Ear Kandy Radio is Back

Ear Kandy Radio is back and ironically, this September marked 11 years since we started and broadcasted our first show!

First and foremost, I would like to apologize to all of my fans for the LONNNNGGGG break!!! Not to make excuses… but a lot has transpired and I was almost ready to give it all up. To sum it all up for you guys (long story short), the downfall all started when a co-worker tried to sabotage my business and took all my shows to his “network.” This person (I thought was a genuine friend) literally helped me build it up just to tear it all down and for no good reason AT ALL! Then my website and social media pages were hacked (which caused me to lose a lot of money), I wasn’t getting even a quarter of the views/hits to my website. Prior to that was getting so many hits to my website that I had a media partnership with News Break (since I had over 10,000 followers on Instagram). When my page was hacked, my articles stopped posting automatically to News Break. I made new pages and tried to pick up where I left off, but the damage was done!

Business was not moving at all and Ear Kandy Radio was at a stand-still. Then to put the cherry on top, my personal life was also in shambles! I almost made the dumbest mistake in my life and ALMOST divorced my husband! I really felt like I was going through the darkest chapter of my life… I didn’t recognize my own reflection in the mirror! I didn’t even feel like Brittney anymore.

Thankfully, my husband and I made amends and we were trying to build everything back up that we (mostly me) tore down, then my father-in-law and my dear mother both passed away in less than a year apart. I was totally checked out at that point and I couldn’t figure out how to pull it back together or where to even start! I gave up my herb store/studio because I just didn’t have the drive or passion to do anything anymore. Losing two parents back-to-back like that really made me question even wanting to be here. I was never suicidal or anything like that… but I was okay with going to be with my mom. Had it not been for my husband carrying the full load, my children, family and friends… I could’ve easily just gave up!

Your girl was truly lost in this world and feeling all alone.

For whatever reason (even though my website was not active), I continued to pay my monthly and yearly website and domain hosting fees. My friend and I (Faith) literally built Ear Kandy Radio from the ground up and I didn’t want to see the rest of our hard work just go down the drain. (Although Faith is no longer with me, I will forever be grateful for her ideas & for her taking a leap of “faith” to try out the radio business). I just kept hearing my mother’s voice in the back of my head telling me not to let “my baby” go. She was so proud of me when I first started Ear Kandy Radio!!! She would tell everybody about my show and even sing them my theme song. Often times she would send me articles to blog about and would text me and tell me her opinion about each and every blog she read. So in a way, bringing Ear Kandy Radio back is not only for me… but to make my momma proud too!

Ear Kandy Radio has definitely had some highs and lows over the years, so the decision to come back was well thought out and I have a plan of action this time around. When we first started, I was literally trying everything to see what would get me the most hits, views and interaction. A lot of times it worked out, but there were some things that didn’t go as planned. & just to name a few…

• Having a 79 year old woman for a co-host – Ms. Henretha was with us for a little over a year and she captured the hearts of many of our listeners. She was a freaky old lady who brought a lot of fun and entertainment to the show. I really grew to love this woman, as we talked on and off the show and really had a close relationship. Come to find out, she was a gay man, around the same age as me! YES… I WAS CATFISHED on my own show! I was so hurt and obviously I still am. I couldn’t believe he betrayed my trust like that. I really felt like I lost a good auntie/ grand-mother.
• Doing a paternity test – My then co-host, Ray Rob and I had the bright idea to start doing DNA tests on the show. We paid for the test as long as the guest agreed to share their story and results on the show. The very first time we did a show, the child came back to be not the father’s (and the little girl was 4 or 6 years old at the time). That was some of the most devastating news I ever had to give somebody on my show and we decided to never do them again.
• I once did a blog about a local domestic violence situation and the man involved shortly ended up being killed. Now I was not the first person to share the news, it already had over 100 shares on social media before I even reported on it, but once I posted the story… it really went viral. Even though I know I was not the cause of his death, I always wished I wouldn’t have done that blog.
• Building a team with the wrong people – Choosing the right team is imperative in any business but especially in my case since we were basically prying into other people’s lives, getting their stories and our presence on social media was so big. I have always believed in giving everybody a chance, but I really wish I would’ve listened to the countless people who told me not to deal with a certain person I allowed to be on my team. In the beginning, this person was very knowledgeable and helpful. He started off having his own show then talked me into letting him be my personal assistant and eventually business partner. As time went on, I began to notice how he would go out of his way to undermine me every chance he could. He even went on live air and told the world he had incurable STD’s before he ran it past me! This really brought a lot of negative attention to my station. There was even a girl who was seeking legal action to sue us (thankfully her and I talked and she agreed not to take any action).
• The same person mentioned in the previous paragraph really did a number on my ratings. It’s like once he joined the team, that was the beginning of my (temporary) end. He was social media beefing with so many people, I couldn’t really keep up. He even got into it with internet drama sensation Junya Junya! He did an article about him that I had to end up removing off my website. Junya and I bumped into each other when the situation popped off and talked about how we didn’t have a problem with one another, but he STRONGLY RECOMMENDED for me to get that man off my team because he was bringing Ear Kandy Radio’s value down. Of course I didn’t listen because I really thought he was a friend and had my best interest at heart, but I was wrong!
• Dealing with the hate/ haters – WHEWWWW… at times it was a lot. Being in the radio and entertainment business, you really have to develop thick skin, because people will try to chew you up and spit you back out. I got so tired of hearing rumors about myself that weren’t true and people ganging up on me and literally hating me for no reason at all. When the hate don’t work, they start telling lies.. but eventually, even that got played out!

Now as I stated above, we had a lot of good times, I met some great people along the way and made some awesome memories as well.

• Ear Kandy Radio (Down N Dirty After Dark) was one of the 1st internet radio stations/ shows in Akron, OH. When we first started, you had to call in to listen and you guys were truly tuned in!!! We only had 250 lines available, so you guys would 3-way people in on the calls. I was so amazed every show at all the support.
• I built a few different teams, gave other people the opportunity to have their own show (a few of which have gone on to do big things) and we even had a team of interns at one point in time. I still have really good relationships with most of my show hosts… Honorable mention to DeAnna Kay, Char Johnson, Crisis Banks, Dreday & Kurt Ayo (who are still making noise in media/ entertainment), also my co-hosts Faith, Jasmine Brown, Ray Rob, Spliff and Etayveia and last but definitely not least… HUGE thank you to my husband who helped me with everything (from finances, ideas, designing the studios and more). I will forever be grateful to you guys for helping me build Ear Kandy Radio.
• The website generated over 100 MILLION hits since it was created and we reached 162 countries/ territories around the world (S/O to Nise Webb for creating that website from scratch).
• We produced three volumes of the H.O.T.S. Magazine (Heartbeat of the Streets), highlighting local businesses, as well as health, urban news and entertainment articles. This is one of my proudest accomplishments… actual physical magazines, not just a digital copy because it was something tangible. Big thank you to Telia Anderson who designed the 1st magazine and Sean Douglas (my official graphic designer) who designed the 2nd and 3rd issue.
• We attended press conferences and even held a press conference to bring a missing boy home (& thanks to our article and cry for help, he actually came home).
• We hosted parties and did interviews on the red carpet for multiple events.
• We published over 3500 articles/ blogs on the website (before it was hacked and I lost everything). People would tell me how they used to wake up in the morning and go to my website to see what was going on and what articles we posted. Huge thank you to any of my show hosts and bloggers who posted blogs! The website is nothing without content… and you guys definitely published some great content.
• I interviewed the majority of the local music artists in Akron/ Cleveland area and put on music showcases.
• I hosted a party with and got a chance to interview the beautiful Kash Doll.
• We had so many sponsors. Without sponsors, the radio business doesn’t generate any revenue. We truly had some awesome sponsors (and we are currently looking for new sponsors) and I am grateful for all of you.
• I could really go on and on about all the good things with Ear Kandy Radio, but I would have to say the best thing EVERRRRR is you guys, my fans! It took me a while to even be able to admit and realize that I actually had fans. It is truly humbling and it is not something that I take lightly. My fans have literally supported me every step of the way. From all the changes with the show, to selling seamoss & other miscellaneous items and even the passing of my mom, you guys have honestly just been there for me and I appreciate each and every one of you from the bottom of my heart.

I wasn’t really planning on typing all this LOL, I just wanted to tell you guys that Ear Kandy Radio is back!

What exactly does that mean you ask?!

Starting out, I have to build my audience back up… so I will be posting blogs everyday! Blogs about any and everything, but I really want to keep it “cute” this time around. I will still be posting and blogging about controversial topics, but I really don’t want to report on the messy local news and even the messy celebrity news. I want to shine a positive light (because there really are a lot of good things going on around the world), while still keeping you guys informed on what’s really happening in this crazy place. We seem to be so distracted with celebrity news and gossip while the ports are closing right up under our noses and multiple countries are looking to drop the American dollar. We really need to open our eyes and start focusing on what really matters. I know drama sells… so I will keep it a little spicy at times, but the goal is to make “us” look good.

To help build my audience, I will be coming back out with my online directory. If you guys remember when I first started we had the “Buy Black Directory?!” This time around, it will be the same goal with a different name and I will be looking for 5 people to help me get the first 1,000 listings (commission based position). More details to follow soon.

After I get a little traction, I plan on popping out with my new show in my new studio! I’m not going to tell you guys exactly what kind of show it will be YET, but I’m excited and I know it will be a show that everybody can and will enjoy. I will definitely be looking for sponsors, so if you’re looking to get your business on the map be sure to contact me.

If you guys have made it this far, thank you! Please leave me a comment below (tell me your favorite memory with Ear Kandy Radio) and subscribe to our blogs. If you have a story you think I should share, please click the button to “SUBMIT YOUR STORY.”

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EKR Brit

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