struggle, to be sure, was born of the show business catch-22 that to get a job in television, you need experience, but the only way to get that experience is to first land a job. Since "first jobs" are still difficult to come by in both L.A. and New York--even though they would be considered plentiful when compared to, say, Lincoln, Nebraska--the best jobs through which to acquire experience are often those you create for yourself. And, ´ ´ yes, you can put that experience on a re sume . As one who created and launched a national television show from the cornfields of Indiana, I learned firsthand that New York and L.A., though still very important, are markedly less important than they once were, particularly since the advent of web-based entertainment, in terms of both content and employment opportunities. With few exceptions, figuring out where to live and work is never worth a monumental struggle or investment of time, a precious commodity at the beginning of any new professional venture. Countless aspiring producers, actors, writers, and the like spend years bouncing back and forth between New York and L.A. looking for the "right" opportunity or big break. If truth be told, the big break will take place wherever you want it to, so long as you invest your energies into creating it for yourself. The general consensus among my former producer colleagues at E! Entertainment Television, for example, is that the best ideas and, subsequently, the best producers come from all across the country, not just the coasts. Illustrating this point, teleconferencing pitches now comprise a considerable chunk of all the pitches taken in the boardrooms at E!, not to men- tion a slew of other cable and television networks. Most agree that one of the biggest secrets of the reality trade is to limit your time worrying about logistics and instead focus on creating the projects and pitches that deserve attention. With any luck, your work will ultimately take you to where you need to be and are supposed to be, whether it's New York, Los Angeles, or someplace in between. Of course, if you're a traditionalist, the odds of gaining employ- ment will always be in your favor if you live near the coasts. Although Los Angeles boasts the greatest number of production companies and television-related job opportunities, in the last 15 years New York has welcomed a veritable tidal wave of film and tele- vision production companies setting up shop in the Big Apple. As a 204 | Random Secrets of the Reality Trade