Living His Passion – Brandon McDermott

Brandon McDermott at work at NET radio.

Brandon McDermott was born into less than ideal circumstances. His father was a drug addict who not only viciously beat his mother (who was also addicted to drugs), but also his children. In 1999, his father was sent to prison for killing his girlfriend in front of Brandon. As a result, Brandon moved in and out of foster care from age seven to fourteen while attending six elementary schools and four middle schools. Despite his struggles at home, Brandon discovered that radio was his calling while working at a career center during his sophomore year of high school. “I loved connecting with people,” he added.

After high school graduation, Brandon fell through the cracks. Because his parents were unable to fill out the necessary forms so he could attend college, Brandon secured a job at a local company where he worked his way up for the next seven years from entering data to managing his entire department. But everything changed in 2011 when Brandon decided to accept a position as an intern at KVNO radio in Omaha. He worked for free. “I had to prove myself and demonstrate that I had potential,” he stated. “There were many people along the way who told me I needed a college degree to attain a job in media. I proved them wrong.” Brandon did begin attending college eventually and is on track to graduate from the University of Nebraska Omaha in May 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in multidisciplinary studies.

Brandon noted his time at KVNO was a terrific learning experience that proved to be very rewarding. He learned from the best in the business including longtime Omaha radio legend Otis XII who offered suggestions on how to attain success in the radio industry, encouraged him to ask questions to learn, and gently reminded him to enjoy the ride. While at KVNO, Brandon won several awards. His favorites were his first Omaha Press Club “Best in Class” award for his 2014 interview with Marlin Briscoe, a star athlete at South High and UNO who became the first starting African American NFL quarterback in history, and another award from the Midwest Broadcast Journalists Association for his 2016 story on the North Omaha reinvestment project.

Today, Brandon is happily married and working as a morning show host and reporter at NET radio where he still enjoys connecting with people. His days start early. He wakes up at three o’clock in the morning and is at work by four to host the Morning Edition show from five to nine o’clock. The rest of his workday consists of reporting duties.

Brandon advises anyone who wants to pursue their calling in life to create small and large goals. “I started college in 2014. It has been a slow process, but it started with one step. Now I’m within sight of walking across the stage to accept my diploma. To me, nothing is more fulfilling than achieving a goal I’ve set. I set a goal to make the Dean’s list one semester and the Chancellor’s list another semester. I’ve hit both. Confidence in yourself makes others confident in your abilities as well.”

When asked to identify one word that best describes his life today, Brandon said, “Growing. I have learned to trust myself as a host. I’ve found my voice when on the air. It’s a good feeling to have.” In pursuing his passion despite his challenges, he has gained a sense of belonging and meaning in his life. “I have never felt like my job is work,” he added. “Every choice and experience brought me to where I am. I wouldn’t be the man I am without my childhood or my first job. I could have used all that happened to me to curl up and yell at the world, but I used it to overcome and become what I am today. We are shaped in life by what happens to us, but we are judged in life by what we do with it.”

Brandon McDermott is an inspiring example of what it means to persevere through seemingly insurmountable obstacles to not only find a calling, but also summon the courage to pursue it. In doing so, he has become an example of the beautiful transformation that can occur when one decides to live with determination, not bitterness.

To listen live to Brandon every weekday morning from 5:00 – 9:00 a.m., click here: http://netnebraska.org/radio-stream. To read his memoir, Abandon Brandon, visit Amazon.

Vicky DeCoster is a Certified Life Coach based in Omaha, Nebraska, who specializes in helping her clients both locally and nationwide to move past obstacles, create a plan for happiness, and cross the bridge of transition to find a new and fulfilling direction in life. To read more about her and her practice, visit her at crossthebridgecoaching.com.

Living His Passion - Eric Moses

Eric Moses experienced a childhood filled with challenges. At age four, his brother passed away after an asthma attack, leaving Eric as the only child in his already small family. That event was more than enough for anyone to handle, let alone a young boy, but Eric was forced to face another challenge when his mother suffered a brain aneurysm when he was eleven. Although she thankfully survived, her life—and his—would never be the same.

While continuing on his unique coming-of-age journey, Eric played sports, which he believes helped to keep his head above water. He made friends, excelled in basketball, and built his self-confidence. Looking back, Eric says his true inspiration was his grandmother. She was always laughing, making him food, and allowing herself to be the safety net he needed whenever he started to feel down. Later, his father filled the same role, becoming Eric’s idol more and more as he came to understand and appreciate his father’s unwavering leadership and unconditional love during a time of great loss and beyond.

As Eric entered his teenage years, he battled addictions that caused him to let his family down, lose many friends, and also his sense of identity. Thanks to a newfound interest in the sport of boxing, Eric was able to not only fight and win within the ring, but also fight and win the battle within himself to conquer his addiction. Through it all, he learned a valuable lesson: always be prepared for change.

As he continued to transform his life, Eric’s mentors helped him find his way into college. He originally thought he wanted to be a teacher, then a geologist, and finally he joined the university’s English program where he discovered he could write about anything and not be judged for it. But as he entered his final year of college, Eric had absolutely no idea what he wanted to do. He says, “I think my desire to complete college showed me that I could try for anything and everything in life.” It was that desire that led him to graduate and help found Free Wheel Media, a one-stop-shop web site for the least-biased online news available. “We went from writing our own articles to aggregating articles, and then back to writing articles. It’s been a nonstop of testing to see what works, but we’re finally happy with what we provide the public,” Eric adds. “We help them stay informed, not brainwashed.”

Fueled by perseverance, his passion for sports, and a strong determination to find his sweet spot in life, Eric applied three times at his dream company—Hudl—that provides tools for coaches and athletes to review game footage and improve team play. On the third attempt, he attained his first interview and eventually landed a much-coveted role in sales. Although the role was out of his comfort zone, Eric settled in quickly by focusing on making his clients happy.

Today, Eric is fulfilled realizing how his life has come full circle. Through his love for sports, he landed a role at his dream company. Through his love for writing and editing, he founded an innovative web site that provides unbiased news to a large audience. He says, “Sometimes you get the worst news possible. Sometimes the easy way out seems exactly that: the easy way out. Fighting through my troubles and letting myself be open to change has really made me the person I am today. The most valuable thing in life is to never give up.”

Eric’s boxing coach, Wilfred Davis, offers sage advice. “Keep your chin down but your eyes up. Don’t let anyone knock you out, but always be prepared for a good punch to the nose. With those eyes up, you might be able to avoid that punch to the nose. With the chin down, you won’t get knocked out if you can’t evade it.” He takes his coach’s profound words to heart not just in the ring, but in life.

Eric has been through much in his young life, yet his story to date is living proof that whatever life throws at him, he can handle it through his strong belief in himself, his abilities, and a determination to focus on the small things that provide the greatest happiness every day.

Despite suffering heartbreaking loss and unimaginable setbacks, Eric is living proof that it is possible to persevere through challenges by always preparing for change, fighting through the darkness, and never giving up.

For more about Free Wheel Media, visit https://freewheelus.com/,

Vicky DeCoster is a Certified Life Coach who specializes in helping her clients move past obstacles, create a plan for happiness, and cross the bridge of transition to find a new and fulfilling direction in life. To read more about her and her practice, visit her at crossthebridgecoaching.com.