Meet Ken Carr | Radio personality for The Drive Tucson and Producer of Whats Up Tucson

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ken Carr and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ken, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I run a social media business (primarily focused on Twitter) that tweets local information, news in tweet sized bites, and emergency incidents (crime / traffic / fire / emergency calls) all in real time. When I was a child, I was fascinated by sirens and emergency vehicles while growing up in Kearney, Nebraska. When I was deciding what to focus on with Whats Up Tucson in it’s early days in 2009, I asked myself the question: “What kind of Twitter account would I follow if I could follow the perfect one for me?” That was the beginning of Whats Up Tucson. It’s niche is Tucson. Turning it into a business came years later when it reached a size where it needed more and more attention (I’ve worked on it every day / all day for 13 years) and the hours needed required monetizing it. That is the beginning of the business part of this and it’s been slow and steady growth financially but it turns a profit and has been called by followers “the service I didn’t know I needed”. There’s been no slowing down in the 13 years that Whats Up Tucson has existed.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’ve been a radio personality (dj) since 1987 with a 7 year run in the middle as a television producer. Plus, 17 years managing my own social media brands. There’s really a couple of things that set me apart from other people and the biggest one is work ethic. I’ve been employed since I was 12 years old and in media since I was 21 (I’m 55 now) and I rarely take a day off. I work on my social media business 365 days a year and at my current radio station, I’ve never taken a vacation day. I work harder than anyone I know, I’m proud of it, and the work ethic helps to make up for what talents I do not have. I also believe in myself. I’m not perfect but I do not give up. I’m grateful for the opportunity I get to work on and to build a personal and business brand.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
This is a difficult question for me to answer because I spend most of my time working. I have lived in Tucson for 21 years and I have not taken the time to experience a lot of what this city has to offer. This area is well known for fantastic weather and outdoor activities and I would probably try to find something nice to do that would be outdoor related if I had visitors.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My shout out is to the people who live in and love Tucson, Arizona. My career in radio and tv and my social media efforts would not be possible without the support of what is now an audience of over 100,000 Tucsonans and growing. Thank you Tucson for making one man’s dreams of being useful to the community that he lives in.

Website: https://whatsuptucsonaz.com

Instagram: whatsuptucson

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ikencarr/

Twitter: twitter.com/whatsuptucson

Facebook: facebook.com/whatsuptucson