My First Radio Ad as an Outsider

Over the past few months this blog has shifted from being a place for me to showcase my on-air work in radio and musings from my daily life to a place for me to post my thoughts whenever I can. Many of my previous posts that were work related celebrated work that I had done, a lesson learned as part of my job, cool things that I got to do as part of my awesome job or rants that started as a short 45 second radio break.

I’m going to try to continue posting here about the things that impact my life. I don’t think I’ll be blogging about the jerks at table 61 who did not tip, but I will be blogging about things I learn or find challenging about my new career path in marketing. I’ll continue to post my random workout thoughts, because I believe being health conscious is a very important part of my life and when things are working out (no pun intended) in that area of my life everything else falls into place.

Even though this is no longer a blog that focuses on my life as a “radio personality” today’s blog is featuring a little piece of work that I did for radio for my marketing job. I am the Marketing Coordinator of Valley Credit Union here in the Annapolis Valley and one of my tasks for our RRSP/Investment Season Campaign was to write and voice our radio ad. This took our radio advertising in a new direction that people around the office really seem to enjoy. It challenged me because my wisdom teeth are slowly breaking through my gums and I had not realized that I was having trouble annunciating until I heard my first run through. Yikes, it was bad!

Writing and voicing this ad really forced me to get out of my radio comfort zone and experience advertising from the other side of the table.

I have been thinking a lot about retirement these days (I guess it comes with the job) and I have
decided what I would like to do about 30 years from now. I think I would make a fabulous "Fairy Godmother". I would love to cruise around Disney Parks hanging out with kids, adults and super fans. I think it could quite possibly be the best job to do during retirement.

Are you going to cut loose from the work world when you retire or are you already planning to have a side job? I'm so worried that I will be bored with all the free time that comes with retirement and I have a fear of being old and cold so I think that being "Fairy Godmother" is the perfect fit!

Here is the ad, I hope you like it!

Visiting Columbia Gardens Vineyard & Winery

I had a busy Saturday.

I started the day off Saturday morning trip the Peak Physique and a stroll around the Castlegar Market and then I came home to Trail for a quick bite to eat and a quick grocery trip to Ferraro Foods.  I felt a little inspired when I finished unpacking my groceries and made a trip up the hill to Columbia Gardens Vineyard  & Winery.

Our GOAT Account Executive Ray inspired me to make the trip. I am gathering together some of the Kootenay Boundary’s finest products for a gift basket and Ray suggested that rather than go with his suggestions for wines that I should go visit them and try them out myself.  I am a red girl so I already had that determined but I sampled three of the winery’s reds and enjoyed them all. In total I now have four bottles from Columbia Gardens for the basket, the Station Road Rose and three Red (DeJager’s Merlot, Foch Private Reserve and Kootenay Red).

Included in my three reds is Kootenay Red, a bold red wine with a story! If you visit Columbia Garden’s you need to ask about the story that inspired the bottle’s cartoon label. They had me at bear cub…

While at Columbia Gardens I had to ask Tersia De Jager about her accent and the story about moving to the Kootenay Boundary. Terisa tells the story best here:

Also, Terisa showed me around the Guest House that they are developing at the Vineyard and it is absolutely lovely. Here are a few sneak peak photos! I know the guesthouse is going to be the perfect place for wedding parties and functions in the future.

A sneak peak at a room in the guest house.

Terisa De Jager also showed me around one of the areas where weddings are hosted in the vineyard. So many happy memories will be made here!

To see Columbia Gardens Vineyard  & Winery’s full wine catalogue and all of their services click here.

I am so excited to have a fridge full of wine right now! I wish I had bought more from the “The Burl” at the Vineyard. You can do a wine tasting there and check out amazing homemade goods for your home. All of the gifts in the “The Burl” are handmade pieces and one of a kind!

As you can see the deck is the perfect place to look out over the vines and sip a glass of wine.

Bend Sinister Visits The GOAT

In just about a hour you can check out Bend Sinister performing at the Flying Steamshovel in Rossland. Performing does not feel right in this context; I think the better fit here is rocking out. Phrasing Kate, phrasing. In less than an hour you can check out Bend Sinister rocking out at the Flying Steamshovel in Rossland.

Earlier today Bend Sinister joined me at The GOAT for a chat about the show tonight. Last night they were in Nelson and had a stellar time, tonight they are returning to the Flying Steamshovel in Rossland for an 8pm show. Advance tickets (you may have missed the boat on this) are $10 and admission at the door is $15. Grab your buddies and head there now for a burger (and maybe some curry), a beer and a fantastic show. Don't forget to wear your dancing shoes!

The very generous lads in Bend Sinister hooked me up with a copy of their latest album "Animals" and I will be honest with you I jammed to it the entire way home tonight.

If you can't catch them tonight there are many more chances for you to see them if you are in Western Canada. They will be visiting Kamloops, Calgary and many other places on their tour this summer. Seriously Calgary friends, you need to see these Vancouver rockers when they take the stage at Ship & Anchor's big celebration on July 24th. For the full look at their tour click here.

I wish we could have recorded our chat before the interview; there were so many interesting topics we touched on before the mics turned on.

-The last wild night they played the Flying Steamshovel (that may not have been safe for the airwaves).

-How intense they expect the party to be coming up in Calgary on the 24th for the Ship & Anchor's 2th Birthday Bash.

-James Deen the porn star starring in their video "Quest for Love" (you can check that out and feel the love below).

I am wishing Bend Sinister all the best for their show tonight, I am so bummed that I can't make it but I know our paths will cross again.

The Goat's Daily Dose of Weird: July 11- DO IT FOR DENMARK!

I kind of lost it a little bit talking about this live on-air so here is my voice-tracked version of the "Daily Dose of Weird" for July 11, 2014. 

Why did I lose it? Well I glanced over at the monitor screen on my show-prep computer and the elderly couple from the commercial was staring at me frozen in time. I felt as if I had just done something naughty myself because their glare was so intimidating. 

The stats here are crazy; I can't believe that Denmark knows these weird figures about their citizen’s sex lives! For the full effect of this weird news segment you really need to watch the entire "Do It For Denmark" ad in the Youtube video posted below.  

The Goat's Daily Dose of Weird: July 04, 2014- The 2014 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest

Competitive eating is something I should have gotten into at a young age. Maybe if I had of trained a little as a competitive eater I would not be the world’s slowest eater. Yes, that is a title I could hold. I eat unbearably slow.  If we ever dine together and I order a salad expect to be at the table for a while, I could be in contention for the world’s slowest person who likes to consume salads.

Today’s Daily Dose of Weird talks about a subject that is pretty much the opposite of that, Joey “Jaws” Chestnut and his big win today at the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest. He threw back 61 hot dogs in 10 minutes.

“Jaws” thought it would be the perfect time to pop the question, here is a special moment that happened before the big contest. why not eh?

For more on Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest click here.

The Goat's Daily Dose of Weird: June 27, 2014- Murphy The Not So Chubby Police Horse

I managed to get this up on Soundcloud yesterday but forgot to post it here on my blog. Why? Well I was feeling inspired to get over to the gym before it closed and it was a crazy day. I will write about my adventures at the gym soon; for now let Murphy the formerly overweight horse inspire you!

Murphy was tipping the scales at 1,900lbs when recruited to join the Portland Mounted Patrol Unit and was too large for all of the saddles. Last week Murphy made his first arrest after losing 200lbs and completing the required training to become one of Portland’s four-legged finest.

This is his story.

To check out pictures of Murphy the commit to fit police horse click here. 

The Goat's Daily Dose of Weird: June 20, 2014- Sex At The World Cup

It has been a while since I shared a “Daily Dose of Weird” radio break. With all the changes things have been really busy! Today’s topic is red hot, the FIFA World Cup in Brazil. By all accounts the 2014 World Cup is the sexiest tournament ever (not really sure why that matters but it has been constantly brought up). Yesterday I discussed the HUGE demand for the unofficial World Cup condom on sale exclusively in Brazil, today the topic was about the sexual activity the players are allowed (or not allowed) to partake in.

For the full read about the Brazilian unofficial/official World Cup condoms from makers (ironically named) Prudence click here.

Like I say in my radio break I think it is way more ridiculous to have a grey area in your team’s sexual policy for World Cup. Yes or no, one or the other; I think the grey area will just get people in trouble and it is confusing. Also, Brazil we get it you are not normally vanilla in-bed but to have to say no acrobatic sex, is that necessary?  What does that even mean? Also, who is enforcing these “rules” and who would be a big enough jerk to taddle? For Time’s look at what teams can take part in bedroom behavior and to what extent click here. 

Just A Little Radio Rant...

I’m going to be honest with you. I am pretty honest in my blogs, revealing some of my most embarrassing stories and thoughts because it is generally my safe place. My blog provides me a little piece of mind with a little expressive flare that I can’t always let out on-air. Generally I like to be quick and simple on the radio and writing here gives me the space and freedom to give you weird details to support my strange way of thinking. This blog has been a couple weeks in the making and after a little social media post last night on Facebook I thought I would elaborate more here. I am not really a mushy person here on my blog or on social media so don’t expect this type of thing to happen again…

I have been struggling to blog lately because I have been doing two radio shows a day on top of voice tracking for 4 hours. That’s 12 hours of radio total. I’ve done it before, I’ll do it again once this phase of my career is over, it is a reality I am totally okay with but to be honest with you other parts of my life are suffering. I’m still making it to the gym (today was workout #79 in the last 16 weeks) and going through the motions but I am pretty tired all the time. It is a good thing that my boyfriend is in Quebec at Basic Military Training because I am pretty much engulfed with work.

I really actually don’t mind doing the two shows, I have found that it really helps put things in perspective with how things in radio used to be done. People tell me all the time about their long days and nights on-air and I can now say I totally know the feeling of prepping an 8 hour show! Slowly, but surely I am on my way to mastery (let’s hope)!

That is not why I started this blog; I started it as a big shout-out and THANK YOU to our amazing listeners in the Kootenays and around the world. The last couple of weeks have had some big changes and the listeners are why we work so hard and continuously trying to be the best radio station we can be.

Today I had three winners on my show and they totally made my day. There is a 99% chance they will never read this but I really wanted to put out in the universe that they made my day with their excitement and positivity! Chris, Remi and Dave all were so happy to have won passes to GFI and keys to Storage War today and it really helped pick me up and it reminded me why we do what we do in radio. It’s not to be big wigs, it is not to be pseudo small town (or big city) celebrities, it is to make our listeners days a little better any way we can.

Here is Dave’s big moment. He is now 1 of 100 contestants that will have keys for Storage War III coming up on July 5, 2014 at West Kootenay Self Storage. Three keys will unlock thousands of dollars in of prizes in three storage lockers and one of those three keys could be Dave’s! All of the excitement today truly has pumped me up and I can't wait to get back at it tomorrow!  

Again, thank you to everyone for their support and tolerance over the past couple weeks! I can’t wait to get back on-air tomorrow and do it all again!  

Shameless plug alert:

You can listen to me on the new GOAT 10am-6pm (PT) on www.kootenays.thegoat.ca! 

Introducing The GOAT to the Kootenays!

Well it has been a crazy weekend that is for sure! Friday we broke new ground for Vista Radio

Kootenays by flipping our second station in two weeks.

Our sister station 1035 the Bridge flipped a two weeks ago to 1035 Juice FM – Nelson’s Biggest Variety and now what used to be Mountain FM is now The GOAT. I totally get the questions and the laughs over the name change, but once you get that GOAT is an acronym for “Greatest Of All Time” it is easy to get behind. I hope you have been listening and like what you hear. If you missed the big launch you can here the moment we flipped from Mountain to the GOAT right here:

Unlike Nelson and Juice FM the GOAT still sounds the same. I have heard so many great comments and people were so excited to get new GOAT swag at my remote broadcast yesterday. I was on location for the afternoon yesterday at Andre’s in Uptown Centre and lots of people stopped in to pick up water bottles, frisbees and pens! 

Don't worry, John and Jenny are still waking up with you on the Morning Herd and I am currently on-air from 10am until 6pm weekdays. We still have all the local content you loved before but now we have a fresh new polished sound!

Make sure you like the new GOAT on Facebook and follow us on Twitter J

Lisa Nicole on Mountain FM’s Morning Rocks

Today I ended my two-day stint co-hosting Morning Rocks on Mountain FM with John Helm; the lovely Jenny Fines was away celebrating her birthday.

Lisa Nicole joined us on the morning show in anticipation of her big show on Saturday night at the Old Theatre in Castlegar. Fresh off winning two Kootenay Music Awards a couple of weeks ago at the 3^rd annual ceremony, Lisa Nicole will be putting on quite the show with opening act Jason Thomas Saturday, May 24^th. Get your tickets now!

Click here to check out Lisa Nicole on Facebook.

FYI Lisa Nicole took home two Kootenay Music Awards on Friday May 9^, 2014 at the Spiritbar in Nelson. She was voted to have the “Album of the Year” for It Got Ugly and was voted “Best Roots, Country” or Folk Artist as well.

Not in Castlegar this weekend? Lisa Nicole has a bunch of BC and Alberta tour dates coming up this summer! Check them out here.

Here is Lisa Nicole's video for  It Got Ugly.