Read more on the radio and media industry as a whole from Ria Greiff, podcast creator and host, as well as former counselor. Interested in learning more from Ria and her podcast? Check out the website here.
How did you get started in the media and radio industry? Was it always your desired career path?
I never thought that I would be in radio that’s for sure. But I took all of my other experiences and skills and parlayed them into this career path that I believe is exactly where I belong. I was a model and an actress, but I also was a therapist and counselor. When I began doing group therapy, I was bit by the bug to speak about mental wellness in larger groups and sought out public speaking in wellness which is what led me to my firm Comprehensive Benefits Consultants and I became the Clinical Director. As I kept expanding my purview, I then partnered with a firm out of NYC to provide wellness programs for insurance giants nationwide. And yet, I had the drive to reach more folks but also to reach those who didn’t have the opportunities to work in environments that offered these programs or have the temporal or financial freedom to attend wellness seminars. I am an avid NPR listener and as I was driving in my car mulling these ideas over, I had my eureka moment, that I would open source my wellness programs for the radio, and my shows, You Inc. & YouTune were born.
How would you describe your current role? What’s an “everyday” schedule like for you?
It is way less glamorous that you probably imagine. The majority of the time is spent researching and writing the shows. The guest bios, the questions for the guest as an example, but also, because the shows are heavily rooted in scholarly works as well, I spend time reading books that are referred to on the program. There is also my amazing team! We have Twitter handlers, Facebookers, Instagrammers, Linkedin writers, Newsletter creators, Press Releases, Talent Acquisition, Podcast platform managers, NPR Digital Page managers and so much more!
What do you admire/love about the media and entertainment industry? What are some challenges?
It is so very fun working inside of a radio station. There is an entire room full from floor to ceiling with CD’s and posters from musicians, there are the various recording studios and at any given moment there can be on-air personalities milling about, live music acts performing, fund drives, DJ’s and sound engineers doing their thing. Some of the challenges are the ones facing public radio across the nation which is mainly keeping public radio alive as a member-supported entity.
What skillsets are necessary (in your opinion) to succeed in media and entertainment?
Believe it or not, even though you are on radio, you still need to have a smile and an outgoing personality even when not on-air. You also need to be very organized because time does not wait for a host or a producer to get their content together in time for a show. Not to mention, there are so many individuals who are involved with the production of the show. From the on-air weekly promos, sound bytes, music selections, producers who edit the show’s content and those who do the marketing for the station, you need to be respectful of multiple time-lines.
How do you see the industry evolving?
Radio has to evolve with the times and be able to get itself to translate into the digital world. Which is in fact happening. NPR, PRX, PRI all can now be found on Sirius/XM. There is the Tune-in App as well. And of course the world of podcasting. Almost all shows are now podcasted, my shows included. The largest platforms which we are also found on are, iTunes, Spotify, iHeart Radio and most recently Luminary. It is very exciting to be in the podcast world as well. And that is an industry that keeps growing but has a tremendous room for growth. Only 22% of the population listens to podcasts weekly, yet 70% are familiar with the term. So much room to grow with and getting in on the ground floor is amazing!