10 Questions with ... Kelly Ford

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

Facebook: www.Facebook.com/TheKellyFord
Twitter: www.Twitter.com/TheKellyFord

Kelly Ford started her radio journey in Louisville, Kentucky before making her way to Denver for a 20-year run at KYGO/Denver. Her time with the station earned her industry accolades and legions of fans before coming to a close. Reinventing herself, Ford transition from morning show personality to midday host, helping Cumulus to launch WNSH/New York. Her rise in New York led to a spot on Westwood One's nationally syndicated morning show, now aptly titled "Ty, Kelly & Chuck," alongside Ty Bentli and Chuck Wicks. The mother of three, social media guru, and radio personality extraordinaire took time to chat with All Access recently about the career changes, the decisions required in her personal life to advance her goals, and why she loves Instagram.

1. Kelly! Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to chat with us. Knowing you personally, I know that you have been in radio for over 25 years, and your husband has been in television even longer. After working in one medium and living with another, what is it in your mind that makes radio special, and how did you come to select radio as your career path?

I had no plan in college. I really just wanted to have a fun job. I was a Political Science and Communications major at Western Kentucky University, and I did an internship my junior year at a little NPR station at WKU, and I got bitten by the bug. I thought, "Well, this is fun! And, I don't have to dress up, and I can wear makeup when I want to." Of course, those were the good old days, before you had to dress up and wear makeup every day, because you were going to be seeing your face all over social media. For me, having a good time is paramount. It's part of life for me, and it's in everything I do. After I got bitten by the bug, my competitive side kicked in. My first job out of college came from doing an internship at a radio station in Louisville, Kentucky; once I got bitten, I just knew. I think radio is more interesting that television, honestly. It's more real, and it's more accessible. My husband, Scott, is in television. He's great at it; he's a great writer, and he's great at scripting everything out. But, I love that radio doesn't always have a script. I feel like radio - especially a morning show - is like a NASCAR race, in that you want to see a crash! You don't want to see anyone die, but you want to see a crash - someone spinning out, doing a roll-over, but then popping up out of the car with their helmet still on and holding their hands up in the air.

2. You and Scott married and lived happily ever after in Denver, but how did you meet, and what led the two of you to securing media jobs in Denver together?

I met Scott - well, I call him Scooter - at the internship that got me the job at WAVE-TV in Louisville. He's way older than I am - by, like, four years. He's always wanted to know he wanted to do broadcasting. He is that broadcasting nerd, and he's a great writer and communicator. I had a super-big crush on him, so I asked him to listen to my tape. The rest is kind of history, really. He got a job in Denver, so I moved to Denver with him. We lived in sin for like six months, much to my Irish Catholic mother's chagrin. We got married as quickly as we could, in order to please my mother, after we moved to Denver together. At that point, we had the benefit of living out there for many years. When he proposed, he said, "I'm in television, so that means we are going to have to move a lot." But, we really got to spend the majority of our time in Denver and raise our kids there. It was a blessing, because that meant I got to spend the majority of my career at a great station like [Bonneville Country] KYGO[/Denver].

3. So, you did or did not have a job lined up when you agreed to follow your Prince Charming to Denver?

I'd had a good interview in Denver before we moved. I think what a lot of people tend to forget is that I was the news girl forever. I really didn't go full-time until 2000. At that point, in 2000, [then-PD] Joel Burke said, "You've got to get out there more. I think you should be doing more than just news." I had already played that kind of news-girl-on-the-morning-show role, but in 2000 is when I stopped doing news and became a complete part of the morning show team as a personality.

4. During your 20-year tenure in Denver, you saw a lot of staffing changes happen around you. There were changes in PDs and co-hosts in addition to the other on-air personnel around you. Do you think that made you more flexible? What did you do to adapt and "survive" with each change in personnel?

Well, I had pictures of people, and that helped my cause. When you're holding photos of that Christmas Party from 1954, you've got great ammunition, you know? All kidding aside, though, it's funny that if you just put names to paper, it looks like a lot of people, but if you look at it over the complete span of time that I was there - which was basically an eternity in radio years - I had ten years with one co-host, eight years with one other, and seven years with another, all in a combo of those. At the end of that, there were a lot of partners. It was like any situation where you're trying to hang on to what could work and still try to reinvent the show. I remember someone saying something to me once about going through a lot of morning show partners, and I just said to them, "I had two morning show partners longer than you've been married. So, talk to me about that later." At the end there in Denver, yes, it was a lot. And, I didn't love that, either, but that's the business. As for me, I think I've always been one to not worry about what is swirling around me. Especially in those days, because I was also a young mother with three kids. Getting up at three o'clock in the morning, it was all I could do some days to put clothes on. I just had to do me; I couldn't worry about [KSE Country KWOF] "The Wolf." I couldn't worry about anyone else. I just survived those years as a working mom. I have, then, always been great about not getting jealous of other people or coveting what someone else has. I have many other bad qualities, don't get me wrong! But, that idea of wanting to be like someone else has never been my schtick. I am a weirdo people person, and I want to hear everyone's story and embrace them. I feel like that has to have helped me in making Denver a permanent radio home for a lot of years.

5. When your time in Denver came to an end, you landed on your feet in the city that never sleeps. How did the opportunity at WNSH/New York come to be, and how did you know it was the right opportunity for you?

I am still asking myself how I ended up in New York. Right on my last day at KYGO, I had a friend - a very rich, generous friend, actually - who reached out to me and said, "Hey, our son-in-law dropped out of this trip to Africa. The trip is already paid for, and we're going in three weeks. If you want to go, just get the shots, and you're in." Scooter said, "I am never taking you to Africa, so if you want to do this, you should jump on it. You've been working hard for 20 years, and you haven't had more than two weeks off." So, I had this non-compete, and I went to Africa to wait it out, basically, if we are being honest. I guess it's too late to get in trouble now, so I'll just say it - two weeks after my last paycheck at KYGO, I signed to go back with Jonathan Wilde over at The Wolf. He's such a great, talented co-host, and we had such a great run that I was going to just go over across the street and join him and reunite. But, here I was, having to sit out that non-compete. Pretty quickly, though - as it does in this business - word got out on the street that I was going to be coming back and joining up at The Wolf. I had already talked to KYGO about maybe coming back there, too - that's a long story I won't go in to here, though - but, I was in Africa just waiting and trying to figure out what was going to happen. KYGO sent me an email reminding me about my contract and saying, "Hey, just remember, if you do get an offer from somebody else, you have to tell us within seven days, because we have the right to match." And, I was like, "What?! I should have read my contract better! You broke up with me; I'm trying to find a new boyfriend!" Again - in Africa. And, I basically said to The Wolf, "Yeah, you don't want me to tell them this, because they'll hire me back." It put everything on hold. Thank you, Jesus, a week later, Cumulus called me to go help launch [Cumulus Country WNSH/New York]. It was one of the scariest things, personally and as a family, that we've ever done. Even five years later, as the dust is just now starting to settle, I can't believe we did it. I do think it changed the course of our lives, not just as a family, but professionally. It was so cool to be a part of launching NASH in New York. I feel supremely grateful and blessed to have been able to reinvent myself at my age. I also felt true, genuine support from people who were telling me, "Well, good for you! I'm not sure I could do that!" There were many time I was sitting in a corner dipping my thumb into some bourbon and sucking it while crying and wondering what in the world I was doing. But, I have to be honest and tell you that I think it's important to make yourself uncomfortable.

6. In what ways did the transition to New York make you uncomfortable and help you to grow?

I had never jocked before, I had only done news or been a morning show personality. It's way harder to jock, I think. You have to be so concise. And, it's weird to sit in a room alone and not have anyone laughing with you - or at you. I've learned now to laugh at myself! I have lots of questions after that experience, but no regrets. As a family, Scooter has a great job in Denver, so we had to make some real decisions about this move. We don't have enough time to fully discuss how we made it work - and we're still making it work. We still haven't found the best way, maybe. But, everyone reading this is in broadcasting, so they understand. You've got two people who both have two really great jobs, but they are in different cities. What are you going to do? And, we've got three great kids. So, everybody had to grow up faster. All of us, in different ways. My youngest, Grace, I could cry talking about her. We've had lots of ups and downs, but I am so proud of her resilience, and I think long-term and with a lot of therapy, she won't hate me. Life is messy. Whenever Scott and I think about things, we think, "Well, it still would have been messy if I had've stayed in Denver." Who knows if it was the right thing to do or not. It has certainly made us all stretch in a way that none of us knew we could stretch.

7. Your situation is a very unique one, with you making the move to New York and then Nashville while Scott remains in Denver. There are a lot of women reading this right now who might wonder how and why you made this work. Could you share any perspective about your work-life balance and what advice you might have for those considering taking an uncomfortable step?

Fear is not part of the factor. It is hard, and there is no work-life balance. You will disappoint people, including the people you love. You'll try not to, but we all do it. There's some kind of weird perfectionist complex that I think is also fueled social media. And, look, no one loves social media more than I do. Even though we all know that no one is perfect, there's a part of all of us that wants to be that perfectly polished persona we see only on social media. The greatest hits edit, if you will. We all need to realize, though, that it's not going to be pretty. But, it's much more rewarding to take risks, live big, and love big. I wouldn't have it any other way. You just do your best. And, your best one day will be different than your best on another day. As women, I hope we can get to a place where we aren't quite so hard on ourselves and not compare. In comparing is when we psych ourselves out - especially on the air! You need to be yourself. And, sometimes women spend so much time being everything to everyone else and for everyone else that they don't have time to really figure out who they are. But, we need to take that time, find ourselves, and put it out there. Make it happen for ourselves, too.

8. Part of how you've expressed yourself is via social media. You mentioned just now how much you love that space. We know there are still a lot of on-air personalities who are gun shy about diving in fully with their social media platforms, so can you explain why you love it, how you use it, and how it has benefitted you?

I love social media, because I'm a people person, and social media is the number one source of connection. Period. You get to know somebody from exactly what they do post, and even what they don't post. Take you, for instance. We've obviously spent more time together in real life, but just from following you on social media, I feel like I know you, like I get you, and like we have a connection. That was initially all formed just from being connected on social media, before we even met. So, take that and apply it to your listeners, now. Follow? We have all of these ridiculous time constraints on the air, and we're trying to be quick and concise and get everything in and be everything that it sometimes makes it all mean nothing. The relationships and connections your listeners used to feel from listening to you on the radio now have to cross over and make those connections on social media, too - because that is where people are really making their bonds now. It means the most to me when somebody says, "Hey, I remember the day you were on the air when the Columbine shooting happened. You are a part of my memory forever." That's a relationship that I will always treasure. Now, you can carry that relationship over to a social platform that allows you to not only showcase your complex nature and the full depths of your personality, but also allows you to do it even when you aren't on the air. Instead of four or five hours a day to connect and bond with your listeners, we are now given the chance to do it all day, every day. Social media makes everything more personal and real to me when it comes to my listeners. And, especially when I went to New York, it helped to make those connections when I wasn't on a morning show and had even stricter time constraints. I feel like I've gotten to know those listeners' lives now. Clearly social media has its dangers, and it fuels some of the perfectionism, but there are so many wonderful things about it that I love it so much.

9. That brings us to now. You're sitting next to Ty Bentli and Chuck Wicks on the Westwood One nationally syndicated "Ty, Kelly & Chuck" show each morning these days. How did you decide that the move from New York to Nashville - instead of back to Denver - was right for you? What do you love about this show and what it brings to the syndicated space?

Tough gig sitting there staring at those two each morning, I'll tell ya. I'm not giving it up. But, anybody who is reading this should put themselves in my shoes. You're getting offered a nationally syndicated morning show; it's a no-brainer, regardless of what the personal situation is. It was another thing that I didn't know how it would work out, but I would have regretted not doing it. I loved New York, and I miss it - New York is a drug - but, I still get the best parts of it. We have the opportunity to go up there and do a lot with [WNSH], and I can visit the friends and co-workers I adore there. But, New York was very chaotic for our family. It was very expensive, and it was a lot to handle. Here is the best of both worlds. I'm a house person. I love my home and my fireplace, and I love my chickens. I think it's better for my soul to be here full-time. It's also much closer to my family. I grew up Kentucky, so I'm able to do things like go see my mom for her birthday. If there's something I would say to anybody working towards a goal, though, it is to just keep fighting and working hard. There will always be people who try to bring you down and tell you that you're not good - or not good enough. You just have to keep fighting for the next achievement and be grateful for what you've got right now. I feel lucky who have that ability to feel that gratitude, because I think there a lot of great talents in our industry right now who either don't have jobs, or who are underutilized, or - even worse - over utilized and underappreciated. It's a crazy time to be in broadcasting, and it's really for passionate people. That's also how I make peace with syndication, because I do believe in local radio. But, I feel like what we do on our show is to bring people who love this music and this city something they couldn't get. As awesome as New York is, you're not going to have Luke Bryan popping in every few weeks. So, we are bringing them this lifestyle that they couldn't get in New York or New Orleans. I feel really good about being able to give that to people.

10. As you look back on the time you've been with "Ty, Kelly & Chuck" - and its previous incarnation as "America's Morning Show" - thus far, and you look ahead to the next five years or so, what are your goals for the show? What are your personal goals?

For the show, I want us to continue to build on the trust that we have with each other and the trust we have with the people who listen to us. I want us to have fun. I think mornings suck! Our goal is to have fun, be funny, relate, and be real. Just like with any relationship, I think that's how trust is built. If we can keep doing that and keep doing memorable things while trying to help people in the process, that's the goal. We have a cause for the show, which is helping our nation's troops, and we each have our own causes that we are able to represent and champion. That gratitude piece is where you sit back and realize that you have a platform that you can use to help people - or to help other people help people. Individually, I think I am in a good place, actually. I want to keep growing and keep being happy. I want to continue to find all the things that are good instead of focusing on the things that are bad. The good thing about the past five years and not having my husband day-to-day is that I've learned that I can handle a lot, and that I am super capable. It's corny, but it really is my favorite life advice: adjust your oxygen mask first before you help others.

We spoke about social media earlier, and you have really encouraged people to dive in and use it to support your on-air brand. If you were to mentor or advise someone who is new to social media and thinking about taking the plunge, where would you tell them to start? What pearls of wisdom would you have to share?

It's just my personal opinion, but I love Instagram. I'm a visual person. I love beautiful architecture, and cooking at home, and all of the things that add to the layers of who you are. Facebook is still king, and I get that, but I love the beauty that comes with the connectivity of Instagram. I think pictures can tell a quicker, easier story. I'd say everyone should get on there and show their life. I remember someone telling me, "Well, I'm boring." Okay! So, that's who you are? Embrace it. Seinfeld made an entire show out of observing the things around him that were the boring, every-day aspects of life; it was a show about nothing that made him a whole lot of something. You just have to feel comfortable enough to own the boring. No one wants to hang around someone who is 120 miles an hour constantly. For me, social media is about the hang. I don't have time to hang out with everyone as much as I want to, but I can experience life with people through these platforms. If someone wants help or wants me to mentor them, I'd be happy to do that. Especially for women, I think it is so important to find mentors - people that you trust who can coach you and guide you and give you feedback on the good and bad of it all. Now is the time of the woman, and we are helping each other in ways we've never helped each other before. It's time to step up and do the right thing, not just because someone is a woman - there are plenty of great guys who are out there helping women and helping other men. But, we as women need to walk the walk.