Trumped

Using recent history to find your voice…

“Find your passion and follow it. The only way to do well is to do things from the heart. Then, the money will come.”

“I would tell people not to be afraid to be yourself — you have to have a voice, even if you think people don’t like what you have to say. Stay with it. It’s the only thing that will make you heard.”

Who do you think said that? (I’ll reveal the author below)

I’m not sure about the money part. I’m not certain it’s inevitable that you’ll make lots of money merely following your passion.

But if you’re doing something you love, if it feels like you’ve got purpose and meaning in your work, money may not be the most important reward anyway.

Whatever you think of him, Donald Trump proves that quotation above, especially the second part.

He’s not worried about being universally loved.

He’s an attention-pig. He only cares about winning today’s popularity contest.

The opportunity for you to be authentic on air is almost certainly smaller than it used to be, but that doesn’t mean it’s non-existent. You have to use the opportunity you’re given, every time it’s there for you. No empty breaks. No mindless patter.

Please understand that I am not asking you to be racist or even provocative on the air. I’m not saying you should try to make half of your audience hate you.

But if “you” can be replaced by any other voice without losing what makes “you” unique, you’re in the wrong business.

Better to be actively and passionately loved and supported by 20% of your market’s potential listeners than passively tolerated by 56% — and I know you don’t hear that from within your company, or from your station’s consultant.

That doesn’t make it untrue.

Stand for something. Compel me to notice you, to listen to you, to be unable to ignore you.

That’s your job.

And if Chef Francis Mallmann, who authored the quote this began with, understands that in his business, it’s way past time for everyone in your station to get it too.