The Undaunted Creative

Nina Kolb is Senior Manager of Talent for Dick Clark Productions in California. Throughout her career in the entertainment industry, she has worn many hats including: Talent Booker & Project Manager, Social Media, VIP & Talent Relations, Publicity Director, work in the music business arena, as well as gaining experience working in promotions and producing while at CBS Radio in Chicago. Tom and Nina have a wide-ranging conversation about Nina’s rise in the industry, the circuitous route to her current position, and detail some of her everyday duties working for Dick Clark Productions.  

Sheila Fortson is the founder and executive director of the FAME Center which is in Chicago’s South Loop District. Alternately known as the South Loop Center for the Arts, the organization serves underrepresented youth on the South and West Side of Chicago by providing equitable access to high-quality arts education. FAME Center is even more crucial today than ever before with many organizations and schools cutting budgets tied directly to arts education, the model that FAME Center is incorporating gives opportunity to many. Sheila joins Tom to discuss her passion for the arts, how her education influenced and assisted in her dreams of running a sustainable non-profit, and her relentless focus on helping others.

Tom concludes season three of the “Undaunted Creative” podcast with a compelling discussion featuring Pei Pei Chung and Celia Rose, co-founders of “What UP Pitches,” a pioneering female-led music licensing agency and production house. The company has been instrumental in educating individuals within the music industry and aspiring newcomers through various in-person events centered around music sync licensing. In their conversation with Tom, they delve into the core mission of their work, the genesis of their company, and highlight upcoming events they are organizing.

Emma Young is a singer/songwriter, actress, and model who is based in NYC. She graduated Summa Cum Laude as well as full Honors from Columbia College Chicago in the spring of 2020. While at Columbia she majored in Contemporary, Urban, and Popular Music, and had a minor in acting. A few of her notable achievements included writing and composing the official theme song for Manifest 2020, as well as participating in a charity album to benefit the MusicCares Foundation. We discuss overcoming fears and doubts, making the move to NYC, and what are some of the intangibles needed to make your artistic path a reality

Arty Moore is a Casting Assistant on the Jennifer Hudson Show which is based in Burbank, California. His career in the entertainment industry has seen him have a bevy of roles on the Ellen DeGeneres Show, as well as audio production and voiceover work. Tom and Arty frame their conversation around several topics including breaking into the entertainment industry, working on two daytime talk shows, tips on moving to LA, and what motivates Arty on any given day.

Alex Katsaropoulos is a Publishing and Licensing Manager at Alcon Sleeping Giant Music Group in Los Angeles. He chats with Tom about breaking into the business, never losing sight of your creative output, and balancing being a musician in Los Angeles while working on the business side. Additionally, he breaks down the publishing and licensing sector while doling out a healthy dose of advice for creatives looking to make the jump to Los Angeles.

Nick Scalise is a musician, producer, and content creator based in Chicago. His history in the Chicago music scene spans many musical genres including pop/punk, EDM, and much more. His rise in the industry began in the 2000’s when he joined the pop/punk band October Fall. That band was championed by Pete Wentz from Fall Out Boy. In fact, Wentz was so impressed with the band that he signed them to Decaydance, A Fueled by Ramen imprint that Wentz had. Since then Nick has been involved in various music projects as well as creating content for Chicago’s legendary, Spybar. He sits down with Tom to reminisce on the Chicago music scene from the 2000’s, signing a record deal at a young age, touring, and his day-to-day activities as an integral part of Spybar’s creation team.

Joey Legittino is a Chicago-native and Columbia College Chicago alum, who is now based in Nashville, TN, where he works full time in artist management with Extended Play Music Group. Legittino currently manages Noah Floersch and contributes to artist teams for Myles Smith, Matt Schuster, and Zachary Knowles as a day-to-day manager. Tom and Joey discuss his journey into the industry, playing in a pop/punk band that took off quickly, moving to Nashville, as well as managing a roster full of up-n-coming artists

Noah Floersch is a Nashville-based 25-year-old artist and songwriter. Born and raised in Nebraska, Floersch developed a sound with folk roots, rock stems, and pop flowers. Since 2018, Floersch has released over 70 original songs, the most notable being “Ghost of Chicago”, “On Your Mind”, and “Love You By Myself.” At the time of this interview, Noah was on a stateside tour opening for Ricky Montgomery, and that same tour would go international in March of 2024. Tom sits down with Noah to discuss gaining traction as an artist, navigating the Nashville landscape, and weighing options when it comes to big decisions such as label contracts and negotiations.

Amirah Zaveri is a Chicago-based audio producer with experience in journalism, public relations, social media, and management. Throughout her career she has made an impact from her time as a student at the University of Illinois in Champaign, to her current position as executive producer at American Urban Radio Networks where she manages a team of writers, producers, and freelancers. Additionally, she oversees production of two award-winning radio public affairs shows. Those two programs, Viewpoints and Radio Health Journal, are syndicated on radio stations throughout the world and have a combined average listenership of 1.7 million people. Tom and Amirah discuss managing a successful radio network, overcoming obstacles in the industry, and the future of journalism.