One month in…

A few weeks ago, Barb Richards shared her very personal and courageous decision to walk away from a radio job she had held, and loved, for 37 years. If you missed it, you can find it HERE. I received hundreds of personal emails after it posted, and I know Barb did as well. In fact, Radio Ink picked up her story.

I asked Barb if she would be willing to give us monthly updates and she has kindly agreed:

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It’s been almost a month at my new job. It’s gone amazingly fast.

Starting a new job is exhausting! There is so much to learn, new people to meet, figuring our computers, programs and the way your boss likes to work. I found myself very tired the first couple of weeks.

It’s exciting. I feel so re-motivated with creativity. I have always kept a pen and paper handy for thoughts and ideas and I am writing down things like crazy. I don’t know a lot about the venue business yet, but it’s very exciting to learn a new type of business. The non-profit world is very interesting. It has challenged me in all new ways and I like that.

I had to figure out how to start a new job. Do I just jump into stuff? Do I wait until I’m told? When I first started in radio, I didn’t know anything so I had to wait until someone could show me how to splice, edit, record, write a commercial, a promo, and schedule music.

But this time I felt I had been hired for my experience, so I decided to let that guide me. Every day my goal was to make forward momentum on something. It didn’t matter what — cleaning out a drawer, writing a press release, meeting with other people to see how their job interacted with mine — whatever I could do so that at the end of that day I could say I accomplished SOMETHING.

Hard not to make some missteps. But my boss is very kind and for now, at least, is letting me use the, “…but I’m new” excuse. Like the time I set off the alarm because I wanted to get in early and impress her…by WAKING HER UP!

And I’ve made it a priority to learn how the boss likes to work and how she wants me to work for her. I have really observed how she works with others to learn how I should work with her.

This job feels so different because the last job I learned I was so young! Being older and experienced does have its advantages. People who are hiring should consider age a plus. I don’t mess around. I work hard. I don’t need to socialize and thankfully I don’t have much drama in my life because kids are grown and out. I understand there is a job to be done, that’s what you pay me for, and that’s what I am going to do!

I do miss my radio job at times. I think when you love someone or something and it leaves your life, you miss it. Sort of like the grief process. Memories jump in and I smile, laugh, get a little sad — and then move on.

I am glad I have so many great memories. It would hurt my heart if I didn’t miss radio.

But it’s good to grow in new areas. It’s good to grow!

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I, for one, think Radio in Barb’s town is diminished because she left, but oh, how I admire her courage and spirit.