A new adventure starts Monday!

Hello everyone! Thanks for taking the time to read my blogs and thank you for listening to the afternoon show on 95.7 for the last couple of years while I’ve been fortunate enough to occupy the seat. It’s been so much fun, and such a great way to end a 15 year career in the radio business.

Oops, did I just say that? I did! This Friday, February 19, will be my final day at Channel 95.7, and my final day in Grand Rapids.

Starting Monday I start my new adventure as a deputy in a county down in Ohio, near where I grew up. That may be the most random thing I’ve ever written on this blog.

This has been in the works for quite a while, I think it was this time last year we had the conversation on the air about going back to school as an adult. That’s exactly what I did in January 2015, I started classes at GRCC and took a bunch of tests at police departments near my hometown, which would eventually lead me to a couple weeks ago when I found out this chapter of my life has reached its final page.

So why would I want to move and change my career? Let’s face it, Grand Rapids is one of the best places to live in the Midwest, Channel 95.7 has a great crew from management to Connie, Curtis, Steve, Christine, Wendy and Lauren. Why leave a great position? Simply put, I’ve checked off every goal in this career that I’ve ever set. I reevaluated myself two summers ago and realized it’s the perfect time in life to jump after something totally different, and something else I’ve always been interested in. I’m 32, at the time I was 31, single with no kids, and now is the time for me to strike before things change. One of the things I didn’t want to set myself up for was turning 70 and wondering why I never tried my hand at other interests. Other factors started to come to light as well, mainly missing family and friends after moving away eight years ago.

I find it awesome that I have this opportunity to go after two careers that always interested me as a kid. Honestly, I think radio helped me grow into what I need to be for this new, incredibly challenging, career.

One lesson I learned from all this, and maybe it’s something you can use at some point, is you don’t have to be tied down to one thing. There were days in my current career where I felt trapped, like this is what I have to do because this is what I’ve always done. The biggest life lesson I’ve learned so far is that is FALSE. If you feel in your gut that you’re being called to do something, you need research and if still looks good after doing some recon…DO IT.

Don’t put yourself in a position where you’ll be sitting in your rocker at 85 wishing you would have tried something.

Another lesson I learned is listen to others when you’re trying to research something, but do your best to fact check what they’re telling you. I had a lot of people tell me things that weren’t true about going through the hiring process of this new career. It wasn’t that they were trying to sabotage me, they just didn’t know. You know what I found out? I figured out that their advice made things seem difficult, if not impossible, my research showed me it was possible and much easier than advised.

I want to thank you for making it this far into the blog, and thank you for being such an amazing audience for the last few years. I loved my time in Grand Rapids and at Channel.

Who knows, if this thing doesn’t work out you may be hearing from me again.

Thank you for being such an awesome audience!

Josh

More From Mix 95.7