Devon Walz is a mixed media artist, muralist and art mentor based in Southern California. In this episode we cover: how to navigate periods of resistance and stuckness what’s the boundary between sharing your personal life in your art how the “shoulds” of society and culture stop us from being creative why we are not comfortable relying on our own authority You can learn more about her work: https://www.devonwalz.com/ Art & Magic Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/art-magic/id1496458820 Subscribe to my substack to never miss an episode.

Another solo podcast from me where I cover 3 things I've learned over the last few months: How self-awareness can lead to more discontent and how the I see/I love practice can help balance this out How the concept of repair in relationships can help you be more assertive What are some ways to repair relationships How to use a "beam of kindness" to help tough questions be more well received Subscribe to my substack to never miss an episode.

Vadia Rhodes is a Northern California based singer/songwriter and a celebrity makeup artist. She sings jazz, show tunes, r&b and pop music. Her song “No Graves”, centered around themes of persistence, has inspired a growing movement and her live performances have moved audiences to tears. In this interview we discuss: Vadia's creative process and spiritual roots How she came to an epiphany about her creative career How she came up with her song "No Graves" as well her song "I've Been Waiting" with a live performance of those songs in the interview How themes of fate and destiny interweave into her writing You can find Vadia's songs on spotify and follow her on instagram Subscribe to my substack to never miss an episode.

Often when we think about filmmaking, or other large creative projects, they seem inaccessible to us because of the large costs and logistics involved. My guest on this episode challenges this notion. Noam Kroll is an LA based filmmaker, director, cinematographer, colorist and host of the podcast Show Don’t Tell. In this episode we cover: How to get lucky by making many smaller micro-budget films versus one big budget film How Noam is making his most recent film for under <$1000 in fixed costs How constraints like smaller budgets can enable creativity Some innovative ways filmmakers have built an audience You can learn more about Noam on his website: https://noamkroll.com/ Subscribe to my substack to never miss an episode.

Emily Somers is an actress, model, writer, producer and story analyst. She was a recurring guest star on the most recent season of Westworld, and is the writer and producer of the upcoming indie movie INTO THE VALLEY which was shot in Northern California. In this episode we cover: How Emily built relationships after moving to LA and her advice for others considering a similar move What she learned from being in the cast of Westworld What were some of the creative challenges in adapting a novel into an indie film Lessons from her team's successful crowdfunding of the film You can learn more about Emily’s work at https://www.emilyannesomers.com/ You can see learn more about INTO THE VALLEY here: https://seedandspark.com/fund/intothevalley#updates/37213 Subscribe to my substack to never miss an episode.

Recording a solo podcast where I share my philosophy about why pitching is over rated.  In this episode I cover: A common misconception when it comes to sales and negotiation A case study of a client conversation and what I learned from it How changing statements into questions can make you more persuasive Why some questions are better than others How to have the counterpart pitching you, while making the conversation more collaborative Subscribe to my substack to never miss an episode.

Ruwan Meepagala is a men’s coach and host of the Ruwando podcast, where he talks about men’s challenges in relationships, with a focus on archetypes and esotericism. He also has substack and second podcast called the History of Man. In this episode we cover: what are some warning signs you might be part of cult what are some of the positive things families and businesses can learn from cults living a public life and covering taboo topics how he thinks about masculine feminine polarity while raising his daughter You can learn more about Ruwan’s work here: https://www.ruwando.com/start Subscribe to my substack to never miss an episode.

Maya Hu-Chan's latest book “Saving Face: How to Preserve Dignity and Build Trust” is an Amazon #1 best seller.  She is also a keynote speaker and and executive coach. In our conversation we talk about: What is Face, and why is it so important? How do different roles (parent/child, customer/client, manager/employee) affect how people interact with each other and save face? What is the role of intermediaries when trying to get information while saving face? How do you balance being honest, while saving face? What are some of the biggest culture clashes when American businesses work and negotiate in East Asia? You can learn more about Maya’s work here: https://mayahuchan.com/ Subscribe to my substack to never miss an episode. https://asadbadruddin.substack.com/

Gary Noesner retired from the FBI in 2003 following a 30 year career as an investigator, instructor, and negotiator. During that time he was heavily involved in numerous crisis incidents covering prison riots, right-wing militia standoffs, religious zealot sieges, terrorist embassy takeovers, airplane hijackings, and over 120 overseas kidnapping cases involving American citizens and the siege at Waco. He is also author of the book Stalling for Time. In this episode we cover: How time is a negotiator's friend and some tactics to increase the time you have What to do when you have intense scrutiny on your actions (in Gary's case, his negotiations were covered by the press) How to use creative solutions in a negotiation (Why Gary sent a photo of his wife and family to a man who was holding 35 people hostage) Why navigating internal politics is key to the success of your external negotiations You can learn more about Gary's work here: https://garynoesner.com/ Subscribe to my substack to never miss an episode: https://asadbadruddin.substack.com/ 

Brad Wolfe is a songwriter, author and founder of the non-profit Reimagine: which focuses on  loss, adversity, and mortality and how to channel life’s challenges into meaning and growth. As a musician he has shared the stage with Rusted Root, the Gin Blossoms, Howie Day, and members of Dave Matthews Band and Counting Crows. In this episode we cover: How Brad’s grandparents experience with the holocaust and then later with his friend Rachel shaped his view around death and loss How to think about end of life planning with family members Brad’s advice for those working through grief Brad’s advice for those who are helping others through their loss Why Brad thinks heaven is over-rated You can learn more about Reimagine here: https://letsreimagine.org/   You can find out more about Brad including his library of songs here: https://www.bradwolfe.com/  Subscribe to my substack to never miss an episode.