A Dream Fulfilled: Beginning My Radio Career.

     No outfit post or Relationship Monday musings today.... due to the fact that this is a very exciting day, and one that I have waited a very long time for! Today is my first day of work as an on-air radio host, which has been a dream of mine since I was seven years old. It began to become a more realistic dream during my freshman year of college, and one that strongly influenced my move to North Carolina in the first place! Today, one year ago, I was celebrating at my last sorority formal. Had you told me that one year from then I would be preparing to start my first radio job in Vermont, there's no way I would have believed you!! (Probably least likely to believe the Vermont part- ha!)

Photo by Deeana Kourtney Photography

     When I announced the news last month on the blog about accepting the position for my first radio job, I touched over some of the basics regarding it, like where my job is located (VERMONT - hence my move across the East Coast!), the story of how I first became interested in radio as a little girl, and if my move would be bringing a name change or rebrand for my blog. Since sharing that initial announcement about my job, I've had several weeks to think about how I would like to continue to integrate my job into my blog's content. I happen to think that I am about to begin one of the coolest jobs in the world, and thankfully radio is an industry that is essential to integrate with social media, so I'll definitely be sharing about my job and transition into being in the radio world here on Southern Belle in Training. Post topics that I have ideas for include: picking an undergrad course of study and internships to prepare you for broadcasting, all about broadcasting school (what is it, who should go, what you study), why I picked radio over TV, a day in the life at work of a radio host, sharing my new music top picks each month, and also giving all of you a chance to ask me things in a Q&A post about my career and the radio industry, once I have gotten a bit more settled into my job! ALSO- Once my on-air schedule is set-in stone, I will be sharing it here so that any of you who would like to tune in can! (You can listen to both stations that I'll be working for online or on their iPhone apps!)

      Although the last paragraph kind of captured what's to come as far as this life change and my blog, I do want to say again how big of a deal today is for me on a personal level. While this blog growing into what it is might be something that I never saw coming when I started it during my freshman year of college, I can't say the same for my career path! That IS what I've been working towards for so many years, and to watch my work and sacrifices pay off and my dreams come true in front of my eyes in unbelievable. I am both extremely nervous and extremely excited for today!


     One last thing that I wanted to share with y'all... these two blog posts that really resonated with me a lot during the last couple months as I was preparing to move and start work. Krista from Covering the Bases and Jenna from Visions of Vogue are both fashion bloggers who could easily be blogging full-time at this point, but they love their day jobs and choose to continue their original careers as well as blog. Krista's post and Jenna's post, each about how much their careers mean to them, were such encouragements to me as I prepare to start mine! So many girls who do fashion blogging strive to be full-time bloggers, and while I admire those that do (some I'm even friends with!), that was never the path that I intended to take with this blog. My end-goal someday I suppose is to brand my radio presence and blog presence into one, if that makes sense, but still to always have my voice as an outlet.


     For a non-radio update- this weekend I was able to solidify my editorial calendar for the rest of April, so expect some fun content here on the blog in the next couple weeks. Next week I'll also finally be beginning to recap my Italy trip- that is much delayed I know, but that's what happens when you travel internationally right before being in a wedding and moving! 😉



    Thank you all for celebrating this new chapter with me!



     God Bless,



     xoxo Annaliese