Posts in arts
Kae Burke: Co-Founder of House Of Yes on building inclusive culture.

How's the House Of Yes is intrinsically inclusive, because our creative culture has been inclusive art and collaboration has been inclusive. That was a part of our we were inclusive before it was intentional before it was a cultural buzzword. And it's actually been a very interesting cultural challenge to maintain the inclusivity while protecting and curating the vibe. There have been times when we've experienced like, wow, there's way too many bros way too many type, a type of person that isn't really tuned in or aligned with some of our values or some of our ways that we dictate that a good time is what we set out to be and so we've had to adjust one point we end up doing costumes mandatory. It's not mandatory any longer. But for while we're like, oh, if we want our parties to be the vibe that we are putting out there that are our highest self, this template expression that we set out to be, then our favorite parties are the ones where everybody's wearing costumes. So they know who hates wearing costumes is angry, insecure, homophobic, transphobic, there's something about wearing costumes that feels like too feminine for certain kind of person, especially especially a male identified person. So that became a good idea for a little bit. And then eventually, that became too exclusive because it wasn't accessible, like wearing a costume to a party is sometimes not accessible to certain people. And it actually wasn't being as inclusive as we intended. So it has been, I would say, it's been an experiment. And it's the journey that we are still on the path of just getting walking the line between inclusivity and creative curation of the audience.

Read More
Ben Curtis: On being a Creation Coach, the Dell Dude, and going after your dreams with abandon.

Ben Curtis is a magician, award-winning actor, musician, and public speaker. He is also a Creation Coach dedicated to creating more love, compassion, and permission to go after your dreams with abandon.

You also probably recognize Ben as the iconic "The Dell Dude” from the Dell commercials in the early 2000s. Dell recently brought him back to kick off a new campaign. I can’t help but feel like somehow this is the circle of life. It truly is magical.

Ben and I have been meaning to record this podcast for quite some time since we are neighbors in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. What most people don’t know about “The Dell Dude” is that Ben is a really talented actor. Having studied at the best institutions. He attended New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts on an acting scholarship based on his audition. He studied at Tisch's Experimental Theater Wing (both in America and Amsterdam). Ben also attended the Lee Strasberg Institute & the Atlantic Theater Company.

This podcast was really inspiring and happened right when his Dell spots went live. It was inspiring to speak about dreams past and present. Dream on and share this episode with someone who would appreciate it.

Read More
Pebe Sebert: Singer and Songwriter on music, aliens, and her dog rescue Magic Mission.

Pebe Sebert is a singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist who is also known for being Kesha’s mom. She started singing at the age of four and performing publicly at six. Pebe has written for Kesha, Miranda Cosgrove, Miley Cyrus, Pitbull, Riders in the Sky, and many more. Sebert co-wrote one of my favorite songs “Old Flames Can’t Hold A Candle To You Dear” with High Moffatt. It's been performed by Dolly Parton, Kesha, Joe Sun, and Brian Collins.

This is a really fun podcast. Pebe talks about music, aliens, Eckhart Tolle, and her love of animals. Recently Pebe launched Magic Mission dedicated to improving the lives of street dogs in Central America. Their goal is to help spread a culture of animal kindness. Eliminating suffering and overpopulation through the support of community education and sustainable, safe spay and neuter programs. The non-profit also helps the dogs get adopted in the US.

Read More
Coby Kennedy: Multimedia artist.

Coby Kennedy is an industrial designer who turned his attention to the Fine Arts. A true multimedia artist, his work spans video, fabrics, art, murals, and sculpture. On the podcast, Coby talks about the business of art, how fast trends play out in modern media, his creative process, taking control of your destiny vs letting destiny control you, and so much more. This is an extended episode that’s almost two hours long.

Growing up in DC, Coby graduated from the Duke Ellington School of the Arts and went on to receive his BA in Industrial Design from Pratt Institute. He received his MFA from Colombia and became a Skowhegan Fellow in 2011.

Before turning his attention to the Fine Arts, Coby designed concept cars for Honda, Citroen, and Alfa Romeo. We didn’t talk about this on the show. Will delve into it when he’s a guest again on the show in the future.

Coby’s work is exhibited both nationally and internationally. You can find it in galleries and private collections and has received numerous awards.

Read More
Meg Anderson: Comedian, Writer, Improver.

Meg Anderson is a comedian/writer/improver living in nyc. She studied improv at The People’s Improv Theatre and the Upright Citizens Brigade. She is the fourth woman to ever team improv at The Pit and was one of the founding members of The Baldwin’s, the theatres headlining house team.

Meg has performed nearly 1,000 improv shows (of varying funniness) and has appeared in numerous commercials, web series, indie films and television shows. She creates comedic content daily posted to her Instagram and is starring in a (homemade) sitcom with her husband Happy Anderson about their life during Quarantine. She wrote and starred in the web series, "SCOTUS and the City" where she portrays Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg hitting the dating scene with her fellow female Justices.

Read More
Chaske Spencer: Actor and Producer.

On the podcast, we chat about dreams, acting, and keeping your imagination open. We're both really into music and this episode ended up being a dialogue about music and acting. Chaske shares an intimate look into his acting process. Chaske also emphasized the roles perseverance, empathy, and discipline play in his daily life. We wrap the show by talking about confidence and finding your inner Tom Cruise.

Read More
Kevin Arbouet: Director, Writer, Producer.

Kevin started his career as a stunt man and martial arts choreographer. He is a Director, Writer, Producer and the Former Vice President of Lee Daniel’s Entertainment. Kevin’s is focused on expanding the idea of what diversity in filmmaking means. In his own words “It's important to me that the movie industry offers audiences a wide range of diverse voices telling stories.” Our conversation explores who gets to tell stories in the movie industry and the importance of representation in the writers room.

Read More
K.M. Rice: Author, Screenwriter, Happy Hobbit.

K.M. Rice is a national, award-winning Screenwriter and Author. She’s worked for both Magic Leap and Weta Workshop. Weta create special effects for tv and film and are known for their work on The Lord of the Rings. On the episode, Kellie discusses the difference between Writers and Storytellers and shares her advice for overcoming writer's blocks. We talk about Creativity and how as adults we need to give ourselves the freedom to play. And play we did. On the show our conversation jumps around between Crowdfunding, Female Heroes, and Creative Manias.

Read More
Alica Forneret: Founder of The Dead Moms Club.

Alicia Forneret is a professional dedicated to creating new spaces for people to explore grief and grieving. We recorded this episode in the fall, in the beginning of the holiday season. A difficult time for someone who is missing their loved one. Alicia speaks about greed and gives advice on end-of-life experiences. Through Alicia I found out that ashes contain sharp shards. Something I didn’t know before. We also talk about the way we handle grief in the workplace. Her Dead Moms Club lapel pins help people commemorate, commiserate, and celebrate their dead moms. The pins are for everyone. A friend, a family member, and maybe even your own mother.

Read More
Rebecca Crews: Singer, Songwriter, Actress, Mother, Wife, Mogul.

A lifelong musician, Rebecca wrote her first song at the age of six. In College she studied Musical Theatre and went on to perform in various productions before starting a gospel group and becoming the music director at her Church. On the show we talk about her new song Destiny and how the term relates to our own individual journey. Rebecca shares her experiences on motherhood, love, faith, being a partner to Terry Crews, and composing music. She even spoke about Drake and the Grammys and we discuss the true meaning of success. Rebecca is also a Minister and this podcast was super inspiring.

Read More
Gregory Stevens: Organizer, Former Baptist Pastor, GXDDESS.

Gregory Stevens moved to Palo Alto since he wanted to live and work in a Progressive town. This episode talks about a lot of very serious issues but it’s highly palatable (and delicious.)  Gregory is a bright and witty human who seems to never run out of energy. He became a Pastor at the First Baptist Church of Palo Alto — a Progressive Church. There he proceeded to question what Progress was and who gets to benefit from it. In a town filled with millionaires and billionaires, Gregory brought attention to the poor communities that are being displaced by gentrification, as well as Police Brutality. We talk about how we have to bring attention to dominant systems of power that are destroying our planet. Stevens says "Scream like hell when you see injustice. But don’t just scream — create. Your scream has to be a “doing". Create a space in which the world that you want is real. Do something that is not dominated by money. In the shell of this scary and dark world, we are creating a beautiful, bright, vibrant alternative. A heaven on earth.”  

Read More
Masha Drokova: Founder and General Partner at Day One Ventures.

On the show Masha talks about high risks, investing, and PR. This podcast is about storytelling. We talk about the power of the story when it comes to companies. Our conversation also covers tech and education. Masha discussed LVL5's tech for self driving cars and how the Piper Computer kit is great for helping kids learn programming. Masha also talks about offering value when it comes to fundraising. We spoke about how to make technology safe and how it helps us live as global citizens and stay in touch. On the show Masha shares details about how her company, Day One Ventures was inspired by Jeff Bezos and his approach to work. Our favorite topics of manifesting, love, dreams, and the purity of your intentions were an inspiring way to close the show.

Read More
Rafael Espinal: New York City Councilman from Brooklyn. Fighter for socioeconomic & climate issues.

Rafael is a Brooklynite who works really hard to make the borough a great place to live, work, and grow for all. If you’ve recently been dancing in an NYC bar, it’s all thanks to Rafael’s work. He is responsible for writing a bill repealing the notorious NYC Cabaret Law from 1926 that prohibited dancing in bars. We caught up to talk about his recent bill to ban plastic straws in NYC. On the show Espinal talks plastic pollution and how it affects our waterways, the environment, nutrition in Brooklyn's food deserts, high Asthma rates in many Brooklyn neighborhoods that correlate with high vehicle traffic areas, the L Train Shutdown and how it relates to climate change, and also a new bill that he's working on that gives New Yorkers the right to disconnect after work.

Read More
Daniele Bolelli: Author, Martial Artist, Host of the History on Fire Podcast.

Daniele is an author, college professor, historian, martial artist, and host of the “History on Fire” podcast. As a huge history fan, I love Daniele’s show since it’s mostly about heroes, warriors, and leadership. Our conversation is focused on how we can become the best versions of ourselves. We talk about how to live a heroic life, bravery, wisdom, passion, discuss larger than life characters (like Crazy Horse, Jack Johnson, and the Pirate Queen) and more. This podcast is about overcoming adversity. As a historian we also touched upon how women have been left out of the pages of history books. In the words of Crazy Horse "Hokahey." Enjoy the podcast.

Read More
Catherine Popper: American bassist, singer and songwriter.

Catherine Popper is an American bass guitarist, singer and songwriter. She is best known for her work with Ryan Adams & the Cardinals, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Jack White (White Stripes), and Billie Joel Armstrong (Green Day). Popper is a member of an all-female trio called Puss n Boots (an alt country band) with Norah Jones and Sasha Dobson.

On the show we talk about how to make it as a (female) musician, how being musically diverse can inspire you, mosh pits, realities of tour life, the institutional bias that musicians face, advice for keeping bands and startups together by creating harmony, and our shared love of Sting.

Read More