Updated: A Media Maven Major Moment with Ms. Mueller!

It's been quite a while since I posted a media interview here, so I thought I would dust off the delay and present a great conversation with Jen Mueller, who in weeks is heading into her 18th season as sideline reporter on Seahawks Radio.  She is a versatile, talented broadcaster, emcee, top-notch motivational speaker with a custom website and a chef extraordinare.    Enjoy and please offer feedback.   Thanks to all.

1. You've been missed on the Mariners games and All Access with the end of Root Sports.  How did you adjust to not being part of the broadcast team this season?  

 "It was actually my decision to step away.  I'm proud of all the years I spent with the broadcast and grateful for the moments, highlights, post-game interviews and Gatorade baths I was a part of.  It's special to be part of a sports community and television broadcast.  And I knew it was time for a new challenge and a chance to run my business, 'Talk Sporty to Me,' full time.  I do miss seeing my friends every night, but it turns out I really enjoy watching baseball with a glass of wine in my hand."

2. Catch us up on what you've been doing with your emcee-ing, excellent motivational public speaking work and social media activity via your website.

"Before I ever considered being a broadcaster, I thought I was goiing to be a third grade teacher.  There's always been a part of me that loves to teach, coach and encourage other people.  All of the things you mentioned are a reflection of that. I love empowering audiences when I am on stage as keynote speaker.  I love helping connect an audience to a specific message when I'm an emcee and I love to coach-up people in the kitchen.  It's always about connection and communication for me.  Those are the two things that bring me joy and spark creativity."

3. With football season upcoming, how do you prepare as the team readies to defend its title and also with ownership changes looming?

"I feel like the only thing that changes for me each football season is how much older I am than the players I'm covering!  Heading into year 18 as the Seahawks sideline reporter, I have long history and knowledge of the team which is beneficial in preparing for the upcoming season.  I'm plugging in new names.  The team's success doesn't change the expectations I have for myself when it comes to preparation.  There's a lot of reading, note-taking and questions asked during press conferences, but there's also a lot of standing around watching practice.   Often I'm not looking for anything in particular, I'm just learning tendencies and making sure the guys expect to see me on the field.  As for the new owners, the Seahawks are an awesome organization with an incedible culture and smart decision-makers.  I trust they've made the best decision for the team."

4. How do you approach sideline/field reporting when you must deal with high pressure moments and powerful emotions, unexpected situations and having to get honest answers from those you talk to?

"This is actually something I speak about quite often in one of my most popular keynotes around tough conversations, accountability and feedback.  Audiences are always surprised that post-game interviews after a loss aren't as 'tough' as you might think, because of the expectations that are in place.  In sports, the objective is to win the game. Everyone in the building knows it.  So if you don't win a game, there's an expectation we're going to talk about it.  They know the game situations they're going to be asked about.   It's not a surprise.  In many ways, that makes my job easier because everyone's on the same page.  It's up to me to approach it in the most productive way with the understanding that I can't force you to talk to me and I can't force you to give a specific answer.

"Here's what I can do: recognize the human being standing in front of me, give them a choice and get to the point.   The guys don't have to talk to me. I'm grateful when they do, but if I ask for an interview and they say no, I respect their decision.  If they say yes and we're talking after a loss, I'll often give them a heads up as to the specific game situations I'm going to ask about and get right to the point. I approach every interview from the perspective of  'What happened?'  I can think I know, it can look obvious, but the reality is I don't know what the play call was or who missed an assignment or if it was the right play call."

5.  Lightning round:

Favorite player to work with all time, football or baseball?

"That's a question that's going to get me in trouble.  I love working with people who have life experience and stories to tell"

Toughest interview ever?

"Locker room interviews after a Super Bowl loss are gut-wrenching, but on the positive side my favorite interview of all time was with Felix Hernandez after his Perfect Game"

Sideline work or studio work?

"Sidelines, no question.  There's nothing like being close to the action and getting immediate reaction from the people involved in the game.  The storytelling I did as part of Mariners All Access was fun for me because I wanted to give fans a chance to see their favorite players as relateable and fun."

Anthing new in your future?

"I am in the process of writing a cook book!. 'Cook Like a Rookie' will be published next year by Lyons Press.  It's based on 'I Cook, You Measure,' and features athlete stories as well as new recipes from my kitchen.

Favorite dish you cook?

"I cook a lot of different things and wouldn't say I have a favorite dish.  I do love Tex-Mex and brunch foods, so I frequently combine those when I have a weekend morning off."

Thank you Jen for taking the time out to answer my questions.    Wishing you a great season ahead and upcoming success with your book!