McVay, Orchard Partner on ''Fear of Failure'' Project

RADIO ONLINE | Wednesday, November 12, 2025 | 0:01am CT

''Fear of Failure''

Radio Hall of Famer and longtime media consultant Mike McVay has joined forces with Kelly Orchard, a second-generation broadcaster turned psychotherapist, to address one of radio's most personal challenges -- fear of failure.

Their new collaboration, Flipping the Format on the Fear of Failure, combines Orchard's decades in radio and clinical psychology to create a framework for emotional intelligence and positive leadership within the industry.

"This project captured my interest because of the human need that exists," said McVay, founder of McVay Media Consulting. "People in our industry are facing more than ratings pressure; they're facing uncertainty, stress, and burnout. Kelly's approach connects those realities to real, actionable tools."

Central to the project is Orchard's W.K.R.P. Framework -- Winning Mindset, Know Thyself, Resilience/Responsibility/Respect, and Positive Psychology -- a system that blends her therapeutic expertise with lessons learned from inside radio stations.

"Radio taught me how to lead, how to fail, and how to get back up," said Orchard, M.A., LMFT. "I was raised in the business -- my father engineered the first 'Boss Radio' broadcast at KHJ in Los Angeles -- and those lessons shaped my work as a therapist. Now I get to give them back to the industry that raised me."

Orchard, who began her radio career at 16 when her family launched a station in California's High Desert, now coaches teams and executives on leadership and workplace wellness. Her earlier book, Dead Air: The Day the Music Died, released earlier this year, explores similar emotional themes through fiction.

McVay and Orchard plan to roll out companion workshops and presentations designed to help broadcasters "flip their internal format" by improving mindset, communication, and culture. Their core message: mental health and leadership health are inseparable.