We Are Family: Shine Factory Radio and The Reese Patterson Show

Now ya’ll* may or may not know this, but our Innermix family is part of an even bigger one: Shine Factory Radio, which produces a variety of shows for BlogTalkRadio. It just so happens that this lovely month of June is the one year anniversary for Shine Factory Radio, the--surprise--radio arm of the still-bigger Shine Factory family. To celebrate, we thought we would introduce you so some other members of this creative, innovative, exciting family tree. Think of it as our little blogosphere family reunion! First up? Reese Patterson. 

I sat down virtually--thanks, Internet!--with Deon and Reese Patterson, host of The Reese Patterson Show. Reese’s show is the variety show of Shine Factory; if Innermix is there to give you advice on life, love, and relationships, Patterson is there to be a chameleon. He’ll cover everything under the sun and then some--plus a little more.Deon said it best: “Reese will talk about everything from tennis shoes to rocket ships and you’ll be entertained the whole time.”

Patterson didn’t just sit back and wait for the opportunity to entertain to fall into his lap. His success with Internet radio comes from sheer force of will, desire, and drive. To hear him tell it, one day he decided he wanted to do a radio show and simply refused to quit until he got one.  And the attitude that got him on the air was obvious from the first question I asked:

If there was a piece of advice that applies to everyone, everywhere, all the time, what would it be?
Never give up. If something is going wrong, doing the same thing—that’s insanity. Don’t do the same thing over and over again, but don’t just give up on your dream.

That may not sound too unique of an experience at first pass, but to be clear, he just knew he wanted to be on the radio and be himself. When The Reese Patterson Show first started, there was no real plan to it. Reese just felt a burning need to share his point of view and take a risk, and he showed real tenacity in making that happen. It was a calling, an intrinsic understanding: “I just had the feeling that if you just set me in front of a mic, something great is going to come out.

Talking to Reese, you hear not only the drive that quite literally pulled a radio show out of thin air, but also the humility and gratitude that earned him the trust of Shine Factory. To put a radio show on the air with no real direction takes guts and good will, and Reese Patterson has both of those in spades. He ended almost every interview question by thanking Shine Factory for the support, trust, and opportunity to pursue his now-successful show, demonstrating why someone would be willing to take such a huge risk.

The Reese Patterson Show has been on the Internet airwaves for a full year now, and both the show and its host show no signs of slowing down. Ask Reese what he wants to do next, and you’ll get an earful or five. From diversifying show topics (mentioned as potential topics: deserts, divorce, cherry pie) to bringing on more guests, The Reese Patterson Show is going to be capitalizing on the blank check written to him to explore his creativity.

Besides addressing the fun and varietal stuff, Patterson is looking to venture into more socially conscious show topics. He gives 100% raw truth on a lot of topics already, but he’s really itching to cover what really matters in today’s world. I, for one, am a huge advocate of this—not only because we definitely need more awareness of social issues, but because Reese is so articulate and passionate about them. To hear him talk about the Trayvon Martin case—not only the injustice of it, but how it demonstrates the need for more education and acceptance in this country—is a truly staggering experience.

But one thing you can consistently expect, even as the show fluctuates between silliness and seriousness? In Reese’s own perfect words, “Expect emotion. I want you to feel something, to get a reaction. I want that reaction, whether it’s anger, whether you agree or disagree, I want you to feel something when you listen to the show.”



*I’ve been at home in Texas; sorry if the Ragin' Cajun cowgirl comes out in my writing!


**Be sure to check out The Reese Patterson Show on Tuesdays and Thursdays 10pm-12am, and to follow on Facebook and Twitter.**