Over the course of 20 plus years in morning radio I was fired three times, faked suicidal depression once to get out of a long term no cut deal, and finally at the end I walked away on my own terms. Somewhere along the journey I read that you’re not truly considered a professional until you’ve been fired 3 times. So apparently I am now an expert at what to do once it’s happened.
Now before you ask yourself ‘why should I listen to this guy who got fired so many times’ let me qualify it by pointing out that all three times I was “dislocated” while in the top 5 of the ratings. Twice I was dismissed because they thought syndication would answer their money woes. Ironically both of those heritage stations no longer exist. The third time I was fired I can only shorten the story enough to say that management didn’t have the balls to clean up the bloody mess they created and although my annual reviews were glowing I got axed.
So there I was again wondering what the hell am I going to do next? Staying positive through a “dislocation” is not a silly overused cliche but instead an absolute necessity for a successful outcome. Our human nature is to be hateful and to lash out and be angry and vindictive but that type of behavior does you no good in the process of trying to figure out how to pay the bills and not lose your entire life savings. So give yourself a weekend or a week to mourn and go through the emotions with a reminder in your calendar that on said day at said time those feelings are no longer allowed or accepted out of your mouth or in your head.
It’s important to implement a way to channel that energy out of your body. Go for walks twice a day. Hit the gym. Go for a bike ride. Do some yoga or meditation. Read some fiction. Whatever it is that you consider ‘your thing’, make sure you do it everyday from this point forward, because you finally have the time to put yourself first.
Next you need to assess the financial damage. How much is in the bank and how many more paychecks will you get? What are your monthly bills and what frivolous shit can you immediately cancel? Car lease? Cable? Subscriptions? Then log on to your states unemployment website and immediately find out the requirements and what you can expect to receive so that you can start creating a budget to see what you can actually afford.
For those of you that own homes, how long can you safely afford to keep it? The longest I was ever unemployed was a year and a half. Think about that. During that time I paid out almost $50,000 in mortgage payments on a house I ended up having to short sell. In retrospect, I wish I would’ve put it up for sale immediately and downsized into something that would’ve lightened the financial burden. The problem is this thing we all have called the ego. It will tell you that you’re going to find work quickly and that you’ve worked too hard to give it all up.
Well, the ego is like a mirage in the desert. You better learn to control it now before you end up filing for bankruptcy. Point is to put together a plan that will keep your lights on and food on the table for a year minimum.
The next thing you need to do is look for two different jobs. One in the industry you want to be in, in this case radio. The second is the one that you can land right away to keep the money coming in. This is where the battle of ego comes into play because never in a million years did you see yourself working at Home Depot or Kohl’s but guess what? You’re an adult with adult responsibilities like kids and pets and health insurance.
My suggestion is to use your former radio station to help you land a job. Hopefully you cultivated relationships with your station’s clients who you’re now going to reach out to and share your story with. That manager at the Harley Dealership or the Irish bar where you did you last remote could be happy to help you out. Heck put it on social media that you’re looking for a gig. If you established a connection with any of the stations fans, they too could step up to help. The bigger question is ‘will you be able to get past your ego?’ Please do because it’s important to keep money coming in but equally important to keep yourself busy.
Next it’s time to start networking and marketing yourself to the world. You know what they say, you only have one chance to make a first impression. The first thing you need to do is create a “branding package” filled with your best audio, pictures, resume and references. This is going to cost both time and money but I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to showcase your talent and experience. It has to be better than good and it has to be creative, different and memorable. There are a lot of people out there competing for the few jobs that are left. One way to not waste your time and money is to bring a few friends or former co-workers into the creative process and get their input on what your best stuff is and what makes you special.
Now that the brand package is done it’s time to get it out both digitally and tangibly. Yes that means actually licking envelopes and sending things out via snail mail. Why? Because with the USPS there is no spam or junk mail folder for your stuff to end up in. You should be sending your stuff to consultants, brand managers, program directors, general managers, format captains and agents but don’t rely on that to get you a job. You should be looking for any and all opportunities to meet these people first hand and there are many industry conventions that happen where you can. The BSM Summit, Conclave, CRS, and WWRS are just a few that come to mind. It is truly an investment in your future and if you’re not doing it just know that somebody else is and they will most likely get looked at first.
Finally, remember that it’s not always about who’s the best candidate for the job. The radio industry is small and friends like to work with and help out friends. So touch base with your friends in other markets to poke around and see if something might be opening up or if they can recommend you for something. Plant as many seeds as you can all over the country and eventually one of them will take root as long as you stay positive and patient.
If you’ve had enough of the business and choose to throw in the towel I get it. This career isn’t for everyone. That just means it’s time for a different path and some reflection on how you can use the talents that God gave you in another way.
Rider is now a busy promo and commercial voice working daily with NBC sports NHL and Supercross, CBS sports Monday QB and 4 Sides of the story, Fox Sports North/Wisconsin, the PBR tour, Tampa Bay Lightning & Texas Rangers as well as voicing WAAF Boston, ESPN 630 Washington D.C, the Shark Miami and many others. Listen to his stuff at www.ridervo.com and to book please contact Nate Zeitz at NZeitz@cesdtalent.com
