Focusing on the things that matter most to viewers

Jeff Ostrowski of the Palm Beach Post interviewed Fox Business Network anchor Lou Dobbs about his career and his life.

Here is an excerpt:

First job: Police and fire reporter in Yuma, Ariz., at a 500-watt radio station. I loved it. I learned how to report, how to write, how to take responsibility for my reporting. When you work in a small town, your audience is also part of your life. Whether you’re going to the grocery store or the hardware store, everyone is going to have an opinion. If you criticize someone, or just report about someone, you have to see them. Having that opportunity to work in a small organization, and to learn the business, was a great boon to everything I would do later.

What’s the most successful thing you’re doing right now? We’re having terrific success on the show. Our approach to the news of the day is to focus on the things that matter the most to our viewers, and that’s the political economy. Whatever poll you look at, people are focused still on the economy. The bedrock of the country is how successful people are, and the idea that their kids will do better than they have. That’s been challenged over the past five years, and neither party has a good answer for the issue.

What’s the biggest mistake you’ve made in business? If you’ve had a career as long as mine, you can’t just single out one. I’ve learned from each and every one of them. I have regrets, but I have no regrets about having regrets. One of the lessons I learned was not to dwell on mistakes.

Read more here.