Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Adam Banks. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Adam, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you tell us the backstory behind how you came up with the idea?
My radio show, Off The Cuff with Adam Banks started out as a podcast. The first episode was recorded on my couch, in my apartment living room, using an iPhone 4. Now the show broadcasts over the airwaves in a city with over 300,000,00 people living in it. I would like to think that the show has made moves since its early beginnings.
It all began with me trying to get a job in radio. Growing up, radio had been my passion. I know you hear people throw out that word passion all of the time but the relationship I have with radio over the years is nothing short of special. Radio is where I was first introduced to the creative arts. When I was a young child I grew up listening to the radio with my mamaw, as she had it on for background noise in the mornings. There, I was able to listen to talk shows, music, comedy skits, prank calls, and my personal favorite, Call in Shows. It was those call in shows that got me hooked because I found a way to call into whatever particular show I was listening to just so I could hear myself on the radio. I knew I wanted to be on the radio all of the time. The energy I felt in those few seconds I was a caller on another show let me know that I needed my own.
Instead of going the traditional route of a broadcaster and going to school to major in broadcasting, I elected to major in Communication with an emphasis in Interpersonal and Organizational Communication. The broadcasting emphasis was not what I decided to go with. Why, you may ask? I felt like I would be able to study another emphasis but still be able to use the on-campus facilities. I was wrong. The opportunity to use the studio was very scarce because the broadcasting students had first priority. So, my entire time in college I didn’t get to be on the air one single time.
This made it very difficult to find a job in radio after college because what does everyone want? Experience! Every place I went wanted me to have broadcasting experience. Without it, I was up the creek without a paddle. After a few years of hearing the word “no” to every radio job that I applied to, I decided to create my own “radio show”. The time at this point is 2014. I started thinking to myself what all is out there that would allow me to creatively produce a radio show? The closest thing I found that was even remotely close to that was this little thing called, Podcasting. Podcasts were around but were only being flirted with at the time. Not many people had one.
I did some research, found a podcasting hosting site and came up with the name. The name came to me pretty easily. “Off The Cuff” is speaking without preparation and speaking on the fly. Essentially, that is what I was doing when I started the show. The premise of the podcast was to treat it like a radio show. I did things on my podcast that a normal talk radio host would do on their shows. Throughout the years the show has evolved into a more structured program but it was really easy to make the transition from podcasting to radio because I had been pretending I was on the radio this whole time.
I knew that if I could get my show out to the world that people would listen to it. I wanted to show the world that I was capable of doing what all of the iconic people they grew up listening to could do. All I needed was a chance and a platform. Since nobody was giving me either I decided to give myself both.
Podcasting allowed my show to have a national audience (thanks to the internet). It was due to that exposure on podcast that my show was eventually picked up on a radio station in Lexington, Ky.
Adam, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I am from a small town in Eastern Ky, called Topmost. It consists of about 800 people. About 799 people now that I have left. I am currently an Assistant Professor of Communication at Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College. I also host a Live weekly talk radio show in Lexington, Ky.
( I answered how i got into the industry with the previous question so I wont be repetitive.)
I am so proud of how far the show has gone. The biggest thing I am most proud of is the credibility it has gained over the years. For instance, I was home watching a documentary on APPLE TV with my family because we were interested in the subject matter. As we were watching we all noticed a particularly familiar voice being played in the background as narration for one of the scenes. It was me! A clip of my show had been featured in a national documentary! I couldn’t believe it! It’s just things like that, that keeps me pushing forward. Just when you think that nobody is really listening, you quickly find out that you really never know who’s listening. Who would have thought that national documentary would have chosen my show to close out an episode of their docuseries. I want Off the Cuff with Adam Banks to be an outlet for people to just unwind and listen to some entertaining stuff. Whether it be an interview with a special guest or just Banter that I have with my Co-Host. Speaking of Co-host. Did I mention she was my best friend? That’s always a perk to work with your best friend! Hi Amber! I want Off The Cuff with Adam Banks to be the one place people want to go to hear an exclusive interview with someone or tune in just to hear my take on the subject.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
Of course. You have to set goals. Otherwise, you wake up a year from now and realize you haven’t been working towards anything but instead just going through the motions. My goal is to get my radio show syndicated across the united states. I want to be picked up by many affiliates and aired in as many markets as possible. Right now, we have one affiliate. That’s the station that I’m currently on in Lexington, Ky. My goal is to have Off the Cuff with Adam Banks on 5 affiliates by the end of 2023. There are 3 things that drive my ambition. The first thing is doing it for myself. It would be a travesty for me to live out my time here on earth and not be able to do the thing that brings me the most joy. Being able to have a platform, entertain people, interview people and also the ability to have one way communication with my audience is all I’ve ever wanted to do. So, I do this for myself. The 2nd thing that drives my ambition is to show the world that I can do this and be the best at it. I have always done well with connecting to other people. I am able to reach people beyond surface level and can easily encourage them to open up to me. I know what is boring and I also know what would make people stick around and not change the channel. My job is to captivate my audience. Whether its in audio or visual form, my main focus is to make sure my audience is entertained by what they are hearing. The 3rd thing that drives me is the journey of getting this show to the top of the mountain. What does that look like? I think we all will know once its there. It will be impossible to deny.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
Being a public figure on the radio has opened up many opportunities for me. One of the most rewarding things it offers me is the ability to meet and talk to so many interesting people. I have had the privilege of interviewing actors, athletes, Judges, politicians, entrepreneurs, media personalities, other influencers, the list goes on and on. Having a platform has allowed me an opportunity to meet people I had no business meeting and has allowed me to get to hear their story.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://offthecuffwithadambanks.buzzsprout.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/offthecuffwithadambanks/?hl=en
- Facebook: facebook.com/offthecuffwithadambanks
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-banks-2b952256/
- Twitter: twitter.com/theadambanks
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/offthecuffwithadambanks
- Other: facebook.com/theadambanks Instagram.com/theadambanks
Image Credits
Adam Banks