I started in radio when I was 17 years old. It was a fluke really. I didn’t necessarily have childhood aspirations of being behind a microphone. I loved radio as a listener. I was glued to my radio every Saturday to listen to Casey Kasem count down that week’s Top 40 hits. I needed a flexible part-time job that allowed me to make extra cash while fulfilling the obligations of my newly elected position as a Minnesota State Officer for Future Homemakers of America (now FCCLA). A local radio station was looking for a weekend on-air disc jockey and my teacher/advisor, Mrs. Cooley, encouraged me to apply. So I did. And I got the gig. And it changed my life.
I spent my senior year in high school working weekends and fill-in shifts at KZZA-FM in Glenwood, MN. It was here that the other DJ’s told me about this school in Minneapolis, Brown Institute (now Brown College), that offered a 9-month certification program to become a radio broadcasting professional. I attended Brown after High School and the next 10 years I worked at various radio stations in Minnesota and Wisconsin. I gained experience as an on-air personality, did tons of production work, honed my copywriting skills and learned to appreciate the power of an audience. Fast forward to present day, and without a doubt, the skills I acquired while working full-time in radio broadcasting are serving me well as a podcaster, marketing professional and the CEO of my own media “empire”.
Creating A Show
When I develop a format for a podcast, I think of it in terms of creating my own radio show. Whether I am planning to fill 15 minutes, 60 minutes or even a 3 hour show, I map out exactly how this time will be filled. How many different segments will I showcase? How will I transition from one segment to another? Most importantly, these segments must connect to my audience. Who is my demographic? How will what I say or share make their lives better; improve their current situation? I do not take for granted my role behind the mic. It is my job to guide my listener, educate them, entertain them. And every show is an opportunity to get it better.
Professional Production
One of my favorite elements of being a DJ was the chance to create commercials and really appreciate the art of production. Back in the ‘80’s and ‘90’s during the height of my time in radio, I had to learn the old fashioned way to edit and produce killer spots. I learned using a reel-to-reel 
recorder, actual recording tape and my trusty white grease pencil with a very sharp razor blade to splice or edit the tape. Make a mistake and you had to do it all over again. Thank goodness for digital technology! Today, of course, it’s so much easier to do quality production work with dozens of tools, software, sound effects and music beds available to anyone. Quality production can really make a podcast stand out from the crowd. Taking the time to find the right intro music, develop quality commercials with professional voice over, keeping transitions tight and putting in the extra effort will elevate a podcast among the thousands out on the interweb.
The Power of One
Radio is somewhat of a paradox. We hope to gain an audience of thousands (perhaps millions) of listeners, yet how humans take in a radio show is a very intimate experience. We listen to radio, for the most part, one at a time. Podcasting is no different. Long gone are the days of broadcasting entertainment when folks would sit around the family radio listening to such shows as “War of the Worlds” or “Fibber McGee & Molly”.
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Today we download podcasts onto our phones, MP3 devices or desktop, get out a set of headphones and plug in. That means that the delivery of your show must feel intimate to the person listening. This lesson has stayed with me since my first job as a DJ. I am talking to one person, not many. Your delivery should personify this. Pull each listener into your show one at a time. Use descriptive language, as radio is still, truly Theatre of the Mind. It is a real art to talk into a microphone and focus in on one person. This is a skill that takes practice. Sound check your podcast episodes often and listen to how you address your audience. Are you referring to your listeners as individuals, (you vs. all of you or you guys)? Are you speaking in a nice, conversation flow that is easy for your audience member to take in? Most of us tend to talk too fast when we flip on the mic; are you breathing to relax and slowing down to have a nice conversation with your listener? Make this skill an important area of improvement for your show. It can make a world of difference to your listener.
Strong Intro/Outro
A strong intro sets the tone for your show. The music you choose should personify the energy of your show. The intro should welcome your listeners in and allow them to get set to enjoy their time with you. I learned early on that writing out my intro really helped me kick off my show with confidence. It eliminated any rambling or run on sentences, especially in my early years when my nerves would still often try to get the best of me. This also applied to my outro, or how I chose to end the show. Writing out my last few sentences or creating a consistent tagline kept me from taking forever to wrap up a show. It also became a consistent part of the format, something for them to expect that signified the show was over. We see this in other broadcasting professionals such as Walter Cronkite’s “And that’s the way it is” or Paul Harvey’s “And now you know the rest of the story.” Intros and outros do not need to be long. They simply need to exude confidence, energy and in their own succinct way, get to the point.
I often say that radio broadcasting was the best career I had to leave. The changing landscape of the industry had me re-look where I wanted to take my professional career and marketing is where I landed. Today’s digital platforms have allowed me to bring the best of what I loved about being a DJ into the wonderful ranks of podcasting while taking control of my own media in the process. I am grateful for the experience of my past and am excited to see what the future will continue to bring.
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