03/13/2025
Thirty years ago, in 1995, I won a QVC public casting call competition at the Ohio State Fair, part of their "50 in 50 Tour," where they traveled across all 50 states. I mock-sold a Peterboro woven basket, a company now out of business, just like many of the collectible product makers QVC featured in the '90s. Three winners were chosen to compete in a live event at the fairgrounds for a chance to be flown to QVCās headquarters in West Chester, PA. I won first place after receiving over 60,000 call-in votes.
As a surprise, all three of us were given the chance to travel together for a screen test. When I arrived, I was given a desktop air purifier and its manual, then had 40 minutes to study it. Afterward, they told me I did well. I met Kenny Rogers, who was selling guitars, took a tour of the facility, and met all the hosts. I even watched the live broadcast while eating from the "on-air" buffet table. Then, I headed back home the same day.
Although I never heard back from QVC, I was contacted for some reason or another by a lot of headhunters, fans, and companies selling products that appeared on QVC. A few weeks later, I reached out to Elaine Irvine and left numerous messages for her. Eventually, I heard from her assistant, who told me I was ātoo youngā (I was 22 at the time) for their demographic and that viewers would struggle to connect with someone so youthful. But wasnāt that the point? All three of us finalists were in our 20s! Shouldnāt that have been a consideration for the judges? It was such a wild, unforgettable experience!
Since then, Iāve gone on to hold several public and political positions, and to this day, people still bring up that crazy chapter of my life. And I landed in sales, too, as the owner of TBC! The BEST coffee!
