AND THE EMMY GOES TO MIRACLE TWINS With Danette Kubanda

Hello, it's Howard Brown is the Shining Brightly

Show. Oh my goodness. I am just so excited for this show. I have

topics about winning really shiny trophies and talking about

twins. Oh my god Danette Kubanda, welcome. I'm so glad to

see you. I am thrilled to be here. Thank you so much for

having me, Howard. We're gonna have some fun. But let me tell

you about the superstar that I have. You know, I'm looking on

the screen and you're listening or watching right now. So,

Danette Kubanda is an Emmy Award winning television producer turn

Media and Publicity coach, she helps authors, experts,

entrepreneurs share their message with the masses, very

important to be heard, right? So they can help people who need

them most. Her career spans 20 years in the TV biz. And I was

in the TV biz on the back end of it, the backside of it behind

the camera. And she earned the highest award in the field

twice, two Daytime Emmy Awards to her credit, and she began her

career at CNN. And then she moved on to the legendary Oprah

Winfrey Show. What's up Oprah shout out. Okay. We she spent

four years helping the viewers there to live their best lives.

I love that that was such a great show. We still get her

magazine, I think what an influence right worldwide. She

went on to write and produce for a Home and Garden Television,

find living network, CBS, Fox 20 television, and you are the co

author of Amazon Best Selling but creativity is wherever you

want it to be. Love that. Today, you serve as a publicity

consultant and media coach for national publicity summit, the

Quantum Leap programme, super connected media mastermind and

decision you have your own private coaching clients. Your

mission is to help experts become the media guests they

wanted and you wanted to book on your shows. This is awesome. So

welcome. Glad to be here. But before we do that, okay, you

have to share something that you know you not everyone knows

about you. So give me give us a little little tea here on

something we may not know.

I once had to charter an aeroplane for a

gorilla.

Come again. Why would you have to do that?

It was actually for a show we were doing for

animal planets. And the gorilla didn't fit in a commercial

cabin. And they didn't want him to fly cargo. So he got his own

chartered aeroplane to make it to Chicago.

That's different. And the gorilla made it the

first class of course.

Absolutely. And it was such a fun show. But it's

so important to just like think outside the box and figure out a

way to solve whatever problems in front of you. I can imagine

that your manager goes get that gorilla here. Go figure it out.

And you did. That's all thank you for sharing that amazing. So

as Danette and I have gotten to know each other she calls

herself a small town girl from Pennsylvania and I can't get the

journey song out of my head now because it's one of my my faves

all time don't stop believing that small town girl. But tell

us about that small town girl and how she eventually got to

the Emmy stage. Yeah, I I grew up in in Johnstown,

Pennsylvania, which if anyone's heard of it, they only know it

because of the flood. So you know, it's an old steel town. By

the time I got to high school, the mills had already closed

down. It was just, you know, there wasn't much there. So it

wasn't a situation where I had role models, you know, who were

out there becoming television producers are chasing big

dreams. But in my head, I always wanted to work in TV, and I was

going to do whatever it took to get there.

So you went to college for journalism? Is that

what it was?

I did, I actually started working in TV

when I was 16. In high school, I had to become a Boy Scout, a boy

scout explorer, they had a programme where we can work at

our local Cablevision station. And through that, I was able to

learn the ropes of running a camera. We've covered city

council meetings, we did local sporting events. It was just a

really great introduction into the industry. And from there, I

chose that top 10 journalism schools so that I could get more

hands on experience. I knew being in the field was better

than just book learning.

But what How did you know you knew that you

wanted to be you know, in the in the television business and

maybe just as a little girl, that's that was the goal and you

made it happen?

I was obsessed with TV. I watched absolutely

every sitcom that was available to me. I watched all the talk

shows. And yeah, that's just what I wanted to do. I wanted to

be Donna Reed, you know, she was the first woman who was credited

as a producer on her own show and I loved that girl and she

was out there you know, making her dream happen. So I knew what

I wanted. And I just had to go about figuring out how to make

it happen.

I have to tell you because I actually worked at

avid technology. And we changed from analogue to digital how

broadcast and film and TV and commercials were all made. I got

to see it from the backside. Like, I think I told you in the

green room, like I was in KNBC studios in LA during the OJ

Simpson Chase. I mean, we were glued to it. I mean, we were

like fans, and you know, the helicopters and everything and

the big lineup, but you know, chase him and things like that.

But I really feel very proud of that in my career. I never

wanted to be on TV, but I was got to be in support how

television was made. It was cool. And so you know, with that

comes some privileges, like meeting Jay lenno, and going and

seeing cool TV shows, like friends and things like that

being made up and all that. So it was a lot of fun. But it's

it's really amazing. But this is, you know, that take us

through here that you know, where were you actually, I think

it was some type of Judge show, right? What was the show that

actually got you some awards?

Yeah, I was working for Christina's court.

So it was a quick it was supposed to be three months in

Texas. And I figured I could live anywhere for three months.

And it ended up being one of the best experiences, I was able to

win two Emmys from it. That's where I met my husband. So it it

was a pretty productive three months for me.

Wow, look. And by the way, those that are will be

watching the video. I mean, she's got the Emmys right there

will show a picture of that right behind her. So she's got

the goodies right behind her, which is really impressive. And

so that's absolutely incredible. But I mean, again, you've been

really persistent in your career, you've made it happen.

But I want to talk about some personal struggle and things

like that. So take us into your miracle twins. And then being a

twin. It's just brings such joy, because I'm a twin and my twin

saved my life. So tell me about your story there.

Oh, and I love hearing that. I love hearing

that you and your twin are still so close. I hope that for my for

my babies too. Yeah, it was, it was a situation where I never

thought I'd have to worry about having kids. I'm the youngest of

six. I have 15 nieces and nephews, I thought, okay, that's

just something that you know, anybody can do. But when it came

my turn, it wasn't so easy. And we had to turn to science. I'm

so thankful for IVF I'm so thankful for the amazing doctors

who are out there. And even with those medical advancements, we

still have struggles, I still went through two different

miscarriages, I we lost an embryo during a thaw. We lost we

had a vanishing twin, my first baby had a twin, and that didn't

make it past eight weeks. You know, and so now I have the

healthy 11 year old boy and healthy nine year old twins. And

I'm so thankful for them. But it was a very scary time. We didn't

know what was going to happen, you know that they the

statistics are out there. That one in 10 couples struggle with

infertility. And they share that so that you don't feel so alone.

But it's a very dark time where you do feel very alone. So I

think that's part of the big reason I share my story is

because there is hope. And there are different avenues you can

explore. And I was ready and willing to explore whatever

options were available to me.

It's amazing. So there's a chapter in my book

called Miracle Girl. And you know, when you're diagnosed with

cancer at 23 years old, I was not thinking I was gonna have

kids I was thinking I wasn't going to live. And the fact that

either the god vision or the genius of Dr. Eric Rubin, my you

know, oncology Harvard fellow told me before chemotherapy, to

go to the cryogenic centre and preserve sperm and then to meet

my wife in Los Angeles and to call for that sperm 11 years

later and go through in vitro fertilisation which is

expensive, which is just emotionally draining right as

you now and she grew eight eggs and then they defrost the sperm

and put four back in and a harvest and and one became out

our beautiful healthy, you know, baby girl, and you know all that

goes back to my twin saving my life with her bone marrow. And

I'm going to let you in a little secret. Okay. My twin sister has

an older daughter, and she's now 25 But she has two twins that

are 22 girl boy just like you. It's incredible.

That's the best. I'm so happy for your

family. That's amazing.

So the message the message out there to anyone

listening and watching is that you know that fertility

conversations with your doctor. Okay, whether you're healthy or

not, you need to have those but there are all surrogacy and

there's adoption. There's lots of little ones out there.

There's orphans out there are that, that need good families,

they really do. And I think that's the message that you and

I come together on is that, but we are I know you and I, we are

so blessed to be able to have that and, and, and twins. It's

it's incredible. It's really an incredible thing I can tell you

that my sister is clearly you know, one of my best friends in

my world. And on May 24, I celebrated my 34th year my bone

marrow birthday. So happy bone marrow birthday, that's a

birthday, celebrate 34 years alive, right? Unfortunately, it

was a little hiccup in the winter with colon cancer, but

all healthy and things like that now, so, but we all struggle,

and then it's just such a beautiful thing. You know,

family illness is important, right? And you have a very big

family, lots of cousins. And again, you're just saying that

over the holiday weekend, you are actually getting everyone

together. And it's probably a big scene. But well, you got to

take that all in. That's good stuff.

It absolutely is. And we've you know, I'm

working in TV, I lived far away from my family for many, many

years. And we actually just moved closer to them about two

years ago. And I always say it would have been so much better

to live in your family when I had newborn twins, you know, to

have family to help out. But I'm so happy we have it now. And my

babies get, you know, they get their aunts and their cousins

show up to their baseball games and their basketball games. And

it just makes such a difference to have people around.

Alright, so my sister and I, we actually used

to watch this. And again, people maybe they might not remember

it, but there were the superheroes, right? And so there

were the wonders. Activate, no form of water. So so every our

birthdays are March 10. And when your twins birthday, April 8,

April 8, okay, so we actually call ourselves the Wonder Twins.

So I post a little thing on Facebook or whatever. And we do

the Wonder Twin powers activate. It's, it's really cute. But you

know, twins, they just have a bond. You know, I don't know

about your twins. But they do. I'm sure they do. And, you know,

hopefully they protect each other and support each other.

It's awesome. So any quick twin story that you have.

It was about two summers ago, and they both

came to me. And they both had the tiniest little booboo in the

exact same spot on the exact same knee. You know, and they're

both showing me my look, isn't this fun? I was like, it must be

a twin thing. I didn't have any other explanation for it.

I love it. It's a twin thing for sure. So I think

like there's a day for everything. I know, there's a

national twin day out there someday, I don't know the exact

date,

August and we now live near Twinsburg, Ohio,

where they have the twins day festival, which you should check

out at some point.

All right, I didn't even know that a

Twinsburg Ohio, so we'll definitely do that. So tell me,

you know, you know, the you're, you know, competent, combining

being a working mom and having a family and things like that, you

know, what are your takeaways from from being able to now be

blessed with such a cool family? And also, you know, hitting the

Emmy stage and all that, what are your big takeaways?

You know, I think the big thing for me was

that I really had goals in life, I had things I wanted to do. And

I knew that I wanted to do them and be able to focus on them. So

I'm really happy that I was able to go out and hit those career

milestones before I became a mom so that I didn't have any

regrets. So I have all of those career things out of the way.

And now I can focus on being the mom I wanted to be, you know,

I'm able to go to their all of their school functions and

volunteer for field trips, and still be a working mom and still

show them how important it is to still have have dreams and have

goals. But I feel like there's a better balance now than there

would have been if I was still working TV hours, which are very

long, very involves a lot of travelling, I wouldn't have been

able to be the mom I wanted to be and do that at the same time.

So I'm very thankful that I was able to work it out where I'm

still doing something I love, I'm still contributing to

amazing television shows, and amazing other media outlets,

because I'm working as a media coach now. But I can do it from

home and I can still be actively involved in my kids lives. It's

it's difficult to strike that balance, but it's possible. And

again, if it's something that you really want, there's a way

to make it happen, that you are making it happen and you're

living hopefully some type of balanced life and dedicated to

the family. You're you're you're managing it all.

So tell me about your coaching and what you're

doing now. And then give me real short one tip that someone could

get to be better be media Ready.

Ready? Yeah, yeah. So now I'm working as a

media coach and publicity consultants. So I'm I'm coaching

people, authors, experts, entrepreneurs who want to share

their message With the masses, they just don't necessarily know

how to get in front of those large audiences. And I'm, I'm

really hoping that I'm guiding people into becoming the guests,

I would have wanted to book on my shows, I think one of the

things people really struggle with is when they're pitching

the media, they're pitching their product, they're pitching

their book, their pitch, pitching their service, instead

of pitching, how they can help. So turning it around and

thinking about the audience, what is the audience going to

get from an interview with you, that's really what those

producers and editors are looking for. And that's what the

audience is looking for? How can you benefit that audience, share

something with them, to make them start living a better life,

starting today, give them actionable steps that they can

take. And in sharing that piece of your expertise, it's going to

leave them wanting to know more, so they're going to want to go

buy your book, and they're gonna want to sign up for your

programmes, and they're going to want to buy your products. But

if you go out there talking about those, then they feel like

they're being sold. So you want to, like, be an example of what

you can do and how you can serve people.

I love it. And also, you know, there's got to

be an action. So my, my daughter, who's a TV reporter in

Missoula, Montana, she always says positivity is great, but

positivity without action and impact is just positivity. So I

love it that be able to show that impact. And, and that's

what I'm all about. So, you know, there's there's the

shining brightly, you know, moment is to be able to do that.

This is absolutely incredible. Well, the time goes by quick on

a short show. So I'm going to ask you to put on your

sunglasses right now. All right. We're going to shine the

spotlight on you all look at those. What type of sunglasses

are they?

My daughter? Let me borrow her Taylor Swift

sunglasses, because this was an important interview, and she

wanted you to be feel important.

All right, well, thank you, TJ. And they are

great. Their heart shapes, eyeglasses, they're amazing. So

shining, brightly spotlight on you dinette, tell people how

they should get a hold of you if you have talked about your book

a little bit, and then share some inspiration and we'll close

out the show.

Excellent. Well, absolutely, you can visit

my website. It's just Dannette commando.com. And there are

buttons on there to connect with me on Instagram, Facebook,

LinkedIn, all of the social media outlets, I would love to

hear from people and see how I can help you get your message in

front of the masses. And then as far as an inspirational the book

the book first. Oh, sure. So I was a co author on creativity is

whatever you want it to be. And I wrote about creativity as

resilience because again, the it's about problem solving. It's

about thinking outside the box, and finding unique ways to solve

a problem or a struggle that you may be facing. You know, so I

talked a little bit about my fertility journey, I talked

about some different problems that I came across as a

television producer. And and one thing that kind of keeps ringing

in my head, I have three little kids, I watch a lot of animated

movies. But there was a Toy Story Short, where they that

they did for Halloween and they had a toy, an action figure

named combat coral, and combat Carl never gives up combat Carl

finds a way. I love those lines, because it's so true. It's and

he was teaching Jesse you know, the little cowgirl how to get

out of a predicament. And that kind of that soundbite realm was

through my head. Don't give up find a way, look outside the box

and find a way to find your dreams, chase your dream dreams

Chase chase your goals. So thanks.

Thank you for sharing that. That's awesome.

We'll take that. So I take the glasses off. And we're we'll

close out the show. So this is the shining, brightly podcast

show. And I just want to give a big shout out and thanks to the

over 125,000 people that are actually downloading and

reviewing and listening to this show each week and getting some

inspiration getting something out of it to take action on it

makes me and just reinforces why I do this and why we why we

actually get out and try to broadcast and, and share some

positive messages. You can get a hold of me at shining

brightly.com my speaking the book, The podcast is there also

more importantly, my advocacy in the entrepreneurship world at

Babson College, cancer world and the interfaith world to get to

know the others especially in this time of, of hate and some

tough times we've got going on there, we need that positivity.

I really do emphasise that and again, Daniel, we've talked

about today, twins and being a force multiplier for good and

positive change. So just remember, okay, that we can do

it, we can get back up again from hard times. So shout out to

the folks that make me look good front edge publishing, read the

spirit.com and the Amplify You network that makes my podcasts

beautiful. And and then we'll just we'll close it up by saying

if you choose to shine brightly a little bit each day for

ourselves, take care of ourselves, and then go lift up

others in our communities in our neighbourhoods, the world will

be a better place, Danette it's been a real pleasure, thank you.

And I love the Emmys. Oh my god, it's sparkling. It's beautiful.

And keep being a beautiful mom and keep helping people and with

your media consulting. I just love to having you as a guest.

Thank you for being

I've had so much fun. Thank you for inviting me.