Today we’d like to introduce you to Frankie P.
Frankie, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Here is how I ended up in radio and on Y100! To be completely honest, I totally fell into it! All my life, I grew up on TV and radio stations because my mom was actually an on-air personality in the Spanish market. Growing up, she always used to tell me I was going to end up doing the same gig as her, but I clearly remember telling her “that’s never gonna happen” yet, here I am (I’m sorry I ever doubted you ma!).
Anyway, it all started towards the end of my senior year in high school. I kept it real with myself and decided that although I wanted to be a musician after being in bands and performing all throughout high school, I just wasn’t talented enough to be a professional. So, as I was trying to decide between going to FIU or joining the airforce, a friend of mine said he could get me a really awesome job at a radio station while I figured stuff out. I was accepted at FIU at the time, so I figured I’d give that a shot for a while and see what happens. I got the gig working the promotions team for 97.3 The Coast (RIP).
When I started working at the radio station, I instantly found myself intrigued by the air personalities and what they were doing, so I started unofficially interning. Basically, I would show up whenever I could and hope I wouldn’t get kicked out. I was so fascinated and excited that I would leave my classes at FIU and go straight to the station and find things to do even if it wasn’t always related to being on air. At one point, I was sitting at the front desk answering phones! Basically, I spent everyone moment of free time I had doing things for the radio station until I finally got a spot producing a morning show on 97.3 The Coast.
Now, fast forward through late nights of recording myself in a studio when no one was around, too early mornings producing morning shows on Coast and later at 99.9 Kiss Country, and also mixing on air for another two local Miami stations I finally got a huge opportunity. My own night show here in Miami.
At the time, I had no idea what I was doing and, to be honest, the program director that hired me knew that too but was probably like “what’s the worst that could happen? We’re a new station, if it fails, we’ll just get someone that knows what they’re actually doing” but as it turns out, I figured it out pretty quickly! After two years at that radio station, I finally got offered the opportunity of a lifetime, the night show at Y100!!!
For anyone on the radio, getting a job at Y100 is a big deal but it was even crazier as someone who grew up listening to a legendary station like Y!
Now, not only am I still on Y100 but I’ve also launched a morning show just a little north of here in West Palm Beach on WiLD 95.5 with my co-host (who also works on air at Y100) Michelle Fay!
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Definitely, not a smooth road but the ups and downs are what makes you the person you are today! One of the biggest obstacles was my mom battling cancer right around the time I had just started getting really involved at the radio station. A lot of that year was a blur between the chemo, work, school, interning, and even just sleepless nights worrying. But like I said, those are the moments you really learn what you’re made of!
Also, there might have been some haters along the way. Still, to this day, I deal with people who for whatever reason don’t like me or my work ethic. If I’m being really honest, some of those toxic people in my life got to me so bad that it manifested itself in the form of Bell’s Palsy which I had recently.
It’s all good though because I’ve learned a lot about mental health as a result and now, I’m always willing to help anyone struggling with the depression and anxiety especially because I have this platform.
Please tell us more about what you do, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
What do I do? In the simplest form, I’m a radio personality and DJ although, I’ve most recently come to realize that I’m also technically a “social media influencer.”
What am I known for? Definitely for being on the radio in South Florida for almost five years! Also, I’ve been really involved with the high school throughout SoFlo thanks to the radio stations I’ve worked for whether it’s doing pep rallies, coming by to speak at career days, or my Thursday night YHigh shows where students from different schools come to take over and a co-host live on air with me
What am I most proud of? I’d say I’m most proud of serving the community through this platform I’ve been given. Staying on air during a hurricane, reporting shootings in our communities, helping promote charity events, working with high school kids, those kinds of things are what make me proud of what I do and I’m especially grateful that iHeart Media backs me up and provides me with the tools I need to do all these things.
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