10 Questions with ... Violet Woods

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

• Rochester: WBER, WNVE (The Nerve 95.1/95.5); WZNE (94.1 The Zone); WPXY (98PXY); WBZA (98.9 The Buzz)
• Sacramento: KWOD MD/Nights & KRXQ (98 Rock)
• Las Vegas: KVGS PD/MD/middays (Area 107.9) & KOAS APD (105.7 The Oasis)

1. You've spent most of your radio career working in the Alternative format. After venturing out to the west coast to Sacramento and Las Vegas, what brought you back home a few years ago for your second stint at The Zone?

All that great weather was really starting to get to me. That's better than the real answer. You don't want the real answer, right? Death... See?! Nobody likes death and here we are on the first question all "death"-ing and such. Bottom line: my family went through a wave of them and other assorted fun stuff so I did what any recently laid off person sitting at a slot machine with an umbrella drink in Vegas would do. I put down my drink, packed my stuff, and came home to help.

2. What stands out the most from your first tenure at The Zone in the early-2000s?

For me, it's always people. I blame that time period for giving me a very high set of standards on what constitutes "a great team"...because they were incredible. Passionate. Opinionated yet able to listen. Competitive. Fierce work ethic. Determined to make it fun. Creative. It matters. They're really like family and turned into lifelong friends.

3. What do you love most about working at Stephens Media Group?

Stephens Media Group is a smaller company that genuinely believes in developing REAL localized brands tailored to each market. It's great for listeners, and it's great for clients for being able to hyper focus on their needs to deliver specific results.

4. How would you describe yourself as a programmer?

Adaptive. The best strategies and plans in the world are useless if you can't pivot or adjust when circumstances change.

5. What has been the biggest change at The Zone in the past year?

Really focusing on personality. Want listeners? Earn them. There are a couple more years before that bell curve moves and instead of a minority, the majority will have streaming options built into their cars. With all of the options it's been important to focus on why they should choose us.

6. Give us the 411 on The Zone and your team.

The Zone is a mainstream alternative station made for Rochester. By Rochester. In Rochester...except for our morning show which is out of Cleveland...because we don't want to get TOO cocky about Rochester. Active in the community and all the internets. Super good with memes and a slight sprinkling of Rochester's favorite flavor: sarcasm. Mornings is Rover's Morning Glory -- which has a really unique bond here in Rochester. I've had other syndicated shows on other stations, but none with this type of local connection. It's almost like listeners have dubbed RMG as honorary adopted Rochesterians. Our winter show is named around him and everyone loves to come and hang out when they are in town. They've been fantastic to work with. My midday woman's a little crazy, more on her in a moment. Afternoons is The Gentlemen's Club-which is a tongue in cheek title. Millennial-slanted talk and music hybrid show hosted by Mark Maira (also Production Director for our cluster) & Shane Allen (also social media & digital grandwizard for our cluster). Talented guys and comics that have great chemistry together, and they're not the stale stereotypical radio talk show of ye olden days. Nights is Zack Schaefer (also Marketing Director & Promotions Director for our cluster) and is a killer talent. Those are just some of their hats. The entire team here puts so much in and pull off miraculous feats. I'm incredibly grateful and fortunate to get to work with all of them. Even more so on days when they bring snacks.

7. Tell us about Violet on the air in middays from 10a-3p.

I think she can hear us...she's that girl next door that loves the crap out of alternative music and will tell you random stories about it. She's fun to hang out with, although sometimes you're not quite sure how much led paint she was exposed to as a child. As far as the time slot goes, it's an interesting bridge strategically. Rover is a full morning talk show (no music), and The Gentlemen's Club is a more music-heavy talk show in afternoons (that doesn't talk much about the music). That makes this show in the middle crucial as the only time to carve any music branding elements in the day. With personality. And artist info. While connecting. Don't forget local. Not too long. Incorporate social media. Keep it positive. It's a tall order considering the time frame, but I thrive on challenges and love it to bits.

8. What is a typical workday like for you?

Depends on how many coffees there are...and if anyone burned popcorn that day.

9. What is your favorite part of your job?

I really enjoy helping others. Sounds cliché, but working with people as they grow and watching them take off to future unlimited possibilities is the most rewarding feeling of all time. Although that's just not at work.

10. What would surprise people most about you?

I slept next to a dead guy for 3 days when I moved to Vegas.

Diet Pepsi or Coffee?

I gave up soda 11 years ago. Surprise! (I'd also like to apologize to anyone around me at that time...)

I know you love your coffee as much as I do. What's your favorite coffee and how many cups do you drink per day?

There's a local coffee shop here called Fuego that's really great. They have a drink called Uncle Marble that you should not leave me unattended with.

What are your hobbies?

The only hobby I have time for lately is Grubhub.

What are weekends like for you?

Usually split between work, visiting family, shows, something on the water, and pretending I'm going to fold laundry.

Best concert you have seen in the past year?

I feel like this is a trick question...best concert I've SEEN? (#shortgirlsviewconcertseries)

Anything else you would like to add?

Is this where I'm supposed to say all of your records?