If your today self could have a few words with your high school or college self – that kid who would do anything for a career in radio – what would that conversation be like?
How would you communicate to that starry-eyed kid about the road you’ve been on, your victories, your defeats, your heartbreaks, and your joys?
What career lessons would you pass on to that radio wannabe about the choices you made, as well as the ones you didn’t make?
One thing I’ve learned in my many travels is that everyone’s trajectory in the business is unique. No two stories are the same. Our paths to success – or our inability to make it work – are as different as we are as people.
I also firmly believe that luck and a break or two are part of why many of us have achieved our level of success. And of course, that old adage – the harder I work, the luckier I get – is true more often than not.
But what would “Today Fred” say to “Just Out of College Fred?”
In looking back on my own career during those years before Jacobs Media when I worked for other people, I’ve come to realize one thing I unwittingly did very well. I worked for good people and great companies.
I’d love to tell you that was part of the plan. But I honestly don’t remember how much of that was calculated, how much was intuitive, and how much was simply right place-right time.
Nevertheless, I only worked for two companies before striking out on my own: Frank N. Magid & Associates and ABC Radio.
Each provided me with a valuable education, amazing experiences, and the chance to work for some of the smartest people in the business. With both of these experiences the good days outnumbered the bad. (But there were BAD DAYS.) And I was able to focus on the true learning moments, while dealing with inevitable tasks that might make any employee a little crazy.
When I joined Magid in 1976, it was essentially the only company doing radio and TV research surveys in America. You either found a way to get a job there – which meant a mandatory move to
Cedar Rapids, Iowa) or you didn’t do radio and TV research. They weren’t just the only company of their kind – they were the best at what they did. And they worked for some of the biggest and best broadcasting companies in the 70’s – RKO, Bonneville, Hubbard, ABC, Cap Cities, the Associated Press, and on it went.
From there I joined ABC Radio at WRIF in Detroit – my hometown. Yes, it was a thrill to work for my favorite radio station, but I got to work alongside the best broadcasters in town – and in the country.
Our programming meetings when the company would bring its PDs together from the seven owned and operated markets were amazing. You got to learn and exchange ideas with the best and the brightest in radio, unselfishly helping one another through the competitive morass.
But in our individual markets, we had autonomy, as well as financial and staff support. The resources were fantastic, but the expectations were high. You were expected to win. It was a great environment in which to learn and grow.
And between my long consulting career and my only two employers in radio, I’ve reached the conclusion that who you work for isn’t everything, but it goes a long way toward explaining “how it’s going.”
I’ve had the honor to work with some amazing people over the last nearly four decades since I fired up Jacobs Media in the early 80’s. But I’ve also seen many of them fail, despite their skill sets. Conversely, I’ve seen some shall-we-say less than brilliant people get lucky along the way.
A key variable is your employer. And while that’s not always something you can control, it’s a factor that I believe the most successful in our business take into account when it comes time to call U-Haul and make a change.
That philosophy resonated loud and clear over the weekend when I watched the Los Angeles Rams finish off the San Francisco 49ers to reach the vaunted Super Bowl. Of the 50 or so players on the Rams’ roster, every single one has a story – how they worked hard, how they overcame challenges, and how they got to “The Big Game,” in many cases, after years of trying.
But there was one player that stood apart from his teammates because his story is so compelling:
Quarterback Matthew Stafford
Without a doubt, his journey was the most arduous. And it fits the narrative we’re talking about. You can have immense talent and skill. You can go to a great school. You can be very bright and intensely hard working. But if you’re on the wrong team, success can be fleeting.
Matt grew up outside of Atlanta, and when the family moved to Dallas, starred at Highland Park High School. He led the school to a perfect 15-0, winning a state championship. He then went on to star at Georgia, where he was considered to be one of the best college quarterbacks in the country.
To no one’s surprise, Matt was the Detroit Lions’ first round draft pick in 2009. He was the Lions’ primary quarterback for 12 years, he set many personal NFL records for a quarterback, including the fastest player to reach 20,000, 30,000, 40,000, and 45,000 career passing yards.
Yet, his won-loss record after a dozen years with objectively, the worst team in the NFL, is a mediocre 76-89-1.
During that time, the Lions made the playoffs exactly three times, with no postseason wins to show for it.
Next stop: Super Bowl LVI
In his first year with the Rams, Stafford went 12-5 in the regular season, and has THREE playoff wins in January alone, heading into the Super Bowl in his new hometown, the beautiful SoFi Stadium in L.A., later this month.
It’s the same guy with the same number on his back (9), but now wearing a different uniform for the first time in his pro career.
For a dozen years, Stafford has had to deal with losing records, as well as never-ending criticism from fans and the media, almost all of whom gave him the lion’s share of the blame. And after Sunday’s victory over the Niners, analyst Stephen A. Smith came clean: “I’m wrong about Matt Stafford.”
Next stop: Super Bowl LVI
The photo at the top of this post is a poignant one. It is most definitely “augmented reality” – the winning Rams QB Matt Stafford hugging the playoff winless Lions QB Matt Stafford.
Former Detroit resident (but always a Packer fan), Lori Lewis, sent me this photoshopped masterpiece earlier this week and commented:
“Its like he’s hugging his former self – like ‘It’s OK.'”
Lori added:
“It’s like we finally got the courage to leave a system not fully pulling out our talent. So moving.”
And it is.
Next stop: Super Bowl LVI
Winning and losing. Whether you’re playing sports or you’re playing radio, it is a highly emotional thing. Sometimes the margin between defeat and victory is razor thin. As the old cliché goes, it’s a game of inches, a game of diaries and meters.
But one variable you can control is the team you play for. There are still good ones out there, ones that care about you, your welfare, your career. They may not be in the biggest markets, they may not make the headlines in the trades. But you have to do your homework, make your connections, and work it….hard.
We all don’t get to be #1. We all don’t win the Marconi.
But we can improve our chances by playing for a great team,
Go team.
Jacobs Media has consistently walked the walk in the digital space, providing insights and guidance through its well-read national Techsurveys.
In 2008, jacapps was launched - a mobile apps company that has designed and built more than 1,300 apps for both the Apple and Android platforms. In 2013, the DASH Conference was created - a mashup of radio and automotive, designed to foster better understanding of the "connected car" and its impact.
Along with providing the creative and intellectual direction for the company, Fred consults many of Jacobs Media's commercial and public radio clients, in addition to media brands looking to thrive in the rapidly changing tech environment.
Fred was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2018.
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During my 28 years in radio I was always grateful to be on “Team Jacobs.” You are gem! Thanks for everything you contribute to the industry on a daily basis!
That’s so sweet, Nancy. We had some good times AND some huge wins. Thank you1
Nancy, so kind of you to give me a shoutout. Over the years, we had good times and some great success. Hope you’re doing well.
Talent + work ethic the missing piece is always the environment to flourish. Thanks for a article
Exactly. You see it again and again. The company(ies) you work for play a huge role.
Well said…Like football. radio is more of a team sport than an individual one and I was blessed to have spent the bulk of my career on good teams…
Funny, Gerry, I thought of you when I wrote the post. Hope all is good in “retirement.”
AMEN!
Jim, I knew you’d get this one.
To me, this cuts across all industries. Any thinking individual should know, thank you for saying it. We do each have our own story, and yeah, luck, being in the right place at the right time, and I also buy into the harder you work the luckier you get.
I think I have an example of all of these from my own story and as choices go, I’ve fallen on bad ones. I’m trying to make better ones.
These days, I’m looking at teams and creating teams with this thought in mind. Sports give us these great examples, it’s so good to see Matt move to the big game. If I were the organization that he came from, I’d be doing some serious self-analysis.
Great job Fred, thank you!
The word, “team,” is overused by so many, but its value has never been more critical to success. As you know, I’m a sucker for sports analogies, and the Stafford story is turning out to be one of my favorites. Thanks for engaging on this one, Billy.
Fred, my road so similar! This stumbling guy gets to work for Hoffman York and Eisner Advertising, getting street smarts from the founders. Then, I get to work for three family run Wisconsin radio operators — Mid-West Family, Midwest Communications, Bliss, Mid-West Family again. Surrounded by positive go-getters, training and more training. I’m the luckiest salesman on earth! Only Covid, zoom, wife and grandchildren yanked me out of this grandeur!
Leo, I get it. Sometimes, it’s inertia that’s your guide. Thanks for telling us about your journey, and sorry about that COVID disruption. It has taken a heavy toll.
Absolutely beautiful picture at the top. I could only wish for your sake, Fred, that the images were reversed. Maybe next year. Or at least maybe someday.
David, thanks, but it’s fun living vicariously through Stafford’s amazing journey.
I had someone tell me early on when I first started in radio, “It’s their radio station, but it’s your career.”
It’s good to keep that in mind with every ‘planned’ career move you make.
Great post Fred.
Coming from you, Pat, a high compliment. Most appreciated.
You said a mouthful!
I’m thinking there’s not going to be an invite from the Rock Hall anytime soon.