Career Roadmap
Franny's work combines: Radio, Music, and Working with Others
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
I got my first job in radio because of my internship experience. If you're interested in radio, I recommend starting with your school's radio station if they have one. If not, get involved in your local community radio. Many communities have volunteer-run stations. Start there to get some base skills and see if it's something you're interested in pursuing further. That's more important than your specific degree.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Electronic Media
University of Dayton
Bachelor's Degree
English Language and Literature, General
University of Dayton
Graduate Degree
Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Johns Hopkins University
Life & Career Milestones
I've taken a lot of twists and turns
1.
I fell in love with music and people early on, recording pretend radio shows on cassette tapes in my bedroom as a kid.
2.
In high school, I joined the radio station, and in college, I landed an internship that turned into my first job in radio.
3.
A year into that job, someone asked if I wanted to be on air—I said “yes,” and that moment launched my 12-year run as a radio host.
4.
Burnt out and searching for new purpose, I left radio and went back to school to become a licensed therapist.
5.
When I moved from Washington, D.C., to Seattle, Washington, I swore I was done with radio unless a place like KEXP called—and eventually, they did.
6.
At KEXP, I found my perfect fit, blending my therapy skills with my radio experience to support DJs behind the scenes.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Peers:
You're just going to do radio for a little while and then get a real job, right?
How I responded:
I didn't really have direct pushback from others. It was more like they thought that doing radio was just a phase for me and that I'd get a "real" job eventually. Rather than putting direct pressure on me to change direction, people would make subtle suggestions that would reinforce my own insecurities. For example, they'd point out how I'm not making that much money in radio. But I just kept doing it anyway because I was passionate about it.