A hiring caught my attention last week. ESPN 97.5 and 92.5 in Houston announced the addition of Vanessa Richardson and Paul Gallant as its new midday radio team. Brand new hosts and radio teams are announced all the time. What made this one stand out? Well, longtime market personality Charlie Pallilo mentioned that he was no longer with the station. The very next day, the new hires were announced.

You don't need to be a math major to understand that 2 + 2 = 4. The new hires didn't take long at all to be announced. There weren't rotating hosts for two months while the station figured out exactly what it wanted to do next. It's an example that showcases something we should already know; unless a host has a resume that would put Colin Cowherd or Dan Patrick to shame, that person better have some connections.

Now, please don't read what I'm not writing. This isn't about sour grapes or crying foul -- I hope the new show is a lot of fun and very successful for both Richardson and Gallant -- I'm only stressing the importance of networking. I'm not questioning the credentials of the new hosts at all; I'm just pointing out that this is the real world.

Any program director in the country that's any good has a list of hosts that could one day be on their station. PDs don't just wait until they have an opening to say, "Oh man, guess I better find out which hosts are out there." Good PDs are a step ahead. To be on their list, hosts need to have talent and they also need to know people.

Way back in 2010, I attended a sports radio conference in LA. I was sitting there listening to each speaker emphasize the importance of standing out; hosts won't sound different on the air if they're saying the same thing as others. That's when it hit me like a Mike Tyson uppercut; it works the exact same way with networking.

It's funny to me; we hear all of this stuff about cutting through once we have the job, but we don't hear the same message while we're looking for the job. I'm here to tell you that it's the same game. Before you get the opportunity to cut through on the air, you have to be able to cut through with programmers while networking.

I used to live in Nashville. There are some really talented musicians that haven't made it yet and are stuck playing the bar scene. Why is that? They either don't have the right look, or they don't have the right connections. The good news for hosts is that the right look isn't necessary in radio, but connections are definitely needed.

During the radio conference in 2010, I took a picture with programming rockstar Bruce Gilbert. He was nice enough to stop for a minute before rushing out to catch a flight. I told him there was a story behind the picture we had just taken and that I would email him and let him know what it was about. He was either genuinely interested, or Bruce missed his true calling as a Hollywood actor.

The story was that I had a tryout in Seattle back in 2009 when ESPN 710 was getting ready to launch.

They were really excited to fly me up, but it didn't work out. I wasn't offered a job. I asked the PD, Owen Murphy, if there was anything I could do better on my next interview. He bluntly said, "Yeah, dress better." When I sounded surprised he doubled down and basically said, "This is a top-20 market. What are you doing?"

I wasn't wearing a Pat McAfee tank top during the interview, but I wasn't wearing a suit either. I was an idiot for not looking the part. A year later at the sports radio conference, I was wearing a suit when I took the picture with Bruce. I explained the story to him and said that I wouldn't make that same mistake going forward.

Bruce didn't email me back and say, "Holy cow, you just blew my mind. Can you start Monday?" It doesn't work like that. But it was a memorable way to make a first impression. You can't just hand out business cards or snap pictures, say thanks, and expect that person to remember who you are. Trust me, they won't. It's vital to stand out.

Sure, it can be difficult at times. It's not like you can hand out a business card and say, "And for my next act I'm going to saw my assistant in half and make her disappear." It isn't easy to always be creative, but guess what most of your competition is doing while networking? The easy thing. Always try to find ways to stand out and be unique.

Many moons ago, I got to sit down with ESPN heavy hitters Louise Cornetta and Dave Roberts. Almost immediately, they both asked me, "What makes you different?"

Hell, I don't know. I go to church but also love heavy metal? It's a tricky question to answer. "I tell it like it is." Most hosts do. "I'm a mixture of content and entertainment." Most hosts are. I felt like I got a Gatorade bath. It was jolting.

The point is that this is how programmers think. They aren't looking for the common person or cookie-cutter host. They want someone who's different and sounds different. If that's what programmers desire, how do you think firing off a normal email or simply handing out a business card is going to land? Badly at best. Maybe do them a favor and pass out bigger business cards so they can at least hide their gigantic yawns.

This is why the BSM Summit is a golden opportunity for hosts to network creatively. You don't have to only say how you're different, you can also show it. Plus, you can make personal connections. These programmers aren't just buying your work, they're also buying you as a person. How are they supposed to buy you if they don't know much about you?

Two years ago at the Summit, I got to host a panel with some gambling experts. The scheduled host, RJ Bell, wasn't able to make it. I was probably locking in a two-leg parlay when Jason Barrett messaged me about filling in. No problem, this I can do. It also let people know something about me; I like gambling. The more familiar programmers are with hosts, the better. Even if it's, "Hey, you're the guy who did that thing," at least it's something. Familiarity is very important.

Networking is also about connecting with the person, not just the programmer. There is so much more to people than just their job. The most random stuff can cause a hiring manager to open themselves up to you. Maybe it's a common love for pulled pork or the metal band Pantera. I once told Denver programmer, Dave Tepper, that I epically bombed at the Laugh Factory years ago. As a longtime comic, he loved that story.

Networking is a mandatory part of this business. Jobs don't last forever. Jobs go bye bye. Banking on stability in sports radio is sort of like expecting to find Bigfoot. Think of it like this, your phone won't charge itself; you have to connect it to the charger. It works the same way with jobs. Dream jobs don't magically fall from the heavens right into your lap; you need to connect with people for doors to open.

Richardson and Gallant had established themselves as fixtures in Houston before landing their newest opportunity. If they were approached by ESPN 97.5, good for them. If they did some networking and developed relationships that gave them an advantage, even better. It's weak to say, "Hey, no fair." You can either whine on the sidelines, or you can be a grown up and play the game. Don't let somebody else beat you to the punch. You'll stand a much better chance of getting hired if you network creatively.