Adrianne D. Jones never set out to entertain and inform listenership across the nation. But a childhood influenced by senior family members ultimately set her on a path: Informing a large swath of the aging space through her GERO-Juice Radio show, which she produces in metro Atlanta.
Jones’ gerontology degree has positioned her to understand the topics and issues that interest seniors, but it was those early and deep connections that first gave her a passion for this demographic.
‘A grandma’s girl’
“I always have to give hats off and kudos to my grandmother and her sister because I’m a grandma’s girl. That’s where this whole love for seniors comes from, No. 1,” she told the AJC.
She remembers accompanying her grandmother to her work cleaning homes and also helping her carry out a role as primary caregiver to Jones’ grandfather, who had multiple sclerosis. The commitment she saw her grandmother and great-aunt dedicate to others inspired her.
“Everything that I learned from them — from cooking to showing love and kindness to people — it all got stirred up from being around them all day, every day,” she said.
Later, in her adult life, Jones worked in the aging space with a few county-level agencies.
“I was connecting with seniors, and at the same time, it was eye-opening because I learned that not all seniors were being served properly,” she said. “They needed more help than what the county was able to offer them.”
That revelation led Jones to scout new resources for the population she was serving. In doing so, she formed new relationships and knowledge. She used that basis when she launched GERO-Juice in 2022.
A one-woman show
Credit: Courtesy of Adrianne D. Jones
Credit: Courtesy of Adrianne D. Jones
Jones releases the show weekly on Thursdays and informs her audience on everything from how to choose Medicare Advantage plans to locating caregiver resources and protecting identities. Her guests have included subject matter experts, community leaders, and seniors who have talked about how they’re serving others in their older adulthood.
She’s had to learn about the nuts and bolts of radio as she’s developed the show.
“I’m the producer. I find the music. I find the content. I find the guests if they haven’t found me, and I make everything relevant,” she said. “I’m a one-woman show.”
She’s had to answer certain questions for herself: Did she want music? Why or why not? Could she hold viewers’ attention without it? When she did decide on music, she had to make sure it brought across a certain feel from the background tracks to the transitional tunes.
“There’s a lot of different nuances that I’ve learned,” she said. “If you listen to my shows, you hear my bed music that I play and my bumper music, and they were specific to have that chill, calm, still positive, upbeat vibe where the audience can still pull from me.”
And she’s had to figure out a general structure for her episodes.
“You have to know who you’re going to speak to: That’s No. 1,” she said. “You have to know the message you’re going to deliver, and you have to be consistent in that message. My messages always start off with … positive affirmations. I end with an encouraging word that’s Bible-based. The flow has to be the same.”
Delving in
In an age of podcasts, radio might not be the most obvious platform, but it’s served Jones efficiently. In her two years on air, she’s built up a listener base that spans the country from New York to Ohio to Los Angeles. Like podcasts, radio shows depend largely on sponsorship for revenue. Unlike podcasts, however, they still use towers to broadcast live messages, but listeners can catch Jones’ shows online after they’ve aired. Each one lasts about an hour. Last year, Jones tackled arthritis, breast cancer, auto repair fraud and caregiving costs … among many other issues seniors regularly face.
She gets a lot of questions about the name of the show. The inspiration is simple: She used the root of her academic focus — gerontology, and she tacked on the modern slang term for authority.
“‘I don’t want to call it ‘Age Talk.’ That’s boring,’” she recalled. “I’m like, ‘OK: Gero, what can I say? I can say GERO-Juice … People don’t know that Gero - G-E-R-O — means aging. Juice is like the 411 of what’s happening. That’s where you’re going to get all the hottest topics on aging.”
Jones is currently delving into new topics. Listeners can visit srconsultingservices.com/gero-juice to hear her live or catch up on previous episodes.
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