Erin Munday of Mountlake Terrace said she knows countless people who say “I wish I had” when they talk about opportunities they didn’t pursue.
A lot of people say they would take a risk if money weren’t a consideration or if they knew people wouldn’t laugh at them, she said.
Munday, 32, is side-stepping that negative trap and showcasing people who share her way of thinking. With help from her friends Joelle and Jeremy Craft, Munday submitted an audition tape for Oprah Winfrey’s contest, “Your OWN Show: Oprah’s Search for the Next TV Star.”
“It’s tough to boil yourself down in three minutes,” Munday said. “(The show) is not about me; it’s about other people.”
Munday is quick to laugh at herself when explaining all the reshoots because she tripped over rocks, was drowned out by planes or was interrupted when her friend’s cell phone rang.
“I’m thinking of having a bloopers reel,” she said.
Munday is competing in the contest’s wildcard category. The premise of her idea for a show is to “live your best life.” Her goal is to travel across the country by bus to feature those people who stopped asking, “What if?”
“I want to showcase what people are doing,” she said. “If there’s someone on their couch feeling empty, and they see someone doing their dream, it’ll give them fire (to try).”
Munday’s not a fan of traditional talk shows with celebrity guests or of reality dating shows. She’d prefer her show to revolve around real people, such as the retired person who bought a farm or the family who took a chance by opening a restaurant.
Munday is a full-time student in the Washington State University Extension program, studying history along with English and women’s studies.
Recently she’s been looking at schools to complete a master’s degree and eventually a doctorate. Her options could mean staying local or moving across the country.
“I’ll end up where I’m supposed to end up,” she said.
Munday also makes and sells lavender-scented bath oils, salts and lotions at the Mountlake Terrace Farmers Market. Her company’s called Siochain Lavender. You can read about her products at www.siochainlavender.com/.
Munday heard about the contest while watching “The Oprah Show” as Winfrey talked about her new TV network, the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN). The network is set to launch Jan. 1.
Winfrey is teaming with producer Mark Burnett (“Survivor,” “The Apprentice”) to kick off the new network with a televised competition series, “Your OWN Show: Oprah’s Search for the Next TV Star.”
The winner of the series will host a talk show produced for OWN.
Contestants are required to send in a three-minute video by Saturday proving why they should have a talk show. Viewers can vote online until July 3.
The categories include traditional talk show, health and well-being, wildcard, interior design, and fashion and cooking.
The five contestants with the most online votes will join the top contestants from the casting calls being held in Atlanta, Dallas and Los Angeles. Producers will then select 10 people to appear on the televised competition series.
Munday is realistic, but hopeful: “The worst-case scenario is I did it, I put it out to the wind, and we’ll see what happens.”
Want to vote?
First watch Erin Munday’s audition video at tinyurl.com/mundayshow. Then click on the big green button that says VOTE.
If you want to make your own video entry, better hurry. The deadline is Saturday. For more about the contest go to www.oprah.com/.
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