07. How to Stay Calm on National Television with Sonja Overhiser
Writers like to stay behind the screen, but part of our work requires encountering The Season of Visibility. If you’re feeling unsteady, Sonja Overhiser is a writer worth knowing. She’s built a creative business with her husband, Alex, and today she’s sharing tips for surviving live television spots, why she hired a publicist (even though she had a traditional book deal), and how writing helped her cope with a difficult adoption journey.
Highlights
Sonja’s transition from full-time technical writer to full-time creative business owner
How she used writing as a way to cope with a difficult period of liminal space as she waited to adopt her son
Tips for getting started with using video
The most important skill writers need to have—after strong writing, of course
Guest Bio
Sonja Overhiser has run the award-winning food blog A Couple Cooks with her husband, Alex, since 2010, and co-authored Pretty Simple Cooking, which has been named a best vegetarian cookbook by Epicurious and Food & Wine. A Couple Cooks was awarded the IACP Best Individual Blog award in 2019 by the International Association of Culinary Professionals, a professional food media association co-founded by Julia Child. A Couple Cooks has been featured on the TODAY Show, and in numerous national print and online publications, including Washington Post, Huffington Post, Oprah, Food & Wine, and Bon Appetit. As a healthy and sustainable eating advocate, Sonja works with the following organizations committed to improving planetary health and public health: Planetary Health Alliance, EAT Foundation, and True Health Initiative. She lives in Indianapolis with her family, where she is co-founder of the organization Indy Women in Food that champions women in the Indianapolis food industry, and has been featured as a trailblazing woman in food by the Indy Star.
Links + Resources
Sonja’s adoption story
Are you a Xennial?
Sonja and Alex’s Today Show clip
Learn your Enneagram type
Eat This Poem: A Literary Feast of Recipes Inspired by Poetry
Wild Words: Rituals, Routines, and Rhythms for Braving the Writer’s Path
