Writers assemble! Liselle Sambury (she/her) is a young adult author writing stories about "messy Black girls in fantasy situations" and is dropping her debut book, Blood Like Magic, in June 2021. She joins Renée and Gio to talk about how she got started in writing, how she established herself on AuthorTube, and how she got her very first book deal. This episode also includes Liselle's tips on writing craft and busting through writer's block; favourite tropes in YA novels; and her process for bringing Blood Like Magic from draft to published manuscript.  Find more of Liselle's work at lisellesambury.ca and follow her on social media @lisellesambury.

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📸Photographer to models, designers, and the stars of drag, Quinton Cruickshanks (he/him) joins Gio and Renée to talk shop— and don't just mean Photoshop [🥁 rimshot noise]. We talk about Quinton's beginnings as a fashion photographer, the impact of the queer community on his photography, and how he's managed to keep his business afloat during the COVID-19 pandemic. Bonus topics include Drag Race Canada queens, Harry Styles covering Vogue in tulle, and Quinton's alter-ego Elle O'Elle.  💃🏻 You can find more of Quinton's work at quintonphoto.com of follow him for more visual delights on Instagram @_qweenton and @itselleoelle! Please rate and subscribe wherever you listen to L2M and check our shiny new Patreon at patreon.com/listen2mepod.  

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Dan Snow (he/him) never considered himself a "creative", but his vision and drive are what brought SNOW Collective, a consortium of entrepreneurial professionals from vision to reality.  Dan joins Gio and Renée to discuss the real burnout of working for large corporations, why authenticity is so valuable in work as well as life, and how his involvement with the CGLCC, Canada's LGBT+ Chamber of Commerce, changed his life and his business. Other topics include the perils of crying in your car at work, keeping busy during COVID, the advantages and disadvantages of working from home and the difference between performing "professional" and being accountable for the work you do. Get more updates from the SNOW Collective Blog and find Dan Snow on LinkedIn.

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Get ready to level up! Have you ever wondered what it takes to write your own video game? Let Davis G. See (he/him) tell you, as he walks Gio and Renée through the path that led him to freelance writing, creating interactive fiction, and becoming one of Edmonton Public Library's featured writers. Topics include how to build your client base as a freelancer, gay poetry binders, why queer representation in everything is important, and what to do when writer's block gets you down. CW: Mention of cock (not the animal), erotic Kingdom Hearts fan fiction, and Davis' game Post-Apocalyptic Gay Sex Simulator v0.1. You can find Davis' games at davisgsee.itch.io, more of his writing on Patreon @davisgsee and follow him on Twitter @davisgsee for updates! 

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Andres Garzon (he/him), visual artist and creative, brings Gio and Renée on an exploration of the universe he's creating through his paintings and drawings. With insight and intention, Andres digs into some big topics like immigration, cultural assimilation, political art and identity politics, all taken through the lens of his work as an artist. Other topics include the value of escapism and representation in art, the struggle of artist's block, and the importance of protecting those members of our community who are marginalized. You can find more of Andres' work on his website, andresgarzon.ca, or on social media @studioandresgarzon.

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Have you been waiting for an opportunity to help Gio and Renée make L2M even better? Here's your chance! In this super-mini-informercial-sode, Gio and Renée explain what Patreon is while asking you indelicately for your financial support. We explain each of the tiers and what they entail. You can go to patreon.com/listen2mepod to find out more. What are you waiting for? Subscribe today! 

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Your niche, your groove, your calling—whatever you want to label it, it's out there: trust us. You can find what you're good at, and Listen 2 Me is here to help. Gio and Renée are coming in hot with their best, most accessible tips for finding out what you're good at, establishing a daily practice so you can use to it recognize a pattern, taking a cue from the greats who have come before you in your chosen creative field, and how to keep pushing when your inner saboteur inevitably strikes. There are many sidebars in this episode, and we cherish every one. Let us know if there's a topic we haven't covered yet that you've been waiting for: email us at [email protected] or DM us on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram @listen2mepod. When you listen and subscribe and RATE our episodes, we find ourselves smiling and we don't know why. 🤗 THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

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As Rod Templeton wrote, darkness falls across the land and the Midnight Hour 🕯️ is close at hand [insert werewolf howl here]! Gio and Renée get downright frightening in this special 🎃 Halloween 🎃 episode, where they share some of their favourite spooky shows for getting in the Halloween season, reminisce about past Halloween costumes, and recall haunting personal experiences involving unexplained encounters bordering on the paranormal. 👻 Bonus topics include satanic cults, theremins, Tarot reading, 🔮 Ouija boards and, of course, Bigfoot. TW: for mentions of death and grief ⚰️, gory horror movies, and the Golden State Killer's crimes (sexual assault, murder, stalking). Please subscribe and rate Listen 2 Me wherever you listen—it helps other people find the podcast and we read every review! 💖 You can see more L2M-related content on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter by following @listen2mepod. 

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Salem Berhane (she/her) opened a natural hair and beauty service salon in the middle of a flippin' pandemic, and shows no signs of slowing down, in business or in creativity. Gio and Renée had a great time chatting with Salem who share her wisdom from starting a braiding business at home to opening IncluSV Beauty Solutions as a storefront; why hair is so important in Black community and culture; a future in which Black-owned businesses are leading the hair industry; and why calling cornrows "Kardashian boxer braids" is absolutely wrong. You can email [email protected] for more information about Salem or to request an appointment if you live in Windsor, ON, and follow @inclusvbeauty on Instagram and Facebook to see more of Salem's work! 

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Join us for a conversation with Christopher Pressey (he/him): the man, the myth, the legend. From starting out as a small fish in the graphic design industry in Detroit, MI to starting his own design agency, Christopher Pressey Design, and becoming the current president of the Downtown Windsor Business Accelerator, Chris has plenty of insights to share about leaving a clear-cut career path to build his own business. Topics include listening to your instincts, what it means to start a business in a smaller community, working through anxiety and the power in naming the voice in your head that calls you an imposter. Connect with Chris on Twitter @xtopherpressey, Instagram @xtopherpressey75, Facebook @presseydesign. Let us know what you think of this episode! Rate and subscribe to Listen 2 Me Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts, and connect with us @listen2mepod on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook or email us at [email protected].

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