The Shannon Experience

I began a new chapter in my life on my 27th birthday.  I gave up a job that I wasn't happy with and got myself and internship with "The Shannon Burke Show" in pursuit of a career opportunity in the field of my choice.  I've always wanted to work in entertainment and somewhere along the line, I let life interfere with those dreams.  I knew I had to make a change; it was now or never.


In this short amount of time, I have learned so much more than I could have imagined.  I compare myself to friends who too have worked in radio and realize how fortunate I am to be working where I am.  I have never worked in radio before so this experience has been completely new to me.  I remember the first day on the job and already being on air and recording my first commercial.  Immediately after, I learned how to pull audio and create my first "donut" and eventually assist the producer of the show.


I have never been more happy with any decision I have made.  This one decision was about me and nobody else.  When it comes to my career, thats the way its going to be.  I consider myself very fortunate to be working for Shannon.  He is not only well known, but an amazing person to know.  I believe he is more complex than he plays out to be.   I admire Shannon and respect him for accepting the mistakes he has made.  He acknowledges his mistakes and reminds himself constantly of them every day.


Its not easy being a public figure; having others make up their minds about who you are and form opinions about you without actually knowing you.  The human mind is the most complex subject known to man.  We are not perfect beings and all make mistakes. I believe that it is how you handle yourself once it happens, that determines our character.  I know that its the media's job to relay information but they are also responsible for creating the perception we have of others.


On nights where we would go out and do a promo, I have met people that either love Shannon or hate him.  I completely understand why they feel the way they do.  Human beings are the only animals that can reason.  We make up our minds and change them constantly and it is the media's job to help do so.


It makes me wonder about the sort of public image I am giving the listeners and followers of the show.  Especially today, with Facebook and twitter and other social networks, it has become a lot more difficult to control public image then in early hollywood days.  Now, everything is public and hardly anything is private if one is a public figure or not.