Daily Inspiration: Meet Markus Koger

Today we’d like to introduce you to Markus Koger. 

Markus, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I’m started in Major Market Country Radio in Philadelphia at 19. Moved to Nashville, TN and attended MTSU at the age of 20. I’ve worked and interned for multiple places in Country music from radio to marketing to live music promoting. I started Smoking Section Podcast 3 years ago because I felt like we became a society that sometimes forget that celebrities, musicians, public figures, and successful people are humans as well. People seem to forget that we all pay bills, we all have to wait for our cars to warm up or cool down when we get in them. 

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?
Moving here has not been a smooth road at all. I’ve been passed over jobs in the industry by people with less qualifications than me. The hardest struggle was learning that the music business is a passionate based business, so your desired salary will not always be the one that you get while trying to reach your goals. I’ve had to work for cell phone companies and tech companies to stay afloat in order to reach my goal and even then, sometimes that wasn’t enough. Another struggle is that I’ve had to deal with depression and self-confidence issues because I’ve had people tell me that I would never make it or that this industry doesn’t take me seriously. Although this is a daily battle I have, this is something I’ve overcome with daily affirmations. Although it hasn’t been a smooth road the hunger for success grows every single day. I’ve surrounded myself with friends who are growing and have grown to become successful to help me stay motivated. 

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m a host for a music industry podcast called Smoking Section. I interview artists and music industry experts to talk about how they got to where they are in their careers. I’m most proud of the fact that the success of the podcast, has come from the hard work without really spending money on social media advs. I’ve gotten over 10,000 streams without having to pay for any kind of advertisement. I think what sets me apart is that I have the ability to turn an interview into a conversation with a friend, and not many people can do that. I’ve had artists come on that would be very shy, or the first time we’ve met and it turns into a conversation with a friend. 

Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
Growing up, I was the class clown. I was outgoing. As my grandma would say, I could talk to a wall. I was into sports until I got injured, but I was mainly into hanging with friends, mini-golfing, concerts, and movies. I was the kid that had all the connections in the town, was able to take family to dinner for free — not that we needed that– but it was a pleasure of mine. LOL 

Contact Info:

• Email: markus@smokingsectionpodcast.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smokingsectionpodcast/