Krista Watterworth, Host & Interior Designer
Currently on HGTV's "Save My Bath"
Mon-Fri 5:30pm e/p
Fridays 8:30pm e/p
Saturdays 1:00 pm e/p
When did you become interested in pursuing a career in the entertainment industry?
In nursery school, I had my first supporting role as Monkey in "Caps for Sale" by Esphyr Slobodkina. Then, a successful follow up performance occurred in junior high when I played the lead in "Snowy White," a modern adaptation of the fairy tale where the dwarfs were part of an unruly motorcycle gang. (I use a light-hearted touch in my description, but these two experiences really did set the foundation.) I didn’t return to the stage until my twenties, when I took my first method-acting class and began learning about Shakespeare. Around that time, I scored three national commercials and worked successfully as a print model. I was hooked, and went on to receive my master of fine art from the famed Actors Studio Drama School in Manhattan, where I attended the mandatory workshop moderated by our school dean, James Lipton, called Inside the Actors Studio (on Bravo).
How long were you involved in the industry before you received your first big break?
Honestly, it was a second career for me. My long time dream was a career in criminal law. I failed to meet the demands after one year of law school. How ironic that I was to end up in one of the most demanding industries: the business of entertainment! After receiving my graduate degree in theatre, I was one of the very few in my small class to be sought after by a talent manager. He helped place me with a legit NY agent and I was represented for television and film. After two years of making the rounds with all the major networks (NBC, CBS, Fox, ABC) during New York’s pilot season auditions (January through May), I was getting call backs and feeling rather excited about my opportunities in television. Then, after a trip to Los Angeles and meetings with casting directors, producers and agents, I was sent back to NYC for a meeting with the hosting division at Abrams Artists. That’s when I scored my first paying gig as a host on the national cable network Home & Garden Television, and I was given my own show called “Save My Bath” (now airing daily at 5:30pm e/p).
How can being a good negotiator help a creative person in the industry?
As “talent” I am represented by an agent, publicist and manager, but ultimately the success of my career rests in my own hands. When I am negotiating a new deal or contract, as I am now for a book I want to publish, I play the role of creative character (good cop). I show my enthusiasm and a positive outlook for my part in the project. Then, my representatives step in to play bad cop and deal with all the dirty work like money and legal issues. However, all the while, I am running the show from behind the scenes. I have to be tenacious yet easy to work with, and know exactly what I want so I can steer my representatives in the best direction for my end goals. Then, there’s regular follow up, and a constant need to always pass on new ideas for where I’d like to take my career. A great book called "How to Agent your Agent" by Nancy Rainford helped me to understand the industry in this regard. I know my boundaries when going into a negotiation. I know what I’m willing to accept, or not accept. Most importanty, I’m prepared to walk away if my goals aren't met.
What advice can you give someone struggling to break into the industry?
Set a goal, read everything you can by successful people who’ve done it before you, and be tenacious in putting your plan in place. You can’t give up, that’s the key. My goal was television. It was too much of an undertaking for me, at my age, to focus on a career in television, film and theater. I found focusing in one area was manageable. I did everything I could to get there. Luck plays into the routine of career building, of course. Also, one has to be willing to accept certain variations on their dream result. I never thought, with a method acting background, that I’d end up hosting a renovation television show. Over the years, my “day job” went from paralegal, to restaurant hostess, and finally interior design. I found the latter to be another passion. So hosting a show about interior design was the best of both worlds for me.
When did you first realize you had a passion for design?
My interest in design began in 1977 at the ripe old age of seven. My hobby (or perhaps obsession) was drawing detailed dissections (elevations) of homes on a large art pad. The people in my virtual reality would chat, eat or sit quietly alone, perhaps reading in their favorite chair. I suppose it was a reflection of my own vision of an ideal life, and sometimes a slice of my actual life—in a sense, a family portrait or home portrait. It wasn’t always pretty (my family knew well how to argue and fight) but most of the time my drawings reflected the joy and laughter of a house filled with four sisters, complete with images of slumber parties and movie nights. Down the road I began to recognize that my designs were truly an artistic expression of my thoughts and dreams (however mundane at times). So for me, interior design is as natural as breathing and the way I enjoy communicating most. I’ve furthered my formal study of interior design at the famed Parson School of Design in New York City.
When you are designing a bathroom on "Save My Bath," how does negotiation play a role?
Like in any business transaction, the biggest negotiation is with the client. I have to know when my client is willing to be pushed creatively, and when my vision begins to over burden the integrity of a project. In the three years in which I’ve been designing for my own business and on Home & Garden Television, I have found my own method is all about observation and really listening. I never want to design a space that doesn’t reflect the style, taste and character of the homeowner. In that sense authenticity is the value I cherish most.
How do you measure the "success" or "failure" of any given negotiation?
It’s quite simple, if I get everything I want and all parties seem contented as well, then it’s been a successful negotiation. Naturally, that rarely happens. But again, before I start a negotiation I know exactly what I’m willing to give up and I stick to those guidelines as best I can. However, negotiating is a creative process. Sometimes a client, television network or publisher will refuse to give me a certain element of my wants and desires, but will supplement with something new that I hadn’t thought of. That’s when it becomes fun.
Do you practice yoga?
Yes I do, and have for the past two years. Currently, I’m 24 weeks pregnant and I do prenatal flow yoga once a week with a private yoga instructor.
How can yoga help during a negotiation?
What I learn through the practice of yoga and meditation is patience, balance and breathing. In a negotiation, before I practiced yoga, I may have expressed disinterest or negativity at just the mention of something I disliked. Now, I breathe through a moment that is uncomfortable, much like I do in a difficult yoga position, and I watch my negativity pass. Then, I respond from a calm place. People quickly gain respect for this way of doing business, and I notice a very different and more positive response to this kind of poise.
What is your dealmantra?
“Fear the fear and do it anyway!”
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