Radio advertising that delivers
measurable results and profitable new customers

« Previous | Main | Next »

January 08, 2010

Radio Advertising Success & Beyond: What Howard Roark Could Teach You

"Paths to success have many forks in them."

As people who are passionate about radio advertising it's easy to get myopic. We will always have a lot to say about direct response radio advertising topics like creating killer radio ads or buying the best radio media or different cool things we can do to make radio commercials that drive high response. In this post we're taking a step back. To show our well-rounded, worldly side. Or, just because it's fun.

Two stories from different worlds came together this week to illustrate some things worth considering as we look forward to 2010.

The first story is a piece of a post called "Where Are All the Howard Roarks?" by Justin Fuller. The entire post is great and recommended, but one section in particular provides an intriguing message:

"In Ayn Rand's great novel, The Fountainhead, two of the central characters, Howard Roark and Peter Keating, pursue careers in utter and complete contrast to each other. Roark, the hero of the novel, an uncompromising entrepreneur, has a vision for his life's work and relentlessly pursues making it a reality. Roark loves what he does, and has made his passion his profession. Keating, on the other hand, is in the same profession as Roark (architecture), but molds himself and his work in a way that he thinks others would like to view him, and strives for accumulating material wealth over the enjoyment of what he does. In so doing, Keating uses backroom dealings, bribes, and other chicanery to win assignments and accumulate wealth. Roark, on the other hand, lets his work--and his passion for his work--speak for itself, with each building serving as his calling card. Even though it was a more difficult and long road for Roark to win some of his initial projects, his adherence to his core principles--in both architecture and business--ultimately allow him to flourish. Roark's wealth is doing what he loves. Keating was just the opposite. The fact that his view of success was dependent on others, that he didn't actually enjoy his work, and that he used conniving ways to win projects, left him a hollow, desolate, and unhappy man."

The other story is from friend and leading sports psychologist Dr. Jerry Lynch (who, by the way, is also a top distance runner and still going strong at 67 years old). He writes in his book "The Way of the Champion":

"A terrific athlete came to me and said "I don't want to do it but coaches are telling me to lift weights three times a week to get strong". I replied, "don't lift weight to get strong...you'll quit. Lift weights to invest in yourself and your team...then you will be successful."

These stories illustrate two angles on the fundamental questions of motivation and the nature of success. There are many paths to conventional success - in radio advertising as well as other arenas. Some paths are extremely effective at bringing success but will leave you quite miserable.

Here's to a prosperous 2010, the Howard Roark way. The Way of Champions.

Posted by Jeff Small & Brett Astor at 05:46 PM | Permalink