As the curtain came down on last week's NAB conference, the glow just over the hill reflects the essence of things that were, things that will be. Some of what "will be" seems refreshingly positive. Not Periclean wisdom, but instead the recognition of the natural order of things when the earth's skin contracts and the Continents are adrift. Radio is about to enter its next generation. Out: IPO's, fast bucks, real estate appreciation models and board rooms where formats are viewed as inventory in a warehouse. IN: right brain creative people with business sense; a return to listener-based values, and assertive entrepreneurial minds. People like Ed Christian never lost it, while others never found it. Larry Wilson just transubstantiated it, and more will follow.
 
So you ask, "Is it my time to dive into the pool of meritocracy and entrepreneurship?" Perhaps.

For ages, B-schools and corporate minds from Tom Peters to Seth Godin have held opinions on a simple question: are entrepreneurs born or are they grown? The following riffs from two credible people: Dr. Adrian Atkinson, Human Factor International: "Entrepreneurs can't be trained. One's experiences between ages 7 and 14 help a person develop those characteristics, including 'marginalization.' For example, 40% of entrepreneurs are dyslexic and eager to 'show the world.' That marginalization is a driving force. Just starting a business is not entrepreneurialism. Instead, it's someone who will risk his or her personal assets and reputation every week of their life."
 
Dan Cohen, entrepreneur-in-residence, Cornell University: "Entrepreneurs are developed, not born. Years of trait research have yielded little in the way of what types of personalities are better suited to entrepreneurship. I believe entrepreneurship is a set of skills and competencies that can be developed. Tolerance for ambiguity, being comfortable with instability and acceptance of risk are all things that make someone more inclined toward a career as an entrepreneur."
 
Regardless of your position, unless the road suddenly diverts in a direction none of us can foretell, radio will enjoy an entrepreneurial renaissance if for no other reason than it must. Unlike broadcast television or print as we've known it, radio's cosmic bodies are aligning: historic misdirection and investment over the past ten years, positively contradicted by sustaining audience tonnage overlaid with a multiple-pricing adjustment, and fueled by the need for debt and equity institutions to right their ship, all confirm what lies ahead: opportunity.
 
The question then seems, "Are we ready with a new business vision, including the commitment to put people ahead of earnings per share?" If so, it may be your time for entrepreneurship. In a relatively short life, little compares with the high wire act balancing boundless invigoration braided with moments of sheer terror (most entrepreneurs I've known greet them with equal passion).
 
If it's only money stirring your entrepreneurial curiosity, it may not be enough. If it's the vision of creating a legacy large or small, a place where talent collects and thrives while producing prideful product that has lasting value, you're probably on the right escalator.