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10 Questions with ... Carlos & Morgan
May 31, 2022
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1. Share a moment in your career that you’ll always remember.
CARLOS: I bumped into TobyMac back when all of CCM radio went to GMA week in Nashville. He was walking out of a performance of “HERO: the Rock Opera” and I thought to myself, “He’s the guy from DCTalk, you grew up on DCTalk, you’re in radio now, introduce yourself, this is normal, this is how this works…” I walked up and said, “Hey Toby” He was kind and said something … I don’t remember … everything sounded underwater as I was internally freaking out trying not to fan girl. So instead of saying anything back, I just stood there, staring at the man. He looked at me for like 30 seconds waiting on a response and just said, “alright man, I’ll see you around” and walked away. I completely froze and every now and then I will still laugh about how dumb I must have looked.
MORGAN: I am a lifelong fan of the Flying Wallendas, a family of circus performers who perform highwire stunts without a safety net. At the KSBJ 35th Anniversary Concert I had the opportunity to interview Nik Wallenda as he walked the highwire across the Toyota Center, above the heads of our listeners! I deal with a good bit of stage fright, so I’m pretty sure I was more nervous than Nik was. It was an unforgettable moment for me!
2. If you weren’t working in radio what else do you think you’d do?
CARLOS: I daydream of owning a beachside coffee shop - waking up early, working until noon and living by the sand. But if not radio, I’d still be in the content creation business. Storytelling, has so many platforms these days and playing outside of the radio space is something I am actually beginning to do.
MORGAN: I sincerely don’t know what I would do for work if radio disappeared today, talking is my only marketable skill! My older sister is a nurse and I’ve often wondered if I could follow in her footsteps, but I don’t know if I’d make it through that much school.
3. Some great advice you've received is…
CARLOS: “Be You.” Rob Wagman, my friend and former PDat WAY-FM, pulled me aside one day and told me that I was trying to be the person I thought she wanted me to be, instead of being more of who I actually was. And he was right. When I stopped giving only the 60% of myself I thought was safe for Christian radio and lived out a more authentic version of myself it changed the game for me. Breaks were punchier and more memorable, I felt free to try new things and craft breaks in different ways. I wasn’t afraid of the listener and what she might say anymore. Now, I treated them like I would a friend at church or small group and it's made me a more authentic communicator.
MORGAN: I took an Intro to Broadcasting class in 1997, taught by Brent Randall who is now the GM at KYCC in Stockton, CA. Brent taught me that sometimes to get your point across, you need to find a new way to say what you’re saying. Ask him sometime about the chickenfish – a story I now tell my own kids!
4. How do you continue learning and growing?
CARLOS: I try new things constantly. This past year it was launching a TikTok page and getting that up and running with a YouTube page set to launch this fall. I’ve been learning a lot about video, editing and lighting which 20 years ago when I first started in radio I never thought I’d ever need to learn.
MORGAN: It is SO important to be coachable. Even though I’ve been in radio for almost 25 years now, I still have so much to learn! There are good people all around us who we can glean from.
5. What’s one thing you wish you’d known about radio when you first started?
CARLOS: That a company’s culture matters more than what air shift you’re on. There was a time in my life when all that mattered to me was getting on a “drive” and I didn’t think to care about what went on around me. But all of that effects how you feel walking into that studio and ultimately how you perform on the air. When your programming team genuinely likes each other, it makes everything more fun. When your bosses believe in you and equip you, your whole workflow is better and your creativity skyrockets. Good teams are more important than you think.
MORGAN: I wish I’d learned sooner not to fear my listeners. I’ve missed out on a lot of great, connective content because I was afraid of how one person might react. Working for Ty McFarland and Troy West (and co-hosting a show with Carlos!) has helped me be more confident in trusting my gut and taking healthy on-air risks.
6. Tell us about someone who you really respect and why?
CARLOS: Kris Love. There are plenty of people in the radio and records industry who just tell you what they think you want to hear. Kris has been one of the few truly genuine people. He’s smart, forward thinking and sees the bigger picture and when I’ve gone to him for advice, it’s always been solid.
MORGAN: We’ve been through a major season of change at KSBJ and Hope Media Group and I’m kind of a worrier, so it’s been emotionally tough for me to navigate. However, there are two women at HMG whose leadership I have found invaluable while we look towards the future, and I respect them both for the way they have communicated with the staff as a whole and reassured me personally. Elaine Welcome and Susan Brown are kind, compassionate and strong in their faith. I’m grateful for them both!
7. What’s something about you that would surprise most people?
CARLOS: I more of a homebody than people think. Nothing is better than a quiet night or weekend doing nothing but hanging with my family at home.
MORGAN: I’m a lot more shy than most people would guess.
8. What’s your favorite room at home and why?
CARLOS: The kitchen. Cooking brings me peace and it reminds me of my mom. She and I spent a lot of time in the kitchen so it’s my joy to get to share that tradition with my kids now. When I’m in there cooking, one if not both are close by “helping” me.
MORGAN: We have a little patio set and (except for in the summer, because it’s too hot in Houston) I love a few quiet moments in the backyard with a cup of coffee before my day really gets going.
9. Finish this sentence: My day doesn’t start properly until I...
CARLOS: …have had my coffee. It’s sad, but I need caffeine to function properly. Everything gets started after that.
MORGAN: …DRINK COFFEE.
10. What do you to unwind and chill?
CARLOS: Weekdays its usually time with my wife, Netflix or a sports game on the TV after the kids have gone to sleep. Weekends it's usually time outside with my boys or grilling with the family.
MORGAN: My friends joke with me about my Dateline addiction, but Keith Morrison is SUCH a good storyteller. I also love to read.
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