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10 Questions with ... Mickey 'The Kid' English
September 10, 2019
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BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
DEMO: www.reverbnation.com/mickeythekid/songs
Funny how some things in life just stick with you ... and can remember as far back to a time when my little sister and I would listen to the radio we'd pretend we were local Cleveland DJs and record it all on a rectangular black cassette recorder (this generation has no idea). My mom saved those cassettes and when I'd go visit her and listen to them ... and as a kid I wanted to be like Jeff & Flash and Mr. Leonard, who made up the Buzzard Morning Zoo ... I loved their show ... and then HE came in 1990 ... Howard Stern! I heard his show and loved it ... and I would flip between both shows. Two different brands but one thing in common. Entertainment! So I manifested my desire to get into this profession and in 1997 I ran naked through the fountain in the center of the Terminal Tower yelling, "Praise The Twig" and won tix to see STP and Cheap Trick, which was a bus trip to Erie, PA ... on the bus I was showcasing my comedy with the members of The Liz Wilde Show and after some months, I was invited to intern on the show and I was in ... and hence my journey began. I became a producer, comedy writer and sports dude ... then her co-host and after the show dissolved in 2006 I went on to work with Mancow, Waking Up With The Wolf on WPYX and eventually hosting my own show ... the rest is history. I have always had big ratings success with all I've worked with by being an asset and not a show killer. Now I look forward to a NEW journey...
1. What do you do to maintain a positive mental attitude and to stay motivated?
Happiness is an inside job -- when I wake up I have two choices: happiness or unhappiness. Every morning I wake up, the first thing I do is kneel next to my bed and thank the God of my understanding for the opportunity to be an even greater version of myself than I was yesterday, and then thank Him for all the rewards of positive actions like the love of my wife, family and kids, and then try to align my heart and mind with positive goals for today and down the road. None of us are promised tomorrow, so I try to spend the $84,000 I'm given in a day on quality moments whether I'm putting in the effort to the Rock airwaves or helping a friend ... for me it's about being selfless and helping others and in turn somehow my days are awesome.
2. How are you occupying your time, besides looking for a job?
I journal ... a lot! It's something I've never done before nor thought I'd enjoy ... however, when you look at your thoughts and your day on paper, it's quite relieving and frees you to direct your energy in other aspects of your life. For me, it's fitness and working out. Educating myself online about subject matters and other possible career paths that aren't my passion or purpose, but ones I may enjoy with an open mind and an open heart. The key for me -- and I lived by this code for years - remain teachable! This is key! I have watched this in reverse for many talented and egocentric personalities. That's why a lot of the ads you read on All Access say, "Check your EGO (Ease God Out) at the door. I try to practice humility in most of my affairs, however I fail on some occasions but it's being able to identify when you are allowing your ego to make you fearful of others or makes you be an a-hole! It happens, but the real growth for me is being able to correct it and look at others feelings.
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.
If you are discouraged with radio, then maybe it's not for you. As a profession, it's truly a privilege to crack a mic at 5:30 or 6a and entertain, inspire, make laugh, make cry, help as well as talk to and with your listening audience. Those who get discouraged are the ones who aren't getting their way, can't play in the sandbox, won't sacrifice or adapt to requests from consultants or PDs, which are designed to improve their performance metrics and help them transcend a rut or a place of comfort that they have plateaued. That's why I loved conversations with Bill Jacobs. Not only did he have the station's best interest in mind, but also the talents. He could inspire you to change and you never even knew it. If you're discouraged, all I can tell you is focus on the "message" instead of the mess. A wise PD once asked me "What did we learn today?" -- and if I told you those answers, then you would know how to compete against me. Sorry!
4. Do you plan on sticking with radio?
I believe we are all given a gift. Mine is the ability to communicate, tell a story, make people laugh, perform outstanding celebrity and character voices (Pacino, Walken, Trump and Cosby, to name a few), write original comedy bits, meeting all the great people who take me with them every morning, the charity events, the clients that pay their hard-earned money to advertise during my show. In the meantime, I make dinners for my father who had a heart attack back in March and died for an hour. I work a regular job and play lots of golf. The last two years have been hell on my wife and I, with her father having major health complications due to diabetes, our Great Dane, Jynx, became paralyzed one morning and we had to put her down at only four years old -- had to sacrifice my career for family June of 2016. Today I'm ready to get back to what I do best and that's ... win, baby, wni!
5. What's the longest stretch you've had on the beach?
This current stretch is the longest. I have learned a lot about myself and had the realization that God had this plan for me and it has helped to develop and grow into a more selfless and loving man. But let's not get it twisted; I'm not kneeling in church every day or any day - -I'm not into organized religions. I just believe there is something greater than me out there that has my best interest in mind and is taking care of my needs. And he kinda looks like Zakk Wylde, loves to rock out, has tattoos and is a pretty chill dude. That's what works for me. The dudes where I work call me Tim Tebow -- too funny!
6. What's the best way to get your foot in the door?
For starters, be yourself and be real! Don't come off like some ego-driven person with some "Look How Great I am" e-mail. Don't make money your God, or you'll never attain happiness and honestly you are in the business for the wrong reasons. I will say this: Some of the salaries offered out there today need to be in retrospect to the cost of living in your market. I could point out companies in certain markets as examples, but I'm not here to throw spears. They have to live with their own consciences. Outline how you utilize your own resources to find and create content, maximize your air time during your shift and maybe attach a show spreadsheet along with your resume. And finally there's your demo, and this is the one that's the Achilles Heel for hiring managers and PDs. Many are too busy looking for a certain sounding voice, a sizzle reel that has been made to sound like major-market talent only to find out within two weeks that what they hired is nothing like what they heard ... and the ones reading this right now are nodding their heads because two months later their talent is brought in for the Ol' Come To Jesus meeting or the after show firing. The old adage is hired by dinner fired by lunch. Like I said in the beginning Be yourself!
7. What has been your best resource for finding out about job openings?
I love All Access and I don't say that to kiss ass. I say that because it's by far the leading resource. I have used it to also reach out via the Industry Directory to reach out to markets I have wanted to work in by shooting a PD an e-mail with a demo, especially ones that are pumping in syndicated programming that maybe someday may consider bringing in talent to be a local. I also like LinkedIn. Great resource for networking.
8. What's the craziest thing you've ever done to get a job?
Dressed up in a bunny suit around Easter time and brought an Easter basket with a bottle of Dom and some Arturo Fuente cigars. It was a shoe-in 'cause I asked if he smoked cigars, and who doesn't like a bottle of Dom on their desk?
9. What is the next job you'd like to obtain?
I would love to have a partner to do a Rock morning show with. I have always loved witty banter and entertaining conversation with another person's perspective.
10. Are you finding salaries/benefits lower than you ever thought, about the same, or have you seen some pleasant surprises?
I am currently working a city job making $42,200, paying zero for health benefits and have a great pension, and yes. I would give all that up for the right opportunity because I'm happy where I am right now and don't need a job. But I have always given radio more than eight hours a day! Fact! I was given a work ethic as a young boy and have maintained ever since. I know many radio talents who would pass on doing an interview with (insert rock star HERE) because they had to come back to the station at 5p to do it -- not me, it's about the sacrifice and the fans.
Bonus Questions
Care to contribute a recipe for our "On The Beach" cookbook
Mickey's Jalapeno Mayhem
INGREDIENTS:
- 10 - 20 Jalapenos (cut in half and remove seeds)
- 1 brick - Philadelphia Cream Cheese
- 2 - Large Chicken Breasts
- 1 - package of BACON!!
PREPARATION:
- Pack jalapeno canoes with cream cheese.
- Grill chicken and slice into pieces to fit on top
- of cream cheese filled Jalapenos ... cut bacon strips in half.
- Wrap canoes with chicken on top with bacon strips.
- Fill baking pan with canoes and cook at 375 for 35 mins
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