Life & Work with Stacey Marie of Nashville

Today we’d like to introduce you to Stacey Marie

Hi Stacey, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Born and raised in California, I grew up facing the challenges of learning disabilities. School was a constant struggle, and I knew early on that college wasn’t the path for me. The thought of enduring long hours in a classroom, trying to absorb information and then studying endlessly just to pass, felt overwhelming. Instead, I married young and had my first child at 21, finding immense joy and fulfillment in motherhood. Watching friends and peers graduate and find their purpose often left me questioning my own.

In 2011, a seemingly small interaction on social media got me started. A women’s podcast host posed a question about creating a resume if you’ve never worked. What a great question! It must have stumped a lot of people because there were no responses for many days. I decided to share my expertise. This led to my first guest appearance on her podcast.

Soon, I was encouraged by friends and professionals alike to start my own radio show. Despite my initial reluctance, I launched a business talk radio show, securing sponsors even before its debut. This unexpected turn has since defined my purpose and career, blending my knack for networking with my newfound voice in media. In 2012, I launched my radio show and, within the first few episodes, I had well-known guests on my show.

That’s how it started. I have since reinvented myself a few times. I’ve been a media consultant and a publicist, instrumental in launching products, businesses and entertainers. Now, I’m thrilled to be back on radio again.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I grew up dealing with learning disabilities. School was a constant struggle, and I knew early on that college wasn’t for me. It overwhelmed me to think of enduring long hours in a classroom and studying endlessly trying to absorb enough information just to pass. Instead, I married young and had my first child at 21. I found immense joy and fulfillment in motherhood. And yet, watching friends and peers graduate and find their purpose often left me questioning my own.

What I didn’t know back then is that when we learn from our experiences, good things follow bad. And they are worth it. My struggles are part of who I am today.

For example, the impromptu nature of the women’s podcast guest appearance was very stressful – even though I knew my subject well. I vowed never to do it again! But when the episode aired, the show garnered attention from others in the industry. I started to realize the value I contributed and that sparked a new passion in me. It’s amazing to think that I almost missed this life-changing opportunity. But the challenges weren’t over. Later that year, I took time off for family things.

While on hiatus, I missed my show so much that I decided to launch my own radio station that fall. I was super excited to get back to hosting my business talk radio show. I loved interviewing businesses across the nation and around the world. I was also hired to cover events as media across the nation. I covered Jon Bon Jovi’s black-tie event for his JBJ Soul Kitchen nonprofit restaurant in Red Bank, New Jersey. My team and I flew there right after hurricane Sandy and saw the devastation. The night before the event, in just 4 hours, I interviewed over 65 businesses that supported the event. I had many exciting experiences.

Unfortunately, it turned out that owning my radio station was miserable. I learned many industry-specific, eye-opening lessons. Egotistical people schooled me hard. I left feeling broken and betrayed despite so many wonderful experiences on the air and with businesses. My radio show was created to help business owners, to give them a platform for their voice. A few years later, I closed it all down. I was exhausted!

I never wanted to go back to radio hosting or the industry overall. If God wanted me back, he would have to change my heart completely. And He did, but not as I had expected.

Toward the end of hosting my show, other opportunities started popping up. I accepted a request to be a media consultant for a Gubernatorial Candidate. Next, a past guest on my show asked me to be his publicist for a new product his company was launching. I accepted and the campaign was such a success that it led to more clients. One of my current clients is a record label in Nashville.

Over the years, people often asked when I might host my radio show again. My past guests and listeners missed me. I have always said never, but here I am, doing it again! Timing is everything! Right now, is my time. I own a radio station again and am back hosting my show. I love it more now than before. I am in a better place to hit the ground running.

One of my goals is to teach business owners how to build relationships with their local media. Let’s face it: Small businesses just don’t have the resources to hire a public relations company. So I constantly post tips on my radio station’s website, at www.HSMRadio.app and will launch a group on Whatsapp soon.

Small business owners also need to get their name out there on terrestrial radio stations, but advertising on traditional radio-wave venues can be very costly. Many businesses are still struggling with the financial damages from Covid mandates. I am here to give them an opportunity to advertise on the radio and talk with me about their business. My station offers a balance of talk radio and a variety of music genres. I also support independent music artists from around the world.

My beginning in radio was all about being productive in an industry I thought I’d love, and did love on many levels. It just never occurred to me that others didn’t share my instinct for helping others or a desire to share their professional knowledge. People’s values can be startlingly different. I guess we have to get through the tough times to get tough enough to overcome obstacles. It seems I really did find my calling all those years ago. The struggles along the way made me stronger. And I’m definitely back, better than ever.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a Professional Connector besides a Radio show host and Publicist. I love connecting business owners together. I wrote a book called “Can We Connect?! The Ultimate Guide to Being an Effective Connector.” I learned by watching my father when I was a young adult on how to connect with people because with my learning disabilities I struggled tremendously. I am very glad that I have overcame that. I know that there are business owners dislike going to any event alone where they do not know one person. I like going to an event alone where I don’t know anyone. For me, if I go with a friend, I know that I will get caught up with talking to that friend and suddenly the time flies by and I realize that I didn’t connect with enough people at the event. In my book, “Can We Connect?! The Ultimate Guide to Being an Effective Connector.” I tell my own story of my triumphs and failures. I am also a Journalist for “See Beyond Magazine” and I write about Professional and Leisure. I interviewed the founder of the magazine several years ago in my original show when her book was a Pulitzer Prize entry. I have been working as a journalist at the magazine for almost two years now.

Everyone knows me as the business talk radio show host and a connector.

I am proud of growth I have seen over the years. I am not the same person that I was when I launched my past radio show. I am glad that I learned all the lessons in my early career. Without my lessons, I wouldn’t have become the person that I was meant to be now. In my past show, I had hosted my show on over 18K+ archived shows and interviewed over 16K+ guests.

My story sets me apart from others. Each of us have a back story. Some might be similar but there is always one unique thing that is in our story that can inspire others. My quote is “Find your purpose, live it, and inspire others.

How do you think about happiness?
What makes me happy is the fact that I am living my life in purpose. That I have the opportunity to take my strengths, wisdom, and knowledge to help another business owner. Despite the hiccups I go through, I know that I can go through them just fine.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.hsmradio.app/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heystaceymarie/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeyStaceyMarie/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/StaceyMarieK
• Other: https://www.staceymarie.tv/