Making It Big In 30 Minutes

Ballard C. Boyd is a segment director and producer at The Late Show with Stephen Colbert but before he made it to late night television or won any Emmys, he was making ice cream in his hometown after graduating from Emerson. The path to what we want is rarely linear and he shares his journey with Georgette while giving us a glimpse into how he eventually made it in New York and what kept him going even during the so-called tough times. Recorded on April 4, 2023

Find more of Ballard at ballardcboyd.com and on IG @ballardcboyd


More of Georgette at georgettepierre.com
And more about Emerson College at emerson.edu

Madeline Kay Sneed MFA ‘20 on Making it as a Fiction WriterMadeline was on her way to becoming a published author before she completed her MFA. She shares how writing her debut novel, The Golden Season, became a form of liberation for her navigating the intersection of queerness and faith, and how her forthcoming novel, Today, Tonight, Forever, showed the lessons she learned on becoming traditionally published, how she freed herself through writing, and advocating for the LGBTQ+ community personally and artistically. Recorded on March 22, 2023

Find more of Madeline at madelinekaysneed.com and on IG @madzsneed, Twitter @madelinesneed, and Tik Tok @madelineksneedwrites

More of Georgette at georgettepierre.com
And more about Emerson College at emerson.edu

Jasmine Solano is a multidisciplinary artist in all the ways. She's a DJ, an on camera and radio host, a cultural organizer, just to name a few. Georgette and Jasmine both have deep WERS roots, fun fact: Jasmine created The Secret Spot, and they wax poetic on her journey building a career around music and activism, her new work-life balance, and advice she'd give her younger Emerson self. Recorded on March 29, 2023

Find more of Jasmine at xojsmn.com and on IG @xojsmn and Twitter @xo_JSMN

More of Georgette at georgettepierre.com
And more about Emerson College at emerson.edu

Evy entered Emerson as a marketing student and left an entrepreneur - for life! She and Georgette discuss the cultural inspiration behind Evy Tea, and get candid about navigating the entrepreneurial reigns as a woman of color, the challenges she faced raising capital, and one thing she wouldn't compromise on. Recorded on April 23, 2023

Find more of Georgette at georgettepierre.com
And more about Emerson College at emerson.edu

Donzaleigh Abernathy chose Emerson because she wanted to go to school where people would learn and know her name. Flash forward after many years as a working actress, activist, and writer, and people in airports know her name! She joins Georgette to talk about life as an artist, growing up during the Civil Rights movement with its creators, and the importance of the connections she made during her Emerson days. Recorded on August 9, 2022.

Find more of Donzaleigh on IG @donzaleighabernathy and donzaleigh.com

More of Georgette at georgettepierre.com
And more about Emerson College at emerson.edu

Alan Gwizdowski ‘09 on Making it as a Cinematographer
Alan Gwizdowski started out shooting skateboarding videos with his high school buddies before he found himself at Emerson College. It was there that he met some new friends, specifically Dan Perrault ‘09 and Tony Yacenda ‘10, who he’s continued to work with, mostly recently on the Paramount+ series, Players. Alan and Georgette wax poetic about the advice he'd give his younger self, his “holy shit” moment working in television and lessons he learned the hard way. Recorded on September 19, 2022

Find more of Alan on IG @alangwiz and gwizphoto.com
More of Georgette at georgettepierre.com
And more about Emerson College at emerson.edu

After earning a reputation as a feel-good news anchor, Dion Lim found her serious side in the wake of the pandemic and the rise in violence and bigotry toward the AAPI community. On the surface, she might have a perfect smile, hairdo, and face of makeup -- in addition to an aesthetically pleasing Zoom backdrop -- but make no mistake, Dion is so much more than the face you see on your TV. She and Georgette delve into her life as a reporter, her new role as author and how some of the most important things she learned at Emerson didn’t come from her text books. Recorded on August 10, 2022

Find more of Dion on IG/Twitter @DionLimTV and dionlim.com

More of Georgette at georgettepierre.com
And more about Emerson College at emerson.edu

Shanaé Burch is a storyteller at heart and is now using her roots in the theater to revive health and reconcile hearts while pursuing an EdD in Public Health at Columbia University. Her path may seem like a winding one but as she shares her experiences on the stage, in the classroom and as a co-editor of Poetry for the Public’s Health, you’ll find that this Emerson alum is a living embodiment of our motto, Innovation in Communication and the Arts. Recorded on August 2, 2022.

Find more of Shanaé on IG/Twitter @shanaerebecca and shanaeburch.com
More of Georgette at georgettepierre.com
And more about Emerson College at emerson.edu

For a Making it Big first, we have a dynamic duo who first became friends while at Emerson. From Boylston Street to Sunset Boulevard, Dominique and Quinn’s decade-long friendship laid the foundation for their creative, working relationship, as they embark on making a travel-dating show together. The pair discuss inspiration versus comparison, how to keep your creative fire lit when it feels like the world is trying to snuff you out, and what it’s like to create work with your friends after honing your industry skills for 10 years. Recorded on August 4, 2022.

Find more of Dominique on Twitter @DominiqueBanas, IG @domnom and Quinn on IG @quinnifermarcus
More about Your Neighbor’s Backyard on Instagram @ynb_community
More of Georgette at georgettepierre.com
And more about Emerson College at emerson.edu

David Yoon tells lies for a living. He’s been chasing the feeling of making his entire class laugh at a story in the 3rd grade, and with time, talent, and a little luck, has 4 different titles with his name on the spine in any given bookstore. Alongside his wife, Nicola, who he met at Emerson, the writer power couple has set forth on a journey to help other POC writers tell love stories for their imprint, Joy Revolution. Dave talks with Georgette about everything from the importance of taking a break, rejection, and being your own boss. Recorded on August 1, 2022.

Find more of David on IG @davidoftheyoon, Twitter @davidyoon and davidyoon.com
More of Georgette at georgettepierre.com
And more about Emerson College at emerson.edu