10 Questions with ... Brant Hansen

1. How has your show evolved over the past 6 years of syndication?

I think (hope?) it's gotten tighter and more focused. I'm feeling the weight of the value of listener attention more and more, and the value of knowing WHY they are listening to Christian radio. They might love me or be indifferent to me, personally, but that's not really the important point: They're listening because they want to be inspired and encouraged as a believer. I want to deliver that over and over and over.

2. You've worked with several different co-hosts/producers over the years, what impresses you most about Sherri as an on-air personality?

Man, I was just thinking about how thankful I am for the people I've gotten to work with over the years. So much off-the-air laughter. I still think about the times I've lost it to the point of crying with people like Kurt Wallace or Meredith Foster or Katie Rose or Donna Cruz (and many others). What a huge blessing it's been.

But I've never laughed harder and more often than day-in-and-day-out with Sherri. And while she's ridiculously talented and one of the smartest people in the business, her most interesting quality is her willingness to be an encourager. She gets that from her mom, Miss Bev, who is my Other Mom.

3. How do you show prep?

I prep for a few hours every morning. I have to think things through, and come up with the END goal of what I'm trying to say for each individual idea. That's the hard work. Compiling a bunch of "stuff" is not hard. Figuring out precisely what I want to say is the actual work. How am I offering value with this? If I don't have that worked out, it's not going on the air. Literally, "blessing" means to add value. "How can I bless the listener today?" sounds like a super-religious thing to ask, but there's absolutely nothing wrong with it.

4. What is the best coaching advice you've ever received?

Tommy Kramer coached me for ten years or so. John Frost has done the same, and continues to speak wisdom into me. The refrain that circles my head to this day is, "Why did you do that?" What's my strategy? What's the point? That question pursues me a hundred times a show.

5. What would surprise people most about you?

Interesting question.

Sherri tells me people in the industry approach her and ask her, concerned, "How's it going?" when it comes to working with me. Like, Are you okay?

She gets a kick out of the question. She tells them I'm absent-minded, but very consistently kind and very fun to work with every day. So I guess that might surprise people?

I don't know. I never quite know how people perceive me and really don't want to think about it too much. I feel the weight of "tomorrow's show" too much.

6. What is one thing you’d wish you’d known about radio when you first started?

When I first started, I think I was trying to be something, or become someone, or something. (Hope that makes sense.) I wish I would have been more aware that the key question is, "How can I serve the listener in this exact moment? What does he/she really need?" That's the key to good radio because empathy is the key to any effective communication.

7. Who is an on-talent that you really respect?

I think Sarah Taylor's awesome.

This is going to sound weird, but bear with me: Our primary audience is evangelical Christians. I think the best communicators in our particular industry are those who have perhaps spiritually matured to a point where they can critique evangelicalism, but they still love evangelicals. They see all the goofiness, but they're still one of them and love them.

Many of us (judging by social media posts) are stuck in the critique phase, the reacting-to-the-goofiness phase. That's one level of maturity, but it's good to not get stuck there; to keep going. It's good to have a childlike faith in Jesus-as-King again. Not borne of naivete, but maturity. Then you can speak from knowledge and love without condescension.

I think Sarah's a good example of that, and she marries it, of course, with madd radio skillz with a "z" for extra flair.

8. Your latest book "The Truth About Us", came out in April, what's next?

I'm working on a book about masculinity. The fact that I'm not a man's-man will make this a different kind of book, I think, and maybe speak to people a different way. I don't even hunt or fish. The cover of this book will not feature a silhouette of a guy rappelling down a cliff. Probably.

9. What are you most excited about looking forward to 2021?

I'm hoping we can go back on the road with our comedy stuff. That was way more successful than I thought it would be. And I love the challenge of stand-up. The word economy is such a tremendous, transportable skill for radio. You can't use any extra words. You have to pay off, like right now.

I want to finish my book. I want to visit CURE hospitals and talk even more about CURE.

I also am practicing up to be a singer/player at bars and coffeehouses and stuff. I'm not kidding about that. I'm practicing reworking 80s songs. I hope to be good enough that no one really notices me but if they do they're like, "That guy is okay over there."

10. What do you like to do for fun?

My main "hobby" is kicking myself for not doing more writing. But in terms of actually enjoying something: I'm playing FIFA on PlayStation lately to help my brain cool off. Also, for fun, I take our dog Cozy out for a drive. But my main thing is sitting with my wife every day and enjoying a drink. (A drink of what? Whatever, in your mind, is okay to drink...? Well, that's what we drink.) But mostly I spend my spare time thanking the Lord for Vidare Creative and All Access and all Paul Goldsmith-related products and/or services.