We recently connected with Deanna Marie and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Deanna , great to have you with us today and excited to have you share your wisdom with our readers. Over the years, after speaking with countless do-ers, makers, builders, entrepreneurs, artists and more we’ve noticed that the ability to take risks is central to almost all stories of triumph and so we’re really interested in hearing about your journey with risk and how you developed your risk-taking ability.
I think back to when I was a child and we moved into a new neighborhood when I was fairly young, I wanna say around six years old. I didn’t know anyone. I saw all the kids in the neighborhood playing together when I would drive down the street with my parents and I felt a little out of place.
My mom told me go across the street and knock on their door and tell them that you just moved here and you wanna know if they have any kids your age.
I don’t know what compelled me to actually do it other than the fact that I think I was young enough to listen to everything my mother told me, so I did it.
I walked across the street. I knocked on the door. They answered and I said “hi my name is Deanna and I just moved down across the street and I’m trying to make some friends. Do you have any kids my age?” Well, I ended up making some friends that day and getting more comfortable in my new neighborhood.
I truly believe it was a pivotal moment in my life where I started to realize very quickly that there’s nothing to be scared of. We have a tendency to scare ourselves. We get in our own heads. We think of worst case scenarios. Sometimes it can be good to hash out what could possibly go wrong so you’re prepared. But on the same token, you should always be optimistic that it just might work out for you.
And I’ve taken that with me through life when I decided to move across the country without having a rhyme or reason. I’ve kept it in mind when I’ve applied for jobs that I didn’t really think I was qualified for, but instead of doubting myself, I put on my best face. I would interview as well as I could and smile the whole time. Most times I got the job.
With each scenario that worked out in my favor, I gained more and more confidence that risk-taking would always push me forward and help me progress. Because even if I didn’t land the job or the opportunity didn’t work out in my favor, I built more character in the process. Rejection helps you grow too.
And ultimately, taking risks never sets you back. Worst case scenario you are just in the same spot that you started, so what’s the big deal?
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I’m excited to have been brought onto the team at Mix 92.9. The station has such a strong presence in the community and I’m thrilled to bring my flavor to Nashville.
I have a strong passion for philanthropy and staying involved with outreach.
What I love most about working in radio is the ability to reach the masses, to develop connections with people, to be a light for someone on a bad day.
As a vocalist by trade, I lived a former life performing in various different bands and with different projects, and I still hold that very dear to my heart. Being a musician is an emotional path in life. You pour your heart and soul into everything you do and it can be tough when it’s not received the way you hoped it would be. So I started a podcast where I interview local musicians. I want to give them a platform to tell their story so the listener can learn more about them. Ultimately my hope is that they’ll find a lot more people, listening and downloading their music.
My goal as a radio host is to be a friendly face in the community that people look forward to meeting and tuning in to at night to listen to. I want to be a partner annd champion for charitable organizations and advocate for important causes. I want to make a difference. I hope to leave the world better than it was when I entered it. It sounds like a big undertaking. But if we all had the mindset of “community first”, the world would be a much better place.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
I believe that in someway, these could all apply to any career path or goal.
One thing I learned very early on is to always be a student. Always be willing to learn. Ask questions and stay humble. The minute you think you know it all or act like you know it all, is the minute that opportunity will stop coming your way because nobody wants to work with someone who can’t grow.
Second, I would say to know you’re worth. I’ve been fortunate enough to find opportunities that have helped me to live a comfortable life, but it hasn’t always been that way. You have to ask for what you want and ask for it with confidence. No one is going to hand you everything on a silver platter but you also aren’t going to get anything if you don’t command it.
Lastly, I would say resilience is key. Life can knock you down. We’ve all had our lows. And you should absolutely grieve the losses and feel the pain, but don’t forget to make your way out of it. Seek help if you need to, but don’t live in the sorrow. I’ve had one major moment in my career where I thought it was all over. If I had stopped then, I wouldn’t be here now.
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
I would love to hear from local musicians. I’ve reached out on Facebook groups and have been recommended through word-of-mouth. But since I have the platform here I might as well put out the word. If you are a local musician and you would like to interview on my podcast, I would love to provide that opportunity if it’s a good match.
Email me at Deanna.Marie@mwcradio.com or message me on Instagram @DeannaOnTheAir
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Www.mix929.com/shows-real-life-with-deanna/
- Instagram: @deannaontheair
- Facebook: @deannaontheair
Image Credits
Steven Parks Photography
Salt & Stag Photography
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
