! You're listening to Mundo in the morning on 95 7 FM KCMO talk radio. Music It's been over a year. I didn't realize that. Lauren Magarino is joining us on KCMO. You watch her on KCTV 5. Of course our TV partner here at KCMO talk radio. You hear the great Luke Doris, weather forecast every morning. She is alongside Brad Stevens every night. She's joining us as our feature Friday guest. There's a lot going on with the station, with the show that she's doing on Sundays. We'll talk about all that. Lauren, good morning. Thanks for being here. Good morning. Thank you for having me. So let's just start off a year in Kansas City for people that don't know you are a big fan of the show. You've been working with Kago Atlanta and now just over a year in Kansas City. What's been the best part of that first year on the job? Oh my God. Hitting the ground running and just being able to take in all that is Kansas City and meeting folks. I mean, it's been a whirlwind and throughout all of that I have somehow felt incredibly grounded just because of the fact that people are nice. You know, they're very kind. Being able to get to know different parts of the community through the storytelling, and then there were all these events that we participated in. We met at July 4th and that was an awesome time doing stuff like that down to the fundraising efforts that we're part of within the community, different organizations. So I was actually thinking, my gosh, it's been a year has flown and I'm coming up on now the second time of doing things like Variety KC's Inclusion Gala and participating in some new events, which I know we'll talk about as well. But I mean, it's just been incredible. I think I have talked about how sometimes you feel whether or not you resonate with a place pretty quickly. It's kind of like an energy thing and I mean, it didn't take a lot of time for me to move here, get settled and feel comfortable and welcomed. So you say it like, you know, there's nice people here as if Chicago and Atlanta don't have nice people. I mean, you say it like you're kind of surprised by that. So what does it say about Chicago and Atlanta? You know what, I knew that Kansas City was special. I have to say when I was at Mizzou and he used to be part of our sports team at KCTV 5, his name is Jared Kohler. I went to college with him. Oh yeah, he's great. Yeah. Never knew no Jared. He's my buddy and so when I was considering coming here, I called him immediately. I was like, I need to know everything but one thing about Jared is since I met him, he was like Kansas City is the best place on earth. He's always been such a rep for this city and so I always remember that. I remember visiting so I remember how I felt when I came here for the first time and really enjoying it. So I guess plus that Chicago and Atlanta that they aren't nice. It's just remembering how I felt here, you know, and how positive that was. But, you know, I mean Chicago and Atlanta, they're great. They're great. I don't miss the Atlanta traffic. Yeah. Not to be cliche, but I seriously do not miss that at all. I heard it's horrible. It's Pete. It's bad. I tried to... Like how bad are we talking? Like how far to get? How far? Like what stands out to you? I mean, you really... I'll put it to you this way. I tried to keep myself in a bubble within my little community within the city because I didn't want to deal with it. But if you wanted to sometimes run a couple errands, I mean you'd be an hour, two hours just trying to get things done. Most of that being stuck in the car. The highways were wild. I don't think people drive very well, but I'm also from Miami and maybe I don't know it's... I learned how to defensive drive. I'll put it that way. Yes, that's very good. It's almost like Atlanta's grown too quickly for its own good. Yeah. It's what it seems like happened. And you know, I guess it's a... It can be a good problem to have. I mean, there's so much diversity and amazing things that are happening there as far as, you know, restaurant scene really growing in Atlanta. The art scene has always been established and that has also continued to grow. So there's a lot of cultural factors that I enjoyed being in Atlanta. You just had to get over the fact that to get to any of them, it was going to be a process and you had to get to them accordingly. Yeah. It's like, what's it worth if you can't get anywhere? Right. You know, that's the crazy part. Yeah. So you grew up in Florida. You go to Mizzou. So is it fair to say you go to Mizzou because this is what you wanted your career to be the whole time? So what's funny is I've just always been somebody who's passionate about learning and reading and writing and then talking with people. I was like that kid that was just talking, talking, talking all the time and talking to adults a lot. I enjoyed... I was just curious. So I tried to figure out, what can I do that blended all of those things together and really toward the end of my high school career, I felt like I stumbled or fell into journalism. And so, I don't know, I did what a 17 year old would do, which was let me Google the top 10 schools for journalism and at that point in time Mizzou was number one. I was like, I'm from Miami. I don't know much about Missouri. I don't know where Columbia is and we took a trip to go and visit and it was... it had to be around spring break because the campus was pretty empty. There weren't leaves on the trees and anybody who knows Mizzou, I mean it's a botanical garden. It's gorgeous when it's full and blooming or fall time. So it was pretty bare and even then I just fell in love with it. And so, that is what sent me to Mizzou. It was the program. It was just knowing that this is what I want to pursue. But if I wanted to change my mind, the backup was becoming a vet and they do have a veterinarian program there. So, that was like... You kind of hedge yourself a little bit. Yeah, you know, can't help it. I'm a planner. So, was there anything or anywhere else you were considering or was it like Mizzou or Bust? It was pretty... I knew I wanted to get out of Florida. I always wanted an out of state experience if possible just because, why not? You know, if you could do it, you know, have that experience. I do remember applying to some schools that were out in California, in Emerson, that was Boston. But it was pretty much Mizzou. It really was. Okay. So, four years at Mizzou, your first job's in Chicago. One, yet it's a cultural jump too in and of itself. Miami, Mizzou, and I'm getting even colder. And bigger in Chicago. So, that job comes up. You're there for five years in Chicago. And it sounds like you did what? A little bit of everything in Chicago. Right. So, I got hired as an anchor and producer. So, I was coming into an environment where it was pretty much a start-up. I mean, the company had existed for some time. It was acquired by Scripps Networks. And they, at the time, were beginning to launch their national network. They wanted their own national arm. And so start from scratch, basically. And I had an hour that I was responsible for, you know, to build a news hour. And then fronted and I would work with the producer on the back end to get that done. And that's where it started. But that was just the beginning as the company continued to grow and scale the product of what we were working on. You add more hours, you know, you get moved around. And so I found myself getting blended into some reporting as well. I've always from my education, you know, have really enjoyed reporting. Being able to be on the ground, get out of the studio, meet people where they are, see issues or good things up close. And I was able to do some of that as well. So, you know, it was a little bit of everything. And it was in many ways flexing a lot of muscles, which was good and challenging, but pretty rewarding to see things come into fruition. And I learned a lot. Yeah. Now, that's a great kind of first five years there. Yeah. Laura Magarino, KCTV5 is here on KCMO. Watch her alongside Brad Stevens every weeknight. So what about, you know, your first year here in Kansas City, I think is interesting because you're taking over for Caroline Long, who's like this staple on TV in Kansas City. And that's always a difficult thing to do following the person who's been there for a very long time and has all that market equity. I know you overlapped with Caroline. She's great. What advice did she give you before she exited? She was just, first of all, I would say that she led by example and in her behavior and how she carried herself. So more than words, even though we're both people who can talk, I mean, to anyone. I mean, I think that's a great thing to be able to talk to people who can talk, I mean, to anyone. I felt what I learned from her was about her energy, how she maintained her energy, how everybody she was able to make everybody feel like a friend. Yeah. And I really appreciated that about her and how I saw her demonstrate that no matter who I saw her with, where we were if it was an event within the newsroom. And that is a light that maybe, you know, I don't know if you feel this way, you don't always see it sometimes and especially for folks who have been in this career for quite some time. I feel like it's such a blessing to be able to see something like that. So that was my first take away with her that she didn't even have to speak to me and give me that nugget of wisdom. It was how she carried herself. But I would say that she really was very clear on understanding the community, connecting with the community. For her, her big thing was the events, the fundraisers, you know, giving back in that way. And so we talked a lot about that. We talked a lot about the ability to be flexible with the news cycle, which we're pretty used to as journalists, but we spent time talking about, you know, the tragedies that have happened here, the chiefs rally with the shooting, things like that and what that meant for the community. So you talked about her market capital, you know, being here. And she kind of laid it down for me, you know, on how impactful that was. I remember being in Atlanta and seeing that story break and going into coverage about that because it was a huge deal. And so to speak to her about the ripple effects of that within the community, that was another thing as well. So she gave me some of the highlights and the positive, also the lowlights and the pain points for the community and really just serving as an example on how to navigate with people in an authentic way. I mean, I was going to ask, because you got to be real, you're going up, let's be honest, you get, you know, three other stations, you're going up against, people have choices, you're the new person on the block, so to speak. Now, you've got Brad by your side, obviously, that's great. He's been here for a long time. But how do you, what's your strategy in like trying to figure out how to navigate those waters and gain that credibility will also not overstepping, you know, your bounds, so to speak. Absolutely. To me, the important part is the reporting. Before I even accepted the job, one of the things that I had discussed with our news management, which they are amazing and were like, yep, this makes sense, is being able to report. I think it's very important to not be locked behind the desk the entire time. I think that when you're able to go out and whether that's for interviews or turning some stories or event coverage, live event coverage, whatever it might be, that's very important because that's where you can actually meet people and begin to understand the dynamics from whatever neighborhood you're going into. So that was a key part for me, was making sure that that was understood, that this is part of the strategy, that I'm part of our special projects team where we're able to do that. My colleagues, Zach Summers and Sharon Chen they're also part of this team. So we all really value being able to get out there ourselves and do that work. We're a team. It's not just the reporters that are on the ground. It's also the anchors as well. And I do think that that lends a hand to building credibility and for folks to see that we're not just reading off a prompter in a studio. Yeah, but I think you're right. People see you out there that they're recognizing you, you're getting a lay of the land and that makes a big difference. And answering questions. Yes. I mean, there's accountability factors, there are there's curiosities that maybe we're trying to figure out. So a lot of it I'm always thinking about what is the value for the viewer. What is the thing that they want to know? If I'm speaking, and this is part of one of our newer shows, but you know, to certain lawmakers or folks in government that there are real issues at hand that are affecting people on the daily. I'm just the conduit, you know. So what can I ask to make sure that when I'm walking away, I feel like I was representative of the folks that I know who are watching, the questions that they may have, the answers that they're looking for and that's my job. So I think all of that pours into that. That's great. Lauren Magarino's here. minimizing the! . . . . . . . . . . . . to the most important conversations of the day. I've got updates, I've got big stories. We'll sort through the truth of what's really going on to buckle up, here it comes. The Vince Show, follow and listen on your favorite platform. Next roll with Vernon Davis. I'm your host Vernon Davis. Okay, y'all, thank you, thank you, that's enough. Today we have Dietrich Wise. Through my example on the field, off the field, during game day in practice, that was one way that I led, because then it led to success. Next roll isn't about what's next, it's about why they do it. My man, Bobby Bones. Like I've had a lot of stuff happen, bad and good, and so I don't have any fear of mixing it up. That's powerful, man. Next roll with Vernon Davis. Follow and listen on your favorite platform.
