10 Questions with ... Mike Lyons

NAME:Mike Lyons LAST WITH:KZON/Phoenix PHONE:(920) 284-1823 EMAIL:milyons@hotmail.com

Please begin by giving us a brief career history ...

I hadn't really ever contemplated radio as a career until my senior year of high school. I had no idea what I wanted to go to college to study until a former little league coach of mine introduced me to his girlfriend at the time, who happened to be the PD of WPVL in nearby Platteville. She offered me a job, and I started working there board-opping Milwaukee Brewer games, and ended up staying there all through college, taking on more responsibilities as I went. I also did the whole mobile DJ thing in college as well. In other words, I didn't sleep much.

The quick rundown:
WPVL-WGLR-KIYX/Platteville, WI (3/98-8/02)
KZON-KMLE-KOOL/Phoenix (9/02-9/06)
WKSZ/Appleton-Green Bay, WI (currently working there parttime)

So I have a tendency to stay in one spot for a while. That's a positive, right?!?

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

Honestly, you can't stay positive and motivated all the time. It's tough when you're on the outside and looking in. But I just try to keep moving forward, and keep my eyes on the prize. It helps to talk with friends in the industry who regularly keep me in line and keep me from getting down on myself.

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

I've been able to catch up on watching a bunch of missed episodes of "Scrubs." God bless Comedy Central!

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.

It seems that the people who make the HUGE mistakes aren't held accountable for their actions. But the system of friends hiring friends keeps the mediocre people in places of power/influence.

The one thing I've always been taught when it comes to radio is to take care of "your people." A lot of people in radio don't really seem to subscribe to that theory, because this industry can be one of the most cut-throat ones (next to Hollywood, of course). But the ones that do take care of their people tend to have the greatest successes.

4) Do you plan on sticking with the radio industry?

Honestly, there have been times where I've been discouraged enough to honestly say I've considered trying something different, especially when I've seen many talented people lose their jobs in favor of other less-talented people. But then I realize that, professionally, this is the only occupation I've ever known. Nothing is quite like working in radio, and I really can't ever see myself giving it up.

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

Networking, networking, networking. I've gotten to know a lot of people just through friends of mine, and those people have always been great about tipping me off to job openings. Of course, All Access ranks right up there too. Keeping up with the Net News sometimes will put you one step ahead when/if the job is posted. Heck, I've even gotten a heads-up on job opportunities through some contacts on MySpace!

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

One that's fulltime? OK, honestly, I have a lot of fun being on the air, so in that respect, someplace that just allows me to be creative and have fun. I'm not picky about dayparts, but I am dying to find a position with some MD/APD stripes.

7) How are you finding the "courtesy level" at places you've applied? (Callbacks, emails, rejection letters, etc.)

It's been both good and bad. I recently talked with the folks at Entercom in Madison, and their OM, David Moore, was very accessible and responding to all of my emails. The folks at Woodward Communications (where I work parttime right now) were great with returning emails and calls also! On the other hand, there have also been a lot of non-responders.

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

There have been some pleasant surprises and some not-so-pleasant ones as well. Some jobs I've interviewed for have offered a considerable amount less than what I expected, but some have actually offered more. That being said, the ones that offered more haven't been the right situations -- hence why I'm still "On the Beach."

9) What has been your biggest career accomplishment?

Jumping from WPVL in Platteville, WI to KMLE, KZON, and KOOL in Phoenix -- which means going from market #235 (Dubuque, IA) to market #15 and getting the chance to be on-air (and pulling some decent ratings to boot) in a major market. I owe a big debt of gratitude to Dave Collins at KMLE for whipping me into on-air shape and to Dena Yasner and Dave for being great mentors to me while there.

Probably a close second would be doing a live broadcast from the Fiesta Bowl Pre-Game Tailgate Party while in Phoenix. Got to hang out, broadcast to thousands of people (on top of the Jack Daniels bus no less), and shoot projectiles (mostly T-shirts) at people with an air cannon. It doesn't get much better, or more fun, than that!

But, in all reality, I'm still relatively young in the radio biz, with only nine years in radio. I hope to have more accomplishments to tack onto that list. Soon.

10) Having been through all you have dealt with in this biz, what advice would you give people trying to break in?

Be willing to work. Make yourself very versatile. The more things you know how to do, the more indispensable you become. Give your employer compelling reasons to keep you around! Because there will ALWAYS be someone right around the corner willing to take your spot.

1) Any books you can recommend to people who need something inspirational to read?

"Who Moved My Cheese? An Amazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life" by Spencer Johnson. What's funny is that a professor had us reading that for a class during my senior year of college, and the things that are covered in that book didn't click with me until well after my college years! But it's still a good read, and good advice!