UConn alum and TV host discusses start of his career

Pete Finch, TV host of "Live! with Pete Finch" and UConn alumnus, spoke at the School of Business Tuesday night as the first part of a four-part lecture series called, "Diversity in Business."

Sporting a gray suit, pink shirt, gray hat and white and gray Nike sneakers, Finch talked about his life's journey thus far and the things he has learned along the way.

Finch got his foot in the door when he made his first DVD, "A Hip Hop Journey: Live with Pete Finch." The DVD included interviews he had conducted with rappers including Ice Cube and Wyclef Jean.

"This DVD was how I was going to let people know what I was doing," Finch said. "Sometimes it's not always smart to go out there if you don't have something to leave with people."

After manufacturing 500 of his DVDs, Finch started leaving them with people anywhere he could. He went to MTV Studios in New York City and left a couple with the guards at the door. They, in turn, secretly gave him a couple of "extension numbers" for him to call.

He did, which got him into the studio where he again dropped off more copies of his DVDs.

"You got to get in - intern, volunteer, do something - once you're in, you get to the top!" he said.

Finch's persistence was noticeable at UConn as well.

He had a TV variety show on the university's UCTV network. There, he interviewed Emeka Okafor, a then-popular member of the UConn basketball team.

During the Men's Final Four season, Finch gave his video camera to Okafor to tape the men's team behind the scenes. Finch showed some of Okafor's recording, including the team on a bus, a box of Gatorade bottles and Charlie Villanueva eating Sun Chips.

Finch explained that he did not ask the university's communications department for permission to tape or broadcast the footage of the team. He just did it.

"If I had asked, it wouldn't have happened," he said. This was an example of Finch's piece of advice, "Squeeze First, Ask Questions Later."

Simone Hill, a 7th-semester finance major, was impressed with Finch and his presentation.

"He did an excellent job of showing his drive. He knows how to persevere. He's good at not taking no for an answer," she said.

Seanice Austin, the Director of Diversity at the School of Business, has worked at the university for 10 years, and knew Finch when he was a student. Finch had contacted her about a year ago, asking if he could come to talk to students about his experiences.

"People who usually come to talk are people at their pinnacle," Austin said. "I wanted to bring in different types of people, with different background. What better way to hear than from someone who's still in it?"

Finch is still making his way. Currently, he's producing some commercials for small businesses as well as some short films and documentaries. He also has another DVD coming out.

"It's still just the beginning," he said.

Students who attend three of the four lectures in the "Diversity of Business" lecture series receive a Diversity Certificate in April, awarded at the annual Business Diversity Awards Banquet.