Downingtown pediatric nurse Lindsay Carmine was able to snag a spot for the 43rd season of her favorite reality TV show Survivor back in September, but the road to landing that position was not easy, writes Daryl Austin for The Wall Street Journal.

Carmine spent years submitting audition tapes, but to no avail because she could not make it past the interview stage. Furthermore, Survivor is one of the hardest shows to get onto. Yet, her luck changed when she hired casting veteran Jodi Wincheski.

Wincheski helped Carmine to focus on the most interesting parts of her backstory and cut unnecessary pieces from her audition tapes. Months later, Carmine was a castaway in Fiji.

“I was able to help her understand where she had gone wrong so she could fix it,” said Wincheski.

Wincheski is part of a growing group of professionals who help people break their way into the world of reality TV. She uses her skills to make applicants stand out by reviewing written applications and audition tapes, practicing for the interviews, and more.

Carmine wrote in an email that Wincheski “was such an integral part of me getting cast.”

Read more about getting on your favorite reality TV show in The Wall Street Journal.

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