Who I Am After All

You may recognize Jeff Ansell’s voice from CHUM radio or his face from City-TV, but the behind-the-scenes tales of his life are even more fascinating than the stories he uncovered. In this unflinchingly honest and vulnerable memoir, Jeff reveals his investigative reporting escapades, from hunting Nazi war criminals living in Canada, to inciting the closure of an abusive nursing home, and even going undercover as a drug addict to expose medical fraud. He then steps over to the other side of the microphone to provide media and crisis training to thousands of people worldwide, including PG&E during the Erin Brockovich case and BP’s partner during the Deepwater Horizon disaster. He even became an instructor at Harvard Law School and lecturer at Harvard Business School, despite being a high school dropout. And that’s just scratching the surface. Jeff’s uncanny ability to meet celebrities leads to hilarious and heartwarming interactions (usually), and he recognizes the irony of being an on-air personality and keynotes speaker plagued with panic attacks. He opens up about how grieving changed his relationship to spirituality, and doesn’t pull any punches when guiding us through his tumultuous battle with illness. One thing is for sure—Jeff lived a full life, and this entertaining and inspirational memoir is proof of it.

Jeff’s book When the Headline Is YOU: An Insider’s Guide to Handling the Media delivers proven strategies for managing all types of media encounters.

An Amazon PR bestseller, the book provides a how-to guide for leaders, executives, and other professionals whose high-visibility requires frequent contact with the media. In addition, he reveals lessons learned and pitfalls to avoid by referencing news events from around the world. Valuable features include:

  • A behind-the-scenes look at how news is made

  • Complete guidelines to creating compelling messages

  • Specific messaging formulae for building trust when the news is bad

  • Step-by-step strategies for managing hostile or relentless questions

  • Insider tips on how to identify and handle misleading questions

An essential resource for navigating both traditional and online media, this book prepares readers for even the most challenging media events.

Drawing on nearly four decades of media experience, Jeff presents unique and proven techniques to speak with impact, respond to challenging questions and deliver effective and powerful messages.