23: Radio, Confidence and Representation with Kaylee Golding

This week, we talk to the wonderful Kaylee Golding - or in other words 'your favourite gyal from Brum'. To give you a glimmer of context, Kaylee is an award winning Radio Presenter and DJ, podcast host, LGBTQ+ rights and Black Lives Matter activist, body positivity influencer and so much more. We are so grateful for her coming on and talking about being your true authentic self, representation in broadcasting, and getting into the competitive industry. We hope you, as graduates, get as much out of this as we did.  * Moving from Birmingham to London to study Radio and Digital Production at the University of Westminster, Kaylee's love for radio grew and has come on leaps and bounds. Being resourceful and determined enough to accumulate lots of experience in community and university radio, she has managed to explore the avenues of producing, presenting and DJing at Radar Radio, Bauer Media Group, and The Beat London. Alongside her busy schedule, she DJs and presents in The Beat London Saturday's 4 - 7pm which celebrates Urban Music and R&B, HipHop, Reggae, Dancehall, Soca, Afrobeats and much more. As well as this, Kaylee is the host of the podcast 'On Your Gaydar' which opens up voices from the LGBTQ+ community a combines comedy, stories ("The T") and education. In this episode, the topic of diversity in the radio industry is discussed at length and just how much needs to be done to improve representation. Kaylee, alongside Grad Life by the Horns producer Pulama Kaufman and Sara Hebil-Motie, founded and developed the Radio Silence Movement to bring the statistics to the surface and pledge to put pressure on the industry to diversify. She has gained so much experience on the music scene, interviewed tonnes of well-known and up-and-coming artists and has learnt to fully embrace herself and have full confidence in her abilities. She offers countless tips and anecdotes on how to best access and navigate radio and broadcasting, especially as a minority. On her social media, she conveys a wonderful message to be unapologetically yourself and actively stop comparing yourself to others - learning to focus on what you do have and not on what you don't. You want a pep talk? We highly recommend you give this a listen and give her a follow.  * Grad Life by the Horns is a podcast covering every element of graduate life. From the existential dread that accompanies the last few months of university, to entering the post-education world jobless and £30,000 in debt, this fortnightly show is dedicated to helping and celebrating those navigating the 'graduate wasteland'. * Social Media: Co-host: Becki Hills @beckihills Co-host: Sophie Scully @sophsculz Instagram: @gradlifebythehorns Twitter: @gradlifebth Guest: Kaylee Golding @kayleegolding Artwork: Livi Arnold @livcreatively_ Producer: Pulama Kaufman @pulam.a Music composer: Julian Schoming @brotherjuju * Want to get in touch? Email us here: [email protected]