Confession

TV dreams

I’m embarrassed to admit this: I’ve been trying to turn my podcast into a TV show for seven years. Seven! It hasn’t exactly been an overnight success.

Here’s a photo from my very first attempt at a sizzle.

But I was determined.

In 2018, I made a professionally edited “sizzle reel.” (You don’t have to watch this!) I sent it to a few producers in January 2019 who said things like this: “I just simply struggle with what platform would distribute or even entertain a conversation about it.” Ah. Got it.

One of those producers was Eli Frankel, my friend Karen’s husband, who became a friend. I remember it like it was yesterday. I pitched him during a family hangout and mentioned the concept in my garage in L.A. — no clue why I picked there. He shook his head. “Books and writing don’t make good TV,” he said. Or something like that.

But I couldn’t give up. I tried again in 2020. And then again in 2021. And again — . (You get it.)

Along the way, I got a literary agent, Joe Veltre at Gersh. His team pitched the concept with their TV/film division — but again, there just wasn’t interest in a show about books.

So I kept trying new things: video podcasts at home, filmed events, and more. Doing my books thing.

Then earlier this year, I decided to host another one of our Whitby Hotel live podcast events but wait — I’d make it a TV show filmed in front of a live, studio audience. (The audience being: you!) It would be the same as all our retreats and events except I would have it professionally filmed and edited.

So I did. I recorded two seasons of Totally Booked: Live. As I talked to the A/V guys in the sound booth, they were like, “Uh, we don’t usually work directly with the talent.” The talent! Ha.

Gersh took it out again as a completed series and guess what: they found a home for my show!

JBS (Jewish Broadcasting Service) wanted it. Yippee! Because along the way, I’d also become a Jewish advocate, using my platform to speak out. Who knew that simply doing what I knew was the right thing to do — defending the Jewish people and Israel — would lead to something like this?

Now, this Thursday at 7:30 pm, my show is coming out on cable TV. (Also on Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire, YouTube, their website, and other outlets.)

Just noting that it’s November 2025. Seven years of trying to do this. Seven years of getting told no. (Seven years of my husband Kyle — who became a producer himself —telling me not to give up.)

“Totally Booked” is now a regular series on JBS airing Thursdays at 7:30 pm starting this Thursday, November 6th.

And guess what? Eli Frankel, the producer who said it wasn’t a viable idea? He pivoted during the past seven years, too, and wrote an amazing true crime book called Sisters in Death which just came out. He was a guest at Totally Booked: Live recently which means he will actually be one of the guests featured on the TV show he said would never happen.

And not only that, but Kyle is now partnering with

Eli Frankel

on a new show after Eli took him under his wing to get him started in the industry — and just interviewed him, too, at Zibby’s Bookshop. (Reel here.)

Full. Circle. Moment.

So I hope you watch my show! But I also hope that this story inspires those of you out there trying to do something hard. Something that feels impossible. Something you’ve always wanted but maybe were too shy to admit or too ashamed to share the failure.

Sometimes it takes forever to accomplish something you’ve dreamed about — but you can’t give up. It might take time. It might look different than you’d first thought. But it can happen at the right time, in the right way, and you just have to trust that if you keep putting it out there in the universe, it might just work out. The only way it definitely won’t? If you give up.

So here we go! Now I can amplify the books I love and authors I admire even more widely.

How to watch:

https://jbstv.org/find-us/where-to-watch-jbs-by-tv-provider

I’ll also be releasing another five episodes of the Totally Booked podcast this week with:

• Lihi Lapid
  whose book I Wanted to Be Wonderful we’re also publishing

• Nia Sioux (of “Dance Moms”)

• New York Times bestselling author Rabbi Angela Buchdahl

• Jenna’s Book Club pick Heather Aimee O’Neill

• Lola Akinmade Akerstrom.

And I’ll be doing events in Boca Raton, FL and two events in New Haven, CT.

But this.

This is one of those times that I pause and sigh. Seven years. I finally, finally did it. Yes!

Now on to the next.

Thanks for coming on the ride. Let’s see how it goes!

(Comment below with something you didn’t give up on and finally achieved — or something you still want to! Or just your thoughts on my story above! And if you’re inspired, share this post with someone who might benefit!)