Happy Birthday SOR!

November 30th, 2014.  It had been over seven years since I had spoken in front of a microphone to people.  I was shaking.  I was nervous.  I didn’t know what to do, even though I had it in my head that this is what I had done for a long time.  Then, at 10pm Pacific, we went live with our first show.  But it wasn’t easy.  Outside of the nerves and the anxiety, my first guest, Alfred Lambremont Webre told me, literally three minutes before showtime, that he couldn’t do the full two hours, as our show was only two hours long at that time.  And that he would generously only do one hour because that’s all he had time for.  I texted Jonny Enoch and said something like “Alfred just bailed on doing two hours, can you come on with me?”  Jonny, the influencer, and the man who pushed me to create Spaced Out Radio, stepped up to the plate to finish the show off strong.

If it wasn’t for Jonny, there’s be no SOR.  Getting back into radio was not on my list of priorities.  I had other things to accomplish, and I was doing just fine.  That was until Jonny came over to my house on October 2nd to discuss me getting back into radio.  I remember at the time of Jonny’s constant nagging that I needed to get back ‘on-air’, saying to him that there was no way we could walk into a radio station and just start broadcasting.  The industry didn’t work like that.  You see, when I left radio in 2007, podcasts were just starting out.  I had no idea there was this online avenue for podcasting out there.  Never listened to a podcast.  Didn’t know how to download a podcast.  Nothing.  I had never heard of Blog Talk Radio, or any other online broadcast forum.  When I left radio, I was out, out, out!  Gone!  Wanted nothing to do with it.

But there I was, on November 30th, 2014, talking away.  Thankfully, Alfred had promoted the show, and our first show we had over 1,500 live listeners.  I thought to myself, that was easy.  These people must be starving for a new voice in the paranormal?  Wow!  Was I naive.  For the next three weeks of shows after, our audience hovered between 12 and 18 listeners.  It was disappointing, but I was having fun.  And each night, I got more into the groove as to what needed to be done.  It was fun.  It was also helpful, because my anxiety was being calmed in ways I didn’t expect.  It has been a positive influence.

I look at the last five years, and I look at the people who’ve come and gone, from people in SOR to our listeners and guests.  It’s been a trip.  It hasn’t always been easy.  Tough decisions have been made, and there have been dramatic times, some of which I regret.  But it’s always been about the show.  It’s never been about me, but what’s best for Spaced Out Radio.  When, a couple years ago, I decided to make Spaced Out Radio a business and no longer a hobby, I knew there would be tough times, lean times, and happy times ahead.  I look at our team now, and I think this is the best we’ve ever been.   We have the right people in place to take this forward in the future to where it deserves to go.

From the past, I thank the following people.  Elizabeth Anglin, James Tyson, Joe Rupe, Eric Marcum, Tessa Nicole Thomas, Kim Gandy, Dave Cruz and Amma Jordan for helping to get us off the ground.  I thank Amy Martin for her guidance and technical knowledge in building our studio among other things.  To our group today.  Chuck who takes care of our technical details along with our syndication.  Rich Giordano for being a friend, supporter and host of the Saturday show.  You’re solid, buddy.  Gail Shirk who works her ass off building a great news area.  Amber Bekkerud for taking care of YouTube and her great addition of Cryptid Tales.  Kathryn James, for her dedication to our social media accounts.  Everett Themer for being my back bone, a great friend, and now host of the Sunday show.  Your dedication to our friendship and SOR is extremely valuable.  Jim Malliard for grabbing the bull by the horns and running with it.  Jim, I cannot thank you enough.  Mr. Ron Bumblefoot Thal, for allowing us the opportunity to use his amazing music for everything SOR.  For being one of the best in the world at what you do, you are one of the most humble and genuine individuals I have had the pleasure of meeting and calling a friend.  Most thanks though go to my friend, mentor, business partner, Ashi.  Who knew that 17 years after first stepping into the Vancouver Moose, that a friendship would be made, and it would take us to where we are today.  Thank you for your faith, believe, guidance and assistance.

To all of our listeners, writers, fans and guests.  We could not do this without you at all.  You continue to push us.  You continue to push us towards excellence every night.  I know sometimes we don’t deliver because nothing is perfect, but it’s so worth it, busting our asses for you every night.  We are privileged to have all of you listen in.  One of the greatest accomplishments we’ve had is growing SOR from a grassroots level.  We have listened, and taken your ideas and tried to implement them as much as possible.  Yes, we have made mistakes along the way, but we’ve tried to learn from them.  Without all of you sticking with us, we would have no show.  But there is no way we are where we are today without your help, dedication and influence.  Unlike other hosts and shows, we had to build from the ground up.  Everything we’ve earned, we did it the hard way.  It hasn’t been easy.  I can tell you there’s been more than a few times and conversations where tears have flowed and I’ve wondered whether or not this was all worth it.  It has totally been worth it.

It will continue to be worth it as we look to take SOR foward in the future.  So on this special day of all broadcast days for us at SOR, thank you for being along for the ride.  You make it all worth it, seven days a week.  And it’s very true, each and every night when I get to say, “Together my friends, We Own The Night!”