Spoken Dreams

Nick Dardes is originally from the small town of Beaufort, South Carolina. He describes himself as an aspiring writer, but also says he’s the guy who is willing to do just about anything in the entertainment industry. His love for film began after watching the first Spider-Man movie in 2002. By middle school, he was making short films and by high school, even though he was shy and introverted, Nick started coming out of his shell in front of the camera. He started thinking he wanted to be an actor, but when that didn’t work out, he figured out that he really just wanted to do anything in regards to filmmaking. But as high school was ending, Nick realized he didn’t really have a plan for his future. He started to feel stuck, but would eventually find his way into a college, and began to learn more about himself than he ever had before. Nick would later do one of the hardest things of his life: move from his small town to the big bustling city of Los Angeles. Knowing that opportunity can lie just around every corner, Nick started working towards his future in any way he could think of.

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Goldie Chan is a storyteller, strategist, and writer. She grew up in Oakland among several diverse communities, which informs the types of stories she aims to share now. Having always been a creative, Goldie marches to the beat of her own drum—and much the success she has now comes from the fact that she makes her own rules. For instance, her life was forever changed when she started publishing videos online; not on YouTube, like you would think, but on LinkedIn. Now, Goldie is known as “the Oprah of LinkedIn," she writes a column on storytelling and personal branding for Forbes, and she’s founded Warm Robots, a social media strategy agency. However, it hasn’t always been an easy road for Goldie, nor has it been clear road. In fact, she first came to Los Angeles to be an actress. Now, with eyes of the digital world on her, Goldie is using her platform to not just tell her story, but to build and strengthen communities, and help share the stories of others.

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Lexx Fusco is a writer originally from a small suburb outside Philideplphia, Pennsylvania. She grew up an outsider. Not having many friends in her town, Lexx made friends with the characters she watched on TV. The television shows she fell in love with influenced her growth as a writer, and she eventually went to college to study screenwriting so she could pursue a career as a storyteller. Her path would eventually lead her to Los Angeles where Lexx found success working in development. While she had many wonderful experiences, she found herself reading more scripts than she was writing. But reading those scripts helped Lexx learn and develop more confidence in her own abilities, and now she's pivoted her career to focus 100% on the things she wants most.

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Melissa Gottlieb is a singer-songwriter born and raised in the San Fernando Valley. Melissa comes from a musical family, so naturally she took to music herself. She loved singing and spent most of her time in her bedroom belting out tunes or reading about the musicians she idolized. Melissa describes singing as a way to release whatever it is she may be feeling inside, and through her voice, she can connect with others who may be feeling those same things. After high school, Melissa decided she would pursue a career in music, but it hasn’t been an easy path. In fact, she lost her passion for singing for some time after negative experiences when it came to the business side of her creativity. With some help, Melissa would rediscover her love for singing. Now, she truly feels she’s found her voice as an artist. She’s on the verge of releasing her first full album, and with it, she not only hopes to take her career to the next level, but more importantly, hopes to connect with others through her musical storytelling.

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Sarah Lightman is a singer-songwriter and recording artist from the small town of Hightstown, New Jersey. She grew up in a family of artists and musicians. Naturally Sarah wanted to follow a similar path, but didn’t quite know exactly where she fit in. She started with music, but then would later abandon the craft to pursue a career in acting. Eventually, Sarah moved to Los Angeles, where she struggled to make friends and find her place in the city.Over time, however, Sarah slowly began to find “her people”—it started with co-workers and then evolved to include like-minded creatives. Sarah’s friends all kept telling her the same thing, “Why are you in L.A. trying to become an actor? You should be doing music!” With some tentativeness, Sarah started doing more with her music, and she fell in love it again. Now Sarah is thriving as a singer-songwriter and recording artist not just making music, but making music with a purpose.

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Heidi Luerra is the founder and CEO of RAW Natural Born artists, an organization that spotlights independent artists and creatives and provides them with tools, resources, and exposure to help them thrive in their creative careers. Originally from Redding, California, Heidi grew up set on having a future as a fashion designer. She chased that dream all the way through high school, and when she finally graduated, she made the move down to Los Angeles to attend fashion school and pursue her life-long dream. Heidi eventually started her own clothing line and began showcasing anywhere and everywhere. But after she and her fellow creatives began to realize there wasn’t really an accessible platform to showcase their art, Heidi stepped up and began planning her own event. The seed was planted for what would eventually lead her to starting RAW, and with years of dedication and hard work, Heidi’s organization now holds showcases all over the world. Now, Heidi is taking what she’s learned and wrote a book to help other creatives achieve their own success.

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Cristina Vargas is an actress and aspiring model & voice actor. She grew up in Hollywood surrounded by the entertainment industry, but didn’t know until later that she would be pursuing a career as a performer. Cristina was shy growing up, and experienced some bullying in school. She never felt like she fit in. After joining an after school program, Cristina became involved in the arts. It was there that she began to discover what she really wanted out of life, and after attending college in Santa Cruz, she returned to Hollywood to begin her path towards becoming a professional actor. While insecurities and fears were often present, with courage and determination, Cristina began conquering those hinderances one by one. She continues to challenge herself, and leap out of her comfort zone, knowing every experience is helping her become a better performer.

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Peter Moffatt is a Hollywood hopeful by way of Missouri. Peter describes growing up as an inside kid—mostly staying indoors and becoming enthralled with television. Sadly, when he was still just a kid, Peter’s father passed away, and Peter was left searching meaning and for a role model. He finally began to break out of his shell after joining theater to impress a school crush, and found found he really loved performing. He even went to college for theater. Then, Peter met a talent scout who would eventually convince Peter to move to Hollywood. But instead of red carpets and flashing lights, Peter found himself facing the darker, seedier side of the industry—The one filled with vultures looking to take advantage of young dreamers. But Peter could not be chased away, and would later discover that everything that has happened to him throughout his life is part of a story that only he can tell.

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Jonathan Chance is a writer, director, comic book writer, and voice over artist from Essex, England. Jonathan’s passion for storytelling began at an early age. He and his brother developed a love for movies, and it wasn’t long before they began making their own low-budget independent films. They entered their movies in film festivals and won several awards. One of those films would lead Jonathan to California to pursue his dreams of making films, and he even found joy exploring new storytelling mediums like his voice over work and as a background actor. He got married here, and set his sights on finally making his passion project: A feature length horror film called the Rectory about the long history of England’s most haunted house. But in the midst of experiencing some setbacks in the process of getting his movie made, Jonathan would have to face an unthinkable tragedy. His life was suddenly turned upside down and, for a time, his dream of turning his Rectory film into a reality seemed hopeless. However, rather than allow his life to turn into a real-life horror story, Jonathan chose to focus on the things that bring him joy. Now, he’s more determined than ever to share the stories he loves.

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Alicia Rosalie is an entrepreneur and the co-founder of the Self-Love Club clothing label. She is also the founder of The Love Club Foundation non-profit organization. Alicia grew up in the North Hollywood area of Los Angeles surrounded by art and creativity, and for a time she was heavily involved in a hip-hop dance team. As she got older, her mother pushed her towards a more academic future, and Alicia’s main focus in high school was trying to figure out who she was as a person. Her childhood and teen years were filled with trauma, and Alicia had a hard time figuring out what she wanted to do with her life. At her lowest, she was working jobs she hated and was in an abusive relationship. Things finally changed when Alicia landed a job that would change the course of her life, and met a person who would help reshape her future. Since then, she has found her calling in the form of a fashion brand that promotes self-love—the same kind of self-love that helped Alicia pull herself out of her darkest times. She has also found a way to give back to her community to show that, just as she had discovered, there is always a light at the end of the tunnel.

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