Creative Juicy

Kathryn Shah is the co-founder and CEO of Spring & Mulberry, a new food meets wellness brand comprised of date-sweetened chocolate bars that are topped with beauty & fantastic for you ingredients, from mango Urfa chili to lavender bee pollen, all with 0g added sugar.   

The inspiration for the brand is a really personal one. A trip to Dubai on the way to meet her husband's family in India opened Kathryn's eyes to the beauty & pleasure of dates and dried fruits, no longer relegated to the bulk bins of American grocery. Fast forward a few years later and a cancer diagnosis in her early thirties caused Kathryn to quit refined sugar and explore the healing power of food. With nothing to satisfy her sweet tooth, she started experimenting with the dates, nuts, and cacaos that are now foundational to the product line.  

On today's episode, Kathryn talks about the path that led her to test-cooking recipes in her kitchen, how to woo emotionally and sell rationally, the importance of finding a co-founder that compliments your skill set, along with a plethora of helpful tips she's learned along her journey to bringing Spring & Mulberry into the world. This is my first founder episode, and I am so happy to share it with you today. Enjoy!

MORE SPRING & MULBERRY:

Instagram: instagram.com/spring.mulberry/

Shop: springandmulberry.com/

MORE CREATIVE JUICY: 

Michelle’s Instagram: instagram.com/mich_wainwright/ 

Visit CreativeJuicyPodcast.com for show notes, transcripts and more. 

Say hello: [email protected]

Jessie is a multidisciplinary artist, designer, and art director with serious vision and a way of making the impossible, possible. Jessie began creating art using unorthodox materials influenced by pop culture, which transitioned into her now full-time gig of creating large scale pieces and physical installations.

On today's episode, Jessie shares how she accidentally fell into her career through cold outreach to Lady Gaga's set designer, what it's like working with perishable materials, her process in brining large-scale projects to life, and her experience creating on the clock at the US Open. 

I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did!

MORE JESSIE:

Jessie's Instagram: instagram.com/jessiebearden/

Jessie's Portfolio: https://www.jessiebearden.com/

MORE CREATIVE JUICY: 

Michelle’s Instagram: instagram.com/mich_wainwright/ 

Visit CreativeJuicyPodcast.com for show notes, transcripts and more. 

Say hello to Michelle: [email protected]

Natalie Lew is a product designer for a tech company by day and a dreampop musician living in Seattle by night. Before Natalie landed her current 9-5 as Senior Experience Designer at ChowNow, she was previously a Product Designer at Flatiron Health, an Interaction Designer at frog and 2017/2018 Adobe Creative Resident, where she focuses on the intersections of ethics, technology, and interaction design.

On today's episode, Nat and I talk about her experience as an Adobe Creative Resident fresh out of school, what it means to do ethical design work, her advice for young designers and sustaining a career in design, and her most recent creative exploration as solo artist, Sea Lemon, and all that being a musician and putting yourself out there through a new medium entails. 

MORE NATALIE:

Natalie's Instagram: instagram.com/itssealemon/

MORE CREATIVE JUICY: 

Michelle’s Instagram: instagram.com/mich_wainwright/ 

Visit CreativeJuicyPodcast.com for show notes, transcripts and more. 

Say hello to Michelle: [email protected]

Rōze Traore is a chef, media personality, entrepreneur, and the creator of unique dining experiences for clients and iconic brands such as The New York Times, Veuve Clicquot, AMEX and Louis Vuitton. At age 18, Roze packed up his knife kit and enrolled in Le Cordon Bleu. From there, he went to work in some of the most prestigious kitchens in the world including Eleven Madison Park and The NoMad, before starting his own gig as the mastermind behind bespoke events for fashion clients.

On today's episode, Roze and I talk about the different roles in a chef's kitchen, what it's like enrolling in Le Cordon Bleu, and how he positioned himself in the culinary industry to carve out his own niche where fine dining and high fashion meet.

MORE ROZE:

Roze's Instagram: instagram.com/rozetraore/

Roze's YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCW_n5vcl9gZ3jhyYz_4MI8Q/

Roze's Website: ChefRoze.com

MORE CREATIVE JUICY: 

Michelle’s Instagram: instagram.com/mich_wainwright/ 

Visit CreativeJuicyPodcast.com for show notes, transcripts and more. 

Say hello to Michelle: [email protected]

Sam Cannon is an artist and director based in NYC & LA. Occupying a space at the cross-section of photography, video, experiential and performance, Cannon has produced projection installations, live performances, large-scale prints, and sculptures. She’s mounted exhibitions at Art Basel Miami Beach, Mana Contemporary and SPRING/BREAK Art Fair, and has been named one of The Impression Magazine's “50 Female Creatives Representing the Next Generation of Talent" (which, in fact, she very much is!). 

On today's episode, Sam and I talk about how she first got into video, what it looks like to balance acting as both director and subject in her work, her perspective on screens and how her art often occupies them, and the inspiration behind her 2021 performance, 'Thinking about Getting into 3D.' 

Sam is a true visionary. Enjoy the listen!

MORE SAM:

Sam's Instagram: instagram.com/samcannon/

Sam's Website: sam-cannon.com

Thinking About Getting Into 3D: instagram.com/thinkingaboutgettinginto3D/

MORE CREATIVE JUICY: 

Michelle’s Instagram: instagram.com/mich_wainwright/ 

Visit CreativeJuicyPodcast.com for show notes, transcripts and more. 

Say hello to Michelle: [email protected]

Sam is an Australian-born, Brooklyn-based writer, editor, and food photographer - consider her a very delightful Jane of all trades in food media. Whether she's building a recipe with one core ingredient, ghost writing a cookbook, or shooting work for a beloved NY restaurant, Sam has a flare that is entirely her own. 

On today's episode we talk (and laugh!) about the differences in Australian and New York food scenes, how to stay true to yourself when shooting client work, and how she grew her career in the industry following her first job at a macadamia farm back home.

MORE SAM:

Sam's Instagram: instagram.com/_samhillman

Sam's Website: samanthahillman.com

MORE CREATIVE JUICY: 

Michelle’s Instagram: instagram.com/mich_wainwright

Visit CreativeJuicyPodcast.com for show notes, transcripts and more. 

Say hello to Michelle: [email protected]

Simbarashe Cha is a NY-based filmmaker and photographer who specializes in fashion and documentary with an emphasis on portraiture. You may recognize him for his fashion-forward street photography, or perhaps you've come across some of his incredible photojournalism work for The New York Times. No matter the circumstance, Simbarashe captures the spirit of the people he photographs in way that feels incredibly sincere and still dreamlike. I always knew Simbarashe to be an extremely thoughtful and passionate person, but this conversation shed a whole new light on the care he takes in his work and in his craft. Did I mention he is also a wonderful human?!

On today's episode, Simbarashe and I chat about consistency in storytelling across mediums, how having patience in his process got him to where he is today, the journey of his work with The New York Times, and his latest film, Soeurs, which is released TODAY after 2+ years in the making. 

MORE SIMBARASHE:

Simbarashe's Instagram: instagram.com/simbarashecha/

Simbarashe's Portfolio: simbarashe.com/films

MORE CREATIVE JUICY: 

Michelle’s Instagram: instagram.com/mich_wainwright/ 

Visit CreativeJuicyPodcast.com for show notes, transcripts and more. 

Say hello to Michelle: [email protected]

For close to 10 years, Sydney led the digital and social media practice at LaForce, where we (!) collaborated on everything from social strategy to custom content creation, influencer programming, small and large-scale events, and overall brand storytelling for a slew of brands. It makes me very happy to share this conversation with you, and provide an inside look at our past working lives and how we think about brands and social, today. Enjoy! 

MORE SYDNEY: Syd's Instagram: instagram.com/sydneyfazende/ 

MORE CREATIVE JUICY:  Michelle’s Instagram: instagram.com/mich_wainwright/  

Visit CreativeJuicyPodcast.com for show notes, transcripts and more.  

Say hello to Michelle: [email protected]

Jovel Roystan is an actor and lifestyle content creator, born and bred in Houston, but currently based in BK. Over the past decade, he’s explored the many facets of the creative industries through written, visual and filmed expression, and partnered with hundreds of brands across the fashion, travel, and lifestyle spaces. Between diving back into the world of acting, dipping his toes into writing, and his work in visual storytelling, he uses social media and film as platforms to share his unique take on contemporary living with other young dreamers like himself.

On today's episode, we talk about how Jovel navigated his corporate career before focusing full-time on his personal ambitions, mindfulness when it comes to social media and the need people feel to comment, and what it takes to nurture yourself and your craft as you navigate the acting industry.

MORE JOVEL:

Jovel's Instagram: instagram.com/jovelroystan/

Jovel's TikTok: tiktok.com/@jovelroystan

Jovel's YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCsLDGljntB81D95fZHSrBrA

MORE CREATIVE JUICY: 

Michelle’s Instagram: instagram.com/mich_wainwright/ 

Visit CreativeJuicyPodcast.com for show notes, transcripts and more. 

Say hello to Michelle: [email protected]

As the oldest of 8 kids, Rebecca always had to find her own way, which helped navigating educational and career choices throughout her life. From a masters in American History to then landing a job in fashion and starting her blog, Raspberry & Rouge, when she used Instagram purely as an editing tool, Rebecca's career as a content creator has evolved with the ever-changing social media landscape. Today, we talk about her shyness and how she finds the courage to pose in front of the camera, her discomfort with the title 'influencer,' the balance between living publicly and privately, and the vision and strategy behind starting her creative agency, LAPISCINE. 

Rebecca is a pure pleasure to speak with, and her words about how to put yourself out there to get what you want in life I found truly inspiring. Enjoy!

MORE REBECCA:

Rebecca's Instagram: instagram.com/rebeccalaurey/

LAPISCINE's Instagram: instagram.com/wearelapiscine/

MORE CREATIVE JUICY: 

Michelle’s Instagram: instagram.com/mich_wainwright/ 

Visit CreativeJuicyPodcast.com for show notes, transcripts and more. 

Say hello to Michelle: [email protected]