ABOUT KELLY ORCHARD
Kelly Orchard grew up with radio in her veins and storytelling in her soul. Influenced by the golden age of Boss Radio in Los Angeles, she began her own broadcasting career at just sixteen when her father launched their first of five radio stations. Together, they built, owned, and operated several stations throughout California—including KLLY FM 95.3 (“Kelly 95”) in Bakersfield, a station named in her honor.
Over the decades, Kelly’s career evolved from behind the microphone to behind the scenes, co-founding an FCC compliance consulting firm with her father. Together, they visited thousands of broadcast facilities nationwide, helping stations stay on the air and thrive under ever-changing regulations.
Her debut novel, Dead Air: The Day the Music Died, is a thrilling love letter to radio—born from her real-life experiences traveling to transmitter sites and studios across the country. Written in memory of her late father, the book honors both a family legacy and an industry in transition.
Kelly is also the author of five non-fiction books that speak to the heart and the human condition:
- Heart Lessons, a prescriptive memoir chronicling her journey of overcoming heart failure and reclaiming her purpose.
- The Kelly Orchard’s Apple A Day series — Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter — offering daily inspiration for every season of life.
- Flipping the Format on the Fear of Failure, a motivational guide for radio professionals seeking to transform anxiety into confidence, chaos into creativity, and fear into fuel.
In addition to being a lifelong broadcaster, Kelly is a licensed psychotherapist who blends her love of media with her passion for mental health, positive psychology, and leadership.
Her writing and workshops continue to inspire professionals across industries to cultivate resilience, optimism, and authenticity—on the air and in everyday life.
When she’s not writing, Kelly travels the country full-time in her RV with her golden retriever, Kismet, producing her Radio Is Not Dead podcast and documenting her adventures on YouTube and Substack.