WOKQ's Karen Kiley has always been an entertainer. "When I was little, I actually wanted to be a backup singer! I used to do all kinds of goofy things. My brother and I used to read names from the phone book as if we were announcers. I think of myself as fairly creative, and it's funny how something so silly kind of found its way into my career."

Karen was originally a traffic reporter, but now is a co-host on WOKQ's morning show. Like many people who work in this field, radio was a second try at a career. "Radio was always something that I had wanted to do, but I put it off until my late twenties. I decided to take the path that is often traveled by going into the regular business world, but I knew deep down what I really wanted to do, and I wasn't getting any younger. I knew radio made me happy, so I dove head first, and I couldn't be happier that I made the leap!"

Karen started off on radio and television as a traffic reporter for channel seven and WBZ radio. "I got to report traffic from a helicopter, and most people seem to think that's pretty cool. You get to see the whole city from a different perspective, and the view is amazing." A few years later, Karen began reporting news and traffic for WOKQ. After Karen had been on the team for a few years, one of the morning co-hosts decided to pursue other interests, and Karen quickly snapped up the newly open position. "I was incredibly lucky to have this opportunity, and so far, the first month has been great," says Karen. "I've landed the gig of a lifetime!"

Working in radio is not without its challenges. "It's tough to be up every day and have a positive attitude, especially at three in the morning. You always have to be awake and ready, and you have to be funny and likeable too. If you're having a bad day, it has to be left at the door. Nobody wants to hear a grumpy radio host, especially in the morning. It's a mindset that we all have to get into – we psych ourselves up. Thankfully, I don't have a lot of bad days, but if I am, I take a minute to regroup while a song is playing. We all try to remember that sometimes our listeners are having bad days, and it's our job to try to cheer them up."

Reflecting on her experience so far, Karen adds, "You need to find your niche, and age doesn't matter as long as you're following your dreams. Find your passion, and find a way to do it. You don't want to look back on your life and say, 'Oh, I should have done this,' or 'I wonder if'. If you're doing what you love, everything else will fall into place."

For more information visit her at www.wokq.com.

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