(By Charese Fruge’) In this week’s Women to Watch, we follow up on the progress of one of our original talent featured in our weekly column, Lauren Cakes, who just recently accepted a position as the new Midday Host at WHZT, HOT 98.1 in Greenville, South Carolina, after nearly 10 years with the first radio station she ever worked for, KVEG, Hot 97.5 in Las Vegas. “I’m so excited to be here and ready to grow even more,” she says.
Lauren started on the street team at KVEG in 2014 while also Co-Hosting on UNLVs 91.5 college station. “After one year at 97.5 I began board opping, and after six months I broke the mic and went live,” she explains. “I later got the chance to do weekends and cover shifts. In 2018, I started to cover overnights, and then in 2019 I signed my first contract for the overnight slot. Beginning in May of 2023, I was offered Middays, and shortly after was offered the position in Greenville.”
Lauren’s passion for radio began in her hometown of Indianapolis. “When I was young (around 11 or 12), I would always call HOT 96.3 and give shout-outs to my friends on Friday nights, and they loved it. It made me happy, they screamed and were so excited to hear their name on the radio,” she says. “I would listen to B-Swift and E-Klass back in the day and I wanted to be just like them. Playing music, talking about celebrities, and showing love to people in the city. It excited me so much and it became a dream of mine to be a radio personality one day.”
Throughout Lauren’s hustle to be a radio star, she also worked a few normal jobs along the way, “I was a bartender, cosmetologist, receptionist for a few doctor offices, and also a bottle girl,” she says. “I have always been a hustler and I knew I was going to make it work somehow and someway.
“Starting from the bottom and working my way up at the same radio station was one of my biggest accomplishments. I started in promotions and became an On Air Talent without any educational background. I did not go to college for communications/broadcasting or even journalism. I really made it without a college degree. I got my foot in the door and worked hard and stayed consistent.
“It wasn’t always easy,” says Lauren. “One of my biggest challenges was watching other radio jocks pass me by with on air opportunities. I thought I was really good at what I did, and I was there way longer than others. I started to question myself and my work ethic, but I never gave up, I just kept pushing and becoming better at what I do.
“Now I’m focused on getting better at interviewing artists and other celebrities,” says Lauren. “I want to find more of a creative way to be more hands-on during interviews and be more consistent when it comes to social media and radio, bridging the two together. I also want to see more artists get involved with our local community more. I’d like to be a part of making that happen, and my goal is to one day see myself winning an award for the Best Midday show.”
One of the biggest problems facing radio right now is bridging the generation gap so we can grow younger audiences. Lauren believes that the younger demo does still listen to radio, but we need to give them a “reason” to continue to listen. “I think when it comes to the younger audience, we need to give them a chance to win hot tickets and giveaways. I’m not talking about DVDs and lunch at your nearest chain restaurant. They do listen to the radio but maybe for them to stay longer we need to show them we got their back as well. Plus giving them an opportunity to voice their opinion on what they want to hear, like doing a music survey, I think that would make them feel like they were a part of the process, and that’s important for Gen Z.”
For Lauren, it’s not the job that keeps her up at night. It’s true crime shows & horror, thriller movies and shows. “But I do find a little peace and balance by taking time for myself; going to the gym, to church, and meditation,” she says.
As far as Lauren’s next big project, “It will be an Entertainment segment for Tik-Tok and Instagram: ‘What’s HOT & What’s NOT,’” she says.
Follow Lauren Cakes on her continued journey on Instagram @IamLaurenCakes, on TikTok @_LaurenCakes or shoot her an email: [email protected].
Charese Fruge’ is an award-winning Content, Broadcast, and Marketing executive with over 20 years of experience in markets like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, San Diego, and Las Vegas. As the owner of MC Media, she works with radio brands and individual talents, especially young women, helping them grow their brands and negotiate on their own behalf. Find her at @MCMediaOnline. See more Women to Watch here.
