Sprinting for batteries in cowboy boots.

Question: What was your favorite Big Think blooper?

Victoria Brown: One of our first interviews was in Boston. And Eddie who runs the production, really had to become very, very quickly up to date on how to set this whole thing up. And he’s done an amazing job.

The very first time we were setting up there was one tiny error. And it’s bizarre how tiny things can seem huge when they happen, and it was a missing battery, which ended up not actually mattering at all. But I decided we had this big, important business person coming on – Michael Porter – and it was our first interview on location somewhere, and we had very limited time to set up. And he was on his way in, and he was going to give us a specific amount of time and that was it. And so there was this battery. I don’t even remember what it was for – maybe the microphone or something like that. And so we were like, “What the heck are we going to do?” And it was maybe half a mile to the Staples store. And because I’d lived in Cambridge I knew where the store was, so I said, “I’ll go.” And I was wearing some kind of boots, and it was really, really hot that day. And I ran to the store and there were people; I literally shoved an old lady out of the way to get to pay. I threw down $20. It cost probably like $2, and just took the batteries and ran all the way back.

And when I got in there Michael Porter was there, and I was just sweating disgustingly. And then I was also the makeup artist, so I had to do his makeup and sweat was pouring off me.

I don’t even think it was that funny, but the one I remember the most.

Recorded on: January 2, 2008