A Journey Worth Taking
From Motel Room to Oprah Radio, John St. Augustine learns life takes you on unexpected adventures.
Written by Blair Townley; Photos by Anthony Rao
What could you learn about yourself or your life’s direction on a walking journey from the Canadian border to Chicago?
Talk radio show personality John St. Augustine learned his life was going to change in a dramatic way while on a similar trek.
Fourteen years after the trek, he is known for being the designer of Oprah Radio, creator of the longest-running syndicated radio vignette in the country, Power Thoughts, and is currently on a speaking tour for his new book, “Every Moment Matters.”
“It was a difficult but incredible experience for all of us that were involved,” says John of how he went from being a successful businessman to living in a hotel with his family to becoming the award-winning radio personality he is today.
The journey across the border began in 1996 while John was in a small town in upper Michigan giving a commencement address to a local high school. He was also involved at that time in an important business deal that had some questionable parts.
“I went to give this [commencement] talk and was enamored with the way these people lived their lives and how they were supportive of the community and the kids,” John says. He soon decided against the business deal, which cost him his home, job and money.
“I ended up going back to that small community six months later, living in the same hotel room as I had stayed as Mr. Successful six months before with my family.”
John’s life was about to take another turn, though in a positive way, as he began to have recurring dreams of walking on a road with a backpack in the setting sun.
He explained his dream to the hotel owner, a Native American elder, who went on to tell John it was a vision depicting where to go next in life. He decided to take this walk from the border to Chicago and soon found himself in the same spot from his dream.
“I couldn’t believe that I would see something before it would actually happen. All my circuits were blowing. The wind off the lake moved me and I heard this very clear voice in my head say ‘John, go on the radio,’” he says.
With no radio experience or training, John soon found not many radio stations were willing to give him a chance.
However he didn’t feel discouraged by what he felt led to do and his fifth broadcasted show, after four disastrous attempts, made him a name in radio. He went on to replace Dr. Laura Schlessinger’s radio show on ABC and later landed a five-year gig as the Afternoon Drive host on Rush Limbaugh.
“I knew what I had. I knew the ‘why’ for living. Most people worry about the ‘how’ while I stay in the ‘why,’ John states. “I was talking about our lives in a way that was resonating with people, about what we do with our lives and how we can live them differently.”
“I speak from experience and not theory. I’ve had every job you can imagine; I’ve had military experience, I’ve played semi-pro football, I’ve run jackhammers, I’ve given up body parts to my daughter to save her life, I’ve lived in a motel – I’ve done it all. So I speak with a far different experience level than others have.”
How he came to create Oprah Radio was also another journey he wasn’t expecting to take, one that came about during an eventful run-in on a cruise with Oprah that flourished years later at a charity event.
“Oprah said I had a great voice and was asking what I was going to do with this voice I’ve been given. She said she was looking for great things out of me,” he recalls.
Those “great things” Oprah was expecting brought the idea of Oprah Radio more than a decade later.
“I had this thought that I had been doing this [motivational] radio show for a long time and wondered what it would be like to have a whole channel devoted to this. It was great to have the opportunity to come in and in some ways turn my microphone off and become a mentor or have Dr. Oz or Bob Greene [Oprah’s personal trainer] on the show as the ‘how’ for my ‘why.’”
The interest to spread motivational thoughts also comes through in John’s new book, “Every Moment Matters,” which reflects on past experiences and the lessons he may have missed along the way.
“‘Every Moment Matters’ is an opportunity for me to look back on my life and say ‘boy, I missed a lot.’ These are the moments that stung me or changed me, the moments that broke me down and made me cry but they build me up. In writing this book, I get to look at my life differently and my hope is that by reading this book, people see their lives differently in the glorious adventure called life.”
One person who has looked differently at their own life after meeting John was Heartbeat Radio’s own “Best Life Barb” Barbara Simon. He met Barb, who he calls “a character with character,” when she was brought to the station and did an impressive impromptu show.
“I told her that she has a gift for joy and that if all she did was talk and read from the phone book on the radio, people will feel better. I told her that she should be on the radio and could be ‘Best Life Barb.’ Here she is [now], enriching people’s lives, and I’m her biggest fan,” he concludes.
Barb is one of the millions of people who have been touched by John’s wisdom, whether through his broadcasts, books or speeches. He hopes to encourage more with more books, radio and inspirational know-how.
“I realize that they have given me great gifts that my job, my choice, my calling is to make sure those gifts continue,” he says. “To think I never wanted to do radio, I realize I’m not in charge so I’m just doing my thing and following.”
An unexpected journey that was worth following.
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