Regina Belle "If I Could"

When you're about to lose your job, your brain switches into survival mode. In my case, I knew the radio station where I worked for nearly a decade was about to flip formats and, soon, I would be unemployed. My supervisor (who also knew he was losing his job) suggested I apply for a job at a radio station in Georgia. This position required extensive on-air experience which I lacked; I had been working in an off-air position as a morning show producer. My supervisor didn't see this as a problem. Instead, he suggested I take action during the short amount of time I had before losing my current job.

His instructions were simple: the show I produced started at 5:30 A.M., so show up at 5:00 A.M. and tell the overnight guy "Oh, didn't Harrison tell you? The show's gonna start at five now.". When the overnight guy double-checked with our supervisor, he gave the all-clear which resulted in: The Todd Show. I didn't call it this, but rather the host of the morning show I produced named it as such. He listened on his way into work each morning and started our show discussing The Todd Show. Fully expecting to be fired within a day or two, I figured my show had about four shows. Instead, The Todd Show lasted for nearly three weeks. I survived the World Series and then the Bush - Kerry presidential election of 2004. For three weeks, I showed up extra-early to pour what little energy I had into 30 minutes of The Todd Show before finally getting axed in the beginning of November.

That job in Georgia? I never applied for it. With opportunities in Milwaukee and Chicago, I (host of The Todd Show) stayed put and that decision paid off.