Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Cathryn Beeks. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Cathryn, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Have you ever had an amazing boss, mentor or leader leading you? Can you us a story or anecdote that helps illustrate why this person was such a great leader and the impact they had on you or their team?
From the time I graduated High School in 1986 until I took the leap into the creative entrepreneurial world around 2008, I worked full time in various roles in the real estate industry. Looking back, that must have been a prime time for women to take leadership roles in that field, as most of my bosses were women. I had a hard time selecting just one to talk about, so I’ll list a few.

The first real job I ever had was as a secretary at Venture Realty in Lancaster, CA. Linda was my boss, her and her husband Don owned the company. They were super kind, fair and fun. I just remember Linda being super stylish, beautiful, strong and classy. I idolized her! Then I moved to Florida and went to work for Julie, the owner of a Title Company in Jacksonville Beach. She was a tiny human, barely reaching 5 feet and she was a maniac! The title world could be VERY stressful, and this little lady would yell and scream and throw files at you. Physically. Throwing files. Papers flying all over the office. It was hard not to laugh but at the same time I was learning valuable lessons. Next I moved to San Diego and went to work for Elaine, a very established/well known broker who was also small in stature but LARGE in attitude. She was mean, no other way to say it, but she got things done. Ruthless? Yes. Scary? Very. I learned a lot from that experience, mostly, that business is business and if you’re too nice you’ll get trampled. After that I went to work for Kathy whose car license plate stated “ISellPB” and boy, did she ever. She was a high energy spitfire who, similarly to the other gals, was strong, bold, and had no problem telling folks what she thought. And, she’s still at it. I know b/c after almost 20 years she reached out to me recently to congratulate me on some press I had received. She said she was glad to see I had found and followed my passion.

Strength. Knowledge. Confidence. Grace, in various forms. I learned these things and more from the women I worked for, women in leadership roles over the past 30+ years. Again, looking back I feel like that (the 80s and early 90s) was a pivotal time for women in that industry. For the most part, women were in charge. I admired and learned much from the ones I worked for. I guess I just assumed that women were in charge and well respected in other industries, too, so I never gave it a second thought when I began building a career in the music industry. I didn’t think gender had anything to do with how you were perceived or treated in any given career and that was thanks to Linda, Julie, Elaine, Kathy and a few others. I mean, I learned later that, indeed, being a women DID, in fact, hinder my climb up the ladder but thanks to the thick skin I’d developed in my early years, I have persisted.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers
I started out as a singer/songwriter looking for stardom but discovered, instead, many other musicians who were so darn amazing I put my music on the back burner so I could help others share theirs. I had some mad organizational and secretarial skills and I used them to build a website and calendar that promoted the many showcases I hosted several nights each week throughout San Diego. I did that for almost a decade and then landed a job hosting a local music radio show on FM. That job increased exposure of my brand, Listen Local, and widened the circle of musicians I worked with. I then started hosting large concert events at various venues, showcases for performers under 18, produced compilation records, cookbooks, calendars and hosted camping events all in support of the local music scene in San Diego. I continued my radio show online after the station I was working for went off air, adding web shows and various other ways of sharing the incredible music I was discovering. My husband and I moved to the high desert in 2019 so now besides supporting San Diego I am discovering and sharing the great music and art scene up here in Joshua Tree and the greater Morongo Basin. I offer artist services such as photos, videos, styling, and all manner of promotional material. ListenLocalRadio.com is the main hub, everything we do can be found there.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?
I don’t think there is such a person as a “non-creative”, only people who have yet to have the opportunity to discover their creative passion. We’re taught to earn a living you need a job, but that job doesn’t have to be a meaningless, mindless chore. You can earn a living (challenging as it may be) doing something that inspires you, drives you, even helps the world. It’s amazing what a difference it makes in your life when you wake up to earn a living doing something that feeds your soul. Thankfully there are people that feel that way about medicine, science, etc., all creative fields, too! Many folks have yet to realize what their “thing” is, but I wouldn’t call them non-creative.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
My entire creative experience has been a study in pivoting. Pivoting, bending, evolving are all part of life when you’re trying to maintain a creative career. There are no set rules, for the most part, so you have to be ready for change and be able to roll with it when it comes. Being flexible saved me many times. When the radio station I was working for went off air I went online. When the venue I had been producing unique events for decided to carry on without me, I started hosting shows at my home. When the pandemic hit, I started hosting shows online. If the desire is larger than the disappointment, you’ll automatically pivot.

Contact Info:

• Website: ListenLocalRadio.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/listenlocalradio/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cathryn.beeks
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/GoListenLocal
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/cathrynbeeks

Image Credits
Carole Beeks