Head, Heart & Hustle

Hey, folks. Spring is here, and that means more time outdoors and better weather. For me, it also means coaching Little League and planning a summer vacation. I'm also busy at work on the podcast; planning a bunch of interviews and editing a few recent ones.

To give myself a bit of breathing room, the podcast will be taking a short hiatus the next few months, with new episodes starting in late August. This gives me time to complete and lineup multiple episodes without a weekly deadline that gets even harder to meet when life gets hectic.

I'll release a short episode announcing our new season in August. Until then, enjoy the other episodes and feel free to send any potential interviews my way.

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In this episode, I interview Kristen Kurtis (@KristenKurtis), morning show host and DJ at WXPN, a prominent independent radio station in Philadelphia.

Kristen grew up surrounded by music and creativity, which translated into a lifelong love of music, books, and performing. Someone who understands the power of great radio stations, she's worked in Austin and other places before returning to her hometown a few years ago. As you'll see from the interview, not only is she a walking encyclopedia of all things radio and rock, but a die hard Gwennabe (Google it) and extremely well-read individual who know how to make the most of her creativity. (Dabbling in improv apparently helps, too!)

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In this episode, I interview Sharif Renno (@SharifRenno), a self-taught woodworker who manages to design and build furniture and art in his spare time.

Although he started out playing in his high school band, the Wisconsin native also had an early interest in drafting. So when he moved out on his own and into his first apartment, he started experimenting with woodworking as a necessity simply to furnish his own place. Sharif hasn't looked back since.

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In this episode, I interview Rob Muller (@RotoTok), a lifelong musician, professional drummer, and music producer who also happens to enjoy photography.

As someone who's signed three record contracts, Rob and I had a great chat about the realities of "making it" when a band signs to a record label, why everyone needs to make time for their art and passions, and what it takes to raise and encourage creative kids. He's a great guy, and it shows throughout our conversation. (By the way, sales from his album, Deep Blue Underneath, support a scholarship he founded for students at Indiana University.)

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In this episode, I interview Matt Boring (@TheBoringChef), a chef, professional gamer, and all-round Renaissance Man.

To be honest, I had a tough time keeping up with all of Matt's projects and interests. A lifelong learner, Matt had a successful career as an executive chef before getting a public relations degree and moving into social media for a living. He's played video games professionally, learned piano, worked on houses, and more. His creative "bucket list" includes rebuilding a car, making his own knives, and creating art out of wooden blocks to resemble 8-bit pixelated images.

And if anyone I know is capable of doing all these things, it's this guy. We had a great conversation about creativity and learning that everyone will love; no matter your interests.

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In this episode, I interview Nicolette Orlemans (@Nicolette_O), a travel blogger and founder of Culture With Travel (@CultureWithTrav).

Born in the Netherlands, Nicolette moved to the U.S. as a child and spent much of her life traveling the world. She currently lives in New York City and works in social media, which led her to start a side project of Twitter Chats that soon evolved into a curated blog about travel with a wide range of contributors.

In addition to Twitter, you can find Nicolette on the Culture With Travel website.

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In this episode, I interview Keith Boswell (@keithboswell), an extremely creative individual with a unique hobby; collecting toys and posting them on Instagram.

Keith and I had a chance to sit down for an interview while attending a conference in Florida, and we talked quite a bit about toys as an up-and-coming art medium. We also chatted about raising creative children, and what it was like being a creative in the dotcom world of the late 90's.

In addition to Twitter, check out Keith's Instagram feed to see his toys in action.

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In this episode, I interview Brandy Mann (@BrandyEMann and @MannlyMama), a "Mommy Blogger" whose creative outlet evolved out of experiences in her personal life. As a successful professional living in Raleigh, NC, Brandy juggles a demanding job with family, parenting, and her volunteer work - all while blogging and maintaining a network of similar creative women.

In addition to Twitter, you can find Brandy at MannlyMama.com.

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In this episode, I interview my colleague, designer and illustrator Meg Shearer (@MegsArtTweet). Meg and I have worked together for years, and although she's professionally trained as a designer, her real love is illustration, especially stippling and Victorian-era illustrations.

Meg designed the logo for Head, Heart & Hustle, and you can find her work on Society6.

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In this episode, I interview my good friend Brian Ward (@BWard028), a producer for Shout! Factory in Los Angeles. Like CeCe Pleasants, the profile of our first episode, Brian spent some of his teen years in Richmond, VA and worked at an amusement park. (In fact, he worked for me, dressing up as Yogi Bear while I ran the park's character program.)

As I mentioned in the introduction to the podcast, Brian and CeCe were both influential in making Head, Heart & Hustle a reality, and I was thrilled when he and I finally got an interview scheduled. As you'll see, he's a busy guy with a podcast of his own, constant cosplay projects, hosting panels at major conventions such as San Diego Comic Con, and creating short films in just 48 hours with friends - all on top of a filmmaking and production job.

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