30 years ago this week I was involved one of the most transformative transitions of my broadcasting career. And the amazing thing is that I didn’t seek it out nor did I initially realize the value it would have in my career. But I was wrong.

Choosing to be a lifelong learner is a great gift to yourself.

I occasionally run across people without a learning spirit. They do what they do and that’s all they want to do. I once worked with a morning man on a CCM station that simply repeated the bits he did on his previous Oldies station.

Whether routed in laziness or fear of the unknown it keeps people stuck, both in skill level and perspective. I think this is particularly challenging for someone who’s been at one radio station for a long time. While longevity certainly has its benefits, I can only imagine what my limited perspective on programming would be if I had spent several decades at my first station, a 500-watt AM station in my hometown in west Texas.

My greatest value to stations is that I’ve just spent time with some of the smartest broadcasters in our format. I see their challenges. I’ve been a part of those conversations. I’ve seen the solutions they come up with and understand the outside perspective.

Every time I’m around smart people they make me better.

(Seven years ago this week I attended the funeral of Lowell “Bud” Paxson, a man I can honestly say changed my life and the lives of dozens of others who were privileged to work for him. For those of you who have just tuned in I think it’s appropriate for me to share this Frost Advisory again.)

A couple of weeks ago I shared observations on leadership from the book, “Breakfast with Fred,” the conversations and ideas of Fred Smith, Sr, a mentor for many leaders such as Zig Ziglar, Philip Yancey, John Maxwell, and my friend Steve Brown.

Little did I realize that within a couple of weeks I would be attending the funeral of the greatest leader I have ever personally known, Bud Paxson.

If your station had a Christmas music strategy and it was effective, it has more listeners today than it did two months ago. For a format that plays mostly unfamiliar music from a new listener’s perspective, that is a HUGE opportunity. After all…

Everyone’s favorite station is the station that plays their favorite music.

Don’t blow it.

I’ve noticed that when Andy Stanley shares a message he purposely speaks his content directly to insiders AND outsiders. “If you’re not a Christian or church person…” leads into a camera angle specifically designed to effectively communicate to a specific group. Then he’ll direct a similar message to those, like most of us, that have been going to church since before we were born.

“Blessing” is not a word we kick around often in strategic planning meetings, and certainly not in budget meetings. But I reckon’ it’s a pretty good word.

One of the definitions for “blessing” is “something that helps you or brings happiness.” (Merriam-Webster dictionary)

My friend Brant Hansen shares, “Literally blessing means to add value. How can I bless the listener today?”

He digs into the process, or more accurately the WORK.

The beginning of a new year seems to me to be a good time to consider how we internalize the values in our organizations.

Andy Stanley suggests, “Just start celebrating what you value. People will value what you celebrate, and they will celebrate what you value.”

I’ve recently been reading, “Breakfast with Fred,” the conversations and ideas of Fred Smith, Sr, a mentor for many leaders such as Zig Ziglar, Philip Yancey, John Maxwell and my friend Steve Brown.

“When Fred was in his early twenties, he visited a cemetery and asked himself what he would want the epitaph on his tombstone to read. It was at that moment he chose the phrase that would set his life direction: ‘He stretched others.'”

Have you ever met anyone that has their own statue? Interesting thought, isn’t it?

I’ve had the privilege of meeting several. I met Ronald Reagan when he was running for president in the ’70s. In my baseball life I’ve met Stan Musial, Jack Buck, Mike Schmidt, Lou Brock, and Ozzie Smith.

What makes someone so special that they are worthy of a statue?

Is it talent? Or personality? Maybe just right place at the right time?

Every Christmas for the last several years I’ve thrown a few coins into the Salvation Army bucket down the street at the H-E-B. But not this year. Nope. They’ve changed their bell ringer. The guy standing outside the store ringing the bell is different this season, and I’m upset about it.

Ludicrous, isn’t it? Obviously no one would stop donating to the Salvation Army because Bert replaced Barry at the bucket.

“People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it. And what you do simply proves what you believe.”

Simon Sinek

Is there a connection between Christmas and your station’s strategy? No, I didn’t say Christmas MUSIC. I said Christmas.

They say there are more “religious” radio stations in the United States than any other format category. They also say that those religious stations have fewer listeners than any other. Ouch!

Many Christian radio stations could best be described as “a bunch of stuff all on one station,” consisting of a little of this and a little of that with little connection to the WHY.

So, I’m driving down the road minding my own business and I decide to punch the radio button to listen to a mainstream AC playing Christmas music.

E-gad! I didn’t know Alvin and the Chipmunks had so many Christmas songs.

And then I heard the announcement that said something like, “We’ll be playing Christmas music until Christmas (right then I realized I should be taking notes) and then after Christmas we’ll go right back and play the best variety of the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s, and zeros.”

It wasn’t even December yet and they were already promoting the thing after the thing.

The further away something is the less relevant it will seem.

“Christmas isn’t going away, and we’re going to have this discussion every year.”

Two decades ago I remember saying those words to my talented friends Jim Hoge and Dean O’Neal at Z88.3 in Orlando. I remember saying that because we DO have that discussion every year. With every station.

Their situation was unique in that “The Z” was on a fast growth curve, and it was rare for a Christian station to abandon its regular format and play nothing but Christmas tunes. Besides, there was already a mainstream AC doing all Christmas and they were #1 in the market. (That AC program director was also a tall, skinny kid from west Texas with an ever so manly radio voice).

In the most recent research not ONE of the Z88.3 fans indicated they listened to the Mainstream AC for Christmas music. Quite a transformation, I’d say.

Obviously, Christmas music wasn’t the only reason for The Z’s remarkable growth, but clearly Jim and Dean seized an opportunity to transform the format’s biggest competitive disadvantage (playing generally unfamiliar music) into a competitive advantage.

This week’s Frost Advisory includes an interview about Christmas music programming I did a while back with Andrew Curran, President and COO of DMR/Interactive.