An odd title here but one that needs to be explored. Both Kate Cocker and Dr Brené Brown believe in embracing vulnerability and showing true courage. Connecting with the listener by revealing sections of your personal life is a highly successful move. When the presenter is being true to the listener, the connectivity is palpable.

Over the last 15 years, Kate Cocker has coached and trained presenters, produced radio programmes (BBC and Commercial), written and made adverts & jingles, and ran a radio station in a competitive market. The one ethos that runs through every discipline is: connect by getting real.

Have presenters brainstorm regularly

In her current role as Content Controller of Manchester’s hit music station Key 103, Cocker uses the list technique for her team. She’s learned that it’s good to ask on-air personalities to do this exercise on a regular basis, because answers might change slightly over time. “It’s about getting under that layer.” She points out that writing things down is just a start, as another presenter once made a great list of 38 items. “I said to him: out of those 38 things, how much is going on air; how much do your listeners know? He went: two…”

Because when you physically move, your brain starts to build new habits. When you do something you’re not used to doing, you are in the act of building new habits and erasing existing ones.

As a producer, you are in constant search mode... what is it that will keep the listener engaged, what is it that will cause the listener to speak about your radio show? Frequently, it is the human aspect of the presenter. The presenter that presents his or her self as a real human being, who draws the listeners into his or her life's stories. 

Forget about radio stereotypes

She feels that courage is basically “tell the truth about who you are with your whole heart” and thinks that vulnerability is connected to “uncertainty, risk and emotional exposure”. If these add up to authenticity, an authentic presenter would be “somebody willing to let go of who they thought they should be in order to be who they are.” In her opinion, “even within the reality of the format”, every single presenter can be himself.  

I love Kate Cocker, watch her draw in this the audience in with her enthusiasm and no nonsense approach. 

Brené Brown. Source: Twitter

Dr Brené Brown

Dr Brené Brown is a research professor at the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work. She has spent the past thirteen years studying vulnerability, courage, worthiness, and shame. Brown is the author of three #1 New York Times Bestsellers: Rising Strong, Daring Greatly and The Gifts of Imperfection.

Courage

Brown's says "courage, the original definition of courage, when it first came into the English language -- it's from the Latin word "cor," meaning "heart" -- and the original definition was to tell the story of who you are with your whole heart - the courage to be imperfect. The compassion to be kind to yourself first and then to others, we can't practice compassion with other people if we can't treat ourselves kindly. And have connection, be willing to let go of who you think you should be in order to be who they are, which you have to absolutely do that for connection.

Vulnerability

Embrace vulnerability. Believe that what makes you vulnerable makes you beautiful - vulnerability is necessary."

Brown's 2010 TEDx Houston talk, The Power of Vulnerability, is one of the top five most viewed TED talks in the world, with over 25 million views. Get a cup of tea and settle down to watch her do her thing - it's a brain bath and will enhance your understanding of connectivity and listenership.

Sometimes the emotional feeling of the day is bleak and uninspiring. Every effort is monumental. You feel flat, lifeless and prefer to stay under the duvet, letting the day carry on without you. We've all been there and it can be a real struggle to shift yourself to a lighter, more hopeful mood. Unfortunately, traditional schooling taught us how to find 'x' never taught us how to find our nerve and drive when we've lost it. When a grey cloud stubbornly hovers over me my go-to is a pep talk. Like a rousing talk with a best friend pep talks get me out of my head and back on my feet.

Mel Robbins. Source: Twitter

In these, our starting days on the radio circuit we've got to be our biggest advocates. It'll take time to establish yourself in a station and allow your work to speak for you. So, until there are others to believe in you, you should see self-belief as a muscle in constant need of attention and exercise. I take inspiration from a thousand different directions and over time will share them here so you can add them to your self-belief arsenal. Today I'm going to share a personal favourite - Mel Robbin's TED Talk 'How to stop screwing yourself over'.

"If you have an impulse to act on a goal, you must physically move within 5 seconds or your brain will kill the idea."





Robbins is an American television host, life coach, author, motivational speaker, contributing editor for Success (magazine), and on-air CNN commentator. Robbins believes the secret to achieving what you want in life and in work, is simply learning to give yourself a little push. She's funny, fast and so brutally honest you can't help but hear the truth in her words. Get a cup of tea and settle down for a brain bath:

The next time someone makes you feel insignificant or unimportant I hope you remember that there was a 1 in 400 trillion chance of you being born. That is to say, scientifically you're phenomenal just by being alive.

To close, the '5 Second Rule' Robbins mentions is an ethos also echoed by productivity guru David Allen, author of the best-selling book 'Getting Things Done'. The 'GTD method' genuinely changed my life when I slowly began to integrate it into my overwhelming mountain of to-do lists. I'm planning a future post on this incredible method, it supercharges your ability to make progress.


What do you turn to in times of hopelessness?

Sweaty palms, bizarre over thinking of every minute detail, obsessively checking for transport delays. Ah, the classic first day at a new job - utterly thrilling and terrifying in equal measure. You're a human, so you're going to be nervous but fate does favour the prepared. I've collected some tips and unbreakable rules for you to arm yourself with before you first walk into your first station.






Nerves can scramble our logic and make it incredibly easy to overlook common sense, such as bringing cash instead of just card with you to the office. ChairOffice's 'First Day Flowchart' will help you set yourself straight ahead of your fabulous debut at the office:

If you follow this as a general guideline your first few days should go relatively smoothly. I'd also recommend you have a look at this list for further more in depth explanation (like the importance of befriending the office coffee machine) 

Mouth shut, ears open
During our initial weeks in a new workplace it's all about treading the line between being enthusiastic...and being annoying. It's natural to want to be liked - to impress people and to fit in quickly. Michelle Kerrigan, a workplace-confidence expert, advises you to keep a tab on your babbling: "It's natural to want to be liked — to impress and fit in quickly. However, many try too hard, and talk too much when they should be listening."

Err on the side of caution

What you say during your first day on the job doesn't just impact what your colleagues think about you — it could also cause you to lose your job. "If you say something that's off, it sets the tone, and that could be the reason for you to be let go in your first three months," advises J.T. O'Donnell, a career, workplace expert and author of "Careerealism: The Smart Approach to a Satisfying Career."

17 Things You Definitely Shouldn't Say On Your First Day(s)

1. 'In my last job ...'

No one likes a know-it-all. Rosalinda Oropeza Randall, etiquette and civility expert and author of "Don't Burp in the Boardroom, suggests walking into the new job with energy, but with some humility. Not the timid, reserved definition, but with an attitude of learning.

2. 'OMG, I LOVE that!'

You're already hired — there's no need to try too hard to get people to like you.

While it's nice to know that people think you're personable or that you really "get" the company, Lynn Taylor, a national workplace expert and author of "Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant: How to Manage Childish Boss Behavior and Thrive in Your Job," says this is a waste of energy — you'll impress naturally by just being yourself. It sounds like a Hallmark card but seriously, just be yourself.

3. 'When do I get a raise?'

"How about getting through the ninety-day probationary period first?" Randall suggests.

4. 'Oh, I have to leave early on Fridays.'

"If you hadn't talked about that prior to joining, landing in the new job and suddenly dropping these kinds of bombs on them really shows a lack of communication and respect on your part," O'Donnell says. "They're expecting you to just come in and be there and be present, be eager, be ready and willing to learn." Either agree on it all during the interview, or forget pulling these requirements out of the bag two days in.

5. 'Hang on ... I'm just finishing up this HR paperwork.'

On your first day, you'll likely be pulled in a thousand directions, Taylor says. But it's important you make yourself accessible to your new boss first and foremost, despite all the administrative distractions.

"This is an important first impression you don't want to discount," she says. "Companies are not always as organized as they'd like when onboarding staff. You can easily get caught up with an HR professional, various managers, or coworkers — or with a special assignment that keeps you from being available to the person who matters most."

Prioritize your boss first and foremost. Remember, they're going to be looking to get you settled into things as quickly as they can so don't have them waiting on you to finish an email before following them down the corridor.

6. 'Who should I meet and who should I avoid around here?'

A question like this is basically asking coworkers to gossip — that's a career killer, Randall says. And one person's issue with another coworker is their business only and could have developed over matters you have no idea about.

"Take time to meet and engage in small talk with each person in your department," Randall suggests. "Judge for yourself." Avoid inhouse politics at all costs, it's a surefire way of damaging  your relationships with colleagues before they've even begun. Save your thirst for drama for your personal life and the 'Great British Bake Off'.

7. 'That's not how I learned how to do it.'

Your new boss isn't concerned with how your previous workplace did things, they're concerned with whether you can do it how their workplace does it. Keep the conversation positive, O'Donnell advises. Employers don't want to hear what you can't do —they want to hear that you are open-minded and ready to learn to do it their way.

8. 'What's the holiday party like? Do we get bonuses or a ham or something?'

Woah there tiger. In your opening few weeks at a new workplace your concern should be on learning the ropes, not cashing in on perks of the job. If there are any fun aspects to the office life rest assured your coworkers will inform you in time.

9. 'What d'ya have to do around here to get an upgrade on this [insert company provided tool]?'

If your tools for the job aren't the newest or shiniest, chances are your coworkers' aren't either. Loudly asking for an upgrade will undoubtedly alienate some people who will question if you think you deserve it more. "Learn to deal with what you are given. If the company is technology deficient, has older desks, chairs, or office décor, don't allow or use it to determine how you get the job done," Randall says.

10. 'That makes no sense.'

You may come across a way of doing things in your new company that you don't understand or agree with yet, but framing it this way makes you seem like a whiney drag or even worse just plain inept. "Get some feedback before you make this automatic assumption," O'Donnell suggests. Instead of saying the policy doesn't make sense to you, ask why the company does it this way, the history behind it, and try to understand the policy from the organization's point of view.

11. 'My prior boss was clueless.'

Maybe your previous boss was an idiot but negative complaints and comparisons are rarely welcomed according to Kerrigan. and these kinds of statements can be harmful to your professional brand and how you're perceived. You're the one that’s coming off as clueless, and respectful.

"Your brand is your trademark, and it's built by consistency — good and bad," she says. "Once established as bad, it's hard to change perception. You need to build and maintain a positive brand to be memorable for the good."

12. 'I'm so tired.'

It's important to project high energy, Taylor says, especially in your early days on the job when your attitude and work ethic are most visible and under the microscope. Get a coffee into you and grit your teeth though a smile.

13. 'No, thanks. I brought my lunch today.'

As previously mentioned in the 'Good ideas' section, always say yes to socialising opportunities around food. Turning down an opportunity to get lunch and bond with new coworkers or a boss seems standoffish, even if you did pack your lunch that day.

14. 'I'd like to invite you all to my church this Sunday.'

Unless it has something to do with your job, you might consider bringing the "never discuss politics or religion at the dinner table" rule to your desk as well. "These discussion aren't generally well received in a work environment," Randall says. "You may find coworkers shying away from you as Fridays approach." Religion is incredibly personal, best to leave yours at the office door.

15. 'In my opinion ...'

As a general rule of thumb, make "Ask, don't tell," your personal mantra for awhile, O'Donnell suggests. Unless asked, it's better to keep your opinion to yourself and see what your employers have to say about things first.

16. 'What is the employee discount like?!'

Defer these kinds of questions to the policies and procedures manual, Randall says.

"Inquiring and asking for perks is so 'me, me me' — an unfavourable trait."

17. 'Hey, working hard or hardly working?!'

No. Getting to that comfortable level where joking around is acceptable takes time. Even if you may see the other coworkers teasing each other and think it's fine to join in — don't.

"They earned that level of casualness with each other … you are not there yet," O'Donnell says.

Being a rookie is scary. The station could be busy to the point of ‘organised chaos’ and you won’t know where to go, or who to sit with. Take of note of how you are feeling and what is it that would make you feel at ease. Some day in the not so distant future, you'll be working in a radio station and a ‘rookie’ will enter those doorways in much the same manner as you did. Do whatever is humanely possible to make them comfortable, and be kind. Let’s face it, you always remember who was nice to you on your first day at work.

A common question I receive is what on earth motivated me to create 'Presenting: The Producer'. Truthfully, it was born from a realisation that most of the broadcast students (and graduated students for that matter) around me are bristling with passion to join the radio industry - but absolutely clueless as to how to do it. "I want to be a presenter!" is as far as many of them can go when asked about their future plans. There's no understanding about the many routes into a station job, how you don't need to win a Student Radio Award to be considered for a role or what sort of expectations await you at an entry level position. I'm a staunch believer that knowledge is power and so I set out to meet with radio professionals and interview them about their roles. By releasing these interviews out onto the Internet I hope that this podcast can educate aspiring radio students on what skills they need to hone to get a foot in the station door.

'Presenting: The Producer' is specifically designed to put aside vague (and therefore unhelpful) statements like "Think outside the box!". Statements like this should be saved for fridge magnets, they have no place in the world of beginners. If you don't understand how a box works how can you think outside of it? Everyone starts out in this industry as a (privately) uncertain novice and I understand that. I understand it and so I tailor the podcast to the uncertain-but-eager learner. Each episode focuses on an aspect of producing with input from several professionals working on a range of different shows. You've my promise that the language of PTP will never be highfalutin or riddled with abbreviations, discussions will always be in layman's terms to ensure that it is inclusive to all wishing to learn producing.

I don't want to quote AC/DC at you but it is a long road to the top if you want to work in radio. This is something that can't be helped but do know that the PTP podcast is in your corner cheering you on every step of the way.