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Making the
Transition
"Yes, but what are you
going to do when you get out of radio?"
One of my home town's most
successful businessmen asked me that question.
We were standing in the middle of a large gathering of
entrepreneurs and civic leaders at a luncheon reception.
I
dug the toe of my shoe into the floor then stumbled over a few words
before finally answering that it was not something I had really thought
about until the very moment when he'd asked the question!
"Well,
let's talk when you decide to leave radio," the businessman said.
"You're a good communicator and you know how to get things
done. I think you might do
well in my line of work!"
Silly
thought, thought I! "Hmmm …how could a radio DJ/talk show host
become a corporate warrior?" I wondered out loud.
At
the time, my hair was just barely above my collar and I was wearing a
plaid suit with bell-bottom pants.
You guessed it. It
was during the early 70's. I
was a young, brash radio guy, ridin' high with numbers in the 50's and
low 60's during my time slot on the air.
To this day, I vividly recall that moment and subsequent
conversations with other business leaders through the years
Have you recently had a
conversation similar to the one I've just recounted?
Maybe it was a discussion about the future with your wife,
husband, a friend, or fellow employee.
Did you have a ready answer?
Have you even had time to think about the future?
Do you spend more time doing show preparation than you do
balancing your checkbook? Are
your priorities in order? Was
there a road left untraveled you wished that you could return to and
journey down?
There is no better time than
right now -- this very minute -- to begin planning for your future.
What do you want out of life?
Stability? Steady
income? Freedom from worry? Short
of winning the lottery or gaining a healthy inheritance, it'll take some
planning and work to get you there!
I have been very lucky during
my life to have been in the right place at the right time.
But, I put myself in that "right place" by not giving
in when the going got tough. When
many around me told me that I would never "make it" in radio,
I put my head down and bulled my way through those negative comments.
Perseverance and a positive attitude are powerful tools.
Since breaking into radio at
age 16 and retiring from radio (the first time) at the ripe old age of 28, I have made the
transition through several career changes.
Each transition was made a little easier by applying the skills
and remembering the tactics and techniques learned at each bend in the
road along the way. What
began as encouragement and advice in a letter to a friend, who is still
in radio, turned into this guidebook.
Use and apply it to your personal situation.
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