The beginning of a new year is a good time to review the basics. At my church the pastor takes the first two Sundays of each year to restate the purpose and vision of the church. Fitness clubs and diet plans often base their marketing on people’s desire to return to the basics and embrace new habits.

Legendary football coach Vince Lombardi began every training camp with the words, “Gentlemen, this is a football.”

Those are the candid words of a top talent I was attempting to lure into the Christian music format.

I reckon he knew how to get my attention.

“If your station can be transformative in someone’s life as you claim, then why do you spend 99% of your time focusing on the nuts and bolts, the songs, the artists, the deejays, and features any radio station in any format can do.

Why don’t you focus on what matters most?” he says from an outsider’s perspective.

In reaching the milestone of 700th weekly Frost Advisory (polite applause please) and having it coincide with the very first Advisory of the new year I reckon’ I better put together a doozie of a missive ’cause folks are not going to wait for them to get better.

So…

I’ve heard that the most common New Year’s resolutions are about losing weight, quitting smoking, and getting more exercise.

I have an idea! What if we took those same resolutions to help give our radio stations a fresh start in the new year? They say it’s easier to disrupt a habit if you reframe it as a fresh start.*

The Christmas season brings our format’s greatest opportunity to welcome new listeners. While this may seem a no-brainer, it is not something to be taken for granted.

No other format has the opportunity to eliminate its biggest barrier for growth (that it plays unfamiliar music for new folks) while also doubling down on the core “why” of the format – that God became man and changed history (even for unbelievers).

So, how does a first time listener become fan? More specifically how does someone that doesn’t know Big Daddy Weave from Bo Diddley become a fan of your station?

The Christmas season brings out the best in us. More people tune to our stations than at any other time of the year, some stations topping a million listeners per week, once unthinkable in our format.   

Many stations do their best job of connecting on common values with stories of hope, forgiveness, and fresh beginnings. Over the last several weeks I have heard some amazing stories and songs.

If your station is playing Christmas music, I’ve got good news and bad news.

The good news is you’ll help minimize your station’s biggest barrier for growth – playing unfamiliar music to those tuning to your station for the first time.

The bad news is new listeners have no context for understanding what your station is about.

Our neighborhood’s official start to the Christmas season begins at the gazebo next to the lake with the main attraction being the arrival of jolly ole St. Nick on the top of a local multimillion dollar fire truck! Your tax dollars at work!

When I was 13 years old, I learned a lesson in gratitude I’ve never forgotten.

“Thank you mighty much” were the words Ed Sargent shouted to every person as they left Hillcrest Food Market in my hometown of Eastland, Texas, a town of 3,000 counting horned toads.

Ed appreciated his customers and everyone walked away with something free. For the grown ups, perhaps it was the Coke machine that wouldn’t take their money. For the kiddos, it was “don’t forget your surprise” as they reached their tiny arms into the large jar of bubble gum.

Last week I confessed. For the first time in my 692 Frost Advisories, I left out the most important part. On purpose.

Last week I shared the brilliant campaign from The Foundation for a Better Life at PassItOn.com:

They shared…