We recently had the chance to connect with Cathy Jewell Long and have shared our conversation below.
Cathy Jewell, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What makes you lose track of time—and find yourself again?
Getting out in nature is a way I enjoy reconnecting with myself without distractions. I spend time in my own thoughts soaking in the beauty of nature and talking to the Lord. I think we all spend too much time with technology in today’s fast-paced, get there fast world. There is something to be said for just being and getting back to the basics.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
In two years, my family will be in the radio business for 100 years. I am very proud of that fact. It all started with my granddad, Don Boles. He was a pioneer and laid a strong foundation for the rest of us. My siblings, uncles and cousins along with my parents and myself have continued in his footsteps. It has been a wonderful adventure filled with many highlights and special memories. I own KSSL radio. The studios are located in Slaton, Texas. 107.3 FM is licensed to Post, Texas and the translator, 94.1 is licensed to Lubbock. My parents owned this frequency when I was a little girl. My parents sold the radio station when I graduated from high school. 14 years ago, I got a chance to get it back and so now it is back in the family, though it’s unfortunate and sad that the previous owners did away with the original 1370 AM frequency. There has been a lot of change in the industry since I was a little girl. Some of the changes are very good, in my opinion, and some I haven’t embraced. When you listen to KSSL Radio, I hope you still hear authenticity coming through the speakers. I want to create a connection with our listeners by providing information and programming they won’t get anywhere else. I still like to hear personality driven programming and I feel like my listeners do too. In this day and age where there are so many options for people to choose, I must give them a reason to listen to local radio and KSSL. We still write every one of our commercials for our clients instead of getting a computer to generate the content and voice for us. Our dj’s talk about community and family and faith and good things. KSSL is a classic country format so one of the common comments we get from listeners is, “Wow! That songs brings back a lot of memories”. or “I haven’t heard that song in years!” KSSL partners with non-profit organizations to help promote their cause and fundraisers. On Sundays, KSSL offers a lot of gospel programming so we can honor the One who deserves praise and glory. In everything I do, I want to be a leader and I want to be unique. Another thing I am passionate about is making music. I am a singer/songwriter and currently have 5 albums–the current one is called “Heart of Gold”. I enjoy the creative process. Whether it’s creating commercials for my clients, making a delicious meal, writing a song, making a piece of jewelry, etc. I just enjoy the creative process. I am about to complete a book I have been writing for three years. It is a daily devotional and I hope it is published in the near future.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. Who taught you the most about work?
My parents have definitely influenced my work ethic. They got married when my dad was eighteen and my mom was seventeen. They didn’t have anything. My dad had to work three jobs just to pay the bills. Within a year of being married, my older sister was born. I was born thirteen months after her. My parents went through a lot of difficult times, but they never gave up. When my dad was twenty-one and my mom was twenty, there was an opportunity to acquire the radio station in Post, Texas. They were able to purchase it with no money, but they had to take over all the debt and pay all of the outstanding bills. It turns out that wasn’t easy because there were a lot of bills and a lot of debt. My dad worked day and night trying to get the radio station to succeed while my mom helped anyway she could, though she was mostly home taking care of us and our home. As time went by, things got better and my parents eventually sold that radio station and they were able to purchase ranchland (which was always a dream of theirs) with the profits from all their hard work. They went on to own other radio stations and they are now retired living on their beautiful ranch. In fact, the radio station they owned in Childress, Texas, KCTX, is now owned by my brother and his wife. My parents instilled in me to never give up, anything is possible, to treat people kind along the way and to be of service to others, to pay your bills on time and to keep the faith. That’s a summary because I could list many more things they taught me. I am so thankful that I had the foundation of great parents who worked hard and didn’t make excuses and blame others when things got difficult.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
Suffering is something none of us want to go through, yet it is something we all must deal with in life. How we go through the suffering is very important and how we proceed past it is too. There are things other people have had to endure that I can’t even imagine having to go through. Yet I have seen these people take that unspeakable suffering and turn it into power and fuel to accomplish their goals and to help others through their testimony. I am a God-fearing woman and I love the Lord. I love it when things go as planned and when God gives me wonderful blessings. But I have learned and am still learning that when I don’t get what I want and when I suffer and go through painful things, I can lean on Him to give me the strength I need to get through it or I can try to handle it all on my own. It’s never easy going through heart-breaking trials and tribulations, but it is easier when I have Him to lean on. As humans, when we succeed at something, it’s never enough. We want more. Too much is not enough. It’s the human condition to never be satisfied. Success is great and I’m thankful for the successes I have had in my life. But I have learned more in my suffering than my successes. I have learned to draw closer to God during these times. I have learned how fragile life is and how fleeting it is too. It has taught me to be thankful for when things are going well, but to also give thanks when things aren’t going the way I would like them to go. Job in the bible went through so much pain and suffering and wanted to know why God was making him go through all of it. It’s a form of pride when we think we should be exempt from suffering because we all will go through these times. When Job repented for his attitude and then prayed for his friends is when God restored him and gave him double what he had before. I have learned if I will stay faithful through the suffering of life and think about others above myself, God will bless me more than I could ever imagine. We are refined in the fire just like silver. We are purified. We are able to shine bright and give others encouragement and inspiration when others witness how we have gracefully handled our suffering in life.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What truths are so foundational in your life that you rarely articulate them?
I believe that a house cannot be built on sand. It won’t stand the test of time. It will crumble and fall. The older I get, the clearer this fact is. I have made plenty of mistakes throughout my life and a lot of these mistakes and poor choices were because I didn’t have the foundation I needed implemented in my life. At this point in my life, I can look back and see how I completely veered off track and lost my way. So these days, I believe that having a healthy daily routine is very important. I used to get up at the last minute and rush through my morning, but now I get up earlier and enjoy the quiet time in the morning. I read my bible. I pray and try to listen for God’s voice and guidance. I have a gratitude journal and write a top 5 of what I am thankful for from that day. Another foundation I believe is very important is exercise. I have still not gotten to where I really want to in this area, but I have learned how important consistent exercise is, especially as I have gotten older. Another thing I do daily is a to do list. If I don’t write things down, they are more likely to be overlooked. I find it really helps keep me on track, organized and more productive when I have a to do list. I believe in being an encourager. I know how much it means to me when someone genuinely gives me the gift of encouragement. So I think about people I care about and at various times throughout the week, I either call them or text them something encouraging. Another foundation that is more action than talk is my faith. I believe we are preaching all day long without saying a word. I can talk the talk, but if I don’t walk the walk, I have done much more damage to people who are watching what I do more than listening to what I say. I don’t make a habit out of gossiping. I have never liked gossip. I think it can destroy lives and it shows a prideful attitude. I try to be kind to everyone and when I see someone who has a bad attitude, I remind myself that there is a reason they are the way they are and kindness is a better reaction to that person than hate. It’s important to be the change we want to see in the world. Someone has to start the chain moving, so instead of waiting of someone else to do it, I try to be proactive.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. Could you give everything your best, even if no one ever praised you for it?
I have instilled in me a desire to do the best I can at whatever I am doing. There are many times in life I do not get praise for what I do. There was a time I hoped I would receive praise from certain people in my life, but I have realized I can’t make someone appreciate me or what I do. I can’t make anyone be who I want them to be. That has honestly been difficult for me through the years. Yet even though I would love to get praise for the things I do, not getting it has never caused me to slack off or do a poor job on anything. I guess it’s just something deep inside of me. However, the realization that I so appreciate praise and encouragement has opened my eyes to being that kind of a person. I’m sure I fall short at times, but I try my best to give praise to others and let them know instead of just thinking it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ksslfm.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/cathyjewelllong
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/cathyjewellmusic
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/cathyjewellmusic
- Other: https://reverbnation.com/cathyjewell
Image Credits
Susanne Thiemann, Kenna Trotter, Victor Mosqueda
