Cleveland played host to this year’s Morning Show Boot Camp (MSBC), and four attendees walked away with lessons they’re already putting into practice. I caught up with them over the weekend to learn their key takeaways from last week’s event.
MSBC emcee Ryan Smetzer, who works as a multi-market host with Connoisseur Media, watched the whole event unfold from the stage. Kaylin Mozdzen of WTCB/Columbia & WRRM/Cincinnati, Ivy Unleashed of Power 96/Miami, and Melanie Heinkel of WWGR/Fort Myers & WSHH/Pittsburgh were attendees. While they all spoke of similar themes and panels that were highlights, what was raved about most was the opportunity to connect with their peers in a room that felt more filled with comrades than competitors.
Authenticity Takes Center Stage
Smetzer said one theme kept surfacing across sessions. “Authenticity, not being afraid to be you, and the power of not being boring,” he said, crediting Valerie Geller’s presentation for that last point. He called it “a true winning formula for all of us on-air and in the industry as a whole.”
Heinkel sat in that Geller session and left with a specific tool. “Use ‘YOU,’ not ‘I,'” she said. “What a mindset shift!” She’s planning to immediately apply that shift across both of her shows. “Shifting the focus to ‘YOU’ immediately pulls the listener into the story,” she said, adding that it “creates a much stronger connection.”
Mozdzen reached a similar conclusion as well. “MSBC really reminded me that I can’t just think about the show or the station as the brand,” she said. “I am a brand, too.” She wants her content to reflect her more of her own voice going forward, not just her station’s. “Radio is changing,” she said, “and I think the personalities who are going to stand out are the ones who give people a reason to follow them.”
Mental Health and Sustainability Hit Home
Several attendees pointed to conversations about staying in the business for the long haul. Mozdzen said the mental health session “hit me differently.” She described radio as rewarding but tough to navigate. “You can love what you do and still acknowledge that it can be hard,” she said. That session reframed her whole outlook. “I left thinking less about how to simply survive the next chapter of my career,” she said, “and more about how I want to build one that is sustainable.”
Ivy Unleashed found her own version of that lesson in a different room. The “Radio Hall of Famers” panel stood out to her. She called their insight on longevity “truly eye opening and invaluable.”
Heinkel connected with a roundtable moderated by Mike McVay. “I really connected with the idea of taking risks that align with your authenticity,” she said. For her, staying true to a personal brand isn’t optional. “Knowing your brand, cultivating it, and continuing to protect and evolve it is what makes you valuable,” she said.
A Room Full Of Family, Not Competitors
Every attendee circled back to the same word: community. Smetzer, who caught conversations from the stage, backstage and the hallways, heard it constantly from first-timers. “Unity,” “camaraderie” and “family” came up again and again, he said. He described the whole event as built on trust. “An amazing energy that really captures the ‘I’ve got your back’ vibes that this radio world needs right now,” he said of the main hall.
Mozdzen felt that same pull outside the spotlight. “It doesn’t feel like everyone is competing for the same microphone,” she said. She left with more than notes. “You can walk in not knowing someone and walk out with a new friend, mentor, or collaborator,” she said.
Ivy Unleashed was struck by how open the industry’s biggest names were with everyone in the room. “I was honestly so pleasantly surprised and impressed… by how accessible and genuinely willing they were to talk to everyone,” she said. She called those exchanges “once in a lifetime opportunities.”
For Heinkel, a first-time attendee, the openness stood out immediately. “It didn’t matter if you were from a huge market or a small one,” she said. “There really didn’t feel like a stranger in the room.” She left with a mindset shift about the industry itself. “It felt less like everyone was competing,” she said, “and more like everyone was pulling each other forward.”
What They’re Taking Home
Beyond the big themes, attendees left with concrete ideas too. Ivy Unleashed pointed to the Coleman study on listener habits as a standout. “That insight was GOLDEN,” she said, “and will help guide me… in how I approach everything on my morning show.”
Smetzer summed up what makes the event work. He credited organizers Don, Marie and Danny for building something singular. “The formula for a conference that is one of a kind,” he called it, “from the happy hours to the presentations, field trips, panels, friendship bracelets, and everything in between.”
As Smetzer put it, MSBC isn’t just a conference, it’s “a huge radio family reunion.” And based on these four takeaways, that family bond just keeps getting stronger.
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Bethany Kent is a Music Radio Editor for Barrett Media. She spent nearly 20 years bringing radio to life on stages, across the airwaves, and through unforgettable listener experiences. Her career spans local markets including Providence, Philadelphia, and New York City, most recently serving as National Director of Music Initiatives for Audacy. From producing major live events like HOT 97’s Summer Jam to leading strategic national marketing initiatives, she has built a career at the intersection of music, media, and culture. She can be reached at bethany@barrettmedia.com.