What a wild 10 years
Allow me to pat myself on the back this week. As you read this I am in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, taping special radio programming of my syndicated show called Top of The Charts. This week marks 10 years that I stepped into the realm of broadcasting as an entrepreneur.
As a teenager I longed to be a journalist at the Winnipeg Free Press. It didn’t help that I went to Sisler High School right across the field from Manitoba’s largest media outlet. My plan was to go to college, be the best writer and work for the Freep. Years later, I had my Winnipeg Cheapskate column in the Business section – a feature based on my bestselling book.
Never did I think along the way I would get involved in radio. But rather than set my sights and ignore other opportunities I kept an open mind. It was this column in the Southeast Journal 11 years ago that got me noticed by a startup radio station in Vancouver.
The station’s owner asked me to record my column and they would air it weekly during one of their talk shows. From there I was asked to co-host shows with them, which I did, and later asked to host my own show. I actually refused… twice.
Finally I gave in and agreed to fill in one day for a two-hour timeslot. Little did I know the show would be a hit and I would take it to where I have.
The show is syndicated to 30-something stations in Canada and the U.S. I chat with celebrities every week and cover red carpet events in Los Angeles and New York. I travel three times per year for tourism broadcasts and essentially get paid to vacation (like right now).
But I couldn’t help but feel brainwashed in college to think that if I didn’t work for one of the big broadcasters or media outlets that I wasn’t legitimate. I carved my own path and became an entrepreneur and have loved every minute of it.
Was it scary at the beginning? Sure, making $60 per month in your parents’ basement is pretty frightening. Though years later I own a company and have my own house, so I did pretty well.
So to anyone who has an interest or a hobby and thinks they can’t do something for whatever reason others might convince them of, I say do it. Do it. Do it well. Do it twice as big as anybody would expect you to.
