We're All Born Creative

From a very young age we all have a quiet little voice in our heads that comes from somewhere deep inside. It whispers unique and amazing thoughts and ideas to us. In the beginning, we all hear these ideas, get excited, and do something about them. Unfortunately, the bigger and more unusual the ideas, the more resistance we encounter when we try to bring them to life. Eventually, most of us stop listening to that quiet little voice, dismiss its thoughts and ideas, and just try to fit in because it's too damn hard to do otherwise.
The great artists never stop listening to that quiet little voice in their heads no matter how tough it gets. James Taylor was on the Charlie Rose Show the other night. He talked about how hard it was for him early on in his life.

"I was born with a difficulty of being in my own skin. Living in human society,
I just ran into trouble. I think everybody does to a greater or lesser extent. I
did feel as though I was born on the dark side of the Moon and that I didn't
have a place in this world when I was 15."

James Taylor's troubles living in this world inspired that quiet little voice in his head to help him write some remarkable songs. Here's how James described the process to Charlie:

"I don't really feel as though I write songs. I feel as though I hear them first
and remember them and get them down. It's such a mysterious and subconscious
process that I couldn't really say that I wrote those songs. I just channeled
them or they happened to me first. There is a sort of lightning bolt kind of
moment when you're visited by a song and you get, hopefully, as much as you can.
Sometimes it's a whole song, but sometimes it's just a fragment. Then you have
to collect those fragments and often later on you sequester yourself and hide
away somewhere and work 'em."

Don't stop listening to that quiet little voice in your head. It's your genius. Write down everything it says no matter how weird, nonsensical, or fragmentary it may seem at the time. If you don't write it down, you'll forget it. Then, like James Taylor, spend time with the stuff you collect. Work it and shape it. Figure out what you were born to create. Build it. Publish it. The world is waiting for you to make a difference like James Taylor has with his songs.

It's Easier to Be Boring

If you are a remarkable radio personality you are an artist. The reason you are an artist is that you're doing personal work that's never been done before. You are not copying someone else or reading a script. You are putting yourself out there -- your feelings, your opinions, your thoughts, your ideas. It's damn hard work. The minute you put yourself on the line like that, the minute you say, this is what I really think and feel, this is my bit, I wrote it, what do you think, your fear kicks in. It becomes easier to make it average. It's easier to make it beyond reproach. It's really scary doing something original. You don't want to find yourself in the PD or GM's office getting criticized for this and that. It's easier to just be boring.

Restoring Trust in the News Media

Reporting the news objectively is nearly impossible. Journalists who claim to be objective are living in a dream world. There is no way Brian Williams, Katie Couric, and Charles Gibson are objective. No way.

Reporters and journalists claiming to be objective are a big reason people don't trust the news media these days. One recent national poll reported that only 55.9% of Americans surveyed expect the news media to tell them the truth. That's sad.

Here's an idea for improving trust in the news media from a guy lots of people trusted:

"I think any one worth his salt is for or against certain things. It's
going to come through if only in the selection of what goes on the air and what
goes into the wastebasket. So it seems more honest for me to call it 'Paul
Harvey News and Comment'. That way listeners know they're getting their
news from my perspective." -- Paul Harvey

I like it. Don't pretend to be objective. Be honest. Make your perspective clear. Reveal your biases and prejudices. It worked pretty well for Paul Harvey.

Mission

Glenn Beck is getting plenty of attention these days. It's largely because Glenn is on a mission. It resonates deep inside him. He views the mission as a duty. Glenn's mission fuels his passion, energy, excitement, creativity and commitment. It also drives his presentation. And, oh by the way, Glenn's mission also resonates with lots of other people, too.

Glenn begins nearly every episode of his program on Fox News Channel with a description of his mission. Here's an example from October 5:

"If you believe this country is great, but corruption is bringing us down,
it's time to stand. Come on and follow me.... I'm not a journalist.
I'm doing a job as a private citizen right now. It is the future of our
children and our grandchildren. So, it's a fight I ain't givin’ up.
If you're with me and you want to expose the corruption in Washington, you're
just a mom or grandparent, become a watchdog. I'm just a dad doing this
for my kids. Would you like to help?"

Glenn is not alone. Mission is one of the most important personal traits inherent in the best radio personalities. Mission is a sense of purpose beyond themselves, beyond fame and fortune. It can be as simple as "making people laugh every day" or as profound as "helping parents raise strong children". It's difficult to spend time every day with someone who is concerned only with themselves. The sense of mission helps make the best radio personalities real and durable over the long-term.

Oprah is another example of a personality on a mission who's done pretty well. Her mission is simple, but far-reaching. Oprah is dedicated to helping her viewers and listeners "live your best life". Everything Oprah does is driven by this mission. Watch her television show, read her magazine, or check out her website. "Live your best life" is everywhere.

I recently canceled my subscription to O Magazine (out of concern about over developing my feminine side). Yesterday, I received a letter from Oprah trying to convince me to renew. Here's what she wrote:

"O is a magazine designed to help you live your best life. Live your
truth. And live up to your limitless potential. O will get you to
think about your life: what is true for you; what you want, rather than just
what is wanted of you.

There's nothing we share in O that I haven't
gone through or continue to move through myself. I'm a woman in progress,
creating and striving for new dreams, new goals, new ideas. We each have
an exciting journey -- and O is nourishment for the trip. My hope is that
we can grow on our journey together -- and have fun along the way."

What's your mission? It begins with what really matters to you?

Glenn Beck fears that politicians and other people in power are corrupting the fundamental principles and values on which our country was founded. He's determined to help prevent this from happening.

Oprah is committed to discovering and living up to her full potential constantly creating and striving for new dreams, new goals, and new ideas. She's determined to live her best life and help others do the same.

Mission comes from inside you. It comes from what you do to make your life more interesting, meaningful, and fun. It comes from sharing the stuff that makes you laugh, marvel, or understand. It comes from a desire to give your listeners something each day that somehow makes their lives better.


Mission builds strong connections with listeners and is a driving force in the success of any radio personality. What is your mission? How do you make your listeners' lives noticeably better each day?

Timeless Formula for Success in Radio

Pat O'Day created one of the greatest personality radio stations ever. KJR dominated the ratings as well as the hearts and minds of listeners in Seattle for 15 straight years in the 60s and 70s.

Pat returned to KJR this week to celebrate his 50th year on the radio in Seattle. He talked about the role of a successful radio station in the lives of its listeners. Here's what he said. "Radio is companionship or really it's nothing. It's no better than an iPod if it doesn't have companionship."

Here's how Pat defined companionship for his disc jockeys at KJR. "We made sure that we were talking and having fun and giving our listeners joy every minute of the day. You had to picture somebody out there. You had to say, I gotta make their day more enjoyable."

Simple and timeless. Give listeners companionship and nonstop joy and they'll turn their radios on every day to listen to you and your station.

PS Pat didn't tell the talented and colorful characters he hired how to give their listeners joy. He just set the expectation and told them to go do it, all day, every day. That's probably why no two shows sounded alike on KJR.