Meet Bruce St. James | Radio Host, Storyteller, Racecar Driver

We had the good fortune of connecting with Bruce St. James and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Bruce, what role has risk played in your life or career?
“Calculated Risk” has always been an interesting term to me. Having been described as a risk taker, daredevil and having a general disregard for my own well being, personally and professionally, I think it’s fair to say maybe my calculations are a bit off.

Admittedly, it took some growing up to realize that failure is a guarantee, so why not take the chance? I’ve failed spectacularly trying to play it safe, and had success I could never have imagined when I chose to leap before I looked. It probably helps to not dwell on the past or fret over decisions. Once I make the call, it’s fire, ready aim!

Again, maybe I’m not the best person to take “risk” advice from. (See picture)

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
You may not think it true, but I’ve found being a Talk Show Host involves a large amount of creativity with a healthy dose of art. The thing that differentiates one host from another is the ability to connect, engage and even entertain. If it weren’t for creative minds, everyone would sound the same talking about the same topics. I’ve always felt the ability to tell a story, in your own unique way, is what sets one apart. My own style is a combination of sarcasm, honesty, skepticism and hopefully humor (at least I think it’s funny). The audience today has a very finely tuned BS Meter, and being vulnerable and open goes a long way to gaining their trust. I see similarities in more traditional forms of art, and in my world it’s important to stay true to that.

I’ve talked about my battles with depression, dealing with my Mom’s Alzheimer’s and some consistent, principled stands on issues to connect with listeners… and not always positively! It took some time to get to the point I felt comfortable being so open and honest about difficult issues, but once you show your true self, it gets much easier to live in that space.

It’s probably a bit natural (and easy) to mimic or copy a style when you first start out. Success happens when you become the best version of your self and not the 1000th version of someone else.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I grew up in Tucson and radio took me around the Country, eventually landing in Phoenix. I’ve now spent the majority of my life in Arizona and I truly love this state. Wouldn’t it be great if I had a bunch of swanky, high-brow places I frequented? Alas, my tastes are much more simple and I dread going anywhere I can’t wear shorts and baseball cap. If you ever see me wearing a tie, just refer to me as “the Defendant”.

Oregano’s is where I take outsiders first. Large, thin crust pepperoni, share a tub of salad and end with the pizza cookie. I’m friends with Sam Fox from college (Bear Down) and if forced to clean it up a bit, I support his great restaurant concepts. Good, local and I can tell the story of hiding in the back with Sam during a brawl at a nightclub in Tucson.

Only sadists drag visitors up Camelback Mountain. I prefer a more leisurely stroll through desert trails, and Phoenix Mountain Preserve has tons of those, most of which will not involve a helicopter rescue. When you say “Arizona” to folks who’ve never been here, they picture tumbleweeds rolling across a desert wasteland. I take pride in showing the newbies that you can drive an hour or two North and be knee-deep in snow, surrounded by trees and in desperate need of mittens. Arizona is a stunningly beautiful state and I really think the tourism board should hire me as a guide.

And my “other” job/hobby is racing cars, so guests have the option of joining me at the racetrack on Saturday nights, or sitting at home. I have no idea what normal people do on Saturday’s, I race.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Luckily, I’ve had some amazing mentors, bosses and friends over my life. I call them Bruce’s Board of Directors, and they are, and have been, my go-to people whenever a decision has to be made. As opposed to a laundry list of names, I think all of these people share some common traits. for example.

Tough love. It’s important to have people who will give it to you straight. Few of us are perfect and you need someone who can be brutally critical, but you know it’s coming from a good place. I’ve had more the one “Come to Jesus” meeting as I had strayed from the flock. And despite how hard these can be, it’s invaluable to get such raw feedback.

Unique Brilliance. We’ve all heard the term “surround yourself with people smarter than you”, and in my case that hasn’t been that hard to do. But there are different kinds of smarts, and I am drawn to people who who not only possess extraordinary intelligence, but light a spark in me. These are people I aspire to be, hope to match wits with and when I do impress them, it’s a special feeling. is that corny?

Although my Dad has been gone awhile now, his quips and advice live on. A few samples of Jose’s wisdom

1. Nobody is completely useless, they can always serve as a bad example. (Ouch.)
2. Life is about experiences, not stuff. He told me when he and his old buddies got together, they talked about places they’d been, people they’d met and things they’d done. The conversation was never about things they bought or possessed.
3. Money does not be happiness. Money buys freedom, and that made him happy.

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