Meet JR McHenry | Content Creating Radio Host & Entrepreneur

We had the good fortune of connecting with JR McHenry and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi JR, how do you define success?
I define success as starting this independent media path from an idea hatched in the cafeteria of Tennessee State University, which was workshopped amongst my friends in our private group chat of the Facebook groups that we ran and managed.

I never knew this idea would ever turn into what it has turned into as we speak today. The things I’ve accomplished, the relationships I’ve built, the experiences I’ve had, were never expected to be honest. I was going to try my hand at this and live with the result.

I’m not saying I didn’t have confidence in myself, I’m saying that I didn’t know where this would go ultimately. When I put my mind to something, I do it and I do it well.

When I embarked on the journey, I was not knowledgeable of the independent media path and how it goes, in the beginning it was strictly trial and error. It was all a learning experience to get me where I am as we speak today.

I credit my background as an entrepreneur, my background in business and my background in marketing to carry me through the early days when I was green in this independent media space just moving and shaking from a grassroots perspective.

So, to be where I am today, knowing where I came from, it’s a hellified success.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My art is being able to talk to people in a certain way that makes them think, incites a feeling to know more or go deeper in various subject matters. My mission has always been to ENTERTAIN, EDUCATE and ELECTRIFY, the three E’s as I call it. Being very well read and knowledgeable in a multitude of subject matters has allowed me the ability to connect with my audience, consumers and stakeholders in a positive manner. My goal is to always leave a bread crumb or a rabbit hole for my listeners to follow to enrich and arm themselves with some new knowledge they had previously possessed.

What sets me apart from others is that I’m not after clicks, scoops, likes or follows. I’m not transactional in my dealings with people. I value developing a genuine relationship with those who I encounter through my business of being a content creating radio host. Many of those who appear on my show, especially the repeat ones, I would say are my friends outside of the show and that we have spent time and had real conversations outside of the show. Even on days that “I’m off” from my main job, I will travel to see and support them as they coach and play. They know when they come on the show it’s going to be a conversation with a friend like we’re in a barber shop or restaurant.

As I mentioned earlier, I’m most proud that I’ve made an imprint on the independent media space from a grassroots position. I’m proud of the relationships and friendships I now have due to creating this show. I’m proud of growing this show brick by brick without any help. I am all of the departments. I am the point of contact for everything. Knowing that this came about from my own self-determination and the impacts of this creation makes me oh so proud. I’m very excited for what the future holds. I have some things in the works that I can’t divulge just yet, but I will say stay tuned.

I got to where I am professionally through a lot of outreach, having to sell and prove myself to allow the gatekeepers to give me access to the games and events I need to cover to create content. Like I said earlier, my background in business and marketing really came in handy early in the process because in business and marketing being an entrepreneur, you have to sell yourself and your product, so that came naturally as I learned the media ropes. It wasn’t easy to get myself established as an unknown entity with a corporate backing. So, being an unknown, being independent, it was twice as hard, heck, maybe three times as hard to establish, being real for over a decade in, I’m still presented with similar challenges today by these professional leagues and their franchises.

To overcome these challenges, in the past I would fight back and fight back hard. Now, I’m at a point, look, I’m not going to be back and forth with these folks, I kn0w the quality of the content that I bring. I know the professionalism that I bring, if these folks can’t respect that, screw them, I’ll go where I’m wanted and respected. After a while of fighting the same battles day by day, it’s like whatever, I’ll go where I’m established at and respected and make the best of that to present to my audience.

Biggest lesson that I’ve learned is to stay true to your convictions. Don’t try to emulate or be an alternate version of someone else, just be you and live the result. That’s why I don’t have no problem standing on business as it pertains to me and my work. I know the quality of what I bring. I don’t go at it as others I do, I do it my way and I’m cool with that. I could care less what the next creative does. I stay focused on what I can do to grow, improve, refocus, tweak and reset to be the best creator I can be.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I’m not the person to ask this of. From October to April, I’m grinding through football and basketball season on the collegiate and professional levels, so I’m not going like that. But, what I would suggest is that they Google the Atlanta Tourist Attractions and find something that interests them to explore while they’re in the city.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to shout out all the young brothers out there that I mentor quietly. I don’t believe in bragging and highlighting everything I do behind closed doors. But, those who I mentor, they know who they are. I do what I do to give them an example of success and self-determination despite some negative circumstances. As I’ve grown in this position that I’m in, I always think about them in things that I do, because it’s important to be a shining light and upstanding example for your mentees. So, this is for them.

Website: https://BossmanShow.com

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/thebossmanshow

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jr-mchenry-594a353a

Twitter: http://Twitter.com/JRTheBossman

Facebook: http://www.Facebook.com/therealjrthebossman

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/BossmanShow

Other: https://bleav.com/shows/bossman-show/