10 Questions with ... Michelle Lewis

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

SOCIAL MEDIA:
WEBSITE: www.michellelewisradio.com
Twitter - twitter.com/Michelle_Radio
Facebook - www.facebook.com/MichelleRadio
Instagram - www.instagram.com/michelle_radio

• MD/morning show host at FM100 in Memphis, TN: November 2012-Present
• MD/APD/morning show producer/on-air personality/social media strategist at 97.9 WRMF/West Palm Beach, FL: May 2010 - November 2012
• On-air personality/Promotions Assistant at HOT 107.9 in Syracuse, NY: November 2009-May 2010
• On-Air personality/Promotions Dir. at 89.1 WJPZ in Syracuse, NY: August 2008-May 2010 (Promotions Director from April 2009-May 2010)
• Intern For Elvis Duran and the Morning Show at Z100 in Manhattan, NY: May 2009-August 2009.

1) In addition to being the station's MD, you also co-host the morning show. How long have you been partnered with Ryan and what makes Ryan & Michelle click?

Ryan joined the show in February 2018, and we just celebrated our one-year anniversary. We're a great pair because of our chemistry and diversity. We're in different stages of our lives, which makes for an intriguing show. I'm married with a house full of pets and preparing to start a family. Ryan is single and just moved back to his hometown after being gone since he was a teenager. We're able to bring out our unique perspectives on the air and it's exciting! Our similarly strong senses of work ethic and moral values blend together well as we strive to have a great show each and every day. We also trust each other when it comes to trying out new ideas and content, which makes for a great creative environment.

2) WMC-FM (FM100) is legendary for multiple reasons, including having a monster signal. When you're doing an air shift, can you feel that?

When I first started at FM100 over six years ago, I felt it every single day I cracked the mic. Like you said, FM100 is a legendary station. It was pretty hard to not feel that! Fast forward to today, that feeling is still there. Additionally, what's great about it now is that I get reminded almost daily of just how much of an impact FM100 has as a station when I get stopped in public by someone in the community who wants to chat with me about something on the show. It's pretty magical, and every time it happens I still react with shock because I tend to forget just how much of a reach we have. It's really an honor to be on such a legendary station and the reminders I get of that are so special.

3) What is the silliest thing that you've had to do as part of the morning show?

What silliness have I not done for the benefit of the show? I've done it all, from eating dog treats live on the air to busting out my best dance moves in a full-on Gingerbread Man costume. The one thing I had to do as part of the morning show that I would say was among the silliest was a result of losing a bet with my previous morning show partner. As the loser, I had to stand on a busy street corner during rush hour while holding an embarrassing sign that said he was smarter than me. I wouldn't trade these memories for anything. It's been such a wild ride so far!

4) Who would be a dream guest that you guys would love to have live in the studio for the show?

I'm not sure about Ryan, but I can say without any hesitation for me that it would be Tom Hanks or Beyoncé. If either of the two happened, I'd be good for the rest of my life!

5) There's no 'typical day' in radio. What's your day like when you get off the air?

For the most part, when I get off the air my day consists of going down a checklist of everything that I need to get done. First, I finish up any morning show responsibilities I have left for the day. That's anything from planning the following day's show to podcasting the best content that we did that morning. Then I switch over to my MD responsibilities such as working on logs, talking to music reps, meeting with my PD, etc.

Between and after all that, it's a lot of blogging, social media and branding. I'm constantly looking for great content. It's a non-stop 24/7 job. I'm normally out of the office by 1p on most days, but when I'm home I'm still in work mode. If I'm not doing live videos, working an event, or meeting with a music rep, I'm constantly asking myself, "How can I use this for content?" to everything I see, read, and hear! The first thing I do when I wake up in the morning and the last thing I do before I go to bed is check several websites and social media platforms to see what's going on and continuously keep our listeners informed and entertained.

6) There's been a welcome flood of quality new music for the format from core artists. How do you and PD Chris Michaels make sure that you come up with the balance that you're looking for?

It's crazy right now and I love it! I love seeing artists cranking out great music, even if it means I have to work a bit harder to adjust my music logs thanks to artists like Halsey and Ariana Grande, who are on fire right now! When it comes to creating a balance for FM100, Chris Michaels and I make sure we achieve that with a lot of solid communication via text, e-mail, phone, and a face-to-face meeting early each week. I even pop in when I hear something that I think is a great sound that we need on the station and voice my opinion. He'll do the same thing and ask me for thoughts on a certain song or artist. We have different tastes in music as well, which I think helps find a great balance. We talk everything out and look at the overall picture. He understands my thought process and I understand his. We also value each other's opinion. After thoughtful discussions and getting into each other's mindset along with sometimes just simply listening to our gut, it's pretty easy to find that balance.

7) How did you know that it was radio for you? Were there specific women broadcasters that you looked to and thought "that can be me?"

I was very lucky. I always knew that I wanted to be in radio. I was the kid who got in trouble for constantly talking in class and somehow managed to make a career out of it! I used to record radio shows at home on cassette tapes and have my little sister "call in" as a winner and her prize would be a free song. I've always felt a special connection with music and the sounds coming from the speakers. I can't explain it any better than that!

Yes, there were definitely specific women broadcasters I looked up to for sure, like Carolina Bermudez and Danielle Monaro. However, there were a lot of men that I looked up to as well. I was so in love with this industry that it wasn't so much about gender for me as it was about the broadcaster's skills. It was about talent that I connected to. Dick Clark was always on in our household, and he was the first broadcaster that I was in awe over. I wanted to be him and do what he did. He was so smooth and made it look easy.

I was also an avid listener of Elvis Duran and the Morning Show. Unfortunately, I was constantly bullied as a child, but that morning show was my safe place. They made me laugh and feel welcomed when I needed them, and when I listened I knew they would never judge me. I can remember being dropped off at school and not wanting to get out of the car until they finished a break. That show helped me get through a lot of tough times and I realized that I wanted to be that person one day and hopefully do that for someone else. So Elvis Duran, Carolina Bermudez, Danielle Monaro, John Bell, Dick Clark ... these broadcasters were the people I looked to and thought, "that can be me..." and "I WANT that to be me."

8) Who have your mentors been?

I've been very fortunate to have several people in my life who have been amazing mentors. Joe Rosati, who is currently doing imaging and afternoons in San Diego along with weekends in Los Angeles, was the very first person in the business to give me advice. Loren Raye, who does mornings in Boston, taught me the basics along with how to be a strong female in this industry. Tracy St. George does middays and afternoons in West Palm Beach, FL. She was there for me at the very beginning of my career and continues to push me to be a better talent every single day. Josh Wolff, who is an APD/MD out in Phoenix, is not just a part of my Syracuse Unive. radio family, but my go-to advice giver. JJ Kincaid, who is doing mornings in Denver, always picks up the phone when I call. The same goes for David Brody, who hired me for my internship at Z100. He taught me how to have thick skin in this business. I can't name everyone here along with how much these people have done to help me with my career, but you know who you are and thank you! These people aren't just my mentors; I am proud to call them my friends as well.

9) We're always taught "local local local." How does the FM100 staff make sure that it's an ingrained part of the community?

Our air staff does that daily just by being who they are on their own. I'm proud to be a morning show that is live and local. I'm a Memphian, I live in this city, and we talk about local stories on the air every single day because we are right here going through it and living it with our listeners. I truly believe people love to listen to FM100 because they know that what matters to them, matters to us. We're also constantly doing things to help the community. FM100 raises money for Le Bonheur Children's Hospital every year. We don't just encourage people to come out to events like Race For The Cure in Memphis ... I'm out there running it with my listeners every year! Pair that with FM100's live-and-local talent such as myself and we are everywhere. Since I'm a local talent, I can do things like appear on a local TV station once a month to give professional commentary on hot topics and current affairs and be recognized. Not only does it make me and FM100 an ingrained part of the community, but it feels amazing! There's no better feeling than that of hopefully making a difference or doing something positive for others.

10) Needless to say, Memphis is loaded with great musical and cultural heritage. Does any of that vibe carry over to 2019?

Absolutely! I hear that Memphis sound shine through randomly in certain songs that come out and it's always a pleasant surprise. Just last year Drake was rapping about Memphis in "Look Alive." This year, I've heard that Memphis sound in Lauren Daigle's, "You Say." I listen to that song and think to myself, "That's the sound of some Memphis soul right there." The Backstreet Boys even gave Memphis a shout-out in their new song, "No Place." It's pretty special. You don't have to look or listen too hard to hear that Memphis vibe and musical influence in 2019. Especially with Memphis celebrating its bicentennial this year, the city is a hot spot for travelers and music lovers right now!

If someone was coming to town for the first time, where and what would you make sure that they saw?

I would definitely take them to Graceland ... that's a rite of passage here in Memphis, along with seeing the ducks marching at the Peabody Hotel. Of course, getting a great BBQ experience is key. Hands down, my favorite place to get great BBQ is Germantown Commissary. Add in a stroll down Beale Street and you have a great day in Memphis! That's just one day, though. There's so much this city has to offer!