We had the good fortune of connecting with Holly O’Connor and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Holly, what is the most important factor behind your success?
Authenticity. My radio cohost and I have always committed to being who we are and conveying that on the air.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
From a young age I loved to entertain. Making people laugh brought me so much joy! I turned that passion into a career in which I provide connection, companionship, and entertainment.

My path to radio started in college when I took a shift at Ohio Northern University’s radio station. I loved it! Through internships and networking I landed a job at a small market radio station after graduation and said yes to every opportunity that came my way. A few years later I moved to Florida to begin my morning show journey.

Upon settling in Florida in 2008, I met Miguel Fuller. We became best friends, coworkers, and roommates all in one. We’ve been doing morning radio together ever since (although we no longer live together!) and have moved to different cities together over the years. We strive to build community through our show, whether that’s through a radio station, our uncensored podcast, or social media.

After a successful run in Tampa Bay for seven years, The Miguel & Holly Show relocated to Charlotte, North Carolina in 2022 and we got the chance to bring our message of joy and acceptance to a whole new audience. We stay connected to our Tampa listener family (and also our original Panama City, FL fam) through the iHeartRadio app and are proud to have a close-knit community in both Florida and North Carolina!

But it has NOT been an easy road.

In radio the saying goes that you’re never truly in the business unless you’ve been fired at least once. In 2012 the radio station we were on flipped formats and we lost our jobs. It’s hard to explain, but radio is one of those careers that becomes your whole personality–and when you’re no longer on the air, you sort of lose your identity. In a way, the time away from the job helped me discover who I am outside of radio, which only strengthened my performance upon getting back on the air.

I teamed back up with Miguel Fuller to do morning radio in 2013, while I was 5 months pregnant. Welcoming my daughter later that year was a whole new challenge as I tried to reconcile my demanding career with my new role as a mother. Just a couple years after that I went through a divorce, and a couple years after that I became a full-time caregiver to my mother, who passed away in 2023.

Over the last decade there have been days, weeks, and months where it’s been difficult to walk into the studio and provide joy to others while I am crumbling inside. But working with Miguel, who I describe as my radio soulmate, is a form of therapy for me. We have each other’s backs and offer unwavering support to each other. And the beauty of the radio medium is in the connections we’ve created with our listeners. My being vulnerable on air and on the podcast not only helps me process my thoughts and feelings, but it also helps many others who can relate in their own ways. Life is full of unexpected devastations. We have to lean on each other to keep moving forward.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
On the way home from the airport we’d hit a Bojangles because it’s a STAPLE in my eyes! Over the course of the week I’d love to take a friend for a massage at Mood House, to dinner at places like Haberdish and The Goodyear House, to brunch at Salted Melon, and to drinks at Sycamore Brewery. I would also take part in some of the new escape rooms and game show spots- like Beat the Bomb and Breakout Games. There’s so much to see and do!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Miguel Fuller, my cohost, has been a constant source of support for the last 17 years.

Website: https://hits961.iheart.com/featured/miguel-and-holly/

Instagram: https://instagram.com/radioholly

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/miguelhollyshow

Image Credits
@brooklynsphotography11

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