Forward Janesville - TheReport - Fourth Quarter 2021

After college at DePaul, I worked for a hedge fund in Evanston. It was an amazing experience. People always ask how I made the move from hedge funds to radio, but in reality they are not that different. At the hedge fund, we were investing money to make more money. In radio, small businesses are making an investment with us, and we provide a return on that investment in the form of additional sales from more customers. Now rather than making wealthy individuals wealthier, we’re helping small businesses grow. After working with my dad in radio, I really missed that. Deciding to leave the hedge fund and come back to Wisconsin to work with my dad in radio was a big decision. In between, I took a month off. I went to Palm Springs and worked as a bar back in a buddy’s bar. It was so different than anything I’d done before. I got to clear my head and, when I left, I was ready to hit the ground running. When I’m not working, I love to travel. Next, I’m taking my mom to Antarctica—the one continent she hasn’t visited yet. I’m also trying to visit every presidential library across the U.S. It started accidentally, when I was 22 and took the cheapest flight from O’Hare, which happened to take me to Little Rock, Arkansas, where I went to the Bill Clinton library and museum. HOW DID I GET HERE? s u c c e s s • c h a l l e n g e s • l i f e l e s s o n s • e d u c a t i o n • c a r e e r • f a m i l y • i n s p i r a t i o n s Recognize and respect experience. Sometimes a few months on the job teaches you more than four years in school. So, when you are surrounded by talented professionals with 20 and 30 years of experience in the field, you listen. Consult the experts and tap into their wealth of knowledge. 1 2 3 I was born in Monroe, where my dad has been in radio for 40 years. His studio is on the main square, and he lives above it. My first job was for him, telling jokes on his morning show while I was in elementary school. By the time I got to high school, though, being the knock-knock kid wasn’t nearly as cool, so we switched up the format to share interesting facts, like The More You Know. I did that all the way through college. Big Radio is made up of 10 radio stations. My dad owns eight. I bought WJVL and WCLO in 2019. Then 2020 hit. It was challenging. We had just purchased these new stations and were faced with an unprecedented situation. I am so proud we were able to weather it without cutting salaries or benefits or laying anyone off. • { LIFE LESSONS } Our radio stations have been Forward Janesville members for more than 23 years. It brings the community together, which makes us stronger than the sum of our parts. Forward Janesville helps us overcome challenges and grow in a way we couldn’t individually. BEN THOMPSON OWNER AND CEO, BIG RADIO Bring people together. I’ve worked with some of the brightest in their respective industries. But when you are operating at that level, it can be hard to explain what you do to others. At the hedge fund, I helped the departments communicate with one another. It was excellent training for the future. . Have confidence in your decisions. During the pandemic, we were forced to make quick decisions. There is a tendency to want to game out every situation endlessly, but there isn’t always time, and it doesn’t always result in the best possible course. Act swiftly and pivot as needed. • • { EDUCATION } Finance, Accounting DePaul University Chicago, IL { WORK EXPERIENCE } 2017-PRESENT Owner & CEO Big Radio Janesville, WI 2014-2017 Market Manager Big Radio Janesville, WI 2011-2014 Operations Analyst Magnetar Capital Evanston, IL 2011 Analyst Longreach Capital Chicago, IL 2010 Financial Analyst / Accountant The Legal Balance Chicago, IL 2005-2007 Big Radio On-air Personality Monroe, WI