

1. Tell us a little bit about how you got started in radio. I was an event planner for pharmaceuticals and in the middle of a meeting I was holding court about Britney Spears' bare feet and very visual vagina that was splashed all over the tabloids. My good friend/coworker pulled me aside and jokingly told me I didn't belong in a corporate setting. I agreed and told her I always wanted to work in radio but have no experience. She happened to have a childhood friend that worked for SiriusXm & took my resume without making any promises. He reached out, invited me up to the studio for a live show and that's where my love for radio was confirmed. He was kind enough to show me the ropes. I quit my job, shadowed him unpaid for 6 months and was eventually offered a part time position which led to full time. Basically I pinch myself everyday and I'm in debt to two very wonderful people.. So thanks Rita & Steve!

2. Was this always a field that you were interested in perusing? I was always into radio, as a kid I'd use a double tape deck and record my own shows where I'd be the host and the guest. I knew I'd do well with it because I'm not good at much else. Talking and writing are my favorite things, everything else gives me horrendous agita (especially math). I'm most comfortable right smack in the middle of a conversation and if you throw a mic in front of my face it's like a vacation! It didn't seem attainable though, it sounded like "I want to be an actress" which sounded like "I'm gonna be a waitress" so it took me a while to realize I can actually follow my dream.

3. Who is your biggest role model and what have you learned from them?

( Alex Bennett)

I have a bunch of professional role models/mentors and I'm lucky enough to work alongside them.. Alex Bennett, Howard Stern & Jay Thomas paved the way as far as I'm concerned..



(Jay Thomas and Cristina after the annual football toss on Letterman.)

Pete Dominick has offered me several words of wisdom

and Chris Tsakis lets me stretch my sea legs on his show which is the best experience!



(Chris Tsakis and Rude Jude)

I got to work with Lynn Samuels (may she rest in peace). I really loved her because she wasn't afraid to be her true self no matter what the suits said. When people ask me what I want to be when I grow up I say Robin Quivers, but my role model, and this is so cliche.. it's definitely my dad.

(Cristina Palumbo and Dad)

He's a go getter and when the going gets tougher than you can ever imagine he dusts himself off and reinvents himself into something even better. He was the reason I was able to go after this goal and succeed at it in the first place. He gave me the financial freedom and emotional support I needed to leave my career, work for free and learn my craft. In fact he insisted on it. That fire in my belly and under my ass is hereditary for sure.





4. What is it like being in what seems to be a more male dominated field and what obstacles have you had to face with that?

How did you overcome them?

I have had this conversation with Jay Thomas several times. He believes that being in this business takes away from my femininity but my response to that is I've been this way my whole life. I've only been in radio 6 years so how do you explain the other 28?? I've always been able to hold my own and "hang with the boys". I have a quick whit and a perverted sense of humor which comes in handy. I'm not easily offended, in fact I'm usually the offender. It's a comfortable place for me to be in. If you put me in a room with 5 male comics it's home for me.. If you put me under a tent during fashion week you'd find me tunneling my way out with a shoe I could never pronounce or afford.. I'm not saying it's easy to work in a male dominated industry but for me it's more comfortable and I never felt like I had to overcome any obstacles in that sense.. The obstacles come with the job. It's not easy being in this industry with less than 10k Twitter followers or less than a decade of experience under your belt... Is it harder to get the attention you want versus the attention you get, sure.. But that can hold true for any industry.