10 Questions with ... Lindsey Armstrong

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

I was PAINFULLY shy growing up. So much so, that I would have my roommates in college call to order a pizza because I didn't want to have to talk to a stranger and this was before online ordering was a thing (hard to believe we made it through, somehow).

Through college, I started coming out of my shell and getting a little braver.

I was two semesters from graduating at The University Of Florida in Gainesville, frustrated that I'd FINALLY found the confidence to say my passion was music-that I always dreamed of being on the radio but somehow thought that was only for special people -- and scared that it was too late for me to try to pursue it. I'd already switched my major 4 (might have been 5) times before settling on Communication Sciences and Disorders, which is the precursor degree for audiologists and speech pathologists, and here I was, trying to figure out how to get into radio.

I reached out to Joe "MoJo" Rupp, who was PD at 100.5 The Buzz WHHZ (the alternative station that I loved) on My Space (MY SPACE!) asking if they needed interns. At the time they didn't, but by the next college semester the station flipped to Active Rock, the company went through budget cuts and let go of half the staff, and needed help. I started doing weekend shifts and eventually took positions as a receptionist and traffic manager while working my way to middays.

A few years later I found myself hungry to learn more and wanting to move to a bigger market. I began searching for and listening to other women in rock and alternative, and gravitated toward Ty Bailey at DC101. I emailed her for advice on how to be a better jock, and not long after she serendipitously became APD (eventually PD) at 98 ROCK -- WXTB in Tampa, which was one of my favorite stations growing up! Eager to learn from her, I applied, started doing weekends and anything that was needed from me, and soaked up everything that I could, eventually doing overnights.

Two years later I got a call from Derek Madden asking if I'd be interested in joining a newly renovated Alternative station in Salt Lake City. I came out to visit the station and immediately fell in love with Utah. I started hosting mornings, then middays before getting teamed up with Todd "Fook" Fooks on the morning show, and now I'm getting to check off doing the only shift I hadn't done, afternoons! (That wasn't so brief.)

1. How did you become interested in radio?

My parents always had the radio on. I was going into second grade when I started "playing radio" with my older sister. We'd listen for HOURS during the summer, recording songs from the radio onto cassette tapes and playing them back, pretending we were the DJs. I was bullied pretty fiercely in school and radio was a constant familiarity for me. The jocks felt like friends that were THERE daily, helping my mind escape from the mean kids on my way to and from school.

2. You recently shifted from the morning show to host PM-drive. Tell us about your new 3-8p show on ALT 101.9.

I see every change in radio as an opportunity for me to learn and grow. I'd never been in afternoons before, so this is a whole new daypart and audience for me! Well, I guess I'm just going home with a good amount of people that I was previously going to work with, so it's not a completely new audience, but I'm happy to have later risers and new listeners along for the ride!

3. How would you describe your on-air style?

My hope is that it's friendly, honest, authentic, and relatable. I want to be that same kind of familiar person for my audience that jocks were for me when I was a kid.

4. What is your show prep routine?

I'm constantly making notes in my phone about what happens in life that I want to talk about on air. Some stuff you just can't make up! About two hours before my show starts, I make a map of what I'm coming in and out of. I'll fill in where I want to talk about what I've noted in my phone, and then I'll start scouring the interweb for more content. I try to evenly balance the amount of band/music news and info, station business, and what people are talking about/general goings on each hour.

5. What sort of things makes your show unique?

I try to sneak in bits of positivity and life advice without making it sound like that's what I'm doing. I feel so incredibly lucky to get to do what I do, and I feel like its part of my purpose to share a bit of that to help if I can.

6. What do you love most about being on-air?

I love reaching people! I LOVE knowing that I could be making a difference for people in some way, whether it's by connecting and sharing in the passion for a song or artist, by getting them to think more openly, or just by reminding them that they're not alone (in life, in adulting, in being awkward, or in finding yourself in the most odd of situations).

I so deeply appreciate having the platform to connect people and animals each week and to help advocate for animals in some cool ways. As a bunch of jocks around the country have a relationship with a local animal shelter, I do with The Humane Society of Utah. We do a weekly segment with them and one of their adoptable pets, and each year I live at their facility in one of the cat condos until I raise my *adoption fee* of $3,000 (fully donated to them). While I'm there (for a few days), I get to do a lot of social media educating listeners on ways to volunteer and help how they can.

7. What is your favorite part of the show?

I love listener interaction. It makes me the happiest when I get to make someone's day by giving them tickets to see their favorite band when money may have been too tight for them to buy tickets, or to have someone say that they heard a song RIGHT when they needed to.

8. After relocating from Tampa To Salt Lake City a few years ago, what are you loving most about living in Utah?

Utah is like a giant PLAYGROUND for anyone who loves the outdoors, like me! I grew up riding horses and loving being outside and here there is SO much to do! As the seasons (FOUR SEASONS!) change here the activities do, too, so there's no getting bored -- biking, rock climbing, kayaking, and camping. I've started skiing and I'm obsessed, I hike as much as possible and I'm pretty sure you could do a different hike a day in Utah and never finish them all in your lifetime. There's so much exploration to be done, and for me it stimulates creativity. Something that blew me away about the people here in Utah is just how community oriented and supportive they are. Its part of the culture to help one another -- people here are really kind and generous for the most part.

9. Who is your favorite on-air personality not on your staff and why do you like them?

Ah, this question is so hard for me to answer because I admire the hell out of so many in our industry, and I'm honored to call a great deal of them my friends! In an effort to not go on forever, I'm just going to say that what makes me love an on-air personality is authenticity. When someone is authentic on air, they're human. They're relatable, even if I can't directly relate to their story, I can relate to them on a human level and I feel like that's what this world needs more of -- human relation.

10. Fill in the blank: I can't make it through the day without _________?

Coffee.

You're a huge fan of tattoos. Tell us about your tats.

I've got quite a few! Each one has a story. One is a rose with a banner that has the letters KJAC on it. They're the first initials of my dad, mom, older and younger sister, respectively, but I've been asked numerous times if they're call letters of a radio station by people who sometimes don't know yet that I'm in radio.

My favorite tattoo is probably my hummingbird flying to a phonograph rather than a flower to get her nectar from the music. (God, that sounds really cheesy...).

What are your hobbies?

Going to hear and see music of all kinds of genres, doing yoga, hiking, skiing in the winter, playing kickball on a rec team...just being outside, in general.

What are weekends like for you?

They generally involve doing a combination of the above listed activities.

First record ever purchased?

Alanis Morissette's "Jagged Little Pill" and No Doubt's "Tragic Kingdom".

First concert?

Dave Matthews Band...haha! I was a huge fan in high school.

Favorite band of all-time?

Avenged Sevenfold! I listened to them RELIGIOUSLY in college, and their music helped me break out of my shell. I can't count how many of their shows I've been to and I've watched them go from playing at tiny little nightclubs to selling out arenas.

Anything else you would like to add?

Often times I think to myself, "someone's gonna figure out that they're PAYING me to do what I love," almost as if that's not something that can actually happen and I'm going to get found out at some point. I'm just really grateful to have the career that I do, and I'm so appreciative of each and every person who's helped me along the way. Thank you for wanting to ask me some questions!?