The Art of Being Difficult

...“I heard that she's difficult to deal with”.

I refuse to let those be the words to define me or my radio career. However, those were the words radio executive Steve Hegwood uttered to a friend of mine recently. I was stunned because I am one of the most non-controversial people you’ll ever meet. My friend continued to tell me all of the details of his conversation with Steve, but I blacked out and began to ask myself, “What kind of school girl gossip is going on here?”

In just 13 short years (from 1995-2008) I’ve had one of best radio careers in the game. My peers, both male and female, were amazed at how I was able to maneuver through the top markets in the industry. In between, there were many ups and downs, but nothing major. I’ve always carried myself like a professional. I NEVER slept with anyone to get a job and I never compromised my integrity. My talent and determination are completely responsible for my radio success.

So why is Steve Hegwood dirtying up my name and possibly preventing me from getting future employment? I’ve always looked up him...and always attempted to keep in contact with him no matter where I was located. What would make him utter the words, “I heard that she is difficult.”? Who told him this?

I’ve never had any shouting matches with my employers and I’ve never been insubordinate. However, I will admit that most of my bosses in the radio have been men and they were more driven by their egos than they were by the BUSINESS of radio. Is it possible that I hurt someone’s feelings because I would ask for our verbal agreements to be put in writing? Isn’t that the professional way to handle business and prevent confusion? Perhaps being the consummate professional is coming back to haunt me because obviously I’ve bruised someone’s ego along the way.