10 Questions with ... Ryan Lennox

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

I have been fascinated by music and sports ever since I could remember. I started my mobile disc jockey service when I was 15. I was DJ-ing weddings and realized I could do more. I attended and graduated from the Connecticut School of Broadcasting in 2014. From there, I interned at Wired 96.5 on the Big Philly Show. I was then hired at 610 Sports for a part time board position. I managed to go from two days a week into five days a week, while producing shows, working with Villanova Basketball and doing social media.

1. How and why did you first get into radio? What appealed to you about radio as a career, and how did you land on that after working in several other fields?

I have always loved radio. Whether its listening to music or hearing a sports talk show. As a kid, I would always listen to the local stations top five songs of the day. Once I made up my mind that radio was my career choice, I did everything in my power to learn more about the industry. I reached out to anyone and everyone who had any info. From what I heard, I was in.

2. The studio host slot for Villanova basketball is a pretty big deal -- how did that come about for you?

When I first got to 610 Sports, we were transitioning from CBS to ESPN Radio. We were doing the Villanova Basketball games, but just board oping. We did that for two seasons, including their championship season. Their deal with IMG was over and they went to Fox Sports. They had no radio presence here in Philadelphia. They needed us to provide the highlights, the studio hosting and the commercials. I volunteered to do them all. It has been a dream come true.

3. What do you see as your career course for the future? If you could pick one ultimate goal in radio -- hosting a sports show, play-by-play, production, whatever -- what would it be?

I love being the host for Villanova. It's a game changer for me. It has opened a lot of doors for me. Production is my end game, though. Its amazing to be able to take a show and mold it into a masterpiece. I learned a lot of this process from JP Allen, when I was interning with Wired 96.5 in Philadelphia.

4. You've had a successful parallel career as a pro DJ for events and weddings. How much, if at all, have you found emceeing events like those prepared you for on-air work on the radio? Are there any similarities or connections between your live work and your radio work?

Emceeing events made me a lot more comfortable on the microphone for sure. It gives you confidence in ways that you cannot imagine. I will see some of the athletes and television personalities that come into the station, at my events that I DJ. Sometimes I do events with them and network at the events as well.

5. You produce shows at 610 Sports as well as the 'Nova studio show. What kind of prep do you do for each? What do you do outside of the actual on-air work and board work to get shows together?

With the shows at 610 Sports, I try to get as much info on the guests as I can, then post on social media about who will be on the show. I normally chime in on the shows with something witty if time allows. After the shows I do a lot of editing. I will edit the entire show, while also separating any interviews into their own segments.

6. Here's a job interview kind of question (yeah, that's an apology in advance): What would you like to improve about your work? What area of your hosting or production work do you think you have the most room to improve?

I wish I could spend more time on the shows, put more into them. Unfortunately, its show after show most days. I will finish one show, then immediately start another. I will edit them all after the last show, then post them to various sites.

7. Who have been your influences and mentors in the business?

This is quite the list:

Samantha Sylvia has been a big part of my radio career. She was the promotions director at Wired 96.5 and initially got me the internship. She has been my go-to for my many questions in the radio business. From there it is:

Chunky a/k/a Big Boy, Steve Tingle, and JP Allen, formerly of the Big Philly Show (Wired 96.5). Those guys helped me tremendously when I was just starting out. I spent every day behind the glass with JP. He showed me more in that summer about radio than I would ever learn anywhere else.

Tim Halloran, Operations Manager at 610 Sports. He helped me transition from the music side to sports. He is a great mentor and can relate to me when i randomly shout out quotes from 80s movies.

8. Of what are you most proud?

I am most proud of both my time here in radio and the birth of my daughter, Brooklyn Hope, who is 10 weeks old.

9. Fill in the blank: I can't make it through the day without _____________.

...Sugar Free Red Bull. I usually have one in the morning and depending on how late I am in the studio for, I may have one later on as well. A tasty treat indeed.

10. What's the most important lesson you've learned so far in your career?

Less is more. Just because you can say something, doesn't mean you have to. I have learned that sometimes, it is best to just think before speaking. Do your research, know the subject you are talking about.