I Wouldn’t Be Here, If They Hadn’t Been There

I ponder lots about how the hell I got here.  Radio’s had its ups and downs for each of us, but on balance the industry’s been good to me.  I’ve found my place.  It’s been quite rewarding to help talent grow.  My favorite part comes when shows I work with have breakthrough moments that change the trajectory of their careers.

Catching up with my friend Greg Strassell from Hubbard the other day, he referenced a gentleman we both know who was having a milestone birthday.  When I met Jay Williams, he was a manager of a station in Boston and the consultant in Springfield, MA where I had my first morning show.  Jay laid the foundation for my love of personality radio.  Jay pushed me a lot.  But that built resilience as he compelled me to reach levels I didn’t know I had by making me uncomfortable. I knew deep inside he liked and respected me.  That vibe compelled his honesty.  Most of his critiques were tough.  I still have all of them, in boxes downstairs, forty years later.

Steve Reynolds, as an original, doesn’t really exist.  He’s a Frankenstein.  Over the years, I’ve been lucky to meet some of the smartest people in radio.  What I am is a little of him and some of her.  So many people have influenced how I look at radio and all have accelerated my belief in talent.  It was Jon Coleman (founder of Coleman Insights), knowing had I not gone into radio that I’d have been a school teacher, who first saw the opportunity for my company with consolidation happening.  When it’s time to wrap all this up, it’ll be Jon I have the most to thank.  Of my Frankenstein composite, I’m more Jon than anyone else.   But lots of folks are on that list.

I bet you’re like that, too.

As Thanksgiving approaches, I’d like to suggest something to each of us, but especially talent.  Who are those people who are always there for you?  Who have believed in you along the way?  The ones who return your messages when you need a friendly voice.  Those who freely gave of themselves when you needed advice or direction, asking for nothing in return?  Who, in the face of the industry’s flux, has always been honest, even when it’s been tough to hear?  Who was there in the beginning?

There is so much we don’t control about the industry’s future.  It’s all being figured out at a pay grade higher than most of us.  As the holidays approach, I’d like to suggest you reach out to those few who you know you can always count on and thank them.  Those who helped you at the start of your career.  And do it old school.  No texts or emails.  Get their home address and write them a note, and send it in the mail.  It’ll blow them away and make you feel good you did it.  You’ll feel like a kid again by putting that positivity out there.

Yea, I know you’re super busy.  But I guarantee you’ll do nothing more important than this as we close out the year.  You’ll change their day when they get it.  Maybe, more importantly, you’ll change yours when you send it.

Besides Jay and Jon, I have an exceptionally long list.  I won’t bore you with it lest the walk off music start from the Academy Awards.

But I’ve got my note cards, addresses, and stamps, and plan on thanking those who’ve given me what I have – those who’ve made me a Frankenstein.

Because I wouldn’t be here, if they hadn’t been there.