Studio City Now

Rick and I had a fun conversation a few weeks ago. What can you say about a guy who writes songs entitled “A Grain of Salt … and a Marguarita” and “All I want for Christmas is Sleep”? Rick also let the world know that he sings better than Bob Dylan and Yoko Ono !!! Watch out Pavarotti !

We started our conversation talking about the books he’s written, most notable - Rainbow Relatives: Real-World Stories and Advice on How to Talk to Kids About LGBTQ+ Families and Friends. Whether you have your own questions because you’re preparing to come out to your kids, or you aren’t sure how to explain to your kids why their uncle has a boyfriend or why their friend has two mommies, this book can help. With an entertaining and educational approach to educating yourself and your peers about the issues and topics surrounding the LGBTQ+ community, Rainbow Relatives will provide answers to your kids’ questions and help you raise them to be open-minded and accepting adults. First and foremost, this book will help you approach the conversations you need to have and predict what you can expect from them. Rick  tells a variety of stories, such as that of a Mormon woman’s transition from fighting against gay rights to becoming a crusader for them. Also included are the voices of filmmakers, actors, musicians, mental health professionals, and more. Through Rainbow Relatives, Rick helps parents support, advocate for, and educate their children, relatives, and family friends.

Then there is: “How Catering sucked the life out of me!” If you have ever been a server or worked in the food industry, you will get it.

What can I say about “DWI – Drinking While Decorating?” 

Rick is a funny guy, and multi-talented.

Rick is the writer/producer of the film “Walk A Mile In My Pradas,”  starring Tom Arnold, Dee Wallace, Mike Starr, Bruce Vilanch, Nathaniel Marston. The film was on Netflix for 2 years and Amazon Prime. We want it back on Amazon Prime!!!

His content is on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAiJLjp4tuc

Rick’s books can be found on East End Books, Amazon and his website:

www.sudirick.com

https://www.eastendbooksptown.com/

His email is [email protected]

I had the pleasure on speaking with my friend, Bob Marovich. I met Bob about ten years ago on a Vee Jay Records site. Bob is the expert on Vee Jay – The Gospel Years. So, this is Bob !!!

He has been a writer since he was old enough to spell, is a grantwriter, fundraising professional, and serves as the editor of the GlobeTrade monthly "Borderbuster" e-newsletter. Bob launched JGM on the tenth anniversary of its predecessor website, The Black Gospel Blog, which he founded July 28, 2004, as the first blog to cover African American gospel music. Bob is a gospel music historian, author, and radio host.  Since 2001, he has produced “Gospel Memories.”  The show features classic gospel, spiritual, and jubilee music, and interviews with gospel legends.  It airs Saturday mornings on Chicago’s WLUW-FM and throughout the week on several Internet and low-power FM radio stations throughout the U.S., Canada, and Europe.

Bob has been interviewed about gospel for television, radio, and newspapers, and was featured on a BBC Radio 2 documentary on the life of Sister Rosetta Tharpe.  He is also the gospel editor for ChicagoMusic.org.

Bob’s work has been published in the Encyclopedia of American Gospel Music (Routledge 2005), Encyclopedia of African American Music (Greenwood Publishing 2010), and in the ARSC Journal of the Association of Recorded Sound Collections.  He has presented and participated in panel discussions on gospel music at the Gospel Music Workshop of America, National and Independent Gospel Music Association Industry Summit, Blues and the Spirit Conference at Dominican University (River Forest, Illinois), the American Library Association, and the Association of Recorded Sound Collections annual convention.

Formerly second vice president of the Chicago Area Gospel Announcers Guild (Gospel Music Workshop of America), Bob is on the board of the Chicago Gospel Music Heritage Museum, the Rhythm of Gospel Awards, Blackburn College, and Tree House Humane Society.  He is a member of the Stellar Awards Gospel Music Academy, the National Independent Gospel Music Association, the Recording Academy, the Center for Black Music Research, and the Association of Recorded Sound Collections.

Bob’s collection of historic gospel recordings exceeds 5,000 vinyl discs that contain more than 19,000 individual tracks, and thousands of gospel CDs.  His collection of gospel music memorabilia includes sheet music, song folios, photographs, signatures, anniversary programs, tickets, posters, and other promotional material.

Bob holds a bachelor’s degree in American Studies from the University of Notre Dame and an MBA from the Lake Forest Graduate School of Management.  His first book, Shout Troubles Over: The Birth of Gospel Music in Chicago, published in March 2015 by the University of Illinois Press as part of its Music in American Life Series.

Bob lives in Chicago with his wife, author Laurel Delaney, and their two cats.  Bob's wife, Laurel, has a podcast for women entrepreneurs.  Bob gives the podcast name towards the end of our podcast.  I will be listening to it!

He can be contacted by email at journalofgospelmusic.com and gospelmemories.com.  

Chef Ryan Rondeno has a passion for French, Italian and Regional American Cuisine. He has introduced his clients to new cuisine with his focus on local, sustainable cuisine with a strong emphasis on bold flavors. Chef Rondeno continues to revamp his own style of cooking with the love of New Orleans cuisine and fresh California flavors.

Born in Metairie, Louisiana, Ryan Rondeno had a culinary upbringing surrounded by great southern cooks, including his grandfather who was a local legendary chef. He began his career at 16 working as a New Orleans prep cook, where his love for Cajun-Creole cuisine began. After graduating high school, he attended The Chef John Culinary Institute in Thibodaux, Louisiana. While in school, he working under the late Chef Jamie Shannon of Commander’s Palace, who instilled the importance of restaurant service, and Chef Anne Kearney of Peristyle, who focused on detail and perfection. These two chefs helped Rondeno build a strong foundation of southern cooking and superb technique.

After obtaining a college degree, he worked with chefs Emeril Lagasse, Anton Schulte, Mathais Wolf, Sue Zemenick, and Gerard Maras to enrich his culinary repertoire. Rondeno established culinary techniques in French, Italian, Southern, Cajun-Creole, and farm-to-table cuisines under remarkable chef-teachers and mentors. The opposing schools of stark simplicity and grand detail expanded Rondeno’s culinary range, allowing him to strike a balance to develop his own gastronomic flare.

After Hurricane Katrina, he rolacted to Atlanta and rejoined the Emeril Lagasse Corporation as a saucier, butcher, and sous chef under Chef Michael Blydenstein. As he continued to hone his skills, Rondeno moved to New York where he became Executive Chef at a Southern style seasonal restaurant.

In 2014, Chef Rondeno started Rondeno Culinary Designs focusing on creating crafty and elegant bites for his clientele. He has found the perfect mix of combining New Orleans cuisine and fresh California flavors.

In 2016, he developed the Ryan Rondeno Spice Collection (Nola Creole Rub, Citrus Herb Rub, and Ancho-Chili BBQ Rub). His focus was to help cooks enhance the flavor of the dishes.

Ryan’s website is https://www.rondenoculinarydesigns.comand his app is Food Culture, available on android and IOS. I downloaded the app – wonderful recipes!

I had the pleasure of speaking with McKenna Camille Lee recently. McKenna is a model, actress and advocate for mental health. During our conversation, she spoke about overcoming OCD without the need of medication.

McKenna was born and raised in Oregon, and has found many creative outlets in theater, music and fashion. She is also a slalom water skier.

In August, McKenna will be at NYU attending the Atlantic Acting School. She’ll do well.

She did not grow in the entertainment industry and somehow wound up in theatre, acting and modeling.

McKenna’s music influences come from 80’s music. AND – the thing that would shock everyone – she hates chocolate!!!

She can be found on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat:

https://mckennacamile.com

https://www.instagram.com/mckenalee

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMeqQEHQT/

Snapchat: mckenna027

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpQt_l2V7XjgsitJ_pg2c3Q

I spoke to Skye Delamy recently – and had the most amazing conversation. She has released her 4th album, Untamed Circus, and it is incredible. We spoke about her inspiration for Untamed Circus, and she answered “Empowerment”. Her song, Girlfriend Muzzle, is an empowering song, not to let anyone crush you or tell you not to express yourself. We are often told that our opinions (as women) don’t matter. Her other songs – Language of Ghosts, Raquel and Francis Farmer, are inspiring.

Once the state opens up again, Skye will again play sold out shows at the Whiskey!

I’ve linked the first episode below. Skye can be reached through her website at skyedelamey.com or [email protected]

https://anchor.fm/michelemarotta/episodes/Chatting-with-Skye-Delamey-eqf6h0/a-a4lbjln

I had the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Ann Donnelly MB MRCGP DRCOG DFP DYT Dippallmed LFhom.  During our interview, she explained what all the letters after her name meant, and, among other things, spoke about life activation.  She has worked in all aspects of medicine, including hospice and palliative care.  She is an international teacher with the Modern Mystery School.   After entering the dating world, she wrote "Once Upon a Tinder", which I will be ordering from Amazon shortly.  Dr. Ann's biography is below.

Her passion for helping people understand their full potential shines through, in this, her first book. It was written from her home in Ireland during lock down while unable to travel internationally. It was born out of a desire to create better understanding and more love between men and women. It chronicles a series of first dates and romantic encounters, with lessons learned. What does it take to rediscover yourself mind, body & soul after a breakup. Of course, the most important relationship of all is inevitably the one we have with ourselves!

I had the pleasure of speaking with Hephzi Pemberton recently and talking about her book, The Diversity Playbook. Her book, which I just ordered through Amazon, demonstrates with clarity, relevant case studies and research as well as an applicable exercise in each chapter, show leaders and firms who embrace and embed inclusion and diversity into their business will benefit. They will be the businesses that innovate and adapt more rapidly.  Can’t wait for my copy.

Hephzi explained Angel Investing to me, which is a long time, and sometimes risky investment, but very worthwhile.

Her background is impressive - She is an entrepreneur and Angel Investor, who runs a strategic consultancy and search firm called Equality Group. In partnership with leading Finance and Technology firms, they help source diverse executive leadership talent and consult on how to create a more inclusive culture to nurture and develop executives through to their full potential.

Equality Group also regularly publishes research and insights across the inclusion and diversity space. Recent reports include ethnic minority representation at board level, the problems of bias, authenticity at work and a wide range of diversity-related topics.

Hephzi is the CEO and founder of Equality Group, a strategic consultancy that helps firms hire diverse leadership talent and fully integrate social sustainability, diversity and inclusion into the fabric of their organization.

Her childhood was spent growing up in multiple locations from Leeds, England  to the Democratic Republic of Congo (then Zaire) to Cambridgeshire. All of these moves had one thing in common: community.

Equal parental rights as mandatory across the public and private sector; better government funding for early years childcare (see Denmark and Sweden for inspiration) and bring back the gender pay gap reporting with harsher repercussions where no progress has been made.

Don’t worry too much about the future, just focus on what you need to get done now and enjoy it! Even the hard parts where you don’t know what’s going to happen will come good. Remember you are more capable and more adaptable than you think, and you will surprise yourself with what is possible.

She still gives this piece of advice to herself today. The recent pandemic and lockdown has really taught her to focus on each day as it comes and how to savour the joy and the fun of the moment.

Her plans for Equality Group are to grow and impact the Finance and Technology industry for greater social sustainability.

Hephzi is very inspirational and extremely interesting.  She can be found on her website, hephzipemberton.com, and LinkedIn.

I recently had the pleasure of chatting with Eugenia Kuzmina.  She is not only an actress, model, singer and comedian, she has an interesting story.  She began her modeling career in Russia, went to France, and talks about how modeling is not the glamorous career everyone fantasizes about.  Eugenia talks about the cattle calls, and bookings, and how, when starting out, she lived in a dorm type setting with other teenage girls.  AND -  Her father was a scientist in Russia when the Chernobyl incident occurred.  Eugenia also talks about how secretive the nuclear plant melt down was, and her family being followed by the KGB.  

Eugenia talks about the roles she has played as an actress and how she got out of being typecast.

She is a extremely interesting, speaks several languages, is gorgeous and also just a super nice person.

Take a listen - I'm sure you will like her story.

I spoke to Erica "El" Dubois earlier today - her story is amazing.  El is a domestic abuse survivor who is still being stalked by her ex husband.  She speaks of her experiences with the local law enforcement and the District Attorney's office, who were unable to help her.  She addresses the issues of legislation that helps survivors and life after the escape.

El's book - Twisted Crown, A Survivor's Story - details her journey and can be found on Amazon in paperback and audible.  

Her websites are:   www.eldubois.com

www.twistedcrownfilm.com

www.twistedcrownfoundation.org

All social medias are:  @elduboisauthor

I had the pleasure of speaking with writer/producer Mokesh Modi a few days ago.  His newest project, "The Elevator", is intriguing.  The all star cast  consists of Eric Roberts, Eugenia Kuzmina, Matt Rife, Avery Llardi and Avery Morris.  

The plot consists of Roman Juniper, husband and father of three, is forced to go to work on the Saturday of his daughter's birthday.  He plans to return home in time for the party before things take a sharp turn of events. His wife and kids are setting up decorations and food at the house and start to wonder where Roman is since it is well past his clock out time.  A man matching Roman's description has been reported as a victim of a life-threatening accident and the Juniper family is extremely distraught and thinks it could be Roman.  They quickly drive off to the hospital to find out where and what has happened to their loving Roman.

The film is making the film festival route right now and will be released to the public soon.  I can't wait !  

Mukesh's message is "Do not keep anything pending and take care of your family first."

Mukesh also wrote and directed a documentary called "The Vision", which inspires a sense of community.

You can find Mukesh at elevatorfilm.com and on Instagram @realmukeshmodi.  He is also on YouTube.