THE MOUTH, JUNE 21ST 2022 –– This year is Morning Show Boot Camp (MSBC) No. 34 and I’ll be honest, I’ve been to most of them. I have met some of my dearest, closest friends and learned more about radio and myself in those years. I’ve even helped plan some of them. I have been the person sharing what I know to a room full of broadcasters. Other times I have acquired treasured skills, from negotiating contracts to a great idea on how to give away concert tickets and so much more.
‘Bootcamp – It’s the one learning Institution that you just can’t graduate from. Radio is always shifting and changing. Nobody ever knows it all. MSBC 34 is about being together. It’s about the energy in the room, being with people who share that same love. That love that keeps us all up at night. That love that has sometimes ruined our personal relationships. That love that makes us see humor in most things. That love of telling a story and making people laugh or cry or get mad or just feel something, anything WITH us. That love of radio.
“I need MSBC every year. It restores my hope that radio will never die just maybe evolve.”
-Michelle McKormick
And here I am, in a room full of people who want to figure out with me what that evolution looks like. It’s about elevating your game, engaging with other people who get it. It’s not always about what you learn from sitting in on a discussion, although they are some of best minds in our business, but sometimes it’s what you learn in the hallway. The renewal is what it’s about. I need it every year to continue to do what I do.
For those who never have been.. it’s an investment in being BETTER. You can expect to be plugged into a network of resources, ideas and opportunities that will last a lifetime. Friends that transcend market size or experience level.
Priceless. And you will do what takes to come back year after year.
It’s my favorite few days every year. The fact that we are still getting to do this for a living, and then we can take time to be around others who share it, there is just nothing else like it. There are stories from these past 34 years .. well, most I cannot say here.. I can say I look forward to writing another chapter this year with you. As for those stories from the past? Find me at the lobby bar.
Michelle McKormick is Morning Host on Cumulus’ WLAV -FM Grand Rapids