Giuliana Rancic and Jason Kennedy want to help you Own the Spotlight.
In fact, the E! personalities are launching a new online video series of that very name thanks to a partnership with the all-in-one business platform Kajabi. As part of the virtual course, Giuliana and Jason will share everything they've learned throughout their careers to help not just prospective entertainment journalists, but anyone who might be looking to improve certain skills.
Take it from the anchors themselves! "We are so excited to share our new video series with all of you," Giuliana says in the above clip, an exclusive Own the Spotlight sneak peek.
"Own it!" Jason chimes in before Giuliana breaks down everything you need to know. "We're going to teach you tips and tricks for really owning the spotlight, becoming a better communicator, how to build a brand, how to really make your passion the thing that makes you most successful."
Jason picks up where Giuliana left off, describing different reasons a person might benefit from the online course. "You're trying to find your voice," he says. "Do you have a big Zoom presentation coming up that you want to be prepared for? Maybe you're petrified of public speaking, a lot of people are. Maybe for the hosts out there watching, you want to go to the next market in local news, you want to go to a big entertainment news show."
Yep, the E! co-hosts are going to provide a lot of useful insight, covering everything from demo reels to on-camera skills.
"We've been getting questions like this for years and right now we are just going to break it down into so many videos," Jason explained. "So I hope you guys will join us, because this has been on our heart to do for a really long time."
Kajabi CEO and Co-Founder Kenny Rueter is equally thrilled, telling E!, "We're beyond excited to come alongside Giuliana and Jason as they embark on this new passion project and business venture. Seeing them package up their years of on-camera expertise into an online course so others can learn how to achieve their own public speaking goals is at the very core of our mission at Kajabi. We see countless knowledge entrepreneurs like Jason and Giuliana turn what they know into what they do, and the impact their businesses have on the communities they serve is truly invaluable."
While we're sure the sneak peek was enough to make you want to jump on this opportunity, there's more. We spoke to Giuliana and Jason about their many years in the entertainment industry, and their answers to the following questions should give you an idea of all the great advice they have to offer!
What's the best piece of advice you learned at the beginning of your career?
Giuliana: When I arrived in L.A. five days after graduation with a dream of becoming a TV host, I quickly realized that there is no shortcut to having a long, fulfilling career. The "secret" is realizing that longevity in any business, in my case 20 years so far at E!, takes a very strong work ethic, a "can do" positive attitude and an extraordinary amount of passion.
Jason: BE YOURSELF, it took me a few years to find my voice and figure that out in the beginning but once I found that groove on camera, I enjoyed my job on a whole different level.
Which journalists and/or TV hosts did you look up to growing up?
G: There are so many TV hosts and journalists I admired growing up but one of my biggest inspirations was Barbara Harrison. For decades, Barbara anchored the evening news on NBC in the DC Metropolitan area and when I moved to DC from Italy at seven years old, I would watch her every night and actually credit her for helping me learn English. Not only did I learn a lot from watching her but I knew at an early age that I wanted to have a job like hers one day. About five years ago, I met Barbara at the opening of my dad's clothing store in Maryland when my family planned a surprise meeting. I burst into tears when I saw her and we gave each other the biggest hug. It was a full-circle moment and a dream come true for that little Italian girl inside of me.
J: I started watching and studying interviews when I was 11, the list is long but anyone on the Today Show had my attention early on. I still pause Bryant Gumbel's interviews during his sports show because his interview style is so impressive. I loved Barbara Walters' and Diane Sawyer's ability to get guests to open up. Anderson Cooper interviewed Joaquin Phoenix earlier this year, and it's a case study on how to handle people who don't like doing interviews. Go watch it!
What is your favorite thing about working together?
G: Jason and I have worked together for 16 years and since day one, he's been like a little brother to me. Through the years, we have been by each other's side for so many major events in our lives and we know that we can always count on each other no matter what. Jason and I also have a very similar sense of humor, whether we are hosting together, shooting skits for E! or putting on crazy shows for our friends. How we act in real life is pretty much how we are when we are hosting together so there is never a dull moment.
J: Early on G and I just clicked, she became a sister and best friend, and now we live in the same neighborhood. We think alike and love this business, but realized we needed to find a way to reach people who were afraid to jump into the industry because of their nerves and fears. Or maybe it's just finding a safe comfort level on stage, camera or during a video conference. We wanted to share the tips and tricks that have helped us over the last 20 years.
Do you have a favorite memory of working with each other on the red carpet over the years?
G: Every red carpet we host together has its share of fun moments but some of my biggest laughs have come from the ridiculous skits Jason and I have shot for E! that literally have me cracking up every time I watch them. Most of it is improv so we have no idea what the other one is going to say and we have to do everything we can to keep from cracking up and losing it on camera.
J: My first live red carpet in 2006, I was so incredibly nervous that we rehearsed the night before on the phone. I was in my head and felt like it was going to be a disaster but G helped calm me down and it was such a great learning experience. She did recommend I get a spray tan but I didn't realize there were different levels. I had a sharp orange tint to me on that special day. Stick with a level 1, thank me later!
After so many years in the business, is there anything that still makes you nervous on the job?
G: Yes...so many things! But through the years, I've learned to channel those nerves into excitement through various rituals I practice as well as a mindset I get into before any red carpet or event. Public speaking is one of the most common fears out there, about 75 percent of people experience it, yet I have learned to enjoy being in front of a live audience because I am able to get into a mindset that allows me to be confident, not nervous. Getting more comfortable on camera and in front of others is one of the many things we tackle in our video series, Own the Spotlight, because it's one of the topics we get asked about most often. Hopefully, the tips and tricks that help us, help others. That's definitely our goal.
J: I still get butterflies before a big awards show but once we go live I feel so calm and ready to crush it. It took me a long time to tackle those fears and I wish I had a course like Own The Spotlight early on, that's one of the reasons G and I created this digital series to help people thrive in their gifts.
Learn more about Own the Spotlight here.