10 Questions with ... Candice Grey

1. Share a moment in your career that you’ll always remember.

Dave Conour and I were doing a show about our life motto. I mentioned that my mom’s life motto is “Fake it til ya make it!” What great advice! I said I definitely use that motto from time to time. Shortly after ending the break a woman called and in an aggressive tone said “...if that’s how you really feel you shouldn’t be on Christian radio because you’re a FAKE!” and slammed the handset down on her landline to hang up on us. I know she slammed it because I heard a little jingle of the ringer as she cut out.

Now we all have to get thick skin in radio so Dave asks “Are you ok? I hope that kind of stuff doesn’t bother you too much.”

And I said “No, no of course not….. EXCEPT YA KNOOOOW WHAT, I think we should play the call.”

I’ve never seen a gleam in Dave’s eye like that before, he was positively giddy at the idea. We played the call and followed it up with the very real shock I felt in the moment. I also added that “I guess you’re right… Sometimes I feel like a fake because I’m not perfect. But God doesn’t ask me to be perfect, that’s what Jesus is for.” Needless to say, people connected with that moment. Our phone lines were jammed for hours, people even stopped in to the station to share their feelings. People responded with everything from “I’d like to give her a piece of my mind.” to “We should be praying for her, we don’t know what she’s going through.” It was so moving to see a genuine response en masse like that. We, of course, didn’t share the listener’s name and, oddly enough, she became a regular caller with more positive viewpoints.

2. If you weren’t working in radio what else do you think you’d do?

I discovered the answer to this question last year! Starting in the fall of 2020 my husband and I left our careers completely to travel and explore Central and South America. The idea of not working was intoxicating. There hadn’t been a time in my life since I was 15 years old where I didn’t have at least one job, and even before then I was volunteering and babysitting regularly.

So I went ahead and did all the things I’ve always wanted to do. I slept until I was well and truly rested (and then some). I binged every show I hadn’t had the time to catch up on. I read over 50 books, all fiction, none educational. I went weeks without cooking or doing dishes. And I scrolled and scrolled and scrolled on social media.

I did all of those things until I indulged my way into a depression. It was like if you gave an 8 year old the keys to a candy shop… of course they’ll end up puking.

I learned many lessons during my short lived, early retirement but the most notable was how important the hard things are. Every highlight I experienced during our 18 months of traveling came from doing something that scares me, learning something new, and working.

We had a couple opportunities to exchange work for room and board. One of the most memorable experiences was at a whitewater rafting camp in the Costa Rican jungle. Our duties included washing dishes after every meal, cleaning the bathrooms twice a day, turning over rooms for guests, and filling in as extra paddlers while rafting (usually for older guests who needed someone to do most of the work for them). When the work for the day was done there were no modern distractions. There was no wifi and you could only get cell service if you hiked an hour up the mountain.

We did this for three weeks.

During the first four days I thought I might literally die.

I didn’t mention yet that we had to hike to every room (up and down steep stairs and trails), avoid venomous snakes, poisonous frogs and spiders, deal with 95 degrees heat and so much humidity that our hiking bags began growing mold.

But wouldn’t you know, things got easier. By the end of the first week I was more confident that I would in fact survive, but my daily look was still sweat drenched and complaining. By the end of the second week I was actually looking forward to starting my day at 7 am and had named the local giant hairy spider Quinten Taran-tula. By the end of the third week I was physically, mentally, and emotionally stronger than I’ve been in years and sad to leave. So what else would I do if I wasn’t in radio? Hopefully, something scary and uncomfortable.

3. Some great advice you've received is…

I had a conversation with Corey Mann at Momentum in 2016 and he told me “Be present with whoever you’re talking to. There’s always going to be someone more connected or more famous walking by but everyone deserves your undivided attention.” It was a great reminder that fame is just not that important. Everyone has a story to tell and we should welcome a great variety of thoughts and opinions.

4. How do you continue learning and growing?

I look back and think of all the deeply embarrassing things I’ve done and try to do different things. I also enjoy following the rabbit trail. When something piques my interest I will follow it until I’ve learned everything there is to learn. It’s the 2 year old habit we can all adopt, just keep asking why.

5. What’s one thing you wish you’d known about radio when you first started?

I wish I had known that I should have been leaning into my goofy, out there ideas. Once I started learning what I was “supposed to” talk about, I stifled my own creativity. If I was coaching a person just beginning in radio I would tell them to make mistakes, push boundaries, and say the wrong thing as much as possible.

6. Tell us about someone who you really respect and why?

I really respect JBo from Boost Radio. She has transitioned so gracefully from being a St. Louis morning show host to being on air in multiple major markets across the country. She deserves major props for the work that goes into engaging audiences in so many different markets.

7. What’s something about you that would surprise most people?

I really enjoy cliff jumping. It’s something that actually has applications in my real life too. Sometimes you need to just count down from 3 and hit send, or say what you mean, or go out on stage, or do the thing that scares the daylights out of you. I also know sign language which isn’t helpful at all in radio.

8. What’s your favorite room at home and why?

It’s more like a favorite spot. The comfiest corner nook on the couch. It's where I go when I’m happy, when I’m sad, when I’m super comfortable or deeply uncomfortable. Best case scenario I will add a down comforter to that environment.

9. Finish this sentence: My day doesn’t start properly until I...

Until I have a coffee. I know that’s so cliche but lately I’ve been drinking coffee once I get to work and just the other day I realized there’s a Walmart near my work. I've driven past it almost 20 times since starting work and I never noticed. I think my brain is straight up broken without coffee.

10. What do you to unwind and chill?

I only unwind and chill. I’m an enneagram 7 which is known for being very energetic but I would say my personality manifests in pure relaxation. If I’m not chill, no one is chill and the world may be on fire.

That’s probably why being on an extended beach vacation for 18 months was actually bad for me. I turned into a puddle.