This week I heard Kristine Lilly speak at a work event. If you do not know her, here is her story.
Two-time World Cup winner. Two Olympic golds. More international appearances than any soccer player in history (men or women).
Two things struck me most, and they were not the medals or a statistic. One was her storytelling. The other was a simple detail from her childhood.
When she started playing, the thing she loved most was orange slices at halftime. She says they tasted so good that she fell in love with soccer. That small ritual brought her back. It kept her in love with the sport before trophies, before crowds, before headlines. Years later, after all the success, she still credits those early joys with shaping her commitment.
On the train back to my apartment in Switzerland, I kept thinking: what were my orange slices when I started in this business?
I have been in broadcasting for 26 years. My first job was assistant reporter-producer. Days started before sunrise. I would wake at five to make a seven a.m. call, finish near midnight, sleep a few hours, and do it again.
It was not the money. It was not the title. What kept me coming back were meals with the crew — the camera operator, the utility, and me.
Between interviews and location shoots in Costa Rica we would find a little place for lunch, or return to a favorite spot from the week before. That time at the table was my fuel. It was where I learned the work and listened to people with more experience. It was where I felt part of the craft.
As my role shifted from reporter to producer, then into management, I spent less time in the field. The work changed. The motivation had to change with it. I began to travel more. Those trips created a new kind of orange slice.
Sixteen cities in five weeks across the United States can wear you down. But landing in Houston and getting proper barbecue, landing in Kansas City and doing the same, landing in Los Angeles and finding Korean food, or that Greek place in London I still look forward to, gave me a small target on the horizon. A reason to smile after a long day. A reminder that even when the schedule is heavy, there is something simple to enjoy.
You might say, “Oscar, this is not a food job.” Fair. You can eat at those places in any career. But for me, in those early years, the meals kept me going. They helped me find community. Later, my orange slices evolved again.
There was a season when the motivation became money and growth. Then recognition and the pride of a clean show. Later it became helping others, delivering quality, and learning how to be present at home more often. Motivations change. That is healthy. What matters is not losing the reason you started.
Our industry is tough. Long days. Changing technology. Shifting business models. Budgets that tighten without warning. In those moments it is easy to forget the spark that brought you in. It is easy to doubt yourself or the path you are on.
When that happens, remember your orange slices.
Try this for five minutes
Write down your first spark. What made you fall in love with this work? A mentor, a show day, a piece of kit, a team ritual?
List three tiny joys you still have access to. A pre-show walk, a quiet coffee before call, a favorite meal on the road, a clean comms check, a well-timed replay, a thank-you note to a colleague.
Pick one to protect this week. Put it on your calendar. Share it with a teammate.
Note how you feel after. If it helps, keep it. If it does not, try another.
If you lead a team
Ask your people, “What are your orange slices?” Put those on the plan.
Protect small rituals. A five-minute check-in. A shared meal when possible. A real thank you at wrap.
Remember that the spark is different for everyone. Make room for it.
My current list
A fifteen-minute walk around the venue to clear my head.
Seeing on screen an idea that started as a couple of sentences on paper.
A meal I can share with colleagues while listening to stories and ideas.
If today is heavy, take one minute and write down why you like this. Not a mission statement. One line. The thing that still makes you smile.
Then go do the work.
If you have a chance, explore Kristine Lilly’s book, Powerhouse. She wrote it with Dr. John Gillis Jr. and Dr. Lynette Gillis. It is full of great stories and useful lessons on teamwork.
See you next week.
Oscar
P.S.I enjoy typing but I am more productive when I record my thoughts. To do that, the best app I’ve found is Wispr Flow. Try it, your productivity will increase and you will find more free time for the important things in life.