Moms to Know, Meredith Andrade

Moms to Know: Meredith Andrade, Radio, TV and Podcast Host

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Meet Meredith Andrade, Morning Co-host, Wild 94.1 FM | Midday host, Q105 FM | Host, Headlines and High Heels with Meredith podcast, RHStv | Afternoon host, 99.5 WQYK

Popular radio personality Meredith Andrade hosts not one, but four shows, all while raising two young daughters. Not surprising for someone who’s been ambitious since the age of 12.

“I launched my own pet-sitting business in St. Augustine and eventually made thousands of dollars, which I saved toward buying my first car,” she remembers. “From bagging groceries at Winn-Dixie to working at Regal Cinemas, I was always working toward something.”

A college internship at a Jacksonville radio station started Andrade on the path that would eventually lead her to Tampa and a six-year stint with The MJ Morning Show. She briefly forayed into sports reporting — interviewing Tampa Bay Buccaneers players in the locker room — but ultimately returned to where her heart belongs, the entertainment space.

TBPM: What has your career evolution taught you about yourself?

Meredith Andrade: Looking back, the common thread has always been ambition and reinvention. I’ve worked in different formats, taken risks, lost jobs I loved and found opportunities I never expected. Now, as a mom, I hope my daughters see that you don’t have to limit yourself to one dream or one version of who you’re supposed to be. I’m still figuring out what my next chapter looks like … and that’s one of the most exciting parts.

TBPM: Did your career aspirations or approach to working change when you became a mom?

Meredith Andrade: Becoming a mom never made me less ambitious. In many ways, it made me want even more out of my career and my life. Once both of my girls were out of diapers, I felt ready to really push myself professionally again. Of course, the work-life balance is always a juggling act. Between careers, school schedules, activities and everything else that comes with raising a family, some days definitely feel like a circus! But no matter how busy life gets, I never want my daughters to question where they fall on my priority list. They are, without a doubt, the most important part of my life.

My career is incredibly important to me, but I’ve intentionally made changes as my girls have grown. I’m home more, I’m not spending my nights working late in like I once did, and I try to protect our weekends so we can actually be a family together. I still have big dreams for my career, but now success looks a little different. It’s not just about what I accomplish professionally; it’s about building a career I’m proud of while still being present for my daughters and my wonderful husband. For me, having both is the dream.

TBPM: Is it challenging to be a mom in the public eye?

Meredith Andrade: Being a mom in the public eye can definitely be interesting, but thankfully, I don’t embarrass easily! I’ve always believed that if something is funny, relatable and not going to hurt or truly embarrass my family, it’s fair game. Authenticity is incredibly important to me, and motherhood gives me an endless supply of material.

Of course, there’s still a line. My family and friends deserve privacy, and truly sensitive moments stay within our family. But beyond that, I want my audience to get the real me, the working mom who loves her girls, her husband, laughs at the chaos and knows that sometimes the funniest stories are the ones happening right inside your own home.

TBPM: What’s your advice for other working moms?

Meredith Andrade: My biggest advice to other working moms is to give yourself some grace, and then give yourself a little more. You are never going to answer every email, make every school event, have a perfectly clean house, cook a homemade dinner every night, remember it’s Crazy Sock Day, and still somehow get eight hours of sleep. Something is going to fall through the cracks, and sometimes that something is going to be you!

Most importantly, be present where your feet are. When I’m working, I try to give my work everything I have. When I’m with my girls, I want them to feel like they have me. Will I always get that right? Absolutely not. Am I perfect? No. But I’ve realized my daughters don’t need a perfect mom. They need a happy, present mom who loves them like crazy. And on the days when everything completely falls apart? Order the pizza, ignore the laundry and try again tomorrow. That counts as balance too.

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Originally published in the November 2026 issue of Tampa Bay Parenting Magazine.