It’s a very cold January morning. Only two degrees above zero outside my window but very cozy in my kitchen. I’m enjoying an extended break from the 30+ years of getting up in early, early morning darkness to host a daily Radio show. And there’s something very right about waking up today and watching the Winter woods behind our house with a cup of coffee in my KWHW mug. KWHW, Altus, Oklahoma. My first Radio station.
Radio has given me every opportunity I could hope for. And this past Summer I kept that in the forefront of my mind as I contemplated making some serious changes in my professional life. I knew it was time for something different, but I had no idea what. So I thanked my partners at Zimmer Radio for giving me a place to call home the last 8 years and began counting down the 4 months I had left hosting Wake Up Columbia on The Eagle, 93.9 FM.
There was only one problem: I had no idea what I was going to do. And as Dynamite Deb happily reminded me, “…You know you have to have a job…right?”. Yeah, I know…
But Radio has never really felt like a job. Not just because it’s so damn much fun, but because I truly feel like it’s one of the things I was born to do. Things like being devoted to working on a worthwhile marriage, being someone’s Dad, really getting involved with my community, hosting an annual Beer Fest. You know, the important callings we hear and heed.
I let my mind wander into a world of “what ifs”, and things started getting very exciting.
I made a small mental list of my have-to’s if I was going to launch a new show. I have to actually own the show. I have to be able to control all the content. I have to be able to broadcast in a public setting and go on a rambling remote wherever and whenever I please. I have to serve Missouri. I have to get more sleep.
Then I began contacting my business partners to make sure these clients and great friends would be willing to join me in a new venture. I formed new partnerships and started new discussions.
What followed was a new reality where only thoughts had lived before. I’ll be damned. This really is going to happen.
In a few weeks, we’re going to launch a new Radio show, The Tom Bradley Show, 8:00am – 10:00am weekdays, available on www.TheTomBradleyShow.com, live from the lobby of The Broadway Hotel in the heart of Downtown Columbia, and carried locally on JACK-FM at 93.1 FM.
My enthusiasm is at an all-time high and I can’t wait to get back on-the-air and into a daily routine making Radio magic happen. And I want to say thanks to my family, friends, clients and listeners that support this self-indulgence of mine.
Here’s to the lifetime pursuit of a better cup of coffee!