Mamie Wiggins Helped The Homeless

Mamie Wiggins Helped The Homeless
By, John Frost

That one sentence is all I know about Mamie Wiggins, other than that she was 100 years old and died last Tuesday. I know those things because I was reading The Washington Post last week and ran across her obituary. To me that is Mamie's legacy.

Your station also has a legacy. You are writing another chapter in that legacy every day.

What do people say when they talk about your radio station? It is something as worthy as the headline about Mamie's devotion to helping the homeless, or is your station's legacy built on something less significant?

Is your station known as the station that plays 25 minute music sweeps without any talk, or is your station known as one that helps your community to be a better place to live and raise a family?

Is your station known as the station that gives away free CD's with a contest on the morning show every day at 7:25, or is your station known as one that helps worthy organizations in your community connect with volunteers that want to help others?

Is your station known as the one with the joke of the day, or is your station known as the one who honors moms and dads for the most important commitment they'll ever make-raising their children with values, behaviors, and attitudes that will help shape their lives so they can go out and make a difference in the world?

Now don't get me wrong, there is nothing inherently bad with a radio station having amusing little features on the air if they are appropriately executed and targeted.

But those things don't matter unless your station matters.

In his book, "A Million Miles in a Thousand Years", Donald Miller poses the provocative thought that if they made a movie about a man who wanted to buy a Volvo it wouldn't be a very interesting movie. He goes on to point out that many of us live our lives that way.

Mamie Wiggins helped the homeless.

What do you want your station's legacy to be?

John Frost, Partner
Goodratings Strategic Services
john@goodratings.com