I have big ideas, and big thoughts, and sometimes my enthusiasm for them get me into situations where I need to back up what I say, think or do. Now, this isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it proved to be nerve wracking for me this past weekend. Example? I got invited to call in to a radio station today to promote my "Run for the Cheetah" fund-raising event. While I found this to be a huge opportunity, I have to admit, I had a 48 hour case of stage-fright wondering how this would play out.
To back track a bit, I am half way to my $1,000 fundraising goal to save the cheetah and have just under a month to complete the task. Out of fear of not reaching my goal, I'm getting pretty bold as to who I'm asking for help and reached out to one of the race's sponsors, that sponsor being 104.3 K-Hits radio station, playing the best of the 60's, 70's and 80's! I thought nothing of posting a comment on the radio's Facebook page, I thought nothing of giving myself a shameless plug, and I thought nothing of asking them for help but I never thought I'd be requested to call into the radio station and speak live, on the air! As I read the invite my jaw dropped in excitement (OK it was more like shock).
I played out the phone call in my head over and over, and how smooth I might (or might not) be on the radio. I doubled up on my cheetah information just in case the DJ tried to throw me a curve ball, but my boyfriend assured me, having worked in radio, that the DJ would more than likely coach me on how the call would go before putting me on the air. Feeling semi-prepared, I decided I would call in at 5:00pm. 5:00pm came and went and I was still sitting on the couch trying to muster the nerve to call. I reviewed my information again and again to make sure I had the radio station information correct, that my cheetah facts were accurate and that I would at least seem to know what it was that I was going to be talking about.
Finally at 5:36pm my fingers nervously dialed. As the phone continued to ring, I hoped for voicemail, or that whatever line I was calling would check their caller ID and call me back. That way, I could say I called and tried, yet wouldn't have to really face any of my fears or nerves. Hello, it's a radio station Lynn! There is no voicemail, and just as I thought that, someone picked up. As I couldn't hear the beginning of the person's intro who picked up the phone, I asked for Bo Reynolds the DJ. The person speaking quickly identified himself as Bo, and said, "Hang on, let me do the weather first". Umm, yeah, I just called the radio station and asked for the DJ as if I was calling a girlfriend. It was only while I was on hold listening to the weather that it dawned on me that everyone listening across the state of IL could hear me! Thank goodness I couldn't hear myself!
Bo graciously picked back up and told me to speak up and tell him and the listeners why I was calling. I did. I spouted off race day event details, website information, my name and how to donate and it wasn't until he asked, "So why should we care about something half the world away?", that I got nervous. My voice cracked and I went through my cheetah fact list and their projected extinction rate, and although I had the information correct I can only hope my nerves didn't over power my cause. Bo went over the details again for the listeners and wished me luck, and asked me to keep him posted on the outcome. Somehow, I think I'll email the radio station for that update versus calling in again!
Now that was BRAVE !
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