Good People, Cool Things

Good People, Cool Things will return on October 4. In the meantime, we're sharing episodes from other shows doing great stuff.

Today's highlighted show is The Integrated Schools Podcast, hosted by Andrew Lefkowits and Val Brown. Housing and school segregation are closely intertwined, yet the story of how that came to be is rarely taught. The students at EPIC Theatre Ensemble were commissioned to write a play about this topic through the EPIC Next Program. These students created Between The Lines, an original play exploring the connections between America’s housing policies and educational segregation.

This episode features student actor Dilisima Vickers and co-artistic director Jim Wallert. They discuss how the show came to be and what they learned through making it. You'll also hear excerpts from the show, including an original song and a game show.

Want some more cool content in the meantime? Check out Fun Fact Friyay, my newsletter of fun facts.

Good People, Cool Things is returning October 4. In the meantime, we're highlighting other cool podcasts!

Access to Inspiration is a not-for-profit podcast that aims to improve people’s lives by helping them transcend their day-to-day challenges and reflect on what they're capable of. From accomplished artists and entrepreneurs to visionary thinkers and resilient leaders, the podcast uncovers the underlying sources of their inspiration, the challenges they’ve overcome, and the strategies they’ve employed to foster creativity and drive positive change.

This episode features musician, performer, and composer Simeon Wood, who chats with host Sue Stockdale about his career and why music makes us feel good. And spoiler alert: You'll feel good by the end of the episode.

Want some more good stuff until new episodes return? Head to Fun Fact Friyay and LIVE IT UP.

Good People, Cool Things is returning October 4. In the meantime, we're featuring other cool podcasts!

Art Heals All Wounds is a podcast that features a different artist each week whose work is having an impact on their communities. These artists share what motivates them, what issues in their lives have inspired their creativity, and the ripple effects of their work in the world.

Today’s episode features the breakout musical artist, La Doña, from San Francisco’s Mission District. This episode was part of a mini-series on Art Heals All Wounds called “Cultural Evolutionaries” which featured artists who stayed true to their roots while also embracing the growth necessary to address a changing world.

Want some more in the meantime? Head to Fun Fact Friyay.

EJ McCoy mowed his first lawn when he was eight years old and soon learned that he could turn that activity into a pretty successful business. He also discovered that, hey, most people don’t like to deal with their pet’s waste. Shocking, right?

Luckily, EJ doesn’t mind getting his hands dirty, and he’s turned Scoop Soldiers into a successful business of pet waste removal. He’s also evolved his lawn company into Chorbie, which aims to be a one-stop shop for any home service need you can think of.

We’re talking all about how EJ got started as an entrepreneur, how he’s grown it over the years, and some of his top pet poop-related stories. I promise they’re not crappy.

This episode is brought to you by Banned Camp, a comedy podcast about why books are banned. Be sure to check it out and give them a listen. Search for them wherever you listen to podcasts.

Good People, Cool Things will also be taking a bit of a summer break, returning October 4. But don't worry, there are plenty of fun goodies that will happen in this feed during that break, so don't venture too far off!

When Cassie Petrey was a mere 12 years old, she created a newsletter for the Backstreet Boys that reached fans worldwide. She’s parlayed that fangirling into a highly successful career, playing a role in social media marketing for several major artists, including those very same Backstreet Boys, Camila Cabello and Britney Spears.

Cassie is the co-founder and co-CEO of the marketing and music management firm Crowd Surf. Cassie is a Forbes 30 Under 30 and Billboard 30 Under 30 recipient and a massive fan of sea turtles, which is just a lovely combination.

We’re chatting about how to make it as a musician with no connections, using TikTok to your advantage, and some of her most memorable social media campaigns.

This episode is brought to you by Banned Camp! Hosts Jennifer and Dan read through a book that's ended up on a banned list and determine whether the ol' ban was the right move. It's quirky, delightful, and a whole lot of fun. Check it out here.

P.S. Did you know I have a Fun Fact newsletter? It's WONDERFUL. Subscribe here.

While merch and tours can help musicians make more money, they’re not the only ways to go. Evan Price helps artists think more like artistpreneurs. He wants them to approach their music like a business — because that’s what it is.

Evan founded his first company when he was just 14 years old. Now, he’s the head of Artist Collective, helping musicians monetize their creative skills and giving them the foundation and framework to keep the good times rolling throughout their entire careers.

We’re talking all about the artistpreneur mindset, how to grow your tribe of creatives, and some of the top vacation destinations. Evan also has a very helpful free training using tips from artists who have made a ton of money through his program — check it out here.

Reenita Hora is an award-winning screenwriter, novelist, and audio producer. Her female-driven comedy Operation Mom has won all kinds of awards, including the Grand Prize of the Chanticleer International Book Awards. Her young adult fantasy screenplay, Shadow Realm has a bunch of recognitions, like being a Script2Comic finalist. And her newsletter is chock full of good tips for better writing and marketing your work.

We’re chatting about how to find your perfect audience, how to use AI to improve — or hinder — your writing, and the importance of promoting real experiences of South Asian culture.

This episode is brought to you by Banned Camp! Hosts Jennifer and Dan read through a book that's ended up on a banned list and determine whether the ol' ban was the right move. It's quirky, delightful, and a whole lot of fun. Check it out here.

After many years of struggles, I've started to get back into the succulent game, I have a duck planter filled with fun lil' greenery. My personal favorite: lithops, which are also known as “living stones.” They look like little brains to me, but I also heard a shop owner refer to them as “pig’s noses,” so your mileage may vary.

While my green thumbs are slowly but steadily improving, this episode's guest has been gardening for virtually her whole life. Monique Allen realized there’s quite a bit of overlap between landscaping and growing a business, and after that light bulb went off, she started her career as The Lifescape Coach.

Today, she works with companies across the trades and helps them nourish their business far more competently than I nourish a garden. She created the Life-Scape Method to guide people toward improving their land, lives, and professional satisfaction. There’s a lot of cool stuff nature can bring us, and Monique is all about incorporating those good things into our daily lives.

We’re talking about how The Life-Scape Method has evolved over the years, how business owners can get rid of toxic employees, and why the “triple bottom line” is so important.

I’ve always felt fortunate that my family has loved to travel. Before I went to college, I had been to a luau in Hawaii. I had held koala bears and rode underwater scuba motorcycles in New Zealand and Australia. I had seen tortoises in Ecuador and traversed Machu Picchu in Peru.

Even a mere few months ago, I embarked on a month-long trip across Europe. It was a wonderful time, and…psst, in case you’re newer to the show, there’s a full episode about it. It’s just a few episodes before this one! What a promo.

Matt Kepnes didn’t have such an extensive travel background growing up — he didn’t take his first international trip until he was 23. But boy, has he made up for it. He’s traveled through over 100 countries, wrote the books How to Travel the World on $50 a Day and Ten Years a Nomad and is the founder of Nomadic Matt, a website designed to help people travel smarter while spending less money.

Matt’s website is full of goodies, so we’re talking about how he’s built up his travel brand, the importance of journaling, the time he got stabbed while traveling abroad, and much, much more.

When you think of tourism, what comes to mind? Like how Paris, Texas has an Eiffel Tower with a cowboy hat on top? Or how some cities base their entire economy around one major event, like Williamsport, Pennsylvania does with the Little League World Series? Well, Diana Edelman, founder of Vegans, Baby!, has a different type of tourism.

Diana is, in her own words, a former publicist-turned-travel-blogger-turned-elephant-rescuer-turned-writer and frequent television personality. She’s also set up plenty of vegan tourism events in multiple cities.

We’re talking all about the moment she decided to go vegan, something surprising about veganism, what it looks like setting up these events, and how she’s built her brand.