“Good Times. Great Oldies”: Twisting the Old with the New!

It was 1989, and I was 8 years old. Saturday mornings meant karate lessons. I mean, come on! It was the era of Daniel LaRusso. Who didn’t take karate lessons? Riding along in my dad’s Jeep Cherokee Sport, I pushed the power button on the radio, and Magic 105.7 came through the airwaves. This radio station was the “oldies station” and played classics from the likes of Buddy Holly and The Crickets to Elvis. The song that came on was “Let’s Twist Again” by Chubby Checker. I’m not sure why, but this moment with my dad is one of my most vivid memories. After the song finished, the host of the show said, “…and that was Chubby Checker with ‘Let’s Twist Again.’ Good times. Great Oldies.” To this day, I say that phrase regularly. Ask anyone who works with me!

Taking a leap through history, it’s now 2024. As a product of the 80s and 90s, I am admittedly a loyal radio listener. On the weekends, I often drive to the country for a change of scenery or to visit a new small town. Once again, I flipped on the radio, and it was tuned into the familiar 105.7 FM. Only this time, my ears were filled with the sounds of the 70s and 80s. I will always remember Rick Springfield’s “Jessie’s Girl” as the moment I realized time moves on. “Twist Again” was no longer considered an “oldie” it’s now considered ancient music history.

Whether we like it or not, modern becomes classic in what feels like the blink of an eye. We grow from kids riding in our dad’s Jeep to driving our own kids to karate. As I drove my son to music lessons on a sunny Saturday morning, he said, “Hey Dad, can you turn on the radio? Turn it to the 90s station.” First off, I must be doing a good job as a father. The music of the 90s was outstanding. Secondly, it made me realize that the old tends to become new again. In a world being fueled by A.I. and technology advancements at a feverish pace, we have a lesson to learn from this story.

As my son and I listened to Green Day, I asked myself a career-related question, “When was the last time I looked back in time to find things that could be made new again?” My thought is that when we can rediscover the past, we have a better understanding of the present and future. From this, I decided to dust off some classic sales books from authors like Dale Carnegie. Guess what happened? I uncovered the sounds of the old and made them new again! While the rest of the world is obsessed with chatbots and modernization, I challenge us all to “listen to the oldies” occasionally, mixing the old with the new.

Once “She” by Green Day came to an end, I said to my son, “I’ve got a song for you to listen to from 1961.” If you can’t guess, I went to my iPhone and sent the sounds of Chubby Checker through the Bose sound system. I watched as my son’s head began nodding and his feet started to tap. It was a perfect example of “Good Times. Great Oldies.” As professionals, I invite us all to remember that the crane kick can still win against modern business karate moves. How will you mix the old with the new this week?

Sell Well,

Peeps