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Charese Fruge’ (@MCMediaonline) Talks To Sandi Brown
August 2, 2022
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Sandi Brown is the President and Founder of JOY FM / BOOST RADIO in St. Louis, MO, and a co-host of the morning show on 99.1 JOY FM. You won’t believe her inspirational story! She’s made just about all her dreams come true.
She’s written a successful book, gives motivational speeches to women everywhere, has been married to her high school sweetheart for 35 years, has three children and two grandsons, and has managed to keep her radio dream alive for almost 37 years.
Here's what her career timeline looks like. “How many red headed freckled face news anchors do you see on TV?’ My mass media college professor asked me that question then said, ‘You won’t be the first one. I think radio is a better fit for you.’ With that piece of advice and a desire to exceed her expectations, I began working at WCBW, the Contemporary Christian radio station in St. Louis (1985),” explains Brown. “A year later I was promoted to the morning show. Still in college, I would head to class after the show ended. In 1989 I was promoted to Program Director.”
“When WCBW was sold in 1997, I helped form a not-for-profit corporation with the goal of starting our own Contemporary Christian music radio station in St. Louis,” continues Brown. “We didn’t want our city to ever be without Christian music again. So, our goal was to purchase a signal and have it operate as a not-for-profit ministry that would be on the air as long as listeners wanted it and supported it. Three years later (2001), we launched JOY FM on a rimshot commercial frequency but operated it as a non-commercial radio station. In 2010, we purchased a full powered signal (99.1) and within a year, JOY FM grew from 80,000 listeners to almost 400,000 listeners and continues to be in the top ten most listened to radio stations in St. Louis.”
“In 2014, we launched BOOST RADIO, featuring Pop, Hip Hop and Hope,” says Brown. “In addition to being on a full powered signal in St. Louis (95.5fm) it is on signals in Chicago, St. Paul/Minneapolis, Portland, Pittsburgh and Fayetteville, NC.”
Sandi’s entrance into the world of radio is quite the story. “I loved speech and drama in high school, especially impromptu speaking,” she says. “While competing at speech tournaments, I met another high school student that worked part-time at a radio station (WCBW). I couldn’t understand why he was on the radio, and I wasn’t. (Call me naïve and arrogant). So, I made an appointment with the Manager of WCBW and asked for a part-time on-air position. She asked if I had experience on-air and knew how to operate a board. When I said ‘no’ she asked, ‘Why should I hire you?’ With no hesitation, I responded, “Because I’m better than at least one person you have on the air right now. I beat him every week in tournaments. So, if he’s good enough to be on the air, I am too.’ Shockingly, she didn’t hire me. Yet. A couple of years later, while in college, I interviewed with her again and she hired me as an intern. I spent 12 years at that station and learned so much about radio, leadership, and humility.”
When she did get into the radio business, Sandi had NO idea what she was getting into. “I never saw ‘leadership’ as a career goal. Learning to lead a team has been one of the greatest challenges and joys of my life,” she says. “When I launched JOY FM in 2001, I didn’t want to own or lead it, I simply wanted to be on the air. A GM was hired, but quickly resigned before the launch day. The Board of Directors approached me with an invitation to lead JOY FM as General Manager. I told them that I didn’t want the position, but recognized they were in a bind. So, I signed a one-year contract and told them I wouldn’t serve as GM one day longer than my contract. That was 21 years ago. I am still serving as President of our radio stations and couldn’t love my job more. It was the perfect position that I never knew I wanted. Seeing the impact that our stations are having in people’s lives and in our communities is so rewarding. Serving alongside an incredible staff and Board of Directors is an honor. I’m thankful that they see something in me that I often don’t.”
“I love the team that I get to work with every day,” adds Brown. “There is something so powerful about seeing the sum being greater than its parts. My co-workers are talented, creative, passionate, and hard working. We work so well together as a team. But the best part is seeing the unexpected ‘extra’ that comes with serving people. Seeing people’s lives transformed is something we can’t do. But the work we do makes a difference. And our ‘wins’ aren’t solely measured by ratings or profit. We celebrate a growing audience and ratings, but we also take joy in loving people well…those in our building and in our communities we serve. That’s the good stuff!”
Sandi’s success and happiness has not come without challenges. Some of her biggest: “Job loss when WCBW was sold, starting a radio station/ministry from scratch, and leading a team who sees and knows my blind spots better than I do,” says Brown. “The common core to all of them is: Feeling uncertain about myself and the future. Prayer and my relationship with Jesus have been the source of my strength and stamina. As a leader and ‘fixer’ it is easy to rely solely on data or instinct. But I have found a more reliable source for guidance and encouragement. When I take the time to ask God for advice and clarity, He is faithful to provide it. So, I continue to seek His wisdom and direction for my life and the radio stations that I lead.”
“I remember an early coach/mentor giving me this piece of advice: ‘Sandi, as you listen to other women on the radio, you feel like you want to sound like them: funny or smart or sexy or silly… but the greatest gift you can give yourself and your audience is to be you,’ she says. “While I completely understood his sentiment. My first thought as a young broadcaster was, ‘But I don’t know who I am.’
“My advice to all communicators and leaders is, figure out who you are and lead from that authentic place. You can admire and emulate other great leaders, but it won’t take listeners or your staff long to sniff out inauthentic leadership,” says Brown. “Don’t try to be something you’re not. Grow in the areas of your God given strength and abilities. For me, at the core of my leadership, which looks like being vulnerable, honest, passionate, persistent, and obedient to my God. There is a sense of inner peace and joy when you lead with authenticity. I believe opportunities to lead and impact more people will follow when you are thriving as an authentic leader.”
One of the wildest adventures in Sandi’s career so far was purchasing an $18 million dollar radio station. “Nine years after JOY FM launched, we had 80,000 listeners, no money in the bank and a very small staff,” she says. “But our greatest challenge was the rimshot signal we were on that barely got into the St. Louis market we were trying to serve. We began praying for a bigger signal and the funds to pay for it. Shortly thereafter, a 100kw signal, 99.1 went on the market for $30 million. The signal was huge and so was the price tag. But after praying, we believed that we were supposed to make a purchase offer of $18 million and ask the owner to finance it for us with a 20-year note. (We were not in a position to get conventional loan approval.) So, we did. And the owner quickly refused the offer and held firm to their $30 million asking price. We were disappointed but didn’t amend our offer.”
“Several months later, the station owner reached out to us and asked why we offered $18 million,” says Brown. “We told them that with the strength of their signal, our listening audience would grow enough to support paying off that price, over 20 years. And we shared that after praying, it was the amount that we believed God was leading us to offer. The owner shared that they had received several offers, but none were close to their $30 million asking price. So, they had an appraisal completed and it came back at $18 million. They thought it was interesting that our offer matched their appraisal. And they accepted our offer, with no negotiation,” she says. “And they financed our $18 million purchase of their signal. However, our listening audience paid it off in 10 years instead of 20 years. It was the most unbelievable, faith building experience I have ever seen.”
If you know Sandi well and/or have ever been in her office, then you know about the big “thing” in there that provides her and her team (and anyone who visits) with inspiration. “I have a beautiful metal flying pig in my office,” she says. “I love it. Everyone who comes into my office asks about it. It opens a door to share that every time I look at my flying pig, it reminds that EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE! I believe that is true! It may take a lot of hard work, creativity, a passionate team, and more time than you think…but all things are possible!”
Sandi’s most recent passion project is the book she released called, Healing Out Loud: How to Embrace God’s Love When You Don’t Like Yourself. “Like many women, I struggle with self-doubt and negative thoughts about myself,” says Brown. “Spending a year seeing a Licensed Professional Counselor completely changed my life. After the counseling relationship ended, I asked my former counselor if she would consider writing a book with me that could serve to help other women. The book is not only a telling of my journey, from both sides of the couch, but an invitation for the reader to discover their own healing journey. We get invited to speak at women’s events and conferences and I love seeing the response from women. There is a path to understanding who you really are, why you struggle, and how to get free from the negative inner voice. This book was written to help women on their journey to do this.” You can find the book in hard copy or via Kindle here.
Follow Sandi Brown on Facebook or Healing Out Loud Book on Facebook.
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