This month we are excited to have Shelley Hargis, Vice President of Promotion, Syndication and Group Strategy at BBR Music Group, as our guest for Episode 49 of Trailblazers. Shelley brings an incredible 29 years of experience in the music industry. She began her career as an intern at Sony Music Nashville for Epic Records, where her passion and dedication quickly propelled her through the ranks to become Regional Promotion Manager. In 2002, she joined Broken Bow Records as Director of Regional Promotion, eventually advancing to National Director. Her leadership was instrumental in helping BBR launch two new label teams, Stoney Creek Records and later Red Bow Records, where she rose to Vice President of Promotion. In 2018, Shelley returned to BBR as Vice President of Promotion, helping the label achieve the milestone of becoming the number one Country Label in 2022. The following year, she was promoted to Vice President of Promotion, Syndication and Group Strategy for BBR Music Group, overseeing all three of its imprints. Throughout her remarkable career, Shelley has been recognized for her influence and impact in country music, including being named to Country Aircheck's prestigious Power 31 list. We are thrilled to feature Shelley on this month's episode because her drive, leadership and trailblazing career have helped shape the modern country music landscape. Tune in to hear how she has continued to evolve, inspire and lead with excellence in an ever changing industry. Shelley Hargis is a true Trailblazer.

Pete Gustin is an award-winning American voice actor, producer, and former radio personality whose voice has defined major media brands. His work spans television commercials, film trailers, promos, and animated series such as Family Guy. Born with Stargardt's Disease, Pete had perfect vision as a child but began losing his sight at age eight. Undeterred, he launched his career in radio production and on-air performance before transitioning full-time into voice acting in 2002, beginning with a campaign for Grand Theft Auto. In 2020, Pete's incredible story was featured in the documentary Blind Surfer with Pete Gustin, which captured his unstoppable drive and his passion for surfing despite vision loss. Beyond his studio work, Pete shares motivational and uplifting content with over 750,000 TikTok followers and over 2.5 million followers on YouTube; inspiring millions worldwide. Originally from Massachusetts, Pete credits his mother for instilling in him the determination to push through challenges and pursue his dreams. His life and career stand as a testament to perseverance, creativity, and the power of the human voice to move and inspire. In this episode, Pete shares his journey of resilience, the lessons he's learned in building a career that breaks barriers, and what it truly means to be a Trailblazer — and find out how you can become one too!

Get ready, this week's Trailblazers is packed with energy! 🎙️ In this episode, Ileana Landon sits down with Mark Chase, a true radio pro who's been rocking the airwaves for over 40 years. From Armed Forces Radio and TV overseas to major U.S. markets like San Diego, to his current role at Deer Creek Broadcasting in Chico, CA, Mark has done it all: program director, production wizard, and on-air personality. But Mark's story isn't just about radio. He's also passionate about giving back… mentoring new talent, teaching, and supporting causes close to his heart like St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Wounded Warriors, High Sierra Animal Rescue, and the Butte Humane Society. With awards on his shelf, international experience, and decades of stories to share, Mark brings wisdom, laughs, and a whole lot of heart to this episode. Don't miss this fun and inspiring conversation with someone who truly lives and breathes broadcasting!

Nos llena de orgullo presentar a Tito López en este episodio de Trailblazers en Español. Un verdadero referente de la radio en Latinoamérica, Tito ha dedicado más de 30 años a transformar emisoras en Colombia, Costa Rica, México y Chile, dejando huella como director nacional de programación, gerente general y consultor internacional. Escucha este episodio donde Tito nos comparte desde sus experiencias mágicas y sus momentos de aprendizaje. Desde sus inicios en Caracol Radio, donde lideró más de 50 estaciones musicales, hasta su rol como pionero en Blu Radio y RCN, Tito ha combinado visión estratégica, talento creativo y pasión por la radio. Actualmente, comparte su experiencia como consultor en Radio Somos (Chile) y como columnista para Monitor Latino. Escucha este episodio y descubre cómo Tito es un verdadero Trailblazer y cómo tú también puedes llegar a serlo! Removed last sentence you had and combined verdadero so we don't say Trailblazer twice.

Estamos emocionados y honrados de tener con nosotros a Felipe Chavez, Director de Operaciones de Bustos Media, en este episodio de Trailblazers Español. Un líder visionario que, desde 1996, ha jugado un papel crucial en la evolución de Bustos Media, supervisando hoy la operación de 25 estaciones de radio en Oregón, Washington, California y Arizona. Felipe comenzó su carrera en la Universidad del Valle de México (UVM), donde se graduó en Ciencias de la Comunicación. Su viaje profesional comenzó en Bustos Media como Vicepresidente de Tecnología, donde manejó más de 30 estaciones de radio, y desde allí, se aventuró en diversas áreas como producción, tráfico y operaciones. Hoy, Felipe divide su tiempo entre Tucson, Arizona, y los mercados clave de Bustos Media, viajando constantemente para estar en el corazón de la acción. También se ha establecido como un líder dentro de la industria, formando parte de la junta del Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB) y representando al Distrito 23 de Radio en la Junta Directiva de la National Association of Broadcasters (NAB). Escucha nuestro primer episodio en español y descubre cómo Felipe es un Trailblazer y cómo tú también puedes llegar a serlo. ¡Felipe es un verdadero Trailblazer!

We're excited to welcome Christina Barsi, founder and CEO of Boss-Goddess.co, to this month's episode of Trailblazers. A pioneer in podcast-first marketing and intuitive entrepreneurship, Barsi helps women-owned businesses and major brands grow with a strategy-driven, soul-centered, no-hustle approach. Barsi entered the podcasting world in 2013 with her sci-fi noir audio drama DIMENSION, which ranked in the top 100 for both physics and mystery on Goodpods. She went on to produce the documentary Is Anyone Listening, which premiered at Sci-Fi London and explored podcasting's creative power. Through Boss-Goddess.co, Barsi combines aligned content strategy with holistic business growth. She's also the founder of The Women's Podcast Industry Network™, a global community spotlighting and supporting women in the podcasting space. In addition to running her businesses, Barsi hosts Boss-Goddess, a top-ranked podcast that helps women reconnect with their intuition and build businesses that reflect their true selves. In this episode, Barsi shares the inspiration behind Boss-Goddess.co, the story of launching The Women's Podcast Industry Network™, and what it means to be a true Trailblazer and find out how you can become one too! Don't miss this empowering conversation.

We are truly excited and honored to have Jack Hobbs, founder of reVolver Podcasts, on this month's episode of Trailblazers. A visionary in Hispanic media, Jack has been instrumental in shaping the industry, from his early days at Univision to revolutionizing the digital audio space with reVolver Podcasts. After decades of success in television and radio—growing Univision's Dallas sales office from $5 million to $50 million and building the HBC Radio Network—Jack set his sights on the future of audio content. In 2015, he co-founded reVolver Podcasts, recognizing the massive potential of digital streaming and the lack of multicultural representation in mainstream podcasting. Today, reVolver Podcasts is the leading multicultural audio platform, featuring top Latino creators and exclusive partnerships with Televisa, Fox Deportes, RCN, and over 100 programs. With talents like Erazno y La Chocolata, Piolín, Don Cheto, and Luis Jiménez, reVolver has transformed how brands and audiences connect through podcasting. Join us as we dive into Jack's incredible career and explore how reVolver Podcasts is shaping the future of Latino digital media. Jack is a true Trailblazer! Find out how you can become one too on this month's episode of Trailblazers.

We are truly excited and honored to have Chad Rufer on this month's episode of Trailblazers. Chad discovered his passion for music during his teenage years while involved with his high school's radio station, KWDM. At just sixteen, he landed his first real radio job hosting a Saturday night "Party Song" show on KLYF in Des Moines, IA, while also anchoring news for its sister station, WHO-AM. With over 30 years of radio experience, Chad has risen from weekend on-air talent to Vice President of Programming for one of the most respected radio groups in the industry. His expertise has earned him recognition as one of the "Best Program Directors in America" by Radio Ink in 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2023, as well as being named one of Country Radio's Top Program Directors in 2023 and 2024.

This month, we are joined by Tom Fox, President and Founder of the award-winning Compliance Podcast Network and the Texas Hill Country Podcast Network where Tom personally produces over 70 podcasts each week! Tom has won multiple awards for podcast hosting and producing and has the distinct honor of garnering awards for series as diverse as Looking Back on 9/11, Understanding Lyme Disease, and Trial of the Century: The Enron Trial. He is also an Executive leader at the C-Suite Network, the world's most trusted network of C-Suite leaders. Find out how his curiosity and a major life event led him to podcasting. Learn how he cracked the code to monetize and earn a six-figure income via 5 distinct revenue streams as a content producer in rural Texas! Tom is also a best-selling author, having written 32 books on compliance, business ethics, and leadership. He is the author of the seminal The Compliance Handbook, 5th edition. He has published a 3-book children's book series, Compliance Kids, including Being a Compliance Officer is Awesome, Speaking Up is Awesome, and Compliance Saves the Galaxy. Tom Fox is a true Trailblazer! Tune in to find out how you can become one too!

We are truly excited and honored to have Jason Barrett, the President and Founder of Barrett Media, on this month's episode of Trailblazers. Before launching his company in 2015, Jason worked in the industry for 20 years as a programmer, host, and producer. Jason has served as a sports radio programmer, launching brands such as 95.7 The Game in San Francisco, and 101 ESPN in St. Louis. He also spent time programming Sports Talk 950 in Philadelphia, 590 The Fan KFNS in St. Louis, and ESPN 1340/1390 in Poughkeepsie, NY. He also worked as an on-air talent and behind the scenes in local radio at 101.5 WPDH, WTBQ 1110AM, and WPYX 106.5. He then spent two years on the national stage, producing radio shows for ESPN Radio in Bristol, CT, including The Dan Patrick Show, and GameNight. Still involved in radio, podcasting, and the tech world, find out how you can become a Trailblazer like Jason too!

This month on the Trailblazers podcast we are very excited to have Steve Goldstein as our guest. Steve is an internationally recognized executive and leader in scaling and refining audio ventures across podcasting, radio, satellite radio, and voice platforms. He has developed scores of successful podcast initiatives, radio shows, top talent, and monetization strategies. Steve is an adjunct professor at NYU where he teaches "The Business of Podcasting," the first course at a major university focused on the burgeoning podcast ecosystem. Known for his creativity, unique diagnostic tools, and ability to see what's next, Steve was early to podcasting, launching Amplifi Media in 2015. Before that, he was a founding partner and EVP of Saga Communications. The company grew to over 100 radio stations and became publicly traded on the American Stock Exchange. Please listen to this month's episode featuring Steve Goldstein, to find out why podcasts fail, what you can do to ensure yours doesn't, the future of audio, and so much more. Steve is a true Trailblazer. Find out how you can become one too on this month's episode of Trailblazers.