Every night at 8:00PM, Tucker Carlson blows away the competition with his 3.2 million viewers. Hannity comes in second place with around 2.9 million, all while the supposedly popular Anderson Cooper comes through with less than half those numbers at 1.2 million.
So what’s in Tucker’s secret sauce?
For fans it’s simple: Tucker has perfected his craft for uncovering and sharing the stories Americans truly care about. Not only that, he’s able to consolidate massive topics into simple, understandable 1-hour programs each and every night. Those who tune in would say the monologues are his bread and butter.
When asked about his writing routine, Tucker describes it as this:
6 Hours -- Read, Read, Read
2 Hours -- Write, Write, Write
1 Hour -- Rehearse / Practice
1 Hour -- Host The Tucker Carlson Show at 8PM.
That’s 90% of Tucker’s work day devoted solely to preparation, leaving viewers with only the best sources, points, and summaries come primetime.
What I’m getting at here is Tucker has a rare work ethic and focus that is far too often overlooked in today’s culture. While other anchors are tempted by breaking news on Twitter and getting personal with fans, Tucker is hosting the number one show in the country while living a somewhat private life. Heck, the man doesn’t even have a personal Twitter account (let alone social media presence at all), and the interviews he does are sparing.
Case and point: Tucker sees anything other than his show and family as a distraction.
Could Tucker be even bigger than he is today by investing into other platforms and shows as well? Probably. But he doesn’t care about any of that, because sacrificing more fame and money for privacy and a sense of normalcy for his children is well worth it. Isn’t this the way it should be for all of us anyway?
Tucker’s family is relatively disassociated from his stardom because of this machine he’s built for his show and how he’s stayed true to it over the years. It's staffed with some of the best researchers, writers, and editors in world, yet he treats it like a day job and doesn’t let it creep into any other areas of his life.
On top of that, Tucker has avoided many of the distractions most Americans fall into throughout his tenure. For instance, as a culture we're encouraged to always do more (like start a YouTube channel, share more online, etc.) that we eventually let all the things we're juggling consume what were once important areas of our life like privacy and family. At the same time taking away from the quality of what we once were putting all our energy towards.
If Tucker's lifestyle is any testament, he's gone against the culture and found even more success than just in his career because he's maintained and valued a private life for his family despite all odds. He's put first things first, mastered his craft, and is now reaping the rewards.
His devote focus has paid off. AKA his secret sauce.