-
10 Questions with ... Kaden
July 15, 2014
Have an opinion? Add your comment below. -
BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
- KKHH/Houston - Afternoon Drive
- PD|MD: Energy 95-7 HD-2 (#EDM/Dance)
- KMVK/Dallas-Ft. Worth - Nights
- KZZP/Phoenix - Nights
- KDWB/Minneapolis-St. Paul - Late Nights
- WHTZ/New York - Weekend/Swing
- WKRZ/Wilkes-Barre/Scranton - Nights
- WWHT/Syracuse - Weekend/Swing
- WMRV/Binghamton - Nights
1) What do you do to maintain a positive mental attitude and stay motivated?
Lurk around AllAccess.com three times daily. I still read the trades. I keep up on music ... networking ... conference calls with other "on the beach" friends in the biz, and we trade stories. Relax. Tan. Errands. Staycay and cacay. Critique other jocks who still have a job and then punch my dashboard. :)
2) How are you occupying your time, besides looking for a job?
I knew, when exiting, it would probably be a nice chunk of time before something would happen, and I'd have to sit out my non-comp. I definitely have been on breeze mode since then, but I stay busy talking to industry people every day and stealing cardboard boxes from my dumpster area.
3) What's the best way to get your foot in the door?
Hire a P.I. to stalk PDs. Show up unexpectedly 10 minutes before their arrival. Then handcuff yourself to their desks. Don't shower the preceding 48 hrs. Fill out your W-2. Magically find handcuff key.
4) What is the next job you'd like to obtain?
I've been exploring all options. Some traditional radio ... and others are still music-related. Should I not land something in the Top 40/Hot AC world, I'd love to retain a position in the music industry that concentrates on the rapidly growing Dance #EDM format. It's a lifestyle, just like Hip-Hop or Country ... it's not a genre. This format is by far the most active on social media networks. Plus, I love the music and events that encompass it.
5) How are you finding the "courtesy level" at places you've applied? (Callbacks, e-mails, rejection letters, etc.)
I can't speak for anybody else, but personally ... it's been great. I have a list of everyone that has called, or e-mailed a response, and they'll get a thank-you note, eventually. The one thing I have noticed in conjunction with other jocks is the "green" syndrome. At this point in the game, some places are looking less towards talent and going for the "cheaper option." While this has always been an industry maneuver, a young "green" kid who has more Twitter followers, who's willing to work for considerably less, is sometimes in that 'maybe' bin alongside your package. They might not be nearly as polished, but that's just the nature of the biz.
6) With consolidation there are definitely fewer jobs. How do you separate yourself from the pack?
Differentiate yourself. Networking. Knowing the difference between THERE, THEIR, and THEY'RE on your cover letter. I'm a perfectionist when it comes to detail. The old school people in the biz who truly "get it" can still appreciate that. Know what you're good at and know where you want to be ... exactly. Target those opportunities with laser focus. Ninety other people are after the same gig, so you have to stand out. Respect others, be cordial, but don't take sh*t from anybody. Interview. Audition. Accept. Plug. Play. Win.
7) What has been your biggest career accomplishment?
It's all a blur really. Doing the WX forecast on Casey's Top 40 in high school. Playing Top 40 music on college radio strictly to annoy the hippies. Front page headlines. Idolizing great stations like KDWB and Z100 and then getting the privilege to crack the mic. Living in the cities I've always wanted to visit. Training the next generation of 'kids' who really want it. Creating and programming one of the best Dance #EDM stations in the country. Getting paid to screw with listeners. By far the most gratifying accomplishment is definitely making some really awesome friends ... ALL OVER the country. They may have 60k in home equity, but I have lifelong memories. And as long as I rent, I'll never have to shovel.
8) Having been through all you have dealt with in this biz, what advice would you give people trying to break in?
I feel sorry for the broadcasting school rookies who are trying to break into the biz. They have stiff competition from pros who have already paid their dues and know how to do a killer :12 break. Learn. Sponge. Get a mentor and bleed them dry. Also, regardless of market, your radio mentality should be PPM-based ... look that up. It doesn't mean Please Pick Me, either.
9) How will this experience change you when you get back to work?
It won't. If you're in this biz long enough, this happens. I have no fear of being on the beach. We picked this road. You have to go to grow. I'm ready to go tomorrow. Or I can wait. I'm waiting for the right opportunity with the right circumstances.
10) Where do you see yourself in five years ... 10 years?
Should I stay in radio, in a nickel ... probably wrapping up my afternoon-drive palm tree tour of the Continental U.S. Maybe at the 10 mark, I'll have an established morning show where I can get paid an extreme amount of money to make people laugh, myself included. If I'm out of the biz, definitely something music or voiceover-related in the industry. I'm always looking up for falling pianos.
Bonus Questions
What great movies have you seen?
I literally live next door to a theatre and have seen two movies in three months, while "on the beach." Unless the trailer really has me hooked, I'll usually wait til Redbox. However, "Godzilla" was decent. I saw "Neighbors," but I'm not a huge Seth Rogen fan. "Million Ways To Die In The West" was dusty, classic Seth MacFarlane ... with great cameos. However, I'll revert to 2013 and my favorite theatre film - "Wolf Of Wall Street." Fantastic biopic on life in the fast lane, and you can't go wrong with the Scorcese-DiCaprio combo.
-
-