What does it look like when a gifted musician graduates with a piano performance degree, has his car repossessed, gets evicted, and can’t land a job?
In this episode of Make It. Share It. Kent and Cooper sit down with Dr. Oscar Williams, Jr., entrepreneur, producer, artist, teacher, and Associate Pastor at The Potter’s House, for a rich conversation about divine timing, creative seasons, and the kinds of conversations the creative community desperately needs to start having.
From being too broke to drive home to St. Louis, to turning down a full fellowship at NYU’s Tisch School of Arts, to hearing Bishop T.D. Jakes unknowingly preach the perfect sermon on his first day as a new hire, Dr. Oscar’s journey is a masterclass in trusting the process, especially when the process is painful.
He also shares what he’s making right now: a new podcast called Are You Okay?, a Good Friday musical theater production called Tell the Story coming to the Irving Arts Center on April 3rd, 2026, new music releasing under Oscar Williams & the Band of Life, and a creative consulting firm called Speak Life 3C.
🔑 Three Key Takeaways
* Being ‘too broke to go back’ can be God’s most precise positioning. Sometimes he holds you in the hard place long enough for the breakthrough to actually stick.
* The creative community is not talking enough about physical, mental, and financial wellbeing and that silence is costing us a generation of artists.
* The relationships and skills you build while serving someone else’s vision are never wasted. They become the infrastructure for your own dreams.
✨ Something Unexpected
Dr. Oscar was accepted into NYU’s Tisch School of Arts with a full fellowship, one of only two offered to 300 applicants from around the world, and turned it down. Find out why, and why he still keeps the acceptance letter.
🎧 Listen to the Full Episode For:
* The full story of Dr. Oscar’s worst year in Dallas — including a repossessed car, eviction, and the single conversation with God that changed everything.
* Why he was fired from a church in Atlanta on New Year’s Eve, and how that led directly to his role at The Potter’s House under Bishop T.D. Jakes.
* A behind-the-scenes look at his upcoming Good Friday musical theater production, Tell the Story, retelling the resurrection through the eyes of four women who encountered Jesus.
* His honest reflections on grief, overspiritualizing illness, and the financial patterns that keep creative people from building wealth.
* Why creatives need to make a budget and how coming in under budget can earn you an investor for life.
* When it’s time to stop building someone else’s dream and start betting on your own.
👤 About Dr. Oscar Williams, Jr.
Dr. Oscar Williams, Jr. is a pastor, entrepreneur, producer, artist, teacher, and leadership developer based in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. He serves as Associate Pastor of Music and Creative Arts at The Potter’s House under Bishop T.D. Jakes and leads Speak Life LLC, a creative coaching and consulting firm helping individuals and organizations build stronger teams and realize their biggest creative visions. His music is released under the name Oscar Williams & the Band of Life. He is also the creator of the forthcoming podcast Are You Okay?, dedicated to the physical, mental, and financial well-being of creatives.
🎨 What Dr. Oscar Is Making Right Now
* Are You Okay? Podcast — candid conversations with creatives about mental, physical, and financial health
* Tell the Story — a Good Friday musical theater production at the Irving Arts Center, April 3, 2026 (1 PM & 8 PM)
* New Music — upcoming single “Me and an Angel” releasing under Oscar Williams & the Band of Life
* Speak Life 3C — creative coaching and consulting for individuals, leaders, and organizations
🔗 Resources & Links
Follow Dr. Oscar Williams:
oscarworldwide.com
speaklifellc.com
Social media handle (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn): @OscarWorldwide
Music on Spotify & Apple Music: search Oscar Williams and the Band of Life
⏱ Chapter Timestamps
00:00 — Introduction & Welcome
01:14 — The Most Interesting Thing Dr. Oscar Has Learned Recently (Darkness, Light, and Ephesians)
03:33 — Turning Point: Moving to Dallas After His Father’s Death
07:00 — Rock Bottom in Dallas — Eviction, Repossession, and Rejected by Walmart
09:00 — The Church Audition That Was Already Closed (And How He Got the Job Anyway)
10:40 — When God Keeps You Too Broke to Go Home
13:38 — His Musical Background: Piano, Composition, and “Communicating” Through Song
15:30 — Part Two: The Atlanta Church, the NYU Fellowship, and Another Unexpected Turn
18:00 — Getting Accepted to NYU Tisch (Full Fellowship, One of Two) — and Saying No
20:00 — Getting Let Go on New Year’s Eve and What Bishop Jakes Preached His First Sunday
25:30 — What Dr. Oscar Is Making Now
27:00 — The Are You Okay? Podcast: Wellbeing for Creatives Nobody’s Talking About
29:00 — Tell the Story: A Good Friday Musical Theater Production (Irving Arts Center, April 3, 2026)
31:30 — Oscar Williams & the Band of Life + Speak Life 3C Consulting
33:00 — Grief, Over-Spiritualizing Illness, and Financial Stewardship for Creatives
39:00 — Knowing Your Identity Isn’t Based on What You Make
40:00 — The “Curse of the Creative” — From ‘This is the Best Thing I’ve Made’ to ‘Is This Even Good?’ in 48 Hours
43:00 — Retelling the Resurrection: Reimagining Judas, the Samaritan Woman, and Pastor J
46:00 — Building Community Before You Need It (And Discovering Who Wants to See You Win)
50:00 — Betting on Yourself vs. Faithfully Building Someone Else’s Dream
54:00 — Legacy Thinking: The Next 10-15 Years and Getting to That Beach
56:00 — Why Creatives Should Always Bring a Budget
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