10 Questions with ... André Yancey

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

Started as promotions/board op/morning show stunt guy at KMEL and spent a little over a decade as a personality and mixer in various markets, including Hot 101.9, KISS New Orleans, The Vibe Ft. Smith, Sirius XM's Shade 45, Power 105.7 Fayetteville, AR with a significant leap to 92.3 Now in New York. On the network side, Director of New Media for USRN and building datapoint driven apps for Open House Party, HardDrive Radio, and Chicken Soup for The Soul. Several years as a writer for Nick Cannon. Outside of radio, one of my favorite experiences was managing a project build of a HIPPA-compliant patient portal with an international team in the clinical laboratory space. Most recently, I moved back to New York as the EP of Scott Shannon in The Morning on WCBS-FM and transitioned to Assistant Brand Manager of 94.7 The Block.

1) Who were some of your influencers and mentors, both in and outside of radio?

There's a whole village of people who have guided me along the way. Whether frequent conversations or in-transit gems that came at the right time to resonate, this list is much longer, but here are some highlights. Brevity is taking a break right now.

Rico Colindres - My literal day 1. We met on my first day in radio when he shoved a mic in my face during a broadcast with The Morning Zoo on KMEL. He stopped me from ending my career 3 weeks into being an intern when he climbed up on a stool, looked me in the eye while putting his hand on my shoulder, and told me to really give it a chance and that I would be alright. He's helped me grow so much both as a talent and leader.

The duo of Michael Martin and "Jazzy" Jim Archer - The machine these guys created with WILD 107/94.9 was the template for shaking a market prone to earthquakes. Wild was EVERYWHERE, and the passion was fierce. I've always wanted to create something like that.

Larry Jackson - Larry, also a KMEL alum, has been an influencer in my career since before it started. His growth from radio to records was my original dream track. He's done it all with a level of enjoyment that's astounding. I'm very interested in seeing how Gamma grows and shifts culture.

Doug "Kramer" Gentry - Kramer taught me how to be a Top 40 Jock. Hell, he taught me so much about navigating CHR in general. We worked together for some of my most formative radio years. I started as his sidekick on his night show, and we worked on over 30 stations together, including KISS NEW ORLEANS. Kramer's remarkable; before me, a young Bobby Bones also came up with him.

John Baker -My Ops Manager at Cumulus who truly believed in me and the single person who told me to take my ass to New York on the day we were both laid off for downsizing.

Dom Theodore - Dom's greatest gift to me was teaching me how to effectively engage with the audience and the art of NLP.

Rob Wagman - Rob hired me at 92.3 Now and taught me many valuable programming and growing lessons. He instilled the points of "What got you here won't get you there", "Do the work, and you'll see the fruit," and the importance of being "buttoned up." Some days were incredible, and some days were incredibly rough but in time, it all made sense.

Jim Ryan - Jim is the brilliant mind who brought me back to New York. He allowed me the room to do what was needed to do my part with getting CBS-FM mornings out of a pandemic rut. He sees the big picture but can zoom into a single pixel.

Skip Dillard - I've followed Skip's journey for a long time, and I always respected him as a programmer. We immediately clicked when we officially became a team to build The Block. We treat our relationship as a true partnership, and our team moves as a unit. Skip's impeccable with his word and is active in various communities. Skip's made room for me to be successful at work and in my additional academic endeavors.

Chris Oliviero - This is the first time I've witnessed a market president from programming. There's a certain soul in the culture in our cluster that, even in turbulent times, the morale maintains homeostasis. He carries the features of leadership that I strive for.

Dr. Rhoda Deon - a longtime mentor and friend, has been a sherpa in tacking life in and out of the academy.

Lisa Mesh - a professor who proclaimed that it was time for me to shift focus from qualitative to quantitative, which was the beginning of my now relentless statistical passion.

Dr. Joel Oberstone - Joel taught me the ways of decision-making processes through data analytics.

Kevin Lo - My teacher of harnessing and utilizing emotional intelligence as a leader. Through him, I've discovered how to bring out the best in myself.

Jennifer Parlamis - Jennifer brought me insight into bridging the gap between personal strengths and professional success through mindful leadership.

2) Why do you think you've been able to work in various formats?

Being open and willing. My identity is the sum of my experiences, which are rather unique. Curiosity coupled with a deep interest in people, no matter who they are or where they're from, has created the opportunity to be a voice across several formats. My family raised me to be proactive in having a high command of the English language. Articulating messages properly, succinctly, and specifically for whoever my audience is has always been a priority, long before radio. Cultural immersion is key. Each market, city, town, and neighborhood have unique experiences with overarching collective consciousness. I find that and move accordingly. It's my business to identify, understand, and discuss what's important and interesting to our target audience in whatever dialect that will be embraced while still maintaining the core of myself.

3) Would you share what you're most proud of?

Living in the moment, I'm most proud of our culture at The Block. We've got some giants here that have reinvented themselves successfully. Every one of us has endured our own crucibles and to be here standing strong, speaking to an audience that keeps growing. I'm proud that we work together through radio trauma to create a safe work environment so that everyone can bring their best. The result so far is a coalition audience that is very passionate about music and personalities.

4) What lead you to getting into radio?

Radio has been a part of my whole life. Whether in the car, at home, or in my headphones on the school bus or biking around the neighborhood. My mom had a crazy schedule, and I was a latchkey kid, and afternoon drive radio was one of my main companions. At around 8 years old, I decided that I wanted to play music for people and keep them company; that was the true genesis.

Hot 97.7 in San Jose was in the same business park as my parents' company. I would go over there and bug them from time to time, and this guy named Steve, who was a boss over there, told me that I could do this when I grew up if I wanted to. He was the first adult that validated this little flame that would become a wildfire. It would be years before I would know the true impact of Steve Smith.

I started campaigning at 15 and showed up in a full suit to KMEL and WILD 94.9 street team interviews. When I was 18, I got the call and took the dive (forever grateful for Hazel Echaluse, Senin "Slim" Rodriguez, and Jason "Jay Plus" Chin).

5) Could you share everything you're up to these days?

I'll hit you with the Lion's share of it. My days are spent building 94.7 The Block with Skip Dillard and our entire team. We're the first post-pandemic station to launch in NYC in this brave new world, and it's a challenging and stimulating path. We have a strong team with continuous contact, team-sourced community activity, and growth. This is as close to an organic build as I've ever encountered.

When I leave work, I take an hour or two off, and then I hit the books. My other life is a grad school student at NYU in the Executive MBA program. My cohort comprises remarkable professionals and professors who have all made great business or societal impacts in their fields. Since January, the workload has ranged from DEI strategies, Firms and Markets to Corporate Strategy. We are nine classes deep.

On the teaching front, I help advise younger talent in capitalizing on their superpowers and growing careers.

6) What do you think makes radio special?

Radio is special because it's available to everybody. An odd statement, sure, but it's true. Radio can inform, entertain, and/or educate through the theater of the mind. Radio allows for using all the other senses while directly impacting one. Radio can make the listener time travel when they hear a song, radio can create pandemonium, and radio can help create peace. We are the medium when others aren't available because wifi or electricity may be out.

While doing nights at KMCK (Power 105.7), we had a winter weather event that shut down the main highway, and people were stranded. It was after 9 pm when I started receiving calls asking questions and expressing concerns from people not knowing what to do. Their concerns were being low on gas, heaters not working, and needing snacks or blankets for children in the car. The rest of the night was connecting people, strangers, with each other to help endure their predicament. THAT WAS COMMUNITY! By the time all was said and done, it was 2:30 am, and the roads opened again, and everyone eventually made it home safe.

7) How do you balance life and a radio career?

There's a lot that can be unpacked here, but balancing life and radio career is a constant work in progress. Years ago, I was horrible with self-care.

How it started: I never slept, and my drug was caffeine. Between that and adrenaline, I went until I crashed. I thought the longer I worked; the more would get done and the better off I'd be. That old Nas line, "Sleep is the cousin of death," was the mindset. It became hard to maintain as I took on more and more, and the burnout was real, and so were the life lessons to come from it. Lack of Self-care ended my "dream" run at 92.3 now, where my performance was extremely hot or bitter cold. I tried to take on the world on my own, and it didn't work. That coupled with unresolved traumas and depression, I got swallowed up, and the universe gave me a life check.

When I took the time to put my life in order through therapy, releasing traumas, and eventually meditation, I had a complete ego death. This changed how I viewed radio, where I discovered that I love bigger-picture success than I do individually. All win's count, and when they are shared collaboratively with others, more impact can be made, which is a great feeling. Creating order with daily rituals and committing to experiences outside of work steers me toward work/life balance and efficiency. Building systems and sticking to them with a support group is why I can juggle work, grad school, and personal life. Again, it takes a village. Overcoming my pain points and actively clearing my mind has allowed for great strides in my life, with success of all shapes and sizes occurring regularly. When life hits a snag, it's no longer an end-of-the-world scenario but a mere pivot and plot twist to the journey.

8) And the best advice you've ever been given?

Big Von at KMEL: no matter what happens in your career, remember that radio is poor man's fame. Everyone has access to you; this isn't tv or movies. Whether they're wealthy or live at a bus stop, you've gotta be here for the people, not ego. THIS, RIGHT HERE, IS MY CORE.

Brad Buss (Marvell): Planning your exit strategy is vital to the business. Define what it will take for you to be successful enough with an endeavor to complete your personal, vested lifecycle to move forward to your next venture.

Steve Wozniak: The Woz and I had a conversation about dream catching. He told me to realize my dreams by taking measured action and sticking to my values.

9) What's your all-time favorite radio memory?

Patty Steele hosting The Big Show on CBS FM on August 27th, 2021. Patty has an incredible voice and an even better presentation. The event came up when Scott was out of town, and Jim Ryan and I discussed whether the whole show would be off or if we'd make a pivot. After some arm twisting, Patty agreed to host. So, between her and Cara Difalco (incredibly untapped talent) who was filling in doing traffic, CBSFM had a woman's morning show that was incredibly kick ass. From what I understand, it was the first time a woman anchored in the morning in the station's history much less two women holding down. It was such a good show. I'm still proud of Patty for it.

Here's the second.

Almost every single day in the past two years that I've been with Audacy is my favorite radio memory. All of the years of toiling, learning, accepting the uncomfortable lessons, and wading through all of the rivers, bogs, and forests are paying off in personal experience points. Working with Scott on CBS-FM was invigorating. I learned so much from him. We'd speak religiously every night at about 7:20, run over the following day, and spend the rest of the time talking about life and radio until he got sleepy. My last day with WCBS was the Z100 morning show reunion to celebrate Scott's "From Worst to First" documentary. It was a beautiful morning, and the broadcast was damn near perfect.

Transitioning to The Block has been natural. Building our team has been a joy. Nick Cannon did middays early on, Shelley Wade, Ed Lover, Mister Cee, Jonesy, and most recently, Cipha Sounds.

10) Is there anything about you that would surprise most people?

Plenty. But one that gets rarely talked about: my WHY.

I believe anything is possible…in the most literal sense because I've seen it with my own eyes. Growing up in the Silicon Valley during the dawn of the Internet age and tech boom. Apple, Netflix, and eBay are some of the companies that were a stone's throw from where I lived. I also have a mom who was among the first women to sit on a board of directors in The Valley. Nothing was expected, but everything is possible.

Any words of wisdom for up-and-coming air personalities?

• Build a strong support group and challenge each other.
• Embrace the uncomfortable.
• Recognize failure as a part of the process and learn how to rebound quickly from it.

What's your goal for the future?

Our industry has a lot of work to do in the competitive landscape with other mediums. And with such a large influx of private equity investment, I'd like to be a bridge between efficiency and craft.