Mike Staff
Owner,
Mike Staff Productions
Madison Heights, MI

DJ/Air Talent,
101 WRIF (1992-2006)
Detroit, MI

While his friends pretended to be astronauts, when Mike Staff was 6 years old, he would pretend that he was a DJ on 101 WRIF.  "It's all I ever wanted to do", Mike recalls, "Its weird, I guess I really was born to be on the Riff!". 

Mike graduated from SHS in September of 1987 and landed his dream job on the Riff in February of 1992; where he became known for his on-the-street presence, love of music and incredible artist interviews. "I've had the chance to interview virtually every major Rock star on the planet", Mike says, "Van Halen, Metallica, Kid Rock, Pink Floyd, Robert Plant, Nirvana, Aerosmith, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rush, Kiss, Pearl Jam … the list is endless.  Man, what a blast!"

Somewhere along the line, Mike began to DJ a few wedding receptions.  "For beer money, mostly", he quips.  Since then, Mike Staff Productions has become Michigan's largest mobile entertainment & wedding videography company, employing over 30 DJs and 6 videographers.  In 2006, after 14 years on the Riff, he retired from radio to focus on his business and spend more time with his family.

Of course, it's never easy to reach a life-long goal, and Mike had his share of ups and downs. "Mostly 'ups', though", Mike adds, "Because I believe that every disappointment holds the seed to a greater opportunity". 

How did you get started in radio?
While I was still a student at Specs, I landed two great internships.  The first was assisting the producer of the J.P. McCarthy Morning Show on 760 WJR.  This was in 1987, where syndicated radio shows didn't exist and J.P. was a very big deal.  He would interview sitting Presidents, for example.  I would do research and help book interviews and such.  I really learned a lot.

The second internship was at 98.7 WLLZ, "Detroit's Wheels", which was the Riff's biggest competitor at the time.  I helped out in the promotions department.  The best part of this internship was the people I met; Doug Podell being the most influential on my career.  Doug was the Program Director of "Wheels" and later became my PD at Riff.  Doug really took me under his wing and mentored me and encouraged me.  We've been great friends ever since.

Tell us about your on-air jobs before WRIF.
My first on air job was at 1430 WBRB, a little AM station in Mt. Clemens.  It only had 500 watts (Dick Kernan once pointed out that a hair dryer has 1200 watts!), but it was a great place to start because we were free to make mistakes.  I swear no one ever heard me on that station except my mom and my grandma.

After about a year of playing Neil Diamond tunes I was going crazy and needed to ROCK, so I took a part-time job at WKLT in Traverse City.  They offered me 8 hours a week at $4 an hour; so I moved to Traverse City for a job that paid $32 a week!  I had to work A LOT of odd jobs to survive; I delivered pizzas, washed cars, waited tables, DJ'd weddings, I was even a maid in a hotel (for one day!).  It wasn't easy, but just over a year later I had my own shift and a (small) salary.

Two and a half years later I was fired (they say you are a "nobody" in this business until you are fired at least twice.  Thankfully, I'm still a "nobody"!)  Everything happens for a reason and I landed on my feet at a killer Rock station in Youngstown, Ohio.  I was hired in part-time to work 12 hours a week at $6 an hour; so this time I moved for a job that paid $72 a week!  After only about 6 weeks, though, I was doing the morning show and making a decent wage. 

6 months to the day of starting in Youngstown, though, I got the call I'd been working for.  WRIF called and offered me a job.

You were on WRIF for a long time, what were some highlights?
Oh boy, there were so many.  Every time I got to crack the mic was a highlight.  But I had some amazing experiences, too.  For one, I proposed to my wife in front of 14,000 people on stage at the Palace of Auburn Hills during a Motley Crue concert!  (Thank God she said "yes"!). 

I have been on two all-expense paid trips to the MTV Video Music Awards in New York City and to an MTV Movie Awards in Hollywood, where I met Jim Carry, Chris Rock, Adam Sandler, Ron Howard and Will Smith.  I broadcasted from all 3 events and it was a total rush.  I loved it.

The artist interviews on the Riff were a lot of fun, too.  I'm such a huge fan of the music, so anytime I got to talk to the artists about the music that I love so much was an awesome experience.   Introducing bands on stage at DTE Energy Music Theatre, The Palace, Joe Louis Arena, Cobo Hall and such was always a thrill as well.  How could I not love that?

The best part about the Riff, though, was the people that worked there.  I was blessed to work with the most talented people in Rock Radio….Doug Podell, Arthur P, Drew & Mike, Meltdown, Anne Carlini, Scott Randall, Steve Black, Carolyn Stone, Kelly Brown … the list goes on and on.  These people LOVE what they do and are passionate about it.  That is a pretty amazing environment to work in.

Mike Staff interviews Kid Rock for WRIF, on location.

You not only were a DJ on WRIF, but also now own a large DJ & Wedding Videography company.  Tell us about your business.
Honestly, like I said before, I started to DJ weddings for beer money!  Then I realized that I was good at it;  I loved doing it; the schedule worked perfectly with Riff; and I could make a decent living.  It didn't take too long before my schedule was booked full, so I began hiring one talented DJ after another (many were Specs grads, by the way!). 

A few years ago we began shooting wedding videography and now we have 6 High Definition cameras and 3 Apple editing suites with Final Cut Pro.   The videography side of our business is a blast because it's such a creative outlet (and we get to play with sweet equipment!).  

What would be your advice to grads that are just beginning the job search?
Attack the job search with intensity and purpose.  McDonald's, for example, is always hiring and it's easy to get a job there; however you are trying to land a job in one of the most exciting industries on the planet, so you are going to have to work for it.  Just as a degree from Harvard doesn't guarantee you a job, neither does graduating from Specs Howard.  You need to earn your way into this business, and that starts with the job search.

Don't get discouraged, either.  I once sent out 200 demos before even getting an interview at a radio station!  Giving up, however, never crossed my mind because I was determined to succeed.  

Don't just e-mail your resume and hope for the best.  Pursue your dream job. This means to relentlessly follow up on job leads and dedicate yourself to building relationships.  Don't take "No" as meaning "never" but rather "not right now".  Do something EVERY DAY in pursuit of a job.  I'm convinced that the only way to fail in this business is to give up….so don't give up!

What would be your advice to students just beginning the course at Specs Howard School?
Get as many internships as you can and start building relationships right away.  Work hard at your internships, ask questions, go above and beyond and you'll be remembered. You'll get out of your education exactly what you put into it, so work hard.

Anything else you'd like to add?
Your success will be in direct proportion to the sacrifices you make. Don't give up!  Success doesn't come overnight nor is it easy.   A lot of people think that once they graduate from Specs they are going to have Arthur P's job … well guess what?  It's not that easy.  Be prepared to work very, very hard and to give up a few things in order to succeed.  

Also, give yourself some time to succeed.  It takes most people a few years to begin to make a decent living in this business.  Look at your first few years after Specs as "Grad School", because that is where the real learning happens.  You won't get paid a lot during these years, but you'll have a lot of fun and will learn what you need to know in order to be worth more money.

Also, be flexible and keep your options open.  Never in a million years did I think I'd own a Mobile DJ & Wedding Videography business; but it's turned out to be one of my greatest joys.  That is the cool thing about the Radio & TV industry; it opens a lot of doors into many, many different areas.  I've heard so many stories of Specs grads starting out in Radio or TV and ending up in public relations, marketing, films, web media, creative writing, promotions, sales and dozens of other fields.  If you don't give up, you never know where you might end up.

Links to MORE about Mike Staff…

Mike Staff Productions (www.mikestaff.com)

A Few of Mike's Interviews
Check out a few of Mike's celebrity interviews on WRIF's web site. These audio links will open your media player.

• Audioslave                                   
  
• Collective Soul                       
  
• Creed                                               
  
• Kiss                                               
  
• Metallica                                   
  
• Ozzy & Sharon Osbourne           
  
• Pearl Jam                                   
  
• Rob Zombie                                   
  
• Rush