New Year, New You? Resolutions Matter.

I am an OCD goal-setter. I don’t even know if that’s a real term as it relates to my self-diagnosed OCD, but, it’s a term I’ve coined. I write out the same life goals/resolutions weekly in my planner until they are completed (shout out to Passion Planner – free promo).

Last year, one of my life goals/resolutions for 2017 was to do radio in Miami. Well, I’m in Miami now and “doing” radio, kind of. I’m behind the scenes, with a big passion for on-air work. For 2018, I’ll be a little bit more specific (lol).

I say all that to say, resolutions, goals, prayers, or whatever you want to call it – matter. If you’re serious about it, they set the framework for your upcoming year.

A couple months ago, I also added my resolutions to my mirror and in my closet, so even if I don’t open my planner for the day (which is rare), I would still see them.

See, I’m a believer in speaking or writing life into the things you want and if you add in some hard work – your goals/resolutions can easily come true.

I’ve even become that friend/family member that wants everyone around me to set goals/resolutions.

I think a lot a people fail at their goals/resolutions, because they don’t see insta-results. I know there have been many times when I’ve wanted to give up and quit on my job search or losing weight because it was taking too long. Sometimes, you must learn to appreciate the time it takes to get there, so you’ll be more appreciative when you have it.

There are less than 20 days left of 2017, you should write out at least 5 things you would like to accomplish for 2018. They can be big or small. Don’t talk yourself out of anything because you feel it may not be attainable, especially when it comes to a job. Find someone who is in the position you would like to be in and ask them what it took for them to get there. Then use what they say, to map out your goals/resolutions to get there.

Just know, sometimes the hardest part of your goals/resolutions is starting – so take a chance on yourself and JUST DO IT!

How To Live Your Best Life While Working Overnights

Contrary to popular belief, radio doesn’t stop just because you went to sleep. Radio is always going 24/7. If you work in a bigger market, there’s usually people running the boards or talking on air overnight.

In my latest role at iHeartRadio Miami, I’m the girl that comes in at 7PM and stays until 2AM. It sounds like a ‘dream’ to most, because that means you have all day to yourself – but, that’s not how it really works.

The first couple of weeks of my overnight shift were hard. I’m not a late-night person, but I’m also not a complainer. So, I had a 'trial and error' period where I tried a few techniques to keep me productive during the day and awake at night. Here's what I've learned so far....

•  Don’t sleep in. I get off at 2AM, and don’t get home until 2:20AM. After I do my nightly routine and blank stare at my phone, I probably fall asleep by 3:15AM. My first two weeks doing overnights, I would sleep in until noon the following day. That’s NOT good, don’t do that. Now, I get up, make my bed, shower, run a few errands (only if there important), cook dinner for my shift later and then take a two-hour nap before my shift.

• Don’t drink energy drinks or take energy shots. My first couple of shifts, I tried Redbull and Arizona RX Energy juice, and they both work reaaaaally well – but those drinks are filled with so much, SUGAR SUGAR SUGAR. Recently, I switched over to Matcha Green Tea. I’m a big hot tea drinker, so it works for me. It also works very well in giving you energy and making you focus.

• Don’t pick up fast food and junk food. Trust me, one night before my shift I decided to pick up Wendy’s. That was a big NO,NO,NO! My shift went by at a snail’s pace and the food made me so tired and sluggish. Now, I make my dinner beforehand and it’s always healthy – protein, carb, and a veggie. For snacks, I pack celery and hummus, yogurt, fruit and sometimes, Cape Cod chips. I also bring a big jug of water to sip on.

• I’m a face mask kinda girl. I do one face mask every other night. But we all know face masks must stay on your face for at least 15-20 minutes. When you get off an overnight shift, an extra 20 minutes feels like two hours. So now, I do my face masks before my nap in the afternoon. Different time, but same results.

• Always have something to do. If you’re an overnight board operator and good at what you do, you should try and multitask. I always have something to do. It makes time go by faster and you’re being productive. Bring a book, do school work, or work on your personal brand.

• On your days off, do things that you enjoy. Sit outside. Get your hair/nails done. Ride a bike. Binge watch your favorite shows. Just don’t spend your time in bed.

• Make friends. Since you’re coming in late, there’s a big chance you won’t meet everybody that works there – but don’t let that stop you from making friends. Come in 30 minutes early and walk around the building & talk to people you see. Make sure you go to the holiday parties and mingle. Don’t be a hermit crab. It’s radio, have fun!

• Be comfy! You're going to be sitting around for a few hours, you might as well be comfy but not inappropriate. I always have yoga pants and a sweatshirt on. I even bring a throw blanket because it gets very cold in my studio.

• Know that your position is important. Sure, you’re not a part of the morning show crew or the midday host. But your job has a purpose and still helps the station run. You are an important piece of the puzzle.

How I Learned To Say 'No' & Feel Good About It

Today I turned down a job offer. It was something I feel I would have been great at, and the
company sounded like an amazing one to work for, but…I would have had to relocate, the
money wasn’t right and it just wasn’t a fit for me because of various other things in my life. I
took a little road trip to the station last week for an interview and to check out the area to get
an idea of whether I’d like living there or not. I was pretty sure I’d like it though, since it’s only
a few hours away from where I currently live. The weather doesn’t vary much from what I’m
used to, home prices are similar, we all root for the Red Sox, etc. I did put a lot of thought into
this opportunity, weighed the pros and cons and ultimately decided this wasn’t “the one”. Job
opportunities are kind of like dating, if you chose a job or a partner that isn’t right, you’re not
going to be happy. You’ll be investing a lot of time and effort into something that isn’t ideal for
you. The good thing about jobs though, even the non-ideal ones, is that at least you can put
that ish on your resume and use it to get the next one!
I thought I would feel relieved and motivated to go find the next best opportunity when I got
off the phone today after passing on the job, but I didn’t. I felt sad. I felt guilty. I felt bad for
the people who interviewed me because now they have to find someone else. Part of me
wanted to call back and say ‘Hey, I changed my mind, I DO want the job after all, thank you!’
Why in the world did I feel this way? I knew in my heart it wasn’t right for me! Well, it’s
because I’ve spend most of my life saying ‘yes’ just to make other people happy. I can’t recall a
time in my adult life where I’ve turned down a job opportunity. I’ve always said yes to the first
thing that came along. I do feel I’ve had some great opportunities in radio, but looking back,
I’ve said ‘yes’ to a lot of things when I should have said no. I’ve said ‘yes’ to a salary I wasn’t
comfortable with because I was afraid I would lose out on the job if I asked for more money.
I’ve said yes time and time again when asked to do something at work that I didn’t want to do
(cover a shift for someone, work a holiday, work weird hours, take the remote that no one else
wanted, accept less money than originally promised for said remote, etc.) but was afraid either
someone would be mad at me for saying no, or they would never ask me again.
I realized my inability to say no also had a large impact on other parts of my life, like dating for
example. I’m happily married now, but when I was still out there lookin’ for love, I was so
afraid guys wouldn’t like me, that I just settled for the first one that did. I didn’t feel worthy of
dating someone attractive or successful or sometimes even kind! For years, I settled for the
first guy that showed interest in me, because I guess I thought it was the only opportunity I’d
have, and you guessed it, I didn’t want to hurt his feelings by saying no. Of course, I never
realized I was doing this to myself, otherwise (hopefully) I would have made better boyfriend
choices!

Finally, this year I started to really take a good hard look at myself and my life and make the
necessary changes to be the best Loren I can be. I’ve put a lot of work into not being that ‘yes’
person anymore. I have read a lot of self-help books (I have no shame in admitting that, they
can be really helpful!), done a ton of research and mostly just spent a lot of time alone learning
to be comfortable being me. It’s paid off huge in terms of growth, personal development,
building confidence and self-esteem, and actually learning to not only like, but holy crap, love

myself! I’m slowly but surely becoming a person that does what’s best for ME, not everybody
else. So yes, I feel sad/bad that this job opportunity didn’t work out; maybe something will
work out with this company in the future. However, I also feel some great satisfaction that I
said no, for what was probably the first time in my professional life, because it was finally time that I stepped up and did what was best for me.

Sorry, I Can't Hear You Over Your Excuses

I’m sure you’ve heard of a love letter, but today’s blog post is more of a love rant. It’s a rant wanting you to do better out of L-O-V-E. I truly want to see us all win!

If I had a dollar for every time someone e-mailed me with an excuse, I would be a millionaire. I would probably retire to some secluded island, live in my pajamas, and do radio from the comfort of my own home. LOL.

But seriously, if you looked at my personal and business social media messages and e-mails you would get tired.

First things first, I like helping people. But, I LOVE helping people who help themselves,more.

It is so easy for me to weed out who doesn’t really want to be in this industry by the excuses they come up with in person and online.

I’ll break it down for you.

It’s easy to sit around, twiddle your thumbs, and talk about all the problems you have - like nobody wanting to hire you. But, when you get done talking, the problems and your excuses are still there. Which means, you spent an awful lot of time doing nothing and you know I hate wasting time. You have to learn how to help yourself first,work through the problems ,and then seek guidance.

At the Radio Show conference in Austin this year, there was a speaker who taught us the “5 Whys” technique. You can solve ANY problem by asking yourself WHY at least five times.

Problem: I’m graduating in December and don’t have a job lined up.

Why? Because I keep applying and nobody hits me back with an offer.

Why? Because I don’t have enough experience.

Why? Because I didn’t do an internship.

Why? Because I thought being on my college radio station was enough.

Why? Because I didn’t listen and thought my talent would hold me.

At the end of the question technique, I call it the ‘AHA’ Moment, where you will realize that most of our problems are self-made, and could have been avoided. However, don't be discouraged, once you get to the root of your problem (usually yourself), you can fix it. The technique isn't meant for you to beat yourself up, it's meant to fix yourself- if you put the right amount of work in.

It’s very important to note, when you e-mail someone with a problem you’re facing, it shouldn’t feel like they are talking you off a ledge. You should believe in yourself and your talents so much, it should leave them wondering how come nobody is really hiring you for that internship or job. You should also, only be seeking their advice because they are knowledgeable and can offer a fresh perspective, not because you want them to hire you, or pass your work on to their colleagues.

This week alone, I received a text, DM, and a phone call from three women who have been following my blogs and have been using the 'gems' in them in their everyday lives. Two of them now have amazing new jobs, and one is headed to an interview this week (good luck!).

I don’t claim to know everything and never will, but I do know how to put in work to get the things that I want. I said last week in an Instagram post, “The word ‘no’ doesn’t exist in my head and closed doors only mean I need to get a little more creative.”

So, cheers to conquering all your goals this week and beyond!

P.S – E-mail me your questions, I’m here to help you work through them! Info@womeninradio.org

Cheers to New Seasons and Good Change!

I get inspired by the small things, like new seasons and new months. I guess that's why I'm super excited about the month of October. It is the beginning of the last quarter in the year, Fall season, and the weather touches under 70 (sometimes, I live in South Florida). 

October brings around a lot of change. But, what I really want to touch on this week, is personal change and devploment. I ran across a quote the other night while on Pinterest, that said:

"Who do you want to be? We all change, so pretending otherwise is silly. Think about who you hope to grow into. That desire is as important as who you are currently, to set your intention and inform the steps you'll take now to get there."

It made me think about how we're all adults and some of us are in our careers and making things happen, but it's never too late to change our ways. I think a lot of people become weary of change when it comes to personal development.

It's never too late to become a better version of yourself. 

Personally, when I decided to start this organization, I knew it would make me change a lot within myself - and it has. Being a business owner requires a lot from you, when it comes to time management, customer service, and providing content. I couldn't afford to be lazy or half-a** anything, because I knew you were expecting a lot from me.

I see myself as a successful business owner, and that has changed me tremendously. I had to put my pride to the side numerous times and ask for help and advice. I've also learned that everything doesn't require a response, especially when it's not going to benefit me or the organization in the long run.

At this very moment who are you and what areas would you like to see yourself improve in for the future? We’ll never reach perfection, but we can always work on ourselves.

There are habits that we all have in our daily lives that need to be changed. Maybe, you're not a morning person and you snap at people easily if it's before 10AM or maybe you’re late to every meeting, even when you schedule it yourself. These negative habits are affecting the way people see you and choose to work with you in the future.

So, this October, just as the season is changing, turn over a new leaf in your life. Pick one negative habit that you have and work on fixing it for the remainder of the month. After all, it takes 21 days to break a habit, so it looks like you have plenty of time!

---

Over the last month, I’ve been reading Lori Flower’s “A Seat At The Table: A Survival Guide For Women In Business” it’s a short read, but packed with power and worksheets for personal development.

I know a lot of you said that you would love to see a Women In Radio Book Club. So,we will begin the book club November 15th, 2017 which will give you time to purchase the book. 

You can purchase the book here.

“Lori Flowers is a seasoned marketing professional with close to 20 years of experience working in radio. She is currently the Marketing Director for Radio One Atlanta, where she oversees the marketing and promotional efforts for the Atlanta radio stations”

What I've Learned Since Leaving Radio Six Months Ago

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