I am Consciously Curious

Our next guest has an energy that is palpable. From theater, modeling, film, and TV, she is a creator within many vessels of the performance arts. We explore her humble beginnings in Arkansas, moving to Chicago, all the odd jobs she worked to make ends meet, and how she’s balancing life at the moment. She shares some insights into freelance modeling and what it's like to be in the SAG union. Please enjoy my conversation with Whitney Masters.

https://www.whitneymasters.com/
https://silhouetteandshadow.org/
https://www.instagram.com/whitney.masters
https://www.instagram.com/silhouette_and_shadow

Friends of the podcast will be familiar with Jenn Dieas but in this episode, we get to catch up with what she and her partner, Shane, have been up to. Finding the right life partner is one of the most important life decisions you can make. They truly complement each other so well. They are an example of the quote, “if you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” This is an episode on partnerships, entrepreneurship, and iterations. Please enjoy my conversation with Jenn Dieas and Shane Schwartz.

https://instagram.com/zenjenn_
https://instagram.com/glowoutsalons

Our next guest was in town for a photoshoot as he finalized his prep before his bodybuilding show. This episode was recorded on May 29 and since then he’s already completed two bodybuilding shows. We explore his humble beginnings of bodybuilding and personal training. We manifest his entrepreneurship and his potential dream gym. We also discuss utilizing a hobby as a source of income and how to not let the work extinguish your love for the hobby. Please enjoy my conversation with Ian Angelo.

https://instagram.com/theianangelo

Our next guest is an aspiring actor and has made a name for himself through comedy sketches on tik tok, youtube, and instagram. If you’re a Chicagoan, you’ve probably seen his skits about cops vs firemen, portillos, and northside vs southside. The comments are always filled with either people feeling seen or triggered. Please enjoy my conversation with the one and only Johnny Viti. 

https://www.instagram.com/johnnyviti

https://www.tiktok.com/@johnnyviti

https://www.youtube.com/@JohnnyViti

Justine and I recently took a trip to Michigan for her birthday and thought it would be a good opportunity to reflect on our wedding day and the last 8 months of married life. It’s been nothing short of great. We’re currently planning our 1 year anniversary honeymoon to Italy so if you have any recs, throw them our way. Please enjoy my conversation with my wife, Justine Chan.  

Our next guests are the founders of a local kombucha called RMBR (which is short for Real Memories, Better Rituals). They share their individual journeys as well as how they all came together. We reflect on the wave of kombucha and nonalcoholic beverages, navigating farmers markets and getting into retail stores, as well as how to scale into other areas around the country. Although you can find them within Fresh Thyme, Marianos, and Jewel, I admire how much they strive to be on the shelves within neighborhood coffee shops, restaurants, and bodegas. If you’re looking for a new beverage to try, I encourage you to give RMBR a shot. Please enjoy my conversation with Kiara, Jack, and Jeff of RMBR.

https://www.drinkrmbr.com/
https://instagram.com/drinkrmbr

Our next guest is an executive assistant and wedding planner. In fact, she was our wedding planner and was very instrumental in helping us experience the best day of our lives. Her energy is palpable, her attention to detail is unmatched, and she’s an absolute joy to work with. We cover some early moments of planning family events, becoming an executive assistant, and what makes a great wedding planner. We share our thoughts on our dream wedding venue, dating apps in 2024, and even prenups. Please enjoy my conversation with Nicki Padilla of Mack Wedding Design.

https://www.mackweddings.com
https://instagram.com/mackweddingdesign

Our next guest is one of the Founders of the local nonprofit, EcoShip. An organization that collects used shipping materials and redistributes them to small business owners for free. It was an insightful chat about what materials are actually not recyclable. Depending on your local protocols, those white and blue amazon poly mailers or even bubble wrap containing low density polyethylene plastic are not considered recyclable. Or how recyclables need to be rinsed and dried prior to tossing them. Imagine my surprise when you set up a public recycling station without any means to rinse out the product. Please enjoy my conversation with Aleks Plewa of EcoShip.

https://ecoship.org
https://instagram.com/ecoship_chicago

Our next guest shares his experience within Notre Dame Football, politics, and generating sales for a beverage distribution company. He’s now known for his work as a producer and Host of the Emmy winning show, The CEO series. He’s talked with CEOs of companies like Portillo’s, DUDE Wipes, Lou Malnati’s, and the Chicago Blackhawks to name a few. He and his brother founded a strategic consulting agency called Salvi Media where they assist executives on how to better communicate with their team and improve employee engagement. We ruminate on some of the things that we strive for in order to be a good show host. Please enjoy my conversation with Will Salvi

https://salvimedia.com
https://instagram.com/wsalvi
https://instagram.com/ceoseries

Our next guest has had several iterations on his way to realizing his dream. He’s created a space that overlaps retail, fashion, hair, and networking. Whether it be working at his family’s Carnitas restaurant (Carnitas Don Alfredo) or cutting hair, hospitality and gratitude are at the forefront of Blankness Studios. Gratitude for this blank canvas we get to create art with every day. Please enjoy my conversation with Sergio Torres. 

blanknessstudios.com
blankness.co
https://instagram.com/worldwidesergio