Today is the day! We are officially celebrating one year since the podcast launched!! And to celebrate, Stella Almblade is back! Stella was the guest on episode 1 of the Creative Impact Podcast, and it is so much fun catching up with her. Stella and I chat about this first year of the podcast including some of the highlights and themes. We also catch up with each other’s lives and where this past year has taken us during the pandemic.

Stella has danced professionally for over 15 years. She is currently an adjunct professor of dance at Palm Beach Atlantic University, a Pilates teacher, and is receiving her masters from seminary. Stella’s heart for God and serving other people is so evident. We are so excited to have you joining us to celebrate as you listen!

Check out our website http://creativeimpactpodcast.com for the full show notes that include Stella's biography and links mentioned in this episode. You can be sure not to miss a Creative Impact conversation by subscribing through your favorite podcast app.  We are so grateful to have you as a part of the Creative Impact community and would love it if you would share the show with your friends!

There is so much to love about this conversation with Bailee Teter! Bailee graduated with her master’s degree from Lipscomb University and is a Licensed Counselor working part time doing equine assisted counseling. She is also a dancer and directs the Adonai Arts Academy dance program. I love that we got connected through this podcast!

Bailee currently lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with her husband. She has a beautiful heart for seeing people find freedom! Bailee recently started a blog called Paraklesis with a vision of seeing it grow into a full ministry. Her mission is to use creativity to help people connect to God for healing and growth.
 
We chat about Bailee growing up with passions for both volleyball and dance. After finishing up college, Bailee spent a year in Europe doing mission work before pursuing her counseling degree. She shares what it was like to experience burnout and when we can know if it is time for a shift of seasons in our own lives. I enjoyed hearing about the power of creative therapy and learning more about what working with horses in equine assisted therapy looks like (which is amazing!). I am so inspired by Bailee and her heart for serving people!

Next week we will be celebrating one year since the podcast launched!! Guest from episode 1, Stella Almblade, is back! Stella and I catch up on life and look back on an entire year of the Creative Impact Podcast!

Check out our website http://creativeimpactpodcast.com for the full show notes that include Bailee's biography and links mentioned in this episode. You can be sure not to miss a Creative Impact conversation by subscribing through your favorite podcast app.  We are so grateful to have you as a part of the Creative Impact community and would love it if you would share the show with your friends!

In honor of this being the last week of the school year where I work, today’s conversation is with my amazing friend and coworker Kayla Sokoloff! Kayla and I are just wrapping up our 2nd year teaching dance together at Dulles High School. She has a strong passion for dance and leadership, and I am so grateful to work alongside her!
 
Working together as dance directors, we see each other more than we see our families during the school year. I count it an incredible blessing that our relationship has grown from collaborating as coworkers to being there for each other as friends. Through learning more about ourselves and one another, we’ve been able to intentionally build stronger communication and a true partnership in leading the dance department.

In this conversation, you are essentially getting a glimpse of the kinds of conversations Kayla and I are having all the time! We chat about what we’ve learned this past year teaching through the pandemic, both the challenging aspects and the gifts we’ve gained. We talk about what it looks like to lean into a “less is more” mindset, intentionally using our time, and celebrating along the way.

Kayla also shares how her lifestyle and perspective shifted after being diagnosed with Crohn’s in 2019. I am so inspired by Kayla’s journey of pursuing wellness and simplicity and not letting one doctor’s words determine her future. We dive into the topic of minimalism, which both Kayla and I have become passionate about. We are continuing to see the benefits of this shift, both in our personal lives and in the dance team world.

Check out our website http://creativeimpactpodcast.com for the full show notes that include Kayla's biography and links mentioned in this episode. You can be sure not to miss a Creative Impact conversation by subscribing through your favorite podcast app.  We are so grateful to have you as a part of the Creative Impact community and would love it if you would share the show with your friends!

You’re in for a treat today as Chris Hurt joins me for episode 50 of the podcast! Chris is a husband, father of two teenage children, and has been a student pastor for over 25 years! He loves to teach the Gospel and believes that the Bible should not be boring.

Chris shares about what got him into youth ministry and why he’s stayed. He is passionate about the church incorporating more creativity and seeing more people use their giftings. With a love for comedy and a desire to be in ministry, Chris wrestled with the question “can ministry and comedy coexist?”

Chris started doing skits and sketches for his own youth group in the late 90’s. Through a chance meeting, he saw one of The Skit Guys in a Chili’s in Amarillo who helped launch him and a lifelong friend into some of their very first paid performances. Currently, he is part of a sketch duo known as Hurt and Manley.

As part of Hurt and Manley, Chris has performed in various places around the States mainly to student groups at camps, weekend retreats, and one night evangelism events. I love how Chris explains, “when we can laugh, then truth can enter our hearts.”

Through our conversation, Chris and I dive into the definition of success, walking in your gifting, and identity.

Check out our website http://creativeimpactpodcast.com for the full show notes that include Chris' biography and links mentioned in this episode. You can be sure not to miss a Creative Impact conversation by subscribing through your favorite podcast app.  We are so grateful to have you as a part of the Creative Impact community and would love it if you would share the show with your friends!

This week, Bethany Sleebos joins me on the podcast! Bethany lives in College Station, TX, with her husband Patrick and their 3 beautiful kids. Together, they own Suzanne’s School of Dance and desire to create a safe place for dancers to grow in both “Excellence of Dance & Heart.” 

Bethany shares about her journey and how she has come full circle back to her home studio, Suzanne’s School of Dance, where she first began her training at 5 years old. Through her time there, she learned to use her gift for the Lord and realized her passion to share that gift of dance with others. At the age of 15, Bethany moved to Houston, TX, where she danced with Ad Deum Dance Company. 

Following her time at Ad Deum, Bethany used dance for missions, which led her to start a school and company in the Netherlands under Youth With a Mission. It was there that she met her husband, Patrick. In 2013, they moved back to Texas and purchased Suzanne’s School of Dance. 

In addition to owning the studio together with her husband, Bethany also dances with Mei/co Dance Company and directs Talitha Dance Company. We chat about the challenges and blessings of owning a studio, honoring our mentors, the realities of transitioning out of a performance career, and more! Bethany brings so much wisdom as she shares what we can gain by surrendering to God and laying things down. I love her encouragement that when God shuts a door, it’s because He has something better in store.

Check out our website http://creativeimpactpodcast.com for the full show notes that include Bethany's biography and links mentioned in this episode. You can be sure not to miss a Creative Impact conversation by subscribing through your favorite podcast app.  We are so grateful to have you as a part of the Creative Impact community and would love it if you would share the show with your friends!

Episode 48 concludes this two-part series on business structure, non-profits, and fundraising.
 
In last week’s episode we heard from Julia Dean on how to structure your business, especially an LLC.

In today’s episode, we dive into non-profits and fundraising. Bobby Dean shares practical fundraising tips for developing positive relationships with donors and growing your non-profit. His development experience ranges from Cal Farley’s Boys Ranch, to the Houston Grand Opera, and his current position with the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Whether or not you have a non-profit, you’ll benefit from his pro tips.

Check out our website http://creativeimpactpodcast.com for the full show notes that include Bobby and Julia's biographies and links mentioned in this episode. You can be sure not to miss a Creative Impact conversation by subscribing through your favorite podcast app.  We are so grateful to have you as a part of the Creative Impact community and would love it if you would share the show with your friends!

Today’s episode is part one of a special 2-part series focused on bringing you practical tips and advice for structuring and growing a business or non-profit. I know so many artists who have started their own small businesses or non-profit organizations and many who have a dream to start one someday! Joining me to share their expertise in the areas of business, non-profit work, and fundraising, are my amazing parents Bobby and Julia Dean!

In part one of this series, we hear from my mom Julia Dean about the process of setting up a business. Julia is an attorney who specializes in the areas of Estate Planning, Probate, Guardianships, and Civil Appeals. She has helped many clients structure their businesses ensuring protections are in place to limit their liability. Julia specifically helps explain what goes into creating a Limited Liability Company (LLC) and helps break down what can feel like an overwhelming topic. You can learn more about Julia and her law firm at http://juliadeanlaw.com 

In the second part of this series, which will go live next week, Bobby Dean shares tips for fundraising from his experience as a fundraiser for multiple non-profit organizations. Be sure to check out next week’s episode for some practical advice on developing positive relationships with donors and growing your non-profit!

Check out our website http://creativeimpactpodcast.com for the full show notes that include Bobby and Julia's biographies and links mentioned in this episode. You can be sure not to miss a Creative Impact conversation by subscribing through your favorite podcast app.  We are so grateful to have you as a part of the Creative Impact community and would love it if you would share the show with your friends!

I am excited to introduce you to Frank Rodriguez, an experienced musician and guitar teacher as well as the developer of Villela Guitars. Frank and I talk about how he first got into playing guitar encouraged by the Priest at his church. He then went on to study music and guitar at the High School of the Performing and Visual Arts in Houston, Texas.

He shares about his experiences playing at local clubs and shows, and eventually moving to Los Angeles. There, he worked and toured as a guitarist for various artists and musicians and even worked as a musical director. He has worked with some of the best musicians in the country and performed in prestigious venues from The Greek Theatre to Madison Square Garden.

Frank eventually returned to his hometown of Houston and began teaching at his alma mater, HSPVA. He also has teaching experience at San Jacinto College as well as an international high school in his community. In 2012, he began teaching a guitar class for an inpatient drug rehab program for Memorial Hermann.

Currently, Frank works on making and marketing his own line of instruments called Villela guitars. Throughout our conversation, we get a chance to talk about his personal journey, including the highlights and challenges of working in the music industry in L.A. We also talk about his heart for teaching and for working in his community.

One of my favorite parts of our conversation was hearing how Frank ‘n’ Strings and Villela Guitars got started, and how interest in the guitars has picked up because of the pandemic. For more info, you can visit his website: https://www.franknstrings.com/

Check out our website http://creativeimpactpodcast.com for the full show notes that include Frank's biography and links mentioned in this episode. You can be sure not to miss a Creative Impact conversation by subscribing through your favorite podcast app.  We are so grateful to have you as a part of the Creative Impact community and would love it if you would share the show with your friends!

My sweet friend Rebecca Pillow joins me for episode 45! Rebecca is a wife, stay-at-home mom, dancer, and dance teacher. She and I danced together at Ad Deum Dance Company, both share a passion for Creative Dreams Outreach Center, and both happen to be Enneagram Nines! 

We chat about Rebecca’s journey as a dancer. She grew up training at The School of Performing Arts in Orlando, Florida, and then studied at the University of Oklahoma. We talk about the importance of having both great training and encouragement as dancers. It is such a vital conversation in the dance world.

After college, Rebecca and her husband Bob moved to Houston and she joined Ad Deum Dance Company. She and I talk about the Ad Deum community’s refreshing approach to combining faith and art in our lives. Her time with Ad Deum developed a love for outreach which eventually led her to work as the Dance Director at Creative Dreams Outreach Center.

Rebecca shares about deep loss and grief she experienced walking through the loss of multiple family members and miscarriage. She describes the benefits of counseling and how it has impacted her journey of healing. I am so thankful for Rebecca’s vulnerability and her heart for allowing God to work through her story in order to help encourage others.

Check out our website http://creativeimpactpodcast.com for the full show notes that include Rebecca's biography and links mentioned in this episode. You can be sure not to miss a Creative Impact conversation by subscribing through your favorite podcast app.  We are so grateful to have you as a part of the Creative Impact community and would love it if you would share the show with your friends!

I had so much fun getting to know David (Dave) and Tina Samples for episode 44! Dave and Tina bring an incredible combination of humor and depth, and I know you will be encouraged as you listen. Dave and Tina have two sons and live in Texas. They have worked together in ministry throughout their marriage.

Tina is an award-winning author, speaker, worship leader, and music therapist. She co-authored the award-winning book Wounded Women of the Bible: Finding Hope When Life Hurts, with fellow author and friend, Dena Dryer. As a singer, Tina has performed in the musical drama Texas as well as in The Promise, a musical drama of the life of Christ. 

Dave is the lead pastor at Tolar Baptist Church in Tolar, Texas. He has worked in the ministry for over thirty years. In addition to ministry, Dave has worked in radio and theatre. Together, Dave and Tina co-authored the award-winning book Messed Up Men of the Bible: Seeing the Men in Your Life Through God’s Eyes.

Throughout our conversation we chat about how Dave and Tina met, what first got them into ministry, and what it is like working together in ministry. We also dive into the topic of suffering. With Tina experiencing a heart attack and subsequent heart transplant and Dave’s journey with cancer, they both have so much wisdom to share on what it means to suffer well. I am so inspired by their faith and perspective. They display what it looks like to love and serve regardless of circumstance or season of life.

Check out our website http://creativeimpactpodcast.com for the full show notes that include Dave and Tina's biographies and links mentioned in this episode. You can be sure not to miss a Creative Impact conversation by subscribing through your favorite podcast app.  We are so grateful to have you as a part of the Creative Impact community and would love it if you would share the show with your friends!