Owen Lademann knew his calling was to work in radio broadcasting, but how could that be his ticket out of his hometown of less than 1,000 people?
Lademann grew up in the small town of Mounds, Oklahoma, where it was less than 3 square miles and the best and worst thing about living there was that you knew everybody.
In his small high school, he said there was no such thing as a guidance counselor.
“No one told me my options, or what I was capable of doing after high school,” he said. “I just knew that when I graduated, I needed to get out of there.”
When the time came for him to graduate, he decided his best way out of Mounds was to join the military.
With there being two Air Force bases in Oklahoma at the time, Lademann figured he’d be based in Oklahoma close to family and friends.
“But instead I was stationed in Alaska,” he laughed. “It was the one place I didn’t want to go but it ended up being the best thing that ever happened to me.”
Throughout Lademann’s 11 years, 9 months and 23 days in the Air Force, where he served as an electrical and environmental systems craftsman, he took many different college classes and obtained an Associate of Science degree.
By June 2012, Lademann was 30 years old and decided it was time for him to leave the life he had grown so accustomed to.
“In 2012, the military was downsizing after the surge of people that had joined, and being 30 years old, I thought ‘if I’m gonna make a career change, now’s the time to do it.’”
There was no easy part about leaving the military. It was a huge life-changing decision for Lademann.
“Leaving my people was the hardest part,” he said as he began to get emotional. “I keep up with some of them on social media and see one friend in Florida every once in awhile where my family vacations.”
Lademann knew he was done with the military, though.
“It wasn’t worth it for me to mentally or physically to carry on in the military,” he said.
The uncertainty of leaving the life he had known for almost 12 years still brought forth angst and questions.
Lademann always dreamed of working in radio, ever since he was in second grade, but had no idea how to get there.
“There was no fathoming that those people were normal people with a normal job,” he said. “I wanted to become one of them, though.”
After moving to Cleveland in 2012, he had been looking into attending a four-year college until one day he was listening to the radio when a commercial for the Ohio Center for Broadcasting in Cincinnati came on.
“The school guaranteed internships in the area of radio and television broadcasting and I figured at 30 years old, that’s gotta be my fast track to get into the world of radio.”
Lademann ended up going to the broadcasting school and landed an internship in Cleveland at 92.3 The Fan, a sports radio station.
“From there, I met some people and ended up being hired part-time then full-time with Audacy at 92.3 The Fan and have been there since 2013,” he said.
Being in the military taught Lademann a lot of important life skills that have helped him in his career working on-air and as a producer for the radio station.
“The tools I learned, such as accountability and service before self, are what keeps me employed today,” he said. “Those core values I learned in the Air Force don’t change once you get out of the military.”
Although the military was and is a big part of who Lademann is today, he doesn’t want to be a veteran to solely define him.
“When Military Appreciation Month or Veterans Day roll around, I don’t make a big to-do about it,” he said. “It’s a part of my character and we talk about it some on our radio show, but it’s not all that I am.”
Lademann is a veteran, but he is also a successful producer, friend, co-worker, and most importantly, a great dad to six children.
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