Stop Drop and Rawle

Rochelle Joseph has had her life completely altered by a NDE. This is an acronym describing the phenomenon known as a Near-Death Experience. A term coined by psychologist and neurologist in order to put a title to the sensations that are described by individuals who have experienced death temporarily. These experiences have occurred so frequently that they are now part of our cultural conversation. Jokes are often made about “The Light”, when one looses consciousness, and about seeing a grandmother who has passed on, etc… Death tends to be a very uncomfortable subject of discussion for those who are living. I can only imagine how uncomfortable it could be if you have actually experienced it.

Rochelle does an amazing job of simply and calmly relaying her experience of having died and come back to life. I found her descriptions of the afterlife quite unique in comparison to others that I have heard. Whether you believe these experiences or not, you can’t help but feel her stories pulling you along on a wild ride through life… or the afterlife.

Comedian Bobbie Oliver is a charming conversationalist. She comes to us filled with witty anecdotes dispensed with southern charm and precise comedic timing you could set a Swiss watch to. But this Buddhist feminist activist philosophical comedian extraordinaire, came from humble beginnings. Bobbie has gone from 7 family members living in a small two bedroom trailer, out in Covington, Georgia, to owning her own comedy school in Los Angeles CA. Her school, The Tao of Comedy, is one of the best places in North America, to develop your comedic voice. It is truly Bobbie Oliver’s Magnum opus, though she is not done yet.

This multi faceted entertainer is a joy to talk to. She comes filled with wisdom intellect and humor all rolled up into one. Her 30 years plus of Comedy experience shows during her Amazon comedy special, “Bobbie Oliver‘s Greatest Hits“. We have yet to unpack all the complexities of this comedy legend called Bobbie Oliver.

Melissa Shoshahi is a comedy Tours de force. Iranian born and Seattle raised, Melissa is able to drawn from her rich cultural background. Her comedy is laced with accurate character portrayals of Persian family members and eccentric friends. A decade into the comedy game and she has created quite a following. These days she finds herself a bit distracted by the current Iranian human rights

revolution. The “Women, Life, Freedom” movement has captured her attention as she spends a lot of her time tirelessly raising awareness for this cause.

Melissa was kind enough to take time out of her creative endeavors of comedy shows and content videos, to talk to me about how she feels being an Iranian woman and artist during these troubling times in Iran. Melissa speaks passionately about the inspirational impact these brave Iranian women and men, protesting under such a strict islamic regime, is having on her life. They defiantly stand up for their rights risking torture jail and death. Many of these women are teenagers and some artist, just like Melissa. Though they are separated by borders, Melissa cannot help but feel a solidarity towards these brave.

Jon Turteltaub has show business coursing through his veins. Jon’s father was the well known Saul Turteltaub. The Producer-Writer behind a numerous number of hit television shows like, “Sanford and Son”, “The Carol Burnett Show”, “What’s Happening” and so much more. Jon himself, is no slouch. He is one of Hollywood’s top directors. He’s not shy about telling you that himself. He has directed a slew of box office hits, like “While You Were Sleeping” with “Sandra Bullock” and “National Treasure” with “Nicholas Cage”. This is just a modest amount of his cinematic prowess. Jon Turteltaub’s theatrical accomplishments has made him a national treasure. But to me Jon is more than just a google page of achievements. This podcast conversation reveals Jon’s true heart. He comes off as a kind hearted empathetic earnest soul. He gives us a glimpse of the man only his wife, his kids and a few close friends get to meet. This person is who I experienced Jon to be from working with him on the set of one of his earliest hits, “Cool Runnings” staring “John Candy”.

In this conversation, Jon blends candidness with a dash of honesty. One cannot help but feel his childlike excitement, passion and love for his profession as a director. His enthusiasm is palpable as he strings his words together like a necklace, dripping with pearls of wisdom.

Had a fun conversation with world traveler Charlie Samos. Charlie is a bit of a modern day renaissance man, an explorer of sorts. Mr. Samos lives a full-size life. Not only is he a well accomplished Yoga Instructor who rock climbs, he also worked as a Foley Artist for film and television. Charlie still finds time to travel the world a few times a year. When describing Charlie Samos, one often sounds like you’re describing “The Most Interesting Man in the World” from those “Dos Equis” ads. Charlie’s stories of travel and intrigue and adventures and dangerous close calls would make even “Robert Ludlum” lean in to hear more. Robert might even steal a few scenarios for his next book. Charlie Samos has keen observational skills and insights into the human condition. This is evident as he relays the stories of his adventures with such picturesque details, recounting the emotionally impacted moments of his journeys. He may not be “The Most Interesting Man in The World“ but I guarantee you, when Charlie Samos speaks of his adventures and travels, he is the most interesting man at a party.

A conversation with David Rountree is like talking to a life coach who dabbles as a filmmaker. David is chock-full of insights and observations. His more than 20 years of experience in the Hollywood game, becomes blatantly obvious once he opens his mouth. David’s past life experiences as an athlete has instilled in him a core set of values and disciplinary practices that no doubt lends to his extraordinary success. The myriad of experiences he has attained through out his years is now available to be shared through his school, “L.A. Acting Studios”, of which he is a founder.

David Rountree is an extremely well informed and passionate podcast guess. His excitement towards dispensing his Hollywood nuggets are infectious. He imparts this wisdom on us with all the confidence of a Super Bowl ring winning coach, yet he still manages to keep it all conversational and fun.

How does a jersey-girl end up living in Uganda and forming a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping homeless boys get off the streets? Such is the story of Jacqueline Wolfson. Jacqueline is one of the founders of the “Shule Foundation”. This New York City based entrepreneur took a life-changing trip to Africa and was inspired by the people she met there. So, she reimagined her life and was motivated to make a positive difference in the lives of the people she encountered. During our talks, Jacqueline Wolfson eloquently describes the mental and emotional life transition that caused her life reboot. Jacqueline’s passion for helping those in need is self evident and shines through during our conversation. By staggering into her life’s purpose, it appears that Jacqueline Wolfson has found herself a new family and a new home.

Accomplished actor Sandra Eloani has been enamored with “The fountain of youth”, from an early age, way back to when her age was still in the single digit range. This obsession with youth, health and well-being, is probably what prompted her to do such extensive research on the facial augmentation world. Sandra has become a connoisseur of sorts and has offered a multitude of advice to her friends and colleagues who are curious about Facelifts, Botox or “Getting a little work done” as she calls it. Sandra also emphasizes the importance of having a healthy mindset around getting this type of work done on your face or body. She’s adamant about removing the psychological shame from the process. Sandra’s knowledgeable observations also comes from her being a participant and dealing with several nurses and doctors while having… a little work done on herself.

Sandra is a very motivational and inspiring guess. I found her conversations insightful and extremely informative. Her love and exuberance for this world made this a fun podcast.

Ola is what happens when you cross breed a comedian with a philosopher. My conversation with this UK born Nigerian, “Ola The Comedian” was a mind growing experience. Ola has an extremely innovative way of looking at things that makes one go… “Hmmm”. Ola’s ability to articulate his thoughts makes me want to take notes as though I were in a lecture hall observing a philosophical discussion. His comedic Inclinations do make these lecture like thoughts quite entertaining therefore more palatable to the layman. We covered quite a bit of ground in this conversation bringing clarity to Ola’s approach to life. This is definitely a man who’s depth goes way beyond the boundaries of comedy. It is easy to see why his comedy star is on the rise.

Susan Fitz-Simon has carved out an interestingly unique path for her life. She has been a professional Foley Artist for almost 30 years. What the heck is a Foley Artist, you say. Well that is exactly what Susan was so eloquently and passionately able to explain to us during this podcast interview. Foley is the art of performing sound effects to picture after a film, T.V. show, commercial or video game has been shot. Susan informs us that the Foley Artist is often performing live syncopations to picture in order to enhance sounds in the scenes. Certain sounds like footsteps, prop noises, sword play, clothing flapping in the wind are often added by the Foley Artist. Susan Fitz-Simmons has worked on over a hundred film and television projects, carving out a reputation as an extremely respected Foley Artist/Foley Editor.

Susan is able to use her knowledge of music gained from her rock star days in the 90’s. These skills have given her a rhythmic approach to the world of Foley which helped her to adapt nicely to this very unique occupation. Susan has put a little rock n roll into Foley.