26 RADIOINK•COM MAY 6, 2019
me. You have to get the right people on the
bus, but you also have to get them in the
right seats. We usually find after an acquisi-
tion that there are not enough people on the
bus, after they’ve cut down to the bone to
save money, and people are not in the right
seats. They are not excelling at anything.
They do not feel good about themselves.
My philosophy is to manage people to
their greatest point of personal and pro-
fessional excellence. I have not figured it
all out by any means, but that is genuinely
my goal. I go in and do my first meeting
and say, “We’re good at this, and we’re
going to work side by side with you.” We
are not in an ivory tower. We sell every
day, we create every day, we are totally in
it. Some people are skeptical and others
are like, “This is great.”
We have a family-owned type of culture.
I’m accessible. I’m approachable. Our
employees know if they need help, they
can reach out to anyone on the leadership
team, including me. We respond. Even
though we are getting bigger, we don’t
want to lose that responsiveness and care
that got us to this point.Radio Ink: What are the specific things
you want to see your managers doing?
Cantrell: We are heavily involved in every
Chamber of Commerce in every marketthat we are in. I make sure I’m involved
in and will support my managers being in
a civic organization that serves the com-
munity. I have been a Rotarian since 1996.
I believe strongly in the Rotary Four-Way
Test. It is how I run my business and my
life. Here’s the Four-Way Test:- Is it the truth?
- Is it fair to all concerned?
- Will it build goodwill and better friend-
ships? - Will it be beneficial to all concerned?
When we have a decision to make, we
try to make it pass the Four-Way Test. I
have found that when I try to work around
the test, it bites me in the butt every time.
That mantra is a good way to run your life
and your business. It frames everything
from how I bundle my products together
to how we sell digital to “Gee, we ran the
wrong piece of copy” and we will own up
to it and make it right. The Rotary motto
is “Service Above Self,” and I believe in it
strongly.
Radio Ink: Explain how important you
believe it is for an owner and managers
to be involved in the community.
Cantrell: For me, as an owner and man-
ager, I have found it to be my number
one priority. It helps me determine what
we need to do to serve listeners, whichis what we’re entrusted to do with our
licenses. Secondly, it builds relationships
where people will entrust their money and
their business goals and dreams with us.Radio Ink: Where do you want to take
the company?
Cantrell: I keep thinking I’m done. This
New York thing was not on my radar at all,
but what a wonderful surprise! I’m trying
to get Pennsylvania to the profitability
level that we need to be financially sound
and stable as a company.
There are a lot of moving parts. New
York was a natural addition because
of its adjacency to our northern-tier
Pennsylvania stations. It increases the
value of our company by about 40 per-
cent, but it’s scary too. If there are some
holes we could fill in that would comple-
ment where we already have a presence,
I would be good with that. Right now I’m
focused on getting these stations and staff
to our full potential. I’m not into acquiring
more stations just for the sake of getting
bigger.
By the way, it does not feel real to me
to be on the cover of Radio Ink. It’s sur-
real. I am very fortunate and thankful. The
recognition really belongs to my team and
my mentors. I am a productive conduit for
their energy, dedication, and talent.Kristin Cantrell and her husband, Steve Cantrell