So there was this time…

I was lucky enough to be a network news anchor, not once, but twice. The first time was beyond thrilling. To be chosen, even if for a weekend shift, was a dream come true.

I made myself indispensable. Always available for fill in work, never saying no. At some point I even offered to help them find more anchors through my Remote News Service group.

I know not everyone wants to work overnights and weekends though. Finding someone who will do anything to be on the radio is rare these days. (I’m talking taking out the trash and making sure the printer has ink folks.) The struggle is real.

So I went about running ads and phone interviewing people. But loyalty and the importance of showing up isn’t something that’s natural for everyone.

I found an anchor who sounded amazing. In the middle of her first shift, she disappeared, POOF! I get a call from master control in the middle of the night, we have no anchor. WTF? So I show up (roll outta bed), start writing bleary-eyed and deliver a newscast or 10. Thankfully it was a slow night. And… my birthday. Happy Birthday baby, people are flakes.

That anchor was one in a long line of incidents, another calling me from the back of an ambulance? Yep. But you know what — as outrageous as that sounds, she showed up and called. Maybe screaming, but a call. It was hard to see at the time. And neither of those two work for me anymore for other reasons that go beyond showing up.

Being a manager in any capacity and in any industry can be a challenge. Patience my dear, patience. It’s key. Yep, the struggle IS real.