The 1 Thing You MUST Have for Long Term Business Success

Hi, everyone. Welcome to Ali and You, the Business Success and lifestyle Show. Today I am talking to radio legend here in San Diego, Chainsaw. Cookie Chainsaw, as a matter of fact, right here. Hi, everyone. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to spend your life doing what you love? If your dream is to be a media personality, then you want to watch this show, because I have radio legend Cookie Chainsaw, AKA dawn, with me. Good friend of mine who's been in radio for 30 years has weathered the storm and has so much wisdom and fun to share. So, Chainsaw.

Yes.

You're here.

I am here.

We did it. I'm so excited.

Yes, it is. I've known you for some time. You've been on our radio show before.

I have, yeah.

With Sam the cooking guy.

I know. I got up at like 5 in the morning or something to make it there. So. Yeah, you guys look like you have so much fun together. So you are so. For those that are watching this that are not from San Diego, because everyone from San Diego knows the DSC show, right.

Or heard of it.

Dave, Shelly, who are your counterparts, and you. So. And you're on 100.7K. Yeah, I like that. I'm gonna have to get one of those. You know what? I was actually on the show, but I think that it was when you were at that other station. What was the other?

KGB. We were there for about 25 years.

Yeah. Yeah. So I was at KFMB because I used to own an advertising agency back in the day, and my client was Charlotte Russe.

Okay.

And also the Cohen restaurants.

Oh, yeah.

So I used to come on there and. Well, that was when Jeff and Jerk and I used to do my fashion moments. I would give fashion tips. So anyway, that was so much fun. But anyway, you've been in the. You've been doing this, you know, since the early days. You. You studied broadcasting.

I did. At Fresno State University.

Yeah. So how did you know that you wanted to do broadcasting all the way back then? Because most. Most kids really have no idea what they want to do.

I think it was about my junior year in high school when I got into journalism. So it actually started out with writing feature stories and sports writing and going to events and kind of chronicling those. Then I got to JC and I was kind of goofy, hard to believe. And I did a bunch of voices and crazy. And they said, you should go into rtv, I said, and be a disc jockey or something. Which is not something that I actually thought about doing.

Right.

But they said you should do this. And so I invented, you know, like a fake name for the disc jockey guy and a Ted Baxter type news guy.

Oh, you just sounded like him.

That's right. This is, you know, so and so with news and then. And then the sports guys kind of that Al Michaels, Dick Enberg. So I started out Cookie Chainsaw Randolph as a parody of all the sports guys, just as a goof.

I see.

And for some reason people said, keep doing that. I said, keep doing that. So I took all my journalism skills, combined it with comedy and all that stuff, and created these characters which have kind of evolved into my Persona on the air. Okay, so more of dawn, if you will, my real name, you know, kind of crept into the Cookie Chainsaw became less of a character and more of kind of a hybrid.

Right?

Yeah.

So do you.

I'm a sidekick on the Dave Shelley and Chainsaw Show. Dave is the lead. Shelly is there as the support and does the news. And then I'm wise cracking and doing sports.

Right.

So that's the three headed monster.

And. But are you a wise crack like in the rest of your life?

Yeah, I'd have to say so. You know that.

Yes. Yeah, yeah.

I mean, at the gym and that's where I've just been. And I must tell you, you know, you're gonna see some. I said, wow, he must be really nervous. Not really, but I just got through with a workout. Just down the street at the gym we go to.

I know Marcus.

And I said about 15 minutes ago, I'll be fine. Take the shower, put on long pants for one time in, you know, a month.

And you're great. You look so handsome.

Makeup towel, please. Yeah, no, but that's basically the genesis of how my career evolved out of journalism into. Because I was kind of animated as a person. Go into radio. I didn't necessarily want to be on stage or hey, look at me. But that's just where it kind of led me and guided me.

Right. But because what's really cool is that you've been able to just take that part of yourself where you shine and put that into your career and you're.

In good pull because I think you're doing what you should be doing. You look great on camera, you motivate, you're confident and whatever skills you have. I was sports and kind of humor and kind of a whatever attention seeking type of personality which doesn't necessarily exist. It's almost like when you're in show business, something drives you into that stage thing, whether it's drama or Media or whatever. Right, right, whatever. It's some sort of out personality. And as you grow older, some of at least me, I've shed a lot of that, you know, desire to be up on stage or look at me. But now it's just the work that I get the satisfaction, you know, kind of ego insecurity, whatever it is we talk about that get you up there in the first place.

Yeah.

The attention seeking or whatever.

Yeah.

I just soon go on a hike, you know, and climb a mountain and just be. Just chill.

You're gonna be doing.

Right.

No, I think that what, what we were talking about this recently. What inspires you early on to start something? It kind of shifts as you get older. Because I know for me, I've always loved business, so I've had a lot of businesses. But when I really started getting serious about business, it was because I was struggling financially and I was a single mom. So, you know, I was in that survival mode. I'm like, I gotta make this happen.

Right.

Well, if I operated my business now as struggling, you know what I mean? It really wouldn't get very far. I mean, I think the early way of doing it is a good inspiration to start, but I don't know that that's gonna carry you through.

Right. Because you don't want to be. Have a desperation.

Right.

You know, you want to get into a groove and then it becomes about just doing good work.

Doing good, doing the best that you can do. Yeah, I love that. I love that. So what do you think has been that special sauce that you all have as a team really thrived for 30 years? I mean, you've just like in business you have to stay innovative. You have to stay on the pulse of what's happening or you're wiped out. Like. Right. Like people don't want to tune in anymore. So what has that been?

Well, I would say in our case, and that's the only thing I could speak to.

Right.

Is that first of all, luck. Okay. And then you pick the right person, be it a marriage or a business partnership or what have you, and there's going to be some tough times, but you also have to have, if you believe in the other person. And just like anything else, there's some. You just have to weather the bumps and maintain the relationship and fight to keep the group together.

Right.

Because most of the time it's great.

Yeah.

It's the time where you get tested and people get pulled in different directions or what have you, and then their lives change.

Ours over 30 years, my God, and.

Now we're in great place. We have been, you know, for, you know, 99% of it.

Right.

But I think just sustaining and just the commitment to one another and understanding that this is working. It's like when you see a great television show and you see a famous character person suddenly leaving it when it's still popular, and it's like, oh, no, what are you doing? These shows only last for, like, 10, 12, 14 years at most.

Right.

You know, what if Ross had left Friends? If only he had. But, you know, it would have screwed up the dynamic. He would have lost. Like, man, dude, it's only gonna last for three more years.

Cash in. Yeah.

Run it out. This is show business.

Yeah. That's kind of like when an artist or business leaves a musical band. Right, right. And they. And they go on their own when they should kind of just write it up, ride it through.

It's worked and it hasn't. I mean, Kenny Loggins or what have you. But there's notable exceptions. But most of the time, if you split off on something that's really working, I would rather fight to keep it going. Especially in show business, for example, or even business. But of course, obviously, if something's going sideways and it's reconcilable. But I would say luck, commitment, and hiring well early. I mean, you've got a great crew, hiring really well and being a good judge of character from the start. It's like raising kids. You know, you raise them well, and then you don't have to keep an eye on them and maintain it and, you know, really pay attention all. All the way along.

Right, right. Well, you can't really say to your kids, I'm done. Yeah, I didn't know you were gonna be like that.

So.

Bye.

But then there's the commitment that comes in.

Yeah, no, of course I'm joking. But, you know, it's like that in a relationship, too.

Absolutely.

And my husband and I are together 10 years this year, and it's not. I mean, we love each other madly, and he's an amazing guy, but, you know, there's those moments where you're like, you know what? I don't really like you right now. I love you. And I could see where people would go, you know what? This is too hard, and I'm out of here.

Let's just forget it.

Yeah, we all have that. Right?

We're just like, ah, I just wish I could just walk out of this thing.

Right, right. You have those frustrating moments. And in business, especially in the very beginning, you really have to sort through all the stuff.

Right.

And for you, the three of you having that clear cut vision of what it is that you want to create, right?

Yep.

Because. And you know, when you're hiring people, if you're going to have flaky people, I think people show their colors right from the beginning.

Yep.

So anyway, but you guys are obviously doing. So where do you come up with the material? Because it's fresh. I mean, you're. How many hours are you on in the morning?

4, 6 to 10 in the morning. And everyone has their different process, I guess. For example, Shelly has the news produced for her and it's written and then she goes over it and her segment lasts about 30 minutes and we have a great producer who provides that and then she edits the material. I get in there at about 4:20 in the morning. The wrong 4:20. Just kidding. And I get in there and the show doesn't start until 6. But you go through all your sources and prep services that provide sound bites and you sift through those and then you formulate for. What I do is a comedic satiric sports cast that runs once an hour for about five to six minutes. And so I can provide that chunk every hour. And then Dave will come in with a topic from his sources or what he's seen on the news, or the notes he's taken the night before. And if he establishes a presence premise. Excuse me, then he can carry on for a half hour or, or ask, what do we have today? What did your kid do to just destroy like a callout segment?

Right.

And someone would actually.

What did your kid do to destroy what?

Destroy. Like you just bought something and your kid just destroyed it. So we had people telling us, yeah, I got a brand new car, it was a Lamborghini or something. And yeah, my kid played backstop with it to see how far the rock could bounce off the hood onto the glass. And it was like $10,000 damage. Just like that.

Yeah.

And some of them were hopefully a lot funnier than that. But the interplay that, you know, I.

Saw one and you guys kind of. You go to the edge sometimes too. Like you go, yeah, well, I was reading one that you had on there and I, you know, I wasn't on there because I get up that early, but I do listen to your show, just not every day. But there was. You asked recently, it's was a statistic that on people's wedding night, only 2/3 actually have sex on their wedding night.

That's correct.

Yeah. So the Question was, what? What were you doing? What were the other third of you doing on that night?

What stopped you from doing it while you were passed out, you were whatever.

You were having second thoughts.

Yes.

Yeah. What did I just do? One of them was, they're in Vegas.

We'Re staying in the next room. Were my parents. We didn't want to make noise.

Oh yeah, that's true. Although they can do put it in.

Silent mode, can't you? I mean, that's fundamental.

All right, all right, let's back it up. Okay. All right. Anyway, so now you, you were at the other station, KGB.

Yes, from 87 to about 2010.

And then there was, there was that big change. I mean, how was that for you? Was that a scary time for you when you, you left that station? And then there was a gap between. You knew what was going to happen next.

Well, that particular company, Clear Channel, which is now iheart, they had the company, the bottom Bain Capital, that Mitt Romney was involved in all that good stuff. They bought the thing high and then during like the escrow period, the market crashed. So suddenly they were $4 billion on their heels when they got the keys to their car and they go, oh no, they. So they started dumping contracts nationwide, all the big ones, if you will. And we fell victim to that. And they tried to make it so that, okay, we'll make it retroactive. Something about the Department of Justice and the books and the taxes and all that stuff didn't understand it. But the bottom line is we had to sit out for six months contractually until we were available to go on the air again. And KFMB, KFM, BFM 100.7, San Diego, they picked us up, thank goodness. So I think actually there were some feelers that we were going to be okay, but yeah, there's some trepidation there. You kind of wonder, alright, is this it?

Sure, yeah. Yeah.

But I thought we were probably going to be okay. And we are. We are.

Yeah.

The market has changed significantly. Getting into radio is different. I mean, I know we're talking to general business owners and not necessarily people that are getting into media per se.

Yeah. But what are your thoughts about that? Because we have people on here that would think about advertising on radio Forth. I mean, you're right there on the pulse of it. So what's your sense about all that?

My take on local radio is it's still the best platform for advertisers to get their word out in an individual market. Local.

In a local market. Right.

That's you can reach the most ears.

Right.

On a local morning show. Radio, I think, better than print and newspapers. The poor newspaper industry.

Oh, that's rough.

I mean.

Yeah, well, you know, I was a journalism major, too, so thank goodness we didn't go that route.

I love newspapers. I still get a newspaper. I'm one of three people in the entire building that still get a paper.

Really? I love that. And I like books, too. I don't like. I look at my computer all day long. Why do I want to hold another? Anyway, so you think it's still local.

Good morning show. And we've been very blessed and fortunate to have tremendous ratings. And in certain demographics, particularly men, now 25, 54, 35, I mean, it's just dominant.

It's great, right?

Very, very. Well, in certain demographics, I think people.

In a town, in a community, you have things that you're used to and you like. It makes you feel good. It makes you feel comfortable. Like, you go into a restaurant, you know the owner, and it's, hey, how you doing? It's the same thing. You listen to your radio show on your way to work. It makes you feel good. It makes you connected because people feel like they know you.

Right, right. And then they have. Yes, that's exactly right. I mean, how often have you watched a television show, be that David Letterman or whomever, you go, wow, that person doesn't know me, but I feel like I actually know that.

Yeah.

Heard the stories of their life. I can tell where they're going with their humor or whatever. Yeah. Really is an intimate thing, especially in the car. The theater of mind kicks in.

Right, right.

And so it's very intimate. Just one on one in the car. Just you driving in the traffic.

Yeah, definitely. So you talk about sports.

I do, per se. Yeah. But it's a parody, like you, you. You said a minute ago. You know, I don't know much about sports. You are my target audience. Because really, I like to make fun of us. Fun of sports.

Okay.

I make fun of sports so that you can laugh along with it and be able. Oh, okay. I hear the Seahawks or the Tom Brady thing with the footballs and everything. And you make jokes about all that stuff.

Yeah.

So that at least now you can talk to your husband now, or at least be conversant and have fun with it. Because for a lot of women, frankly.

Yeah.

It's just not that interesting.

It's just. I mean, I try. I really try, you know, I mean, it's fun to go to the games and the excitement.

Right.

So So I try to make it.

Interesting for someone like you who has no native interest, but I access it and tell the stats, but make fun of it in a way that you.

Well, I really like how it just dives into this sort of comedy routine right in the middle of sports. So that's always unexpected. But, I mean, do you have a favorite sport or a favorite team?

Well, I. You know, the Chargers and Padres, I obviously root for here in San Diego, but I grew up, you know, Boston Celtics, Northern California, 49ers. So, yeah, I've got teams that I play full for.

Yeah.

From way back in the core days, but I just enjoy good competition.

Yeah.

Like the current NBA Finals. Two teams, you know, that I'm not necessarily rooting for as a fan.

Yeah.

Russell. Steph Curry.

Steph Curry, right.

You've heard of him?

Well, I asked my husband last night, so I didn't until yesterday.

You took a crash course, be told.

Yeah, I got my notes here.

It's okay. It's okay.

Yeah, so. But I do know Chargers, of course, being in San Diego, and, you know, we're all biting our nails. Are the Chargers staying? Are they not staying? Are they building the stadium? What are your thoughts about that?

Well, from what I've heard that the local politicians, especially Democrats and Republicans, are really not in favor of investing what will probably surpass $2 billion in public funds. It's a loser to the people out there. The constituencies, by polls in the UT Channel 10 polls say we don't want to spend a dime on this yet. The Charger Avid fans. Come on, we can do it. It looked great. You've seen the renditions. They look beautiful. There only been about 342 renditions of this stadium.

Yes, forever.

And even if it passes the vote, Mr. Spano still has the option of going to LA anyway, right? So it'll be the most expensive thing in our city's history. And are we going to commit to that for 10 events a year? I don't think the constituencies out there are going for it. So it's all coming together.

I mean, how much does it bring to the economy? I mean, it's more.

I've read things both ways.

Yeah.

And a lot. Most of them tilting towards. It's not that good for the local economy. It makes the millionaires players rich. It makes the billionaires owners rich. But usually the cities are on the hook for, for starters, $350 million. And then millions of dollars a year to maintain. What do we get back as a community?

And I think it's just more the pride. Right. When it comes down to it, it's like they want us to have their team that they're rooting for every year. Does that turn into dollars? I don't know.

How do you put a price tag on that?

Yeah.

When you plant that flag to the world community that you have a franchise of the greatest sport in the world other than World cup soccer, Trapeze to have One of only 32 teams is a great jewel for the city. So how do you quantify that? Yeah, it's a real tussle. So I don't necessarily have a personal opinion about it as much as I just look at the landscape on both sides.

Well, you're. My sense is you're feeling it's not gonna happen.

I'm feeling it's not gonna happen.

Yeah, it does.

It's gonna be extraordinarily expensive and very cool for the reasons you just cited. You know what I'm saying?

Yeah. Yeah. I totally get it. So, you know, for those that are watching today, you know, finding something that you love. I always said that if in college that you were able to take a course on how to find your passion, because I think at that young age, it's hard. You know, it's scary enough that you're thinking, I'm embarking in the world and I got to figure out what I'm going to do with my life. And not even that at any age. 30, 40. I mean, what do you see people out there that are just trying to find their way in what they love to do?

Well, I mean, most people I've read, you know, you read articles and say that a lot of people have had like four jobs by the time they're 30, and they really don't find their way until they're about 30.

Right.

I mean, I don't think I really got good, you know, on the idea that superstar that I'm good now, but I don't think I got really good until I was 35. Yeah, 40. And in a smaller market where people didn't, you know, whatever.

Yeah, but you practiced all those years.

Practiced all the time. And so it takes a while, I think, for anybody to get good and getting back to one edge that I may have that I have to use. Because I think you have to try harder than anybody else. Get there first early and be really excited about going to work in the morning early and get a lot of preparation done so that when it's ready to perform, be it in sales, on the phone, in a conference, you are so thoroughly prepared that you can get in there and have such a command of the material that you can just kill it right there.

Right.

And that. That for me, I'm not as good extemporaneous as it. Unless I have really good prep.

I think that's a really good point. I'm glad you brought it up, because if you talk to people that have made a big success in their life, they'll tell you that they work their butts off.

Yeah. You have to.

You know what I mean? And I mean, you might have a natural skill and a talent, right? But you've got to show up, you've got to do the work and consistent year after year after year. And whether you're working for someone else, it's your own business. You treat it as if it's your own business. Right, Right. Because really, it's your career, your personality that you're putting out there. Right. It's your future.

You are your own business. Just walking around and there's a hundred other people probably just as good. Not as you. No one's as good as you. But there's probably. In any given field, there's a hundred people who probably have your talent. And so.

Or more than 100, you know, probably thousands. And so you just have to outwork.

Them out, relent them out, love it out. Get up a little earlier, you know.

Right.

And just outwork them.

Yeah.

Just applaud and then have fun. Obviously.

Yeah. Well, I mean, I think that if you're really loving it too, if you're enjoying it, it doesn't help get up. Like work.

Yeah.

You know, I. When I'm here at the end of the day and everybody's left and I'm still working and my husband will call me and it's like, you know, let's say 6:30, and he's like, hey, hon, what time you think you're coming home? I go, oh, I'll be home by 7:15. He goes, okay, I'll see you at 8:15.

Yeah, he knows, he knows.

And he's good with it, but, you know, you just get into it and you know you love it. You do. You love it so well. And I've just loved having you here. And I think that you're so inspiring. Did you know that? You are. You're very inspiring as you are. This is a big celebrity. We got huge.

Huge celebrity.

Huge. And you know, of course, you know my dear friend Sam.

Sam, the cooking guy.

Yeah.

He's such a natural. You know, I first saw him and I said, wow, I'd like to meet that guy someday.

Yeah. And look what happened. Yeah.

He's so fun.

Yeah. So we. We love Sam. Hi, Sam.

Hello, Sam.

All right, so thank you.

You're welcome. It's a pleasure.

Yeah. Should we. You're. I think you're still. You're.

I'm good now, actually.

You're good. You're like. You're throwing off, sweetie. I didn't make you too nervous, did I?

Oh, petrified.

All right, so thanks, everyone, for joining us on Ally and you'd. Until next time, elevate. Put yourself out there, because you are worth it. See you later. Bye.