The fear and fatigue of new beginnings hit me hard last week. It was my first time in a new role as the breakfast show anchor on Magic 828 AM.
But unlike previously when I had a team of people, whose jobs it was to support me and the content, this time I am flying virtually solo.
Not only don’t I have a co-presenter, but I also don’t have producers, social media specialists, copy writers, engineers, on-site IT support, or dedicated sales people.
The support I do have is minimal and all of them have several other functions inside the bigger group, which means they can’t focus solely on the radio station.
What this means is there is no daily micro-management, which implies a trust in my skill to do what I claim I’m able to do.
It also means that I’m forced to take charge of aspects of a radio show that I had previously only been a spectator to.
But it is invigorating and has made me realise how we become complacent in our roles, especially if it’s in a structure where individuals feel they must exert their authority on a daily basis.
It also means personal egos and politics are non-existent, which is a very refreshing change for me, as I don’t have to question people’s motives, or watch out for any corporate backstabbing.
I am especially grateful for this because I was never any good at it, so never actually bothered, which means that I often and unexpectedly ended up with a knife or two firmly twisted into my back. It’s a ruthless business.
So while the next few months are going to be a hard slog, I can already tell that it’s going to be very satisfying and rewarding.
While the challenges are massive, we have already accomplished a few things that were unthinkable a few short weeks ago.
For example, last week’s inaugural shows got wonderfully encouraging feedback from everybody.
So much so that the Magic breakfast show broke the station’s record for listener engagement on Friday.
It was a small but important milestone that was an indication of what is still possible.
I expect we will see more and more interest because starting today, I am launching two competitions on my show, with prizes that easily compare with my bigger and better-resourced competition.
Firstly, I am going to be driving lovers of 80s music up the wall, with a quiz aimed at forcing them to think long and hard about the best decade in music.
Then I am going in search of the Capetonian who knows the city the best, with a daily quiz about interesting destinations and locations.
I have secured some awesome prizes from sponsors who support and believe in what I am doing; every week there will be give-aways like free petrol and load shedding gadgets, with the grand prize being a trip for two to Paris, France, courtesy of Ethiopian Airlines.
And there’s much, much more coming. So you can see why I am so very excited about this new role.
It’s with a tiny, but passionate group of people; each under immense pressure, but determined to deliver their very best and make “Magic”.