In 1981, at the age of 20, she moved on to a higher profile commercial station, working an Oldies format at WKQE-AM.  Within a year of being at this AM/FM combo, she was promoted to Program Director.

When Marty was 22 years old, she moved back to Alabama from Seminole Country, where she went to work for the first incarnation of the now-famous WZEW-FM, then called 92-Zoo.  Marty enjoyed an impressive view of the city from the top of what was then the Merchants Bank building, a West Mobile "skyscraper" at I-65 and Airport Boulevard.  Marty went by the name of “Kara” as her on-air moniker.

When rumors circulated that The Zoo was considering a format change, Marty was offered the opportunity to work for the WKRG conglomerate, working on-air for both AM and FM stations.  She shared news duties on Radio 710-AM with the likes of Mike Malone and John Nodar (in his pre-TV5 days), while also pulling shifts on G100 with legends Jim Mahaney, Dick Hylton, Charlie Ocean, Scott O’Brien and Amy Bishop.

In late 1984, Marty returned to WZEW as an on-air personality and Production Director, now going by 92-ZEW with a new format of AOR (album-oriented rock), under Catt Sirten as Program Director.  Marty was on-air in various shifts, mostly nights and as an occasional fill-in for Linda Woodworth on middays.  She also sat in on the original "Sunday Jazz Brunch" with Catt Sirten, as did her co-worker "Uncle Tim" (Hallmark).  Eventually, the show was rebranded as "Catt’s Sunday Jazz Brunch."

In 1985, Marty moved to Birmingham, Alabama for a year.  She worked weekends for a brief stint for WMJJ/Magic 96, while working weekdays in the banking industry, and freelance writing for local publications.

She returned to Mobile in late 1986 to do evenings on WKRG-FM, which had switched its name to 99.9FM.  It was here that she first came to be known to radio audiences as "Marty Martin," so dubbed by then-PD, Uncle Dickie (Hylton).  

In 1987, at the age of 26, she was promoted to Music Director and Midday On-Air Personality.

Marty could often be seen around town, driving the station vans to remotes and other events.

Just before Christmas in 1989, one day during her lunch request program on 99.9 FM, a man called the on-air studio line.  He was passing through Mobile on his way to Fort Walton Beach and had heard her on the air.  

The man was J.J. Duling, and he was going to start up a new “Hot CHR” (Contemporary Hit Radio) format for a brand new station that had not even launched yet.  Duling said he liked her voice, and once he learned of her experience, he offered her a job at the new station in Fort Walton Beach, Florida.

She accepted, and got to witness the building of the radio signal tower for WWSF-FM/98 Surf.

Duling brought Marty on-board the Morning Show team with Tim Kincaid.  The debut ratings went through the roof and 98-Surf was a success in its first year.  She also served as News Director and Promotions Director for the Surf.