I asked our staff to submit stories, memories, and personal anecdotes from their career in radio. The response was overwhelming, and reminded me why I love working in this industry so much. Having the support of a great company like ours is one of the things that sets us apart. Here they are:
"One of my highlights is seeing a client of mine go from the worst month he has ever had, to back to back months of setting the store record with number of cars sold. Another one is taking a client from never doing anything with us before on the radio, to doing a full branding 21/52 schedule and allowing that same client to trust me with all of his creative."
"A career highlight is when I developed a relationship with a veterinary clinic and showed them the power of BrandsFormation. We had just gotten a puppy so I needed to find a vet. I started talking a little bit about marketing and they were interested. So, I gave the owner a copy of the BrandsFormation book, invited them to a BrandsFormation seminar, and now they are fully branding on Wild Country 99 and seeing amazing results from their investment."
"I had been running advertising schedules for years with a boat dealer out of LaCrosse, WI (which is about 30 miles from Winona) and not seeing results one way or the other. Last year, I went in with new knowledge and using the Leighton system was able to run some more impactful ads. By the middle of the season he had seen so much business from the Winona area that he said he would have easily have spent twice as much to see the kind results that he was getting."
"By far, one of my favorite memories was co-hosting and singing/playing guitar on our Mississippi River cruises. Getting to meet our listeners and mingle with them was awesome, plus getting feedback on my musical noodlings was a bonus!"
"Early on in my Radio Days I had a chance to interview Johnny Holm, front man for The Traveling Fun Show and Street Dance Legend. I asked him when he knew he had finally made it. His humble answer was that he still hadn't ... so, I pressed him. Johnny got quiet, then replied, 'The band and I were traveling to a show in Western Minnesota and our song Lightning Bar Blues came on the air. That's when I knew we were going somewhere special.'
Radio has also taken me places most only dream of going. Backstage at concerts, in a pace car and in tons of parades, and to celebrity meet and greets. I've dined and rubbed elbows with governors and civic officials, astronauts and actors, professional athletes, and military heroes. It’s always a surprise. Who’s next?"
"It's not really a highlight, but more of a lesson I’ve learned: delivering on what you promise and keeping in communication with your clients are the two most important things I need to remember in my job, because there will be no surprises for you or for the client. You’ll always be on the same page."
"The highlights of my career are when I know I am getting results for my clients and they look at me as their marketing partner and not just a sales person. For example, I recall the day a client called me and said, “I need to approve this new billboard campaign and told them I wanted your opinion first!”