Aaron Sanchez

Was your experience in high school drama fulfilling for you?

Absolutely. It allowed me to be whatever I didn’t know I wanted to be. It’s a very emotionally involved process.

It was pivotal because it allowed me to enjoy what I was doing and be free while doing it.
 

You enjoyed drama, but you got into sales?

Well, I ended up preaching the Bible and got married at 19. And I had to be responsible and pay the bills, so I got a job in sales. I did that for a while, and once you get into sales, you never really lose it.
 

What was it like growing up in Montebello that formed your interest in drama?

When I got to 8th grade, I knew I loved drama. We were auditioning for Beauty and The Beast, and I wanted to be the Beast instead of Gaston because he doesn’t have to sing, and I don’t have a good voice.

After the audition, my teacher pulled me in and had me sing some notes. and she said she could work with me, and I suddenly found my inner Gaston.
 

Do you have to go through a process so that you can sing?

I hated the singing part because I knew I couldn’t do it the way other people could. But once you get into the moment, you don’t think about it.

You have to develop the character and personalize it to yourself.
 

It fascinates me that people want to be on stage. How did you get into it?

I started at a young age. My family was very devout Jehovah’s Witnesses, and you must read the Bible in a public forum at a young age, like 7 or 8.

So, as a little kid, I was used to being in front of people.
 

Do you want cameras on you all the time?

When you do radio, the best way to do it is without cameras. But in this day and age, you need cameras on you.

We interviewed Lou Ferrigno the other day, and his publicist was surprised that we were online.

I had to adapt early on to only do video and then get audio and make that work for radio and online.
 

What is the new form of entertainment?

It’s storytelling. I did a talk and was talking about transmedia.

For example, you have a radio show, but you have cameras in there too. So now it’s not just a radio show but a visual experience.
 

What do you do?

Sometimes, I’m called the executive producer; other times, I’m just the host. I’ve consulted with radio stations to help them switch over from just over-the-air broadcasts to full-on production studio sets with video, cameras, and audio.

It’s so amazing what you can do right now. You just have to get the licensing and agreements.
 

When is your radio show on?

My co-host and I are on KMET 1490 AM & 98.1 FM every weekday at 8 am, and we discuss topical issues, which is currently the Coronavirus.
 

Do you transmit your show to other places?

I do. I produce my own shows, and I make use of the online world. You don’t want to think locally; you want to think globally now.
 

Who are some of your mentors/heroes?

I met Stan Lee a couple of months before he died. It was monumental for me because I thought of how much this man had done for the world for generations by bringing these iconic characters to life.

At the end of the interview, he said something that really stuck with me. He said, “You should keep doing this. You’re really good at this.”

It’s moments like that that keep me moving forward because I’ve had moments where I think I should quit or do something else.

Another mentor is my stepdad, who was there for me at the very beginning and helped me get out of my comfort zone. As I said earlier about having to read the Bible publicly, my stepdad would take me to the church when no one was there and let me read on the podium.

I remember that to this day.
 

What are some difficulties you faced as you were creating your career?

Doing everything self-taught. Haha. It was so hard, and you have to learn everything.

One of the hardest things also was wanting to stop, but there would be that little voice that would tell me to keep moving forward.
 

What motivates you?

Something…hahahaha. Sometimes I ask, “Why am I doing this?”

Some moments keep me going based on the people I meet or the stories I hear, and I realize that I’m not alone.

For example, my sister almost died from the Coronavirus last year. It got so bad that they got to the point that they asked us, “Do you want us not to resuscitate?” It helped us to talk about it on the show, and the drug that helped my sister, we were able to talk about it and bring it to other people.

I keep going because I’m able to help more people with what we talk about.
 

What is the goal of your morning show?

Initially, the goal was just fun and entertainment.

As of 2020, it got very serious because we were talking about Politics and the Coronavirus.

We try to have a balance of bringing great information but also keeping the fun and entertainment there.
 

How much do you need to prep for your show?

Hahaha. It depends. I used to not pre a lot, but sometimes I get too nervous for it. Sometimes, the best thing you can do is just go and not overthink it.
 

What is next for you?

I’m currently working on revitalizing the Hollywood Social Lounge and getting a new online portal of films for film friends.

And I’m working on making the show everything it can be. I’d love to do more hosting and on-air personality opportunities.