The New Girl

Well I did it. I made it through the first week of the new job...unscathed. I was nervous for sure. I've never really done anything like this but I did, and it went even more smoothly than I could have hoped for. My first day I woke up nice and early (which is always easier when you're new to something!) and got Duke and I on a routine. I was worried about leaving him at home all day, but he did great! Looks like he's learning new things too. I was intimidated at first by some elements of my job. The system and equipment they use is really different. It all really functions the same in the end, but everything looked foreign to me, so I knew that would take some time to get used to. Luckily Frank from the morning show, Marc & Kim & Frank, worked with me all last week to make sure that I understood everything and felt comfortable before starting full on with my mid day shift. Pretty much everything went like I had hoped. The only major excitement was me fainting on the 3rd day of work! Seriously?! Yes that happened. I usually wait until I know people a little better before fainting on them....but since I was in the spirit of trying new things, I figured what the heck! Justin was able to come this past weekend and spend it with me. It was great. Just me, him, and Duke. We had a really good time, and Justin was able to see the little bits of Knoxville  that I knew to show him. We rounded off the weekend at Market square, eating lunch and having mimosas and wine at Bella Luna, an Italian Restaurant. It was sad to see the weekend end so quickly and watch him have to go back home, but I'm hoping it will get easier as we do it more. Next I get to visit him! Which means Dusti back in Charlotte! Which means Justin, family, AND friends. So I started off my full week of work today and began my mid day shift. I was nervous for sure, but felt a sense of confidence at the same time that I would be just fine. I had all of these people that had taught me how to do this, and who believed in me and were rooting for me. It's a great feeling. I got through my shift with no problems at all! I was able to really let my personality through, and that was what was most important to me, because without that, I'm just a robot. I was glued to the Facebook, excited yet a little worried to see what the listeners thought of me. It's one thing to win over your office, it's a totally different ballgame when you're trying to win over your listeners. They are the toughest critics. They don't owe you anything, and they will never hesitate to tell you what they think. So far....I'm happy to report I had some very good feedback from listeners. WHEW! And they have no idea how much their comments meant to me. It gives me that much more motivation to get back in there tomorrow and the next day and the next and be the best I can be..for them. sadxzxsdf (and that little bit was from Duke as he ran across my computer) He says hi!

Up, Away, and Out Of the Nest You Go

Wowwwwie it's been a long time. I mean a LONG time. I am still alive, yes! It's amazing how the time flies by the older and busier you get. Quite a bit has happened since my last post. I started an internship with Clear Channel Radio in Charlotte, I graduated college, and I left everything I've ever known behind to start my new dream job in Knoxville, TN. Yes by a lot, I truly meant a lot. Let's rewind a bit back to the internship. My internship was in radio because...well... I needed an internship and it had something to do with music. I wanted to learn more about it, but I had no idea that it would spiral into something so huge for me, teaching me way more than I initially bargained for. I was working with a five-station cluster  (1065 The End, Lite 1029, Channel 961, 997 The Fox, and 969 The Kat) in a top 25 market. I had the opportunity to work with some of the best people in the business who were so helpful and generous in sharing their knowledge with me. They truly helped me in one of the most pivotal times of my life, and I will forever love and be grateful for them as they have become wonderful friends along the way. Since I couldn't get enough to fulfill my thirst for this business, I doubled my internship making it last two semesters. I remember being so depressed when I had to start back with classes because it limited my days at the station to only two days a week. I wanted to be there as much as I could! Long story short, it finally came down to the wire, and I refused to let this slip out of my hands. I started working for the cluster as the Programming Assistant on a part-time basis. When I finished school in December, I was able to be there everyday, and boy did that make me one happy girl. I absolutely was in love with my job and was developing great relationships with my co-workers. I still did hair along with my job in radio, but I loved it so much that I needed more. I just felt myself bursting at the seams to learn more and get better at my job. An incredible opportunity finally came along with a station in Knoxville, TN as the Middays on-air personality and Promotions Assistant at Star 102.1, a pop/top 40 station. The program/operations director was interested! In me! I was excited, but also had to face my feelings towards the possibility of moving. I'm in a serious relationship, so of course that aspect of my life weighs heavily in any decision I make. Fortunately, I have an incredibly understanding, loving, and supportive boyfriend who pretty much ordered me to take this opportunity! How many people can say that? He put aside what he might have personally wanted, so that I could have a chance to further my career. After I was officially offered the job, it all became real. I had to quickly make a decision as to whether or not this job was worth me picking up my entire life, and moving it somewhere else. So.... I did it. I left the only city I have ever lived in, all of my friends, my family, my job that I was in love with, and the man I love. Only physically of course, those things and people are all still very much an active part of my life. I'm keeping in touch my family, friends, and old co-workers, and Justin and I are back to the long-distance thing that we've done once before. Luckily Knoxville is only 4 hours away, and I'm so grateful for that. This opportunity couldn't have been in a better location for me unless it had been in Charlotte itself.  Just when I think I know where my life is going, I realize that I have no idea. Life changes constantly and quickly, and you are rarely ever ready for it. I sat in my graduation ceremony a couple of weeks ago and realized just how lucky I am. In this particular time where the job market isn't at it's best, I could sit there on that day knowing that I had a job and an adventure waiting for me. That I have this incredible support team behind me who wants to see me succeed, and help me do it in any way that they can. So here I am... in Knoxville... Just me and my little dog, Duke. I still have my friends, my family, and Justin, but now I am just taking the next step in my career for ME. I'm proud of the fact that I took this daring next step in life and can't wait to see what the rest of this journey holds...BUT I refuse to wear orange. Sorry Vols....but orange is just not cute....on anybody.

Let's Get Physical

Today I began my quest to get in shape for my upcoming 5K! For the past couple of months I have been tossing this idea around in my head and I have finally made the decision to actually do it. I will be running in March and my wonderful client, Shannon, has kindly offered to run with me! I have to be honest and say that I am a little nervous, only because I have never done one of these before and of course I don't want to be the last one to finish. Not only am I doing this just to cross it off of my list, but I am doing it for motivation too. I have a hard time forcing myself to do the every day monotonous gym run because I just get so bored and discouraged. With the 5K in mind, it gives me a goal to work towards and that is a lot more beneficial for me.  I also have had a hard time in the past because I never could find a workout that I truly enjoyed. After trying several different workouts, I have decided that, along with my run, I will do yoga. Yoga makes me feel great and so relaxed and weightlifting just isn't for me. I also enjoy Zumba, which is another really fun way to exercise. There are so many ways to keep in shape, so it only makes sense to design a workout that you know you can stick with rather than quitting because you're doing something you don't enjoy.

Boys Will Be Boys

This weekend I had the pleasure of spending time with some pretty great friends, 4 of them being males, including my boyfriend Justin. With yesterday being football playoffs, I rocked my green and white Jets jersey to support the New York Jets (11-5) play against the New England Patriots (14-2).  I never was a big sports fan, mainly because half of the time I never know what's going on, but with my boyfriend being so into it I am constantly around it, so now I have very sophisticated and highly justified reasons for being a NY Jets fan.

A. The green and white colors are pretty and make a cute jersey

B. Mark Sanchez

 

C. They win a lot

Do You Like to Party All the Time? WE do!

I am very disappointed tonight! Justin and I had plans to see one of our favorite bands, Anberlin, perform tonight at Amos' in Charlotte. Circa Survive was also playing and they are one of Justin's favorites. You could pre-order the tickets for only $18, but with us being very last minute, we of course decided to purchase the tickets today. When we went online to purchase them they were SOLD OUT! What??? I did not see that coming. They are both great bands but I did not anticipate them to sell out a venue with a 1200 person capacity! Oh well, until next time, YouTube will have to do. Make sure you check them out.  This video is "Paper Thin Hymn," one of my favorite songs by Anberlin.

Introducing....Blakley Leonard

Here is one of my favorites. Check him out!


Here's the bio I wrote for him:

Blakley Leonard has perfected the art of captivating and paralyzing the soul with his soothing blend of acoustic, folk, and indie styles. A native of Abingdon, Virginia, Blakley began his music career as a singer/songwriter in 2005. With a sharp tongue and the perfect amount of cynicism, Blakley uses his palette of emotions as the driving force and inspiration for his music. Blakley has a fan base spread across the piedmont region due to his ambrosial and superlative live performance. In 2008, he placed second in the national battle of the bands competition, Young Guns, as well as performing fan favorites such as "Wait for Morning," and "Closer Now," live on the radio. Blakley currently attends Catawba College in Salisbury, NC as a Music Business major, along with his accompanist Zandi Watts, a Music Education major. While continually writing new material, Blakley is in the process of recording his new E.P., which will be available later this year. With the ability to caress his listeners with an undeniable, embracing truth, Blakley Leonard is a must hear.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Come out and see Blakley perform @ 11:00 on Feb. 19th at TABU in Salisbury, NC!

      

...Testing 1,2,3. Is this thing on?

Alright guys, I'm starting over with a brand new blog. My goal is to not only fulfill my need to write, write, write, but I also want to keep my page loaded with music, videos, polls, and other fun stuff. Keep a look out for up and coming artists as I share my musical findings with you, and document life's adventures on my Flip camera.

If you have ideas for polls or if you know of an artist you would like me to share please let me know!

Until next time....
 Adios