Welcome to JJ-365 Salutes. Over 2018, we pay tribute daily to one of “The Good Ones”. Today we are shining the light on Nadia Cerelli.

My GM/VP role at CORUS Radio Toronto at one time also included Edge TV and Energy 108. There was a lot of juggling going on to try and make that all work. The late and great Patty Cardinal was the PD of the Energy network at the time and it was fun to work with him again. Often, I’d be in Hamilton doing my thing and always looked forward to seeing the team there. Nadia was the Promo Director, and oddly enough got that job when I hired 365’er Karen Steele out of there into MIX 99.9 Toronto promotions. Nadia was young, vibrant, smart, calm cool and collected, creative and could whip up big things on a limited budget. Everybody loved working with Nadia and it was clear to me that there was a good future in her path.

Nadia is a graduate of Ryerson’s TV and Radio program. Her first start in the business, was with CHIN Toronto where she worked on both the Radio and TV sides. Her role in the TV Department included being the Floor Director of the Festival of Johnny Lombardi TV show, where she worked directly with the late and great Johnny Lombardi. If you knew Johnny you'd know that containing his on-air segment lengths was not an easy task, and he found humour in Nadia's attempts to keep him on time. 

The day would come where she was given an opportunity to go on-air occasionally and co-host the show (Johnny’s fill-in), and do live-eye reports promoting the CHIN Picnic on BT with Jennifer Valentyne. Her taste for on-air led her to believe she could take over the airwaves, then a dose of reality settled in when PD Ken Stowar reminded her she was hired as a Programming, Sales and Promo Assistant at Hits 103 (now Z103). She says little did she know at the time, this is exactly what she was meant to do.

She discovered that behind the scenes was meant for her: “The perks of the job in promo (all the hidden swag treasures in my trunk), concerts upon concerts, escorting contest winners backstage meeting their idols, locally and across North America – Mariah Carey had us wait 3 hours on a school night as they couldn’t get the lighting to her liking. Britney Speaks, NSYNC, Enrique Iglesias, Ricky Martin… pop goes the weasel.”

From Brampton’s Hits 103 (at the time) studios to Z103 in Toronto, and then a drastic shift in location and genre relocated her to Hamilton as CORUS Hamilton's Promo Director working with the late and great Pat Cardinal at Energy and the legendary Alan Cross. Pat and Nadia met at a Starbucks on Avenue (Patty loved his Starbucks!), and she says it was passion at first sip: “I remember walking into the Hamilton broadcast studios boardroom where I was interviewed by 6 managers, intense! I basically convinced everyone that I loved rock and roll (Y108) and truthfully, I grew up listening to it but the CHR format brainwashed me for years. 

There was no social media back then, and we went toe to toe with promo teams and on-air talent at concerts and sporting events vying for the best location, signs and promotions.”

The day came when Energy would become the New Country 95-3. She knew nothing about country music. It would take some time to gravitate to the new format but the artists and people really made the difference she says: “From meeting Shania Twain to the Road Hammers and the Country Music Festivals, yeehaw it was giddy up. CMT, Casey Clarke, Rick Walters, pioneers in the business and format – what a hoot. Getting to work with Stu Jeffries and 365’er Colleen Rusholme at Country, to the likes of Scot Turner, Jeff Chalmers, Big D (Darren Darrin Laidman), David DeRocco aka Rocky, Steve Parsons, Brian DePoe aka Home Depot, Suzanne Carpenter, and 365’ers Phil Evans, Darren Wasylyk, Jon Sinden, just to name a few were all part of my journey and I was privileged to work with them. I had a real passion and connection with the sales department at every station, accompanying reps to client meetings and agency presentations, it was a real rush to close the deal, especially as the underdog at several stations. If I had to single someone out, it would be Sandra Carusi who had a huge impact on me, she taught me to ask for the sale and go big or go home. Working with big brands and the big boys and girls in media and the agency world has now come full circle.”

All of this experience became the stepping stone to Nadia’s next career move. In 2006, she became part owner of a newly formed marketing and events company, Plan B Promotions. An agency specializing in promotions and integrated marketing services, Plan B Promotions is a full-service agency providing a wide range of services to the corporate and non-profit sectors, from small to large businesses. In 2016, she became the sole business owner of the reinvigorated full-fledge media company and business is good! Her slogan is “Let’s Get Started, what’s your Plan B?”

Along the way, Nadia has won various awards including the ‘Sales Promotion of the Year’ Award by the Ontario Association of Broadcasters, she’s been nominated for a Gold Ribbon ‘Promotion of the Year’ Award by the Canadian Association of Broadcasters and has been recognized in numerous North American trade publications. Most recently, in 2015, Nadia was awarded with the 6th Annual Portraits of Giving prestigious award, recognized for giving back to the (York Region) community and show of good character. 

Nadia is very dedicated to community work and treasures her volunteer work. She’s a former board member for the Ronald McDonald House Children’s Charities. She’s also a regular community guest speaker at high schools and colleges. Her philosophy is simple, she believes in community involvement and in philanthropic giving. Plan B Promotions as a company and Nadia as an individual both offer in-kind services and sit on various boards including REV IT UP For SickKids, After Breast Cancer (“ABC”) and Portraits of Giving. 

In January 2017, Nadia became an accredited MARKETING CERTIFIED CONSULTANT (MCC) by the eMarketing Association.

Nadia sums up: “Hobbies? Is drinking WINE considered a hobby? All kidding aside, between the business, two kids and their extra curriculars, hubby in a rock band (recreational, not a career “R2M” and my declaration as their unofficial band manager) there’s not much time for anything else.

My foodie passion has led me down a path to work with various restaurants and earlier this year, I was selected as a Master Chef Canada home cook social media influencer.

Nadia was a great team mate and had the ability to have everyone’s best interests at heart. Sometimes clients wants are difficult and somehow she seemed to always find a way for things to work for all. That has served her well in her very successful entreneurial endeavours. She has an easy going presence which works for her especially when she has lots of balls in the air. She hits most of them over the fence: then, now and I am sure in the future.

I loved working with her, and I am not alone. Nice work on your career Nadia!

Thank you, Nadia Cerelli for being on of the “The Good Ones”. Feel free to like and share Nadia’s positive story. Who is the subject of tomorrow’s JJ-365 Salutes? As they say, stay tuned.

Jim JJ Johnston is the CEO, President and Chief Talent Coach for JJIMS INC. and works with talent in many different industries worldwide. He can be reached at JJ-IMS.COM.