Why I gamified my travel show🍷🗣️

In today’s newsletter: What is Reality TV, anyway? The psychology behind Wine Doc Face Off. And a writing class you should sign up for—today!

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“Do you think my show is reality TV?”

I asked Andy Dehnart, who should know.

He’s been writing about reality TV for 25 years for his publication, Reality Blurred. He’s also president of the Television Critics Association.

Here’s what he had to say about Modo di Bere TV, and Wine Doc Face Off, the gamified fundraiser I’ve created to finish the show.

Support Modo di Bere TV!

Andy and I participate in a couple of fantastic communities that unite indie journalists and entrepreneurs, Project C and Lex Roman’s Legends.

I fell in love with Andy’s work when he sent me his oral history of the epic reality travel show, The Amazing Race.

Modo di Bere TV may not have a network television budget, but when the editor of The Amazing Race described how daunting it was to turn hours of unscripted travel television into a unified story, I felt seen.

For the last three years, I’ve promised my creative partner on Modo di Bere TV, Emilia, that I’d edit the show myself.

I’d attended classes for a video editing certificate from a software school called Noble Desktop. But film editing basics and learning how to use Premiere Pro was not enough.

I can’t actually edit a television show by myself while directing, producing and hosting that television show AND running a media company that also produces two podcasts, an online magazine, a newsletter and multiple social media accounts.

Modo di Bere TV is not going to come out until we hire additional support for post-production.

It took me three years, but I’ve finally worked up the courage to ask for your help.

The Education Piece

I gotta tell you, however: that video editing class was really helpful.

I work so hard since launching Modo di Bere—oh my gosh! exactly three years ago today!—and I’ve been so happy.

Whether you want to:

• change your career path, like I did, and use your creativity every day

• meet some new people, or

• do something besides work all the time,

I always, always, recommend taking a class.

And I’ve got a wonderful class to recommend.

It starts next week, it’s a writing class, and it’s taught by my friend Andy Dehnart.

I’ve attended a workshop about writing with Andy and it was illuminating, warm and kind.

What else are you doing for yourself this March? Sign up for this class-today!

in partnership with Andy Dehnart of Reality Blurred

Play with your words!

Dazzle and delight your readers as you discover how you can make your real-life writing sing.

This once-per-week, virtual, six-week workshop—led by writer, blogger, and teacher Andy Dehnart—is for you, whether you're drafting a memoir, publishing a newsletter, or just need a spark to ignite your creativity.

We'll gather March 3 to April 7, Tuesdays at 11 a.m. ET, and you'll play with words, learn fun techniques, read innovative writing, and get copious amounts of feedback on your writing. Today is the last day to register!

Why I gamified my wine and language travel show

I have to admit, I was nervous to launch Wine Doc Face Off.

When I wear my other hat as an indie musician, producer and concert promoter, I’ve been involved with multiple successful crowdfunds and fundraisers, most in the $2,000 to $4,000 range.

I thought Emilia and my other collaborators on Modo di Bere might be able to raise $10,000 for the show if we put out the word to our combined networks in a classic, Kickstarter-style campaign.

I also know that it could take nearly full-time work for a couple of months to raise $10K.

Months when we still wouldn’t be editing the show.

“Why don’t we use this time to ask for what we really need?” Emilia encouraged me.

I agreed, but I also knew that we needed to reach beyond our personal networks in order to raise the $65K we’ll need to edit the eight seasons that we’ve already shot of this show.

That’s when we decided to turn it into a game.

Wine Doc Face Off 🥊

is a bracket-style tournament where supporters of Modo di Bere TV decide which season of the show will air first, by participating in a series of elimination challenges between now and the end of April.

I’m definitely hitting up my friends and colleagues to see if they’re interested in becoming a supporter of Modo di Bere TV.

and also:

My whole team is also working very hard to make the Wine Doc Face Off campaign so engaging that people want to share it.

Here’s what we’re betting on by creating Wine Doc Face Off:

• people will get into the contest

• they’ll come back and chip in more than once

• people who like, or who are from, these regions, will share it widely

• we’ll get press coverage because the campaign is so unique

• the structure will help us better share the story of this show

• you’ll learn something new about these wonderful wine regions

If there’s no way you can chip in even five bucks to this campaign, believe me, I understand. I definitely donate to a lot fewer things since starting my own business three years ago.

But right now? Sharing the link at mododibere.com is crucial — and free.

That’s why I’m designing custom fliers for every challenge, so that you can send them to your friends via email, text or WhatsApp.

Grab the fliers at mododibere.com!

Thanks for reading about the work we’re doing behind the scenes at Modo di Bere TV. I’ll be writing back soon with some fun facts about the wine regions we’re covering in the Wine Doc Face Off Challenge.

Wherever you go, whatever you like to drink, always remember to enjoy your life and to never stop learning.

-Rose Thomas

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Are you a competitive person? I know I am. Make it into a game, and I am into it—even if I didn’t care at all before! ❤️ 🌹