What Is a Run of Show and Why Does Your Virtual Event Need One? There’s a moment right before every event starts. Cameras are coming on. Chat is warming up. The host is taking a breath. And behind the scenes, one document determines whether the next 60 minutes f...

There’s a moment right before every event starts. You can tell immediately whether it will feel calm… or chaotic.
The difference is usually one document.

I wrote about it here:
newsletter.calmclearmedia.com/what-is-a-ru...

The First Five Minutes of a Virtual Event Decide Everything Most virtual meetings start the same way. “Let’s give people a few minutes to join.” Then the host shares housekeeping instructions. Someone reminds everyone that the session is being recorded. The ...

The latest edition of Calm Clear Connections is out!

Breaking News and Broken Agendas: The Same Skill in Disguise There’s a moment in live radio when everything changes. A producer’s voice cuts in. The log no longer matters. And what was planned for the next five minutes quietly disappears. What’s easy to forge...

calm-clear-connections.ghost.io/breaking-new...

Running Better Zoom Meetings Starts with One Move: Add a Co-Host Running a smooth Zoom, especially for larger meetings, panels, or live events, often means juggling participant management, chat moderation, recordings, and more. That’s where the co-host feature beco...

calm-clear-connections.ghost.io/running-bett...

Why Your Zoom Video Doesn’t Look as Sharp as You Think —And How to Fix It In every workshop I lead, at least one person asks why their Zoom video looks “soft,” “grainy,” or “not as crisp as it does in their camera app.” The answer surprises people every time: Zoom does not...

calm-clear-connections.ghost.io/why-your-zoo...

The Hidden Tool of Great Virtual Events: Using Music to Cue and Connect Participants In the world of virtual events, every moment is engineered: from the registration flow to the chat prompts to the Q&A. But often one of the most powerful tools—music—gets overlooked. Let’s examine why...

calm-clear-connections.ghost.io/the-hidden-t...

Zoom Spotlight vs. Pin: What’s the Difference and When to Use Each When you’re hosting a Zoom meeting or webinar, managing what participants see on screen can have a major impact on how your audience experiences the event. Whether you’re highlighting a keynote speake...

calm-clear-connections.ghost.io/zoom-spotlig...

A Guide to Virtual Backgrounds Quick Guide for a Professional Look Virtual backgrounds help you maintain privacy, reinforce your brand, and keep the focus on you — not your surroundings. Here’s how to set them up and use them effe...

calm-clear-connections.ghost.io/a-guide-to-v...

How to Customize Zoom Registration Forms to Engage Your Audience One of the easiest ways to increase engagement and collect valuable insights before your event even begins is through your Zoom registration form. Too often, organizations treat registration as just “...

Your Zoom registration form isn’t just a gatekeeper — it’s your first chance to start the conversation.

In my latest newsletter, I share:
📝 A guide to customizing your form
💡 Why asking smart questions matters

Read it here:

www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-cu...

Get Featured! Listening Booth AIR's Listening Booth features audio pieces made by members of the AIR community. Please fill out this form to submit a piece to be featured in an upcoming AIR newsletter. The information you submit w...

Calling all AIR Members: We want to showcase all your amazing work! Submit your piece today to get featured in our newsletter and on social media 😉

Fill out the form: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

Outstanding session!

How bipartisan support for public media unraveled in the Trump era "It will test every single shred of creativity we have to continue to try to serve our mission," says one public media executive, as Congress ends federal funding for public broadcasting.

How bipartisan support for public media unraveled in the Trump era -- my analysis for NPR.

www.npr.org/2025/07/18/n...

New Gig, Same Commitment: Hosting Weekends on Michigan Public Greetings Friends and Clients, I have some exciting news to share—I've joined the on-air team at Michigan Public as the new Weekend Morning Host! You can now hear me every Saturday and Sunday morning ...

www.linkedin.com/pulse/new-gi...

🧵 “A skill is only a skill—until it’s backed by experience.”

In this episode, we talk about going beyond the resume to find the real thread of your story. Especially in purpose-driven fields like public health, your why matters.

🎥 Full episode: youtube.com/live/yGclMbm...

🎧 “Is this just interesting... or is this me?”

That was the turning point for my guest, @brendameller.bsky.social - and the beginning of a calling.

This is the first clip in a new series I’m launching from Calm Clear Conversations.

#CalmClearConversations #ClearTakeaways #Reinvention #Learning

Ditch 'Next Slide': How to Keep Your Presentation Flowing with Slide Control Unlock Seamless Collaboration with Zoom's Slide Control Feature Zoom’s Slide Control feature is a game-changer for anyone running a meeting or webinar with multiple presenters or panelists. This tool ...

New issue of my Calm Clear Insights newsletter just dropped:
💡 A Zoom tip to make team presentations smoother
🎙️ A podcast series with smart advice for launching + visibility

If you're hosting meetings or building your brand, this one's worth a skim.
Read it here →
www.linkedin.com/pulse/ditch-...

Spoke at Choose Lansing and Loyola High School this week—two powerful spaces for purpose-driven conversations. At one, I shared how to design engaging hybrid events; at the other, I talked with students about voice and presence. Grateful for the chance to connect across generations and platforms.

Amplifying Your Impact: A Comprehensive Guide to Streaming from Zoom Unlock the Power of Virtual Engagement for Speakers, Trainers, and Nonprofits in a Digital World

Is streaming part of your virtual events? open.substack.com/pub/calmclea...

Journalism jobs and a photo of my dog | Mandy Hofmockel | Substack A newsletter for journalists who want to keep tabs on the industry and job market. Click to read Journalism jobs and a photo of my dog, by Mandy Hofmockel, a Substack publication with tens of thousand...

I just subscribed! journojobs.substack.com

Enhance Your Zoom Experience with AI Companion Zoom just got smarter! 🚀 If you’re looking to save time, improve communication, and boost productivity during virtual meetings, the AI Companion is here to help. Here’s how you can make the most of it...

www.linkedin.com/pulse/enhanc...

Don’t miss the 2025 IIJ Freelance Conference! Live online Feb 27 and 28, with keynote speakers Celeste Headlee (NPR, PBS) and Gina Chua (Semafor)! Learn more and register here: theiij.com/sessions-25

Online Audio Resources - Transom Online Audio Resources - Transom

Transom’s TOOLS editor Jeff Towne has rounded up his favorite YouTube resources for audio makers. It’s a review of the reviewers! All with links and details for good channels to turn to for solid gear advice:

MMM 20250210 YouTube video by Calm Clear Media

youtube.com/shorts/pqx3P...

How to make the best interview show ever - Radio Boot Camp These days, it seems like everyone and their mother hosts an interview show. While making one may seem simple, creating one that will grab people’s

Workshop starting soon! Learn how to make the best interview show ever & get a chance to pitch your own idea for feedback! #podcast #podcasting #pitch With award-winning producer John Asante!

A quick tech tip - sharing your mobile device screen in Zoom YouTube video by Calm Clear Media

Have you ever need to share the screen from your mobile device during a Zoom meeting? Here's how.

youtube.com/shorts/soO_h...

Using Zoom's Remote Control Did you know that Zoom’s Remote Control feature allows meeting participants to control each other’s screens? 🎯 It’s a game-changer for IT support, collaborative editing, and training sessions, but it ...

www.linkedin.com/pulse/using-...

Restream Test: connecting Zoom to Restream, and Restream to YouTube and LinkedIn YouTube video by Calm Clear Media

It's all about connection. A client event on the horizion required testing the interoperability between Zoom, Restream, YouTube and LinkedIn. Everything worked great! www.youtube.com/live/Qhw0935...

🌟 Expand Your Zoom Audience!

Want to reach more people? Try these simple strategies:

1️⃣ Upgrade Your Zoom License
Allow up to 1,000 attendees by temporarily expanding your plan.

2️⃣ Stream to Unlimited Viewers
Broadcast on platforms like YouTube Live or Facebook Live.

Using Descript Transforms Your Zoom Recordings into Polished Content In today's virtual-first world, Zoom has become the go-to platform for meetings, interviews, webinars, and more. But what happens after you hit the "End Meeting" button? For many, those valuable recor...

Ever finish a Zoom session and think, this would make great content—but then never touch the recording again? It happens to all of us.

Pair Zoom with Descript to turn those raw recordings into polished videos, podcasts, or social clips, fast.

Check it out here: www.linkedin.com/pulse/using-...