Empowered Artist Collective Podcast - for actors, singers, dancers, writers, creators and performers

In this episode, Jennifer talks again to tax professional and artist, Hannah Cole, who returns after Ep. 48 Taxes 101 for Artists. This time, they chat all about the concept of “fuck you money” and its power in granting personal agency. Hannah emphasizes the need for a personal finance plan that goes beyond budgeting and focuses on building a surplus of money. She outlines an order of operations for financial success, including establishing an emergency fund, paying off high-interest debts, the significance of investing and utilizing tax-advantaged accounts to grow assets over time. They talk about shifting our mindset around money and viewing it as a neutral tool rather than something inherently negative so that we can empower ourselves to take charge of our financial well-being. 

About Hannah:  Have you ever been flooded with shame while sitting across from an accountant? Have you felt too embarrassed to ask or even formulate your questions? Maybe even doubted your own career as you watched someone who does not get your world or see the value and mission behind what you do look at you through the lens of your income?

That is not going to happen today. Hannah Cole is a tax expert who specializes in working with creative businesses and mission-driven solopreneurs. A long-time working artist with a high-level exhibition history, the financial challenges of freelancers and small creative businesses are both relevant and personal to Hannah. Her specialty is communicating complex tax issues in a clear, creative-centered, empowering way.  She founded her company, Sunlight Tax, with a mission to serve visionary people, just like you, who are self-employed, with relevant tax and financial education, so you can bring your unique vision to the world. She’s helped tens of thousands of creative and mission-driven self-employed people skill up with accessible tax and money education through professional speaking engagements from Florida to Alaska, and on the Sunlight podcast.  And she’s helped thousands of creative people organize for taxes, set up their businesses, and grow their “freedom funds” (or “F***-You Money”) through her program, Money Bootcamp. Hannah’s goal is to help you realize the full value of your vision in this world, and use your money as a tool (not an obstacle) to making that vision a reality.

Hannah’s IG: @sunlighttax

Hannah’s Podcast: www.sunlighttax.com/podcast 

Hannah’s Deduction Guide: www.sunlighttax.com/deductionsguide

EAC listeners can get a $100 discount on Hannah's program by using your affiliate coupon: EMPOWERED

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In this episode, Jennifer talks to Alesha Cid-Vega, who shares her journey as an international student coming to the US to pursue theater which ultimately led her to explore the intersection of psychology and the arts. They explore her current research in mental health and wellness that focuses on building systems of care and promoting accessibility in the arts community. They emphasize the importance of a collaborative approach, training non-specialist providers, and creating a culture of care with the goal of strengthening support systems to make mental health accessibility a priority for artists through task-sharing models and developing strategies for daily life.

About Alesha: Alesha is a current graduate Psychology student at The New School for Social Research in the Trauma & Global Mental Health Lab. Born and raised in Spain, she moved to the U.S. to pursue a career in musical theatre. After the twists and bends of navigating the performing arts conservatory system and its barriers for international and low/middle-income students, she enrolled in the Entertainment Management program at the Rosen College of Hospitality Management in the University of Central Florida, aiming to make a change toward equity in the arts industry. As the Covid-19 pandemic hit, with the heart of an artist and a deep growing concern for global and mental health, she transferred to Sarah Lawrece College where she earned a Bachelor of Arts concentrating in Performing Arts and Public Health. Alesha is currently developing projects to design and implement accessible mental health programs tailored for performing artists, through community models. Before joining The New School, she worked in direct services with refugees and asylum seekers with HIAS New York and has served as a Spanish translator and interpreter for community-based immigration organizations. More recently, she completed a Mental Health and Psychosocial Support fellowship with the International Rescue Committee’s Technical Advising Health Unit. Beyond her current work, her evolving lists of interests include meaning-making and resilience, lessons from Eastern and indigenous healing, the singing voice, sensory sensitivity, poetry, storytelling, and the revolutionary practice of slowing down. 

Alesha's IG: @aleshacidvega

Alesha’s email: [email protected]

Alesha’s Website: https://www.acidvega.com/connect

Alesha's Resources List:

Trauma and Global Mental Health Lab at The New School: https://nssrglobalmentalhealth.com/

Lifenet hotlines brochure (different languages): https://www.nyc.gov/assets/doh/downloads/pdf/dmh/dmh-lifenet-brochure.pdf

NYC Well: https://nycwell.cityofnewyork.us/en/

Safran Center for Psychological Services: https://www.newschool.edu/nssr/centers-special-programs/safran-center-for-psychological-services/

National Childhood Traumatic Stress Network Psychological First Aid Training: training: https://www.nctsn.org/treatments-and-practices/psychological-first-aid-and-skills-for-psychological-recovery/nctsn-resources

Community-based NYC Organizations:

https://www.recoupny.com/about-recoup-ny

Want to coach with Jennifer? Schedule a session here! https://appt.link/jenniferapple

Monologue Sourcing Promo Link! https://empoweredartistcollective.com/podcastpromo

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In this podcast episode, Jennifer talks to Sarah Harris who shares her journey of becoming a stage manager for theater and Broadway. They discuss the different roles and responsibilities within stage management, the dynamics of building a diverse and supportive stage management team, and the importance of adaptability and communication throughout the process. They highlight the evolving accessibility of stage management as a profession, emphasize the significance of treating people with care and respect, and encourage embracing one’s own unique strengths and interests.

About Sarah: Sarah G. Harris (she/her) is a stage manager, producer, and educator dedicated to creating safe collaborative spaces built on care, trust, and generosity. She strives to bring love and joy into every room she’s a part of. Her credits include... Broadway: Parade, A Christmas Carol, POTUS, Come From Away, Once On This Island, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, and The Crucible. National Tour: Hamilton (Philip & Angelica Companies). Off-Broadway: Second Stage, Audible Theatre, and others. Regional: Alliance Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse, Williamstown Theatre Festival, and Berkshire Theatre Group. Corporate Events: Paramount Upfront (Paramount Global), Big Holiday Show (Target), Goalkeepers (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation), Skittles: The Broadway Musical, and more. Sarah also worked on the Live Captures of A Christmas Carol and Come From Away. She is an Adjunct Assistant Professor for Columbia University’s M.F.A. Stage Management Program.

Sarah’s IG: @sarah.g.harris

Sarah’s Website: www.sarahgharris.me

Sarah's SM Book Recommendations: https://kit.co/sarah.g.harris/sm-books

Fun things for your SM Tool Kit: https://kit.co/sarah.g.harris/sm-tool-kit

Want to coach with Jennifer? Schedule a session here! https://appt.link/jenniferapple

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In this podcast episode, Jennifer talks to MiMi Scardulla about the importance of body diversity and fat representation in the arts. MiMi shares her journey as a performer and the gumption she has to continue showing up, the community that has supported her, and the outlook she keeps that drives her. They unpack the emotional and physical toll that comes with being a performer and how it's important to find ways to fill one’s life outside of the job, as well as emphasizing the importance of taking care of oneself and trusting one's own body since it is a gift that deserves to be treated with the utmost care. Plus they discuss the psychological and societal challenges faced by fat performers, the importance of body diversity, and the need to erase the stigmas & taboo to start talking about all of it openly.

About MiMi: MiMi Scardulla is an actor, dancer, creative in New York City. She’s currently in A Beautiful Noise on Broadway. She has also been seen in We are the Tigers, Gigantic, and the world premieres of Once Upon a One More Time, and Heart of Rock and Roll.  Even better, she has had the chance to work with incredible students around the country teaching the next generation of Musical Theatre. She is a fierce Size Diversity advocate and believes BIG IS BEAUTIFUL! She is fueled by coffee, cookies, kisses from her pup Gypsy, and the insane all encompassing love from Skylar and her Family.

MiMi’s IG: @mimiscardulla

Want to coach with Jennifer? Schedule a session here! https://appt.link/jenniferapple

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In this episode, Jennifer talks to Janel Koloski and Amanda DeBraux of Mindset Artistry Podcast about their journey of personal growth, self-discovery, and healing. They share how they became accountability partners and how it has helped them stay consistent and focused on their goals. They also talk about the importance of following your intuition and letting go of people and situations that no longer serve you. They touch on the struggles of identity and self-acceptance, the pressure of expectations from both internal and external factors, and the importance of setting boundaries and taking responsibility for your own life choices.

About Janel & Amanda: Mindset Artistry Youtube Channel & Community is a life-transforming journey hosted by Amanda DeBraux, Actor, Self-Authenticity & Prosperity Coach, Dog Mom and Janel Koloski, Actor, Career & Mindset Coach & Human Rights Activist - Launching in 2023, we strive to bring the truth, healing, and authenticity into everyone's lives - including our own! We invite you to join us on this incredible adventure. Our mission is to bring tons of inspiring, creative content with educational life coaches giving advice on growth, wealth, success, encouragement and much more. We want to challenge ourselves as well as our audience through online workshops, client sessions, new courses and other fun activities that involve laughs, honest moments and quirky guest interviews. Maybe even a little crying here and there - all for the sake of releasing and healing emotions! So come along with us every week on this life coach-led mission of demonstrating love, light and kindness – while setting goals to reach success in life. Embrace our community by subscribing now; let's get your life going in the direction of your dreams!

Janel & Amanda’s IGs: @amandadebraux @janelloves

Mindset Artistry YouTube: youtube.com/@mindsetartistry

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In this episode, Jennifer talks to piano prodigy, Nomi Abadi, who shares her journey growing up, what brought her to invent a new instrument, the NORY® Double Keytar, and also found the Female Composer Safety League. They talk about Nomi’s beginnings with her ventriloquist dummy, Dennis, and how that ultimately led her to become a film composer. They unpack her creative process for composing which involves understanding the story and subtext of a film, finding visuals that inspire them, and using textures and instruments to deepen the impact of the story. They also discuss the power of music and its ability to create emotional experiences for audiences. 

CW: mention of trauma, assault, grooming.

About Nomi: A virtuoso pianist, singer, composer, activist, inventor of the NORY® double synth, and President of the Female Composer Safety League, Nomi Abadi started composing music when she was four years old, making her concert debut as a guest soloist with the Orange County Chamber Orchestra at age five. As a piano prodigy, she became one of Mannes School of Music in New York’s youngest students ever at age eight, and performed with numerous orchestras nationally and internationally, including a solo Eastern European tour at age 11. As an artist, she released a full length album, Chase, No Running, and three solo EPs. Nomi has collaborated with various artists, including as pianist of the Grammy- nominated album "Sekou Andrews and the String Theory", a co-writer and guest vocalist on Satanic Planet’s debut album on their single, “Devil In Me” alongside Dave Lombardo (Slayer/Misfits) and Justin Pearson (The Locust/Deadcross). Nomi sung the vocals on Jacquie Joy’s club hit, “You’ll Feel Nothing”. Nomi has earned over twenty film and video game composing credits, scoring for indie films and brands such as Apple®, BOSE®, Cartoon Network® and NASA®. In 2022, she was awarded the Outstanding Achievement Award in the Independent Shorts Fest for her score of the film, “The Unnatural Order”, and accepted into the Women’s Weekend Film Challenge in New York. In 2020, Nomi founded the Female Composer Safety League, a 501(c)(3) whose mission focuses on the safety and empowerment of women composers. Her original instrument, NORY®, was a finalist in the Georgia Tech’s Guthman Musical Instrument Competition in 2020, making its TV debut on the Emmy-nominated show, “The Afterparty” (Ilana Glazer) in 2022. Nomi is one of the only women in the world today to hold a keyboard instrument patent, and features NORY® in her compositions and live performance.

Nomi’s IG: @nomiabadi

Nomi’s Website: www.NomiAbadi.com

Nory Keytars: www.norykeytars.com

Want to coach with Jennifer? Schedule a session here! https://appt.link/jenniferapple

Monologue Sourcing Promo Link! https://empoweredartistcollective.com/podcastpromo

Learn more: https://www.empoweredartistcollective.com/podcast

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In this episode, Jennifer talks to costume designer and visual producer, Sarah Cogan, all about the importance of design for on-camera and how aligning design elements of production, costume, lighting, hair/makeup etc. can shape and enhance storytelling. She gives guidance to filmmakers on crafting cinematic cohesion through production design, getting clarity on their ideas, and counters the misconception that film design is a luxury. They unpack four key storytelling layers of film, what three key questions are crucial to ask when in the process of creation, and five tenants to use as storytelling tools. 

About Sarah: Sarah Cogan crafts cinematic cohesion by aligning the script to the visuals, skillfully integrating the filmmakers’s creative vision across all areas of design. She crafts grounded, genuine characters by working closely with the director and actors. Sarah has been designing costumes for over 17 years. Her latest film, 18 1/2 (2021), was submitted to the Oscars for Best Costumes. She’s designed features, shorts and episodics. She’s Assistant Costume Designed shows such as Kevin Can Wait, Lyle Lyle Crocodile, Helpsters (Nominated for an Emmy) and Last Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. Sarah is known by her colleagues for championing the projects she takes on, serving the filmmakers’s vision with excellence, and making strong intuitive choices. Her strengths are genre blending, worldbuilding, and crafting grounded characters.

Sarah’s IG: @sarahcogandesigns 

Tiktok: @sarahcogandesigns

Sarah’s Website: www.sarahcogan.com

Watch Sarah's Free Workshop! https://workshops.sarahcogan.com/empowered

Want to coach with Jennifer? Schedule a session here! https://appt.link/jenniferapple

Monologue Sourcing Promo Link! https://empoweredartistcollective.com/podcastpromo

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In this episode, Jennifer has an open and vulnerable conversation with Lori Tishfield about navigating the world as an artist post-pandemic, starting a business, and the significance of making choices. Lori shares her journey as an actorpreneur of an experiential staffing agency, Natural Talent, discussing the role her business plays in her life and how it supports her as an artist. They emphasize the importance of recognizing one's values, skillset, and overcoming the fear that often impedes progress. Plus, they deconstruct the narrative surrounding the "starving artist" stigma and reflect on identifying one's priorities and connecting one’s "why" to all aspects of life.

About Lori: Lori Tishfield is an actorpreneur based in NYC. Lori’s most recent performances have been as a featured vocalist in André De Shields’ concert series at 54 Below and The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Past credits include Orange is the New Black, FBI: Most Wanted, Ain’t Misbehavin’ (Lyric Stage of Boston), Sweeney Todd (NJPAC), Neighbors (CompanyOne). Lori is the Founder of Natural Talent, an experiential staffing agency exclusively staffing actors in brand ambassador work. In the last 5 years, Natural Talent has partnered with over 100 brands and provided “survival jobs” for over 200 actors nationwide (naturaltalent.co). In the last year, she has been applying her experience as an entrepreneur towards some early career producing- Project Sing Out (co-producer) and Far From Canterbury (associate producer). Most recently, thanks to the Black Theatre Coalition, Lori just completed a one year fellowship in sales/marketing/publicity with Disney Theatrical Group.

Lori’s IG: @loritishfield

Natural Talent's IG: @naturaltalentagency

Lori’s Email: [email protected]

Natural Talent’s Website: www.naturaltalent.co

Want to coach with Jennifer? Schedule a session here! https://appt.link/jenniferapple

Monologue Sourcing Promo Link! https://empoweredartistcollective.com/podcastpromo

Learn more: https://www.empoweredartistcollective.com/podcast

EAC IG: @EmpoweredArtistCollective 

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In this episode, Jennifer talks to casting director Erica S. Bream, CSA, about her journey toward the newer chapter in her career as a Southeast-based Casting Director. They discuss the pros & cons of self-tapes, how unrepresented actors can be seen, co-stars/guest stars/series regulars, and the importance of doing the work and trusting your craft. Erica shares how she remembers actors, how casting directors are our advocates and the reminder that they are humans who also need to win the job.

About Erica: Erica S. Bream is in her twenty-second year as a film, television, and theatre Casting Director. Recent credits include ECHOES (Netflix), DOLLY PARTON’S MOUNTAIN MAGIC CHRISTMAS (NBC), ALTERED CARBON (Netflix), PANHANDLE (Spectrum), THE WINCHESTERS (CW), and more. Notably, Bream has co-cast fourteen seasons of the prestigious Young Playwrights Festival for The Blank Theatre Company.

Erica’s IG: @ericasbreamcast

Erica's Twitter: @ericasbreamcast

Erica’s Website: www.ericasbreamcasting.com

Want to coach with Jennifer? Schedule a session here! https://appt.link/jenniferapple

Monologue Sourcing Promo Link! https://empoweredartistcollective.com/podcastpromo

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In this episode, Jennifer talks to Stacie Capone about ways to foster and build a film community. They talk about ways to bring people together, find like-minded folks, and grow with those around you. They also unpack the importance of learning how to ask for assistance and support. Stacie shares her journey founding FilmmakeHers, a monthly salon for women+ creators of film, television, and digital content, with chapters in New York & LA, that has brought artists together in collaboration and expansion. 

About Stacie:Stacie Capone is a Los Angeles-based actress and producer. She is currently appearing on two episodes of Grey’s Anatomy, and as Janice in the short film Love’s Baby Soft - screening on the iconic 70’s perfume’s own website. She is attached to two features in development, The Ghost in the Attic and The Spirit of Detroit (an Academy Nicholl SemiFinalist). She is the founder and leader of the FilmmakeHers - a female-driven film community and monthly salon that features leading industry guests and mentors.Stacie previously led The Professional Actors Collective, where she made 11 short films in one calendar year. This project served as her film school, and launched both her producing career and her production company, which she runs to this day. Small Media Extra Large is a bicoastal production company with clients big and small; Meta, Sesame Street, Nickelodeon, TED, and theSkimm, just to name a few.As a lifelong New Yorker, Stacie made it her mission to find great pizza and bagels in LA - and being a stubborn Leo, she succeeded! Get in touch if you want to talk carbs…or film.

Stacie’s IG: @staciecapone 

FilmmakeHers IG: @thefilmmakeHers

Stacie’s Websites: staciecapone.com & smallmediaxl.com

Want to coach with Jennifer? Schedule a session here! https://appt.link/jenniferapple

Monologue Sourcing Promo Link! https://empoweredartistcollective.com/podcastpromo

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