Episode Title

From Radio DJ to Podcast Entrepreneur: Abbey Graves on Reinvention, Confidence, and Betting on Herself

Episode Description

Abbey Graves knew early that she loved radio.

As a child, she memorized local DJs, their stations, their schedules, and the music they played. By the time she finished high school, she had decided she wanted to become a radio DJ. She went to college for broadcasting, set herself a 10-year goal of working at one of Minnesota’s biggest rock stations—and landed the job before she had even graduated.

For years, radio was exactly where Abbey believed she belonged.

She built a successful career, became a highly rated on-air personality, managed stations, and rose to become one of the top content creators in the Townsquare Media organization. But eventually, continuing to grow in radio would have required uprooting the life and community she loved.

So Abbey made a change.

A communications role in county government gave her room to launch her own podcast, The Small Town Tourist. What began as a passion project unexpectedly became something more. Guests started asking Abbey for help creating podcasts of their own. One request became another, and within a year and a half, Abbey had built enough business to leave her job and become fully self-employed through Abbey Graves Productions.

Her first day as a full-time entrepreneur did not go according to plan. She lost one of her biggest clients.

She kept going.

Today, Abbey combines podcast production, consulting, education, DJing, event rentals, and music bingo—all while refusing to let herself be confined to one version of success.

Her story is for the woman who has already accomplished one dream and wonders whether she is allowed to want another. Abbey’s answer is clear: bet on yourself, write the goal down, find the people who can help, tear up the box, and keep moving.

Key Discussion Points

• 02:06 — Abbey shares how receiving a boom box as a child sparked an obsession with music, radio stations, DJs, and broadcasting.

• 03:44 — She explains how she pursued radio broadcasting in college and completed an 18-month program in only nine months.

• 04:09 — Abbey recalls setting a 10-year goal of working at Minnesota rock station 93X—and being hired there before graduating.

• 05:44 — She reflects on seven years working in radio, becoming a station manager and one of the top content creators within Townsquare Media.

• 06:11 — Abbey explains why she eventually left radio rather than uproot her life and move away from Central Minnesota.

• 06:46 — A communications position with county government gave her an opportunity to use her storytelling skills in a new environment.

• 07:08 — Abbey describes launching The Small Town Tourist podcast to share stories about small-town Minnesota.

• 07:34 — Podcast guests begin asking Abbey to help them start their own shows, unexpectedly creating the foundation of a new business.

• 08:00 — Abbey shares how those requests grew into Abbey Graves Productions and eventually allowed her to become fully self-employed.

• 09:07 — She talks about recognizing that passion can become a business when it also creates value for other people.

• 10:03 — Abbey explains how entrepreneurship increased her confidence and taught her what it means to continually bet on herself.

• 11:51 — She reflects on repeatedly setting goals and reaching them much earlier than expected.

• 13:28 — Abbey shares one of her most important lessons: “find the who, not the how.”

• 14:13 — She remembers the specific moment in 2023 when another entrepreneur’s podcast made her realize she could build her own full-time business too.

• 15:51 — Abbey describes losing one of her biggest clients on her very first day of full-time self-employment and how she reframed the setback.

• 17:42 — She shares her approach to positive self-talk and why she literally dances through affirmations while making coffee.

• 19:45 — Abbey credits her husband and longtime podcast client Liz Fiddler Mergen as two of her strongest supporters.

• 21:19 — She offers advice to aspiring entrepreneurs about hard work, late nights, setbacks, and pursuing work that genuinely matters to them.

• 22:53 — Abbey reflects on how the end of her radio career opened a future she never could have imagined.

• 24:19 — She encourages listeners to abandon traditional career “boxes” and give themselves permission to create their own rules.

• 25:09 — Abbey advises women who have never spoken their dream aloud to tell one trusted person who will encourage and hold them accountable.

• 25:58 — She explains the range of services she offers through Abbey Graves Productions and her other businesses.

Notable Quotes

“When you're self-employed, you have to bet on yourself every time, or you're not gonna win in any goal that you set for yourself.”

“I am a firm believer in you write those goals down.”

“You gotta find the who, not the how.”

“The hard days are few and far between if you truly are passionate about seeing this through.”

“Hard endings create wonderful beginnings.”

“Grab your box cutter, tear up the box, and put it in the recycling. You don't need that box.”

Takeaways

• One dream can lead naturally into another. Abbey’s skills in radio, storytelling, communications, and podcasting became building blocks rather than separate chapters.

• Writing down goals can give a dream direction. Abbey credits written goals with helping her stay focused on what she wanted next.

• Mentors and examples matter. Seeing another entrepreneur build a business helped Abbey believe she could do the same.

• Setbacks do not automatically mean you made the wrong decision. Losing a major client on day one forced Abbey to problem-solve rather than retreat.

• Positive self-talk requires practice. Abbey intentionally speaks encouragement to herself instead of allowing difficult moments to become destructive spirals.

• You do not have to remain inside one professional identity. Abbey has built a career around multiple interests rather than forcing herself into a single box.

• Saying a dream out loud can be the first step toward making it real. A trusted friend can provide both encouragement and accountability.

Connect with Guest

Website: https://abbeygravesproductions.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abbeythepodcastlady/
@abbeythepodcastlady

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