I've always liked Lady Gaga. Not her music so much as her craziness. I'm a little reticent to say that because it wouldn't surprise me if many of you would feel differently. But I like that she is absolutely nuts. I enjoy things that are different and she sure is that.

I also think her message to her "monsters," those teenagers marginalized at best and abused at worst at their high schools, is a good one. She says they should accept themselves and others should accept them as they are. She identifies with those kids as one ignored and reviled herself when she was their age. She seems to have become a little port in the storm for them. That can't be a bad thing.

She is what we might call...unconventional. She's also a hard working, brilliant entertainer.

Howard Stern has been a tougher taste to acquire. I liked his movie, Private Parts, which came out in the 90s, but that's about it. Frankly I haven't given him a lot of thought since. His reputation is one of arrogance, over-the-top shock and seemingly unending sexual appetites.

I frequently drive long distances, and six months ago, subscribed to Sirius Radio. I started listening to Howard Stern.

He certainly does like the subject of sex and he can be blunt and crass. But I also have found him to be a terrific interviewer with a natural enthusiastic curiosity that few interviewers have. It's true he does tend to cut people off to get to his next question and that can sometimes be annoying, but it's because of an unrelenting desire to learn something else about that someone. Others (Bill O'Reilly) cut people off to drive an agenda. Stern doesn't have an agenda, just his morbid curiosity. He also asks questions that no one else would ask. And people tell him things that they don't tell anyone else.

Interestingly, I've found him much more self-effacing and kindhearted than you might imagine. In reality, he gets his own joke. His long time sidekick Robin gets it too.

Like Lady Gaga, Stern was an oft rejected and reviled youth. Like her, he's what we might call...unconventional. I spent ten years in radio. You may not like his subject matter, but he works extremely hard at his craft and he is brilliant at it. He's probably more brilliant at the craft of radio than anyone on the air today.

I was in Lake Crystal, Minnesota last month. Driving to the manufacturing plant where I was to train, I flipped on the radio. And there waiting for me was a song and a voice I didn't fully recognize accompanied only by piano. I was riveted. The song was moving, touching and the passion in which it was being delivered devastating.

My drive was a short one, but the song was not done. So I sat in the parking lot unable to move. When the song finally finished, I found out that I was listening to Lady Gaga on Howard Stern performing a new song of hers called, "Hair." What I didn't know was that was the second song she had performed that morning. On a replay of his show later in the week (he's on only three days a week now) I heard that one too. And that song, "The Edge of Glory," was at least as powerful.

It was simply one of the greatest live performances I have ever heard. I found both on YouTube and wow.

Often when unconventional meets unconventional magic happens. It's certainly true in business. Maybe that's exactly what happened here.

Below are the links to both songs if you care to watch. If you do, sit back, stop what you're doing and...enjoy. And remember that unconventional can be really, really good:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_GMgkcc2KM