It’s almost my “six months not in radio” checkup. Is that a thing? No, but now it is..lol. I’ve previously posted about why I quit my 'full-time midday on-air shift', and if you didn’t get a chance to read it, check it out here.
The past six months have been super magical, mainly because I’ve felt every single emotion known to man. At the beginning, I felt so free that I left my radio job in Alabama, to feeling sad and lowkey depressed that I wasn’t in radio anymore, to back to feeling free again. I basically spent the spring/summer doing whatever I wanted, while also blogging and creating cool concepts for Women In Radio.
This summer, I was able to attend two conferences, both for the first time – The Florida Association of Broadcasters and RadioShow. Both were great, and I met so many wonderful people and networked like a beast.
However, as I interacted with people more and more in the radio industry it made me miss being inside a radio station, running the boards, talking on air. I just knew I had to get back. But this time, I needed to come back better.
So here’s my list (because you know I’m a list kind of gal) of all the gems I’ve learned while not being in radio for (almost) six months.
1. Have enough faith in your talent, that you can be patient while waiting on your next move. I always tell people that patience is what will keep them in this industry, but often, I forget to take my own advice. While on this six-month hiatus, I’ve applied to jobs repeatedly and barely heard back.
2. Not every opportunity is a good opportunity – know the difference! I’ve heard back from sales and promotions jobs, but in my heart of hearts, it’s not a job I could see myself doing. It would put me back in the radio station, but would I be happy? No.
3. Never stop learning the ins and outs of the radio industry. Even though I was no longer in radio, I never missed an opportunity to learn more about radio. I purchased books about radio and attended conferences in Florida and Texas. The conferences are what allowed me to keep one foot in the industry.
4. You never know who you’re around, be honest and upfront with your goals when asked questions. Every time I attend a radio related event or conference, I get asked what’s my goal. Then someone makes connections to try and help me reach that goal. It’s amazing, but you MUST know what YOU want.
5. Take this time to take care of yourself and know yourself more. Find a hobby, or in my case, I began working out and cooking a lot more. I plan to continue doing those things in my next venture. I also listened to a lot more podcast and spent time with family and friends.
One thing for certain, and two things for sure I'm headed to the top - next week I'll share my upcoming move!
If you ever need any tips or advice, feel free to hit me up @meagtalks