Dumped in Dallas- Chapter 12

So… About my third year in radio we started selling out TIME.  The way that radio works is – the FCC allows you to sell only a certain amount of time per hour, of commercials.  Say 22 minutes per hour.  It is different with all types of radio stations.

Well, about the third year I was selling, we started selling out… for months at a time!  How are you going to tell a salesperson that there is no way for you to make any commission for months??? Exactly.  So I realized that we were doing all kinds of promos at places for FREE, as a way to promote the radio station.  But really, it was making that business location money too.  So I decided I would figure out how to make money this way, since there was no commercial air time to sell.

For example:  I had three different strip malls that included the cost of advertising in their rent.  They needed to advertise that strip mall to make sure more people came by to shop at those stores.  What I did was bring a Jolly Jump, a radio station tent and van, and DJ’s to give away all kinds of prizes all day.  The place would be packed!  I would charge thousands of dollars for us to be there for two days.  I would rotate the radio stations all weekend.  So, not only would the Strip Mall Manager be able to fulfill their obligation to the tenants, the radio stations would also get some good face time with their audience.  And the DJ’s loved me because I created more ways to make money.  This was time they were getting paid for OUTSIDE of their normal work hours.  Everybody’s happy!

I was making great commission on it, and having lots of fun – but I knew there was a better way – and that was by getting non-profits involved.  So I started coming up with ways to do the same thing, but make it for a charity.  I realized that if I did that I could also get SPONSORS!

Example:  I had a classic rock station that needed to do some good PR in the Community, but also keep their Rock and Roll rebellious vibe – so I created the “Check Your Balls and Strikes.”  I teamed up with the American Cancer Society during the month of April (Testicular Cancer Month).  We would sell out a Bowling Alley on, say, a Wednesday Night.  The Bowling Alley would pay us to do it at their location.  We would have different businesses create teams and pay for it.  One of our DJ was on each team.  Red Bull would pay a Sponsorship for The Highest Score Trophy.  We would keep half and donate the other half.  Chevy Trucks would sponsor and have their Truck parked outside.  It goes on and on and on….

In the end the Bowling Alley and all sponsors would earn the station $10,000.  I would make $2,000 in commission.  The Testicular Cancer Society would get the other half of sponsorships as well as all team fees = $20,000.  The Classic Rock Radio station just bought tons of good will in the Community, as well as probably new listeners.  What was our cost of goods? NOTHING!  We did not use any of our air time!!!  Boom.  Everybody wins.

So I went… on and on… for quite a while.  Until the Radio Advertising Bureau started hearing about me and called one day to see what I was doing.  The RAB is an association just like the Realtors Association, or the International Spa Association, etc.  It is the gatekeeper, the informer, and the leader of what is new and exciting in the market of Radio Advertising.  There was a group of guys who were taking notice of what Promotions Directors were doing to think outside of the box, and even though I was just a lowly salesperson, they heard about me and started calling every once in a while to see what I was up to.

What in the hell does this have to do about Dallas?  I’m getting there!

The RAB is in Dallas.  But that is not where my story of Dallas begins….

When I was 22 I dated a guy who we will call David.  David was awesome – he was a great boyfriend.  On paper he was perfect.  Called me all the time, gave me lots of attention, very loving and attentive, loved hanging out with me, my friends loved him… blah… blah… blah.

About one year into our amazing relationship David’s Grandfather (who raised him) had three strokes in one month.  David came to me one day and told me that all of his family in Dallas wanted David to move his Grandparents there so that they could look out for him.  David was only 22 by the way, and was not able to give Grandpa all of the time and attention he needed.

Well, David, being a devoted Grandson, had always taken care of his Grandparents himself and it was very hard for him to let them go, but knew it was for the best.  He came to me and told me that he was going to move them to Dallas and stay there for about six months to get them settled in and make sure they are ok.  “Please wait for me!”  He begged me, crying.  Of course, I promised I would.  And so he left one day in a Giant Moving truck.

He called me every single day, sometimes several times a day, just as a good loyal boyfriend would.  About a month later was his birthday.  I received a letter in the mail with an airline ticket to come visit him for his birthday.  I was ECSTATIC!  I could not wait to see him!  We spoke every day leading up to it – both so excited to see each other.

He picked me up from the airport, crying as he saw me walking up to him.  These were the days when they could stand outside the gate, so I saw him as I was getting off the plane.  We hugged and kissed and looked like a couple of idiots crying and laughing and hugging!

As we drove to the hotel he explained that he had to work the midnight shift but that he would be off by 6am and then he was ALL MINE for the FOUR DAYS.  “I’ll come back to the hotel, take a nap, then we will go have breakfast and then I will take you to go see Nanny and Pappa.  They are so excited to see you!  And I told all of my family about you so you are going to meet all of them.  They are gonna love you!”

He kissed me goodbye and hugged me hard “Love you!  See you in the morning!” I was SO HAPPY knowing that we were together!

And then he never came back

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

no…… I’m serious……………………………………………………………..………………….…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

he never came back………………………………………………………..………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Now, I know what you are thinking….. So what happened????

I don’t know.

I’m serious.

I don’t know.

What I do know is that I waited all day for him at the hotel.  I sat at the window watching the parking lot.  Did he forget what room I was in?

Did I mishear the time he said he was coming back?

Did he die in a car accident?

Did he get shot on the street??????

I cried for two days in that god forsaken hotel room.  I was afraid to take a shower because what if he was knocking and I did not hear him???

So…… my flight was three days later and there was no moving it.  I sat in that hotel room for two days waiting for him. The only place I went was to Dennys across the street because I could sit by the window and watch to make sure his car did not come into the parking lot.

I called his grandmother “HI Honey!  I thought you were coming to visit us this week?”

Yes Grammy I was going to.  Um, is David there?

Oh Honey he just left!  Do you want me to tell him you called?

Um… no that’s ok Grammy I will call him on his cell phone.

That FUCKING BASTARD IS ALIVE!!!!!!

You know how sometimes you get in a relationship and when you get out of it you look back and you say to yourself…. Yeah, the signs were there.  I should have known.

Nope.

This is not what happened.

Does it sound like this is what happened to you???

Exactly.

Suddenly my phone rang and it was one of the guys at the RAB. “Hey Hannah!  Quick question for you…. Have you ever done a promo ………”

Uh…. Mike.  Where is your actual office?

In Dallas, why?

Well, I am actually in Dallas right now.

What???  You want to come over and meet the team?

Yes.

Ok cool I’ll come over and pick you up!

So… I put my big girl pants on, red lipstick, and happy face and I got the HELL out of that hotel room!

I went over to the RAB offices, got the full tour and met the staff.  I found out that these particular guys that I was working with were trying to change the way people sold radio by incorporating promotions into it and then essentially selling sponsorships and tickets.  This is right when the internet was becoming popular and they believed that they could incorporate the internet with radio.  This was a new founded idea and was not being taken seriously but they figured that if there was money being made behind it that the bosses would listen.

So, we sat down for hours that day.  And then hours the next, and made an entire Annual Calendar of events, promotions, and fundraisers.  Complete with sales packages and how to talk to non-profits in the area.  For everything from Jazz stations, to Hip Hop, Rock, Easy Listening, Talk.  Everybody!  They later put it on a disk and named it Non Traditional Radio (NTR). Look it up.  It is now a major part of how radio makes money!

Being dumped in Dallas forced me to move on and move up.  When I came home I was PISSED!  And I was driven.  And I was ready to get serious about this.  I knew now that I was not the only one who believed that this was a new way to make money, and I was going to prove it!