Back when I lived in Las Vegas, 2001-2011, I had a close friend that worked with me for a time at the TV stations – Joe DeFrancesco. He went on to work at Casinos as a videographer and do other cool things in the business, but we always stayed in contact and he would come visit me at gigs that Kelly Sheehan and I played. One of the fun things we shared was our love of the Winter Namm (National Association of Music Merchants) show each January in Anaheim, California. Joe De loved it because he enjoyed meeting with the musicians, and he loved getting a picture with them and their autograph. I on the other hand, wanted to play all of the new music gear I could get my hands on and talk with the builders behind them. But we shared an enthusiasm for the NAMM shows and attended as frequently as we could. At some point Joe De started jokingly calling me “Eric Dahl Media Mogul” and it stuck with all of our friends as a way to hassle me. Joe would also say it in the full Movie Guy Voiceover sound to give it more effect. Unfortunately, Joe got a viral infection and passed away far too young in 2013 and I think of him often. Too this day, and in fact this morning, my brother-in-law Josh still jokes me with the title Media Mogul when anything big happens with me here in Nashville. I wish Joe De was around to see how my little Nashville shows have flourished and some of the artists and bands I’m getting on them now. I’m certain he would have suggestions and have contacts for bringing even more musicians to the forefront. I don’t believe that I’m worthy of the “Media Mogul” title he bequeathed me, but I am trying to grow something with my media outlets through TV, Radio and Print. I feel very blessed to get to do what I love with these interviews, meet amazing people and share it with viewers and listeners. It has been a slow build and certainly an evolution through the years. If the News Department had given my idea to an upstart Reporter instead of throwing it back on me to accomplish things could have turned out much differently. Like many people at that time, including music gear manufacturers and artists, most folks didn’t understand what I was attempting to do with the TV segments. Forging new ground and trying things we have never done before takes a lot of faith in yourself and your abilities. This is especially true when the majority of people expect you to fail and are waiting to say “I told you so” when you do fall on your face. And believe me when I tell you that not all of my brilliant creative ideas over the years have all been brilliant or creative and I have definitely had my share of failures to help keep me humble! But I also believe that when we are on to something good and it feels right in our mind and soul then we can’t deny it. If we don’t pursue it, they we are allowing a dream, or an opportunity, to die without even giving it our best shot. I have found on this little journey that the greatest rewards have happened to me when I pursue things I have never done or tried before. When we cut a path through unchartered territory then we set the destination point and we can make it a reality through our own efforts. I like that. So many things are beyond our control and happen to us, it is nice to do things that we feel we are somewhat in charge of the direction or at least a part of the solution. Joe DeFrancesco had faith in me at times when I didn’t. I may never be a MEDIA MOGUL (said with Movie guy voice tonality here), but I’m certainly having a lot of with the media outlets I’m engaged with and the artists, bands and PR firms seem to appreciate it. All of us can use a little good karma even if the returns are only in self satisfaction and not monetary. We all need to appreciate the people that believe in us and support us in the good and bad times, they are the true Moguls!
