What does 'success' look like in life when you're a four-time Emmy Award winning TV host? How does life change after becoming a parent for the first time? How can you follow your dreams and build a career for yourself doing what you love?
Chris Van Vliet is the host of hugely-popular podcast INSIGHT. A highly-accomplished television presenter and entrepreneur, Chris has interviewed the biggest and brightest names in the world of sports and entertainment, both on the red carpet and in his studio and now shares his top tips with others through the Full Time Creator community.
CVV joins Ben Veal, founder of Second Mountain Comms - the independent communications consultancy that aims to help good people do good - to share his hopes for the future on the award-winning, purpose-driven #GoodJourneysPod show.
Episode 26 of Good Journeys with Second Mountain, the podcast series from Second Mountain Comms in partnership with Resilient Leaders Elements, is out now.
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BECOMING A FATHER
“That journey is one that nothing can prepare you for," shares Van Vliet, recalling his experiences of becoming a dad for the very first time.
"When your wife is pregnant and you know it’s about to happen … you’re getting this unsolicited advice from everybody, and nothing can prepare you … it’s very overwhelming. For us, once that little girl came into the world, everything changed. My outlook on life, my outlook on how I approach every day, it all changed … I think one of the biggest things that’s shifted for me is that I now see the world the way that she sees the world. There’s this incredible amount of wonder; it just makes me think, if we could all have that same wonder in our [adult] lives, what a different place this world would be.”
CREATING CONTENT WITH intention
“Before the world shut down in 2020, I had never done a virtual interview," shares Van Vliet, one of the most prolific, hard-working content creators on the planet today with well in excess of one million social media subscribers globally.
"I’d never done something over Zoom or StreamYard or Riverside, and I didn’t want to do that, because I felt [as an interviewer] that there’s nothing better than to be in the room with a person - to look them in the eye, shake their hand, give them a hug, feel their energy. And then when the world shut down, two things happened: everyone was forced to do these virtual interviews. I remember sending out a tweet, early in the pandemic [asking for help].
"The other thing that happened is a lot more podcasts and interview shows popped up … I always say the best thing about podcasting and YouTube is anybody can do it, but that’s also the worst thing [as well]. There’s a difference between doing it and being intentional about it.
“At the heart of broadcasting is storytelling; that’s why I fell in love with it in the first place, when I was four years old and had a Fisherprice radio with cassette tapes and I would pretend to be a radio DJ … what I love about interviews and [podcast] long-form interviews is that you have the opportunity to have a conversation and tell the full story.”
CHRIS VAN VLIET ON GRATITUDE
Fans of Chris' popular INSIGHT show will know that he always ends his shows by asking his guests for what they are grateful for in their lives, a personal practice that has become a key part of Van Vliet's self-identity in recent years.
“Practicing gratitude has made the biggest difference in my life. When you start to reframe things and you start to be thankful for what you have, rather than [feeling] angry about what you don’t have, your entire life begins to change."
Episode 026 of the Good Journeys with Second Mountain podcast is out now.
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Produced in partnership with Resilient Leaders Elements.
