We recently connected with Marty Smith and have shared our conversation below.
Marty , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.
I was always told I had a good voice. People would tell me, “You need to be on the radio”. I thought, “Why not” and starting applying to radio stations all over Kansas City, where I lived at the time. After three years of being told no, I wound up at a radio station just north of Kansas City, MO. I walked in and asked them if they were hiring. The Program Director was there and asked if I had any radio experience. I told him I had no formal training. He told me they weren’t hiring and escorted me to the door. I went back in and filled out an application then went home. I remember praying, “Lord, I quit. I’ve been trying for years and nothing has opened up. If you want this, you do it”. When I got home I put all of my recording equipment in the closet with the intent of never touching it again. Five days later that radio station I went to called me up and said, “We’re short staffed and need to hire someone. Would you be willing to come in for an interview”? I went back to that radio station and there was the Program Director, along with another guy and we all sat down. The Program Director said, “We need help, but you don’t have any experience so I really don’t want you here”. I told him, “Fair enough. I’ll work free for a month. The third person in the room didn’t say a word until I said that and he broke in on the conversation saying, “Why would you do that”? I told him, “You need help and I need experience”. He hired me that day. That was in 1990 and I’ve been doing radio ever since.
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.
As I mentioned before, I was given a chance so I took it. I literally walked off the streets and got the job. I’ve been blessed to be able to do this for over thirty years now. I remember people telling me that I was too old to get into radio (I was in my mid 20’s at the time) and was discouraged not to get into radio. People would tell me to “play it safe” and “stick with what you know”. I just knew that this was what I was supposed to do. The first few years were rough and I had to learn a lot. Remember, I had no formal training. But as time marched on, I learned how to better communicate with people and how to be personal.
Back in those days when you were on the air, it was just you and that microphone. You couldn’t see your audience so it was tough to sound like you were talking to someone when you couldn’t see anyone. You had to pretend that microphone was a person. But after awhile it becomes natural and you’re able to communicate with your audience in a better way. I learned not to talk at people, but to people. I’ve been very fortunate to be able to read my audience and get to know them. I love dealing with people. It’s so much fun!
When I do voice work (commercial, live read, voice work for a client) I get to share my creative side and bring that to the commercial. I love voicing and producing commercials. Sometimes it takes a little longer to make the customer happy when listening to the commercial. They may have had something in mind or maybe wanted to add a little more information to the commercial. It’s not a problem for me to change or adjust the commercial. My clients are spending money. They’ve trusted me with that commercial. If they’re not happy with the commercial or need a small change to it, I have no problem with that. That’s what I’m here for.
One of the things you have to do when dealing with people is to listen to their complaints. Life is great when everybody loves your show and are tuning in. But there are times when people don’t like you. It’s just the way it is. The best thing I’ve learned to do is not take it personal (Not everyone is going to like what I do on the air or how I sound). I’ve been fortunate to be able to communicate with my audience and make them feel special.
As a radio station, we offer commercial air time for our clients so they can reach more people. We’re also the ones who give out those warnings when the weather is bad. We bring you the news but we also entertain. We want people to enjoy listening to Heaven’s Country. It’s a place that we want you to call home. I love going on the air and interacting with my audience. With the help of social media (Facebook, You Tube, Instagram, etc.), we’re able to reach more people that we did back in the day. We can now be heard on iHeart radio and when listeners tune in via You Tube or Facebook, They get to tune in and watch the morning show. I get people from all over the world to tune in. When they watch the show, I can see who is tuning in and where they are tuning in from. That’s the fun part of what I do, interacting with my listeners and getting to know them. It’s the highlight of my day!
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?
Sometimes writing a commercial can be tough. You’re listening to your client and they’re telling you what they want. Sometimes they don’t know what they want, they just want you to voice a commercial. I learn all I can about that company so when I write a commercial it paints a picture for my listeners. Coming up with a radio promotion is the same way. I love the fact that I can start a whole new project or commercial and bring that idea to life. Once it’s done, seeing the satisfaction on my client’s face is very rewarding. It’s also humbling to know that they liked your idea so much that they want to run with it.
For someone who has not written for a commercial or is not sure how they want to word that commercial it can be hard for them. They want to tell people about their product, they just don’t know how to do it.
Thinking fast or being quick on the air is not easy. If someone claims to be non-creative, this may be hard for them. I think sometimes we let our fears get in the way of what we’re supposed to do. Don’t be intimidated by someone who may know a little more on the subject than you. Remember, they were where you are now at one time. They had to learn their craft. Some people can learn things right away. Others can’t. Don’t be intimidated by someone who may know more than you on the subject. They’ve spent years learning how to do it right. Learn from them and be sure to share with others along the way the things you’ve learned.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
I can tell you there have been a number of times I wanted to quit. It’s tough to be a small business owner. It’s tough sometimes to be creative. We all have those times where we’re just not motivated to do anything. I remember when I first started, people would tell me that I had no talent that no one would listen to me. That was tough. I just kept on working on my craft. I would spend countless hours practicing my craft, listening to other voice-over artists, radio disc jockeys and even actors. I wanted to know how they got to be so good. Watching and learning how they would do things.
When I started Heaven’s Country (www.heavenscountry.com) I was told by a lot of people that an online internet radio station was the most ridiculous thing they had ever heard of. But I knew without a doubt that’s what God wanted me to do. I went to a business forum one time and told the crowd that I wanted to start an online radio station that played Country, Gospel and Bluegrass. The host of the event just started laughing at me and making fun of me in front of all these people. Everybody was laughing at me. I didn’t let it get to me. I stayed focused and worked on my craft.
I learned about Search Engine Optimization (SEO’s), how to use You Tube and Facebook to my advantage. I also had to learn what sofware do I use to broadcast All of this took time and money, The budget was tight at the time. But I learned how to use the automation system and how to hook up my mixer board so I could broadcast. People would tell me, “You’ll never make it. Internet radio is a joke”. I just stayed focused on my calling and kept working on my station. I would spend hours on radio automation software and learning how to add music or put in commercials into the automation software. There were times the system would crash and I would have to start all over again, reprogramming the radio station and making sure it was on the air. Those were the times when I wanted to quit the most. Watching everything you’ve built up crash in a split second is devastating. But the rewards of staying faithful to your calling and not giving up far outweighs giving up.
These days, we average around 10,000 total listening hours a month and if something goes wrong with the software I’m able to fix it right away. As I mentioned before, we’re also on iHeart radio which is really cool so I get a lot more people from all over the world tuning in to Heaven’s Country. It amazes me that this small idea God gave me way back in 2008 is now heard all over the world. It’s very humbling.
Through radio, I’ve been able to go into Television. I host a TV show called, “The Nashville Corner”. This is a variety show that features Country, Gospel and Bluegrass artists. I get to interview them and let my viewers know a little bit more about them. Being on Television is so much fun and it’s been a life long dream of mine to do this. I love it!
Here’s my advice to anyone that is reading this article; Don’t give up. Let me say it again……..Don’t Give Up. Follow your dreams and don’t let go of them. Don’t listen to people who tell you that you can’t do it. Stay away from the negativity.
Surround yourself with people that have your best interest at heart. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve wanted to quit. But when those thoughts would arise, I’d spend a lot of time praying asking God to carry me through those tough times, There were times I would call someone I knew I could trust and they would encourage me to keep going. My wife is my biggest fan. She has encouraged me so much to keep doing what I have been called to do. Without her I wouldn’t be where I am today.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.heavenscountry.com
- Instagram: martay65
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeavensCountry
- Twitter: @HeavensCountry
- Youtube: @HeavensCountryRadio
- Other: www.nashville37201.tv https://www.twitch.tv/heavenscountry https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=branson%20gospel%20radio https://www.christianworldmedia.com/livechannel/WylieGospelTV www.familyfriendlye.com
Image Credits
Marty Smith Photo Number 7 – Marty Smith and Johnathan Bond