10 Questions with ... Michelle Younkman

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

In 2011, beloved music industry veteran Michelle Younkman was asked to take on a part-time position as Executive Director of Christian Music Broadcasters (CMB)...which, as she pretty much immediately discovered, wasn't really a part-time position. Seven years later, Michelle has assembled an A-list team and managed to consistently put together a world-class Christian radio-industry event in Florida each September-natural disasters notwithstanding.

Certainly, days before CMB Momentum, there's more going on in her head than can be articulated in this space, but she's gracious enough to give us a glimpse here.

1. What has your career path through the music industry looked like?

I majored in Broadcasting at John Brown University because it seemed like the easiest major. I eventually added a minor in Business, which I'm thankful for. I was involved with their radio station, KLRC, and by my senior year, I was the student in charge of the station.

My first GMA was in 1989. That conference had a huge impact on my life (which is why Momentum is so special to me). I can still see Jon Hull shooting silly string during some Word Records game at the Artist/DJ Reception. I was a Christian, but did not necessarily love Christian music. God used GMA to redirect my heart. When I met the artists (dcTalk was up for New Artist of the Year...and didn't win), I felt that, since I was a Christian, if I didn't support them, who would? I became passionate about Christian music and radio.

During my senior year, I decided that I wanted to run my own radio station someday. I felt called to go to Nashville and work on the music industry side, where I could learn from stations all over the country. I did an internship at Benson Records and also produced Dawson McAllister Live. In 1994, I landed my dream job as the National Promotions Coordinator at StarSong Records, working for Jill Landess. She was an incredible lady who invested in me. Eventually, StarSong was purchased by Sparrow Records. After the transition, Sparrow brought in the infamous Grant Hubbard to run the Promotions Department. I thoroughly loved working with Grant and Jim Houser. Those were the days!

In 1997, I left Sparrow to head up the Promotions Department at Myrrh Records (owned by Word). They had just signed Rich Mullins. Unfortunately, he had his accident right before I started working there. Nonetheless, people like Steve Ford and artists like Amy Grant, made the job exciting. I left Nashville in 2000 for Dallas, where I started my own independent promotions company, May Day Promotions. That kept me busy for years, and after having my third child in 2005, my husband and I decided that I needed to scale back on my work and focus only on a few clients. One of my favorite clients during that time was Premiere Christian Cruises and the Music Boat.

Over the years, industry people like Grant Hubbard, Joe Paulo, Chris Lemke, David Pierce and others would check in on me. In June of 2011, I received a call from Chris Lemke asking me what my plans were for the summer. I'll never forget that call! My first day working for CMB was July 1st. I had no idea what I was getting into. He said it would take 20 hours a week. I still laugh at that! I didn't have event planning experience, I just knew that God was using my passion for radio and records by truly guiding us all during that challenging time. I could not have done it without amazing people like Jason Sharp, Grant Hubbard, Chris Lemke, Lori Cline and Carol Ellingson.

That was the start of my new season with CMB. It's been exciting since day one!

2. Is the Executive Director position exactly what you expected it would be when you took it on seven years ago?

NO! I expected it to get easier. Actually, it is one of the most fulfilling jobs-and if it were easy, I would get bored. I did not expect CMB to develop into a staff of five. I've worked with talented people during my career, but the four ladies I currently work with are the best of the best. They are all sitting in the right seat on the bus (thanks, Jim Collins / Good to Great). I never expected CMB to grow into an organization that would support radio on a daily basis. With the help of an amazing board, we have fine-tuned our mission, vision and the why behind what we do so that we can meet the needs of radio. Probably the biggest shocker for me is that my passion for radio and records continues to flourish.

3. What have you learned most about yourself since 2011? How have you grown the most since you've started, and what's most consistently tapped into your insecurities?

I've grown so much over the past seven years. When I started with CMB, there were just two of us juggling Momentum, with the help of a supportive Momentum Leadership Team. I learned then that Momentum and CMB were (and still are) in God's hands. He carried us through such a tumultuous time. Now with a team of five of us, I've learned to share the responsibilities with this well-equipped team. It's exciting to watch them grow in their roles and as a team. They are very special to me, and I love investing in them. I'm their biggest cheerleader. Over the years, I've developed a more servant-leader mindset.

4. So, if there's a cycle of emotions of planning a given year's Momentum Conference from start to finish, how would you describe your process? What are the stages of planning and what emotions do you typically feel at each stage?

It's somewhat like birthing a baby every year. We start in January, nine months before Momentum, with the Momentum Leadership Team planning meetings. The team reviews the survey results and prayerfully starts crafting the theme. It's an exciting time. Over the next eight months, there are joyous times-like when we finalize the Momentum branding. There are also difficult times, like when a speaker pulls out four weeks before Momentum.

By summer, we are in full Momentum mode. When August 1st hits, the adrenaline kicks into overdrive and we are working around the clock: finalizing images, confirming hotel rooms, securing sponsors, updating the app, ordering furniture, finalizing trucking needs, processing registrations, and the list goes on and on. There are many late nights for the CMB team, but we are all in this together.

It can be painful, just like childbirth. Then once we get to Momentum and we see the CMB community come together, we forget about the pain. All of the blood, sweat and tears are worth it. Momentum is 100% a labor of love.

5. What would you say seems to be the most misunderstood aspect of your job?

I'm a big proponent of being fair and consistent. I also want CMB to be known for serving people. We have a lot of people asking us for favors and that puts us in a difficult situation. We have to say no more times than we would like to and that is hard for some people to understand. Or when we have to charge a late fee to a sponsor for being late on delivering their assets. During the month leading up to Momentum, we are working 80+ hours, juggling multiple deadlines, so anything that is late causes a hardship on the team which leaves too much room for error.

6. Which artists are responsible for your most memorable performances in Momentum history?

I must say that last year was pretty powerful, having Tenth Avenue North step in when Hawk Nelson couldn't make it, thanks to [Hurricane] Irma. It was a fun set and everybody raved about it. Also, in 2014, Hillsong and Brian Houston led Momentum Worship. I told them beforehand that our attendees are more reserved and it may take a while for them to become engage. I was blown away to see the Momentum family on their feet, worshipping Jesus. People were definitely moved, including me! What a highlight!

7. What's something going on with you behind the scenes during Momentum week that no one besides your team would really know about?

Hmmm...with or without a hurricane? #irmagosh. Honestly, I spend a lot of time in prayer. I arrive in Orlando early and walk the Momentum hotel and convention center and cover it in prayer. Prayer is a powerful tool for us! A new thing for me this year is that the weeks leading up to Momentum, I'm checking the weather forecasts. While there's currently no hurricane on the radar, we do anticipate a good amount of rain during Momentum.

8. Speaking of, the now-legendary "Irmaggedon" drama was inevitably the main talking point amongst Momentum '17 attendees. Do you have any predictions what people will walk away saying about this year's event?

You know what is funny? While we never want to go through another 100 year hurricane, it was amazing to see some of the comments on the Momentum 2017 survey. We had people telling us it was the best Momentum. I'm not sure if I would call it the best...but it was definitely memorable. We heard many stories of how God used Irma for His glory. In the end, our prayer is that God is glorified through Momentum.

Our theme this year is "You Are Here. Be Present." We are focusing on being engaged. Could our lives be changed if we chose to be thoroughly engaged every day? Our station, listeners, family, and community deserves it. Hopefully people will walk away with a new perspective.

Also, we have some exciting news to share but it's top secret. Hopefully that is what people will be talking about.

9. What is one thing you're particularly looking forward to with this year's Momentum?

We've invested a lot of time, money and energy into CMB's 2018 research project with Alan Burns. CMB's vision is to help our industry reach 50 million listeners each week. How do we reach those who are not listeners? This study, How To Convert Non-Listeners to Listeners, may be one of the most impactful things we've ever done. Alan's findings may be challenging and potentially controversial. In the end, we feel like the research will be a powerful tool for our attendees. We are devoting Friday morning to this project, including a panel discussion along with Q&A. I can't wait!

10. What is the first thing you plan to do when this is all over?

Go to Disney! Not really.