Today we’d like to introduce you to Dan Michaels.
Hi Dan, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I got started in radio running into a friend of mine that was a sales person in radio. She said with my voice and personality I’d probably get hired on the spot. So on a chance I just rolled into the local station she worked at and applied. I was hired called before I left the parking lot. Then hired from there. One of my first days was a contest in a local bar and the morning guy didn’t want to do it. Asked me and handed me the mic. My boss told me after the night was over that I was born to be in radio and perform. That was 28 years ago. I’ve since had a dj business and MC’ed events all over the country. Currently you can hear me or my voice on commercials on more than 30 radio stations in the midwest. I’m very active in the Manhattan Junction City and starting in Salina. Everyday you can hear me on 101.9 the Bull in Hays, KS, Country 102.9 in Hutchinson, QCountry 103.5 in Manhattan, 107.9/1420 in Junction City, KS and 92.7 Country Rewind in Manhattan, KS. I’m currently the Director of Operations for Eagle Media in Manhattan, Junction City and Salina. Sit on the Kansas Associaton of Broadcastors Board of Directors. Board Chair of Downtown Manhattan BID, Board of Director of Downtown Manhattan. Board of Directors for Aggieville Business District in Manhattan among other community groups and event committees.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has not been a smooth road. Radio is tough on you. Being an MC at events is tough on you. Anytime you work with other people and rely on them for your success it gets tough at times. I’ve walked away. I tend to lean in to those hard situations.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Well when I first started in radio I was excited about a commercial I did and wanted to show my production director how well I THOUGHT I did. It didn’t go as planned. She at the end of the meeting said that “maybe should should start looking at a different career.” It crushed me. However, I stuck to it. Got better. Moved on to different stations and learned everything I could. Fast forward 8 years or so and I was named the Corporate Production Director for Eagle Media radio division. I was sent to meet with a new Production Director in one of our markets in Nebraska who was having a tough time with sales. I got there and figured out really quickly that she was the first production director that told me that maybe radio wasn’t for me. And now I was her supervisor for production and had to explain to her how to handle sales people. It was a great moment for me. She didn’t feel the same. She finally got over that.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
Luck plays a huge part. Many times I’ve been offered other gigs that sounded good at the time and I’ve past on them. Thankfully, I’m pretty good at looking at the big picture and playing the long game.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.djdanmichaels.com
- Instagram: djdanmichaels
- Facebook: Dan Michaels
- LinkedIn: dan Michaels
- Twitter: djdanmichaels
- Youtube: djdanmichaels
- Soundcloud: djdanmichaels
