I conquered a fear today. And it turned out to be a very good experience.
I have always (since I was 7 or 8 years old) wanted to call into a talk radio show. The earliest radio show I remember listening to was a show called “Online Tonight” with David Lawrence.
Even as a kid, I was geeky, and this show provided great “drive home” music late at night. My father and I used to crank up the audio as David announced the hour’s “Geek Speak”, a segment where he would identify an up-and-coming geeky phrase (this is where I first heard the definition of the word “linux”) and would soon after tell you what it meant.
Though I haven’t listened to this show in over five years (someone did tell me recently it’s still on the air), my inclination towards listening to “talk radio” as I work has remained. But, until today, I was never brave enough to interact with the hosts.
Today, it was different.
For over two weeks now I have been listening religiously to “The World of T.J. McCormack”. This guy is HILAROIUS. I found his show after someone sent me a link to BBS Talk Radio (an awesome online radio station, for which I have considered hosting my own show). No one before has ever been able to hold my attention with their own voice, for two whole hours. This guy does it EVERY DAY.
Today, T.J. was talking (well…actually I think he was singing into the microphone) about a seemingly random assortment of topics. I was listening, riveted. Hanging on every word, until he did something he doesn’t usually (at least not within the past couple of weeks) do…he mentioned his email address.
So, knowing he was on the air, and wanting to give him encouragement for all his good work, I sent him an email. I told him I was from Hawaii and was a freelancer, that’s just about it.
Before I knew it, he was referencing my email on the air, and inviting me to write more! This was quite a development! I had never had my name read on the radio before, and my heart was beginning to pound excitedly.
I wrote back with an offer to call in after finishing what I was working on, and he accepted it on the air! My heart pounded faster. My voice was actually going to be on the air…and I was going to be making conversation with none other than T.J. Mcormick! I was psyched.
10 minutes later…my palms were sweating. I pressed the “call” button on Skype…and…was immediately greeted by a less-delayed version of TJ’s show, coupled with the livestream (slightly delayed) blasting in my ears. I hurriedly closed the stream, just in time for TJ to welcome me to the show. There was my cue…
What followed is a blur. I have to listen to the archive to even know what I said this morning…what I do know, was that it felt like I was onstage again.
This feeling was fantastic! I loved every minute of it!
Through the course of those minutes (I’m not sure exactly how long…it could have been seconds, it could have been minutes…I lost track) I discussed (with T.J.’s witty commentary, and thought-provoking questions accompanying my words) my current plans for travel, my blog (the one you’re reading right now) and even a little of my past. In those few moments in time, I fell back in love with speaking with the ears of hundreds listening.
T.J. was fantastic as always, and invited me both to come in for a “proper” interview in the Studio when I get to LA (a “done deal” as he said, in a couple months) as well as to be an “on-the-road” roving reporter, checking in with T.J. on the show via Skype as I’m trotting around the globe.
This idea sounded awesome.
The archive is available below as a download (or, if you’re subscribing with a podcast aggregation, it is the media file attached). This file belongs to BBS Talk Radio and is hosted on their servers, I am simply linking to it. I am in the last few minutes so either listen to T.J.’s awesome show, or fast forward about an hour and 50 minutes.
This leads me to a question for you guys (answer in the comments):
Do you think it would be a good idea for me to do a show of my own on BBS Talk Radio? Checking in bi-weekly/weekly from around the globe, talking about travel tips and my experiences? Or am I better off to write and call in to other shows?
Let me know what you think.
Very cool hearing you on the radio. Enjoyed it. Nice song after you too!
In my inexperienced view, considering all you have on your plate, it would be too time consuming to have your own show. Better to stick to writing and guest appearances
on other shows.
Hey man,
Love the site, I actually just found it through your ad on http://www.betterthanyourboyfriend.com so rest easy knowing that your advertising money is going to good use.
-Tim
@Tim - Thanks a bunch for letting me know! I wanted to support Tynan and his endeavors and thought it was a good idea to give some advertising a try. I’ll take a look at your site!
No problem man, thanks for giving my site a look. I’m getting really into your site, just read through a lot of your previous posts.
I’ve never been able to get into talk radio, though I can’t honestly say I gave it much of a shot. I listen to Howard Stern ocassionally with my dad or if a friend is listening to it, but thats about as far as it goes.
I’ll have to give this guy a try and see how it works out for me.
Anyways, it was cool listening to you on the radio and getting a little more info on what you’re all about. I posted a comment on a past entry asking about your wife and what she was doing while you were traveling and this cleared that up.
As for doing your own show, that seems like a cool idea, though it would be really difficult time wise, just to come up with that much material.
I think it was very cool of TJ to offer you the chance to call in and I would start with that and work from there.
Also for anyone else checking it out, the mention of Christian starts at about 1:21:00 in, Christian starts talking around 1:35:43.