MARKET EQUITY QUESTION FOR DAN: (NOTE: This is from a very successful, talented jock who is huge in his market. For years he has resisted offers to go elsewhere. ...) I've tentatively accepted an offer to (Market X), where they are going to build a special studio for me and from where they claim they want to syndicate my show. Now I'm having second thoughts......Not about the work, whether my show makes it or not; I can handle that. I've been here for 15 years. My kids are nearby (don't know how long though). Everything is familiar. I like being a semi-celebrity. I know a place where I can get great Italian food.......Maybe I'm crazy. Damn, 20 years ago I wouldn't have blinked.... DAN REPLIES: >Not about the work, whether >it makes it or not, I can handle that. I've been here for 15 years. >My kids are nearby (don't know how long though) Everything is >familiar. I like being a semi celebrity. Given the above, I really think you should stay where you are. Those 15 years are 15 years of equity - not just financially, but in the other areas you mention, too. That's 15 years of a relationship with an audience & a community. You'll never get the chance to recreate that elsewhere. >Damn, 20 years ago I wouldn't have blinked That's pretty much the point, albeit on several levels: 1) Twenty years ago you overflowed with professional ambitions. By now you've achieved most of what you're going to achieve -- as painful and/or liberating as that might be. You're not going to play major league baseball or become a rock star or host your own network TV talk show. 2) You don't have the energy, resilience, and foolish optimism you had 20 years ago. (Rheumatism and optimism rarely co-exist.) 3) You didn't have anything to lose 20 years ago. Even if you made a mistake, you could just go somewhere else quite easily. Or, as you yourself did once, go back to a comfortable market and confidently reclaim your audience. 4) You no longer feel the need to prove yourself in radio...which means if you go to another market and don't do as well as you'd like (even if it's not your fault), you'll feel lousy and even a bit bitter. If you DID still need to prove yourself, you'd react to a failure by saying, "Screw 'em; I'll go somewhere else." In your market, you're a local treasure. People are in awe of what you do and they love you. Go to Market X and you'll be some guy who used to work in (Your Market). A hugely successful, mature jock who gives it all up essentially for a change of geography makes me think of a great boxing champion who comes back out of retirement and has his legend tarnished. (Wouldn't it have been fantastic if Muhammad Ali had retired after knocking out George Foreman and then beating Joe Frazier for the second time?) So...I'm suggesting you think more about those second thoughts you're having.