Current Member in Spotlight: Daione Sanders, Cumulus Media

Can you give us a few personal details about your life?
A few facts about me would be that I am an alumna of UNT and buy season tickets for football every year, last year I didn't miss one home game. I have a wonderful hobby of travel, I follow way too many travel sites and am known to book vacations on impulse, (this isn't my boss's favorite trait). I love holidays and birthdays, just ask my team, last year I decorated our sales floor for Christmas by stringing lights from the ceiling across all the cubicles and set up a Christmas tree!

How did you get into the industry and what was your first job? 
I studied Advertising in college and was introduced to AWM as a student. I was fortunate enough to snag a spot on one of their Student Media Tours and that is actually how I found Cumulus Media! It was my first job out of college and I am happy to say I am still with the company.

What can you tell us about your current job?
My official role is Account Executive, but one thing I really love about this job is how many hats I wear. I get the opportunity to work on media plans for local clients as well as agency, plan and execute promotions on site and on air, and participate in great station initiatives that give back to the community. It's a very busy job but I'm always being pushed creatively to grow. 

What advice would you give someone new in our industry?
Learn as much as you can about all aspects of media. In college I had a "dream job" but learned through the Student Media Tour that is wasn't as much of a fit for me as I had thought. At Cumulus I try and get as involved in promotions and programming as I can because you never know where this industry will take you; and you gain so much experience even from just helping other departments and seeing how things work on their side.

Have you had a mentor?
I have been fortunate to have two great mentors here at Cumulus and I would highly suggest it to any young professional to find someone in the industry they can confide in. They are there to help you navigate situations you haven't been in before and give you the push you need when you aren't feeling very motivated.

Provide details of your role with AWM and what does it mean to you?
I currently sit at Membership Co-Chair and it was a role I was very excited to take on. I have a huge appreciation for AWM and love being able to have the position to grow awareness and member count. I truly believe the organization has so much to offer and love being able to share that information with potential new members.

What is the one truth that has held constant throughout your career? When I first started so many people told me "Your reputation is your business" and I have experienced that to be true on many occasions. As big as media seems it's actually a very small world sometimes so the relationships you make and reputation you build will follow you. It's an industry where one day the person you sit next to could be the one across from you hiring you one day so it's important to make sure you don't burn bridges and build a reputation you can be proud of.