned about communication and leadership came from my time in television shopping. It was fast-paced, unpredictable, high-pressure, and absolutely unforgiving, and it trained me in ways that no classroom ever could.
If you have seen the film Joy starring Jennifer Lawrence, about TV shopping presenter Joy Mangano, you might remember the core message: it is all about the voice and the hands. That is precisely what I discovered, too.
In leadership and communication, everything comes down to your verbal and nonverbal communication. Your voice carries authority, warmth, clarity, and tone. Your hands, gestures, and facial expressions either align with your words or contradict them. In TV shopping, if your voice was unconvincing or your body language didn't match, the audience switched off. The same is true in business. People do not just listen to what you say; they watch how you say it.
The second lesson came from live television itself. When you are broadcasting live, things will go wrong. Technology fails. Scripts disappear. Guests freeze. And there you are, out front, expected to keep everything moving. That environment taught me the power of preparation and, even more importantly, the ability to back yourself. You may not be the producer or the director, but when you are the one speaking, you are leading. How you respond in those moments —calm, focused, and confident — determines whether the audience stays with you or loses trust. Leaders face the same challenge daily. Things will go wrong. People will look to you. Will you fold, or will you steady the ship?
And finally, perhaps the most important lesson of all: features do not sell. Benefits do. In TV shopping, if all we did was list specifications, we lost viewers. Nobody makes decisions based purely on data. People buy because of how something makes them feel. They want to see themselves in the story. They want to imagine how life will improve. That is what we delivered through storytelling, painting pictures of outcomes, benefits, and emotions. Business is no different. Your clients, your team, your audience, they all respond not just to facts, but to feelings.
So when I look back on those years, I can see the three lessons that changed the way I lead, speak, and coach others:
It is about how you speak and what your body says with you.
It is about being able to back yourself when things go wrong.
It is about making people feel something, because that is what drives trust, connection, and decisions.
These three lessons from live television still shape the way I show up today, whether on stage, in front of a camera, or working with leaders who want to communicate with more confidence and impact.
And if you’d like to learn the tips and tricks of compelling, confident and clear communication, reach out. Happy to come and share some insights with you or your people, through laughter, real stories and some world-class education that you can implement immediately! It’s possible.
In your corner,
Monique
