[feel the fear and do it anyway]

Aisha Frazier before her live hit.

This week, I successfully—at least I’d say successfully—completed my first live shot for Carolina Week, UNC-Chapel Hill’s student-led on-air broadcast.

Now, I’ve been in journalism for a while. I’ve assisted correspondents with their live hits, and my entire undergraduate degree is in on-air broadcasting. But until this week, I had never been the one in front of the camera going live. That changed.

I was so nervous. Thirty minutes before my hit, I went back and forth with Christopher, the producer and photographer running the camera for my shot. I told him about the pressure I feel being on camera and how my mind races as I speak. I shared horror stories—some real, some hypothetical. I even admitted that when I mess up, I stumble over my words and giggle.

“Everyone stumbles over words,” he reminded me, encouraging me the whole way. He told me overthinking is normal, but at the end of the day, I’m human—and viewers know that.

Despite the nerves and fear, I did it anyway.

Aisha Frazier, Carolina Week live shot on February 26, 2025.

Maybe it was because my grade depended on it. Maybe it was because I knew people were physically watching. Either way, I took a few deep breaths, stepped away for a moment to talk to myself (yes, I talk to myself), and then—boom—we were live.

And guess what? Everything I feared would happen… happened. I stumbled over my words. I giggled when I messed up. But I kept going. I didn’t let those small, very human mistakes derail my entire live shot.

So that’s my lesson of the week: You will be nervous. You will overthink. You will fixate on everything that could go wrong. But do it anyway. Do it scared. Feel the fear, and do it anyway—because what if nothing goes wrong?

What if everything goes right?

You won’t know unless you try. And that starts with reframing your mindset—because if you let fear control you, you might miss out on something amazing.

This lesson keeps showing up in my life as I navigate my mid-twenties. Moving to a new city meant making new friends, building new networks, and experiencing adulthood in a way I never had before. It’s hard. But to me, the alternative—staying in my comfort zone—is worse.

Now?

I go to parties alone and meet new people. I love taking myself on solo dates. I start conversations, even when I’m nervous about how I’ll come across. I take risks—because to me, the experience is always worth it. 

And if you want to see me (hopefully not stumbling over my words) and my wonderful peers, make sure to tune into Carolina Week on Wednesdays at 11:30 a.m.!