November 10, 2017

If you could be a protégé to any mentor in any field of endeavor in any era of time, who would your mentor be and why?

Zac Davis, WRVQ: Had 4 of the best mentors in my radio career and each of them gave me invaluable advice and guidance….in chronological order. Lee Reynolds in Tallahassee, FL. Ken Holiday in Melbourne, FL. Tim Satterfield in Greensboro, NC. Chris Shebel in Raleigh, NC.

Rick Vaughn, Power 94.9: Chuck Yeager. Fighter pilot in WWII.  Air Force Test Pilot after the war, first guy to exceed the speed of sound.  Dozens of awards and decorations.  Hunter, fisherman, outdoorsman.  General badass.

Kobi, WNRW/WLGX: Martin Luther King. He was smart, a positive force. He could have taught me a lot about life, religion and activism.

Brian Mack, WXXL: Mark Zuckerberg because by creating the social media networks like he spawns careers and opportunities. Look what it’s done in politics and in just about all walks of life, including terrorism. It has just as many positives as negatives in its application. I would want to learn from that what you’ve created is used much more for the good of society and its true intentions, and how you might weed out things you ideologically don’t agree with.

Fish Boy, WKRZ: Miroslav Lajcak, the Secretary General of the United Nations. I want to be in his shoes, I want to learn how he does it…fascinating job to me, might as well learn it for the best.

 Jonathan Shuford, WRVW: A film protégé studying under Hitchcock.

Mike McVay, Cumulus Media: Jack McCoy, the legendary program director, researcher, marketing wizard and inventor. Jack did more to change radio than most of the fathers of our industry, yet very few people know who he is or remember what he’s done.

Todd Shannon, WAPE: Steve Jobs. His vision and attention to detail were both overwhelming and amazing.

Mike “OD” O’Donnell, WKRZ: I would have loved to be mentored by Abraham Lincoln. I always saw as a leader with great vision. He was way ahead in terms of the way he thought, and a man of really high integrity…except I wouldn’t have gone to the theater with him.

Derrick “DC” Cole, WAEB: I would love Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson to teach me how to just be awesome!

Chris Michaels, FM100: Nick Saban, the head coach at Alabama. I love how he coaches, his winning track record, and his discipline.

 Java Joel, WAKS: Rick Sklar, Bill Drake, Ron Jacobs, Mike Josephs, Scott Shannon. Some of the greatest programmers of all-time.

Kobe, WWHT: Gary Vaynerchuck, because nobody understands social media and where it’s headed better than him. He’s way ahead of the curve.

Matt “MJ” Johnson, KUDD: Abe Lincoln, Jesus, and The Buddha.  To sharpen my adulting.

Dom Theodore, Radio Animal Media Strategies: Most likely Warren Buffet, since everybody who surrounded him in the beginning and learned his strategies ended up billionaires!

Jeremy Rice, WBLI:Barack Obama.

Gina Gray, WERO: I’ve already experienced this!  My father was my mentor.  I owe my work ethic, my wonderful personality (hahaha).and all that I’ve learned in broadcasting to him.  He was a great man and such a “larger than life” figure in my little world growing up.

Brian Michel, iHeartMedia / Atlanta: Walt Disney…’cause why not?

Next Week’s Question Of The Week:
In what areas of your job do you derive the most pride from?
e-Mail your responses to: jodorisio@fmqb.com or bburke@fmqb.com