In January, I’ll have made it a full decade as a talk radio show host — a career I never expected to be in and only fell into by the accident of a morning show host getting arrested in a crack house and the local station needing a fill in. I was on CNN at the time and they asked.

The head of Cox Media Group happened to be passing through Macon, heard me, thought it was my show, and offered me Herman Cain’s job on radio as he was planning to run for President. I didn’t fess up to no experience till I’d signed the contract.

I now do 4pm to 6pm drive time in Atlanta on one of the largest talk stations in the nation and have one of the largest audiences for local talk in the nation. I also do 9am to 12pm with my own show and it is the largest morning talk show in Georgia about Georgia.

One day, hopefully, I’ll get back to just one 3 hour show. In the meantime, I’ve gotten to fill in for @RealRLimbaugh and even meet the ever awesome @BoSnerdley. I’ve interviewed the Vice President, talked to the President occasionally, and have random politicians call to chat.

It has been the dream job I never even knew I wanted and is now my sole job, having left behind blogging and TV contracts.

The thing that always amazes me, a decade in, are the number of people who reassuringly tell me if I would only talk about X or not talk about Y or talk about stuff in a particular way that maybe, just maybe, I might be successful one day. It never changes.

The thing I’ve learned in radio is simple — it’s not my job to save the world. It is my job to keep people company and be their friend so they can be entertained. And if I can do that, then I can inform them and have room to disagree with them on topics without losing them.

The other thing I’ve learned is that a whole lot of people have strongly held opinions about what I do, how I do it, and none of them are able to do what I do so it is best to ignore them.

I’ve reached the point, ten years in, where I know it is far better to ignore the people who hate what I do or what I say and understand they’re listening, even if they’re only hate listening.

The most important piece of advice I’ve ever gotten in radio came from Rush, who is actually the guy who told me I’d be insane if I didn’t take the opportunity.

He told me that no one in radio would ever tell me I was screwing up until they were ready to can me, so hire a designated asshole whose job is tell me when I’m screwing up and also who has the power to tell people no for me, because I’m a guy who always likes to say yes.

I’ve followed that advice and it works. Never surround yourself with sycophants. Now back to the show.