Turning the Dial on Life: Chris Mahi’s Journey of Resilience and Radio Revolution

Chris Mahi’s life is a medley of hard work, perseverance and the generosity of those who have given him a second chance. Now, surrounded by young students, he is determined to breathe new life into East Tennessee State University’s radio station and offer support to anyone in need.

Mahi, 36, grew up in urban Southern California. In 2018, he and his wife, Heather Holstein-Mahi, moved with their children to Bristol, Tennessee, seeking to be closer to family and educational opportunities. While his wife pursued a degree in Accounting at ETSU, Mahi, inspired by helping with her schoolwork, decided to follow in her academic footsteps. “I thought, why not go to school myself?” he said. 

Mahi's academic journey resumed at Northeast State Community College where he was a pre-nursing student. However, upon entering the nursing program at ETSU, he had to change course due to issues from his background check related to past incidents. As a result, he shifted his focus and began majoring in media and communication, concentrating on radio, television and film while pursuing a minor in journalism. 

Chris Mahi discussing radio beds with fellow graduate assistant, Cody Powers.

“I was like, if I can’t do something I want to do that pays well, I’m going to go into something I’m passionate about which has always been writing,” said Mahi. 

In 2023, Mahi completed a bachelor’s degree in media and communication. Now, he is expanding his professional education by earning a master’s in brand and media strategy and a certificate in film at ETSU. 

Mahi’s experience at ETSU has allowed him to break into the radio scene, something he has always aspired to do.  

“When I was a kid, I always wanted to be on the radio,” said Mahi. “This thing that I never thought I’d get to do suddenly, I took this winding path and ended up in this place, that was something I always dreamed of.” 

A Little Bit of Grace 

Music has always been a big part of Mahi’s life; he shared that bands like Sublime helped shape his worldview growing up. Early in his life, he navigated through his parents’ divorce and his mother’s death. At 13 years old, Mahi went to juvenile hall for the first time, beginning 13 years of being in and out of the system. “From 13 to 26, a lot of ups and downs and a lot of mistakes,” said Mahi.  

The support of his wife, grandmother and people along the way helped him overcome his challenges. Numerous people helped him in that 13-year period, such as staff members at juvenile hall or police officers who gave him a break. 

“There was always someone I was running into that just showed me a little bit of grace,” said Mahi.  

He does not look back on that period of his life with regret since he was able to get out and build a life for himself, something that many people in his life have not been able to do.

Powers and Mahi’s decorations in their shared office.

“I couldn’t even count how many funerals I’ve been to,” said Mahi. “I was one of the lucky ones that stayed alive long enough.”  

Now, a driving force in Mahi’s life is making amends for those who he has lost, hurt or have been helped by.

“I can’t directly make amends to that person that I hurt 15 years ago, right?” he said. “But in my actions every single day, I can treat someone the right way or take an extra step.” 

Dialing In 

He began as a disc jockey for The Edge, the ETSU campus radio station, attending a few two-hour shifts per week. He would fill the space between songs with quips about his favorite NFL team: the Las Vegas Raiders. Candy Bryant, adviser for The Edge, noticed Mahi’s passion for radio and offered him a graduate assistant role for The Edge and recommended him for a job with Bristol Broadcasting Company – a radio station chain operating 29 stations in the South.  

“My actual job and my school job – it lined up perfectly, and I've gotten things out of each one that has helped me with the other,” he said. 

For Bristol Broadcasting, Mahi wears many different hats aside from the Raiders hat that always adorns his head. The primary stations he is involved in are WXQB-FM, WAEZ-FM and WFHG-FM. 

For WXQB-FM, Mahi works with the promotions team, operates the board on weekends to ensure the quality of the broadcast and does occasional event photography. He also works on promotions for WAEZ-FM and produces the outdoor show for WFGH-FM. 

Mahi faces his variety of roles head-on, knowing his work is beneficial and that it sets him up for success in a wide variety of professional endeavors.

“You don’t want to be the person that does one thing,” Mahi said. 

The Power of Support 

With a family, school and a job, Mahi has a packed schedule. His weeks include going to class, assisting with The Edge and working on projects. On the weekends, he works late night and early morning shifts with Bristol Broadcasting. Any free time he has is spent with his three children: Bella, 10, Daniel, 7, and Brooklyn, 2.  

“My dad wasn’t around a whole lot,” said Mahi. “I want them to know I’m there for everything.” 

He credits his father for having a substantial influence on his life.

“For better or worse,” said Mahi, “For all of his flaws and my flaws, we both work hard, and he takes pride in everything he does.”  

Another influence on Mahi is his stepfather who taught him to know his value, a sentiment he said he is passing on to his younger students through “dad talks.” 

“Your time has value. What you bring to the table, your skills have value,” said Mahi. “Don’t sell yourself short."

Mahi jokes about the generation gap between him and his fellow students but he enjoys being there for those who need it. He shared that his past struggles with substance abuse have deeply influenced his desire to always be there for others. 

“When I finally got out of that, it was because people had entered my life who gave me that little bit of support I needed,” said Mahi. “It’s very important to me because of my background to be available as support.” 

Elevating The Edge 

One of the most important relationships in Mahi’s life is with Cody Powers, a fellow graduate assistant at The Edge. Together, they manage the station, handling tasks such as scheduling DJs, programming shows and creating marketing promotions. This semester, they plan to revise The Edge.  

Mahi and Powers pose by a wall in the station

The main goals are to make The Edge more relevant on campus and build an audience base. To do so, Mahi will emphasize promotions that make students aware of the station and improve listening accessibility. 

Currently, The Edge is exclusively accessed through TuneIn Radio, a free platform for streaming live radio broadcasts. Mahi plans to develop a website for The Edge to make streaming easier for students.  

Mahi envisions expanding The Edge’s presence on campus by playing the station in more locations beyond the Student Media Center in the ETSU D.P. Culp Student Center. “Why aren’t we being played in the cafeteria, in Pepper’s or in the bookstore, like anywhere on campus that they’re playing music out of a speaker?” said Mahi. “I feel like we should be being played, right? These are students here working as DJs and students running it.” 

Promotions like giveaways and Instagram "man-on-the-street" style videos are key strategies Mahi is using to engage with students directly. These giveaways and videos are actively promoted through The Edge’s Instagram account.

“I really want people to know that we exist,” said Mahi. “If we had 50 daily listeners, that would be amazing,” 

An overarching goal of Mahi’s is for administrators to recognize The Edge’s place on campus and grant more funding.

“I can take that to the powers that be and ask for funding to help grow The Edge,” said Mahi. “I would like to be able to show the administration that, hey, we're worth investing more in outside of just building the studio.” 

Mahi hopes The Edge will become significant in campus life, inspiring others to discover a passion for radio. He aims to share his love for the medium with the next generation and help revive its popularity.

“I would like to be known as the person who figured out how to make radio relevant again for young audiences,” Mahi said.  

More information about The Edge can be found on their Instagram account, @etsu_edge or at the Student Media Center on the second floor of the ETSU D.P. Culp Student Center. To listen live, click here.