What if the genre you dismissed as too dark was actually the most honest thing you could read? Lee Murray has spent twenty years writing horror from the edge of the world. She’s won five Bram Stoker Awards, a New Zealand Prime Minister Award for Literary Achievement, and a medal from the King. And she’ll be the first to tell you she’s barely making grocery money. That gap between recognition and reward is just one of the things Lee is refreshingly honest about in this conversation. She also talk...
Apr 22, 2026•1 hr 18 min
How does a daughter’s simple wish become a full creative enterprise? Osayi Lasisi didn’t set out to launch a product line. She set out to find a brown plush doll for her daughter. When that search came up empty, her daughter didn’t just get disappointed and move on. She said, let’s make them ourselves. And that’s where everything started. In this conversation, Osayi shares how Pocketlings was born, what it’s like to co-build a business with a 10-year-old, and the lessons that have emerged from j...
Apr 08, 2026•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 30
What if understanding money was the thing that finally set your creative work free? That’s the quiet truth running through my conversation with Hannah Cole . She’s a tax educator, an artist with over 20 years of experience, and the founder of Sunlight Tax. We talk about why there’s no standard path for creatives, how the story you tell about your worth shapes everything, and why financial literacy might be the most underrated superpower in your business toolkit. Highlights There is no standard p...
Mar 18, 2026•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 29
What if the stories you grew up with weren’t just entertainment… but training? Dr. Bailey Lang didn’t become a book coach and editor by accident. Her path moves from hyperlexic child… to marketing professional… to PhD… to founder of The Writing Desk . And when you zoom out, none of it is random. Every season sharpened how she sees story, structure, mindset, and the humans behind the pages. In this conversation, Bailey and I talk about creative writing beyond fiction, the realities of academia, t...
Mar 04, 2026•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 28
What if the book you want to write isn’t waiting for the “perfect time” but for a version of you who’s willing to start messy? Jennifer Locke helps people turn ideas into books. Not someday books. Real books that get written in the middle of family life, busy schedules, self-doubt, and the very normal fear of being seen. In this conversation, Jennifer shares what it really looks like to follow through on a writing life, how nonfiction and fiction require completely different muscles, why marketi...
Feb 18, 2026•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 27
What if the thing you thought was pulling you away from writing was actually preparing you for it? Andy Hodges didn’t set out to follow a single creative lane. His path winds through anthropology, academia, fiction editing, and now novel writing, all held together by curiosity and a deep respect for story. In this conversation, Andy and I talk about what it really means to balance structure and freedom in your creative work, why genre expectations matter more than many writers want to admit, and...
Feb 04, 2026•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 26
What if the thing you’ve been taught to ignore is actually the thing guiding you? In this episode, I talked with Julia Carmen , a curandera, spiritual healer, and founder of the School Without Walls . Julia has spent her life walking between the physical and non-physical worlds. Seeing, sensing, listening. Not as a party trick, but as a way of being. Julia talks about presence, self-worth, grief, choice, and the courage it takes to listen to your soul in a very loud world. Walking Between Worlds...
Jan 23, 2026•1 hr 28 min•Ep. 25
What if writing the story you’re afraid to tell is the exactly what your readers have been waiting for? Leigh Carron , author of Fat Girl and other body positive romance novels , didn’t set out to follow trends, chase algorithms, or fit neatly into what the publishing world expects. She set out to tell her truth. And in doing so, she’s built stories centered on body diversity, biracial identity, desire, and authenticity, even when it felt risky or uncomfortable. In this conversation, Leigh opens...
Jan 09, 2026•1 hr 2 min
What if the thing you’ve been trying hide is actually the reason people remember you? Rachel Lee is a brand stylist and designer who built her business by doing the opposite of what she thought “serious” creatives were supposed to do. From growing up as an imaginative art kid to hiding parts of herself in traditional design roles, Rachel spent years trying to fit in before realizing that belonging to herself mattered more. In this conversation, she shares what happened when she quit a stable job...
Dec 24, 2025•1 hr 25 min•Ep. 24
What if the story you’ve been holding onto is the one someone else has been waiting to hear? Marc Cordon and I had a great conversation about the upcoming Book Summit . It will be a creative space built for writers, not-yet-writers, and anyone who feels a tug to put their story into the world. If you’ve ever felt like your experiences aren’t “big enough,” or you’re nervous about sharing something personal, this conversation might shift something for you. We talk about why storytelling is such a ...
Dec 11, 2025•29 min
What if the thing that makes you feel “different” in business is actually the thing that makes you magnetic? In this special conversation, I sit down with Aicila from the Business as Unusual , where we talked about what it’s like to build a business as an introvert. If you’ve ever felt drained by networking, overwhelmed by visibility, or unsure how to show up without feeling fake… this one will feel like a deep exhale. We talk about what it really means to be an introverted creative in a world t...
Dec 10, 2025•27 min
What if growing your business didn’t require grinding harder, but actually slowing down , tending to your nervous system, and building something that feels human and sustainable? Heidi Weiland is a holistic business coach and strategist who went from burned-out freelance web designer to someone helping entrepreneurs blend smart strategy with real self-care. Her work sits at the intersection of nervous system support, authentic marketing, and human-centered business. In this episode, she shares t...
Dec 03, 2025•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 23
What if finding your creative voice wasn’t about adding more to your plate, but about slowing down, listening inward, and allowing yourself to realign with what feels true? Britta Buchanan is the founder of Aligned and Undefined , where she helps spiritually conscious creatives reconnect with their authentic voice and creative flow. After leaving her career as an elementary school teacher, Britta began guiding others through Human Design and the Akashic Records, helping them align with their sou...
Nov 12, 2025•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 22
What if the secret to impactful design isn’t talent or aesthetics, but responsibility to your community, the planet, and the people you’re building for? As the co-founder of Reny, a certified B Corp agency, Ben Rennie has built his career around using design as a force for impact. The agency now works with global brands like Patagonia, Google, and Nike. But that wasn’t the starting line. Ben started as a self-taught designer, shaping his craft over time while developing a worldview anchored in r...
Oct 29, 2025•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 21
What if standing out means showing up fully and not shouting the loudest? Felicia Iyamu ’s creative journey has taken her from architecture and economics to Google, burnout, and back into the arms of poetry. Along the way, she’s been reflecting, writing, and reimagining what it means to live and work with purpose. Her latest work, Poetry in Eden , explores identity, healing, and the unseen forces shaping our lives. In this episode, we talk about creativity, burnout, self-publishing, marketing, a...
Oct 15, 2025•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 20
You ever get that gut feeling to do something wild — the kind that makes zero sense on paper but just feels right? That’s how this Substack Live with Heather Vickery started. Heather’s a Joy Warrior: coach, retreat host, and professional permission-giver for anyone tired of living by other people’s rules. We talked about what it means to lead with joy, why curating your circle matters, and how trusting your gut can lead you places your brain never would’ve approved of. It was a great conversatio...
Oct 10, 2025•37 min
I’m switching things up. No more intro or outros. Just straight into the good stuff — the conversations. Because honestly? The production side was slowing me down. And I’ve got too many amazing people to talk to. This new format means: Faster episode releases. More creative stories. Easier to share on YouTube. Over the summer, I’ve been deep in three big projects: Moving to Costa Rica — adjusting to new rhythms and finding inspiration in everyday life. The Creativity Summit — bringing together c...
Oct 09, 2025•7 min
What if your next event didn’t have to feel overwhelming? What if it could actually be aligned, intentional—and even profitable? Heather Black is here to show you how. She’s the founder of Phoenix Collaborations and has spent 25 years in the event world, helping solopreneurs, small businesses, and nonprofits turn events and speaking gigs into meaningful, money-making opportunities. In this episode, Heather shares her signature S.O.P. method for event planning, breaks down what it really takes to...
Aug 12, 2025•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 19
What if your next creative breakthrough doesn't come from doing more, but from doing what truly matters? In this episode, I’m talking directly to you—the creative soul who sometimes wonders Am I on the right path? Or worse, Am I behind? Spoiler alert: you’re exactly where you need to be. We’ll explore what it means to create intentionally, how to stop spinning your wheels, and how to start steering toward the life and work you actually want. I share my own turning point—the moment I realized mov...
Jul 22, 2025•39 min•Ep. 18
Today is my 40th birthday so I wanted to do something a little different. I started thinking about what I’m grateful for, so I wanted to bring back the idea of my gratitude journal to celebrate. Here are 40 things I’m deeply grateful for, broken down into themes that matter the most to me. Personal Relationships This is where everything starts. My wife, Anita — she’s my favorite person, a creative sounding board, and my biggest cheerleader. My dog, Pookie — he never lets me down, is a master of ...
Apr 23, 2025•7 min
What if the key to unlocking your creativity as a writer wasn't about perfection, but about embracing the messy process, taking risks, and finding support along the way? Cynthia Morris is a writer, artist, and certified coach who has spent over two decades helping creatives finally get their ideas out of their heads and onto the page. As the founder of Original Impulse, she's guided countless writers to focus, follow through, and finish their books without burning out. In this episode, Cynthia t...
Apr 17, 2025•1 hr 39 min•Ep. 17
What if success as a creative wasn’t about being the best—but just showing up, experimenting, and giving yourself permission to start messy? Bob Baker didn’t start out with a perfect plan or a polished resume. He was a former musician and “non-traditional” marketer who slowly found his groove by helping creatives find confidence, consistency, and clarity—without needing to go viral or wait for permission. This episode originally aired on Cracking Creativity back in 2017, but the wisdom still hit...
Apr 10, 2025•1 hr 16 min
What if the key to reigniting your creativity wasn't just talent, but embracing fear, experimentation, and community? Steven Light, known as SLART , walked away from art for two decades. A single blog post reignited his passion, sparking a journey of artistic self-discovery, personal branding, and creative business growth. Now, he's sharing the lessons he's learned about self-publishing, collaboration, and balancing art with commerce while navigating social anxiety and the ever-evolving role of ...
Apr 03, 2025•1 hr 51 min•Ep. 16
What if the secret to success in book design isn’t just talent, but community, intention, and breaking through industry barriers? Dominique Jones is a senior designer at Dutton Penguin Random House and president of Blk + Brwn Book Designers . She turned her passion for graphic design into a powerful movement of representation in the publishing industry. In this episode, Dominique shares her creative journey, showing how she turned a passion into a mission. She takes us behind the scenes of book ...
Mar 27, 2025•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 15
What if your biggest creative block isn't talent, opportunity, or resources, but the fear of being fully seen? Brian Perry 's journey is a testament to transformation, moving from struggling with depression and feeling like an outsider to becoming a communication coach, singer, and songwriter. Through his music and coaching, he's found a way to bridge creativity and personal growth, while helping others do the same. His path wasn't linear. Critical moments, personal setbacks, and the constant te...
Mar 20, 2025•1 hr 29 min•Ep. 14
What if the secret to building a successful multimedia company wasn’t just talent, but persistence and collaborative storytelling? Armani Salado and Eric Martinez started Forbidden Origins as a childhood passion project. Through sci-fi storytelling, collaboration, and strategic brand-building, they transformed it into a growing multimedia company spanning books, comics, and potential animated adaptations of The Old Universe . But success didn’t happen overnight. Years of indie publishing, creati...
Mar 13, 2025•2 hr 13 min•Ep. 13
What if the secret to unlocking your best creative work wasn’t more discipline but more play? Melissa Dinwiddie started her creative journey as a calligrapher and ketubah artist. But she didn’t stop there. By following her curiosity and embracing play, she unlocked new creative paths that she never saw coming. Now, as a corporate creativity consultant, she helps others break free from perfectionism and create with confidence. With years of experience in creativity training, Melissa helps individ...
Mar 06, 2025•1 hr 41 min•Ep. 12
What does it take to stand out as a creative in a rapidly evolving digital world? For filmmaker and creative entrepreneur Kenny Tjay , success has come from constant experimentation, embracing technology, and treating creativity like a business. From his early days in wedding photography to building a digital media brand, Kenny has navigated industry shifts with adaptability and strategic thinking. In this episode, we dive into the intersection of creativity, AI, and the mindset shift needed to ...
Feb 26, 2025•1 hr 28 min•Ep. 11
Feeling unseen? Struggling to stand out without burning out? You’re not alone. In this episode, I’m sharing The Standout Creatives Manifesto —a call to artists, writers, and indie creators who refuse to follow the crowd. This isn’t just a poem. It’s a rallying cry. Listen in and if it sparks a fire in you, let's connect. Explore Creativity Parties , tune into The Standout Creatives Podcast , and all my projects at StandoutCreativeBusiness.com . You don’t have to do this out alone. Let’s build so...
Feb 24, 2025•2 min
What transforms a creative passion into a sustainable career? For surface pattern designer Lizzie Clark , the journey started with a love for collage and evolved into a thriving business in licensing and textile design. With years of experience navigating the creative industry, Lizzie has built a business that blends artistry with strategy—proving that with the right approach, creativity can be both fulfilling and financially sustainable. From Passion to Profit: Making Art Work for You When does...
Feb 18, 2025•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 10
