Transcript

The transcript below has been lightly edited for readability and clarity. Click any starting timestamp to jump to that exact point in the YouTube video.

Podcast Introduction

[00:00] Don Costante:

Welcome to the Rundown Podcast, hosted by Don Costante, a sports and event management expert with over 25 years experience. This unique podcast provides an opportunity to hear from some of the best professionals in the industry. You’ll get valuable insight and perspective on what it takes to deliver authentic experiences, activate brands, and most importantly, connect with audiences. All on the Rundown Podcast. Let’s get started. Over the years, I’ve been asked, what’s the one role on your team that has the greatest impact on your events? Well, everybody is important. I get that. But there is one particular position that significantly influences the outcome, and that’s my MC. Now, with this being my first year podcasting, I thought, what a great way to start my season then to talk about what makes for successful MCs. If you’re currently an MC listening to this podcast or a director like me, grab a pen and a piece of paper because the information we’re about to discuss is outstanding. Today’s guest is Chris Miles.

Chris has been a professional host for over 20 years. I have used Chris for my events for the last 15. I consider Chris to be the best in the business, not because he can pick up a mic and deliver the content with confidence, but because he connects with the audiences better than I’ve ever seen anybody do. He’s more authentic than anybody I’ve ever seen, and he just understands what it takes to take an event to the next level. So what’s exciting about today is that Chris is going to share his blueprint. For those MCs listening, he’s going to give you valuable tools to enhance your craft. And for directors like me, he’s going to give us the information we need to better prepare and develop our MCs to be successful. Sound good? Well, let’s get this thing going. It’s time to meet Chris Miles.

Meet Chris Miles

[01:51] Don Costante:

Hey, Chris, thanks for joining the podcast.

[01:53] Chris Miles:

Yeah, baby. Hold on for all your listeners out there. Let me hear you make some noise! Okay, I just thought I’d do that.

[02:02] Don Costante:

I got to tell you, I am really excited about the opportunity to speak with you today because I don’t think there are enough podcasts out there or anybody that’s really going as deep as we’re going to go in terms of MCs and what you go through. But before we do that, I would really love to have you kind of take us down the path of how you became an MC.

Chris Miles’s Path to the Microphone

[02:23] Chris Miles:

Man, you know, that’s a great question, actually. To be honest, it first started off when I moved to Orlando, Florida. I was a traditional stick and ball sport guy. I played football at Ball State. And I always wanted to get involved in motorsport. And so I literally wanted to move down to Florida to start to get involved in motorsport. And so when I was doing that, I didn’t have a job. I didn’t have a job lined up in Florida. I had nothing. So my dad told me, you know, you need to go get an Orlando Sentinel newspaper. So I went and got an Orlando Sentinel newspaper. And this is honest to God’s truth. This is in 1990, February of 1990, actually. I get this big paper. This one, they were huge, you know. I pull out the employment section. I open up the employment section. On the very back, a full front page, come work for Walt Disney World. And I was like, oh, my gosh. And that’s literally what happened.

I decided I was going to move to Orlando, Florida. I called Disney. I got me an appointment. I went to the place to sign up. And I became a cast member for the Walt Disney World company at the Disney MGM Studios. And that’s where I literally first got on the mic was when I was doing what they call a host operator. And I gave a spiel in animation. And that was when I first got on the mic. And then about three months later, I went down to the walking tour, the backstage studio walking tour. And I did the special effects area. And that’s when I got to perform. And that’s when really the bug took over because you’re putting on this performance. And you’re on the mic. And you get the reaction. And that literally, Don, is what sealed it for me was to just kind of perform and be on the mic. But that’s really my first foray into being an emcee.

[04:19] Don Costante:

Well, I didn’t realize that. All these years I’ve known you, I didn’t know exactly how you got into it. I just knew that I liked using you.

[04:27] Chris Miles:

Yeah, yeah. It was crazy. Well, here’s something even crazier in regards to that. Back then, this is back in 1990. So March of 1990, I was working at Disney. And through there, I was there for about two years, through that time, one of my buddies who we were always trying to spiel together during the backstage studio tour, the tram ride which took you through Catastrophe Canyon, was Kevin Richardson. And if you’re unfamiliar with the name, Kevin Richardson is of the Backstreet Boys. He’s the tall one with the mustache, you know, and he’s the older one. But Kevin Richardson and I were always doing spiels together back then during our Disney days. And that’s also when the Mouseketeers with Britney and Ryan Gosling and Justin and, you know, Christina, they were all there. We saw them through the commissary. I mean, they were just snotty-nosed kids, Mouseketeers, thinking they were the world. But that was during that same time.

[05:26] Don Costante:

Wow. And I feel honored to know you after you have had that opportunity to rub elbows with those people. To interact with 12-year-olds.

[05:38] Chris Miles:

Yeah, you should.

Preparing to Host an Event

[05:39] Don Costante:

So I really want to get into, I think, which would be very helpful is for those trying to become MCs or hone in on their skill set a little bit is the preparation that you go through. So with all the years of experience, how do you go about preparing for an event that you’re going to host?

[06:00] Chris Miles:

You know, you really just said it already in the part of the question is experience. Because of my experience, you know, respectfully, there’s not a lot of preparation. The biggest key for, you know, you and I, for example, is communication. And that is probably the most critical component and element that an MC and a director or anybody, a showrunner who’s doing the program has to have. And that’s an open line of communication. And fortunately enough, I’ve had you for, you know, 13, 14 years, I guess 15 now, 15 years, be able to provide me that information before I get to the event. Once I get to the event, the conversation we have at the event, being able to provide me that comfort level and understanding what you need, what you’re wanting, what the crowd is, what are we expecting? That’s how I prepare. When I was younger, trying to figure out what I’m getting ready to do and no one provided me that information, I mean, it was a free-for-all.

And I was just hopefully going to make people happy and not get fired. So fortunately enough, it worked out. But the biggest key of preparation is communication between director and MC.

Communication and Collaboration

[07:20] Don Costante:

So you talk about that communication, so that collaboration, how important or how much collaboration once you’re on site with the directors do you need to have?

[07:33] Chris Miles:

It’s 100%. I mean, you have to be all in fully engaged. Never do I go in with the notion, this is my show, I’m going to do it this way, and you guys just follow suit. Number one, that should never work. Number two, that’d probably be the only time I do work. So the biggest key is being able to know what is needed for the event, how much energy is needed. You know, if it’s a crowd-interactive thing, are we going over the top? Do we have swag? What’s our music director, our music tech going to be able to provide for me, you know, which is also a key element. But the biggest key is understanding and knowing what the event is and what is needed out of you as the emcee or host. Once you have that information, then everything else should just start to slot into place.

[08:26] Don Costante:

Well, I can tell you, I don’t do an event anymore with an MC that I don’t collaborate with that person because it’s important for me to find that right character, that right individual that has that spark. Understanding that what I’m telling them, I know it’s going in one ear and out the other, and they’re going to retain what’s important and do it their own way. So for me, that’s important.

The Relationship Between the Emcee and Music Director

[08:45] Don Costante:

What about music is so powerful, right? When you talk about being out on that stage or in front of people, talk about the importance to you in terms of music and collaborating with that audio tech that is with you.

[09:00] Chris Miles:

Well, I mean, this is a fair and unfair question because, you know, we work with arguably and have worked with some of the best. First starting out with myself, I worked with DJ Irie from the Miami Heat, you know, a world-renowned DJ. When I first came on doing the NBA All-Star Weekend, he was there for me. So he was my guide. After we had a couple of years under our belt together, he and I, we were clockwork. And I was like, oh, my gosh, I’ll never be able to work with anybody the way I work with Irie. And then along comes Tracy Allen. And Tracy is arguably the best at what he does for me. I mean, people can say, oh, there’s, because he’s not a DJ. He is literally a music savant. He knows the music for the mood of the crowd, that my energy, he sets the tone. We’re fortunate enough to have a Tracy Allen.

Those who don’t have Tracy need to make sure they have someone who is very well versed in music, but also understands how to play with the emcee or host. And if you don’t have those two components locked in where it’s a hand in glove, you could be in for a long evening and a long event.

[10:18] Don Costante:

Well, for those people that don’t know Tracy, Tracy is actually my go-to DJ when I do events and has worked with myself and Chris for many years. You know, when you talk about music, I got to tell you, you know, having somebody like Tracy, a good audio tech dad, when you’re talking to the audience and maybe you’re mentioning something about all the single ladies out there, and then bam, here comes Tracy with Beyonce’s single ladies. I mean, that’s just amazing.

[10:45] Chris Miles:

No, listen, I mean, yes, you know, even musical chairs. That’s not even scripted. That’s just him playing to real time.

[10:52] Don Costante:

That’s right.

[10:53] Chris Miles:

And in fairness, in fairness to those who are listening, trying to be like, oh, my audio tech can’t do that with my emcee. I mean, we’ve been together for 15 years. We’re pretty much now, we’re just connected to where we know what’s getting ready to happen. As neophytes starting out, audio tech never meeting the DJ, audio tech never meeting the emcee, and the emcee never meeting the audio tech or DJ. It’s really about communication. Hey, this is the music I like. Here’s what I do. And honestly, it’s up to the emcee to let the audio tech and the director know where their strengths are. Regardless of how long you’ve been doing something, say where your strengths are. Listen, I’m comedic. I’ll kind of go off the rails here and I’ll do this. So maybe I want some wild music there. But at the end of the day, it’s just a matter of having that relationship connected. And once you have that, you’re solid.

Appearance and Attire

[11:46] Don Costante:

So shifting gears a little bit, in terms of the, I guess, the appearance, the attire of an emcee, how important is it to feel comfortable up on stage? I mean, with what you’re wearing, do you have input? Do you usually give input as to what you want to wear? Or do you take what they tell you you have to? What’s your thoughts in terms of attire?

[12:13] Chris Miles:

Traditionally, you know, we’ve been fortunate enough, myself have been fortunate enough, that the majority of my events are sports related. So we’ll obviously have the uniform of the team or the theme. NBA All-Star, you know, it’s obviously teams and themes. Major League All-Star, we did the same thing. The Royals, you put me in Royals gear. So that’s important, just the feel of the environment. That’s key. Now, I always, even though I’m in that gear, I want to be offset. I don’t want to look like someone else. I still want to have, you know, if everybody’s in powder blue Royals, you know, I want to have the dark navy blue. If everybody’s in dark navy blue, I want to have the white. You want to stand out as an emcee and not just fit in, fill in. So that’s one thing for me that you accommodate. Outside of that, if it’s a hosting scenario where it’s a suit and tie or a shirt and tie or a tuxedo, be that. That’s what the event calls for.

But you absolutely, as a director, want to encourage comfortability for your emcee to be running around and doing whatever they need to do in the attire that they would feel most comfortable.

[13:25] Don Costante:

Well, I know that you’re pretty vocal with me as to what you want to wear. So I think we always make sure to take care of you.

[13:33] Chris Miles:

You’ve accommodated my wardrobe request.

The Importance of Rehearsal

[13:35] Don Costante:

In terms of rehearsal, over the years, as you’ve gained experience and of course trust with me and the types of shows that I do, put that aside for a second. But how much rehearsal do you think is necessary prior to going live? And do you think it’s really that important to achieve the successful results that everybody is looking for?

[14:05] Chris Miles:

Okay. You’re asking a 20-plus year veteran now to say how much rehearsal time. So let’s go from where we are today to where we used to be. Today we sit down, we talk over the phone, we’ll text, we’ll sit down when we get there. You’ve explained it. We know it. We go. Boom. Not a lot. Let’s take the Major League Baseball All-Star this year in Cleveland. It was important for us to rehearse because we didn’t have our standard guys, our standard people, our standard crew. It was outside crew. So I understood the need to rehearse there and it wasn’t that shabby and we went through it. Anyone who steps up on a paid gig where you paid them to come in and they say, well, thank you for the opportunity. I don’t need to rehearse. I’m go time when it’s show time. Shut your mouth. Okay. If you’re paid, you’re paid to be there for that gig. Do your job. Listen to what’s supposed to be. Like everyone, you are not the show.

You’re a part of the show. And that’s what I would encourage any professional emcee to do when it comes time for preparation. And the director and whoever’s producing the gig that they’ve hired you for most likely will have provided you some semblance of what the show is and what it’s about. So you should be in good shape going in. Be prepared. And then be able to finalize any additional thoughts or any ideas that you may have to make the show a little bit better. But don’t throw it in there on your own without having discussed it because you’ll look like a fool and you can make the show look foolish. And that’s certainly not what you want to do in the business.

Performance: Improvisation Versus Scripted Content

[15:55] Don Costante:

So we spent some time now talking about preparation. I want to move into performance. And with performance, in your opinion, when you perform, how much is improv versus scripted? And I’m not talking about it. I know it’s important when you’re doing corporate events. Everything is scripted. I’m talking more sporting events like the MLB or during game days for regular games, whether it’s college or pro or even high school for that matter. How important is it for a host to really be in the improv kind of mode versus scripted?

[16:31] Chris Miles:

For me, that’s who I am. I mean, I elevate off of the energy of the crowd. As you well know, you’ll have to rein me in when all of a sudden we start going downhill, man, and we can’t stop. And Tracy’s got the music banging and we’re throwing out free stuff and the crowd’s crazy, you know, and you got to reel us in. But it’s everything for me being improv because it’s a natural thing. People know authenticity. And I think Tracy and I are authentic with what we do. We’re very organic in the majority of stuff that we do. But yet, he and I have a baseline. I wouldn’t say a script more so than I would say a baseline. And that’s something that you provide us through our show scripting as far as time, time restraints, how much time we have, what we can do. But as far as a straight-up performance, my personal performance, I’m majority improv.

And I’m just fortunate to be blessed with that innate ability to, you know, go off a crowd and have some fun and take somebody on a ride that they may or may not have thought they would keep there with me. And, you know, we fortunately enough come out on the other side smelling like a rose.

[17:44] Don Costante:

You know, the word that you said in your answer, organic, I think is an important key element. I think those hosts that come across being organic tend to rise above and connect a little bit more than those that are scripted for sure.

Teleprompters, IFBs, and Performance Technology

[18:05] Don Costante:

Speaking of scripts, I personally, and I know you don’t really care to have people holding them in their hands, but in terms of technology, if not using scripts, what’s your thoughts on using teleprompters or an IFB or any other type of technology for that matter to help you to deliver content?

[18:26] Chris Miles:

I mean, at the end of the day, it’s key. I mean, it’s a tool. I won’t say it’s a crutch. It’s a tool. IFBs are necessary. But to be able to have that information on the fly that we’re waiting on for a particular celebrity or player or someone to come out and it’s not them because they’re going to be running late and so forth and you’re able to, you know, provide me that information in my ear that, hey, celebrity A is not here, but celebrity B is. Here’s the information real quick. Boom, boom, boom. And then I can, you know, reiterate that on the fly with no hesitation. Teleprompters, as far as a host is concerned, is key if they’re also delivering information. If they’re reading from a script to where you’re back and forth and trying to act so natural as if this is something you’ve memorized, I mean, it looks so hokey.

But to be able to provide that information in a common, normal way that looks more organic than not, I think it’s a great tool and certainly should be utilized to the best of their ability.

[19:32] Don Costante:

Chris, when you use an IFB, the inner ear device, how do you instruct the A2 to set that up for you?

[19:41] Chris Miles:

Me personally, I want to hear a little bit of me and the show. I don’t want to hear too much of me to where I’m echoing in myself and I’m talking to myself. But I like, personally like to hear the show to where I know who is saying what. Sometimes it’s so loud. So to be able to hear that other person on the microphone is good for me. And it works. So I’m real happy to have that type of interaction of the show in my inner ear.

[20:12] Don Costante:

And I think another important aspect to that, I think you also instruct them that when the director then punches that talk button, it cuts out everything but the director’s voice in your ear. Correct?

[20:23] Chris Miles:

Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. I mean, yeah, because if you got the show going on and trying to hear what the director’s providing you new information, again, with what I just mentioned about a celebrity change or in the order or something of that nature, you can’t have the show. And the director saying the same thing and trying to understand both. So, yeah, I personally like once the director tees, that it’s just them. So what’s the information coming through the ear that you want?

Effective Communication Through the IFB

[20:56] Chris Miles:

Not a lot because, you know, if I’m in the middle of something, I just want to have that direct pinpoint information that I can go with and then later come back to. So if I know that, hey, Chris, you know, if I look at the clock up front and we’re down to 30 seconds and I’m getting ready to close out the show or that segment for the next changeover, I want them to say, no, stretch. And that’s all I need. Not stretch how long. Just no stretch. Because I know you’re going to come back and say, okay, we’re stretching. We got to have you for four more minutes. Okay, great. Not a problem. But I don’t need you. Hey, we got to stretch because Celebrity A is not going to be here because Celebrity B got caught on the train. I don’t need all that. I just need, hey, got to stretch. And that’s, you know, you’re good with that.

But to be able to share that information with those who are listening, short is sweet and short is key. Just provide that dim seed just enough so they can keep it moving and not get distracted.

[21:52] Don Costante:

Impact versus quantity, right?

[21:54] Chris Miles:

Oh, absolutely.

Using Voice, Tone, and Inflection

[21:55] Don Costante:

So talk about your voice. Talk about the voice and how you use inflection and tone to enhance and advance.

[22:05] Chris Miles:

You know, that’s a good question. I, you know, I would say it’s something that just came to me, to be honest. It was when I first started out and I didn’t know how to grab people’s attention. You see so many people, hey, what’s up? You know, and that’s something that gets it. But that’s almost like fingernails down a chalkboard. What I wanted to do was something just totally different. I would start really low and I’m like, oh, let me use grip. You know, that type of thing, because it just gave a little bit something different. People didn’t know what this low rumble was. And it just, it became an organic thing. It changed over time. Now it’s part of the show. It’s how I’m able to get in and out of changes of the show. So, but I’m really using my diaphragm. I’m not using my, my throat. I learned over time that you don’t scream and use your throat, you know, use your throat muscle because that’s how you end up losing your voice.

It’s really a situation of using the mic. I mean, I can go really low. And with the, with the mic, it’s going to pick it up because of our levels, you know, and then scream. So I’m doing scream. It’s the word scream, but I’m, I’m not saying anything. People think what it is. And because again, the levels, it goes real loud. And so I really am able to protect my voice. Now, when I first started doing this, man, the second day I’d go out there, I mean, I’m drinking tea and lemon and I can’t breathe. I can’t talk. I can barely breathe because it hurts just to suck an air on your throat, you know, and it’s really bad. But, uh, I’m now at a situation where I can go four or five days, do whatever we got to do. And I really haven’t touched on my, uh, my throat at all. And I’m not hurting, you know, as bad as I could be otherwise.

[24:07] Don Costante:

Well, I think the biggest mistake out there that I’ve seen from, I don’t know, events that I’ve gone to and they utilize hosts. And I think to your points based on experience, but they, they scream. I mean, they’re, they’re just yell, they’re yelling into the mic. They’re not, they’re not, uh, controlling the crowd. They’re irritating the crowd.

[24:24] Chris Miles:

Yeah, man. I mean, that is a very fine line. I mean, seriously, that is a fine line. I mean, even myself to a certain extent can, I’ll know when I’m possibly touching that, that nerve of, you know, getting too long and doing something, holding something or, or whatever. But, but yeah, you end up screaming, but this is also preparation. This goes back to, you know, rehearsal. If you rehearse and you get your levels with the, the A2s and everybody knows what’s happening, uh, as soon as you get back for your show preparedness, uh, you’re ready, you’re ready to go. And, and you should know what the levels are going to be, where you can go, how far you can go without popping the mic and so on and so forth. Um, and that’s, that’s being prepared. That’s the rehearsal part of it. Um, and the importance of doing that. But, uh, but yeah, man, if you start screaming, you’re going to, you’re going to lose that quickly.

Handling the Unexpected During a Live Event

[25:18] Don Costante:

Okay. So, so keeping that in mind, uh, you’ve done a lot of shows or you’ve been on the mic a lot. Something has gone wrong. Hasn’t it? There’s been a time you’ve been out there. Something’s gone wrong. Uh, talk about, talk about that. Talk about an example of something that went wrong and, and how, what? What happened and how did you handle that situation?

[25:40] Chris Miles:

Oh, you’re a funny guy. So you want to go there, huh? All right. So obviously this is a standing group scenario that, uh, we did when I was, uh, came in for the Royals Fan Fest. So over the years, as, uh, most people know, well, maybe people don’t Royals Fan Fest is an opportunity where we celebrate the Kansas City Royals baseball team, uh, the year before and getting them hyped up for the year to come. And so over the years, uh, that Donnie and I have worked together with NBA All-Star, the whole key was having swag. So swag shirts, hats, bats, whatever, whatever. Um, this one particular year, we didn’t have as much as we had the year prior. We had promoted the blowout at the end of every, um, day. We’ll have somewhat of a swag blowout. You don’t want to miss it. But this was the final day. This was the coup de grâce. This was the big kahuna. This was everything.

And we threw all the, all the swag out onto the center stage and we’re propping it up and we’re talking about it and we’re prepping the fans and you don’t want to miss it. And so everything’s going good all up until the time the music starts and Chris goes downhill with Tracy music blaring crowds, having a good time. Fans are getting free stuff and we run out and this is supposed to be an hour long show.

[27:08] Don Costante:

It was, it was, uh, horrible because as, as you mentioned, we had promoted over and over and over again, that this was going to be what an hour long blowout. And so as Chris mentioned, we, we, we piled all of the giveaways up onto the stage. It was a massive pile. And this is an example of a host and an audio guy getting together and just getting crazy. Um, and also an example of a, uh, of an MC that, that pops that IFB out and just wants to choose to ignore you because they’re into the moment. Uh, in most cases that’s good, but as the pile continue to get less and less and less and less, um, we eventually had nothing and we had 45 minutes to cover. So you want to tell them how you covered 45 minutes?

[27:57] Chris Miles:

Oh man. Okay. So man, that’s jacked up. You’re asking that question. But anyway, but we have 45 minutes to kill. So I take about 10 minutes trying to hustle back into the back with the mic high saying, Oh man. Okay. Oh yeah, we can use this. So we found an autographed baseball. Then we found an autographed bat. There was a Jersey. So we use autographed items. But I think we only had what four left. Yeah. But for 45 minutes, I had four items, autographed items that we had to use to try and appease the crowd. But the last item to give away was an autographed bat. I didn’t know where to go for the crescendo of it because we had a competition with these two ladies, these two ladies on stage. And so I went old school. I just went, threw the bat up and had them go hand over fist. The first person to cover the knob would win the bat. I thought it was ingenious, but you were none too happy.

[28:56] Don Costante:

Well, I will say it was entertaining. We were able to, or you were able to cover that 45 minutes. You took a situation where something went totally wrong.

[29:08] Chris Miles:

Horribly wrong.

[29:08] Don Costante:

Horribly wrong. Yes, but again, was able to keep them energized and engaged. And it ended up being successful in the end, regardless of what I thought in terms of how you gave away the bat.

Developing Material and Connecting Through Life Experience

[29:21] Don Costante:

But so ideas, Chris, you, in my opinion, one of the things, you know, like coming up and filling that 45 minutes, you quickly came up with engagement ideas, performance ideas, and how you’re going to keep the crowd into it. Where do you come up with your material? And, you know, are there specific resources that you use to gather some of these creative ideas that you come up with that you showcase on stage?

[29:50] Chris Miles:

Well, that particular day, I didn’t want to come backstage because I knew you were ready to kill me. So I’m going to figure everything out on stage for the most part to make sure that I wouldn’t die. But I think, honestly, that was probably the only time you were really, truly ready to kill me. I mean, we’ve talked about killing each other before, but that one was truly, I said, oh, I think I blew this one. But where did it come from? Honestly, I’m fortunate enough and I’m fortunate enough in certain examples to be older than the majority of MCs that are out there. And so even when I started, I was older. And so I had life experiences. And when you have life experiences, you’re able to relate to the young, the middle age and the older folks, you know, because my parents are older. So the older folks I could almost address as a son type of person.

And then those who are middle age, you know, I’m able to address them because we’re going through similar things, you know, at the time. Those who are younger have kids and nieces and so forth who are young. So I’m able to address them. So that really comes from having life experiences in regards to creating the different elements of games and how to do games and everything is, you know, you just rely on your instincts at the end of the day, Don. You’re an improvisationalist. You know, you go through improv. You just try and make the things that you’ve done in the past work and the things you’ve done in the past that they’ve probably seen. You want them to see it, a better, you know, iteration of it. And so that’s pretty much what it boils down to is experience, uh, relying on that, uh, and life experiences. You know, that’s pretty much how, how I’ve developed that strategy.

[31:37] Don Costante:

Well, it’s successful for you. Um, I will say quick example for everybody. I mean, years ago when I brought you in for the very first fan fest, I remember, um, I had a young man, I had a young man who was a host. He worked the entire season in the ballpark and I brought him out to fan fest and, um, you know, he got on stage and, and, and did a set and I introduced, had you introduced and brought out onto the stage for the first time where you address the world’s fans for the first time. And, and, uh, I remember at the end of your, your set, I think the first one was just like a 40 minute or so, uh, segment. And, um, what was interesting about you, uh, you have the ability to connect with people. And at the end of your set, there were lines of people wanting your autograph.

I mean, I had a, there, I had a host for the entire year and you know, he’s on stage and he leaves the stage, but nobody’s asking for his autograph here. They see you for the first time. They don’t know you, you get on stage and you connect with them through experiences and things that you’ve talked about. It’s magical when you find the right MC who can do that and pull those strings of emotions. It’s amazing how quickly they want to be around you and they want, uh, your autograph and they, they want to see more of you. So that, that is so true about the experiences and, and, and your techniques certainly do work.

[33:01] Chris Miles:

Well, that’s also, that’s a God thing, man. I’m, I’m so fortunate to have the opportunity and the experiences that you have provided me, uh, over the years. You know, uh, I just can’t take crap. I mean, it’s, you know, it, you know, it’s a literally a God thing because as you just, uh, mentioned to have those people connect. I mean, it’s real, I mean, I, I share my faith with them and, uh, you know, I share who I am as a person and my highs, my lows, my goods, my bads. And, and it’s real, you know, it’s, it’s authentic. It’s real. Yeah, it’s real. And I think, I think people more or less appreciate that. The kids appreciate it more, um, you know, because of the stories I can share. And, uh, but yeah, it’s, it’s a humbling scenario when that happens, dude. I mean, seriously, even to this day, when it still goes down, people wanting pictures and autographs, I mean, dude, we’re just Joe blows, man.

Just having a good time and want to make people laugh and enjoy the, enjoy the experience that they came for, you know, but, uh, yeah, it’s, it’s humbling still to this day to have someone ask you for your autograph.

[34:07] Don Costante:

I would not know how that is. Um, you know what?

[34:10] Chris Miles:

I’ll ask you next time. Thank you.

Developing Great Emcee Talent

[34:12] Don Costante:

So we’ve gone in and we, we discussed a little bit about preparation and, and we just got done talking a little bit about performance. Uh, uh, transitioning now to, to, uh, development, um, developing talent. What separates in your opinion, uh, a good, uh, a good MC from one that is extraordinary.

[34:34] Chris Miles:

Um, I’ll, I’ll say for myself is being fearless. Uh, if you are fearless in your approach and you don’t care if you go down in flames or if you rise like a Phoenix, um, you’re going to be okay. Um, too many MCs today are younger. They’re probably coming out of college, maybe coming out of some type of drama school or something. Um, and it’s their first gig. And the thing that they do not want to do is blow the next opportunity. Um, so they want to make it spot on. They want to make it, you know, the best thing they’ve ever done. And quite frankly, it may not be that good because it’s robotic, if not organic. Um, when I first grabbed the mic, this wasn’t my traditional means of business. It’s not what I was into full time. Um, so I could have taken it or leave it, uh, or left it. Um, you know, I was an actor as well down in Orlando for several years.

Um, and so that’s also how I did my acting when I went in for an audition. It wasn’t the, I had to have this job or I’m going to die. You know, it was just having that ability to say, Hey, whatever I give you is the best I got. And it’s worked for those who are getting into the business. I just encourage you be fearless. Fearless and foolish are kind of two different things. Um, fearless can end up being foolish. Cause I’ve had that happen to myself. Uh, but definitely not being foolish to where, you know, you’re annoying. It’s no fun. It’s hard to watch, hard to listen to. Um, being fearless is taking this crowd to a point that they never ever thought they would see coming and then just crash it and burn it to where they’re like, Oh my goodness. You know? And, uh, we’ve had a couple of those moments that have been just absolute gold. Uh, just classic moments for us, you know?

So I’d say being fearless is what separates you.

Being Fearless on the Microphone

[36:44] Don Costante:

Well, uh, you can’t talk about being fearless without giving it in an example. So, I mean, you got to talk about, I think there’s no more, uh, shiny moment that, uh, being fearless, um, uh, then in Houston, uh, when we did all-star, you want to talk about, uh, Simon says, well, yeah.

[37:07] Chris Miles:

So, you know, for what Simon says, I mean, literally folks, we have, uh, at the NBA all-star, we have a full court, um, a full NBA court with risers. You know, some, I think we had 4,500 seats that year in Houston, um, for the, uh, center court. And throughout the day, uh, I’m telling everybody I’m a world champion, Simon says player, and I cannot be beaten. I’m undefeated. And so I take on all comers. I don’t care who you are. So that’s the setup. So when we finally get to play, Simon says, I’m telling everybody come on this floor. I don’t care who you are. So most people are trickling down. And so then I’ll start egging on the crowd and I’ll tell them, Hey, I’ll take on this whole arena.

[37:58] Don Costante:

And we’ve had close to what? It’s scary. It’s scary as a director, as you’re inviting 4,500 or 6,000 people down onto the court. How are we going to manage that for one and two, how are we going to get them off the court?

[38:14] Chris Miles:

Yeah. So, you know, we have a great group of folks to help out all the, all the, uh, helpers that are around, you know, yeah, we have interactive dance teams and so on and so forth. Other directors from other teams are coming in and they’re actually, you know, just helpers for our show as well. Um, and so the whole bottom line is this through Simon says, I first attack the kids and I want the kids to be taken out. So I want them out first. I want to become a heel, the bad guy. And this particular, uh, day in Houston, um, we had our first, uh, person with a disability, uh, come out and I went at them right away. I was like, Hey, you’re in a wheelchair. I don’t care. Wheel your butt on out here. Cause I’m going to have you wheel your butt right on off, uh, real quick, fast and hurry. I’m a pro. I don’t care who you are. What’s wrong with you. Don’t care.

And so the crowd, I mean, you, the air was just immediately sucked out of the arena. And I was like, Oh, this is going to be tough. This is going to be tough. So, uh, we started doing our thing. We started doing, you know, the Simon says, this, that, and the other, you know, I was letting some time pass and, and, uh, we had kicked some folks off and, and it was time. I had to have this, this, uh, young person, uh, they had to, they got, well, they were going to have to leave, you know, they had their time, they had their fun. So I went at them in a sense of, I said, okay, uh, Simon says, put your arms out, you know, and unfortunately this person with a disability, they could not do it. I’m not laughing at all at them with a disability. I’m really chuckling in my head of thinking, what an idiot to go back to this person with life groups. But that was my fearless moment.

And, um, at the time I was been going downhill, we’d had to get all these people off and, and here we go. And, and so they couldn’t put their arms out. And I said, Oh, you can’t put your arms out. Get out. You’re out. Loser. Yeah. And I, I, I, everybody who gets off, they’re losers. They’re going to Loserville. You know, I call it Loserville and everybody’s all mad. And I mean, I’ve almost been punched before. It’s just crazy. I have not been physically assaulted with what I do, but they rolled off. And so they’re now off. So I no longer have to deal with that scenario except for the crowd.

[40:47] Don Costante:

You don’t have to deal with it, but I had to deal with it.

[40:49] Chris Miles:

But you had to deal with it.

[40:51] Don Costante:

So what happened? So, so obviously when Chris sends off this person with a disability, my heart, you know, is, is, has just sunk. And I’m thinking I’m going to be one fired. Two, I have no idea what, what’s going to happen when I talk to the parent. Um, and, uh, I’m thinking, you know, lawsuit something. So I walk up and I immediately, you know, come over and I am about to apologize when all of a sudden the, uh, mom puts, uh, she has tears in her eyes and she comes over and gives me a big hug. And I, I look at her kind of, uh, I, I look at her kind of puzzled and I said, excuse me, I’m so sorry. She goes, no, you have nothing to be sorry for. She said, uh, I am so thrilled that you, uh, treated him like anybody else. And you don’t know how much that meant to him. And, um, it means more than, than she could put into words.

And, and I was like, holy moly, you know, this is, it was an incredible moment. Um, not just for, for, you know, the fact that I, uh, my job might’ve been saved, but more importantly, that this young man, uh, was thrilled in what had taken place. And his mom was overjoyed that he was now, he was for whatever, whatever moment of time he was looked upon as just like any other kid out there. And it was, it was a magical, um, moment, which definitely highlighted, uh, somebody, uh, uh, like yourself being fearless.

[42:26] Chris Miles:

Yeah, I, look, I don’t know what came home for me that moment, to be honest, uh, to do that. Um, but obviously that moment was more for them than it was for me. And that’s why I say it’s a God thing. You know what I mean? I mean, that could have turned out really, really bad. Um, I didn’t know that the woman, you know, again, they were off at the time. You didn’t tell me until after that whole, uh, Simon says experience was over with, um, that, that we, we, we, we had that. Uh, exchange with the, the mother, um, behalf of the child. And, and it was awesome. And then they actually ended up coming back later for another deal. And I was able to meet them, take pictures and we gave them more free stuff and this, that, and the other. And, and, uh, that was a, that was a cool moment.

How Long Should Organizations Develop Talent?

[43:12] Don Costante:

So when developing young talent, uh, how much time should somebody like a director or an organization give or spend with that individual to get them to a point where they, they feel like, you know, they’re good, they’re, they’re, they’re successful. I mean, they, they start off with just an inkling of, of a potential and they’re raw and you’re not necessarily, you know, thrilled with them yet, but how much time should you work with somebody?

[43:38] Chris Miles:

I mean, that dude, that’s, that’s the million dollar question. And, and it depends. I mean, it, it really depends exactly on what you said. What are your goals? Are you looking for an MC or a host that we see a long-term future with, uh, that has a range, not meaning just to be able to, uh, MC an event, but can they host an event? Can they sing? Are they comedic? You know, what do they bring to the table? And if they have a multitude of talents that can assist their performance in the show’s performance, then yeah, you might want to stick with them. If, if they’re one dimensional, monotone, no comedy, comedic presence, no improvisational skills, uh, a dead red beat, um, they got to go. But if you do see potential of someone that number one, and is eager to learn, willing to listen, taking ideas, they’re willing to share their ideas. Now, well, that’s creativity. So that’s somebody that you’re definitely going to want to cultivate.

[44:46] Don Costante:

But, but the, the important thing though, is you’re, you need to have, don’t use somebody on staff that has the ability to train them and take them down the right path. Well, again, that goes, that’s your job.

[44:59] Chris Miles:

Absolutely.

[45:01] Don Costante:

I’m just saying, uh, as we talk about, you know, if, if someone’s listening and they’re like, well, I just hired somebody and, uh, I’m not sure how long I should keep them. If you don’t have the skillset to be able to get them to where they need to be, that person’s never going to get there.

[45:16] Chris Miles:

No, that’s right. And you may have, you may have a gem on your hand. You may have a gem on your hand. And you might. And if you don’t have that ability, then you need to go out and find somebody and bring them in, not necessarily to replace you in your job, but just bring them in, pay them a fee to help train this individual.

[45:32] Don Costante:

Correct?

[45:32] Chris Miles:

No, for sure. Absolutely. I mean, that, that’s an absolute must. And again, it goes back to communication and, and collaboration. Uh, if you have those two elements, you’re, you’re going to be fine. No matter who you bring in, uh, skillset wise, uh, if, if you have that, you’re, you’re going to be fine. You’re going to be fine. And you should know that when you interview that person, they come in and so on and so forth, you know, so I think that.

What to Look for When Hiring an Emcee

[46:01] Don Costante:

So let’s talk about that. Let’s say you’re writing a posting, Chris, you’re putting together a posting, you’re getting ready to advertise for your, uh, MC role. Uh, what are those qualifications that you’re listing? You mentioned some of them, but I’d be interested. I’m interested to know what your qualifications are.

[46:18] Chris Miles:

Man, it’s hard to say, bro. So, I mean, definitely, uh, uh, improvisational comedic skills. If any, any theatrical work, um, uh, you know, any acting work or do you model or act, you know, because if you model or act, you at least know stage presence. Um, so that’s one. So if you’re a model or actor, stage presence, do you have comedic talent? Um, that means you should have some improvisational skills. Um, and then voice, you know, at the end of the day, this is all about, but if it’s an MC interactive, uh, position that you’re, you’re trying to secure, it’s all about voice. Um, and energy, um, so that’s, that’s where I would go. And then one question I was at would ask, would ask, not just look for in a characteristic is what’s the largest crowd you’ve ever been in front of? And what was the event?

[47:13] Don Costante:

Do you think that matters?

[47:14] Chris Miles:

Absolutely. Absolutely. Can you imagine just being in front of a little, uh, uh, high school gym and you’re a DJ or MC? And then they come and they do a fan fest. Do you think a large crowd would freeze them? Oh man, look, the energy is powerful. Look, look at what it did for us. Look how long we had been doing this. And you and I stood on the stage during the celebration and saw 800,000 people and that energy. Okay. We, now we didn’t see all 800,000. We saw a good 200,000, not 300,000 in front of us. And we were like, Whoa, what are we going to do with this? And we still made it happen. So even all the years that we have been together, we have seen everything. We never saw that. Right. And that’s, that’s crazy. You know? So yeah, I would absolutely ask what’s the largest, uh, you don’t want somebody that just performed in a little, a little play. And they were the, the host of the play.

And then all of a sudden they come out and they’re, you’re going to book them for, you know, something that’s big with a couple thousand people or a couple of 10,000 people. You want to know how big of the, how big a stage have they been on and what was the event? Absolutely want to know.

Advice for Directors and Show Callers

[48:36] Don Costante:

What, what advice would you give to those who oversee MCs? So for myself, what advice would you give a director or show caller who oversees an MC?

[48:50] Chris Miles:

I would say to let them, uh, entertain. You hire to entertain it. You don’t want to bridle a bucking Bronco. You want them to go out there and do what they do. Now, within reason, you want them to be well within the context of the show, um, well within the context of the crowd. Uh, but again, allow them to entertain and you will have known that with who you hired anyway, you know what you’re looking for. So when you finally, uh, decide that this is the host or the MC you’re going to use, you feel comfortable and confident. You can work with them and they’ll work within the structure of the show and what is needed. So, you know that when you, you, uh, hire them, but once they’re there, once they’re ready to go on, the lights pop on, let them pop off. Bottom line.

Common Emcee Mistakes

[49:44] Don Costante:

I want to get your thoughts on a couple of things. Um, biggest downfall you see today with MCs.

[49:51] Chris Miles:

I don’t think the biggest downfall. Well, the biggest downfall with MCs is they, they’re, they’re young. And they don’t trust themselves yet. And that’s somewhat lack of experience. But I think the biggest downfall is directors or showrunners or whomever, um, you know, complain about possible talent that they have. But yet you get what you pay for. Um, you know, MCs, if they’re going to be the show and it audio tech is going to be assisting that show, you must have those two elements locked down. You have those two elements locked down. You’re golden. If you do not assist the MC, they will fail. I mean, it’s just the bottom line. And, and I think that’s the biggest issue I have with some of these other folks is the complaints we’ve heard over the years. Uh, well, this person, they’re this, they’re that. Well, you know, you get what you pay for. If you pay for some, uh, some talent, you’re going to get exactly what you need for a show.

Um, and I think that’s the biggest downfall that I see with MCs. I don’t think they’re taken as seriously as they probably should as far as what the talent of the event is. That’s my personal opinion. Um, outside of that, um, I think you just have to let these, these young people go, you know, you got to give them some rope to hang themselves and they won’t learn how far they can drop on that rope without hanging themselves unless they step off, you know? And, uh, like I said, I’ve stepped off a couple of times, even as many years as I’ve been doing it. And, uh, we’ve, we’ve had some blunders, but, but that’s good. You know, it keeps you humble and let you know that you ain’t who you think you are.

[51:41] Don Costante:

There’s strategic risks though. You’re not going crazy.

[51:44] Chris Miles:

Well, true. That’s true. You know?

[51:46] Don Costante:

And so I think there’s, you know, giving that latitude is important to allow the host to, to do the things that they think need to be done to be successful. So.

[51:57] Chris Miles:

Absolutely. Absolutely.

Working With Multiple Hosts

[51:58] Don Costante:

How about your thoughts on multiple hosts though on stage at the same time? What, what’s your, you know, is that a good thing in your opinion? Do you like working with multiple hosts at the same time or, or not?

[52:10] Chris Miles:

You know, I do. And that’s, that’s kind of a trick bag question. So shame on you. But, uh, anyway, we, I’ve personally wanted a multiple hosts to where we could get some time, but the, that’s where I could get some time off the stage, but that’s never actually worked out. Um, either I’m running through them, like, you know, water through a stove or they’re just intimidated or so on and so forth. And, and it’s not that it’s purposeful. It’s just, we’re a well-oiled machine and, you know, we just do what we do and we just keep it moving and, you know, catch up or, or you don’t, you know? Um, and, and, and I will say that I think when we’ve had folks on there, as opposed to putting me out there at the same time, I’m instructing and coaching and, and really elevating and amplifying and, and, and getting them where they need to be to perform on them for themselves.

Uh, when they take their spotlight, um, however, we hit the golden goose with, you know, all-star MLB all-star in Cleveland with a mod, the voice of the Cleveland Cavaliers. And then, um, with, uh, oh my God, uh, Katarina, yeah, Katarina, the Sacramento Kings, um, to have the first female host that could walk lockstep with me and a mod from the word go. Um, I mean, it was magic. Um, she was absolutely amazing. Uh, gorgeous to boot, uh, you know, uh, just had this personality that, uh, was just infectious. Well, she was fearless. Yeah, fearless. Absolutely. And so we had the ability to have multiple hosts at one time. Um, they deferred to me out of respect, but I told them, Hey, when we step on this stage together, we’re all one, we’re one unit. We just got to make one great show. Um, and it worked. Um, they did defer when needed to defer.

And, and I stepped off, uh, when they weren’t anticipating and that kind of threw them out there a little bit, but they were, they were magic. Um, if you can have multiple hosts, um, two, you know, if we had three, because we’re all professionals, we’ve all been there before. Uh, but if you had two hosts that can play off each other, uh, within reason, you know, not be obnoxious amongst themselves, but actually let it play within the contest. In the context of the, uh, event, um, it’s magic, man. And I highly encourage it, you know? Um, but it’s, it’s rare. What we did in Cleveland was rare and it was, it was something fun to behold.

[54:40] Don Costante:

Well, I think it, it worked. You just alluded to it. When you have multiple hosts on a stage or performing where they don’t forget about the audience. Cause a lot of times when you get multiple hosts, they get caught up and wrapped into conversation and hearing their voices. And suddenly you, the audience is out of the picture and they’re like, gosh, you know, these guys are just talking so much and they’re losing the connection with the fans. What you guys did, Ahmad, Kat and yourself, you always put the fans first and the, and connected their emotions to what was happening and brought them into everything and everything that we were doing. So at no time did they feel disconnected. And I think that’s a big thing.

Keeping the Audience First

[55:22] Chris Miles:

You know what? And, and now to go back to your question of what do you see that that’s bad or something within MCs or whatever the question was beforehand.

[55:33] Don Costante:

Their downfall. What’s the biggest downfall?

[55:36] Chris Miles:

Yeah. The downfall. I would think that they don’t know how to engage the crowd, you know, keeping the crowd first, you know, they’ll start making it about them and saying stuff within the text, you know, that’s funny to them, but it’s not funny to the crowd. Not being able to engage kids. I think that’s the biggest downfall. My whole thing is all about the kids from the very beginning, the very beginning, let it be about the kids. Cause if you get the kids, uh, up good, bad, or indifferent, the parents are going to stay. They want to see what kind of train wrecks about to happen with the kids. Uh, and for me, I have a crying. I know it’s going to sound crazy. If I have a crying kid, we have a show. Crying kid is a show because it’s just an emotional connection that the crowd’s going to have with this kid. Okay. Why are they crying?

What, you know, what, once we find out why they’re crying, now it’s, what are we going to do with it? And once you give them something to stop them from crying and the crowd loves you, you know? So a crying kid is everything. That’s the golden ticket for an MC. Who knows how to use it? Who knows how to use it? You know, but yeah, we, we love crying kids so much. So that you’ll be on, Hey, can we find a crying kid in the crowd? We brought crying kids up out of the crowd. So there you go.

Why Fan Engagement Matters

[56:58] Don Costante:

Uh, for those listening, we don’t go around looking for kids that are crying. It just happens. Okay. We just make kids cry. And then we go just make them cry. There you go. You can’t have this item. Um, shift gears a little bit. Let’s talk about upper management for a second. Um, we talked about giving advice to maybe the director that oversees the MC, but what advice would you give to an owner who might be listening or a high level executive? Whose philosophy, whose philosophy might just be very traditional and they’re not really conducive to, or liking maybe the fan engagement side of it. They want the game itself to be, be the entertainment. What’s your thoughts on that?

[57:40] Chris Miles:

Get with the times. I mean, if you don’t figure out a way to provide fan engagement, positive fan engagement that would, uh, interact with the scope of what they’re there for to cheer on your team. Uh, if you lose them, uh, they have too many choices today. Again, I talked about e-sports and what e-sports is doing and how you go in the fan interaction and crowd engagement with e-sports gaming. Um, so if you don’t get with it, you’re going to get lost. And the most important thing you must do is have that fan interaction. It’s supposed to be about them anyway. They’re spending a lot of money to come see a product that may be, uh, good and or bad. And if it’s a bad product that you put out there on a field, a court, uh, a diamond, um, you better have something that could be engaging for them that they can at least say, well, at least, uh, the seventh inning stretch was good.

Or at least we got some free stuff or some of that nature because pardon me. That’s what this is all about. And those who have bought these organizations or run these organizations from a GM to a VP to an owner, uh, let’s not forget what this is about. This is about the fan. And if the fan is getting turned off coming to a game, they’ll then watch it on TV. And as soon as they don’t like what they see on TV, they’re going to turn off the TV or go somewhere else. So, um, my encouragement is you’ve hired people to do a job, let them do a job, let them do it to the best of their ability and let them help you get that team motivated, fired up and, and move on to the next level of a fan interaction. Because if you don’t, um, there’s too many options left in the world.

[59:28] Don Costante:

Well said. No, I, I, I agree with you. Um, it’s, it’s nice to hear you say that. Um, I hope those people listening that have those, uh, perspectives right now that, uh, or taking the perspective of being very traditional, um, pay attention to what you just said and understand that the fan engagement is so important. Um, what about the individual that is listening right now who, uh, from listening to you, they, they’re making that determination. They want to get on the mic. Uh, what, what advice do you want to give them?

Advice for Aspiring Emcees

[59:59] Chris Miles:

Get on the mic. Get on the mic. Yeah. I mean, I wasn’t a professional when I grabbed the mic and did professional things. Um, my first, my first foray into, um, the NBA all-star weekend, for example, was in Philadelphia that I mentioned. It was 2002. Um, and I had told you, uh, throughout this, this, uh, uh, podcast that communication and information is key. So my very first time getting to NBA, I’ll start with Philadelphia. Um, I was on the Fleer Court. That was the sponsored court. Um, it was the official, uh, basketball card of the NBA and they gave me the official three point shot. Uh, that’s what it was just, you know, you’re just going to have 24 seconds to put up three, three pointers. Um, and keep it moving. That was it. Just like they do, um, at the, I’m sorry. I think it was a minute. Um, just like they do for the three point contest and, and, uh, all-star. And so I said, okay, what am I supposed to do?

I don’t know. It’s a three point shot. Do whatever you can. Uh, what do I say? We don’t know. That’s what we brought you here for. I mean, literally, this is what, this is what I got filled up in 2002. So it just so happened that number one, I’m an Indiana guy. So the Pacers are my team and Reggie was my guy. So forth. And, you know, pumping Reggie up and being from Indiana and being shooters and basketball players. I just started talking trash to anybody that would come up and didn’t perform well. Um, that was the very first day just for a couple hours. The next day I knew I was going to be there all day, but I happened to have a friend who was a Reebok rep and she gave me all this Reebok stuff. But also what was key, it was Philadelphia and Allen Iverson was a Reebok player. And so I had all Allen Iverson gear from do rags to wristbands to shirts to his shoes, his signature all-star shoes.

So this is during the time of Rock and Jock. So MTV Rock and Jock was going on at Center Court. We were just outside the entrance, the main entrance to Center Court with the Fleer Court. And I told them, if you want any of this stuff, you have to be louder than that court over there. Now, this is Rock and Jock. So this is really still at the height of MTV Rock and Jock and everything. Dan Cortez, the whole nine. And I had my crowd so loud that they would stop filming, come out to see what was going on because they didn’t understand what was happening. And they came and saw my crowd. We were probably seven rows deep people here. And it was just a three-point shot. And I’m giving away Allen Iverson’s shoes. It was the craziest thing ever. And that’s just making, you know, I made lemonade out of lemons. That’s what I had. They didn’t give me any information. I mean, let’s put it this way.

I was to give out the Fleer cards. I wasn’t even giving out Fleer cards. It was people were jumping out of line. If they didn’t win anything, they were jumping back in line, man, just to try to win some Allen Iverson gear. They had all the Fleer boxes still. I just opened them up. People could take them. It didn’t matter. We put on a show right then and there. And that started it. I mean, that started my deal. Just make it happen. Don’t think you have to be a professional right from the get-go because you’re not. You’re just not. Just jump on the bike. Just make it happen. Absolutely.

[1:03:30] Don Costante:

And be ready for the show that will go afterwards, you know. Thus the importance of good swag.

[1:03:38] Chris Miles:

Oh, swag, man, is key. Yeah. And that’s why I told you. When you first came on board with MLB, I said, hey, man, you know where the swag is? And you’re like, yeah. I was like, my dude. So we’d never skip the beat when it came to swag. Never.

Final Thoughts From Chris Miles

[1:03:55] Don Costante:

All right, Chris, final thoughts?

[1:03:58] Chris Miles:

Man, my final thought for you would be, number one, thank you for allowing me to be on the podcast. I think it’s awesome. I think it’s well needed for the industry. Not me speaking, but you, your experience. My final thought would be enjoy this moment. Allow this to be your teaching moment. For those listening, Don is an open book. The Costante Group, with what he does, with his own business, with what he does, with the Royals. He is an open book. You professionals who may have tons of experience, they have a few more years of experience than Don, don’t be so proud that you can’t call him and ask him something because it just might be that little extra bit that gets you, your organization, and franchise over the top. It may just be the information you need to secure audio tech or an emcee. So, my final thoughts is utilize this platform that you have, Don, to the best of your ability. Share all your experience and everything that you have. Enjoy the moment.

And, you know, those who are listening, certainly take them up because it will do you some good. That’s my final thought.

[1:05:16] Don Costante:

Well, I shall do that. I appreciate all the kind words. And more importantly, I appreciate you being a part of this podcast and sharing your wisdom and experience. And look forward to hopefully many more events with you. So, thanks, Chris. Appreciate it.

[1:05:32] Chris Miles:

My pleasure. My pleasure, Don. Thank you much.

Don Costante’s Key Takeaways

[1:05:36] Don Costante:

You know, it really doesn’t matter how long I’ve been in the sports industry. I’m always learning. I’m always looking for ways to learn. And today was no different. Speaking with Chris, I gained so much more knowledge about the role of the emcee and what it takes for someone to be successful on the mic. Selfishly, I learned that as a director, I can do a better job. I can do a better job preparing and developing people for that position. And there were a few things that Chris talked about in the interview that really hit home. Collaboration. The communication between the host, the show caller, and the audio director. And the importance of sharing information pre and during the event is so true. So important. And what about the use of the voice? Using the inflection and the tone to create the desired results. Too often people are just screaming in the mic. And using one’s life experiences to connect with the audience. Wow. I mean, that is so common sense, right?

Being authentic and real, people are going to want to connect with you. And what about being fearless on the mic? Understand the content, but deliver it your own way. Those were just a few things that really stood out to me when I was talking to Chris. And I hope during the interview, there were a number of things that stood out to you as well. That you’ll be able to take back and implement moving forward. Well, that wraps up my first episode of the rundown. And I want to thank Chris for being on my podcast. What an incredibly talented person to start with. I look forward to working with Chris for many years to come. Also, I want to encourage you as you’re listening to this podcast, please share with me your thoughts and questions. I want this to be a platform to help you. So send your thoughts and questions [email protected]Email The Rundown. And until the next time I’m Don Costante.