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10 Questions with ... Lisa Barry
October 12, 2020
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1. Would you please provide a brief synopsis of your radio journey?
I started working at 98.5 KTIS radio part time, while a student at the University of Northwestern/St. Paul, and then came on full time upon graduation. I worked for 5 years as a producer and promotions coordinator until getting married and having my first child. I decided to stay home full time when an opportunity to work for Elisabeth Elliot and Gateway to Joy came up, and I was able to do that from home. I was the announcer for that show for 9 years while I raised my girls and when Gateway to Joy ended, KTIS invited me to come back and I started doing evenings for them and then moved to middays. In 2014, I added voice-tracking middays for Spirit 1059 in Austin Texas. In 2018, I left Minnesota and moved to Naples, FL, but kept voice tracking and then added afternoons on Christian FM on the XFM Radio network.
2. What led you to a career in radio?
This is my favorite story to tell. I wanted to be a professional singer so bad and that's what I was going to Northwestern for. But in a dorm room during summer school, I was reading my Bible and dreaming about how God was going to use me in music, and a question popped into my head. "What if that's not what I want you to do?" I didn't actually hear it, but it was there. I ignored it. A few minutes later, there it was again. I ignored it again. Then a third time...and I thought sheesh! I told God that for the next 6 months I would look seriously at any career opportunity that came my way. After 3 months, nothing. I thought woo-hoo, singing here I come! Then my roommate that fall asked me if I would like to read news on her student radio show? (You could only get it through the outlets on campus). I said, "I could NEVER do that!" She said, "Don't worry, nobody listens." While working at the student radio station, someone from KTIS asked me to help with kids programming and the rest is history.
3. What was it like to transition from being live and local on KTIS to doing a syndicated show from your home studio?
I am an introvert and a technology geek, so this is heavenly! I have 7 monitors, 5 computers, and it's like CNN radio-style. I'm so in my element! The challenge is it's a bit clumsier to do phoners because my shows are on in all different times of the day.
4. Who is a talent that you really enjoy listening to?
Currently on Dar.fm, I listen to CJ & Joy, the Wally Show, the Brant Hansen Show and Lisa Williams. Radio brilliance, all of them!
5. What is one of your most memorable on-air moments?
Bad or good? Let’s go bad. It was my first on-air fund-raiser at KTIS where I had to run the board myself. I was a nervous wreck, so I took a beta blocker to keep my heart from racing. Bad idea. With Lauren Libby across the control board from me, I turned on our mics, and could feel myself getting fuzzy. I remember shaking my head at Loren as if to say, 'I'm not feeling well.’ And as my brain became effervescent, I slid off my chair and onto the floor and there I sat until people started flocking around me and wondering if they should call 911. That was rich.
6. What is the greatest piece of coaching advice you’ve ever received?
Be her sister not her mother. Be her friend, not her teacher. Let the listener be the star. Let them be the profound one, the funny one, the insightful one.
7. Where do you find inspiration for your show?
My life, observations, my funny family, Tracy Johnson's Personality Magnet and Radio Insiders, curated Twitter lists, Good News, Facebook, and a lot of listening to other talent. I've learned to let all those things spark creative ideas in my own head rather than taking that content and bringing it to air. Actually, I still just drag content to the air, but I'm trying to merely let it inspire me to my own ideas.
8. What is one thing you’d wish you’d known about radio when you first started?
How to find my own voice. Literally and professionally. When I started in radio I sounded like a 12 year old boy so I was always trying to push my voice down and when I listen to that audio from 20 years ago I wonder how anyone ever let me be on the air! I tried to mimic other people's voices. Professionally, I wish I had someone help me discover the best parts of my persona to bring to the radio. I think I floundered for a long time trying to figure out who I was. The whole idea of "just be yourself" on the radio is a fallacy. To me, a truly great coach will help talent fan into a flame the right parts of their personality and minimize the parts that don't connect to listeners.
9. What are you most looking forward to in the coming year?
Getting out of the house mostly. Restaurants, movie theatres, concerts, parties, and travel.
10. Outside of work, what do you like to do for fun?
Shop.
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