Ten seconds to you, Kat… looking across at the camera in section 108… let’s hope the crowd reacts… if not, just improvise… good luck… 

Let’s throw down a little truth to start this late night ditty. I have a hard time swallowing the fact that I have advice to give from professional experiences because I still feel like a kid in a candy store hoarding every ounce of advice I hear in my beat up notebook. I feel blessed everyday and I am proud of every blister and scar on my head and my heart that has led me here.

Today I joined some talented troops in a Google+ hangout to talk about our little gigs as hosts with Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment. Four teams, three faces, searching for the final fix. The position of in-arena host for the Toronto Marlies is being filled this week and we were able to take questions from the hopefuls and drop our two cents from living life on the mic.

I learned a lot listening to my co-hosts in crime. This is how I see it in point form (right off the notes I scribbled on an empty envelope while brainstorming pre chat) and what I keep in mind when I hear ‘Over to you Kat in 3, 2…’ …

• A host is a reflection of everyone’s hard work towards the moment at hand. You are just delivering the final product.
• Preparation. Observation. Dedication. Prepare for the unthinkable (research!), observe your surroundings and dedicate your everything to the words coming out of your mouth and what you’re representing.
• Be professional, know your stuff and work your butt off.
• Be yourself and trust it. It should be like a conversation with your friends hanging out on a friday night. No artificial passport. Your massive, warm personality already got you here. Be in the moment.
• Coffee is great. Really great. I’m thankful for the ladies at Tim Horton’s that have mine ready every halftime.
• It’s not always about you. Make the subject look it’s best.
• Expect the unexpected. Live hits are scary and an absolute high. I’m reinforcing preparation here. And know your boundaries in respect to content.
• Practice makes perfect. I’m the girl talking to herself in the corner before a timeout at a game. You can never be practiced out but at the same time little gaps of spontaneity sometimes lead to the best magic.
• Always leave the scene of the crime with a positive vibe even if the team is down or the contestant just lost the contest. The vibe should never go anywhere but up throughout the night. Like that mountain climber from the Price is Right.
• Live it. Breathe it. Love it. Or else you’re in the wrong place.

Never stop learning. There’s always bigger and better. And please, enjoy the moment. -k

Don’t mistake activity with achievement. – John Wooden

There are two kinds of perfect: 
The one you can never achieve, and the other, by just being yourself. – Lauren King

Talent in cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work. – Stephen King