By day, Dave Bolger is the Vice President of Consumer Media for the National Football League. By night (and weekends), he is the creator, producer and host of
Had I Known
, a weekly WHCL radio show and podcast that examines the collegiate and professional experiences of some of Hamilton’s most notable alumni. The show airs every Sunday at 8 a.m. EST on WHCL-FM, WHCL.org and is available wherever you get podcasts. A Q&A with Bolger elicited the following answers.
When did you start
Had I Known
and why? What inspired you to make it both a podcast and a WHCL radio show?
During the early days of the pandemic, an email was sent to alums of WHCL asking if anyone would be interested in recording radio shows at home to help keep the station on the air. During my time at WHCL, I had multiple shows, was the Sports Director and did the play-by-play for several sports. I loved it so much that I thought it was what I would do for my career. I got a job my senior year at the rock station in Utica, WOUR-FM; I was on the air from 12 a.m. to 6 a.m. most weekends. I was a professional and thought I was on my way. Even though I ended up taking a slightly different career path, the itch to be on the radio never quite went away. The email to alums presented a fun opportunity to finally get back into it.
Given the popularity of podcasts and the ability to reach a broader audience, it made sense to [also] publish the show as a podcast. The podcast platform has allowed members of the Hamilton community to listen anywhere in the world. The show has even been listened to in 62 countries!
How did you choose the name
Had I Known
?
As I thought about the type of show I would do, I did not think many people would be interested in hearing me play music. I do not have much to offer musically that listeners can’t find anywhere else. Plus, I know there’s only so much Billy Joel people want to hear.
I reflected back on my time at Hamilton and started to wonder if my experience was the same as others. How did it differ? How did my experience compare to alumni from other eras? Then, as I started to think about who I should talk to for the show, I started to appreciate more and more just how many alumni have gone on to do some truly interesting things. I envisioned the show as a fun way for alums to reconnect with the school, while also providing insight and inspiration for current and/or prospective students figuring out their own paths. I think there is something interesting in asking people, as they reflect back over their experiences, if there is anything they wish they had known.
Why did you choose Hamilton and what was your campus involvement?
I thought I was going to play college football and used that as a way to get into the best school possible. Hamilton was the best school, academically, that recruited me, and when I visited, I fell in love with it. Once I got to campus, I decided that I wanted to try more things than just football so I switched to rugby (for some reason, getting tackled without pads seemed smart). I then got involved in WHCL, the Spectator, worked at the Pub, drove the Jitney, wrote press releases for the Sports Information office and I was an RA.
What are the most valuable skills you learned at Hamilton that have helped you in your career?
There’s the obvious answer to that question about how a liberal arts education makes you well-rounded in experience and thought. That answer is 100% true. For me, there were also the leadership lessons. I captained the Rugby team during a time when we did not have a coach. The captains were essentially player-coaches. Anyone who leads a club or organization at Hamilton is gaining valuable lessons in leadership. The ability to get a group of people, especially a group of peers, moving in the same direction to accomplish a goal is invaluable. That opportunity exists in many places during your four years at Hamilton.
What would you share personally about your Hamilton experience that could help current students?
A common theme on the show that has really been enlightening to me is how every student, when they walk on that campus, is dealing with something. However, there is a fear of showing anything other than a facade that we have it all figured out. I wish I had known that there were many students dealing with the same insecurities I had. I did an episode with a classmate and rugby teammate of mine. He is someone I love dearly, and who remains one of my favorite Hamilton people. In our conversation for the show, he talked about the mental health issues he dealt with as a student. I had no idea. I wish I had known he was struggling so that I could have been a better friend. I fear there are countless stories like that.
In retrospect, what advice would you give a younger you at Hamilton?
It’s funny, my mom always told me, ‘find a job that makes you happy.’ While I always knew that was the right advice, I didn’t always think I could afford to follow that advice. A recent guest of the show, award-winning author Chris Holm, talked about how he thought he was supposed to have a career as a scientist, but writing fiction was his passion. With encouragement from his wife (a fellow Hamilton grad), he accepted that writing is what made him happy and wrote a novel. He’s now written something like five books with a sixth on the way. So, I guess the lesson is to always listen to your parents and spouses.
