Called to Create: An LDSPMA Podcast

Honorable Sela Tukia, Tongan fan of popular 80s dance-pop band The Jets, sat down with host Connie Sokol for a delightful ten-minute interview about the faith and family values The Jets have brought to the music industry in the past and the new generation of Wolfgramm family musicians, 13 Crowns.

Tonga Consulate General 

The Kingdom of Tonga
13 Crowns

The Jets, a popular 80s dance-pop, teen pop, R&B band, including LeRoy, Eddie, Eugene, Haini, Rudy, Kathi, Elizabeth, and Moana Wolfgramm started out performing luaus in Canada. They eventually settled in Minnesota and started a band they named “Quasar” after a brand of television set. The band enjoyed great success with several Billboard Hot 100 hits, including ten singles, the most popular being “Crush on You.” The family band also performed at the 1988 Summer Olympics and the 2002 Winter Olympics. 

Las Vegas Show 

Facebook 

Instagram 

Dora Whitaker knew at a young age that she was more interested in the business side of the entertainment industry than being an actress. Now, a 28-year industry veteran and CEO of Whitaker Entertainment, Dora focuses her efforts on providing and producing quality entertainment. Along the way, she has been able to share her faith in Jesus Christ with her clients and colleagues in normal and natural ways.

Email: [email protected]
Website 

IMDb 

Jennifer Nielsen is an accomplished New York Times bestselling author of young adult and children’s fiction and a 2022 LDSPMA Conference keynote speaker. In this episode, she shares her failures and triumphs with her trademark optimism and encouragement for all who struggle to keep going when everything is going wrong. Tune in for this inspiring episode with our host, Connie Sokol. You’ll be glad you did.

Author website
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Goodreads
Deseret Book
Amazon

Gerald Lund has written 57 books, including the famed Work and the Glory series, and is arguably the most widely read author of Latter-day Saint literature with 3.5 million copies sold over the course of 51 years. In this episode, he shares little-known details of how “The Work and the Glory'' series came to life and grew from one volume into an exhaustive nine-volume series. He also answers his most often asked question: “Where do you get your ideas?” Lund, an equally prolific writer of fiction and non-fiction, never took a writing course but has loved books since his childhood when he and his siblings carried armfuls of books home from the library to read as a family. 

Webpage

Facebook @geraldnlund

Goodreads 

Deseret Book 

Amazon Author Page

BYU Religious Studies Center list of articles he’s written 

Sherry Meidell’s loves include her five boys, mountain biking, kneaded erasers, her sketchbook, and watercolors. Her artistic talent with watercolors has led her to illustrate several books by other authors and one of her own, titled “The Devil with the Three Golden Hairs.” On a humanitarian trip to Kenya, Africa, she used her talents to help school children take part in turning a blank wall into a work of art that included their hand prints. Sherry generously shares her knowledge of art and watercolor with school children, adults, and anyone who is interested.

Webpage 

TeetertotterTales Blog 

Instagram @sherrymeidell

Facebook @sherrymeidellart

YouTube watercolor painting videos

Goodreads

Amazon Page

Allison Hong Merrill’s multiple award-winning book, “Ninety-Nine Fire Hoops”, is more than a memoir; it is her “humble offering” to her children. Her deepest desire was to write it so they would know about and cherish their Chinese roots. As a Mandarin-speaking Taiwanese immigrant and newlywed, Allison lived in the United States for sixteen months before she was abandoned and left to fend for herself, speaking and understanding only a few words of English. Through her struggles to acclimate to her new country and to life as a divorced young single adult in Utah, she learned to rely on her Heavenly Father to guide her through to her happy endings.

Allison's Webpage 

Twitter @Xieshou 

Instagram @allisonhongmerrill

Facebook @allisonhongmerrill

Goodreads

“Ninety-Nine Fire Hoops” book trailer 

Amazon Author Page

Twenty-five years ago, Laurel Day was a college graduate with a useless degree who felt called to move to Utah and work at Deseret Book. When a friend told her about a part-time position as an event specialist with Deseret Book, she applied for and got the job. Opportunity followed opportunity until she came to work under Sheri Dew, who became her mentor. Now president of Deseret Book, Laurel looks back on the unique experiences that helped prepare her to innovate a communication company during a difficult transition. In this engaging episode of “Called to Create: an LDSPMA Podcast” with host Connie Sokol, Laurel describes the need to gather Israel by creating content that represents the diverse voices and testimonies of members around the world.

Deseret Book website
Deseret Book submission guidelines
Time Out For Women
Time Out for Women on YouTube
Laurel’s books

The hero of Tiffany Rosenhan’s heart-pounding spy thriller, “Girl from Nowhere,” is a common, everyday teenage girl who uses her unique abilities to conquer the bad guys. Tiffany’s hope is that her book will help young women “feel empowered to magnify their skills and talents…and embrace [their] different characteristics and unique qualities.”  In this week’s “Called to Create” podcast episode, Tiffany also talks with Connie about how she put her writing career on hold to take care of her husband after he suffered a sudden, debilitating illness.

Email: [email protected]
Publicist: [email protected]

Webpage

Instagram-Tiffany

Instagram-Girl From Nowhere

Pinterest

“Girl From Nowhere” book trailer

Amazon

Cheryl Knowlton is a popular speaker brimming with enthusiasm for helping people in her profession learn the craft. She has won numerous awards, most notably the coveted Certified Speaking Professional designation from the National Speakers Association. As a 22-year veteran in the real estate and mortgage industry, Cheryl is a teacher, storyteller, author, and influencer. In this week’s episode of the “Called to Create” podcast with Connie Sokol, Cheryl shares her heroic journey as a professional and as a daughter of God.  “Create the life that invites the Holy Ghost,” she says. “Be the conduit for magic.”

Email: [email protected]

Webpage

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter

Cheryl’s mentors: 

Michael Port’s podcast

Mike Ganino’s podcast