WEBVTT 00:00:07.239 --> 00:00:12.619 One little act of kindness can go a long, long 00:00:12.619 --> 00:00:16.500 way. Hi, and welcome back to Tell Me What Happened, 00:00:16.800 --> 00:00:19.100 the podcast that features folks from all walks 00:00:19.100 --> 00:00:22.019 of life talking about childhood experiences that 00:00:22.019 --> 00:00:25.480 they've had. I'm your host, Jay Rehak, and like 00:00:25.480 --> 00:00:28.339 you, I've had my share of childhood experiences, 00:00:28.739 --> 00:00:32.350 some of them great, some of them... Not so great, 00:00:32.570 --> 00:00:34.490 but I'd like to think that whatever happened 00:00:34.490 --> 00:00:37.130 to me as a child has impacted who I am today 00:00:37.130 --> 00:00:40.170 and hopefully made me a better person. Tell Me 00:00:40.170 --> 00:00:43.490 What Happened is sponsored by Sideline Ink Publishing, 00:00:43.829 --> 00:00:45.750 publishers of quality books, including Susan 00:00:45.750 --> 00:00:49.170 Salador's classic, One Little Act of Kindness, 00:00:49.750 --> 00:00:53.369 and I've Got Peace in My Fingers, both available 00:00:53.369 --> 00:00:57.509 now at any quality bookstore or even amazon .com. 00:00:57.630 --> 00:01:00.289 Tell me what happened is also sponsored by laughsaver 00:01:00.289 --> 00:01:04.250 .com. Visit laughsaver .com and record your laughter. 00:01:04.650 --> 00:01:07.590 We'll keep it for you now and forever. It's free 00:01:07.590 --> 00:01:11.170 and your children and your grandchildren and 00:01:11.170 --> 00:01:13.310 your great grandchildren will appreciate it. 00:01:13.310 --> 00:01:16.170 So go to laughsaver .com today and record your 00:01:16.170 --> 00:01:21.310 laughter. Today I have as my guest, my cousin, 00:01:22.370 --> 00:01:26.049 Randy Reac. He goes by the name of R -dub. R 00:01:26.049 --> 00:01:28.269 -Dub is the creator, producer, and host of the 00:01:28.269 --> 00:01:31.090 internationally syndicated radio show Sunday 00:01:31.090 --> 00:01:34.049 Night Slow Jams, currently heard on over 200 00:01:34.049 --> 00:01:37.170 stations in 14 countries. He started the show 00:01:37.170 --> 00:01:39.810 when he was just 16 years old. R -Dub is also 00:01:39.810 --> 00:01:43.290 the self -appointed grand leader and sultan of 00:01:43.290 --> 00:01:46.769 the People's Republic of Slow Jamistan, an 11 00:01:46.769 --> 00:01:50.010 -acre sovereign nation created for people who 00:01:50.010 --> 00:01:53.730 love slow jams. Welcome to the show, Randy. It 00:01:53.730 --> 00:01:57.750 is so good to be here. So when you told me what 00:01:57.750 --> 00:02:00.409 your podcast was about, I instantly got excited 00:02:00.409 --> 00:02:06.049 because there is absolutely one story, one pinpointed 00:02:06.049 --> 00:02:09.949 defining moment, one that would change the entire 00:02:09.949 --> 00:02:12.330 course of my life instantly. I didn't know it 00:02:12.330 --> 00:02:15.229 at the time, but I soon realized it. So let's 00:02:15.229 --> 00:02:17.849 go back in time. And really, anyone who's listening, 00:02:18.069 --> 00:02:20.030 let's go back in time to when we were kids, when 00:02:20.030 --> 00:02:24.159 we were all kids. And like most children, I changed 00:02:24.159 --> 00:02:25.919 my mind every couple of weeks of what I wanted 00:02:25.919 --> 00:02:29.280 to be when I grew up. Okay. So, you know, one 00:02:29.280 --> 00:02:31.580 day it was a fireman and two weeks later, Nope, 00:02:31.699 --> 00:02:33.800 I wanted to be an airplane pilot. I was sure 00:02:33.800 --> 00:02:36.379 of it. One day. Don't ask me why I wanted to 00:02:36.379 --> 00:02:37.919 be a chauffeur because I thought it would be 00:02:37.919 --> 00:02:40.060 cool to drive around one of those cool limousines. 00:02:40.460 --> 00:02:42.759 Uh, another day, I think maybe one of the, one 00:02:42.759 --> 00:02:45.759 of the longest career decisions that I decided 00:02:45.759 --> 00:02:47.699 to be when I was a child was I think for like 00:02:47.699 --> 00:02:49.879 a year, I said, Nope, I'm going to be an attorney 00:02:49.879 --> 00:02:53.750 because I love to talk and I love to argue. But 00:02:53.750 --> 00:02:56.250 sometime in my life, around 13 years old, this 00:02:56.250 --> 00:02:58.590 was my final decision. And I absolutely knew 00:02:58.590 --> 00:03:00.770 this was the dream job. And that was to be a 00:03:00.770 --> 00:03:04.629 radio DJ. And I discovered this because, you 00:03:04.629 --> 00:03:08.430 know, 13, your prepubescent preteen years, I 00:03:08.430 --> 00:03:11.490 think one of the most impactful for anyone, but 00:03:11.490 --> 00:03:13.689 especially a young boy, you know, 12, 13 years 00:03:13.689 --> 00:03:15.349 old, that's when you know, you first fall in 00:03:15.349 --> 00:03:17.270 love and you first start taking an interest into 00:03:17.270 --> 00:03:20.009 girls. And, you know, you start becoming a man. 00:03:20.229 --> 00:03:23.840 And at about 13 years old, I had discovered that 00:03:23.840 --> 00:03:27.199 my two greatest loves in the world over anything 00:03:27.199 --> 00:03:29.800 and everything, my passion, were these two things. 00:03:30.020 --> 00:03:33.000 Number one, talking. I love to talk. And, you 00:03:33.000 --> 00:03:35.400 know, looking back, I was getting in trouble 00:03:35.400 --> 00:03:38.639 for talking since kindergarten. I was the kid, 00:03:38.759 --> 00:03:40.199 you know, kindergarten, first, second, third, 00:03:40.280 --> 00:03:42.199 fourth grade. I was always in the corner or getting 00:03:42.199 --> 00:03:44.960 sent to the principal's office. because I love 00:03:44.960 --> 00:03:47.960 to talk during class. And I'm not embarrassed 00:03:47.960 --> 00:03:50.400 to say I love the attention. I love making people 00:03:50.400 --> 00:03:54.439 laugh. I love making the girls giggle. In the 00:03:54.439 --> 00:03:56.879 few times that I was in a situation where I was 00:03:56.879 --> 00:03:59.500 about to get in a fight with a bully or someone 00:03:59.500 --> 00:04:02.500 that was about to kick my butt, I would tell 00:04:02.500 --> 00:04:05.099 some jokes and either make fun of this guy or 00:04:05.099 --> 00:04:09.719 make him laugh and talk my way out of being pulverized 00:04:09.719 --> 00:04:14.250 and beat to a pulp. So number one, I loved talking. 00:04:14.770 --> 00:04:16.509 The problem was it was getting me in trouble. 00:04:16.610 --> 00:04:17.990 It wasn't getting me anywhere. It was getting 00:04:17.990 --> 00:04:20.310 me sent to detention. It was getting me sent 00:04:20.310 --> 00:04:23.269 home with notes. It was my parents, you know, 00:04:23.389 --> 00:04:25.310 shrugging their shoulders saying, would you just 00:04:25.310 --> 00:04:28.350 shut up and let the teacher teach? So that was 00:04:28.350 --> 00:04:30.750 getting me in trouble. My second love that I 00:04:30.750 --> 00:04:34.689 discovered at about 12 years old was music and 00:04:34.689 --> 00:04:38.750 a specific genre of music that was slow jams 00:04:38.750 --> 00:04:41.129 and R &B music. And for lack of a better term, 00:04:41.420 --> 00:04:44.379 black music. I loved urban music. This was a 00:04:44.379 --> 00:04:47.860 time where radio stations and music genres honestly 00:04:47.860 --> 00:04:50.500 were pretty separated. Today you have radio stations 00:04:50.500 --> 00:04:53.639 that play music for white black and brown people 00:04:53.639 --> 00:04:56.079 and you can go to a hip hop concert or an r &b 00:04:56.079 --> 00:04:58.060 concert you see people of all colors but i like 00:04:58.060 --> 00:05:00.680 to i like to think at least if my my memory is 00:05:00.680 --> 00:05:03.500 corrected back in the early 90s in fact i remember 00:05:03.500 --> 00:05:05.959 going to concerts the very first radio contest 00:05:05.959 --> 00:05:09.699 i won on wgci was a concert to see the oj's my 00:05:09.699 --> 00:05:11.720 amazing mom took me to that concert we were the 00:05:11.720 --> 00:05:13.449 only white people there And it was fine with 00:05:13.449 --> 00:05:15.910 me. To a point, I almost felt like I kind of 00:05:15.910 --> 00:05:18.730 owned that music, at least in my circle of friends, 00:05:18.829 --> 00:05:20.550 because my circle of friends were certainly not 00:05:20.550 --> 00:05:22.029 listening to urban music. They were listening 00:05:22.029 --> 00:05:25.110 to Guns N' Roses and other music like that. And 00:05:25.110 --> 00:05:27.350 I was the weird kid who loved listening to the 00:05:27.350 --> 00:05:29.810 black radio station. And I felt a little ownership 00:05:29.810 --> 00:05:31.889 there. It was cool. So I'm kind of getting a 00:05:31.889 --> 00:05:34.589 little bit off track here. But my lead into the 00:05:34.589 --> 00:05:37.009 story was, first of all, my two passions. My 00:05:37.009 --> 00:05:39.910 two passions were music, slow jams, R &B music. 00:05:40.670 --> 00:05:43.589 and talking, and I love the two. And up until 00:05:43.589 --> 00:05:45.550 this point, they weren't really getting me anywhere 00:05:45.550 --> 00:05:48.129 in life. As I mentioned, the talking, the big 00:05:48.129 --> 00:05:50.129 mouth that I had was getting me in trouble. It 00:05:50.129 --> 00:05:53.069 was getting me bad marks on my report card and 00:05:53.069 --> 00:05:55.569 a bad reputation in school as the kid who talked 00:05:55.569 --> 00:05:58.170 too much. And as far as my love of music, well, 00:05:58.310 --> 00:06:00.689 I was certainly enjoying listening to music, 00:06:01.050 --> 00:06:03.779 but it was... causing me to be broke. I would 00:06:03.779 --> 00:06:06.620 spend all of my allowance on going to the record 00:06:06.620 --> 00:06:08.560 store. I knew every release and I couldn't wait 00:06:08.560 --> 00:06:11.360 to, when I was in Chicago, take the train downtown 00:06:11.360 --> 00:06:13.399 to go to the record store to spend all my money. 00:06:13.519 --> 00:06:15.560 So here it is, these two loves that weren't really 00:06:15.560 --> 00:06:17.939 getting me anywhere. And then one day a light 00:06:17.939 --> 00:06:20.699 bulb popped on and I was listening to the radio. 00:06:21.019 --> 00:06:22.740 And at this point, I was a student of radio. 00:06:22.800 --> 00:06:25.639 I loved listening to the radio. And one day I 00:06:25.639 --> 00:06:29.779 realized, wait a minute, these DJs on the radio 00:06:29.779 --> 00:06:33.500 that I absolutely love, adore and admire. I mean, 00:06:33.819 --> 00:06:35.740 this collection of, you know, five to 10 different 00:06:35.740 --> 00:06:37.819 air personalities that I listened to every day, 00:06:37.819 --> 00:06:40.079 they were my heroes. And I one day realized, 00:06:40.160 --> 00:06:42.579 wait a minute, they're getting paid for this. 00:06:43.279 --> 00:06:46.279 This is their job. And I remember thinking, oh, 00:06:46.279 --> 00:06:49.199 my God, throw everything out that I've ever wanted 00:06:49.199 --> 00:06:53.740 to do. Lawyer, chef, attorney, chauffeur, judge, 00:06:54.060 --> 00:06:56.699 pilot. No, no, no, no, I'm I want to be a radio 00:06:56.699 --> 00:07:01.819 DJ. And at that moment, it was absolutely crystal 00:07:01.819 --> 00:07:04.819 clear. And I remember running to the library 00:07:04.819 --> 00:07:07.379 and all of a sudden realizing that there's a 00:07:07.379 --> 00:07:09.860 there's five or 10 books at my local library 00:07:09.860 --> 00:07:12.279 of how to get into broadcasting. And so I'd be 00:07:12.279 --> 00:07:15.420 the guy reading those books. And look, every 00:07:15.420 --> 00:07:18.160 everything, everything changed. And the lead 00:07:18.160 --> 00:07:22.620 into my story is my mother. My mom was absolutely 00:07:23.300 --> 00:07:25.500 very supportive of this decision. I heard different 00:07:25.500 --> 00:07:28.120 comments from other family members that weren't 00:07:28.120 --> 00:07:30.439 very supportive of comments like, oh, they don't 00:07:30.439 --> 00:07:32.779 make a lot of money, or it's a really tough field, 00:07:33.120 --> 00:07:37.639 or good luck. Nothing truly encouraging. Obviously, 00:07:37.680 --> 00:07:39.160 they thought it was a pipe dream, like some kid 00:07:39.160 --> 00:07:40.980 who wants to make it in Hollywood. And I understand 00:07:40.980 --> 00:07:43.139 that. I think most parents want their kids to 00:07:43.139 --> 00:07:46.639 go to school and have a respectable job for an 00:07:46.639 --> 00:07:48.500 accounting firm or a law firm or whatever. And 00:07:48.500 --> 00:07:50.439 here I was. I want to play records on the radio. 00:07:50.759 --> 00:07:53.319 But my mom always seemed to support that in my 00:07:53.319 --> 00:07:55.839 very early days. I moved to Tucson, Arizona to 00:07:55.839 --> 00:07:58.360 live with my mom after living with my dad for 00:07:58.360 --> 00:08:01.000 a few years. Moved to Tucson to try Arizona out. 00:08:01.240 --> 00:08:02.740 And I remember that, you know, that first summer, 00:08:02.899 --> 00:08:05.560 my mom finding a class, I think the class was 00:08:05.560 --> 00:08:07.740 entitled, How to Break into Radio. And she signed 00:08:07.740 --> 00:08:10.180 me up for that, you know, that seminar. And so 00:08:10.180 --> 00:08:12.540 my mom had always encouraged me and I thought 00:08:12.540 --> 00:08:15.839 that was great. So here I am at 15 years old, 00:08:15.879 --> 00:08:18.019 not old enough to drive, not old enough to really 00:08:18.019 --> 00:08:21.720 work, but I had a work ethic since I was really 00:08:21.720 --> 00:08:23.500 young. In fact, one of my first part -time jobs 00:08:23.500 --> 00:08:26.560 was 12 or 13 years old after school. I'd go to 00:08:26.560 --> 00:08:28.620 an insurance agency and literally sit in the 00:08:28.620 --> 00:08:31.339 back and shred, manually shred papers for them 00:08:31.339 --> 00:08:34.620 for hours every day. But it was money. It was 00:08:34.620 --> 00:08:37.059 good money. And I realized if I work, I'll make 00:08:37.059 --> 00:08:39.059 money. So I was never afraid of working. So at 00:08:39.059 --> 00:08:42.460 15 years old, I'm in a brand new city. Now, I'm 00:08:42.460 --> 00:08:45.639 a 15 year old, absolutely loving radio. and still 00:08:45.639 --> 00:08:47.519 loving to talk, and I'm in a brand new city, 00:08:47.519 --> 00:08:49.740 and I pick up the only job that I thought I could 00:08:49.740 --> 00:08:52.500 get, and that was a landscaper. This is Tucson, 00:08:52.539 --> 00:08:55.639 Arizona, and I'm 15 years old, and I'm literally 00:08:55.639 --> 00:09:00.139 breaking my back in the 115 degree heat of Tucson, 00:09:00.539 --> 00:09:02.919 digging up cactuses, getting bit by spiders, 00:09:03.080 --> 00:09:06.360 dodging snakes, coming home dirty, but I wanted 00:09:06.360 --> 00:09:09.100 to make that extra money. So I come home one 00:09:09.100 --> 00:09:13.240 afternoon after a grueling day of work landscaping, 00:09:13.320 --> 00:09:15.799 which again, I... hated, but it was good money. 00:09:16.440 --> 00:09:18.559 And my mom was really excited. Mom says, sit 00:09:18.559 --> 00:09:20.179 down. I want to share something with you. Okay. 00:09:20.679 --> 00:09:23.179 And I sit down and this was the days of newspaper. 00:09:23.240 --> 00:09:27.299 This was 1992. And my mom pulled out the classifieds, 00:09:27.340 --> 00:09:29.840 the Juan ads. And she was really excited to show 00:09:29.840 --> 00:09:33.240 me that there was a listing from a mobile DJ 00:09:33.240 --> 00:09:36.679 company looking for a new DJ. Now this wasn't 00:09:36.679 --> 00:09:38.639 a radio DJ. This would be a DJ that would come 00:09:38.639 --> 00:09:42.250 out with with equipment and play music for weddings 00:09:42.250 --> 00:09:45.309 and quinceaneras and corporate parties. I remember 00:09:45.309 --> 00:09:47.389 that I still have the article saved, the want 00:09:47.389 --> 00:09:50.690 ad saved, the little two by two piece of print. 00:09:50.909 --> 00:09:53.429 And it basically said, yes, mobile DJ wanted 00:09:53.429 --> 00:09:56.809 experience preferred, but it's not necessary. 00:09:57.090 --> 00:09:59.590 And so my mom says, you got to call this guy 00:09:59.590 --> 00:10:01.909 and interview for this. You'd be great for this. 00:10:02.309 --> 00:10:05.049 And I looked at it and I scoffed at it and I 00:10:05.049 --> 00:10:07.990 said, mom, thanks so much. Yeah, I'm 15. I have 00:10:07.990 --> 00:10:11.049 zero experience. They must have people with big 00:10:11.049 --> 00:10:14.269 resumes and professionals coming to this interview. 00:10:14.509 --> 00:10:17.110 I don't want to be embarrassed. So thank you, 00:10:17.129 --> 00:10:20.049 but no thank you. No can do, but I appreciate 00:10:20.049 --> 00:10:22.049 it. She said, no, you should really call. You 00:10:22.049 --> 00:10:24.289 should really call this company and just raise 00:10:24.289 --> 00:10:26.169 your hand and see if they'll give you an interview. 00:10:26.950 --> 00:10:29.649 And it was a close case for me. I said, no, mom, 00:10:30.070 --> 00:10:34.710 it's embarrassing. No, there's no way. It's just 00:10:34.710 --> 00:10:37.419 not possible. So thank you. Forget about it. 00:10:37.440 --> 00:10:40.700 Went on without my day, about my day. So what 00:10:40.700 --> 00:10:43.720 happens the next day? I wake up and I do my landscaping 00:10:43.720 --> 00:10:46.440 thing again. You know, I earn my, my 20 or $30. 00:10:46.779 --> 00:10:49.059 And this time I come home and my mom says, sit 00:10:49.059 --> 00:10:51.220 down. I've got something to tell you. I said, 00:10:51.320 --> 00:10:53.299 sure. What's that? And she says, well, I want 00:10:53.299 --> 00:10:55.899 you to know, I called the company that was looking 00:10:55.899 --> 00:10:58.580 for a mobile DJ and I talked to the owner and 00:10:58.580 --> 00:11:00.919 we had an, we had a half hour conversation all 00:11:00.919 --> 00:11:02.580 about you. And I told him all about you and he 00:11:02.580 --> 00:11:07.250 can't wait to talk to you. I shuddered in extreme 00:11:07.250 --> 00:11:11.230 embarrassment and disbelief and honestly was, 00:11:11.350 --> 00:11:13.870 I think at the time, pretty furious at my mom. 00:11:14.409 --> 00:11:18.789 I just remember thinking, oh my God, my mom called 00:11:18.789 --> 00:11:21.809 my potential employer. This is the worst thing 00:11:21.809 --> 00:11:25.549 ever. Now, at 45 years old, I'd probably let 00:11:25.549 --> 00:11:27.470 my mom do that today because I think it's a funny 00:11:27.470 --> 00:11:30.029 schtick, but at the time, at being 15 years old, 00:11:30.370 --> 00:11:33.200 and I can't speak for everybody, but I know Most 00:11:33.200 --> 00:11:35.419 people during that age think that their parents 00:11:35.419 --> 00:11:38.399 are the most uncool people ever. And, you know, 00:11:38.419 --> 00:11:40.399 I remember this was the time where I didn't even 00:11:40.399 --> 00:11:43.480 want my mom to make a complete stop to drop me 00:11:43.480 --> 00:11:45.740 off at school. I remember just jumping out, kind 00:11:45.740 --> 00:11:47.940 of a rolling stop, you know, not wanting anyone 00:11:47.940 --> 00:11:50.019 to see my parents drop me off. Of course, today, 00:11:50.019 --> 00:11:51.779 I'm extremely proud of my parents and I show 00:11:51.779 --> 00:11:54.240 them off. But as a 15 -year -old, I don't want 00:11:54.240 --> 00:11:56.679 anything to have to do with my parents. So here 00:11:56.679 --> 00:11:59.990 I am just in sheer disbelief and really kind 00:11:59.990 --> 00:12:02.549 of angry at my mom for making this call. And 00:12:02.549 --> 00:12:04.750 my mom says, Well, you have an interview tomorrow 00:12:04.750 --> 00:12:08.710 at 4pm. Ron costs from DJ dynamics, who's the 00:12:08.710 --> 00:12:10.690 owner. He's expecting to hear from you. I've 00:12:10.690 --> 00:12:12.210 set it up for you. And he can't wait to talk 00:12:12.210 --> 00:12:14.409 to you. And I was just like, gee, thanks, mom. 00:12:14.570 --> 00:12:16.309 And I'm like, no, great. Now I have to call this 00:12:16.309 --> 00:12:19.990 guy and apologize and you know, get through this 00:12:19.990 --> 00:12:22.529 interview. So mad at my mom wouldn't speak to 00:12:22.529 --> 00:12:24.570 her. But the next day, I, you know, look, I have 00:12:24.570 --> 00:12:27.870 to call this guy. So I called him up very nervously, 00:12:27.870 --> 00:12:30.570 and the first thing I do is apologize. Hi, Mr. 00:12:30.809 --> 00:12:34.370 Koss, I am so very sorry that my mom called you. 00:12:34.370 --> 00:12:36.929 Gee, this is really embarrassing. And I remember 00:12:36.929 --> 00:12:39.750 Ron telling me, no. He said, Randy, your mom 00:12:39.750 --> 00:12:42.529 is a great person. What a sweet lady she is. 00:12:42.750 --> 00:12:45.169 And let's do the interview. So I get through 00:12:45.169 --> 00:12:48.049 the interview on the phone. He has me show up. 00:12:48.049 --> 00:12:49.970 I think that's Saturday. He wants to meet with 00:12:49.970 --> 00:12:54.029 me in person. I said, OK. So how do I get there, 00:12:54.029 --> 00:12:56.830 my mom? drops me off a block away. The mom dropped 00:12:56.830 --> 00:12:58.690 me off a block away. I don't want to want anyone 00:12:58.690 --> 00:13:01.470 to see you. And I walked up to this gentleman's 00:13:01.470 --> 00:13:03.070 house. He ran his business out of his house. 00:13:03.070 --> 00:13:05.210 And I specifically remember, you know, a lady 00:13:05.210 --> 00:13:07.129 that I don't know was 10 years older than me 00:13:07.129 --> 00:13:09.370 in her 20s. I remember watching her leave in 00:13:09.370 --> 00:13:11.809 a she was an applicant. She was an interviewee 00:13:11.809 --> 00:13:14.490 before me. I don't remember her leaving in her 00:13:14.490 --> 00:13:16.990 business suit and her attache. And I'm just shaking 00:13:16.990 --> 00:13:19.149 my head like, dude, what am I doing here? And 00:13:19.149 --> 00:13:21.590 I met with Ron and we had a great interview and 00:13:21.590 --> 00:13:23.950 I saw his equipment and I talked on the mic and 00:13:23.929 --> 00:13:26.450 whatever I did, I'm sure it was absolutely horrible. 00:13:26.850 --> 00:13:29.409 But I was mesmerized at all this equipment he 00:13:29.409 --> 00:13:32.629 had. I remembered, you know, over the past year, 00:13:33.190 --> 00:13:35.370 I was, you know, writing in my notebook how much 00:13:35.370 --> 00:13:37.649 it would cost to buy a mixer and a cassette deck 00:13:37.649 --> 00:13:39.710 and a CD player and a speaker and like, wow, 00:13:39.730 --> 00:13:42.029 this was my, my dream to be able to use this 00:13:42.029 --> 00:13:44.970 equipment. And he had it all. And it was mine 00:13:44.970 --> 00:13:47.509 and my fingertips to play with. And I don't remember 00:13:47.509 --> 00:13:49.149 what we did. But I remember talking on the mic 00:13:49.149 --> 00:13:52.179 and Starting a record and he taught me the light 00:13:52.179 --> 00:13:54.559 show and that was pretty much it and then I drove 00:13:54.559 --> 00:13:56.419 home And I pretty much chalked it up as well. 00:13:56.419 --> 00:13:59.019 That was a cool experience, but maybe maybe one 00:13:59.019 --> 00:14:01.659 day I'll be able to have a job like that and 00:14:01.659 --> 00:14:03.539 about three days later the phone rang and it 00:14:03.539 --> 00:14:06.639 was Ron cost from DJ dynamics and he told me 00:14:06.639 --> 00:14:09.799 that he thanked me for my time and he told me 00:14:09.799 --> 00:14:12.000 that they were you know, definitely more more 00:14:12.000 --> 00:14:14.379 qualified people that that had signed up for 00:14:14.379 --> 00:14:18.620 the job, but that he really liked me he He loved 00:14:18.620 --> 00:14:22.700 my mom and he said the aspect of being able to 00:14:22.700 --> 00:14:25.200 train someone his way, you know, from ground 00:14:25.200 --> 00:14:28.980 zero to basically take me and be, I guess I would 00:14:28.980 --> 00:14:31.059 be his proje or vice versa, I forget how the 00:14:31.059 --> 00:14:34.919 term goes. But he said he liked that and he basically 00:14:34.919 --> 00:14:37.399 offered me the job and said, if you would accept 00:14:37.399 --> 00:14:39.059 it, here's how much it pays. And I would love 00:14:39.059 --> 00:14:42.779 for you to be my one and only DJ besides myself 00:14:42.779 --> 00:14:47.629 for DJ dynamics and of resounding I said absolutely 00:14:47.629 --> 00:14:49.690 yes I didn't even know how I would get to these 00:14:49.690 --> 00:14:52.690 gigs because I was 15 and he thought I was 16 00:14:52.690 --> 00:14:55.730 but I said absolutely yes I'm I'd be proud to 00:14:55.730 --> 00:14:58.029 do it thank you so much for the opportunity and 00:14:58.029 --> 00:14:59.669 he said we'll be in touch and I'll tell you about 00:14:59.669 --> 00:15:03.669 your your first gig that you're gonna do and 00:15:03.669 --> 00:15:06.990 I hung up with the phone and I remember absolutely 00:15:06.990 --> 00:15:10.399 screaming running through the house and jumping 00:15:10.399 --> 00:15:13.399 right into the pool with all of my clothes because, 00:15:13.659 --> 00:15:15.379 I don't know, for some reason, this was a very 00:15:15.379 --> 00:15:18.559 ceremonious occasion. And of course, my mom was 00:15:18.559 --> 00:15:22.419 very happy for me. So at 15 years old, I could 00:15:22.419 --> 00:15:26.039 actually go to school and tell my friends that 00:15:26.039 --> 00:15:30.379 I was a DJ. Still, when I look at it, look back 00:15:30.379 --> 00:15:34.139 on it, I was just in sheer disbelief. The job 00:15:34.139 --> 00:15:37.080 was amazing. I was a horrible mobile DJ, I'll 00:15:37.080 --> 00:15:39.580 be honest with you, I was not good at it at all. 00:15:40.100 --> 00:15:44.019 But that was the exact moment, the catalyst, 00:15:44.019 --> 00:15:47.000 if you will, that started a career that has so 00:15:47.000 --> 00:15:50.940 far lasted, let me do the math, so far lasted 00:15:50.940 --> 00:15:55.580 30 years. I've since been a radio personality 00:15:55.580 --> 00:15:59.100 in a few awesome cities, elevated to program 00:15:59.100 --> 00:16:02.759 director, been on TV, hosted award shows, been 00:16:02.759 --> 00:16:06.340 nominated for awards, received awards, been as 00:16:06.340 --> 00:16:08.919 far as market size, worked in Los Angeles as 00:16:08.919 --> 00:16:11.799 a program director. Today I manage two radio 00:16:11.799 --> 00:16:13.960 stations in San Diego, California. I'm on the 00:16:13.960 --> 00:16:16.279 air in the afternoon. And as my good cousin Jay 00:16:16.279 --> 00:16:20.000 told you, I'm on the air on over 200 radio stations. 00:16:20.320 --> 00:16:23.240 with my very own syndicated show that I own, 00:16:23.700 --> 00:16:26.299 playing the music that I love, slow jams and 00:16:26.299 --> 00:16:29.519 dedications. I could not have written a better 00:16:29.519 --> 00:16:31.320 story. If you would have told me at 15, here's 00:16:31.320 --> 00:16:33.159 a pad and paper, write down what you want to 00:16:33.159 --> 00:16:36.620 do. I couldn't have made this up. The radio industry 00:16:36.620 --> 00:16:39.620 now is tougher than ever. It's a tough time for 00:16:39.620 --> 00:16:42.700 radio, but I have one of the best radio jobs 00:16:42.700 --> 00:16:45.899 locally. And then the second job, the fact that 00:16:45.899 --> 00:16:48.460 I own my own show, which is an empire of its 00:16:48.460 --> 00:16:51.429 own and a company of its own, I am absolutely 00:16:51.429 --> 00:16:55.769 doubly lucky. Here's how that one moment impacted 00:16:55.769 --> 00:16:59.509 me. And it's very clear and concise. And it's 00:16:59.509 --> 00:17:01.870 a story and a lesson that I tell kids when I 00:17:01.870 --> 00:17:05.869 go to schools and speak to kids. Going back in 00:17:05.869 --> 00:17:09.670 time, if I had the choice to call Ron Koss at 00:17:09.670 --> 00:17:12.750 EJ Dynamics and ask for this job and raise my 00:17:12.750 --> 00:17:15.009 hand and say, hey, I'd like to do this, given 00:17:15.009 --> 00:17:18.750 the choice, I would have absolutely said no way. 00:17:18.859 --> 00:17:22.119 In fact, I did, but I didn't have a choice. My 00:17:22.119 --> 00:17:25.200 mom made the appointment and forced me into it. 00:17:25.319 --> 00:17:28.440 And I thank God and I thank my mom every day 00:17:28.440 --> 00:17:31.460 that she did that. In fact, I shudder to think 00:17:31.460 --> 00:17:33.799 what would happen if she didn't. What if she 00:17:33.799 --> 00:17:35.660 left it up to me? What if she said, well, it's 00:17:35.660 --> 00:17:37.680 your choice. Call him or not. It's up to you. 00:17:38.200 --> 00:17:40.059 I could tell you I would not have called him. 00:17:40.660 --> 00:17:43.720 What stopped me was fear. What stopped me was 00:17:43.720 --> 00:17:46.960 fear of getting a no. What stopped me was what 00:17:46.960 --> 00:17:50.650 if that person on the phone laughs and says 15 00:17:50.650 --> 00:17:53.990 15 years old. Are you are you serious? I remember 00:17:53.990 --> 00:17:56.390 it and not to get too off track here. But I remember 00:17:56.390 --> 00:17:59.650 at five or six years old, this this scarred me. 00:17:59.950 --> 00:18:01.750 I remember being at the grocery store with my 00:18:01.750 --> 00:18:04.509 mom. And I remember walking up by myself to the 00:18:04.509 --> 00:18:07.109 free sample table. And the lady was giving little 00:18:07.109 --> 00:18:09.789 samples of seven up. And I remember asking for 00:18:09.789 --> 00:18:12.250 one. And I remember her just be rating me saying 00:18:12.250 --> 00:18:14.799 you are too young. You know, no way get out of 00:18:14.799 --> 00:18:17.140 here. And I remember that kind of shook me. That 00:18:17.140 --> 00:18:19.539 was rejection. And I didn't forget about that. 00:18:19.700 --> 00:18:21.420 So I think I think part of that stayed with me 00:18:21.420 --> 00:18:24.200 as a 15 year old. So look, I was forced into 00:18:24.200 --> 00:18:26.140 calling this guy and that moment changed my life. 00:18:26.160 --> 00:18:30.200 So here's the lesson. The lesson is ask for it. 00:18:30.200 --> 00:18:32.740 Ask for it. Even if you don't think you're qualified, 00:18:32.900 --> 00:18:35.259 ask for anything and everything that you want 00:18:35.259 --> 00:18:38.440 to do, no matter how crazy and how big this sounds. 00:18:38.599 --> 00:18:41.720 Ask for that. Now, some people learn that lesson. 00:18:42.160 --> 00:18:44.920 When they're an adult when they're a young adult 00:18:44.920 --> 00:18:48.240 when they're 50 years old I was so darn fortunate 00:18:48.240 --> 00:18:52.660 to learn that that one lesson when I was 15 to 00:18:52.660 --> 00:18:55.619 ask for it and all I had to do is learn that 00:18:55.619 --> 00:18:59.059 lesson once at 15 years old and Luckily it clicked 00:18:59.059 --> 00:19:01.539 and I clung to that lesson I'm not even sure 00:19:01.539 --> 00:19:04.319 I realized it was a lesson at the time but Jay 00:19:04.319 --> 00:19:06.700 I started asking for things from that moment 00:19:06.700 --> 00:19:10.940 on I started asking for things and I don't know 00:19:10.940 --> 00:19:13.839 how many things or jobs or positions or opportunities 00:19:13.839 --> 00:19:17.400 that I've asked for in the 30 years since, but 00:19:17.400 --> 00:19:22.720 I've probably received 95 % nos, but 5 % yeses. 00:19:22.759 --> 00:19:25.519 And I've asked for some ridiculous things and 00:19:25.519 --> 00:19:28.559 received yeses. I asked to be on the TV show 00:19:28.559 --> 00:19:32.119 Shark Tank on ABC and I received a yes. And here 00:19:32.119 --> 00:19:34.779 I am in front of, by the way, I told my mom I 00:19:34.779 --> 00:19:37.019 applied. She didn't even get it. She didn't even 00:19:37.019 --> 00:19:38.220 understand. She's like, well, I don't really 00:19:38.220 --> 00:19:40.960 know what your product is, which is ironic because 00:19:40.960 --> 00:19:42.759 she was the one pushing me in the first place, 00:19:42.759 --> 00:19:45.339 but here I am walking down the hallway to present 00:19:45.339 --> 00:19:49.180 slow jams to these multimillionaire, billionaire 00:19:49.180 --> 00:19:52.160 sharks, and I'm on TV in front of 12 million 00:19:52.160 --> 00:19:55.200 people. Another ask, I asked to be the program 00:19:55.200 --> 00:19:57.819 director of a radio station in Los Angeles while 00:19:57.819 --> 00:20:00.700 working in Tucson. I had zero major market experience, 00:20:00.839 --> 00:20:03.579 but because of that lesson I learned, I said, 00:20:03.740 --> 00:20:07.140 what's going to hurt asking? So let me ask. And 00:20:07.140 --> 00:20:10.450 I ended up getting a job moving from Tucson to 00:20:10.450 --> 00:20:12.230 Los Angeles, which in the entertainment industry 00:20:12.230 --> 00:20:14.490 is just unheard of. And there are many more, 00:20:14.549 --> 00:20:17.349 some larger, some smaller. But I have used that 00:20:17.349 --> 00:20:21.049 mantra my entire life is just to ask for it. 00:20:21.250 --> 00:20:23.690 And hey, it may happen. And so that's what I 00:20:23.690 --> 00:20:25.950 tell kids when I speak to kids, I say, don't 00:20:25.950 --> 00:20:29.750 be afraid, ask for it. And it was that one specific 00:20:29.750 --> 00:20:34.309 moment at 15 years old, calling up Ron Kos and 00:20:34.440 --> 00:20:37.160 asking for something that I was absolutely unqualified 00:20:37.160 --> 00:20:39.980 for. And for some reason, this man believed in 00:20:39.980 --> 00:20:43.460 me and others have as well down the road. And 00:20:43.460 --> 00:20:47.079 it's that one lesson has I think afforded me 00:20:47.079 --> 00:20:50.960 one of the most amazing and blessed careers and 00:20:50.960 --> 00:20:53.660 really lives that I could ever imagine. So I'm 00:20:53.660 --> 00:20:56.200 very thankful for my mom. And I'm really grateful 00:20:56.200 --> 00:20:58.960 to be on this podcast. Jay, that's my story. 00:20:59.519 --> 00:21:02.700 I loved it. I loved it. You know, I'm telling 00:21:02.700 --> 00:21:05.160 you, I was exactly like you at 15 in the sense 00:21:05.160 --> 00:21:07.319 that I would have killed my mother if she'd have 00:21:07.319 --> 00:21:09.779 said something, you know, to anybody about, you 00:21:09.779 --> 00:21:11.720 know, giving me a job or whatever. But I think 00:21:11.720 --> 00:21:14.259 your mother, she knew you had the talent and 00:21:14.259 --> 00:21:17.420 she believed in you. And I also tip my hat to 00:21:17.420 --> 00:21:20.500 Ron Kaz, the man that hired you because he was 00:21:20.500 --> 00:21:22.480 smart enough to see that your enthusiasm and 00:21:22.480 --> 00:21:24.980 everything like that. And I, I love the story 00:21:24.980 --> 00:21:27.930 because I'm a school, I'm a former school teacher, 00:21:27.990 --> 00:21:29.529 but I taught for 36 years and I used to tell 00:21:29.529 --> 00:21:31.210 kids all the time the same thing you're saying, 00:21:31.369 --> 00:21:34.049 which is, you know, ask for it, deserve it when 00:21:34.049 --> 00:21:35.950 you, you know, when you get it, work hard for 00:21:35.950 --> 00:21:38.509 it. You obviously have. I love the fact that, 00:21:38.529 --> 00:21:41.190 you know, you've lived the dream. And by the 00:21:41.190 --> 00:21:44.190 way, my audience is, does skew very young. So 00:21:44.190 --> 00:21:46.950 my students will appreciate hearing this story 00:21:46.950 --> 00:21:49.369 and I do hope that it resonates with them. You 00:21:49.369 --> 00:21:51.289 asked for the moon and you know, you don't always 00:21:51.289 --> 00:21:53.670 get it. 95 % rejection, but if you can handle 00:21:53.670 --> 00:21:55.730 rejection, you can really have a pretty good 00:21:55.730 --> 00:21:57.710 life. You can get to that other 5 % and you can 00:21:57.710 --> 00:22:00.029 go to the moon. I love and respect everything 00:22:00.029 --> 00:22:02.849 you do, Cousin Jay. So much love to you and all 00:22:02.849 --> 00:22:05.170 of your listeners. And yeah, you can find me 00:22:05.170 --> 00:22:10.170 online at slowjams .com. Well, that's our show. 00:22:10.529 --> 00:22:12.630 I'd like to thank my cousin, R -dub, for that 00:22:12.630 --> 00:22:15.470 great story. Inspirational, actually. I'd also 00:22:15.470 --> 00:22:18.420 like to thank my sponsors. Sideline Ink Publishing, 00:22:18.720 --> 00:22:21.099 publishers of quality books, including Susan 00:22:21.099 --> 00:22:24.059 Saladar's One Little Act of Kindness. I'd also 00:22:24.059 --> 00:22:27.299 like to thank our other sponsor, LaughSaver .com. 00:22:27.400 --> 00:22:29.779 Visit LaughSaver .com and record your laughter. 00:22:29.940 --> 00:22:32.579 We'll keep it for you now and forever. It's free, 00:22:32.940 --> 00:22:34.680 and your children, your grandchildren, your great 00:22:34.680 --> 00:22:36.900 grandchildren will appreciate it. That's LaughSaver 00:22:36.900 --> 00:22:39.380 .com. Alright, I'm going to end this show as 00:22:39.380 --> 00:22:42.920 I almost always do, with Susan Salador's classic 00:22:42.920 --> 00:22:45.660 One Little Act of Kindness. Until next time, 00:22:45.980 --> 00:22:48.440 stay safe out there, and try not to hurt anybody. 00:23:07.079 --> 00:23:12.940 Three little acts of kindness Can make a beautiful 00:23:12.940 --> 00:23:20.039 sound Many acts of kindness Help the world go 00:23:20.039 --> 00:23:28.539 round One little loving word Can go a long, long 00:23:28.539 --> 00:23:36.279 way Two little loving words Can brighten anyone's 00:23:36.279 --> 00:23:47.269 day can make a beautiful sound. Many loving words 00:23:47.269 --> 00:23:56.349 help the world go round. One little seed so can 00:23:56.349 --> 00:24:18.319 go a long, long way. Many seeds so help the world 00:24:18.319 --> 00:24:26.640 go around One little child's laughter can go 00:24:26.640 --> 00:24:32.460 a long, long way Two little children's laughter 00:24:32.460 --> 00:24:38.640 can brighten anyone's day Three little children's 00:24:38.640 --> 00:24:47.210 laughter can make Many children laughing Help 00:24:47.210 --> 00:24:54.210 the world go round And many see its own Help 00:24:54.210 --> 00:25:01.549 the world go round Many loving words Help the 00:25:01.549 --> 00:25:08.109 world go round And many acts of kindness Help 00:25:08.109 --> 00:25:09.029 the world