Hi everyone! Today I’m speaking with Donna Lynn Caskey. Donna Lynn is a songwriter and clawhammer banjo player. She talks about her journey learning to play banjo, which included going to banjo camp. She also discusses different musical influences she’s had at different points in her life, including the music she was exposed to by her older siblings growing up. She discusses being inspired by and becoming involved in local music jams and how that impacted her journey as a banjo player. We also dive into her third album, Tiny Victories, which came out recently. We discuss some of the themes present on Tiny Victories and even the process behind deciding on the album name and creating the mixed media self portrait that she used as an album art. I hope you enjoy the conversation!

Hi everyone! Today I’m speaking to Gabriel kaprielian about his work with climate change resiliency and adaptation. We talk about a bunch of different topics, including augmented reality, the use of games as a way to spark a different way of thinking during the design process, the importance of cross-disciplinary conversations about climate change, and more. Gabriel talks about how we can use different methods of storytelling about climate change to have an optimistic outlook on the issue. I think this is so, so important and I really love that Gabriel was able to share some of the work that he has done in this area. I hope you enjoy the conversation and thank you so much Gabriel for coming on the show!

Hi everyone! Today I’m speaking with Kim Frock. Kim helped start an independent middle school in Corning, New York, called the Alternative School for Math and Science, or ASMS, in 2004. She then served as ASMS’s administrative head of school until 2020 and is now working as the administrator in charge at Corning Community College. In this conversation we talk about Kim’s journey starting ASMS, standards based education, the unique needs of middle school students, and more.

In today’s episode, I talk to J Muzacz. J is a mosaic artist and muralist based in Austin, Texas. He’s the co-founder of The Mosaic Workshop, which teaches mosaic classes, brings community members in to work on mosaic murals, and overall is a hub for the mosaic medium in the region. I talk to J about how he first began working with mosaics, how he hopes The Mosaic Workshop can impact the community, how his experiences living in Asia affected his creative approach, and more! I hope you enjoy the episode.

Find out more about J’s work: https://jmuzacz.com/

Learn about The Mosaic Studio: https://www.themosaicworkshop.org/

Today I spoke with Sydne Clark, author of You Inspire Me. She talks about her writing process, what the book is about, advice for staying motivated, and more. Thank you so much Sydne for coming on, and I hope you enjoy the episode!

Tom Weirich, head of marketing and stakeholder relations for EDP Renewables North America joins the show to talk about his book, We Took the Risk. The book details stories of early leaders in the renewable energy industry. It’s a great resource for anyone looking to get involved in the industry, or, if you already work in renewables, it’s a great way to get re-energized and re-inspired. In this conversation, Tom talks about his time working for the American Council on Renewable Energy, also known as ACORE. He discusses the many lessons he learned from his mentor Bill Holmberg. He also dives into the book writing process and talks about working with The Creator Institute at Georgetown University. I hope you enjoy the show!

Hi everyone! Today we're joined by Soph Nguyen. Soph is a product designer based in Los Angelos, California. They currently lead product design for a start up called Passes. Passes creates tools for content creators, specifically around helping them monetize their brands. Soph has worked for a variety of other businesses and start ups in the past. They also have a degree in cognitive science from the University of Southern California with a minor in user experience design. Today, Soph discusses how they first began working in product design, navigating burn out, and a new tool they’re excited about, among other things. I hope you enjoy the show!

Check out Soph's work here: https://www.sophtnguyen.com/work

Connect with Soph: https://www.linkedin.com/in/soph-t-nguyen-91618815a/

Today I'm joined by freelance illustrator and graphic designer Zaine Vaun. Zaine talks about finding resources to stay up to date with the design industry, marketing yourself online, and being inspired by the natural world. It was so much fun having Zaine on the podcast and I hope you enjoy the show!

Find Zaine on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zaine.vaun/?hl=en

Zaine's website: https://zainevaun.com/

John Brecher is a photographer and video producer based in Costa Rica. He joins the show to discuss various projects he's worked on over the years. He discusses an article he helped produce for NBC News covering the Trans-Pecos natural gas pipeline, converting a newspaper's photography workflow from film to digital, and helping to create a video about journalist Alexandra Bell.

Check out some of the things mentioned in the show here:

• A Texas Pipeline's Controversial Path
• Snow Fall: The Avalanche at Tunnel Creek
• ICP Infinity Awards: Alexandra Bell
• ICP Infinity Awards: Acacia Johnson

Sarah and I (Sophy) were thrilled to have Pavi Theva join us on the show today. Pavi is a life and career success coach, mindfulness teacher, podcast host, and speaker in the realm of self-development. She's based in Austin, Texas.

Pavi shares her journey, from growing in India to immigrating to the US and working in tech to eventually finding a higher calling in her mindfulness and career coaching.

Pavi's mission is to help corporate professionals and high-achieving leaders feel more fulfillment in their careers. I think this is an incredible mission!

Connect with Pavi:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iampavitheva/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iampavitheva/

Pavi's Talk at TEDxAthenian: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIbygcR9lxQ