Kathie J Brings Life to Denver Mornings with Her New TV Show

PHOTOGRAPHED BY ESTHER LEE LEACH

WRITTEN BY ANNIE BLOJ // CULTURE & STYLE EDITOR

If you feel like you know Kathie J from watching her TV shows, listening to her on the radio and downloading her podcasts, you aren’t alone. In fact, you do know her. From the minute she burst into the studio during the photoshoot for this feature, she was exactly what you hoped for. Charming, open, warm and unapologetically herself; she owns the room. In a time where people in the public eye self-edit themselves to the point of being indistinguishable, Kathie J is a breath of fresh air. Which is why, after launching her history-making TV show this summer, The Kathie J Show, we were so excited to speak with her about her journey and what this opportunity means to her both professionally and personally.

Annie Bloj: Kathie J, for over twenty years you have brought joy and entertainment to Coloradoan’s lives each day! How did you get started in broadcasting, and what were your goals?

Kathie J: Thank you very much for this opportunity. Yes! It’s wild for me to think that this past August would have been the 20th Anniversary of Larry, Kendall, and Kathie J had we stayed together. We certainly had a great time waking Denver up every day over the years. I have always known that I wanted to work in Journalism or Broadcasting in some form. I knew I wanted to be on tv but I loved the power and magic of radio in particular. So in college, I learned everything that I could about television and radio. I worked at the college radio station and had a show on Saturday mornings. After that, I started a radio internship in Denver and from there I did every job I could to get my foot in the door and succeed. My goal was to be on a Morning Show and have fun. I auditioned 3 times over 4 years before I finally got the coveted spot.

AB: You’ve been open about taking a few steps back from your incredibly busy career to re-focus on your priorities. Can you share with us what brought you to that decision?

KJ: This is a tough one. Yes, a few years ago I had a successful morning radio show, a lifestyle tv show, and two young daughters. For almost five years I was going and going from 3 am to 10 pm every day. It wasn’t healthy. My body gave me warning signs to slow down; I fainted a couple of times and broke my foot another time. I was literally falling apart but I couldn’t slow down. One day the Universe smacked me upside the head and everything came to a dangerous stop. I ended up in the hospital and I had to make some serious changes to save my life. It wasn’t just the long work hours and stress that I needed to control, it was everything from my sleep schedule to eliminating toxic co-workers, friends, and family members that were draining me.  

AB: This past summer, you made Denver history by launching the first independently female-hosted talk show, the Kathie J show. How has it felt to see this come together?

KJ: It’s been amazing! I have dreamed of having my own show since I was a teenager. I feel that every moment over the past 20 years has been in preparation for “The Kathie J Show.” All of the hard work, long hours, and learning curves of my career have led me to this moment. When Producers Mary and Colleen and I were shopping this show….we heard a lot of “No’s” but we were confident that every “No” was only getting us closer to a “Yes” and here we are! It feels incredible for all of us involved. I also know that the secret to any successful person is the team around them so I recruited the best to help me with my plan of world domination! I am very grateful to my sponsors who saw my vision of a community-driven show as well as LOCAL 3 and The Denver Channel (Ch.7) for taking a chance on local programming and my show. It’s the beginning of big things to come!

AB: How did you go about choosing the format of the program? What do you want to highlight with this new show?

KJ: Believe it or not, I am still working on the format of the show. I always knew that I wanted a show that talked directly to the viewer about our lives. I feel like there are enough talking heads out there giving you their opinion about celebrities, sports, and viral videos. I wanted to go back to the basics with my show. I want to be able to reach into your world and help you as a friend. It was also important to me to have more time to interview my guests so that I can dig deep into real conversations. I feel like somewhere along the way...we forgot how to respect ourselves and each other. So, every show I have topics, experts, and guests on to share their experience in this struggle called, “life.” The good, the bad, and the ugly. On the radio, I hosted a weekly PSA Show where I met a lot of incredible people with stories that needed to be shared. To me, that is life. That is my strength and that is what my show is an extension of- You and Me. I plan to let the format evolve as the show continues to find its voice.

AB: I've always loved seeing you on TV or hearing you on the radio; it always feels like hanging out with a good friend. What gives you the confidence to be so unabashedly yourself in front of an audience?

KJ: Haha! Years of embracing embarrassment! Humility is my middle name. I am myself because I am horrible at being anyone else. It definitely comes from my radio career. On a morning show, jocks have to share their life and listeners can hear it if you are lying. Genuineness is the only way to go...that way you don’t get caught in a lie and you don’t worry about keeping up with anyone else but yourself. I have learned to accept myself through being on the radio. The more I lean into my honesty...the more of an audience I have. I also have to give credit to my co-hosts over the years; Larry Ulibarri, Kendall B, and Chris Parente for allowing me the space to stretch my talents and grow in front of a live audience. Sometimes you crash and burn and sometimes you rise...and you learn from all of it. I would also like to add that when people tell me that they feel like they know me...I love it and I always respond by telling them, “you DO know me. What you see is what you get. We are friends and we obviously share the same sense of humor.”

AB: What advice would you give to someone starting out that is looking to emulate your creativity and longevity in media?

KJ: Perseverance. You have to have tough skin if you want to work in the media. Twofold if you are a woman. If someone doesn’t see your talent, keep moving until you find someone who does and never stop working hard. If you know in your heart you are meant to do something then don’t let anyone tell you "No". The industry is so different from what it was even five years ago. So, I would say...be yourself...you have your own talents that you were given. Play to your strengths and remember you have value. Run your race...if you were meant to run my race... you would have... so run your own race. This business is a revolving door so try not to burn any bridges; trust your intuition with your choices.

AB: Kathie, thank you so much for being so open with us and you audience. I know both Esther and I felt apart of the Kathie J show family as soon as we were able to meet you and your team. Your passion for life and incredible spirit is infectious and just the thing we all needed in our mornings.

The Kathie J Show airs LIVE 9am weekday mornings on LOCAL3 and go to kathiejshow.com.