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

I remember first meeting her thinking "Wow, what a firecracker!" A boundless supply of energy, driven, smart, willing to try new things, talented, quick with a laugh and very vocal! You just had to help direct her and let her go. Her successes were many but if she failed she would promptly let you know what happened, what she was doing about it, and then we would help dust her off and let the energizer bunny get back at it. You could always count on her.

Michelle graduated Humber College and worked in Toronto, Hamilton and Midland before finding a home with CORUS at the PEAK in Collingwood. She says she had the privilege of working with 365’ers John Eaton and Chris Liedkte, and a whole team of dedicated individuals who taught her how important radio is in a small, vibrant community. After a year of being with the PEAK, John called her into his office and told her CORUS was encouraging employees to move around and accelerate within the company and there was a career opportunity at MOJO Radio/Q107 in Toronto that might be perfect for her. She applied and a few weeks later was called down to the Q studios located at Yonge and Norton in Toronto where she walked into the main lobby and couldn’t help be amazed with the pictures, the piano, the staircase, and the incomparable and world famous receptionist Jamie Lott. MIchelle was nervous and intimidated. 365’er Darren Wasylyk took her back to his office where he proceeded with his signature 'twirl a giant elastic with his hands' thing during the interview. After that meeting she interviewed with Stewart Meyers and I also popped by. The experience of all these maniacs checking in with her was almost too much. On the way back to Collingwood she was thinking there is no way she was getting the gig and couldn’t believe it when Darren hired her weeks later. 

She started as one of two promo coordinator’s at MOJO/Q107 (the other was the amazing Sherry Noik) on September 4, 2001. One week before 9-11. Like many broadcasters, that day will forever be in her brain. To this day, she remembers the MOJO news room springing into action, spearheaded by Iain Grant and 365’er Evelyn Macko. Q107 had Howard Stern on-air originating from New York and that day he showed all of us what a pro broadcaster he really is. That was when she realized she was part of something huge.

When everyone moved to the new location, Darren had Sherry take on Q107 and Michelle took over the MOJO side. Humble and Fred were the morning team, 365'er Jamie Watson was the voice guy. They did a lot of promotions for the Leafs, Humble and Fred, the MOJO models and more. There is a great and uncomfortable story of the launch of MOJO that I will share at some other time. Shortly after Sherry decided to leave and that’s when Darren moved Michelle over to Q107 and brought in Jeffery Alan Payne to take over MOJO.

One of her highlights from the Q107 days was being part of the organizing team for SARS Stock: “What a show!! I remember that Tim Lamch, Pina Crispo, and Harrison Mercer spent pretty much all three days on site living in the Q107 trailer/mobile parked at the business across the street from Downsview. They (and a number of promo interns) worked tirelessly to set up for that show and made sure we were well represented all around the venue. Darren designed pins that we were to distribute before and during the show. We got a bunch out before the security golf carts were driving all over Downsview park inside and outside looking for our team to confiscate the pins. Our walkie/talkies were going crazy with staff telling me security was taking the pins. I remember Harrison, Tim and Pina avoiding security running all over Downsview park and beyond to get as many pins out as they could without getting caught. Years later I found out the confiscated pins ended up a promotional merchandising warehouse facility in Mississauga where my husband used to work!”

Some other highlights from the Q promo team includes owning the surprise Rolling Stones show at the Phoenix, and the epic opening party for the Hard Rock Cafe working with 365’er Kirk “Hollywood” Thompson, the HRC GM. Also the HRC Club 279 – Breakfast with Derringer promotions, Saturday nights with 365’er Gonzo and Psych Psundays with legendary 365’er Andy Frost. Breakfast with Derringer morphed into going to listeners homes complete with musical guests/stars like the Trailer Park Boys. Harrison Mercer was their guide and the next morning he got the boys to the Breakfast and let’s just say that it was the ONLY time anyone has seen Harrison completely exhausted going to a promo. The Trailer Park Boys knew how to have a good time.

And then there was when Dave Farough hired 365’er Kim Mitchell for drive home on Q. Michelle was nervous and had no idea what it was going to be like to work with a Canadian Music icon: "Working with rockstars like John Scholes, Jeff Woods and 365’ers Andy Frost, John Derringer, Craig Venn, and Joanne Wilder warmed me up good, but this was something new. Seeing Kim nervous made me realize he was just like the rest of us. I co-hosted with him for a short time just after he started. I remember asking him what he was thinking when he allowed himself to be photographed wearing the tights on the album cover of High Class and Borrowed Shoes? Kim laughed and played along with it and when we got off the air he was laughing hard. Kim is an incredible person, a talented musician and turned out to be a great broadcaster too."

When MOJO flipped to AM 640, it was sad to her but she understood why (Someday I will pass along the story of how this came down). MOJO radio was so different and Mich was glad to have been a part of it. 365’er Scott Armstrong brought her in to work with Ross MacLeod and Carla Hipolito to flip the format. Her thoughts on Scott? “He is a rock. He had to make some tough decisions and he values opinions, thoughts and suggestions. He was an incredible PD. He was so calm and such a pro. He treated everyone from the top brass to the newest intern with the same respect and professionalism.”

In CORUS we were looking to set up the next generation and that brought us to the Assistant Program Director program. We were especially hoping that young women would step forward. Jeff Woods first mentioned it to her, and I brought Michelle into my office for a good long chat. She was surprised and pleased and wisely sought advice from others including the wonderfully talented, late and great Rene Roth. She was a mentor and a friend and 'strongly' encouraged Michelle to apply. She did and got it! Michelle recalls: “I remember my very first Corus Ontario PD/APD function. I was terrified to be in that restaurant in downtown Toronto. I was standing outside the restaurant with a bunch of PD’s (all male) and Kneale Mann (PD in Kitchener) turned to me and said ‘Hey Dyer, I’m glad you are here – Congratulations on becoming APD, you work hard and you deserve it’. I don’t recall if I’ve ever told Kneale how much that meant to me at that very moment, so just in case - thanks Kneale. The incredibly talented and amazing Kelly Beveridge came over from the promo at the EDGE to took my place at Q and did a hell of a job.”

Dave Farough the PD of Q107 was promoted to GM CORUS London and Blair Bartrem came in as PD of Q. Blair is always a blast to work with and for. As Mich says "His sense of humour and imagination knows no bounds – anything and everything was on the table. Blair doesn’t think outside the box – with Blair there is no box." She wishes she had the opportunity to work with Blair a little longer but an exciting opportunity came up shortly after Blair came in. Dave Farough hired her in London as PD of the Hawk: “I was thrilled but had a really hard time with this one in that Q107/640 was home and I was comfortable there. I cried for 2 days. Some of the staff in London thought it was funny that Dave was my boss again. When walking by my office they would sing The Who line ‘meet the new boss – same as the old boss’.”

The team of PD’s included her and as she says: "the brilliant Jim McCourtie (now at 89X) as PD at FM 96 and the phenomenal Julie James (now at CHFI) PD of the new FRESH FM." The next 3 years would be a whirlwind that included the implementation of a stellar on-air team. Mornings consisting of Jeff McArthur and John Facey and Nicky Robertson who was the winner of an 8 week on-air talent competition. Rounding out a dynamic air team was Leigh Roberts on middays and Jimmy K on afternoons. 

A big memory was ‘Hawk Rocks the Park’ an established yearly event which in 2006 featured Saga, April Wine, Kim Mitchell and Styx (featuring Gowan). A highlight was Kim and Gowan convincing Tommy Shaw from Styx to come on stage with them and jam.

Things can change so fast in this business as evidenced by 2008, when she was let go from CORUS like many others that year. 

Good news though was that in late August 2008 she heard the words she never thought she would hear in her lifetime: “Congratulations, you’re pregnant! In April 2009 the love of our lives was born. Ayden Charles Dyer – 7 lbs 3 ounces of awesome was brought into our lives and everything changed. What I thought was important no longer mattered; what I thought defined me no longer existed – this little man was all that mattered (and 9 years later is still all that matters).”

A couple of years after having Ayden, Michelle went back to work this time for Kim Fowler at the Canadian Traffic Network doing traffic reports until Pete Travers and Mike Collins of 570 News in Kitchener hired her part time to do news/traffic. That turned into a regular talk show, and producing talk shows and that's when she was met with a challenge. She found it tough having to be on it at all times, day, night, weekends and it was taking her away from what mattered most – Ayden/Chris. She pulled the plug but did return to CTN later for a short time but couldn’t continue to commute to Markham each day. It wasn’t a difficult decision to retire from radio because her family comes first. She misses it. particular hosting a talk radio show, especially when something major occurs in the news.

Michelle sums up: “I work for a property management company (MF Property Management) where I manage the day to day operations of several condo properties in Guelph. It sounds easy but it is complex. The job consists of Human Resources, knowing the complexities and the inner workings of a building, the many legal parameters and doing all this on a financial budget. I went back to school and got my RCM/General License. I couldn’t have found a better 'B side', nor a better team to be a part of! 

Outside of work, a good deal of my time is spent on Ayden. I try my best to volunteer at his school and I’m a part of the school- parent council. Plus, he does a lot of kid stuff outside of school. Chris Dyer is my rock, keeps me steady and is my partner in everything. He puts up with me and loves me despite my shortcomings. My family – the whole lot of them (ever expanding) are the people I couldn’t live without. My friends (they know who they are) are fiercely loyal to me and I to them. They are positive, encouraging, loving, and I wouldn’t be me without them. All of these important people in my life are my everything, they put up with me/my opinions and call me on my crap if necessary. I’m their crazy friend Michelle, their crazy Zia/Aunt Chelle, their crazy sister Michelle, Chris’ crazy wife Michelle and Ayden’s crazy Mom. I laugh a lot, have an opinion on everything and I am fortunate enough to have amazing people who surround me and put up with my crazy."

This is a good crazy. She really wants to well at everything she does and tries harder than anybody. I can't think of a more loyal, dedicated, energetic and perseverant co-worker and friend. Good things generally happen for those who work hard and always strive to be good people, like Michelle. Atta be Mich!

Thank you, Michelle Dyer for being one of the “The Good Ones”. Feel free to like and share the Michelle’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/Content Coach for JJIMS INC. and works with talent in many different industries worldwide. JJ can be reached at JJ-IMS.COM.