Today, hundreds of radio people are making their way to Cleveland for Morning Show Boot Camp, now in its 38th year. Then in just a few weeks, Conclave in Minneapolis happens, having announced this will be their final year. I’m attending both events and super excited! Some attendees will arrive full of questions. Others are convinced they already have all the answers. Some will be attending for the first time, while others have been making the trip for years.
No matter which category you fall into, the most valuable part of Boot Camp isn’t on the schedule. Sure, the sessions matter. But if history has taught anything, it’s that the conversations you’ll remember most happen outside the ballroom. They happen in hotel lobbies, at lunch, in the elevator, walking back from dinner, standing around after a session saying, “So… how are you guys handling this?” and “should we swap info?”
That’s where artifice melts, people stop giving staged answers and start giving real, human, honest insight. Radio has always been a relationship business. In an era where we spend so much time behind screens, sending emails, jumping on Zoom calls and arguing on social media, there’s something refreshing about sitting across from another programmer, air talent, engineer, or owner and simply talking. We’re all in the same family.
The other thing everyone should be encouraged to do is listening more than speaking. One thing I’ve always admired about great interviewers and good friends is that they allow others to speak. If you’re doing all the talking, you’re losing. It’s easy to spend the week talking about your station, your show, your ratings, your app, your company, or your latest project. But if you want to grow, hearing others share their view of the world is the best way to learn and grow.
Instead, ask questions. How are other stations and companies who face the same problem everyday handle shrinking budgets and “how do we make more money while spending less of it, while retaining a great air product?”. How are you using AI? How are you coaching talent? How are you making radio entertaining and interactive?
Don’t be afraid to challenge people, and most important, don’t be afraid to be challenged. Sometimes you learn the most from people you disagree with.
Another lesson: Always follow up! When people say, “let’s hop on a call sometime” or “I might have something for you,” don’t wait for them to make it happen. Instead of saying “let me know when you’re free”, say “let’s mark a date in the calendar for a Zoom.” otherwise they leave and forget about you. Then, next year comes and they apologize for “being so busy” and it happens again. If you’re really excited about connecting with someone and building a valuable connection, don’t give people the chance to stall.
One thing I hope gets talked about this year is something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately. Connection. Not content, connection. The industry has become incredibly good at producing content. We have podcasts, social videos, websites, streams, apps, clips, reels, newsletters, and enough digital platforms to keep us busy 24 hours a day. But none of those things matter if listeners don’t feel something. The stations and personalities that continue to dominate are the ones that make listeners feel included, understood, entertained, and connected. Technology, music and platforms change. Human connection does not.
When you get back home next week, don’t simply ask yourself what new “thing” you learned: Ask yourself what you’re going to do differently on Monday morning.
Don’t be afraid to approach anyone! Radio is a relatively small community and most people are like family. Nobody is too big or too small for you. Just think of Taylor Swift, the biggest pop star of this century. She embodies the true spirit of passion, humility and gracefulness that she is where she is and that none of it happens if your peers hate you. We are all in radio because we wanted to be heard, not seen. So make the most of it and get out of your comfort zone.
I say this at the end of every show and leave you with it now: thanks for being who you are and for being here with us!
