THE SHOW IS CANCELLED.. EVERYTHING IS IN THE BOOK OF LIFE!

I have really come to realize that when one door closes, another one will open! I know that sounds so cliche, but it’s true! You just have to be able to give yourself five minutes to heal from the blow!! Now, it may not be as glamorous a door as the one that was just slammed closed, but believe me, there is life after getting fired.

For some reason, when I say I was fired, people always say, “no, you were laid off” as if that’s supposed to make it feel better! But, I have to say, I do believe, that everything is in the book of life, and getting fired or laid off is just pushing you to your next job.

I remember Sally Jessy Raphael telling me she was fired like 16 times. I always thought, “Oh my God, I would NEVER be able to handle being fired!” Wrong. I did handle it.

Oddly enough, my first experience with getting “fired, laid off, let go”, whatever you wanna call it, was at the Sally Jessy Raphael. I took the job on Sally right after I had Brett. He was just 12 weeks old and my Friend Burt called me to ask me to help him out for FOUR WEEKS cause many producers were leaving to go work on a NEW show called THE MAURY POVICH SHOW”. Sorry if some of you already know this story! Anyway, cut to the chase, I ended up staying at Sally for the next SEVEN YEARS! I absolutely LOVED that job. I really learned my craft of producing a daytime show. I loved my bosses and the company.I ended up as the Co Executive Producer. It was amazing!

This was the time when daytime went from nice to trash, and Sally didn’t like it. Anyway, I ended up getting not really fired, but told that I was leaving that show and going to Exec Produce the NEW MAURY SHOW, which our company had just bought. (Universal).

Anyway, I have to tell you. I was devastated by this “letting go”. (even though I had a great job waiting in the wings!) I felt betrayed by Sally. It felt like a divorce from someone I LOVED very much. I was luckier than most when I got fired, cause I had this big job waiting for me, but I felt HORRIBLE.

How could this happen?? The show was on fire! The ratings were through the roof, but still I was asked to leave. OUCH!! I was also really close to my friends on the Sally Show and I was just heartbroken over this firing. (asked to leave, whatever you want to call it!)

But, just when you think, I will never be happy again at work. Boom, I start Exec Producing MAURY, and started on a whole new venture which lasted again another SEVEN YEARS!

Some of my friends from Sally ended up coming with me to Maury, and there I met many new friends, who are still in my life to this day. Ah the good old days of daytime. I really did love those days!

I left Maury on my own to go work at the Today Show. Okay, this was gonna be great. The Today Show!

Well it was. I loved going in everyday. It was an unbelievable experience. I senior produced the 8 am hour, which was really female oriented and I adored that. Pop culture, fashion, etc etc etc.

Then they offered me the 10 oclock hour to Senior produce. It was a start up of a brand new hour! That was AMAZING. Hoda everyday.. what could be better??

I was so happy. It was so challenging and so much fun. I love start up shows cause you have nothing to compare yourself to, and you keep changing it around until it fits like a perfect glove.

NBC was going through financial cuts during this time, and because I had been so successful in daytime, I was making a good salary. (great salary). There was talk that people would be let go, but I didn’t think it would be me. WRONG!

One thing about me is that I have a great gut. I ALWAYS know when something is up! I called my agent to say that I had a feeling that I would be getting “LET GO”- AND I WAS RIGHT!

I was devastated beyond words!!! I cannot even begin to explain the pain I felt. Joan Rivers, who has also had her share of “firings” “letting gos” came right over to my house and put me into her car. She was on her way to doing QVC that night in Pennsylvania and I went along for the ride.

I remember the first thing she said was” dust yourself off, shed some skin, you will be back!” Of course at that moment you don’t believe anyone. Even if a legend who she herself had been publicly fired (FOX TALK SHOW). tells you this is so!!!! I remember sitting in Joan’s car and the first phone call I got was from Matt Lauer. He couldn’t have been nicer. Boy was I a mess!! How would I ever get a job again.???

But I am here to say that I did, and I am stronger today than I have ever been. Even though that “getting laid off” was so painful. I did learn lessons from it, and that experience has made me stronger. Again, I know that sounds cliche- but it’s true.

I don’t think I will ever let a “letting go” “firing” hurt me as badly as that one did because I know now that the best and most powerful people get fired too!

Today, I am friendly with everyone at the Today Show and I wouldn’t have traded that experience for anything.

Just remember, thie higher you climb, the harder the fall. It’s how you handle the fall that counts. It has just become a part of the texture of my life experience. Working at the Today show opened so many doors that will NEVER close! And for that I am very grateful.

So cut to NEW YORK LIVE. I adore this show. I have been Senior Exec Producer for almost 3 years. This show has been so much fun. It grew from a little unknown show into a show that I am very proud of!

The show was first on at five, got pushed back to 3, but like me, this show is a survivor! No matter where it was put during the day, our viewers followed.

A few months ago I was told that the show would end in September. I was upset. But this time around I looked at it from different eyes. I wasn’t scared. I knew there would be something else. Maybe something different, maybe something better. Who knows, but because of what I have been through in my career, I am looking at this as an opportunity! The glass is half full.YAH!!

I am excited for my next venture which is media training. It’s been a lot of fun so far and It feels right for now. Jane and I are having a blast using what we have both learned in the business (since the beginning of time!). I feel like I have so much insight to help young women starting out, or people who feel stuck.

So, if anyone is going through a rough time now, remember what Joan R said to me… “DUST YOURSELF OFF AND SHED THE BAD SKIN”. I truly believe that everything happens for a reason. Just stay positive!!!!

If you want to join Jane and I for our media training/TV 101 day, it’s on Aug 4th in NYC.

for more info get in touch with me- Amy@Rosenblumtv.com

HAVE A GREAT DAY, YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN TOMORROW!