What I've Learned (an incomplete list)

Every quarter, I try to pass on a little of the knowledge I’ve gained to my students. I have been working in Radio, Podcasting, and Social Media since 1996, and I’d like to think I’ve learned a thing or two along the way.
The name of the lecture is “What I’ve Learned,” and it’s a list of 25 or so nuggets of information that will make your life a lot easier as you begin a media career. Here are the first five:

1. Shut up.

When you start, you’re going to have a lot of great ideas and know-how. So do the professionals you’re about to work with. Listen to what they have to say. They have experience, you have much to learn. It’s pretty difficult to hear what they are saying when you are speaking.

2. Speak up.

Presumably, you’ve been hired because of your education or life experience. If you’ve listened to what others have to say, now’s your turn. The worst that can happen is someone rolls their eyes and says “no.” You’ll get over it.

3. Other people are probably right.
You’ve been doing this how long? No matter how right you think you are because you learned it in a class, there’s a huge chasm between that and real life.
There people you’re going to meet who you think are old and have nothing to show you. Get over yourself for a moment and listen. They might not be completely right, but you’re going to learn something from them.

4. Know the difference.

You’ve shut up and listened. You’ve provided your opinion. Sometimes you’re going to be wrong, and you will learn a lot.
Other times you will be right, and it sucks because no one listened to you. Don’t rub it in. Nobody likes a gloater.

5. Accept that not everyone will love you, professionally or audience-wise.

This is a tough one. We all want to be loved.

Let’s start with the easy one. The audience.

In broad terms, a ten share would make you the top station in any of the top radio markets in America. Ten percent of the total social media market would be astounding.
But what does that mean?

90 percent of people are doing something else. They’re not listening to you or going to your website.

90 percent!

Yet you would be considered a rock star if you picked up ten percent of an audience.
And that’s just your audience.

I can’t think of a workplace in America that doesn’t have politics. Prepare yourself.
You will have co-workers who don’t “get” what you do and think you don’t belong. You will have co-workers who view you as a threat and sabotage you. You will have co-workers who simply don’t like you.

It’s ok not to be liked and loved by everyone. It stings. But it’s part of making it in the business we call show.

That’s it for now. I have more thoughts to share with you… we’ll get to them soon.