Be a Simple Kind of Broadcaster

Today I write to you as a humbled person…as a simple man. Being in the public eye, it’s easy to get an overinflated ego, making it easy to forget why you are behind a microphone in the first place… Maybe I am over stepping, but let’s be honest , if went into Radio just for yourself…you’re in it for the wrong reason…because the impact that you can have is something that you can’t even phantom, and honestly sitting in a little soundproof room you can forget. So what is my purpose in radio well among many ..

 October is National Domestic Violence Awareness month, and yesterday (Oct 2nd) was declared a day to talk, to shed light on this silent epidemic, that claims many victims and because of the taboo nature casts many survivors to the void of silence…. One of my goals in my career is to not forget what that pain felt like, the pain of suffering in silence. Growing up in a voice crushing domestic violence situation I’ve been on a mission to never let that happen again. On Oct 2nd I decided to do something a little different beyond me just saying I’m a survivor and throwing out some links..I decided to tell a story…my story… my mother’s story.

 The Interview is below…

                                  My Mom (Joan) and I at her surprise 50th Birthday July 2011

The response was nothing short of breath taking and brings tears to my eyes as I write this…immediately a listener called to share her support, the podcast of was circulated and many survivors and groups reached out to tell me what it meant to them. It made me think about what it was like to be a little boy, that shell of what a little boy should be, filled with anger, hurt and pain and how much life I lost feeling that way. Now as an adult, happy, mostly mentally stable and most importantly safe, living a dream I didn’t see why I was getting the accolades I did because honestly how irresponsible would it be if I stayed quiet?

As you continue your career in radio, or broadcasting or maybe just living life, I urge you not to settle for silence whatever that cause is…Your listeners, your family your friends your co-workers might you’re your voice because these causes because these people you interact with daily are climbing that same mountain that you have climbed, to get where you are now.

 So SHOUT! Shout from your peak and raise your voice! Your echo will lift people climbing that same mountain and point them to the top… Allowing them to achieve and have a chance, to have the opportunity to breathe what it’s like to be at the top.

 I listen to Lynyrd Skynyrd “Simple Man” a lot …and today as a young broadcaster, or old broadcaster I ask you to be something you love and understand, to have conviction, to stand up for a cause, and be humbled, be a simple kind of broadcaster… If you want to find out more about domestic violence, I urge you to check out the following links:

National Domestic Violence Hotline

NoMore.org a Social Campaign to break the cycle

National Coalition to End Domestic Violence

 I also want to take this time to thank Kim Wells the Executive Director of the Corporate Alliance to end partner violence for being an amazing beacon for survivors and victims’ alike… Please connect with her if you want an amazing interview..

CAEPV Website
 
CAEPV on Facebook

I also want to thank fellow broadcasters, friends and family who wore purple to support victims and survivors of domestic violence…Including Jadd Naamani of Kiss 108 in Boston …Mike Cross one of my best friends in Clifton Park, Phil Carr and Chris Dawson of the Tri City Valley Cats in Troy NY and just overall good people...Michael Berthiaume a golfer extraordinaire, Kellie Schramek a hair stylist and an amazing ex business partner of mine , Laura Lachell of correctional eyecare and also an amazing friend, Becky Coon-Ryan aka Radar looked amazing in purple and everyone else who wore a purple, a little bit or a whole bunch…the light you shed, was amazing… Thanks for reading and I hope you continue the conversation that was started today…