LaSanya 'Mrs.Yaya' Williams: Determined and Committed

                                                                 By: Elandra Fernandez

When ambition and faith are merged, the product of that dynamic combination would look a lot like LaSanya “Mrs. YaYa” Williams.

Mrs. YaYa is from Bryan, Texas but now she resides in Dallas, Texas. She easily could accept the title of a veteran given that she’s been in the entertainment business for 15 years and has a syndicated radio show called Urban After Dark radio that is produced by WHEG LLC.

There were a few obstacles Mrs. YaYa had to face when she initially entered the radio industry, most of which were with a few people who resisted the progressive ideologies she brought to the table. As one could imagine, she did not let it discourage her and continue to make great strides in the field that she loved.

If Mrs. YaYa was to describe herself, she would say that she is really friendly and sometimes outspoken. She also loves staying abreast to what’s going on in urban entertainment and enjoys being the platform that others can use to obtain such information.

When asked, what’s the best thing about being in radio? Mrs. YaYa eagerly responded, “I like meeting new people and other women in radio.”

Radio is not the only thing Mrs. YaYa does, quite the contrary, she’s an extremely busy woman. She is an event coordinator and has put on a multitude of club concerts with some of the most renown names in hip-hop. Her manager has played a huge impact in her career given that his knowledge for entertainment has helped project her this far in the industry.

The advice Mrs. YaYa would give to people who would like to work in her field is that “make sure this is something you want to do, it’s hard work and requires a lot of attention. So, you want to have a great support system around you.”

Check out Mrs. YaYa this summer for her “Make Them Tell Us No Tour.” She will be traveling in her van, driving from city to city promoting her show “Urban After Dark” radio on Amazon Alexa. She will be visiting radio program directors and trying to see if they will pick up her show. This is where her the name of the tour comes from, “I’m going to shoot my shot and make them tell me no. Hopefully, they say yes!”

Amber Stone: Delivers Food For The Soul To Her Listeners

                                                        By Elandra Fernandez

 According to Loretta Young, “a charming woman is a busy woman.” Amber Stone, the Fort Wayne morning show radio host, easily personifies this quote daily.

Amber Stone is the true definition of living your best life. She is extraordinary and is paving the way for other women in the radio industry. A phenomenal woman she is. “I am a huge believer in living your best life. When I’m pouring into myself, I can pour into others.”

Amber was born and raised in the Detroit area. So how did a Detroit area native start living a crazy lifestyle all the way in Las Vegas? Her love for media and getting into the industry led her to one of the most flamboyantly lavish cities in America.

After receiving news that her father was involved in a terrible car accident, and his health was on the decline, she became motivated and knew that she had to turn her dreams into reality. Amber returned back home and attended the Specs Howard Media Arts School. Amber Stone currently lives in Fort Wayne, Indiana and is a morning host on 103.9 Sunny FM, Middays on HOT 107.9, which is a part of Adams Radio Group and also tracks a show on Your 106.3 in Lexington. Her everyday working environment involves getting up early, going to the station to prep her show. When she is done with her morning show she goes to the studio next door, to do her show with HOT 107.9, in between that she does production.

Amber Stone is a passionate woman who is on a mission to empower the world. When asked who has impacted you most in your career, she responded saying, “hands down, the phenomenal women I’m grateful to have connected with over the years. This industry is a male-dominated field, and women are carving their own place.”

Though Amber’s life seems to be fully engulfed with radio, she still finds time for bike riding, fitness, yoga, among many others.

In her earlier stages of life, she wanted to become an actress and take the stage on Broadway. From a young girl, being a star was her dream and now that dream is real, but in the radio industry.

Amber Stone has a great interest in what she does, the reason she continues to strive in the radio industry is because she appreciates having the gift of waking up her city and impacting people’s lives. “So many are fighting battles in life and need a place of comfort. The power of a mic is something I never take for granted.”

Amber is truly a busy woman outside of radio. She has a podcast called “Food for the Soul,” she does events around her city. Her vision is to empower women to openly discuss life situations and emotions that ladies go through in the world.

The advice Amber stone would give people that would like to work in radio is, “Accept criticism and use it to inspire you to be better at your craft. Keep expanding your dreams and leave room for them to change and grow. Keep striving and thriving!”

Krystal Pino: Radio Personality and Then Some

By Elandra Fernandez

If you can think about unique attributes being packed into a radio host, Krystal Pino would be the perfect depiction of that.

After communicating with Pino, it is apparent that she is extremely diverse. When asked how she would describe herself, Pino eagerly responded stating, “I am a very driven person, which also makes me very competitive. I am extremely loyal, I work hard because seeing the plan in your head come to life makes all the extra hours, loss of sleep, and stressful moments so worth it.”

Her interest in radio was illuminated when she read an article about Angie Martinez in a Seventeen magazine at the age of 14, and from that moment Pino knew that a career in radio was something that suited her.

When Pino started her radio career, she worked at 94.3 Kilo in Colorado Springs. Her mom and grandma impacted her the most at the start of her career merely by supporting her when things didn’t seem as promising as she’d like. Now, Krystal Pino hosts her own show called “The Morning Groove with Krystal Pino” at 106.3 the Groove-Tucson's Old School in Tucson, Arizona.

The question was asked “What is one thing about radio that keeps you wanting to do it for a living, Pino said, “The People. There is no better feeling than knowing that you can impact someone with your words, and you have the ability to improve their quality of life in an instant.”

Krystal Pino wears many hats even outside of radio, she does stand-up comedy and a full-time mom. She also has a strong desire to be in politics whether it is locally or nationally.

Krystal Pino has been in the broadcasting world for 16 years and worked in almost every format such as Top 40, Hot AC, AC, Rock, Hip-Hop, Country, and old school. Over time, Pino learned a lot by adapting to each one of the formats which made her step out of her comfort zone.

The advice she would give to people wanting to work in this particular field is, “know your worth. Do not ever compromise your standards for a job. But at the same time, never say NO to an amazing part-time opportunity; it can open many doors.”

Krystal Pino is all for women empowerment. Her ideal working environment is to be surrounded by empowered, intelligent women-whose main focus is to uplift each other and the brand.

“Ladies, when you encounter another woman in this industry, embrace her. We need to remain allies and continue to lift each other up. Empowered women, empower women,” Pino said.

Trust Your Process

By: Chelsea Nettai

Life can often times seem like a huge whirlwind of changes and new responsibilities. It’s as if everything you never thought would happen to you comes at the weirdest timing but those challenges are the ones that we often need the most.

Let me take you back to a month and some change ago.

I was a graduating Senior at the School of Journalism and Graphic Communication on the beautiful campus of Florida A&M University. I was doing my thing the best way I knew how to. I was involved in leadership roles, multiple organizations, I had my beloved radio shows and a spot as the host for FAMU NOW on Sirius XM. I was even working multiple jobs at one point to make sure I could afford the hefty price tag that comes with being someone who dared to get an education in 2017.

It wasn’t an easy or simple experience and I thought I had it down to a science. No one was going to stop my grind, but it would be nothing compared to the challenges I would face as soon as I crossed the stage in the fall of 2017. On graduation day I received an email for what I thought would be amazing job offer. The salary was great for an entry level and it wasn’t too far of a drive from my hometown of Miami, FL. "Wow, a company actually wants to hire me and appreciates my skillset, this is all way too good to be true", is what I thought to myself. Little did I know...I was right.

After interviewing a couple days after graduation, I was hired on the spot at a company that was very well trained in giving embellished job descriptions. I even started the week after graduation despite half of my life still being located in Tallahassee. What I thought I knew was going to be nothing close to what I would actually be doing. My first day on the job was a wake up call. Needless to say, I absolutely hated it and refused to get stuck there. I had never felt so miserable in my life, not even a break up felt that heartbreaking.

I could not believe that this company left out a multitude of nitty gritty details about what the job description really entailed. I felt like I had been set up for failure and immediately began looking for my way out. After my first day my family wanted to know every detail of how everything went with the new job. It pained me to tell them that I felt hoaxed and was deeply disappointed by my experience.

Now I know what you’re thinking, "why didn’t you ask more questions in your interview or do more research?". I thought I did. I thought I dug deep enough into the company to understand at least the basic layers but everything that glitters is not really gold. I had been so grateful to get an opportunity for a real career and did not want to lose that enthusiasm but I never felt a feeling so strong screaming "get out".

College taught me an endless amounts of things. One of them being that your intuition never lies and you must listen. So I reached out to my mentors, parents and family for advice. Each of them had interesting viewpoints that led me to the same direction, "do what you have to do for you" was the bottom line. My motivation skyrocketed to a million miles per hour, I was determined to find a better and more suitable opportunity for myself. 

In the meantime, I had to remain professional in the role I was currently in until something better presented itself. So I pulled out the handy dandy "fake it till you make it" attitude. I was still determined to give them my 110%, after all I am the one who signed the contract. I remained positive no matter what because I knew what I put in was exactly what I was going to get out of it. I was even able to meet some really amazing individuals along the way. I worked the hell out of this job until I received an email about a week later for a company I had been pushing to become a part of.

I went in for an interview with a fresh mindset. I questioned every single part of what my role would be and exactly what I would be doing because I now know how this game was supposed to be played. I was also adamant about what I could bring to the table for them. I later found out that I was being offered the job at a company who’s values aligned with mine. Lessons were turning into blessings.

Now lets fast forward back to real time… I tell you all of this openly and freely with no shame because I needed these experiences to propel myself forward and I know there is someone else out there who may be going through something similar or someone who can use my experience as a lesson for themselves. Never question your path or your greatness. There will be dark days, but once the sun shines it will be bright enough to help you appreciate those stormy days. Everything is a process and nothing worth having will come easy. You must believe in your process and never question it because everything you’ve wished and prayed for can be yours if you have true faith in it.

I am no where close to my dream goals yet but I am so grateful and happy to be where I am now because I know I am exactly where I am supposed to be. I’m excited and strapped in for the ride of my life. I know the road is long and filled with crazy twists and turns but it is beautiful no matter what. You must trust yourself and you must trust your process.
 

Passion Over Profit

Written By: Maya Harris

I love being an on-air personality. Whether it's behind a mic or in front of a camera, I enjoy the freedom and confidence it provides me. I have the opportunity meet people from all over and hear so many different stories and learn a great deal. I get to sit down after a long day and just let it all out. Talk about therapeutic.

So last night, I was in my Über on my way to studio to host "Come Correct," one of my two weekly shows on Trauma Radio, when my driver asked me if I was still in college.

*Sidebar the studio where I host my shows is located on a college campus*

When I told him I was a recent graduate but my show is aired on campus he got all excited. 

"Oh you're a radio personality?! That's so cool! You must make so much money!"

Woah, slow down my man. Yes, I am a radio personality and yes it's cool AF. HOWEVER I don't make ANY money doing this. I'm part of this station because I love it. I love who I work with. I love being able to inspire others. Yes, I eventually see myself working in the industry so this is the perfect opportunity to get hands on experience in a radio station environment but no bills flood my bank account from this.

His comment made me really think about the difficult choice of passion over profit.

As a creative, I find myself having to compete to have my voice heard and my face seen in the over-populated and microwave society that we live in. With everyone selling something, making something or writing about something how on earth am I supposed to get recognized and make it?

Honestly, while it's good to have a goal of "making it," and "making it" looks different for everyone, just do it because it's satisfying. Do it because you wish not only to utilize the love and commitment you have for your craft, but share it and to inspire others.

Start or continue to speak things into existence. Words hold a lot of weight and if you tell God, Buddha, Mama Universe or whatever you believe in, what you want she/he/it will eventually open up the door for you!

I'm not happy with my current work situation, but I am relieved that I have an outlet like radio at the end of the day. Creating content, interviewing guests and planning for the future of my shows makes a shitty 9-5 a little more manageable. 

“My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.”

— Maya Angelou

Know Your Tribe, Know Your Vibe

I know you’ve had this feeling before, the one when you’re surrounded by people, a few or many, who just don’t get you.  Maybe you can’t quite pinpoint it, maybe you think it’s you, but either way, you don’t feel comfortable in that time and place and it’s giving you anxiety and an uneasy feeling in your belly.  I’ve been there many times my friend, and a lot of those times I just dealt with it. I’ve chalked it up to me being the weirdo, maybe I’m the socially awkward one, or perhaps I was in a ‘‘mood’.  Well, those things could all very well be true, but it doesn’t change the fact that I was getting a bad vibe and I trusted that sucker with my life!

I believe there is energy in everything, good and bad, it’s all around us.  There’s energy in the universe, at our jobs, on the highway when we’re stuck in traffic with a bunch of other people who are also surrounded by energy.  Our spouses have a certain energy about them, our pets, friends, kids, even our homes, cars; yes, maybe I really am the weirdo, telling you that I think inanimate objects have energy, but so be it!  I’m not talking about spirits or ghosts or anything of that nature. Nor am I denying their presence around us either, but that’s just an entirely different animal, if you will. Energy, it’s the feeling you get when you meet someone for the first time and when you part ways, you either feel good and say something like ‘I like them!  I look forward to getting to know them better!’  or ‘Ugh, I’m not a fan, I hope I don’t run into her again. (Could totally be a him, just throwing personal pronouns around!)

I think most of the time my life is surrounded by good energy and good vibes, I try really hard to make it that way!  However, as you’re well aware, there are a lot of situations you have zero control over.  This is where the bad vibes can sneak on in and mess with your juju.  Another thing, sometimes you’re just going about your life, and in walks a new situation, let’s say you fully embrace it (just for fun!) and bam(!), it’s just not your bag, baby.  

I can tell you about a time that sticks out in my mind and maybe you can relate.  I was working for a country station in Providence, RI about 5 years ago.  A lot of times I’d get asked to volunteer at charity events, and if I was available, I’d usually say yes.  This one event I agreed to do sounded really nice!  It was in Newport, RI (if you’re not familiar, Newport is a very wealthy, popular summer town, with mansions and beaches).  I knew a couple of people who would be there and they told me it would be a really fun time.  Sure, sign me right up!  Well, I got there and as soon as I walked in the door, number 1, I was severely underdressed (isn’t that the worst?!), so I immediately felt like hiding in a hole, and number 2, super duper bad vibe the second I walked in.  Ahh, I had just walked into a really upscale well-to-do event.  Oopsie.  I didn’t fit in and every person in the room let me know with their eyes and body language.  These people were dressed in brands of clothing I’d only seen in movies, and I was walking in thinking Express was high end.  Yikes.  I also wore clogs to this event, please be gentle, this was clearly a not-so-great day for me.  (Seriously Loren, clogs, why would you wear those even to take out the garbage?)  Anywho, so I did manage to see one person I knew there, who is so nice and kind by the way, and I couldn’t understand why she was a part of this jerk fest.

During my time volunteering, I was ordered around and treated pretty poorly, like I was a servant of some kind.  I had no idea how to react to that behavior (not so great with conflict over here), so I just sucked it up.  I put on a fake smile and tried to grin and bear it.  At one point during the event, I noticed a group of women, grown women, discernibly staring, pointing and laughing at me.  I’d never felt so stupid and worthless in my life.  I am pretty sure they were making fun of my shoes, which I now sort of understand why, but still, it was mean!! I held my breath, promised myself it would be over soon and waited until I got safely to my car to cry.  THEY WERE NOT MY TRIBE.  

When I am faced with an incident like that, I try to remind myself of the good people and good vibes I’m typically surrounded by and attempt to mentally go there, even if I can’t physically go at that moment.  It makes me feel incredibly grateful that am usually surrounded by good!  This brings me to another situation similar in nature, but not nearly as bad.  Again it was a radio related event that I was a part of, and as soon as I arrived, I could feel it.  These are not my people and this is not my vibe.  The people weren’t mean this time, thankfully, but they weren’t nice or welcoming either, they just acted like I didn’t exist.  Ok, well whatevs I guess.  I tried to accept it, but it was hard, I wanted to be included too.  It was blatantly obvious I was not considered their equal, like even as a human being, never mind on a professional level!  I don’t play that way, in my eyes, we’re all equal.  Human to human, I don’t care what you do, what you look like, what color you are, you bleed red just like me and we both put our pants on the same way, we’re equal.  Not one person is better than anyone else and I refuse to subscribe to that method of thinking.  

So back to the event, it was a multi day radio thing and each day, I got the same unwelcoming,off-putting vibe from the same people.  At one point, I was trying to make conversation and was met with the back of someone’s head, like this person could not even bring themselves to look me in the eye when speaking to me.  I kept saying to myself, deep breaths, this is almost over, and when it is, you don’t have to do it again, hooray!  It also further substantiated how I already felt about treating everyone equal.  I was now more determined than ever to treat everyone with kindness, not only because I was so upset at how unkind people were being to me, but also because I was trying to make up for what they were lacking towards others!  

Thankfully I am now far removed from that negative vibe situation, but I think about it and other situations like it sometimes.  I try to remind myself that those people are not my tribe and that’s not my vibe.  I will probably find myself in a similar situation at some point again, and you will too.  Approach it the same way you do with situations and people you are comfortable with, by staying true to yourself and simply being you.  You’ll discover your tribe and your vibe soon enough, and the cool thing is, there’s good vibes everywhere and way more people that belong in your tribe than those that don’t!  The universe is pretty good at aligning that stuff for us!  It’s like when someone meets their soulmate and they say ‘when you know, you know…’ well, when you find your “people” and the vibe that flows best with you, trust me, you’ll just know.