HUSL Today Salutes

Catherine Hughes

 Image source: http://infousa.state.gov/guided_tours/working/images/hughes.jpg

Catherine Hughes was born April 22, 1947, in Omaha, Nebraska. She began her career in radio in the 1970s as General Sales Manager of WHUR-FM, the Howard University-owned, urban-contemporary radio station.

Ms. Hughes has been Chairperson of the Board of Directors and Secretary of Radio One since 1980 and was Chief Executive Officer of Radio One from 1980 to 1997.

She was one of the founders of Radio One’s predecessor company in 1980. Since 1980, Ms. Hughes has worked in various capacities for Radio One including President, General Manager, General Sales Manager and talk show host. Radio One is today the seventh-largest radio broadcasting company in the United States. It owns or operates 69 radio stations targeting an African-American audience and employs about 2,400 people. She credits her success to an unwavering commitment to her business goals and to being involved in every aspect of the company.

Her advice to people thinking about starting a business is not to think that someone will work harder at your business than you do. "People who work for individuals judge their commitment to the business based on what they see as your commitment," Hughes says. "So you can't just open a business and go off and play ... and expect other people to make your business successful."

"You must be the first person to do what is necessary to make your business successful even if it takes 25 hours in a 24-hour day," she says. "You have to believe in yourself and believe that you can accomplish what you set out to do."

The broadcast version of Radio one is TvOne. The station is known for reruns of shows like New York Undercover, A different World, The Cosby Show and others. 

HUSL Today Salutes Catherine Hughes!!! 

Source: the e-journal "Entrepreneurship and Small Business"