● Angi talks about how she got to be the very first woman to lead a rock morning show in a major market.

● We’ll hear about how she came to the US from Serbia as a child, and how that experience may have factored into her wanting to get into radio.

● Angi talks about how coaching from her colleague Dennis Clark has changed the course of her career — and why everyone can benefit from a coach, no matter how successful they are.

● Angi will tell us why a great work ethic is generally a positive thing — but can have its drawbacks, too.

● And we talk a little bit about Prince, because that’s just what they do when they get together.

Listen on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts — and I’d love to hear your thoughts!

I never had a long conversation with him, and he didn’t even know my name, but I’m pretty sure that thanks to an incident ~25 years ago, Tony Bennett was responsible for my career.

I was 21 or 22, living in Chicago and working as a baby publicist/office manager for indie label Scratchie Records, founded by James Iha and D’arcy Wretzky of The Smashing Pumpkins, the fabulous Jeremy Freeman, and the sadly late, very great Adam Schlesinger.

At Scratchie, I worked with The Frogs. They largely flew under the radar, but had a remarkable number of rock god fans, from Kurt Cobain to Eddie Vedder to Steve Albini. Hell, even No Doubt-era Gwen Stefani was into them. Their fans included some clued-in journalists, and the Scratchie team scored a huge get for them — they were to go to NYC and be interviewed by MTV News. I jumped in their van and drove out to NYC with them to coordinate things.

If you don’t know The Frogs…well, trying to describe them in full couldn’t be done justice as part of a Tony Bennett tribute. They were two wonderful guys who prided themselves on doing what they wanted, when they wanted, how they wanted.

To make a very long story short, that included getting upset when, minutes before the interview started, they were told they couldn’t do something their way. They stormed out of the studio, and it soon became apparent they weren’t returning.

I was horrified. I called my boss, who rightly yelled at me for not calling him immediately when things started going south. I was a baby and ill-equipped to defuse the situation. And to walk out on MTV?! On my watch? Unthinkable.

I went out to the lobby of the studio, which was then in a facility shared with other productions at 42nd and 10th. I sat on a couch with my head in my hands, weeping softly.

My life was over. I’d dropped out of college, a poor kid walking away from a scholarship, to take this job. There was no coming back from this. I was sure I’d be fired. Word would get around about how inept I was. It was curtains for me, professionally. I was absolutely certain of that.

And then I heard a voice.

“Hey kid!”

I looked up, and standing above me was Tony Bennett. I swear to God, it looked like there was a halo around his head.

“Don’t be sad. It’s not that bad. Lemme see that smile!” Stunned, I managed a small smile, and weakly croaked out, “Thank you, Mr. Bennett.”

He went on his way. Once I’d processed this for a few seconds, it felt like I’d been hit by a bolt of lightning.

I jumped up and ran — yes, ran, and if you know me, you know I don’t run — from 42nd and 10th to 45th and Broadway. I talked my way into the MTV building, marched into the office of the person at MTV News who’d booked them, and reminded him that The Frogs were…well, eccentric, and that this was to be expected.

He didn’t say anything for a few seconds. I’m pretty sure I wasn’t breathing at that point. And then he told me that yes, they were PO’d, but it took a lot of guts for me to go over there, and that it was water under the bridge.

Suddenly, it no longer seemed like my life was over. And this was all thanks to a kind word from Tony Bennett.

Thanks for everything, Tony.

Over Jenna’s career, after getting her start at music PR agency Girlie Action, she’s helped break artists like Mumford & Sons, Phoenix, and Childish Gambino. She’s also worked with many other iconic artists, from The Killers to Demi Lovato to Elton John to Shawn Mendes.

In this episode…

• Jenna will share her creative approach for breaking into the industry, and how she successfully worked her way up the ladder. 

• She’ll recount the time Mumford & Sons made her cry happy tears around the time of their first Madison Square Garden show. 

• We’ll hear about the ugly incident she encountered early on in her career while working as a studio manager, and the bias she faced due to assumptions about her presence at a late-night session.

• Jenna will share her tips for turning a passion into a career, and… 

• We’ll hear how one of her mentors gave her the type of advice that taught her to be self-sufficient. 

Listen on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts — and I’d love to hear your thoughts!

April Carty-Sipp joins us in this episode. She’s the EVP, Industry Affairs, for the National Association of Broadcasters, the voice for America’s radio and television broadcasters.

• April will share one of her secrets for getting noticed by potential employers. It may seem old-school, but it works — and it costs less than $10 today.

• How a PowerPoint presentation helped her land her first big promotion to a management role. 

• What role the Philadelphia Phillies played in getting her to where she is today.

• The inspirational quote that’s been her phone’s screen saver for years. 

• The female young professional in her life she thinks the world needs to know about. 

• And her advice for finding those all-important mentors who can change the course of your career. 

Listen on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts — and I’d love to hear your thoughts!

In this episode of My 23-Year-Old Self, I talk with the Radio Hall of Fame inductee who’s been a fixture in LA — and national — radio for more than 20 years. 

● Ellen K will talk about her Cindy Loo Hoo syndrome… what could that be? 

● She’ll reflect on a manager hugging her — and commenting on her g-string. (Yikes!)

● We’ll hear how the birth of a calf made her realize that radio was right for her. 

● She’ll tell us about the woman who gave her a chance — not a break — how how that person impacted her career. 

● And Ellen K will also talk about supportive male co-workers — and competitors — who have given her advice, and the lesson she needed to hear. 

Listen on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts — and I’d love to hear your thoughts!

My 23-Year-Old Self: True Stories From the Come-Up is available (or soon will be!) wherever you get your podcasts.

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Get links for My 23-Year-Old Self: True Stories From the Come Up on all platforms by clicking here.

This is My 23-Year-Old Self: True Stories From the Come Up, a podcast — and also a newsletter — about the advice successful women in media, entertainment, and technology would give their younger selves when they were coming up in these male-heavy fields. (Yes, there are wonderful male allies out there as well, and you’ll hear from them throughout our series!)

If you could go back in time, as you were starting your career, what would you tell your 23-year-old self? And if you're around that age now, don't you wish your older self could send you some wisdom from the future?

Speaking for myself, I really could have used future wisdom when I was starting my career as a woman in media, entertainment, and technology. These are all industries that have historically been dominated by men — but like many things in life, they'd be nowhere without talented women in leadership positions. 

That's the inspiration for this podcast. On every episode, we'll talk with successful women in media, entertainment, and technology — and some good male supporters, too — and discuss the advice they'd give their younger selves when they were on the come-up.

There are so many obstacles for women in these fields, and the talks on My 23-Year-Old Self are designed to help listeners avoid the pitfalls that can plague women in these industries. We're talking specific, actionable advice for women and others who are trying to move up the ladder in male-heavy industries the right way.

For example, there's a word that some women tend to overuse. Banish it from your professional vocabulary, and you will see results. (Spoiler alert: That word is not "yes.") There's also a task that tends to get assigned to women in meetings, even if they're surrounded by men that are lateral to or even junior to them. We'll talk about ways to shift that task elsewhere — without getting a reputation for coming from a place of no. This is practical advice on how to assert yourself in the right ways, how to get the respect you deserve — and how to find and friend your real allies.

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Why me, and why 23? I'm Zena Burns, and after dropping out of college to work for a small indie label owned by members of The Smashing Pumpkins and Fountains of Wayne, I got my big media break at age 23. I was hired at Teen People Magazine, which was new back then and helped launch the careers of everyone from Britney, Backstreet, and 'Nsync, to Katy Perry, The Killers, Rihanna, and many more. 

I eventually jumped to the company now known as iHeartMedia, where I helped launch the iHeartRadio Brand and app. And along the way to my current gig as an SVP at tech firm Futuri, I was ridiculously lucky enough to benefit from the wisdom of those who'd walked in my shoes and were generous with  their time and advice. So many of my peers today want to do the same for the younger generation, and the idea for this podcast was born.

Whether you're on the come-up yourself or you just want to hear stories from some of the most interesting, successful women in business, My 23-Year-Old Self has something for you. You can follow or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. And we hope you’ll subscribe (for free!) to this Substack, where you’ll get newsletter updates with episode recaps, behind-the-scenes details, and more.

My 23-Year-Old Self: True Stories From the Come Up. Available now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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