June 21, 2023 • 10 mins
Host Angela Ingram and Producer Jasmine Bennett discuss the reasoning behind the Women Inspire Chicago Podcast in this "Making Of" prequel episode.
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Episode Transcript
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(00:00):
Thank you Jasmine for agreeing to joinme on this journey of women Inspire Chicago.
It is a platform where we tellstories and wonderful stories about women and
their road to success. I thinksometimes when we think about women, it
just seems like they're able to doit all, and they have it all,
and what we see is that neatlywrap package of them, you know,
(00:21):
sitting in that corner office ruling theworld. We don't know about all
of the twists and the turns andthe detours that they went through to make
it to that seat. And Ithink it's really important for us to be
able to share those stories. AndI think you can appreciate someone's sucsess much
more if you know the story.We all have a story, but sometimes
(00:43):
as women, we're fred to tellour stories because it could potentially make us
look weak or we don't have itall together. And in reality, it's
the story. It's the journey thatreally makes us who we are exactly.
And I'm going to throw a Disneyquote out there because that's just how I
do. That's me. But forreference, missus Incredible. She didn't become
(01:03):
Missus Incredible just by doing nothing.She had help along the way. She
had some pitfalls and some detours alongthe way. She had kids, she
had a career, she had alot of things to juggle, just like
everyday women do. And whatever fieldyou're in, so you can become missus
incredible, but there's always going tobe a lot of things behind that.
So it's important to share that story. And that's true, and I think
(01:25):
that's the key for up and comingleaders. You know, they want this
neatly wrapped package and all of asudden, I'm in the corner office today
and that is not reality. Thisis what really drives me in terms of
this radio business that God has reallyblessed me to be in for the last
forty years. I approached it withthis attitude, if it is not illegal
(01:46):
or immoral, just do it andyou get all of the experience you can
and it all comes back. Youknow, it all comes back. And
sometimes as women, we walk intoa situation and we have in our mind.
We grow up and we decide whatwe're going to be quote when we
grow up, and if it doesn'troll out that way initially, then we
(02:09):
felt like we can't go on.And that happened to me. I had
always dreamed of being a television newsanchor, and that comes from spending most
of my Saturday nights watching Mary TylerMoore, and so that was my thing.
And there was a television station inmy hometown that I wanted to work
for, and so we would driveby on a regular basis with my mom
(02:30):
and I'd say, one day,I'm going to work there. Well,
when I went to college, Ihad an opportunity for an internship at this
television station. So I'm like,I've made it finally. So I go
in and I do my interview withthe news director and he asked me a
series of questions. Now, I'mnineteen years old, keep that in mind.
Is this what you want to bedoing twenty years from now? And
(02:51):
I said, don't know if Iwant to be doing this twenty years from
now, but I know I wantto do this today. Well, he
was so gracious and said great,you know they'll follow up with you later
on that afternoon or the next day. I get a phone call from human
resources and she says, Angela,I'm sorry you didn't make the cut on
the internship, And of course myheart dropped because this has been a lifelong
dream well, nineteen years of alifelong dream, I should say from me,
(03:15):
And she said, you know,he asked you if this is what
you wanted to be doing twenty yearsfrom now, and you said, don't
know, but I know that's whatI want to do today. And he's
really looking for someone more committed.I said, I'm nineteen. I said,
I'm sorry, but listen, all'snot lost. We have an opportunity
for an internship in radio. Ifyou're open to it, I'll set up
(03:36):
an interview and we'll see how itgoes. Well, that was forty years
ago, and look at you nowand I'm still in radio and still with
the same company through various acquisitions.But just what if I hadn't been open
to the pivot? You should say, yeah, open to the detour because
my mind was so set on it, and when I look back on it,
(03:57):
I am so glad that I choseradio, the radio chose me.
I yes, I should say.That's having the wisdom and the knowledge to
know that everything doesn't go. Isthis planned? Oh? I know that
on a personal level, it justdoesn't go. So talk about what is
it that you what's your ultimate goalhere? Ultimately, I would love to
have a late night talk show likethe Jimmy Fallon. You know, I've
(04:19):
always wanted to see a black womanin that spot, or a woman in
general, because there are not alot of women that have late night talk
shows, and then usually if theydo, they end up getting canceled after
like a season, yea, soit doesn't last very long, you know.
And I've always had that dream fora really long time. What I
was talking about with pivoting and likeknowing that certain things don't happen the way
(04:41):
you want them to. I wentto Hampton University for three years and then
school got so expensive. My parentswere going through some things, so I
couldn't go back and I had tocome home. This was in twenty sixteen.
But yeah, I've always been reallyimmersed into music, pop culture,
entertainment. So I was like,I need to do it, but I
don't know how I'm going to dothat right now. Fast forward to twenty
(05:02):
nineteen. When I saw promotions technicianonline at I heard and I applied.
I pretty much thought that was likea long shot. Fast forward to now.
I mean, it is mind blowingthe things that I have been blessed
to be doing. Faith and trustthat you know everything works together for good.
I literally started as an intern andthen went into promotions and marketing and
(05:25):
then communications and community engagement, andI just have had a good run.
I mean, I've had a tremendousopportunity to serve the communities for whether it
was Louisville or Charlotte, or NewOrleans or and now Chicago. I just
I couldn't have asked for anything better. And I think you've got to be
able to embrace whatever falls in yourline of movement. Absolutely. So you
(05:49):
walk in the door at iHeart andyou're in promotions, and then an opportunity
comes through, you know, towork in office administration coordination, and then
that an opportunity comes that, Hey, would you like to do the Brilliantly
Black podcast? And along the way, while you are doing a test run
and rehearsing for that, an opportunitycomes up at one or three five kiss
(06:11):
FMN blowing. I'm mind blowing.All of this has happened in the span
of four years, not to mentiontwo of those years we had a pandemic.
This is true. Yeah, reallyin the span of a couple of
years. But you in the rightplace and you at the right time exactly,
and so we have to be verywatchful of that and mindful of that
(06:31):
and know that there are going tobe challenges, there's going to be ups,
and there's going to be downs.That every date is not going to
look the same. That's a beautifulthing, it really is, and I
love it. It's perfect. Andthen the added I have a dual role
with the Black Information Network, sothat gives me an opportunity to superserve the
black community in a way like I'vereally never had before. I can't I
(06:56):
couldn't ask for anything more. Andthat's a great thing about my heart.
It has been tremendous growth opportunities.Yeah, sometimes you got to step up
and ask for them. They're notjust going to put them in front of
you. And that's not only ordoes any company, right, you know,
you've got to and you've got tobe a change champion. You gotta
be willing to role with the flow, you know, be a change champion.
(07:18):
You know, when we talk aboutwomen in leadership, we always think
about that corner office, but welead everywhere at home, in our schools,
in our churches. You know,we're leaders in the truest sense of
the word. So I'm excited aboutthis platform because I think it's going to
give us all an opportunity to justbe who we are, just women,
Just be women, just be freeto be able to talk about the challenges.
(07:42):
It doesn't matter if you're the presidentof the United States or you're the
director of the world's best organization.Your challenges and your twist in your turns
are some of the same exactly,and they matter, and they matter,
and we need to share that becauseour conversation. There are people that are
going to hear our conversations that wemost likely would never meet, but there's
a good chance that we were ableto make a difference. Wake up in
(08:05):
the morning and say, how canI make a difference today? That's what
it's really about, really, itis because women have it hard enough,
to be really honest, we do. So we need to stick together and
inspire each other and hold each otherup, lift each other up, because
that, honestly makes a world abetter place. They always say, I
mean a happy woman. You knoweverybody else is happy. Yes, it
(08:28):
is, and it's true, andwe need to support each other. Yes,
you know sometimes we as women andyou know I've been down that path
from time to time. You know, you think, we're so busy.
We need to get this done andgot to do this now. We got
to do this now, and wedon't stop breathe for a moment. Pull
someone along with you. You know, you have talents and skills I do
not have, and I need tobe able to learn and grow from you,
(08:50):
and hopefully along the way, you'llbe able to learn and grow from
me. Exactly. That's what it'sall about. It's a gift and a
take. That's really success. Imean, the reality idea of it is,
I will not be sitting here fortyyears from now if I am,
I will not be hosting a podcast, that is for sure. So it
is my responsibility to bring others along. That's a really leadership. That is
(09:13):
a leadership. Need to put thaton a T shirt. I think this
platform is just the opportunity is just. I think they're endless. I think
the opportunities are endless. I thinkit's going to be what we want it
to be. I think it's goingto be what we make it to be.
Let's hope that it's not the typical. You know, the conversations are
not the typical or some of thethings will be, but I think it's
(09:33):
I think it's really key that weprovide some useful wisdom and guidance and nuggets
and really have people walk away understandingand knowing it's okay to pivot exactly,
it's okay to take that detour,and that life is not going to be
a neatly wrapped package. How doyou fit into it to make it what's
best for you, what works foryou in most cases, what works for
(09:56):
your company and those around you,You know, your family and your friends.
Leadership comes in all different shapes andsizes and forms, and you have
the ability to be a leader whereveryou are. So that is the basis
of Women Inspire Chicago. I amlooking forward to this journey and taking this
ride with you wherever it leads,and I think we're going to be able
to have an opportunity to hear somestories from some very interesting women and be
(10:20):
able to figure out what it isit really makes them tick and what happened
along their journey. I think it'sreally important for us to be able to
do that, and I'm excited tobe able to work with you on this
journey. Same here Angela and Ican't wait to see and hear all the
stories of the multiple Missus Incredibles allaround Chicago Land
Thank you Jasmine for agreeing to joinme on this journey of women Inspire Chicago.
It is a platform where we tellstories and wonderful stories about women and
their road to success. I thinksometimes when we think about women, it
just seems like they're able to doit all, and they have it all,
and what we see is that neatlywrap package of them, you know,
(00:21):
sitting in that corner office ruling theworld. We don't know about all
of the twists and the turns andthe detours that they went through to make
it to that seat. And Ithink it's really important for us to be
able to share those stories. AndI think you can appreciate someone's sucsess much
more if you know the story.We all have a story, but sometimes
(00:43):
as women, we're fred to tellour stories because it could potentially make us
look weak or we don't have itall together. And in reality, it's
the story. It's the journey thatreally makes us who we are exactly.
And I'm going to throw a Disneyquote out there because that's just how I
do. That's me. But forreference, missus Incredible. She didn't become
(01:03):
Missus Incredible just by doing nothing.She had help along the way. She
had some pitfalls and some detours alongthe way. She had kids, she
had a career, she had alot of things to juggle, just like
everyday women do. And whatever fieldyou're in, so you can become missus
incredible, but there's always going tobe a lot of things behind that.
So it's important to share that story. And that's true, and I think
(01:25):
that's the key for up and comingleaders. You know, they want this
neatly wrapped package and all of asudden, I'm in the corner office today
and that is not reality. Thisis what really drives me in terms of
this radio business that God has reallyblessed me to be in for the last
forty years. I approached it withthis attitude, if it is not illegal
(01:46):
or immoral, just do it andyou get all of the experience you can
and it all comes back. Youknow, it all comes back. And
sometimes as women, we walk intoa situation and we have in our mind.
We grow up and we decide whatwe're going to be quote when we
grow up, and if it doesn'troll out that way initially, then we
(02:09):
felt like we can't go on.And that happened to me. I had
always dreamed of being a television newsanchor, and that comes from spending most
of my Saturday nights watching Mary TylerMoore, and so that was my thing.
And there was a television station inmy hometown that I wanted to work
for, and so we would driveby on a regular basis with my mom
(02:30):
and I'd say, one day,I'm going to work there. Well,
when I went to college, Ihad an opportunity for an internship at this
television station. So I'm like,I've made it finally. So I go
in and I do my interview withthe news director and he asked me a
series of questions. Now, I'mnineteen years old, keep that in mind.
Is this what you want to bedoing twenty years from now? And
(02:51):
I said, don't know if Iwant to be doing this twenty years from
now, but I know I wantto do this today. Well, he
was so gracious and said great,you know they'll follow up with you later
on that afternoon or the next day. I get a phone call from human
resources and she says, Angela,I'm sorry you didn't make the cut on
the internship, And of course myheart dropped because this has been a lifelong
dream well, nineteen years of alifelong dream, I should say from me,
(03:15):
And she said, you know,he asked you if this is what
you wanted to be doing twenty yearsfrom now, and you said, don't
know, but I know that's whatI want to do today. And he's
really looking for someone more committed.I said, I'm nineteen. I said,
I'm sorry, but listen, all'snot lost. We have an opportunity
for an internship in radio. Ifyou're open to it, I'll set up
(03:36):
an interview and we'll see how itgoes. Well, that was forty years
ago, and look at you nowand I'm still in radio and still with
the same company through various acquisitions.But just what if I hadn't been open
to the pivot? You should say, yeah, open to the detour because
my mind was so set on it, and when I look back on it,
(03:57):
I am so glad that I choseradio, the radio chose me.
I yes, I should say.That's having the wisdom and the knowledge to
know that everything doesn't go. Isthis planned? Oh? I know that
on a personal level, it justdoesn't go. So talk about what is
it that you what's your ultimate goalhere? Ultimately, I would love to
have a late night talk show likethe Jimmy Fallon. You know, I've
(04:19):
always wanted to see a black womanin that spot, or a woman in
general, because there are not alot of women that have late night talk
shows, and then usually if theydo, they end up getting canceled after
like a season, yea, soit doesn't last very long, you know.
And I've always had that dream fora really long time. What I
was talking about with pivoting and likeknowing that certain things don't happen the way
(04:41):
you want them to. I wentto Hampton University for three years and then
school got so expensive. My parentswere going through some things, so I
couldn't go back and I had tocome home. This was in twenty sixteen.
But yeah, I've always been reallyimmersed into music, pop culture,
entertainment. So I was like,I need to do it, but I
don't know how I'm going to dothat right now. Fast forward to twenty
(05:02):
nineteen. When I saw promotions technicianonline at I heard and I applied.
I pretty much thought that was likea long shot. Fast forward to now.
I mean, it is mind blowingthe things that I have been blessed
to be doing. Faith and trustthat you know everything works together for good.
I literally started as an intern andthen went into promotions and marketing and
(05:25):
then communications and community engagement, andI just have had a good run.
I mean, I've had a tremendousopportunity to serve the communities for whether it
was Louisville or Charlotte, or NewOrleans or and now Chicago. I just
I couldn't have asked for anything better. And I think you've got to be
able to embrace whatever falls in yourline of movement. Absolutely. So you
(05:49):
walk in the door at iHeart andyou're in promotions, and then an opportunity
comes through, you know, towork in office administration coordination, and then
that an opportunity comes that, Hey, would you like to do the Brilliantly
Black podcast? And along the way, while you are doing a test run
and rehearsing for that, an opportunitycomes up at one or three five kiss
(06:11):
FMN blowing. I'm mind blowing.All of this has happened in the span
of four years, not to mentiontwo of those years we had a pandemic.
This is true. Yeah, reallyin the span of a couple of
years. But you in the rightplace and you at the right time exactly,
and so we have to be verywatchful of that and mindful of that
(06:31):
and know that there are going tobe challenges, there's going to be ups,
and there's going to be downs.That every date is not going to
look the same. That's a beautifulthing, it really is, and I
love it. It's perfect. Andthen the added I have a dual role
with the Black Information Network, sothat gives me an opportunity to superserve the
black community in a way like I'vereally never had before. I can't I
(06:56):
couldn't ask for anything more. Andthat's a great thing about my heart.
It has been tremendous growth opportunities.Yeah, sometimes you got to step up
and ask for them. They're notjust going to put them in front of
you. And that's not only ordoes any company, right, you know,
you've got to and you've got tobe a change champion. You gotta
be willing to role with the flow, you know, be a change champion.
(07:18):
You know, when we talk aboutwomen in leadership, we always think
about that corner office, but welead everywhere at home, in our schools,
in our churches. You know,we're leaders in the truest sense of
the word. So I'm excited aboutthis platform because I think it's going to
give us all an opportunity to justbe who we are, just women,
Just be women, just be freeto be able to talk about the challenges.
(07:42):
It doesn't matter if you're the presidentof the United States or you're the
director of the world's best organization.Your challenges and your twist in your turns
are some of the same exactly,and they matter, and they matter,
and we need to share that becauseour conversation. There are people that are
going to hear our conversations that wemost likely would never meet, but there's
a good chance that we were ableto make a difference. Wake up in
(08:05):
the morning and say, how canI make a difference today? That's what
it's really about, really, itis because women have it hard enough,
to be really honest, we do. So we need to stick together and
inspire each other and hold each otherup, lift each other up, because
that, honestly makes a world abetter place. They always say, I
mean a happy woman. You knoweverybody else is happy. Yes, it
(08:28):
is, and it's true, andwe need to support each other. Yes,
you know sometimes we as women andyou know I've been down that path
from time to time. You know, you think, we're so busy.
We need to get this done andgot to do this now. We got
to do this now, and wedon't stop breathe for a moment. Pull
someone along with you. You know, you have talents and skills I do
not have, and I need tobe able to learn and grow from you,
(08:50):
and hopefully along the way, you'llbe able to learn and grow from
me. Exactly. That's what it'sall about. It's a gift and a
take. That's really success. Imean, the reality idea of it is,
I will not be sitting here fortyyears from now if I am,
I will not be hosting a podcast, that is for sure. So it
is my responsibility to bring others along. That's a really leadership. That is
(09:13):
a leadership. Need to put thaton a T shirt. I think this
platform is just the opportunity is just. I think they're endless. I think
the opportunities are endless. I thinkit's going to be what we want it
to be. I think it's goingto be what we make it to be.
Let's hope that it's not the typical. You know, the conversations are
not the typical or some of thethings will be, but I think it's
(09:33):
I think it's really key that weprovide some useful wisdom and guidance and nuggets
and really have people walk away understandingand knowing it's okay to pivot exactly,
it's okay to take that detour,and that life is not going to be
a neatly wrapped package. How doyou fit into it to make it what's
best for you, what works foryou in most cases, what works for
(09:56):
your company and those around you,You know, your family and your friends.
Leadership comes in all different shapes andsizes and forms, and you have
the ability to be a leader whereveryou are. So that is the basis
of Women Inspire Chicago. I amlooking forward to this journey and taking this
ride with you wherever it leads,and I think we're going to be able
to have an opportunity to hear somestories from some very interesting women and be
(10:20):
able to figure out what it isit really makes them tick and what happened
along their journey. I think it'sreally important for us to be able to
do that, and I'm excited tobe able to work with you on this
journey. Same here Angela and Ican't wait to see and hear all the
stories of the multiple Missus Incredibles allaround Chicago Land
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