One of the first questions Peter Finch ’04 (BUS) asks guests on his nationally distributed talk show “Live with Pete Finch!” is “What was your first hustle?” It’s aimed at making the point that to be successful, you must have confidence to go for what you want in life.

Which is why Finch, who was born and raised in Bridgeport, Conn., does not shy away from those who compare him with the city’s most famous celebrity, the promotional wizard and one-time mayor, P.T. Barnum.

“He was a guy who came from humble beginnings in Connecticut, but he had a show and traveled with it,” says Finch, who today operates his own business, producing commercials and his talk show. “I’ve been traveling with my show.”

Finch began his talk show on UCTV in Storrs when he was a student. After graduating from the School of Business, he worked a series of odd jobs to earn enough money to produce a DVD of the UCTV show’s highlights, which included interviews with hip-hop and rap artists such as Lil’ Wayne, Ice Cube, and Wyclef Jean.

He needed his own hustle to take the next step – getting noticed in the entertainment industry. He walked into MTV’s studios in New York City and passed out copies of his DVD to security guards, gaining him access to MTV executives, who hired him for several projects. A national distribution contract followed with Los Angeles-based Phoenix Group, which has the “Live with Pete Finch!” DVD available in stores and as an “on demand” selection on satellite and cable television networks.

Returning to UConn last fall to speak to School of Business students, Finch told his audience he hoped to provide “a voice for our generation.”

“It would be my voice helping to be a facilitator for other people in my generation, which is what I did at UConn, with people calling in and talking about issues like the war in Iraq and racial discrimination,” he says. “I’m out there trying to get credibility to be trusted when the right opportunity appears.”