Tasha’s Top 5: Lessons I learned from Gil Poese

I started at KBRX when I was just 16 years old. I was young, immature, and thought I was just there to play music and read the news on Saturday mornings. I quickly learned how wrong I was. You see, much like many people in northcentral Nebraska, I grew up on KBRX from wake up to bedtime. Gil Poese was a part of my childhood. I didn’t understand it at 16, 18, or 20, but 10 years down the road, I now understand what Gil was trying to teach me all these years. 

The lessons I have learned about life from Gil go beyond reading weather and cueing songs. Throw on the golden oldies, and check out 5 lessons I learned from Gil Poese. 

5. Believe in the youth. 

I actually only started at KBRX for my FFA SAE (Supervised Agricultural Experience). I was always told I had a solid speaking voice, and the opportunity was there, so I took it up. I never realized how many youths Gil employed at the station until recently. As I looked at the list of more than 220 KBRX employees since Gil bought the station in 1959, I could identify 35 since the year 2000. I don’t know many men who would trust kids to completely run their business (let alone livelihoods) on the weekends and in the evenings. Yes, youth mess up, but it’s part of the learning process! Without mistakes, we may never learn what we’re truly capable of. Gil’s belief and trust in me instilled confidence that I could do anything I dreamed of. 

4. Support local.

I have heard time and time again that if you’re a business in the listening area, you advertise with KBRX. The reason behind this: KBRX is the community. I remember Gil telling me it’s the listener’s station. It’s about providing information and entertainment for them. Growing up, I remember if there was an event, KBRX was there. Beyond presence, Gil supported so many local programs and people. Whether it was purchasing a lamb at the 4-H bonus livestock auction, bringing in local students to report their news, or sharing the score of the O’Neill Eagle or St. Mary’s ball game, he and his staff were covering it.  

3. Do it right.

More Saturdays than not, Gil would roll up in his Topdog1 Cadillac, mail in tow, just after the 9 o’clock news. He would always greet me as he handed me a CD to file (if you’ve worked at KBRX, you know the CDX discs that came in weekly). In any task given to me, Gil held me accountable to do it right, and do it right the first time. I remember one time when I messed up my weather recording, and Gil quickly taught me how to do it right. He never held that against me when I messed up. Gil put his life into the community, and he held the rest of us to that standard too. This lesson has carried on for the rest of my life in all I do. If I’m going to do something, I will put my all into it and do it to the best of my abilities.

2. Thank people for even the smallest things. 

As I read through the comments about Gil’s passing, I read so many from caretakers who helped Gil. Each and every one of them commented on how he always thanked him. That’s just who Gil was. No matter what we were doing, before he left each of those Saturdays, he thanked us. In fact, the last time I got to converse with Gil, he thanked me. Sometimes I questioned how he even knew what I was doing, but he always kept up on what was going on. Gil was always genuinely recognizing others for what they did, no matter how small it seemed. Not one person could I say “I hate that I received a thank you.” Gil is proof that showing gratitude is a small token that goes a long way.

1. It’s all much bigger than you.  

KBRX never has been about those behind the microphone. It’s always been about the listeners and the community around us. They are the reason we are here. Life is about not focusing on oneself, but rather putting others ahead of you. When you focus on faith and family, everything else will come together. Gil’s faith, family-focus, and servant’s heart have always been admirable to me. Life’s not about your accomplishments, it’s about encouraging and teaching those around you. When looking at the accomplishments of those who got their start at KBRX, it’s obvious that Gil did just that. 

Gil Poese has been a cornerstone of not only O’Neill but of the entire KBRX listening area. Through every tragedy and every triumph, he’s been there. While a part of my childhood, I have come to understand that Gil has also been a part of my adulthood. I am so thankful that Gil took the time and energy to develop me into the person I am today. His legacy will continue to blare over the radiowaves for years to come.