Meeting Your Listener On The Ground Floor

By Keith Stevens, PD KTIS/Minneapolis

Ellen has Stage Three melanoma cancer. She called and shared her story last week during my show. I had an incredible privilege to hear how she is persevering through and overcoming a 16-month battle with the disease. Then, I encouraged her by playing her song, and even prayed with her off the air. I thought about her often after we hung up the phone. Later that week, as I walked the line of thousands of KTIS listeners waiting to get into the Mall of America to see Zach Williams, when I noticed a woman sitting down low, close to the floor on a lawn chair, waiting in the line. It was too much for her to stand, so she sat. I asked her about herself, she told me she was Ellen. "Just call me El," she said, "I'm the one who called in earlier this week." Imagine my surprise! With tears of gratitude, we hugged, smiled, and celebrated her victory over melanoma, as I got down on the floor in that line of people, and sat with her. We sat for an hour, and I listened to her story and her life. She even pointed to the surgery scar behind her ear and how she has come through the worst of it all. What an amazing person. From the phone, to the floor of the Mall of America, I truly had a special one-on-one moment with KTIS listener "El."

There were other listeners I would meet that night as well, that I never expected-with powerful stories who also reached out the week prior during my show.

What I learned that night is that when we get on the "ground level" with our listener, the possibilities for sharing stories and life are unlimited. Both in and out of the studio. Years ago, I viewed "personal appearances" as a chance to have people meet me. Now, that is the last thing on my mind, as I have learned that meeting others is what it's all about. And those opportunities have transformed my show and my life. After all-we're not doing "radio" we're doing "life," which just happens to be on the radio. And there's nothing quite as awesome as actually sitting on the floor of the mall, getting to know a listener right where they are in that moment.