You Are The Prize

Just the two of us—on fear, courage, and the power of the dance floor. 

In their first solo episode of You Are The Prize, Alexis and Alex talk about what scared them about starting a podcast and why they pressed record anyway. They share why these are the conversations they want to be having, what alignment looks like in real life, and where they feel most like themselves. Along the way, they invite listeners into the conversation and encourage one small weekly practice to spread joy: tell someone they’re the prize.

You Are The Prize™
A Studio STAB Production
 
 Hosted by: Alexis Kay and Alex Newson

Executive Producers: Alexis Kay and Alex Newson

Audio & Video Production by: Jonathan Champion for The Champ Effect

Social Media by: Maya Jones for Alt Entertainment & Sports 

Original Music by: Scott Martin

© 2026 Studio STAB. All Rights Reserved. YOU ARE THE PRIZE™ is a trademark of Studio STAB. Unauthorized use prohibited.

Links
Substack: https://substack.com/@youaretheprize
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/youaretheprize_pod/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@youaretheprizepod
Website: https://www.youaretheprizepod.com
Work with us: https://www.studio-stab.com/

A conversation about creative evolution and learning who to measure yourself against. 

In this episode of You Are The Prize, Alex and Alexis talk with filmmaker Amara Abbas about directing, creative evolution, and where the best ideas come from. Amara shares how she sharpens her voice as the projects get bigger, the power of generous collaborators, and what it meant to be given real creative freedom while directing Skrillex’s Xena. Together, they explore why comparison is most useful when it’s aimed forward, not sideways—and how believing in your future self can unlock braver, more honest work.

You Are The Prize™
A Studio STAB Production
 
Hosted by: Alexis Kay and Alex Newson

Guest: Amara Abbas 

Executive Producers: Alexis Kay and Alex Newson

Audio & Video Production by: Jonathan Champion for The Champ Effect

Social Media by: Maya Jones for Alt Entertainment & Sports 

Original Music by: Scott Martin

© 2026 Studio STAB. All Rights Reserved. YOU ARE THE PRIZE™ is a trademark of Studio STAB. Unauthorized use prohibited.

Links
Substack: https://substack.com/@youaretheprize
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/youaretheprize_pod/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@youaretheprizepod
Website: https://www.youaretheprizepod.com
Work with us: https://www.studio-stab.com/

Guest Links

Website: https://www.amaraabbas.com 

A masterclass in knowing your magic, even before the world knows what to do with it. 

Maurice Harris—founder of Bloom & Plume, artist, and creative force—joins Alex and Alexis for a conversation about creativity, confidence, and learning how to protect your energy. Maurice reflects on growing up knowing he was different, how not fitting in became a creative advantage, and what it really means when people ask for your vision. This episode is equal parts laughter and insight, and a reminder that your magic doesn’t need permission to shine.

You Are The Prize™
A Studio STAB Production
 
Hosted by: Alexis Kay and Alex Newson

Guest: Maurice Harris 

Executive Producers: Alexis Kay and Alex Newson

Audio & Video Production by: Jonathan Champion for The Champ Effect

Social Media by: Maya Jones for Alt Entertainment & Sports 

Original Music by: Scott Martin

© 2026 Studio STAB. All Rights Reserved. YOU ARE THE PRIZE™ is a trademark of Studio STAB. Unauthorized use prohibited.

Links
Substack: https://substack.com/@youaretheprize
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/youaretheprize_pod/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@youaretheprizepod
Website: https://www.youaretheprizepod.com
Work with us: https://www.studio-stab.com/

Guest Links
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bloomandplume/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@makotafanning
Website: https://www.shop.bloomandplume.com 

In this episode of You Are The Prize, Alex and Alexis sit down with Shaun Sperling, a speaker, coach, writer, and performer whose work centers on truth, joy, and self-expression.

Shaun’s path has been anything but linear. With a BA in theatre and a JD in law, his life has spanned stages and courtrooms, creativity and convention. From a teenager who knew himself so clearly that Madonna was the theme of his bar mitzvah, to an adult succeeding in a role that didn’t quite fit, Shaun’s story reflects a familiar tension between who we are and who we’re told to become.

Together, they talk about:

• How easily we drift from ourselves as we grow up and start optimizing for approval
• What it feels like to succeed at something that doesn’t actually fit
• Shaun’s path from joyful performer to practicing lawyer, and back again
• How creativity, even as a “side project,” can quietly guide us home

Shaun shares how writing, and sharing a video of himself dancing unapologetically at his bar mitzvah, reconnected him to the parts of himself he thought he’d lost, leading him back to performance, back to joy, and eventually into the work he does today as an energy coach and speaker.

The conversation is hilarious, honest, and deeply affirming. A reminder that who we really are doesn’t disappear, it just waits patiently for us to listen again.

If you’ve ever wondered whether it’s too late to return to yourself, this episode is proof it isn’t.

You Are The Prize™
 A Studio STAB Production
 
Hosted by: Alexis Kay and Alex Newson

Guest: Amanda Rantuccio

Executive Producers: Alexis Kay and Alex Newson

Audio & Video Production by: Jonathan Champion for The Champ Effect

Social Media by: Maya Jones for Alt Entertainment & Sports 

Original Music by: Scott Martin

© 2026 Studio STAB. All Rights Reserved. YOU ARE THE PRIZE™ is a trademark of Studio STAB. Unauthorized use prohibited.

Links
Substack: https://substack.com/@youaretheprize
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/youaretheprize_pod/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@youaretheprizepod
Website: https://www.youaretheprizepod.com
Work with us: https://www.studio-stab.com/

Guest Links
Instagram: @shaunsperling
Website: www.shaunsperling.com

In the very first episode of You Are The Prize, Alex and Alexis welcome Amanda Rantuccio, a longtime friend, accomplished marketer, and the original inspiration behind the show’s name. 

Amanda has spent two decades building world-class brands at Apple, Hulu, and Expedia. Her career has taken her from Los Angeles to San Francisco to London, and now she finds herself at a crossroads, deciding not just what’s next professionally, but where she actually wants to build her life. 

Together, they explore: 

• What Amanda dreamed for herself as a kid, long before job titles entered the picture 
• How “good on paper” opportunities can quietly pull us out of alignment  
• The difference between chasing momentum and choosing resonance 
• The places that feel like home, and why that question matters more than we’re taught

As the conversation unfolds, it becomes a real-time case study of the show’s central idea: what happens when we stop optimizing for external validation and start listening to what we actually want. 

So, will Amanda choose a path that sounds impressive or a place she loves? If you’ve ever stood at a crossroads between what you should want and what feels true, this conversation is for you. 

Welcome to You Are The Prize.

 You Are The Prize™
A Studio STAB Production
 
Hosted by: Alexis Kay and Alex Newson

Guest: Amanda Rantuccio

Executive Producers: Alexis Kay and Alex Newson

Audio & Video Production by: Jonathan Champion for The Champ Effect

Social Media by: Maya Jones for Alt Entertainment & Sports 

Original Music by: Scott Martin

© 2026 Studio STAB. All Rights Reserved. YOU ARE THE PRIZE™ is a trademark of Studio STAB. Unauthorized use prohibited.

Links
Substack: https://substack.com/@youaretheprize
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/youaretheprize_pod/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@youaretheprizepod
Website: https://www.youaretheprizepod.com
Work with us: https://www.studio-stab.com/

Guest Links 

Instagram: @amandaran
TikTok: @amandarantuccio
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-rantuccio/

You Are The Prize is a podcast about the powerful things that happen when your values and your actions are in alignment. Hosted by Alex Newson and Alexis Kay—brand and creative leaders who’ve helped shape companies like Apple, Hulu, Toyota, method, and Meta—the show features bold, brilliant humans: founders, chefs, therapists, actors, authors, and friends. Together, we explore the tools and experiences that help people live from the inside out. This is your invitation to stop chasing, start becoming, and remember: you’ve been the prize all along.