10 Questions with ... Megan Rage

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

Social Media:
Twitter- Megan_Rage
Instagram: MeganRageRadio
Facebook: Megan Rageontheradio

I started as an intern at 105.1 KNCI/Sacramento, CA in 2005. From there I was hired as a board op and then got my first weekend shift in 2006. After KNCI, I moved within the company to do weekends on KZZO. After KZZO, I got my first full-time gig within the same company on KSFM. Working for 102.5 was where I spent the best years of my life. I was on the morning show (Wayne Jay & Megan in the morning) for four years and then I moved to middays until 2016. At that point I went back to 100.5 and did middays there up until this past January.

1) What do you do to maintain a positive mental attitude and to stay motivated?

I do things for me to maintain a positive mental attitude. If that means taking 80 pictures of my cat in one sitting, working on my website, going for a swim, watching old episodes of "Step By Step." Whatever makes me happy and feel zen, helps me stay positive. I stay motivated by all the people around me who I see doing great things in and outside of radio. I have friends who have made some big moves lately and are absolutely killing it. That's motivation. I see people I've never met in the industry thriving in all ways. That is motivation. I feel like motivation is contagious ... I see a girl running down the street and I'm like "You go girl." Then I go home, put all my gym clothes on and go to frozen yogurt.

2) How are you occupying your time, besides looking for a job?

Being on the beach ironically came at a really good time. My now-husband had just moved here from England and we planned a wedding, got married and I got to show him around California. We spent a lot of days by the pool and I caught him up on all my favorite American TV shows. Besides all that fun stuff, I spent a lot of time working on my website. I decided to start my website right after I got let go, as a means to build my brand and stay proficient in something I'm great at -- blogging and social media. I love working on my website in my free time and also hanging out with my three-legged black cat, Chuck. I also ended up getting a job about a month ago because something had to pay the bills, pay my telephone bills, pay my auto bills. I've also been really into space......

3) Some people get discouraged or enlightened with the business when they actually step out of it for a while. Tell us your observations from the outside.

I thought the outside of radio would feel safe. You know out here in the regular workforce world, you can get things like job security and lunch breaks but I could do without both. There is nothing like being on the radio and it's amazing how many fresh ideas I've been able to come up with while being out of the game and observing what other people are doing. I'd definitely say I am enlightened from the outside, more sure about this industry than ever.

4) Do you plan on sticking with radio?

I absolutely plan on sticking with radio. I have never been more sure of a career and life path. I see myself killing it on the air at age 70 play the "Throwback Of The Day" O.T. Genasis "CoCo."

5) What's the longest stretch you've had on the beach?

This is the longest stretch and only time I've ever been on the beach. I love the sun, but I'm ready to come inside. The tan I have right now should last me until next summer (the real season, I'm not making a reference to the next time I don't have a radio job because there won't be a next time.)

6) What's the best way to get your foot in the door?

Be authentic. I have learned that being yourself is the best way to get your foot in the door because you never know what's going to impress someone. It's when you try to be someone else, or tailor your personality to fit what you THINK someone else likes, that you end up shooting yourself in the foot. I got my first full-time gig by canceling a hair appointment to go to an interview. I had no idea that was going to be impressive and I didn't tell my PD that to earn brownie points, I just simply said "Sorry, it looks like something died on top of my head, I was supposed to have a hair appointment today but cancelled it to come here." He was so impressed by that, it ended up being a story he told years later.

7) What has been your best resource for finding out about job openings?

I've heard about a lot of jobs through people I've met or become friends with on social media. I've been shocked by people who haven't even met me, that have kept me in mind when things have opened up. I love that and will absolutely return the favor if ever needed!

8) What's the craziest thing you've ever done to get a job?

To get the internship at my very first radio gig, the night jock needed a phoner. Not just any phoner; he needed someone to sing karaoke on the air. I am cringing at the memory of this. Let me just say that I'm the worst singer in life. Whenever I try and do karaoke at the bar, I always lose my steam about 20 seconds in and the person running the booth has to jump in and help me. You know it's bad when the karaoke man has to step in and do damage control. I think I sang Little Big Town and it was horrendous but I ended up getting the internship, which lead me to the job.

9) What is the next job you'd like to obtain?

I love morning radio, have a huge passion for it, everything about it. My ideal next job would be on an awesome morning show, with a group of people who I really vibe with. I know how great something can be when you get a great group of people together, I've witnessed it and I'd love to find it. I never thought I'd get married because I never thought I'd find love, someone I really vibed with. I found him, now I want to find my work husbands and wives.

10) Are you finding salaries/benefits lower than you ever thought, about the same, or have you seen some pleasant surprises?

My salary only grew from when I first started back in 2005. It didn't grow as fast or as big as I would have liked it to but it was always moving up. Now that I've been on the hunt and talked to people, I've seen some really great salaries and I've seen some not-so-great salaries being offered. I've definitely been pleasantly surprised with some of them. Some of them I've looked at and thought "Drinks on me" and some of them I've looked at and thought "Hi, I'll take one tall can of PBR please."

Care to contribute a recipe for our "On The Beach" cookbook?

On the beach Guacamole for four:

• 4 Avocados
• 2 Limes
• Garlic
• Onion
• Tajin
• Salt

And are you ready for it ... the killer secret ingredient that makes it bomb....

• FETA CHEESE.

DON'T @ ME TILL YOU TRY IT.

Best paired with hint of lime tortilla chips, the fluffy ones.