The Death of The Legend

Where I grew up, we had this huge drainage ditch. Honestly, it rarely worked, our street flooded every time it rained, but back when it was hard to gauge depth and distance because you were a child and didn’t know any better, it was a huge ditch. The neighborhood kids and I would spend countless school nights trying to figure out how to jump it with our bikes. Many tried…none succeeded.

Except one. His name was Blake and he lived around the block. He got a new bike for his birthday and brought it out for Show and Tell. We were out at the ditch attempting the impossible again. Something in the air seemed different that night, when Blake took the turn, picked up speed and steadied his handle bars. It may have been luck, it may have been the bike…but it happened. Blake cleared the ditch, and was the talk of the town the next day and for years to come.

I grew up in a time when daydreams were cluttered with stories of the Paul Bunyans and the Pecos Bills of the world. The kind of folklore that you just can’t believe, but the only confirmation you needed was more than one person saying “that’s what I heard”.  Even if it weren’t remotely close to fact, it still grew to such a tale that it started to seem true.  That’s what legends are made of. I never saw Babe Ruth play, but the stories about his childhood are astounding. Even in the modern day with guys like Albert Pujols. You can’t go 3 miles in Independence without somebody talking about his accomplishments in Youth League ball games.

“You know that ball field in Excelsior? Yeah, I was there when Pujols jacked not one, but two dingers into the forrest past left field..in the SAME INNING. 500 feet easy.”

It’s the awe-struck feeling one gets when they hear that, mixed with the comprehension of how incredibly improbable that feat truly is that makes legendary stories legendary. Entire movies have been made from that feeling (Sandlot, anyone?). Sadly, I feel as if they will soon cease to exist.

I was watching the 30 for 30 documentary the other day on Bo Jackson. The world’s greatest athlete who had his career stripped from him way too early. The beginning of the film touches on all the childhood stories about him: dunking a stick in 8th grade, throwing rocks with both hands for hours on end never getting tired, doing backflips effortlessly…in water. The only footage we have of Bo come from the few years he spent playing in the MLB and NFL. The rest…you just gotta take their word for it.

Sadly, I don’t think this will happen anymore. The Gen X-er’s and all who follow have grown accustomed to stats that back themselves up with evidence that can be found in multiple locations online. “Just Google it” has replaced “that’s what I heard” as the standard for credibility. While having this option has been a blessing in many ways, it’s the Achille’s Heel of legendary stories. I have a tough time believing that kids in the future will listen to their parents tell tales of how John Henry beat a machine and built an entire railroad system on his own, then jumping on their phones to find out if this really happened through a YouTube search. When every fact has been held in check since we’ve all had access to the internet, the term ‘legend’ has slowly started to lose it’s meaning.

I hope we don’t reach that point. What’s the point of legendary tales if not to inspire us to achieve the impossible? “Don’t give up! Johnny Appleseed never gave up when he set out to plant Apple Trees all over the country. If he hadn’t, we never would’ve been able to have that pie tonight!”

That neighborhood from my childhood has disappeared, forever in the hands of city planners trying to find ways to minimize flood zones, but that ditch is still there. To this day, there’s only been one person to successfully jump it. No videos, no podcasts, no official record on hand to document. It’s just what I heard.

Full Speed Ahead

There is a thirst that exists deep within. A constant sense that never seems to be desired. I look around and a see people, acquaintances, strangers…people that have that thirst, but have given up in finding that moment when the thirst is quenched. Whether it’s a false sense of satisfaction or the numbing feeling that happens when you admit defeat, I don’t want to associate myself with that crowd.

A while back (too long ago, I know I know…I need to blog more) I announced I’m switching direction. I’m moving away from the only area I’ve called home and stepping out of the comfort zone of the family industry.  I’m taking everything I’ve accomplished in that career field and leaving almost all of it behind. All the upside, all the potential, used as memories made and lessons learned in pursuit of a bigger dream.

I guess I should make this clear: I regret nothing. My years in media were some of the most amazing and maturing of my life. I’d done things most only get to dream of. This isn’t something that I take for granted, every opportunity seized was one I’ve gladly accepted and have been proud to. That being said, this opportunity was no different.

I was sick of always having a conversation with someone and that person telling me “man, you can do anything”. Couple that with the fact that since college I’ve always wanted to prove myself and earn success in a larger format, it was just the perfect storm for asking “then why am I not doing it?”

As I sit here in my new home nestled in the heart of downtown Kansas City, typing before a massive skyline and rain slightly tapping on the windows, I’m preparing for another day of learning at my new gig. I’ve shifted from media sales and production to alcoholic beverage sales and distribution. I’ve found there are quite a few differences, but the similarities are equally as present and help to gather a sense of confidence that I’m catching on quick. My managers have also assured me that this is the case, and the ladder may start moving quickly. My new manager loves me for my work ethic, saying the other day he’s excited to see what happens in the next couple of months, of course right before handing me a new Mexican craft he had been working on with plans for it to hit shelves next week.  From the experiences I’ve had and people I’ve met to the experiences I’m having and the people I’m meeting.  Yes, as I type, I couldn’t be happier.

That’s not to say I’ve satisfied this thirst that exists. Truth be told I hope I never do. As long as I’m thirsty you can bet the bank I’ll possess and drive that is unmatched, and determination that demands to reach the next level in life.  Every moment, every risk, every opportunity in life has led to this. My fuel is that same component that makes me thirsty.

I’ve had a few quotes weighing heavy on me as of late. Obviously, the Zuckerberg quote is still a big one. But recently I read a Facebook post from Kobe Bryant shortly after his injury: “If you ever see me in a fight with a bear, pray for the bear”. Truly speaks volumes to his determination and focus on getting to the next level.

You’re also going to notice some changes to this blog. It’s going to be slightly less niche and way more personal. I want this blog to emulate every emotion I’m feeling and every bit of knowledge and personality I’ve picked up along this journey through life. Hopefully a bit more consistent in posting as well…

I can’t thank my faith, family and friends enough for the support and love I’ve received in my life. It truly brings me to tears and I’m so excited that each of you have impacted me in the way that you have. I can only hope to return the favor in your own journey.

The résumé is growing: Landscaping artist, driving range manager, golf club mechanic, pharmacy technician, photo lab scientist, professional photographer, tour guide, social media manager and consultant, on-air talent, night club dj, award winning commercial artist, public address announcer, emcee, successful account executive, retail specialist. Most importantly, I’m not done yet.

Turning The Page

This week has been, to say the very least, a roller coaster.  The kind of emotional strain you tell yourself to prepare for, and do the very best to do so, but no matter how focused you are, it’s going to hit you like a brick wall when it comes.

It’s never easy to take something that’s on the up-and-up, and drop it to pursue something else. Yet at the same time there are dreams that we conjure up in our minds in which we make a promise to ourselves that we will pursue. It has long been my fear that I may slip so far into what I am doing that I may never make good on that promise and pursue that dream.

So effective last Thursday, I’ve given my two week’s notice to accept a position with Central States Beverage Company in Kansas City, MO. I’m 24. I’m single. It’s a position where nothing is holding me back. I’m unique in that money does not motivate me, I am instead fueled with a thirst for success and respect. For years I’ve felt the only way to get that which I desire is to see what I can do in a larger population. Kansas City has long been a haven for me. Sure, there’s tons of other towns and options, but the world comes to KC, so I must with it.

I admit though that this situation is a very bittersweet one. The last four years have been some of the most rewarding of my life. I’ve been blessed to have the opportunity to work in every single facet of a radio station. From the sales end, to the production, to the programming to the social media, there wasn’t a thing in the schedule I didn’t enjoy doing. Perhaps what was most rewarding was growing into an on-air personality, having this beautiful area tune in, listen to me, be entertained, enjoy, relate to me, start to feel like they know me.  The relationship I’ve developed with my community is one I’ll forever cherish.  I’ve spent my entire life in media, and I’ll always have a passion for it, but in order to advance myself I must not be afraid to take risks.

They say in this crazy race of life that if you don’t chase what it is that you’re after, you can’t possibly expect to ever catch it. This decision is one that I’ve been fighting for a while and I want to thank each and every person that was there to provide comfort and advice along the way. I’m sad to leave what I’m doing, but look forward to what the future has in store.

I was once given the opportunity to listen to a genius speak. I learned a great deal from his short conversation, but perhaps one of the biggest takeaways was a simple challenge: “Always ask yourself, what decisions would you make if you weren’t afraid to make them.” That guy created Facebook. I plan on taking that advice and creating my own success story. Wish me luck, Kansas City here I come!

Hashtags Are Getting Out Of Hand

Holy cow! I just realized it’s been quite some time since my last post on here. Truth be told, there’s a lot going on. I realize that’s the easiest excuse ever for not getting something done and we use it all too often, but I’ll follow it up with the second most used excuse: seriously, there’s a lot going on.

I have taken notice to something though in my time away: Hashtags are getting out of hand. Does anybody know why hashtags were originally created? It was a communication tool to link anyone around the world to a conversation of like items. Such as #MyDayWasLike or #CookingProblems. Television and Venues were licking their chops at this: it was an opportunity to make your event interactive: You could connect EVERYONE watching The Voice to the same conversation with #TheVoice. Attendees at SXSW could find each other throught #SXSW. It’s been something I’ve been trying to integrate into radio with #request or #OZKTop20.

Unfortunately, hashtags have fallen victim to the masses; Most people don’t use social media to listen, they use it be heard. Good hashtag conversations are few and far between, falling victim to stupid things like #swag and #yolo. People don’t click on those links, they just use them to fill up space in their tweet because it takes less time to explain than a sentence.

It’s almost become an act of spamming. Entire tweets consisting of nothing but hashtags. What does that accomplish? Sure it may gain you an extra follow or two, but is having someone wiling to follow THAT a good quality follow? Plus, it takes away from any of those conversations you linked to, and probably lost you any additional follows you gained or more.

Perhaps the worst part is that this trend has carried over to Facebook. Hashtagging in status updates, most aren’t even linked to the Twitter accounts. Granted, this may change with their new Graph Search (hold off on that verdict) but do these hashtaggers realize IT DOESN’T LINK TO ANYTHING ON FACEBOOK?!?!? This proves my afore-mentioned point that the masses don’t use social media to truly listen to what their followers are saying, they’re merely waiting for their chance to speak.

Maybe this is the way of the future. If social media has taught us anything it’s that it can’t be predicted. Maybe this is the new form of communication. From full sentences, to shortened sentences to this. Maybe this is inevitable. Hashtags will just join the ranks of poking and profile songs as the ‘Unnecessary Applications Of Profiles’. I hope not though.

I don’t want this post to be mistaken for a complaint. I still think there’s value behind the hashtag and desperately wish to see it return to the reason of it’s creation: to link us all together in one really big conversation. End this madness.

#PleaseHelp

Promote Your Marketing To 00 Status

Skyfall is out, and to great reviews.  I actually had the opportunity to go and see it late last week and I must say, Bond does it right.  But they didn’t get there by doing the same thing they’ve been doing since Mr. Connery stepped into the Aston Martin in Dr. No. Skyfall is the perfect example of paying homage to the past successes while advancing into the future with what works today.

MGM (at the time facing problems of their own) knew that in order for this franchise to sustain and grow, 007 needed a facelift.  but rather than launching another installment with the typical lead, girl, tricks and gadgets, James Bond had to be grittier, edgier and more vulnerable.  Someone touchable, that we could relate to, all the while possessing the same confidence in his brand and passion for his industry.

Casino Royale blew all other Bonds out of the water and brought new life to the franchise because it was different.  It wasn’t what we were expecting.  Skyfall is no different.  It delivered by giving us something new.  Your business should be the same way.

If you’ve been sitting there wondering what needs to be done to invigorate your brand, mix it up. Shaken not stirred. The days of slicked back hair and classy settings where things were handled formally and the good guy walks away without a scratch are gone.  Traditional ways of marketing have disappeared with it, at least on their own. To make an impact in today’s world you’ve got to throw yourself out there and try bold new things.  Don’t expect people to come to you based on what you’ve done in the past, find new ways to make your presence known where they are. 

Don’t get me wrong, James Bond wouldn’t be James Bond without the classic touch: which is why you must continue to market where you’ve found the most success, but mix it in with a little bit of new territory.  Mobile, Digital, Social.  Where you find your demographic is where you need to be.  Going this route will make you vulnerable, having a Facebook page exposes your brand to the mercy of the masses.  Yet if you stick with it and market effectively you’ll find the audience respects you for it.

Bond got a facelift by trying something different.  You should too. Promote yourself to the big leagues.

The Five Folks You Find On Twitter

The progression of ‘Should I?’ has reached another level.  In the initial conversations we have with new businesses on the subject of “what are you doing digitally”, it almost always comes up: what about Twitter? Is it beneficial for my business to tweet?

While there is no question as to whether or not businesses should be on Facebook, with over half the world on the site AND 52% of them on it more than once a day, it’s the perfect place to interact with potential customers and drive them to the store and or website, often times replacing a website entirely.  However, when it comes to Twitter, the purpose of use for a business gets a bit blurrier.

Twitter’s a much more niche form of social media. It has nowhere near the reach, but if it’s done correctly and with the best of intentions can lead to a true success story.  The first question to ask is this: Who are you trying to target? If your answer is any of the following, let’s talk.

The Actively Active Individual: Twitter is microblog that caters to the needs of the busy.  This person is all about conveniently quick (except fast food, which is horrible for the diet).  On The go, does everything from their phone and loyal to all things pro-active. A good group to target, but it would take some convincing.

The Hashtag Addict: One of Twitter’s greatest contributions to the social world: the ability to engage in any conversation of a similar topic just by putting ‘#’ in front of it.  It’s so popular tons of people use the same theme on Facebook, even though it does absolutely nothing.  Hashtags are also one of the things that are often abused.  Some are created and used with purpose, but when you see a Tweet similar to “Got some new clothes at the mall today #swag #crazy #lovemylife #followmeonFB” you know they’re probably not going to engage in any conversation and are posting for their own purpose. They do care about image though, so for retail this could be huge.

The News Reporter: These are the folks that are constantly reporting on niche topics.  Not really an opinion tweet, but something factual and could be found just as easily using Google.  They also tend to Retweet celebrities or more established journalists.  They’re up to date on everything, and a pretty good target for area events managers and promoters (they tend to want to be on the spot so as not to rely on Retweeting somebody who beat them there).

The Follow Wrangler: The only thing they care about is how many follows they get.  They tend to follow celebrities and companies. Could quite possibly be any business’s best friend.  They generally have a huge following because they, in return, are following a large number of people in return.

The Combo Pack: Literally every category mentioned before, all rolled into one.

Just like these 5 Individuals, Twitter can service a specific need.  In order to answer the question, you must first figure if these folks are indeed the folks you are after.  Also, be sure to learn how to use hashtags properly. #truth.

From The Programming Desk: Still Don’t Believe In YouTube?

Hey, have you heard about that new guy Psy? Yeah? If not, no worries, you will.  At this rate, based on Social Media, YouTube and that whole ‘six degrees’ thing, you’ll probably hear of him byyy….right now. Join the 200,000,000.

I’ll wait.

Pretty crazy music video.  Believe it or not, it makes sense.  Know what’s crazier? The US went crazy over this guy (no translation necessary) in less than a week.  Ellen, Today, SNL. Radio.  He is in our rotation. A Korean pop song, raised online and fueled by a ridiculous yet catchy tune with an even more ridiculous yet catchy dance.  Ready for the craziest part? None of this should come as a shock.

This whole ‘YouTube to mainstream’ thing has been going on for years.  Meg & Liz have been making tons of videos for a couple of years, it’s landed them a record deal.  Rebecca Black turned a horrible situation into a cash cow, and Katy Perry took notice.  Karmin first got on the scene from an awesome cover of ‘Look At Me Now’.  Oh yeah, and Justin Bieber.

To the skeptical: YouTube is not just a 24-hour America’s Funniest Videos service, it’s a search engine.  The world’s second most popular.  Oh, and the world’s most popular signs it’s paychecks.  A recent study uncovered where most of the youth searches for music: YouTube.

It’s a bigger deal than you think.

Apple may not care for it, but your listeners do!

From The Sales Desk: Don’t Forget The Station Brand

It’s easy to get lost in the flow of things, especially in the world of sales and marketing.  A study was done recently on the highest percentage of people in certain careers that drink the most coffee, marketing analyst was one of the highest.  For good reason: it’s almost as if you never really stop working.  Sure the actual work day is 8a-5p, but honestly when is it ever really that short? Writing this script, putting together that proposal, getting everything ready for the tomorrow’s new prospect(s).  It’s easy to get lost in things, which is the point of this particular conversation.

Coming from the programming side with enough degrees to qualify as a marketing analyst and account executive, I have had the luxury of seeing how both sides live.  Each has their own specific way of working.  Each also has difficulty co-existing at times.  Understandably so, and like any other business, when multiple departments are added to the workplace, it’s common that things get lost in translation.

Amidst everything else a typical Account Executive is to be responsible for, it’s not uncommon for a client to bring a promotion to mind.  Something that is clear benefit and may sound like a good idea at first, but may not quite fit the demo or doesn’t have the programming staff’s best intentions in mind.  Too often this happens and too often it goes through anyway.  Ultimately, the station loses out to allowing a sub-par promotion and the client loses out for not getting the return they were looking for.

Too often we as Account Executives allow this.  As the gatekeepers to amazing promotions it’s essential to keep a few things in mind: Approval from the Promotions Director.  It’s key that he or she not only agree to it, but also run with it.  The moment you see those eyes light up, you know you’re golden.  The next thing is the approval of the on-air staff, after all, they’re the ones selling it.  If the way they portray it to the public comes across in any way with a hint of doubt, the whole thing could be done.  Most importantly though, it’s important to keep in mind the station’s brand.  This is what the programming staff works so hard to create, to build that trust with the listeners and even as AE’s we protect by selling it to clients attempting to reach that demographic.

We lose sight of the main purpose: The Station.  Whether it’s programming it or selling it, it could not be more important to remember those out there listen are listening for a purpose.

Always protect the purpose.

15 With Zuckerberg: A Conversation With Innovation

Everybody gets a different feeling when meeting a celebrity.  by that I mean a feeling unlike the norm.  Being in the industry I’m in has afforded me many opportunities to relive that feeling as well as seeing those who have wanted that opportunity for so long.  I admit I don’t necessarily get giddy unless it’s a St. Louis Cardinal or someone who has truly had a hand in shaping society. A true innovator that will forever go down as an individual who changed the world. A few Saturdays back, I had to opportunity to see a few of them.

My best friend of childhood Nick, accepted a position as a merchandise planning analyst at the Wal-Mart corporate offices in Bentonville, AR.  Since he started he has become a regular at Wal-Mart’s Saturday Morning Meetings. As I understand it, are ‘optional’ but usually get a decent attendance because corporate brings in some high profiles names to speak.  It just speaks volumes of the name the Wal-Mart brand carries.  Today was certainly no exception.  Nick called me about a week in advance and asked that I come down for this, stating that he could not “confirm or deny that a Mr. Clay Mathews, Mr. Kirk Herbstreit & Mr. Mark Zuckerberg would be in attendance’.  Couldn’t really pass that up…

The meeting began at 7:30am with the kind of production you would expect to pay for at a seminar.  Clay Mathews spoke of teamwork, effort and dedication.  Kirk challenged folks to come out and support a good cause in the name of competition at a game he had set up on Bentonville’s square for Wal-Mart’s 50 year anniversary celebration.  But towards the end of the meeting, the vibe started to pick up around the room.  We all knew what was coming.

Entering the meeting, signs were clearly marked stating ‘NO Photography’, yet when Zuckerberg came up to speak with Wal-Mart CEO Mike Duke, cameras, iPads, phones, you name it. All were out and pointing at the man of the evening.  The man who changed the internet.

For 15 minutes, it was incredible.  Watching a ridiculous amount of our nation’s net worth having a conversation, bouncing ideas off one another. Before a room full of Wal-Mart employees, family, friends and myself, there was a lot to take in.  Zuckerberg is a rock star in the digital world, yet slightly awkward in reality.  His words came matter-of-factly, but not without great merit. I took away two things from what he had to say.

1) Move fast and break things: This is by no means meant to be taken in a literal sense.  Rather, it’s that if you spend so much time trying to perfect every single detail you are going to miss out on the opportunity for innovation.

2) Always ask yourself what decisions you would make were you not afraid to make them. So powerful.

From listening to this conversation, to watching what will most likely be the most expensive handshake I will ever see in my life, to the experience in general.  No doubt, it will forever change my life.

Dual Personality: The Perils of Having Two Profiles

Businesses, alter egos, celebrities or people who think they’re celebrities.  It’s not uncommon to see more ‘fake’ profiles scrolling down the newsfeed than names you actually recognize.  Some do this for promotion of a product or service they are pushing.  Some are doing this to socially separate their business lives from their personal ones. Some are doing it so they can actually live out their fantasy of having the last name ‘Bieber’.  Whatever the reason, it’s happening.  Like social media in general, there isn’t necessarily a ‘right way’ of doing it, but there are sooooo many wrong ones.

I say there isn’t any single designated ‘right way’ and this is due to the fact that social networks don’t properly know how to acknowledge this.  Facebook and Twitter have no way of regulating and the only site that has actually acknowledged this situation is Google. Which went oh, so well…

The first choice would be this: why allow it? When you think about it, it’s kinda taking on a false identity if you think about it.  But what about those celebrities that have amassed a following with their stage name? Or more importantly what about those who are going under a separate name to protect their identity from a stalker, etc.?  Hopefully your situation is not in that realm, but there is some food for thought.

• When considering another profile, be sure to delete the other one – you may be wanting to get rid of that profile your mom wouldn’t approve of, but to keep it around after creating a new one just causes confusion for everyone.  Dump it.
• If you do create another profile, be sure to make it unique enough to stand out from the other one – a great example of this is the station jock profiles we have at Journal Broadcast Springfield.  My personal profile is separate from my on-air personality profile and each stand out enough to where mutual followers can expect different content (hence, reasons to follow) from each profile.
• Make sure there’s a name differentiation – it’s one thing to have a Mike Jones (who? I know, I know…) profile, but to have Mike Jones and a Mike Jones Amcorp Marketing profile.  People won’t really be able to tell a difference and the cause is basically lost.
• Consider a page – So you can avoid the whole ‘logging out and logging in as your other profile’ thing, it may be easier to go with a page, but only do so if you have legitimate cause.
• If it’s possible to stick with just one, stick with just one – what’s wrong with cleaning up what you’ve got.

As stated earlier, there is no true ‘right way’ to do this, but there can be sooo many wrong ways.  The whole point of creating multiple profiles is to provide relevant and engaging enough content to appeal to each audience.  Besides, there may come a time when you’re alter ego gains a bigger fan base than your original. Trust me, I know…