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The Karol Markowicz Show: Andrew Wilkow on Gen X Roots, Radio’s Evolution & Finding Joy Beyond Expectations
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- [00:00]
Carol Markowitz
This is an iHeart podcast.
- [00:05]
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- [00:36]
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- [01:00]
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- [02:12]
Mario Lopez
It's Mario Lopez. Back to school is an exciting time, but it can also be overwhelming and kids may feel isolated, a vulnerability that human traffickers can exploit. Human trafficking doesn't always look like what you expect. Everyday moments can become opportunities for someone with bad intentions. Whether you're a parent, teacher, coach or neighbor. Check in, ask questions, stay connected. Blue Campaign is a national awareness initiative that provides resources to help recognize suspected instances of human trafficking. Learn the signs and how to report@dhs.gov blue campaign.
- [02:50]
LG XBoom / Donkey Kong Advertiser
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- [03:21]
Carol Markowitz
Hi and welcome back to the Carol Markowitz show on iheartradio. My guest today is Andrew Wilcow. Andrew is host of the Wilcow Majority on Sirius XM Patriot Radio at noon Eastern time Monday through Friday and host of Wilcow on the Salem News Channel, 9pm Eastern Monday through Friday. So nice to have you on, Andrew.
- [03:41]
Andrew Wilkow
Thanks for having me on. I love this.
- [03:43]
Carol Markowitz
I'm so glad to have you here because I have to tell you, of all the radio shows I do, I'm always like, I would totally be friends with Andrew and I don't know, you know, we were talking before the start of it. You're in a Gen X nostalgia moment. I'm Gen X also, I think we are the best generation. Easily. Tell me what you're, what you're going through with the Gen X thing.
- [04:06]
Andrew Wilkow
It's funny, I. We are the generation that annoyed our parents with our music and now we annoy our children with our music. And you know, it's funny that like right now my son is obsessed with BMX bikes. I'm actually wearing a T shirt from the movie Rad. He, he watched the movie Rad, which is as dead center of the 80s as you can get, and he wanted a bike. So I was like, oh my God, I haven't seen one of these bikes in 40 years. I had a mongoose just like the one in the movie. Went on Facebook marketpl. I found one and then I found a guy who restores them. So I bought a couple of them. And the neighborhood where I live in, the kids are living the Gen X life. They're. Oh yeah, free range. They come home when the, when the streetlights come on. They ride in a pack of boys not getting into trouble. They just, they go from one house to the other house. They get themselves snacks and drinks and whatever. And I just look at that and I look, I look back. I mean, I bought my exact bike myself and.
- [05:09]
Carol Markowitz
Amazing.
- [05:10]
Andrew Wilkow
We have a brewery near where I live and my son and I will ride to the. Obviously he gets non alcoholic beverages, but it's just to, to have that Gen X connection with one of my kids. Awesome. I, I find myself at night when I'm done prepping, just watching old 80s movies and I don't know, I, I don't know, I, I feel like we, we came from a very, very special time. The last innocent generation, the Internet.
- [05:35]
Carol Markowitz
Yeah, I agree completely. I think we had it made and especially because we kind of got both. We had the Internet too, eventually, but we had the carefree child. And my kids are very similar, similarly living that Gen X life. The only difference is they're allowed in the house. Obviously none of us were allowed in the house. There was no endless pirate booty or grabbing water or any of that. You had to stay out there. I love it. I think that's the way to have kids now. And I think people who don't do that and let their kids just be scre, you know, maniacs, they're going to regret it.
- [06:10]
Andrew Wilkow
I wonder sometimes though if the connection is Reagan and Trump, right? Ronald Reagan. Ronald Reagan popularized conservatism and we had job growth. And to me the BMX bike was a symbol of our parents ability to provide us, you know, something you might call it today, a flex. Yeah, but our parents could afford those things that generally the economy was good, the country felt safe, it wasn't perfect, nothing is. But in an odd way, I feel like we're in that second generation time now chapter with Donald Trump.
- [06:57]
Carol Markowitz
Right? It's morning in America again.
- [06:59]
Andrew Wilkow
Definitely weird though, right? Weird, weird, weird interconnectivity there.
- [07:05]
Carol Markowitz
Absolutely. So how long have you been doing radio?
- [07:08]
Andrew Wilkow
I started in 1990 on what was called a carrier current radio station in a small two year college in upstate New York. It was my dream as a kid. I knew the way some people know they want to be a police officer or they want to be a doctor or whatever. I knew in the third grade I wanted, I would stay up late at night. We had this, we called it a full service radio station. So they played adult contemporary, they had a Long Island Islanders talk show, they covered the Islanders games and it was a full service AM and it was at the train station in the next town over for me, so it was pretty accessible. And my mom would take me to events where they were broadcasting live. And I just, I was so absorbed by this radio station. It was called 12:40am WGBB. And then of course, you know, you had the late night shows like Hollyw, Love Lines and all this stuff on.
- [08:04]
Carol Markowitz
Yeah, I remember Love Lines.
- [08:06]
Andrew Wilkow
It's funny, I got to know, right, I got to know Kelly working here, which was so bizarre. But I obsessed over radio and when I got into college I, before I even unpacked My dorm. I went to the college radio station. I had put my stuff in my dormy. I went right down to the college radio station and I wanted in. I wanted in. I wanted in so bad. And the problem was I wanted in so bad that I felt out because all, all I wanted to do is be at the radio station if somebody didn't want to be on the air. I eventually became the program director and I spent so much time that my grades really did suffer and I was embarrassed. So I transferred home to Long Island. I went from SUNY Delhi to SUNY Farmingdale, which is a two year college on Long island. And I immediately went to the radio station. They needed a program director. I took over. I ended up getting an internship at the old wdre. Well, L I R dre, the first commercial alternative radio station. I was the morning show intern. So I would go in around 4:30, 5 o' clock in the morning. I would help Darren Smith, who also worked here, works here, prep his show. And then I would go to school and then I would go to the radio station. I'd do my show, I would program other shows. And I, I knew that I had to. I don't know why I thought I did. I needed a journalism degree. So I, I applied to the University of Florida. I didn't get in because they didn't have forgiveness. So failing out of the first school, they counted it against the second school. But a funny wrinkle was if I went to Santa Fe Community College in Florida, they would forgive my past failures and I can make up for it and get my, my associates. I did that and, and I actually had a resume. I had two radio stations. I had programmed carrier current literally means it's just on campus. Like it doesn't really go anywhere.
- [09:58]
Carol Markowitz
Right.
- [09:58]
Andrew Wilkow
And I got in and I eventually went out for Rock 104 in Gainesville. And that was my first taste of like big, big loud FM radio. 50,000 watts. Went from near Orlando to Tampa, all the way up almost to Jacksonville. I just, I don't want to bore you with the whole story.
- [10:19]
Carol Markowitz
Oh, Boris.
- [10:21]
Andrew Wilkow
All right, all right, all right. When I first graduated, I couldn't get arrested in this business. I really thought, here I am, I'm. I'm a nighttime DJ on a quasi college radio station. Rock104 was owned by the university, but it wasn't staffed like a college radio station where it's just people playing whatever they want. We had commercials, we had news, traffic, weather. We had the Gator Football Network. And I actually, my first real Taste of. Of getting somewhere. And if we have time, we should talk about podcasting and hard work. I was sitting in a meeting and. Well, let me back this up a little bit more. Sorry. I went to read for this program director, and he handed me four cards, and he said, they're one through four, easiest to hardest. And I. I said, I'm gonna be your new morning show. I flipped it right to four.
- [11:14]
Carol Markowitz
Yeah.
- [11:14]
Andrew Wilkow
And I started reading. And he stops me, took his glasses off. He goes, you suck. And, you know, my, My. My balloon had just popped. So I came back for a second tryout, And I said, Mr. Gus Scott. His name is Harry Gus Scott. I said, I will do anything to be on this radio station. And let me read the one card. So he said, fine, I read the cards. He said, you could go into a program where you do, you know, recorded breaks and stuff, and if I like it, I'll put you on 2am to 6am One day a week. Fine. I get that at the first staff meeting before the football season. We have the whole crowd in there. And he goes, I need someone to work. And before he could say the word Saturday, which is tailgate time, right? You can. Outside of the bars and restaurants, Gainesville shuts down for tailgate time. I went like this. I just put my hand up. He goes, all right, Will cow. You got it. And I was the voice on the rock station before the voice of the Florida Gators, Mick Hubert. And I realized then and there, by solving somebody else's problem, right? By willing, being willing to do what nobody else wanted to do. Everybody crossed their.
- [12:24]
Carol Markowitz
Another Gen X trade. I feel like, well, we were all.
- [12:26]
Andrew Wilkow
Gen X, but that was how I. I started my path in this business. I won't say that I was great, a natural to start, but I was willing to outwork anyone who got my way. I would work spring break. I would miss spring break, winter break. Any break you want off, I'm in. I don't care what the circumstances it was. And I took that philosophy after college to rock radio. I. I did a stint in top 40 in the Panhandle. That's kind of un. Unremarkable. But by the time I landed in Morgantown, West Virginia.
- [13:01]
Carol Markowitz
Oh, wow.
- [13:02]
Andrew Wilkow
I came to this sleepy radio station that, that really, it was just sleepy. And I said, this is where I'm gonna make my mark. And I started doing basically a morning show from. From 6pm to midnight or 7pm to midnight and 7pm to midnight. And I just started to pop in the ratings. And next thing I know I'm getting fired because the station owner's friend didn't like my. My show.
- [13:29]
Carol Markowitz
Wow.
- [13:30]
Andrew Wilkow
And that's how. That's how I landed in Hartford. I got a program director, Todd Thomas. He said to me, you know, if you don't want to do the blue humor thing, you want to do what you're doing, which was a little bit mixture of, you know, blue humor and a little political commentary. Right. This is pre 9 11. He's like, I think we got something here. And they brought me, and they put me on the midday 10am to 3pm which is a sleepy time morning drive, afternoon drive with other real moneymakers. And then midday is kind of like, you know.
- [14:00]
Carol Markowitz
Right.
- [14:01]
Andrew Wilkow
So I brought that with me. And then 911 happened, and I was on the air every day hammering, hammering, hammering. And this is Hartford. It's Connecticut. It's very.
- [14:11]
Carol Markowitz
Yeah.
- [14:12]
Andrew Wilkow
The phone started to go nuts on a rock station. On an alternative rock station. You know, we're. We're playing Dave Matthews Band. We're playing Pearl Jam. We're playing. You know, and next thing I know, I'm. I'm.
- [14:24]
Carol Markowitz
They were calling to say, like, we love this guy.
- [14:27]
Andrew Wilkow
Well, some people, yeah. But we were getting a lot of hate calls. The Skakel trial was a big thing, and I kept calling them the inbreds.
- [14:37]
Carol Markowitz
Skakel trial, for those who don't know, is a Kennedy cousin was accused of murdering somebody. Actually, he went away to prison for murdering this girl. But years and years after it happened, it was a very sensational trial. Gone. Sorry.
- [14:51]
Andrew Wilkow
I just kept calling them the inbreds from Chappaquiddick. And, you know, it's New England. They don't like that. And we realized I was getting in trouble, but not fined by the fcc. That you got to remember.
- [15:03]
Carol Markowitz
This is the sweet spot. Yeah.
- [15:05]
Andrew Wilkow
Thousand one. This is pre podcasting. This is still the dominance of. Of Rush and. And all that. Nobody was doing this on a music station and getting attention for it. But I wasn't getting in trouble. Right? Like, we were getting static. We were getting, you know, good press, bad press, but no problems with the fcc. And that was the thing that my program director was looking for. He wanted the shock value, but without any.
- [15:35]
Carol Markowitz
Without the headaches.
- [15:37]
Andrew Wilkow
Right. And that's what we did. I get a call from the program director of 77 WABC, the biggest news talk station in America, and he says, my name is Phil Boyce. I'm the program director of wabc. I'd like to talk to you about becoming a talk show. I thought it was a prank. So I hung up the phone and he called back through the switchboard at the radio station. Gets me on the phone. He goes, listen to me very carefully. I'm Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity's program director and I want to talk to you. And I, I always thought that radio was kind of an ivory tower, but talk radio was the penthouse, right? That would be off limits to me. I never, I never thought in a million years that I would be scouted this way. And next thing I know, I'm doing a fill in for Mark Levin when he was just the noon to two on Sunday show. The program director says, I need someone, I need to build a bench here. And I've got a guy named Mark Levin. He's doing a noon to 2 Sunday show. It's really starting to pick up traction, but I gotta make sure I have somebody in the bullpen, you know, if he needs a day off. So next thing I know, I'm filling in for Mark Levin.
- [16:45]
Carol Markowitz
Wow.
- [16:46]
Flags of Fellowship / Lear Capital Advertiser
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- [17:51]
LG XBoom / Donkey Kong Advertiser
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- [17:55]
Andrew Wilkow
And bring the boom.
- [17:56]
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- [18:21]
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- [19:49]
Mario Lopez
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- [20:28]
LG XBoom / Donkey Kong Advertiser
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- [20:57]
Andrew Wilkow
Ah come on. Why is this taking so long?
- [21:00]
Carol Markowitz
This thing is ancient.
- [21:01]
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- [21:15]
Andrew Wilkow
Whoa, this thing moves.
- [21:17]
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- [21:36]
Carol Markowitz
So the question I normally ask people to follow up on, like, you know, when they pursue their dreams is, was there a plan B? Was there anything else that you thought you would do? But you, you've been wanting to do this since you were a little kid. So I guess the question for you really is, do you feel like you've made it? You now have two extremely popular shows. Have you made it?
- [21:57]
Andrew Wilkow
In my mind, from where I started out and what my expectations were, my goal was to be like an afternoon drive dj, premiering new songs and interviewing bands and doing live broadcasts from, from concerts. That was where I wanted to be. You know, I, I, I did see talk radio. I did follow talk radio. I did love talk radio. I just never thought I would be the one, you know, doing it. Even though I had turned my music shows into mini radio bits and, and breaks, I never thought that I would get, I would get this chance that that was something that I never thought the plan B was. I found out the hard way. You don't really need a journalism degree to practice journalism.
- [22:41]
Carol Markowitz
Oh, yeah, I hear you got a master's degree in politics. To do what I'm, what I do and biggest waste of money I've ever had.
- [22:48]
Andrew Wilkow
So what I did was I got a degree in operations, which was the business side. So I figured if I floundered in any way, I could be a sales guy, I could be a promotions guy, maybe I would get a shot at programming, you know, coaching new talent, whatever it was, I, I thought, okay, I, I'm taking these journalism classes, but I don't really need them. I don't need to know how to write a local piece about a shooting. I need, I need to figure out what's on the other side of this. And I started to study the business side, thinking, okay, well, if one fails, at least I'll be in the field I studied. And that's, that's what was my plan B.
- [23:28]
Carol Markowitz
What do you worry about? What's on your mind now?
- [23:32]
Andrew Wilkow
Clean the future of this business. That's what I was going to say about the hard work thing. And I'm not jealous, I'm not insulting anyone. As a matter of fact, some. I would have taken any opportunity that any of these, these rockstar podcasters would have taken had, had it been the opportunity.
- [23:50]
Carol Markowitz
Right?
- [23:50]
Andrew Wilkow
I'm not saying it's not hard work. I'm not saying that at all. But the difference is the gatekeeping is a lot of these people are starting up independent. Yes. They have talent behind Them and they have marketing teams and algorithms and that st. But they're kind of. It's kind of like bands that are uploading their stuff on YouTube and not waiting for the FM program directors to give them spins or hope that MTV picks up their stuff. There's a way more independent, even rebellious vibe to what you're doing right now, right? The. The. The. The working overnights, giving up your weekends, sleeping on the station couch. I remember at one point I had to. When I was in West Virginia, I would have to go to the municipal garage, pull the stat out, drive the station van to an event, set up all the equipment, do the broadcast, break it down, blah, blah, blah. All for 25 bucks. I got an extra 25 bucks.
- [24:45]
Carol Markowitz
Yeah.
- [24:45]
Andrew Wilkow
My paycheck for doing all of that. And you know when you think like, man, this is not big time. I'm setting up equipment, I'm putting the table out, I'm folding. I'm doing. I'm doing everything here. And now I'm interviewing the manager of the food line in the parking lot or something.
- [25:00]
Carol Markowitz
Right.
- [25:01]
Andrew Wilkow
And. And I just kept telling myself, that's the stuff you got to do. That's the stuff you got to do. That's the stuff you got to do. But I don't know, maybe I'm. Nai. I feel like this generation of content.
- [25:10]
Carol Markowitz
Creators didn't have to do any of that.
- [25:12]
Andrew Wilkow
They. And God. And God. And God bless them, because.
- [25:15]
Carol Markowitz
No, yeah. I mean, yes, God bless them, but you could see the ones that never worked in any other kind of capacity. Like, I feel like you could tell.
- [25:26]
Andrew Wilkow
All I know is that if somebody handed me that 30 years ago, 25 years ago, I would have. I probably would have jumped on it. And, you know, I've had. Look, I've had people say, why don't you do this and why don't you do that? And, you know, when you have such an. It's not. It's an unstable business, but it's a shaky business. I mean, they're here today, gone tomorrow types. There are some people that are so rock solid and, you know, really unflappable in their careers, and God bless those people, too. You asked me what I worry about. My wife said to me the other day, if it wasn't for this, what would you do?
- [26:02]
Carol Markowitz
Right.
- [26:02]
Andrew Wilkow
Like, right now? And I said, right now? I said, I don't know. I was never designed to wear khaki pants.
- [26:08]
Carol Markowitz
And maybe you'd be building BM next bikes.
- [26:12]
Andrew Wilkow
I might be.
- [26:13]
Carol Markowitz
Yeah.
- [26:14]
Andrew Wilkow
You know, I. I've. I'VE worked in the, well, part of being a rock dj, believe it or not. I was also a bartender and a bouncer and I worked.
- [26:21]
Carol Markowitz
I believe it. Yeah.
- [26:23]
Andrew Wilkow
Just to make ends. My, my salary as the full time nighttime DJ on an FM rock station in West Virginia was $13,000 a year. That's. So I, I had to work two extra jobs just to pay rent.
- [26:38]
Carol Markowitz
Yeah.
- [26:40]
Andrew Wilkow
I don't know if you want to discuss it at all, but I did DJ in two strip clubs at one point.
- [26:45]
Carol Markowitz
All right, good talk about it.
- [26:47]
Andrew Wilkow
That was. Well, all right. In my stint in top 40 radio, I was making six bucks an hour. I was working two shifts on the weekends, six bucks an hour. And one of the people at work said, hey, you know, they just fired the DJ over at the blah, blah, blah, strip club. You know, you could probably get that job like today. So I drive over there And I had 500 CDs at the time, and I had my own DJ system. And I go into this club and they were like, they hired me on the spot. And you want to talk about what makes. I will tell you this, working there made me more conservative. Truly, the things I saw, you're like.
- [27:24]
Carol Markowitz
This should not exist.
- [27:26]
Andrew Wilkow
It was, it was the, the argument that some feminists would make that, you know, this is an abusive industry. Some of these women, when you speak to them for five minutes, you know why they are working as strippers.
- [27:39]
Carol Markowitz
Right.
- [27:39]
Andrew Wilkow
I worked eight hours a night, six nights a week behind a DJ booth, calling out the girls by name, hosting bachelor parties. I have, I had seen some things that you would not believe. I actually thought about writing a book called Confessions of a Strip Club dj. Why Social Conservatism.
- [27:58]
Carol Markowitz
Wait, you should totally do that. That is, that is a bestseller waiting to happen.
- [28:04]
Andrew Wilkow
The stuff I saw, I don't even know what your tolerance is for some of it on this program.
- [28:11]
Carol Markowitz
I have a high tolerance.
- [28:12]
Andrew Wilkow
Let's just say I saw, I saw some stuff and it was a, it was a pretty weird time. I'm like, here I am, I'm 25 years old. I'm. I'm a suburban raised Long island kid. I graduated college. Here I am spinning tracks at a strip club. And that was, that was, that was a, that was. I don't know if it was a low point or a teaching point or what you'd call it. I think that battle hardened me.
- [28:38]
Carol Markowitz
Yes, you learn stuff. Yeah, I think teaching point is actually exactly what that is. And you know, I think, don't have, obviously don't have any regrets about it. And you should absolutely write that book.
- [28:50]
Andrew Wilkow
The funny thing is, after working there, I never went to a bachelor party ever again.
- [28:55]
Carol Markowitz
Wow.
- [28:56]
Andrew Wilkow
I would go to the dinner. I would go. I was like, if you guys are off to one of those places, I'm. I don't ever want to set foot in it again.
- [29:03]
Carol Markowitz
Oh, I'm serious. You should write this up. This is like.
- [29:06]
Andrew Wilkow
Yeah, it's like working in the kitchen of a really bad restaurant.
- [29:09]
Carol Markowitz
Once you see too many things, once.
- [29:11]
Andrew Wilkow
You, once you know how the, the burger's made, you probably, you don't want to sit, you don't want it. You don't want to. You don't want any of it. That's. But that battle hardened me.
- [29:21]
Carol Markowitz
We're going to take a quick break and be right back on the Carol Markowitz Show.
- [29:25]
LG XBoom / Donkey Kong Advertiser
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- [29:55]
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- [31:24]
Mario Lopez
Hey, what's up? It's Mario Lopez. Back to school is an exciting time, but it can also be overwhelming and kids may feel isolated vulnerability that human traffickers can exploit. Human trafficking doesn't always look like what you expect. Everyday moments can become opportunities for someone with bad intentions. Whether you're a parent, teacher, coach or neighbor, Check in, ask questions, stay connected. Blue Campaign is a national awareness initiative that provides resources to help recognize suspected instances and of human trafficking. Learn the signs and how to report@dhs.gov blue campaign.
- [32:02]
LG XBoom / Donkey Kong Advertiser
A treasure trove of bananas has been stolen and it's up to Donkey Kong and his buddy Pauline to get them back. This unlikely duo is going on a world smashing adventure using DK's destructive abilities to explore and un underground world and the power of Pauline singing to activate wild transformations. Donkey Kong Bonanza available now rated everyone 10 enough only on Nintendo Switch 2 game and systems sold separately Ah come on.
- [32:32]
Andrew Wilkow
Why is this taking so long?
- [32:34]
Carol Markowitz
This thing is ancient.
- [32:35]
PayPal Open Advertiser
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- [32:49]
Andrew Wilkow
Whoa, this thing moves.
- [32:51]
PayPal Open Advertiser
Stop hitting snooze on new tech. Win the tech search@lenovo.com Unlock AI experiences with the ThinkPad X1 Carbon powered by Intel Core Ultra processors so you can work, create and boost productivity all on one device.
- [33:11]
Carol Markowitz
What advice would you give your 16 year old self having done all this? Looking back, what does 16 year old Andrew need to know?
- [33:18]
Andrew Wilkow
See, I thought a lot about that. If I gave myself that advice, I might not have followed the path that I followed and ended up where I ended up. If I I'm looking at my daughter, my oldest daughter, she'll be 16. She went from being the I don't care about school kid, right? Her mind was anywhere but school. She rebelled against school. She didn't care about school, she didn't care about her grades. And she had this moment when people started talking about colleges or older brothers and sisters going off to college. And I said to her, I said, you know the tape starts the day you walk into ninth grade. Yeah, actually it started in eighth grade because her teachers had to make recommendations to the high school teachers and next thing I know she is as being introspective as a 15 year old 14 year old kid could be. And now she's a merit honors student.
- [34:12]
Carol Markowitz
Wow.
- [34:14]
Andrew Wilkow
Something clicked in her brain that like maybe I'm gonna get left behind or you know, my friends are gonna go off and do things. And I said to her, look, the only you know, college is not the only thing out there, but, you know, I said to her, it should be up to you.
- [34:28]
Carol Markowitz
Yeah.
- [34:29]
Andrew Wilkow
And if I could look back at myself at 16, whether you want to go to college or not, whether you want to go into a trade, start a business, do work, whatever it is, I would probably have told myself to take some of this stuff more seriously at the time.
- [34:48]
Carol Markowitz
Sounds like you were very serious, though. It doesn't sound like you weren't serious.
- [34:51]
Andrew Wilkow
I. I was. I was. I was serious about what I wanted to do. I don't know that I was serious about how I was supposed to do it. And, you know, I had teachers that would say, you know, Andrew, you're really smart, but you don't apply yourself, and, you know, stuff like that. And I just. I. I didn't like being in class. And I. I also argue with anyone who says there's no such thing as auditory learning. I would be staring out the window and a teacher said, Mr. Wilcow, what did I just say? And I'd repeat it.
- [35:19]
Carol Markowitz
Oh, yeah.
- [35:20]
Andrew Wilkow
And here I am today.
- [35:22]
Carol Markowitz
I would say, I think men are very good at that. Playback. I'm like. To my husband, when I'm like, you're not listening to me, he's like, this is what you just said.
- [35:30]
Andrew Wilkow
My wife tries to catch me in that. But, yeah, you know, I. I look at it like, look what I do. I considered myself an auditory learner. I listened. I didn't watch as much, but I think I would have. I would tell myself to take. To take school a little bit more seriously. Maybe not, you know, fall in love, but not. Not just discredit what you know, and. But I see it in my daughter. I see it in my daughter. She. She's working real hard. She does. Yeah. That's probably the advice I would give myself.
- [36:05]
Carol Markowitz
Yeah, I like that. I mean, I. Again, I think you sound like you were a serious kid, but, I mean, what teenager couldn't take a little. Little advice to be a little more serious?
- [36:13]
Andrew Wilkow
It's funny. Growing up, my parents. My dad was what you'd call probably more libertarian. He. But he never said, this is how you're gonna think in this household, right? I approach my kids, I don't tell them. Yeah, but I dressed the part of heavy metal and punk rock. I wore combat boots. I wore. You know, I had. My hair was in any different array of weirdness. And everybody thought I was on drugs. Everybody thought I was kind of a delinquent, you know. John Bender from There's your gen X John Bender from the Breakfast Club when really I wasn't at all. I hadn't, I have, I'll confess to you, I've never smoked marijuana. I've never done drugs. I was laser focused on what I thought was going to be a radio career. But I looked, I looked like what I looked like and I guess teachers don't take you seriously when you look like that. Especially if they were in their 40s and 50s back in the 80s so that I was serious. But I guess maybe I was discounted because of my appearance at the time.
- [37:22]
Carol Markowitz
Very Gen Z, Gen X complaint. Really.
- [37:25]
Andrew Wilkow
Yeah. You know, yeah, heavy metal fans turned out to be pretty productive members of society.
- [37:31]
Carol Markowitz
That was me also. I was also a heavy metal fan. I absolutely. We are very productive members of society. So what, we like to dress a little funny back in, back in the day.
- [37:41]
Andrew Wilkow
But that would be my advice. Take school a little bit more seriously.
- [37:43]
Carol Markowitz
Well Andrew, I have loved this conversation. I think you are fantastic. Leave us here with your best tip for my listeners on how they can improve their lives.
- [37:53]
Andrew Wilkow
All right, so on my, on my radio program I do a thing called the Everyman King and that's where you, you enjoy something that you've earned. I always say own what you earn. Earn what you own. Take pleasure in that. Like when, when I went out and bought, I bought a used boat and I found I was sitting on the back of the boat docked with a cigar in my hand. Two other dads were just talking and someone said this is paradise. And I'm like, here we are sitting on this 15 year old boat on a lake. But I, I, I always say appreciate, don't get caught up in, you know, Instagram. Yeah, bakery. There are the simple pleasures. There's a reason why it's called the simple pleasure. There's a reason why it's called cheap thrills. I doesn't matter how much money I make in this business. And I'm not saying that just to be one of those people that engrave. She's like, I don't do for the money. Yeah, I do it for the money, sure. But I, I, I don't have super flashy tastes. I drive a Ford F150 pickup, it's a Raptor. But I, I don't feel like, oh my God, somebody else has more than me and I'm going to be dissatisfied. I'm going to walk around, you know, kicking rocks because I don't have the biggest house and I don't have the fanciest car and my kids Aren't tick tocking from, you know, or something. I, I truly believe you will be happier if you look around the things you have and the things you wanted to have that you achieved and say, you know what? It's all right, it's all right. This is, this is good. I think Instagram, I think, look, we've all been marketed to since the day we were born, that you're supposed to be dissatisfied with your life until you buy this. And I think at some point you have to recognize the good, the satisfying things, the things that bring you pleasure. If you've got a classic car or a motorcycle or a jet ski or, or you got a vacation property, whatever it is that you said, you know, I want it to, I'm going to work for it. I earned it, it's now mine. But it doesn't matter if anybody else is impressed with it. It doesn't matter if it's the stuff of, of Instagram, you know, popularity. Do you enjoy it? Then embrace the fact that you enjoy it.
- [40:11]
Carol Markowitz
I love that. And I think that that applies to so many things. I think a lot of relationships don't happen among young people right now because they don't like how the person looks with them on Instagram. I think you're absolutely right. Don't care about what other people think. Just do what makes you happy. He is Andrew Wilkow Chat. Check them out at the Wilcow Majority on Sirius XM Patriot Radio and on Wilcow on the Salem News Channel. Thank you so much, Andrew. Love to.
- [40:35]
Andrew Wilkow
Anytime. You gotta come back on with me.
- [40:37]
Carol Markowitz
Absolutely. Anytime.
- [40:40]
LG XBoom / Donkey Kong Advertiser
Stop settling for weak sound. It's time to level up your game.
- [40:44]
Andrew Wilkow
And bring the boom.
- [40:45]
LG XBoom / Donkey Kong Advertiser
Hit the town with the ultra durable LG X Boom portable speaker and enjoy vibrant sound wherever you go.
- [40:52]
Andrew Wilkow
Elevate.
- [40:53]
LG XBoom / Donkey Kong Advertiser
Elevate your listening experience to new heights. Because let's be real, your music deserves it. The future of sound is now with LG XBoom. And for a limited time, save 25%@LG.com with code Fall25. Bring the Boom XBoom. Hey, what's up?
- [41:11]
Mario Lopez
It's Mario Lopez. Back to school is an exciting time, but it can also be overwhelming and kids may feel isolated. A vulnerability that human traffickers can can exploit. Human trafficking doesn't always look like what you expect. Everyday moments can become opportunities for someone with bad intentions. Whether you're a parent, teacher, coach or neighbor, check in, ask questions, stay connected. Blue Campaign is a national awareness initiative that provides resources to help recognize suspected instances of human trafficking. Learn the signs and how to report@dhs.gov Blue Campaign.
- [41:49]
LG XBoom / Donkey Kong Advertiser
A treasure trove of bananas has been stolen and it's up to Donkey Kong and his buddy Pauline to get them back. This unlikely duo is going on a world smashing adventure using DK's destructive abilities to explore an underground world and the power of Pauline singing to activate wild transformations. Donkey Kong Bonanza available now now rated everyone 10 and up only on Nintendo Switch 2 game and systems sold separately.
- [42:17]
Carol Markowitz
Ugh.
- [42:18]
Andrew Wilkow
Come on. Why is this taking so long?
- [42:21]
Carol Markowitz
This thing is ancient.
- [42:22]
PayPal Open Advertiser
Still using yesterday's tech Upgrade to the ThinkPad X1 carbon ultra light. Ultra powerful and built for serious productivity with Intel Core Ultra processors, blazing speed and AI powered performance. It keeps up with your business, not the other way around.
- [42:36]
Andrew Wilkow
Whoa, this thing moves.
- [42:37]
PayPal Open Advertiser
Stop hitting snooze and on new tech Win the tech search@lenovo.com Unlock AI experiences with the ThinkPad X1 Carbon powered by Intel Core Ultra processors so you can work, create and boost productivity all on one device.
- [42:55]
Andrew Wilkow
The 2025 NFL season is underway. Don't miss your chance to be a part of the action. Tickets to all regular season games are on sale now. Be there live to support your favorite team. See every epic showdown, every classic rivalry, and Every primetime game. 17 games for all 32 teams. Visit NFL.com tickets to purchase tickets today. Verified tickets are available through the NFL.
- [43:21]
LG XBoom / Donkey Kong Advertiser
Ticket network, including Ticketmaster, Seatgeek, and Sports Illustrated tickets.
- [43:25]
Carol Markowitz
This is an iHeart podcast.