When I first walked in, my mind was already making plans to instigate the walk out.
A bunch of people huddled around some MDF-topped tables, not quite antagonism but the faint whiff of hostility to newcomer in the air.
And at the mouth of the room, a couple of block-steady CD players from the early 1990s bullying a svelte microphone straddling the centre of a desk.
As far as meetings go, I placed it somewhere between meeting my bulgy-eyed headmaster in his lair after setting the fire alarm off, and firing my first employee who was both older, and taller (he was unusual), than I was.
But I was here for a reason. To Give Back. To help launch a community radio station and make it spectacular.
Sometimes you ride the waves of challenging times so you can bring joy when you get to the relative safety of the beach. Sometimes you have to ask why the scenario is such that you feel straddled by an aura of negativity.
As it happened the situation had been preempted by concern. Here were a crowd of largely well-mannered people who had been pumping in hours of practice for six straight weeks, only for the great pretender to come strolling in expecting to take control of the mixing desk for his first programme in just a fortnight’s time.
Once it became clear that a. I wasn’t being boisterous or belligerent; b. I wanted to learn, and c. Deeply respected them for their efforts, and would pledge at least the same level of commitment in return, they were placated.
I made some great friends that day, friends for the future at least. And it was in part due to my podcasting that I was there at all, so good karma has once again become my accomplice and confidante that I will forever treasure.
To those entrepreneurial types who think altruism is something to do with churches or titans of commerce – think again. Sate your community and pledge an oath of sacrifice in their direction. Show at every opportunity their value to you. Respond kindly to every query, express a sympathetic sentiment to every complaint, conduct yourself with humility when you are being congratulated for providing exceptional service.
You can never be too small to think community. That’s stage 1. Engaging your community with value is step 2, and living the ethos of your community, step 3. When you can eat, drink and breathe everything your customer constituents do, you’re approaching the Epiphany that comes with membership of the third tranche of community.
On the same day I also saw my first column published at LiverpoolConfidential.com. There have been suggestions of free stuff in exchange for my prose, and I’m delighted to be part of this creative and intriguing setup. I’ll be the Weekend Roundup guy. It’s a throwback to 1998 when I was arts editor for newspapers in Liverpool (paid – halcyon days) but I feel enormously grateful to be writing for a crew who care deeply about their craft.
Did I mention care and the community? If you care, it shows. LC.com has a level of interaction with its denizens that I alone could only dream about.
Next thing: persuading them to launch some podcasts and a blogging strategy. Stay tuned!