Written by: Maya Perry

“What is for you will always be for you! If it takes a month, 6 months, a year for you to get it... It’s yours. Sometimes we want things when were not ready for them so I encourage patience during your journey. When you reach your goal, you’ll know exactly why it took the time, the losses, and the growth to get there. Being a woman in radio is so powerful, so limitless, know your worth but never stop learning. Never stop growing and being a student in this industry. As we all know there is no manual and there is always something to learn. Believe in yourself always & know that there is nothing you cannot do!” 

Mani Millss is one of the queens of middays in Nashville whose words have not only helped me with my journey and growth in radio but other upcoming women on air as well. 

Mani Millss opens up about her found purpose in radio. “My purpose in radio is to use my platform to allow my voice to be heard. A single mother for 8 years, I’ve faced so many obstacles during my journey but I never gave up.” Her persistence and humility has given her the platform to inspire others; to tell her story and show women how powerful we are, that we can have a family and a career and that nothing is impossible.

Receiving the college nickname “Mani Millss”, she felt it was catchy and fit her brand. “I did a lot in the community to brand myself. I started out throwing my own fashion shows, poetry shows and night events and I went out on a limb and would hostthem myself. I eventually became one of the biggest hosts in the city-- I believe my voice is what got me noticed. I received a call about a midday position and if I was interested. Hell yeah; I thought to myself. With no experience, no idea what all radio entailed, I had a particular confidence that God aligned this perfectly for me and I refused to pass it up. That was Feb 2017 I was hired as a part-time midday talent, here we are two years later... I have been promoted to a full-time music director and midday talent in a much larger market within a two year time frame.”

Mani Millss describes feeling pressured to follow a career path that made the most money growing up, so she pursued pediatrics. At no point during that journey was she happy. She explains if she could give her younger self advice, “I would tell myself not to listen to other people, family included. Everyone has a particular purpose in life and it’s embedded in you from day one. It’s up to you to find it and not let others deter you from what you know is expected of you to give this world. When I look back on my life I have ALWAYS been a personality and I have always wanted to help people. It wasn’t until I decided to live for ME that I truly began living life so that’s what I would encourage my younger self to do... live for YOU.”