About a year ago, I found myself in the very unenviable position of being in the great search
for "what's next," having left a #1 12+ morning show at G105, Raleigh. I won't go into why I
left. It had little to do with my bosses or the company, both were great. But we've all said at
some point or another, "I shouldn't have to put up with this anymore." So I stopped putting up
with it. One problem solved, another one begun. I spent over a year waiting for "my next challenge," partly because of my mission to make new things happen in talk radio (I eventually did get an offer, but not until after I accepted employment elsewhere), and partly because of my determination to not jump out of the frying pan and into a fire.

Along the way, I picked up several little thoughts that might help some of you who are currently in that radio purgatory called "on the beach." I made a note to myself to never, ever forget what it was like to be in that situation. It will try you, shake you, scare you, test you, inspire you, and educate you. I didn't want to ever forget any of the lessons I learned about myself...and the industry in which I work. Some items you might relate to or want to consider:

*Go to a movie once a week. Even if it's bad it really does consititute escapist entertainment.

*If you have a kid that's young enough to be around the house, they will keep you as busy and
distracted as anything else. Take them for a walk each day, it gets you out of the house and
also gives you a good chance to clear your head and do some thinking, strategize.

*Realize that there is very little you can do to speed up any decision-making process at any
station. You'll drive yourself crazy. Changes are made only when there is little to no time left.

*Even if you think they're silly, buy and read motivational books. There is very little chance
you won't pick up at least one or two thoughts that inspire you, encourage you, or make you a
better person.

*Get up at a certain time, shower, and dress presentably. Don't get into the trap of thinking it
doesn't matter whether or not you get up or what you look like. It's important to keep
everything in your life as normal as possible.

*A day to someone out there working flies by in less than no time. A day for you seems like
an eternity. Be reasonable when giving people a chance to get to your tape.

*Exercise, even if you've never done it before. You have enough to worry about without not
looking and feeling your best.

*Hopefully you have some kind of severence package to keep you going for a while. But
when that runs out, the natural inclination is to buckle down and cut corners financially.
Don't. It is mentally very important to keep as much about your life as consistent as possible.
Even if you have to take out a loan (which is done in emergencies and this counts as one) to
maintain your standard of living, finance a vacation you've always wanted to take, etc., do it.

*You'll find yourself replaying your entire career over and over again in your mind...searching
for things you might have done differently, things you did wrong. When you catch yourself
doing this, immediately shift gears and start fantasizing about how great things are going to be.

*Being on the beach is a cruel thing, because you've got all these things you said you were
going to do if only you had some time off, but when you have all this time off you feel like
you should spend every moment of it worrying about getting a job. Whatever you've always
wanted to do, do it. Don't let the one positive thing about being unemployed pass you by.

*If you've never taken the time in your career to network, do it. Start small with the people
you know, they'll tell you other people to call, and they'll give you the names of some more
people. After a while you'll find you have built a network of contacts. Keep a list of every
contact and notes of every conversation or correspondence you have with them. Don't forget
thank you notes. Tapes, resumes, ads and calls are all nice things and they'll keep you
occupied, but everyone knows actual jobs are gotten through contacts.

*Being angry and bitter toward your former employer or co-workers will not achieve a single
thing. In fact, running them down to others in the industry will reflect badly on you, not them.
Concentrate only on bettering your own situation, not ruining someone else's.

*No call and no contact is wasted. When all this is over, you will truly know who the good
guys and bad guys are. You'll truly know who can get things done for you and who's just
being polite while consuming your time.

*Recognize that it's human nature for your mood to swing almost daily from total frustration
and desperation to positive and gung-ho.

*Recognize that people take great delight in asking an unemployed person, "So, how's the job
hunt going?" You could trot out a weak list of your current longshot possibilities, but you
don't owe them anything other than, "Fine, thank you."

*Don't take anything out on your spouse, family or significant other. It's not worth it. Although
it might seem like no one's in your corner right now, these people probably are, so be grateful
and show that gratitude.

*For some reason, people who are reluctant to return a phone call or acknowledge a letter are
far more likely to answer an E-mail message. If you can, use this and the radio sites of online
services in your job hunt.

*Find a show that just makes you feel good (mine was the Andy Griffith Show) and watch it
often.

*Try not to figure out why managers and programmers make the decisions they do.
Understand that just because somebody's daypart is at the bottom of the ratings, and has been
there for years, doesn't mean management wants to, needs to, or is going to make any
changes. Many decisions are made because they're safe and involve little investment or risk.
You can sit around and gripe about it, or use that knowledge to your advantage.

*One of the most hurtful things about unemployment is the feeling that you've let down your
family. Believe me, you are more than what you do for a living. I'm sure your family wants
your continued love and good cheer as much as they want your income.

*Your phone really isn't broken, but it's okay for you to have to check it once in awhile.

*Just because stations have nothing for you, that's not to say they won't ask you to do a favor
for them. You'll be excited to see station letterhead in your mailbox only to discover they
want you to beef up their EEO files.

*Get ready to hear the phrases, "keep in touch," "hang in there," "you'll get something," "I
wouldn't worry," over and over and over. Well meaning, but they still turn into cliches for the
unemployed.

*A tremendous number of people will not return your phone calls and you will eventually have
all sorts of curse words for them. But know that as rude and unprofessional as this practice is,
it's not always the case that you're dealing with horrible people. A great many folks would
love to help you out, love to listen to and critique your tape, but simply do not have the time.
You may not like it, but helping you get a job is not very high on anybody's priority list. That
should make you all the more appreciative of the people that do take the time to help you.

*While it might be mentally difficult in this time of near-desperation, having the attitude that
you'll take any job could hurt you. Do a lot of soul searching. What daypart, what format,
what company, would you truly thrive and excel in? What would you be the most excited
about? Focus on that. Only in radio is someone who has more than one interest or ability
considered "unfocused." The point is, if you know exactly what you want, you can save
yourself a lot of time by zeroing in on the people and stations that can get it for you.

*Don't sit idle. If you're an out of work morning guy, write for and submit to the prep
services. If you're a jock, get out and do some parties. If you're an out of work PD and can
consult a small market station (no matter how small), do it.

*There's no better time than now to have some serious honesty sessions with yourself.
Prioritize what is and isn't important in your life. You might find that radio is not very
accomodating to the things that make you the happiest. You can talk about money, you can
talk about fame, but as hard as it is to believe...sometimes those things not only don't mean
happiness, they are the very things standing in the way of being happy.

*Bottom line: it could take you a very very long time to get another job in the business.
Whether you stay in or get out is not up to the industry, or consultants or PDs, it's entirely up
to you. It's not going to be easy, and only you know how determined you are and how
willing you are to get through this period intact. You're probably tempted to give yourself a
"time limit" in which you have to have a job secured. Think about that. To already have a
time set when you're going to quit isn't going to get the job done...it says right away that you
are willing to quit. Yoda said it best, "There is no 'try'. There is either do, or do not."

*When this trial by fire is over, you will look back and know that you have learned invaluable
things about yourself and those around you, things you could never have known were it not
for this experience. You'll know just how strong you can be. You'll know who will and who
won't stand by you in difficult times. You'll know more people in this business than you ever
thought you could. You'll know that there is very little you can't accomplish with unending
persistence and devotion.

*It is enormously helpful to believe in a higher power. On the days when you feel completely
alone and at the end of your rope, and you've lost faith in everyone, it's life-saving to have
something you do have faith in to just turn everything over to. You'd be stunned at how much
personal strength can be gained from that. Unfortunately, many people tend to blame higher
powers in difficult times rather than utilize them.

My dream for years was to be able to settle down and raise my family where most of our friends and family are, Atlanta. I thought if I was really lucky I could do this while staying in radio. If miracles happened, I hoped I could still be a part of a morning show, and one I truly believed in and respected. Not just parts of that...but all of that came true. And it came true only because of the things I learned and experienced during that seemingly merciless, endless time on the beach.

The thing I wanted to be able to show from that experience was: when you lose your job, you might come across as the "loser" of the situation. But if you have the strength to be true to who you are and what you want; and if you adhere to the idea that you don't have to be ruthless, back-stabbing, abusive, or an egomaniac to get ahead in this business; then not only will you be just fine in the long run, you'll probably be better, happier, healthier, and more successful than you ever dreamed you could be.