Client: Odyssey, The Studio at Miles Partnership | Role: Co-Host | Location: Mobile, Alabama
You ever have something good happen and wonder, “What the heck did I do to deserve this?” That’s exactly what I thought while filming “The Main Event.” Let me tell you how it all came together.
For several years, I’ve been doing on-camera work across the country. I’ve been blessed to host travel videos for Travel Oregon, San Francisco Travel, Choose Chicago, I Love New York, Kentucky Tourism, and Sweet Home Alabama. And that’s just to name a few. 
At first, these gigs were heavily scripted – I’m talking paragraphs of text I had to memorize and make sound natural. I was supposed to be myself while reading someone else’s words. Sometimes, the writers nailed my voice (I’m talking to you Em), but mostly, I found myself wrestling with the script, trying to make it sound like me. It was still challenging even when they told me to write my own scripts because my mind was always running in twelve different directions. But then something shifted – agencies started hiring me just to be myself. Show up, do your thing, and we’ll capture the magic.
Watch The Main Event
This whole journey to “The Main Event” started in Dallas. I was there shooting three videos – one about foliage, another about architecture, and a third about the art, culture, and food scene in Deep Ellum. The first two shoots were smooth; I’m a total architecture nerd, so I was in my element, probably driving everyone crazy with questions about building designs.
But Deep Ellum? That felt like home. It reminded me of my usual haunts in New York – the Lower East Side, Bushwick, and Williamsburg. That’s where I met Damany. We clicked slowly at first – I mean, he’s the man in Dallas, and he didn’t know me from Adam. But as we moved from spot to spot, our chemistry started building. By the end of the shoot, you’d have thought we were long-lost cousins catching up in Texas. It turns out he’s from New York, too.
When we wrapped, the producer, Kris Wood, said something like, “You guys need your own show.” I’d heard that before, so I took it as a nice compliment and kept it moving. But a year later – almost to the day – Kris emails me about “The Main Event.” It sounded incredible, but four decades on this planet has taught me to wait and see. Then February 2024 rolls around, and we’re shooting the first episode.
The shoot in Mobile, Alabama, was unlike anything I’d done before. Instead of following a script, I was just being me, rolling with Damany from spot to spot, with a dozen-person crew capturing our genuine reactions to everything we encountered. Kris would throw us prompts, and we’d just riff off each other.
Every shoot I do is a chance to learn, and diving head first into Mobile’s Mardi Gras history and culture was unique. It’s all American history at the end of the day, whether you’re in Alabama or New Orleans – it’s all connected.
The final product? A 10-minute experiential travel video showcasing our journey, curated by Sweet Home Alabama, Kris Wood, and Odyssey, The Studio at Miles Partnership. Word on the street is there might be more episodes coming in 2025. Until then, I’ll keep replaying this episode. I’m grateful for the memories and everyone who came along for the ride.
Thanks for walking with me.
