Divorce Story Pilot Shoot, August 24

Divorce Story Pilot Shoot, August 24

This TV show stuff has been a real rollercoaster ride! Twenty-four hours before the shoot the production company calls and tells us that they just want me, and not my co-mediation partner, to do the pilot shoot. I know she was disappointed—we were both really looking forward to working together on this. But it’s so odd—the test was sold based on us working in a co-mediation model, not to mention the fact that I haven’t mediated a case on my own in a long, long time. So now suddenly they do a big change-up, and I need to be prepared to face these clients, and TV cameras, alone. www.pilgrim-films.com.

They found me from my web site, www.peace-talks.com, which never ceases to amaze me. If I didn't have a web site, or a blog, http://www.peace-talks.com/divorcemediation/index.php, would I be invisible? But what a great way for a little business like mine to make its presence as big as its heart.

I also learned that Pilgrim meant it when they said we could be re-cast at any time, and that they wanted to use other mediators, not just Peace Talks. Of course, I told ‘em to go ahead, ‘cos I knew that they’d never to find 2 mediators who work together in the way that Tara and I do… I’d say we’re an interesting mix of top notch mediators plus a hint of Laurel & Hardy. I mean that in a nice way. Well, Pilgrim did indeed find another mediator. I managed to weasel the name out of the producer and gave that other gal a call. I don’t think I’m in any danger of being re-cast after my discussion with her, but you never know. She was willing to offer up her client list to the TV producers, which I wasn’t willing to do, and this show is hard to cast….so you never know.

Oh, and forget what I said about a “sane, middle-class couple” being cast in the pilot. Of course, they found a beautiful middle-class couple who live in a fabulous McMansion, but that’s where the sanity stops, for sure. The allegations that were flying—whoa, Nellie! Of course, I can’t say what the crazy secrets were, but the director said afterwards that she was watching my face when the wife blurted out her worst suspicions and that I didn’t even flinch. It was quite a revelation, however! No worries—this will make for some great TV!

At one point the client was yelling at the top of her lungs and then suddenly, under her breath, she mutters, “well, this is gonna make for some great TV.” And she wasn’t kidding!

All in all, the shoot went just as well as it possibly could have gone, at least from my perspective. I looked great in my Spanx and blue St. John jacket (hello, E-Bay! www.ebay.com or www.stjohnwholesale.com LOL) with my blow-out. I was at the top of my game. I was poignant, and brilliant, and spoke almost exclusively in sound bites. Hopefully I won’t be completely edited out!

So when I got back to the office the next day I de-briefed with Tara, http://www.peace-talks.com/fass.php, my mediation partner, and we came up with all kinds of interesting tidbits so that if I need to stir the pot next time. I can’t wait to share the juicy details with everyone-----so I’ll keep you posted!

Take Me to the Pilot

Take Me to the Pilot

Okay, the day’s almost here. Time to film the pilot for Divorce Story, our reality show about divorce mediation with Pilgrim Films and TV (American Chopper). Fingers crossed, it will be on-air in January 2007 . www.pilgrim-films.com. They found me via my web site, www.peace-talks.com. Can you believe it?

Fingers crossed for us---we film on August 24 at noon in the divorcing couple’s home near LA.

I’m so glad that Pilgrim finally found a couple to mediate on TV. Divorce is such a lonely and personal process, I’m surprised they found a reasonable, sane middle-class couple to agree to do it on television….but they did! And it should make for amazing television, at least in a documentary sort of way, as opposed, say, to Fear Factor. Or at least I hope so. www.wikipedia.org/mediation.

The plan is that the show is mostly about the people themselves, and how they come to the realization that their marriage is over and the journey that they take into and through the process. The mediation itself is only part of the program, and only part of the story. http://www.peace-talks.com/what.php

As a mediator, it will be interesting for me to be able to compare what I see in the mediation room with what I see of the back story and in-between session footage.

I hope that the contrast of what actually happens in the mediation room is not so different than what makes it to TV. That’s what I’m most worried about---I have to worry about the integrity of our mediation practice. As a professional, I can’t portray mediation as a circus, but as a participant in a TV show I have no influence over how it’s edited together.

My biggest wish is that people watch the show and realize what a great option mediation is for handling a divorce or custody matter. I hope that I can be a part of promoting mediation on the first nationally televised show about divorce mediation. This is a tremendous opportunity for me, and for the profession. All I can do is bring my best.

Want to know more? Visit the Peace Talks Divorce Mediation blog at http://www.peace-talks.com/divorcemediation/index.php

My BFF the Credit Card

Who knew my BFF (best friend forever) would be a credit card company?

I wasn't sure which AmEx card to apply for, so I called Debra Filtzer, our Count Me In OPEN rep, https://home.americanexpress.com/home/smallbusiness.shtml, on the telephone, and she sent me some information and a link which helped me to select the Business Platinum card as the best fit for me. She let me know about a $250 statement credit that was offered so that the card fee of $300 for the first year would be almost completely offset....letting me try on a premium card for size without a huge risk on my part.

Like, when was the last time you got personal service from a gigantic credit card company? Frankly, I was shocked, but that was just the beginning.

I was assigned an account manager....who answered the phone in person when I phoned with questions. Amazing. Then when my card arrived, it had a great booklet with it explaining the benefits--not some skinny piece of paper written in 4 point type. I'll actually use the benefits since I know about all of them, unlike most cards I carry.

I called the AmEx travel services and they were able to get me a 2 cabin upgrade and bottle of champagne when I booked my cruise through them. No extra charge, same great rate as offered on the cruise web site.

Between the fantastic--and I mean fantastic---personal service and card benefits, I am truly an OPEN by American Express fan. Lest I appear a cheap shill for one of the program's sponsors: As a business owner, I balked at accepting AmEx initially because their processing percentage is about twice that of Master Card or Visa....but I figured that I'd accept wooden nickels if it helped clients to pay, so I decided to take AmEx. Clients LOVE paying with it (and when I see the membership rewards points benefits I now understand why) and now I'm a believer!

What a great sponsor! Hooray for OPEN by American Express!

That they were ready to believe in a little company with an ambitious mission like mine, www.peace-talks.com, is really important to me. I've heard the same thing from other business owners, too--that American Express was the first company that gave them business credit, and the first company that believed in them......http://www.peace-talks.com/divorcemediation/index.php when you visit my blog, you'll hear all about it!

Since the Awards, August 2006

Has it really been only 2 months? A lot has happened, all of it good!

Cisco: Peace Talks, www.peace-talks.com, is one of the 5 recipients of the Cisco Smart Business Communications Solutions award. http://newsroom.cisco.com/dlls/2006/prod_073106.html This is very exciting, given that our current networking technology is…..well, non-existent. This award comes at a key time: we may be on the verge of expanding our business to serve a national market, and our technology has to be set up to support that opportunity. The way I see it, mediation is an innovative way to resolve conflict. Cisco’s Smart Business Communications solutions will launch our ability to reach and serve couples in conflict seamlessly whether they’re in our office or halfway across the world.

Coaching: I’ve been working with my coach on networking. She’s helping me to evaluate what’s worth my time and paired to my talents and what’s not. Scared Me wants to hide behind the web site, since that’s where most of our business comes from, but Smart Me knows that I need to diversity where our referrals come from, and that by sitting in my office I’m never going to be able to make the kinds of connections that I need to make Peace Talks a thriving, multi-location mediation service. She’s been incredibly helpful in pointing out to me where I’m shining and how to maximize those opportunities. When I don’t know what the next move is, she’s there to troubleshoot with me. All in all, it’s been incredibly helpful. Now it’s time to put it into action! www.coachconnection.com, www.coachwilla.com.

Mentoring: Count Me In was able to hook me up with a professional ad copyrighter, Paige Dawson, http://www.mpdventures.com/, to help me with a one-sheet for Peace Talks. http://www.provisors.com/members/1sheets/Mercer-Diana.pdf It gets harder and harder to write my own copy; the more I do it, the harder it gets to understand what others might think are the most important value, benefits and results of mediation. Between my coach and the mentor, this project is really on track. Better yet, it’s on track in a way that I just couldn’t have accomplished on my own.

OPEN by American Express: Who knew my next best friend would be a credit card company? https://home.americanexpress.com/home/smallbusiness.shtml. Debra Filtzer, a Senior Manager at American Express, seemed to take a personal interest in helping me choose a credit card. Excuse me, but when was the last time a big company made a personal effort to help? I am very impressed. Apparently the OPEN accounts also come with personal account managers. Each time I’ve called, I get an actual person who answers the phone, and not a voicemail loop. I am amazed. Goodbye, United Mileage Plus Visa, and hello American Express Business Platinum!

Connections: I find myself re-energized for all things business with the connections I’m making with the Make Mine a $Million winners. www.makemineamillion.org. We’ve been circulating photos, participating in the conference calls, and using each others’ services (Apple’s Bakery Cookies www.applesbakery.com, have made a real impression in Los Angeles legal circles!) and I’ve even been reading the blogs. It’s so nice to know that there is a group of folks going through the same sorts of things that I am, and that I have a place where I can turn to when I’m struggling. It’s so easy when it’s easy, but when things get tough it’s hard to reach out. So thank you, everyone: winners, staff, mentors, coaches, Cisco, American Express, and now, friends.

Want to hear more about what we're doing here at Peace Talks? Visit our blog: http://www.peace-talks.com/divorcemediation/index.php

Challenges Update, August 2006

(photo: Diana and mediation partner Tara Fass,http://www.peace-talks.com/fass.php )
Much to my surprise, business inexplicably picked up as soon as I came clean with the fact that business dropped off the first half of 2006 on this blog. I guess that’s just another indication that the best move is to turn toward our problems and confront them square on, because it certainly paid off in this case. We’ve just had our best July ever. Read all about it on our blog, http://www.peace-talks.com/divorcemediation/index.php or get the full scoop on our web site, www.peace-talks.com.

Also in the good news department: Pilgrim Films and TV has cast the pilot, www.pilgrim-films.com and we should be shooting our first episode of Divorce Story the week of August 14. This could be the beginning of something very, very big.