Sunday, January 2, 2011

Sunday Driving on Full Throttle County with @GregValentine

Meet Greg Valentine, On-Air and Digital, KMPS-FM, Seattle (CBS Radio) who’s favorite thing about his job is that it NEVER feels like a "job." Also music blogger, and fundraising professional, currently working on a campaign for Seattle Theatre Group.

Where are you answering these questions from?
From bed. Filled-in hosting our morning show this week. I'm all about getting in the quick nap after the show. Now that I'm awake again, catching up on my FB, Twitter and emails.


What are you wearing?
Sweat pants and tee. Like I said, post nap-time.

How did you get started in Broadcasting?
My best friend and my brother and myself made pretend "shows" on a tape recorder back in the day. So I wanted to be on the radio since age 10. When I got to high school, I was amazed to learn that the school district in Eugene, Oregon had a real station with a decent signal that could be heard all around the city. I've been doing real shows ever since.

What are 3 items you CAN NOT live without?
Oxygen, food and water. Oh? You mean...? Actually, I'm becoming more of a minimalist. Honestly, the three items I'd prefer not to live without are my HDTV, a DVD player and my laptop. Obviously, there's a bazillion gizmos out there to play with. But the ones I consider "essential" are the ones that help me get real work done, or ones that entertain me and make my day more enjoyable.

What is the first thing you think of when you wake up in the morning?
Check GPS to re-confirm what city I'm living in this month!

Is there anything that you regret?
Of course. But dwell on the those regrets? No.

What are your fondest childhood memories?
The story I shared about doing the pretend radio shows is pretty high on the list. Chistmas and family trips, too.

What current event has your eyes and ears? And what are you doing about it?
I hear it's been a bumper year for winemakers. What am I doing about that? Can't reveal the specific details. But just know, I have a plan!

How do you use Social Media in your industry for productivity?
For my radio shows, I’d say social media is my “co-host.” Twitter has become my first stop for keeping tabs on what’s happening any given day. Plus, the opportunity to engage with others is invaluable and crucial, both as a sounding board and as a way to promote my personal brand. When it comes to sharing on social media, I make sure to use the same principles I’ve used as a broadcaster. Be compelling. At the very least, be interesting, entertaining, and/or useful. Tweets about tuna salad for lunch just don’t cut it!

What is your favorite website?
My own, GregValentine.com. And not for egotistical reasons. It's because I literally bought the book "HTML For Dummies," and built the site from scratch. It's not gonna win any design awards from real web people. But it's my "playground." I have fun deciding how I want it to look, and teaching myself how to "make it so."

If you had a Super Power what would it be?
To become a cartoon character whenever I wanted. Seems like the way to go. I've seen some pretty crazy things happen to those guys--they always bounce back!

What is your favorite movie?
"The Stunt Man." Because it's nice and obscure and generally unavailable. So when this question comes up at a cocktail party, who's to say "The Stunt Man" isn't truely fantastic?

How do you balance your work with other obligations - mate, children, hobbies?
It's not easy, is it? But essentially, I look at all these different things as something that needs to get done. So scheduling and setting deadlines is important. But the ability to just "roll with it" can't be underestimated.

Do you get nervous about anything?
Getting nervous means something "matters." So, yes, I occasionally get nervous. And I welcome it.

If you could meet anyone in the world dead or alive who would it be, and what would say to them?
Maybe go back a meet some of the real bad people from history. Like a Hitler. And just offer a little perspective to them. "You realize, you WILL fail. You WILL be dead soon. And for the rest of history, you WILL be regarded as a dick!"

What is your hobby or do you collect anything?
Music has always been my hobby, and the first reason I wanted to be on the radio. The second being as a way to meet girls, of course! But music is huge deal for me still. My iTunes goes from Frank Sinatra to something new that's coming out tomorrow, with literally everything in between.

What chore to you hate?
Talking about myself, like I'm doing right now. It always feels self-serving, right up to the point where I remember that I sometimes read one of these about someone I didn't know much about. Seems to me I usually come away feeling I picked up some helpful "nugget" of insight.

Do you have an animals?
A pug, my second. His name is "Stewie."

Mac or PC?
PC. But not because I'm fanatical, or a "zealot," about it. I just prefer the price (lower).

Ginger or Mary Ann?
I'm gonna go off-list, and say "Mrs. Howell."

Craziest thing you have ever done?
That's a matter of Public Record.

Links
http://www.gregvalentine.com/

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