Radio Roots + A Love Story
The journey began back in 2010. George and Jess were both working in the commercial radio industry and they met at a bar with mutual friends. George, always on the look out for good on-air talent, knew that day he wanted to do a radio show with Jess. Fast forward to 2011, the opportunity presented itself and George & Jess in the Morning started as in ‘interim solution’ to a programming gap at a radio station in Southern Minnesota. The General Manager of the station decided after one day that George and Jess were not an interim solution and placed them in the morning show slot permanently. The region embraced the show for it’s authenticity and next-door neighbor vibes. The station became the go-to spot for country music, morning entertainment and community.
This isn’t just a story about radio shows and country music, it’s also a love story (all the best stories are). In 2015 Jess, her young son, and George bought a house and started their off-air life together. In 2016, George and Jess got married in their backyard and in 2017, their blended family grew with the birth of their daughter.
George & Jess shared their life on the radio. Bringing listeners into their marriage and family, sharing stories, spats, heartbreaks and joy. Daily conversation topics ranged from generational differences to home improvements and everything in between. Their goal each day was to connect with listeners on a personal level and help them feel like they weren’t alone in whatever life was throwing them that day.
In 2020, they truly brought listeners inside their home and offered a constant in a world that was more uncertain than ever. They did their morning show from their basement studio until 2021. As the world changed, so did George and Jess’ vision for the future. In January of 2022, Jess left the show to pursue a marketing and public relations career at a growing commercial general contracting company. In April of 2022, George also left the commercial radio industry to pursue other endeavors.
George and Jess recognized the entertainment industry’s rapid evolution and started producing a daily podcast. The George and Jess Podcast dove into a whole new layer of topics including lifestyle changes, holistic wellness, midlife, and self-discovery. The podcast has a created a beautiful community of individuals who are each on their own unique path of growth.
Something was still missing. The duo missed the excitement and connection of live radio. But, they knew going back to corporate radio didn’t fit their goals either.
The path has led this, you might say it was written in the stars.