You’ve had a remarkable career in TV and radio. Explain how authenticity played a role in your success in such public-facing industries.
I had a program director (Elroy R.C. Smith at WGCI Chicago) during the early years of my career who told me that what I shared of myself in between the music we played was the most important part of my job, because it was what people would connect with that was unique to me and the station. That’s when I first realized professionally that my voice, perspective, and choices could make a difference.
Tell us about a time in your professional journey when you felt pressure to be inauthentic and how you navigated that moment.
I would say when I started working more on camera on television, I had this feeling that what I looked like wasn’t the standard and that I needed to change that and my presentation style to be successful. It made me doubt myself and how far I could go, but I focused on my work, having fun with it, and finding ways I could serve my viewers by representing them as I was, and amplifying their stories and perspectives in a way that was different than what they were getting. When I saw the value in that, I learned to let go of my doubts more (even if they did pop up from time to time) and see how not being the “standard” was something that helped me stand out, be noticed, and make a difference for others.