On The Air - Mapleonian Takes to the Airways in Pittsburgh

Okay, right off the bat let me say this is a bit of a self-serving post, but Skip encouraged me to post it nonetheless. So here goes.

I am now hosting a weekly NASCAR radio show in Pittsburgh, PA. The show, Threewide With Elliot & The Crew, airs each Thursday and again Saturday at 1:00 p.m.

It's been quite a learning experience. I would never have imagined that it's that difficult to talk about anything for an hour on the air - but it is a lot more difficult than it sounds when you're listening to your favorite show. I've learned just how important some of the things we apply in our everyday day jobs as marketing professionals truly are.

Lesson 1:
Be prepared. Segment one is a recap of the weekend's races so...each week, I watch what I can of the races - something I'll be honest I'd never done until a year or so ago, when I had to start to get a real appreciation for the sport given that a client was about to enter the world of ?NASCAR sponsorship. I read like you wouldn't believe - but not just about racing; about the sponsors (Fortune 500 companies rule NASCAR), about towns that host tracks, you name it.

Lesson 2: Network
I'll be honest, after a while I get a little bored with going to the same meetings and seeing the same people - I love you all but I think if we're all honest with each other, we'd like to get out and see more and more new people. Having said that when I first entered the world of racing I made sure I met everybody I could from team owners to drivers to other media folks (that's come in really handy for recent story pitches). That's been key because Segment 2 is a driver call-in segment. In our 8 weeks on the air I've had drivers in the top 12 from all series including Richard 'The King' Petty.

Lesson 3: Have No Fear!
Too often in marketing, we or our clients, get worried about what might happen (or not happen)and let that guide our efforts. You simply can't do that. You've got to go into every opportunity objectively and confidently. That's been huge for me in this endeavor. I've simply approached this with an attitude that I'm not worried about this week's show because each week I'm learning how to make it better.

Lesson 4: Just have fun!
Think about it. If you're not having fun, you're less likely to put your full effort into the work in front of you. In the case of my show, if I'm not having fun, it shows - or rather you can hear it! So keep it fun. When it's not, take a break and figure out what you need to do to have fun. When you like what you're doing, it's easier to convince your clients -or listeners - to like what you're doing.

So, aside from plugging the show - segments can be found on www.elliotandthecrew.com - I hope I've provided some tips as well.

See you at the track!