One Photo: One Story: I'm fired, I'm Okay!
To my radio friends who are processing the past week or so of restructuring. For those who are in the midst of reorganizing your lives and thinking of the future, I hope this helps you. Good Luck.
October 2004, Mike Parrish of FMQB and I were chatting about life after being laid off. I told him how I was coping and thought I'd be ok. He asked me to write an article for the next edition of FMQB.
Published: October 8, 2004
FMQB
UPFRONT
Spotlight: Baby Steps.
By Mark Razz
A week or two after being fired from my four and a half year afternoon job at WMMR/Philadelphia. I'm still riding the emotional roller coaster. If you're a radio professional, you know the emotions. If you don't, you will. This is my third time being fired. The emotions are the same and as raw as in the past. Feelings emerge kaleidoscopically of as single full-blown emotion, stark and real.
Let me categorize some of them: shock, embarrassment, self-pity, anger, fear, and finally acceptance. I'm not shy about saying thank you to my wife and a number of therapists who have helped me over the years to handle such things. This may read like "Dr. Leo Marvin's" book "Baby Steps" from the 1991 film "What about Bob?" At a time like this, baby steps may help.
First: analyze your primitive fear. Ask yourself: Will lions eat me? No. If you really think they will, stop reading this now and get the hell out of there! Or move to New Jersey. Okay there is the occasional bear, so move to the city. Then ask yourself, am I healthy? Yes. Most likely you are young, alive and have an abundance of gifts to be thankful for. Two problems solved. I don't have to go much further in this exercise for you to get the point. You're fired! You're Okay!
More Baby Steps: You have a support network of family, friends, and professional contacts to help you. Many have been there before. Ask for help and advice. This would be a good time to utilize your benefits, investments, and rainy day funds. Don't be too proud to apply for unemployment. You can do this online so you don't have to run into anybody you know at the unemployment office. If you need to take time off, do so. There is no better time to relax, read, spend time with the kids, or whatever it Is that you haven't had time to do. When you're ready, set small goals for yourself, rework your resume, compile a fresh audition tape, return emails, and start building your contact list.
There will be a stray emotion as you venture toward your new goals and new life. Remember baby steps.
Do one thing thing a day to help you reach your goals. Be good to yourself and be good to your family. From there you can rebuild. My 10-year old son helped me immensely with a very simple gesture. During one of my self pity moments, he pulled me aside and whispered, "Dad, remember the ten dollars you gave me yesterday? Well, you can have it back. You need it".
Baby Steps, I'm fired! I'm Okay!