Those Who Do Podcast

Kedo Osmancevic is a husband and father.  He's also a first generation Bosnian American.  In this episode, Kedo tells how his family emigrated from Bosnia during the war and what led them to eventually settle in Waterloo, IA.  He explains how his culture is important to him and how it shaped his past, present, and future.  Kedo's stories of the clash of cultures are hilarious and heartfelt.  This is Those Who Do:  First Generation American w/Kedo Osmancevic.

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David Byrd is an award winning photographer and Photoshop artist.  He’s a husband and devoted father to two very young children.  David has mastered many genres of photography and in this episode he shares how he is using those skills and experience to open a Boudoir photography studio in Denver, Colorado – Legend by David Byrd.  From his roots as a young child with a love for living in his imagination to owning several creatively successful photography businesses in three states, David takes us on a journey explaining how his roots in theatre have helped him not only to photograph, but tell layered stories with his images.  His unique ability to convey his vision to the models and artistic crafting that utilizes performance to influence the story telling of his final artwork truly make him one of a kind in a very saturated market of photographers.  David shares his fears and anxieties about fatherhood as well as the massive setbacks he’s faced in the world of photography and what those setbacks have taught him about the profession…and himself.  This is Those Who Do: Boudoir Photography w/David Byrd.

Legend by David Byrd -  https://bethelegend.com/

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Cassy Lensing is a tattooed, dyed haired former wild child.  She’s also a devoted mother and board certified Psych Nurse Practitioner.  In this episode, Cassy talks about how getting pregnant at 19 completely changed the course of her life for the better.  She shares her journey from life in small town Iowa working at her dad’s gas station to Nurse Practitioner focusing on treating the person instead of just the mental illness.  Cassy explains why the people usually considered society’s lost are the most fulfilling folks to treat and how having her own successful practice has allowed her to most effectively help people in her own style and in a less clinical setting.  Cassy is also at the forefront of treatment.  She explains the process of a new treatment that uses extremely controlled Ketamine administration to help clients suffering from chronic treatment resistant depression or acute suicidality that are not responsive to other medications and treatments.  Cassy also takes the time to delve into how grief can be processed in a healthy and personal way.  This episode is extremely informative, personal, and fun.  This is Those Who Do:  Psych Nurse Practitioner w/Cassy Lensing.      

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Ernesto De La O is a husband and father born and raised in California.  He’s just like you and me.  He takes his kids to football games, has slip and slide parties in the back yard, and hosts sleep overs for his children’s friends.  It also just so happens he’s an editor for reality television shows.  Which ones you ask?  The answer is yes.  Ernesto’s resume of reality television is ridiculously long.  Among his credits are: The Challenge, Shark Week, Total Bellas, Total Divas, Keeping Up with the Kardashians, Tori & Dean: Inn Love, and The Amazing Race…just to name a few.  Ernesto has gone from being nameless, faceless data logger to now supervising teams of editors on assignments, sometimes in multiple countries at the same time.  He talks with us about his early career in terrestrial radio and explains how editing has changed throughout the years from being an on site, locked in a room pursuit, to something people are doing in a table in their kitchen all over the world.  Besides being an accomplished and respected editor in the entertainment industry, Ernesto is a warm, welcoming and open guy.  He spends a ton of time with his family and was incredibly gracious and generous with his time. 

This is Those Who Do: Creating Reality w/ Ernesto De La O

This is the conclusion of our conversation with Tom Flaherty about his time as an Army Ranger, military instructor and special operations helicopter pilot.  We pick up as Tom recounts his part in the famous military operation that rescued young solider Jessica Lynch from an Iraqi hospital after she was taken prisoner of war as well as the subsequent retrieval of the remains of the American National Guard soldiers from her unit that were killed in Iraq so that no soldiers were left behind.  Tom also fills us in on what led to his transition to instructor, then helicopter pilot and what was in store for him once he retired and came home to Iowa.  Vulnerable, funny, and incredibly eye opening.

This is Those Who Do: Army Ranger Part II w/ Tom Flaherty! 

Tom Flaherty is a husband and father from Cedar Falls, IA.  He is also retired from a full career (22 years) in the United States Army where he was part of the Army’s premier direct-action raid force, the 75th Ranger Regiment.  He was also a mountaineering instructor and helicopter pilot who flew special operations missions in multiple theatres.  Tom gives us an intimate look into why he chose a career in the Army as well as how he earned his assignment to one of the most elite teams in the United States Army - the Army Rangers.  He shares a surprising story of his first special operations mission as an Airborne Ranger that became a world wide story of American Armed Forces success and survival as well as the sometimes strangely hilarious training situations he encountered while earning his tab and scroll.  It’s not hard…it just sucks.  Tom’s story is honest, informative, and full of humor amongst adversary.   

This is Those Who Do: Army Ranger w/ Tom Flaherty!

David Feld and Shawn Obrien are Hollywood producers.  The good kind.  Not the greedy, preventing actors from making a living wage and stealing their likeness to be later used by AI to lower their bottom line kind.  Their work includes doing things like making sure money is accounted for, marketing is handled, crew are secured and productions have what they need to move forward, and purchasing birthday cakes, among many other things.  David and Shawn join us to talk about their early lives in Arizona and Connecticut respectively and how they ended up in the industry.  They also clear up a lot of technical and industry terms…on their own…without being asked…like teachers.  Except Best Boy and Key Grip.  They wouldn’t tell us what those were.  Listen to find out why!

This is Those Who Do:  The Producers w/ David Feld and Shawn O’Brien!

Suzanne Francis is originally from Long Island.  She’s a writer of books (Disney Princess Beginnings, Onward:  The Junior Novelization, Moana’s Big Leap, Frozen II:  Family Game Night) television (Unhappily Ever After) and film (Wieners). 

She joins us to talk about her life before Los Angeles and how she ended up across the country working toward her goals, her influences, parenting teens, and the different creative processes involved in   writing for different mediums.  Her roots are in comedy and it shines through in this conversation full of chuckles, insight into the creative process, and the reality of trying to make it in the entertainment business.

This is Those Who Do: Writing - Kids Books to Hot Dogs w/ Suzanne Francis

Jesse Trevino and Joe Smarro are decorated Marine Corps combat veterans and former San Antonio Police Officers.  While they were cops, Joe and Jesse worked on a groundbreaking special unit tasked with responding to mental health calls in their community.  Joe was the subject of the Emmy winning HBO Documentary Ernie and Joe:  Crisis Cops and a Ted Talk presenter.  In addition to the Mental Health Unit, Jesse also worked special drunk driving enforcement, was involved with a federal task force performing threat assessments and preventing potential active shooters, and Cadet Training Coordinator for  the San Antonio Law Enforcement Academy.

Through their work with the San Antonio Police Department, Jesse and Joe were able to interact with all aspects of law enforcement exposing both the successes of the profession as well as the opportunities for improvement.   Most importantly their work on the Mental Health Unit stoked their passion to change mental health culture in the community as well as within law enforcement.

Joe and Jesse used their life experiences and sense of humor to create a successful consulting company – SolutionPoint+.  SolutionPoint+ has the goal of directly reaching first responders to encourage and foster positive culture change in Law Enforcement.

This is...Those Who Do:  Law Enforcement Culture Change w/ Jesse Trevino & Joe Smarro!!

Tony Saltzman is a television writer and producer known for Dexter:  New Blood, Goliath, Feed the Beast, and Nurse Jackie.  Most importantly, Tony champions the idea of collaboration in the creative process and thrives in a writer’s room and team environment.  He takes true joy in the success of others and was immediately open to sharing his successes and struggles in the entertainment industry. 

Tonys Forsmark and Saltzman take some time to give a run down on the reasons for the Writer and Actor guild strikes and what their respective groups hope to secure in aims of creating a working environment for writers and actors to own their intellectual property and likenesses as well as maintain job security and living wages for both camps. 

Lots of laughs, a good deal of information, and some insights into the creative process that may run against what most people think of the entertainment industry.

This is Those Who Do:  Collaboration & Creativity w/Tony Saltzman!