Episodes

  • 24: Grant Kirkhope on Composing Music for Video Games like GoldenEye and Mario+Rabbids & The Drive To Keep Improving

    24: Grant Kirkhope on Composing Music for Video Games like GoldenEye and Mario+Rabbids & The Drive To Keep Improving
    Nov 6 2024
    Grant Kirkhope is an Ivor Novello and World Soundtrack Award winning Scottish composer who has created the soundtrack for video games that have sold in excess of 40 million copies. He's worked on titles such as "GoldenEye," "Banjo-Kazooie," "Viva Piñata," "Donkey Kong," "Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning," "Civilization: Beyond Earth," "Mario + Rabies Kingdom Battle," and many more. He also recently scored the feature film, "The King's Daughter," starring Pierce Brosnan and William Hurt, which won The People's Vote at The World Soundtrack Awards 2022. Grant Kirkhope: https://www.grantkirkhope.com/ Key Moments: 02:36 - Grant talks about the first title he composed for and how he got his start in the video game industry. 08:42 - Despite the financial pressures of the industry, when you're in the right environment, you can have a lot of fun together and make something really cool. 09:55 - Freelancing comes with a unique set of financial pressures. 11:15 - Know how much artistic freedom you want. If you want to express yourself fully on your terms, hiring yourself out probably won't work for you. 14:03 - Grant shares how he found out he had been hired to compose for Mario (Mario + Rabbids). 16:40 - When it comes to all your work and all the music you've composed, the music people listen to the most - the most popular pieces - may catch you by surprise. Art has a life of its own. 18:42 - Babyface Ray used the GoldenEye watch pause music loop (from 1996!) in his recent single, "Count Money (feat BossMan Dlow)." 20:40 - The story behind the Donkey Kong Rap ("DK RAP") and how it became a sensation. 22:38 - "You can't be brilliant at everything, but you just have to try to be." 23:51 - Grant's work process: He works every day, seven days a week, on a schedule. No waiting for inspiration. He writes every day. 26:33 - The audience already knows what a certain scene is supposed to sound like. 28:37 - It's easy to rest on your laurels. The "curse of aspiration" will keep you pushing forward. It'll drive you to keep learning, keep innovating, keep creating amazing work. It can also dominate your life. 30:50 - Anything in the creative sphere requires a certain level of obsession. 32:55 - Video games and movies are incredibly influential. You get to be a part of these intimate moments in people's lives. 34:43 - Grant's advice to anyone interested in pursuing a career composing for video games and/or film: Write music every day. Network. Meet the people who are doing the thing you want to do. "Having the talent is 50% of the battle. The other 50% is the people you know." Most successful entertainers have a public persona. Learn how to set aside the inner introvert and crack a joke. Don't argue with the creative director. Say yes to everything. Even if you don't know how to do it yet. It's better to try and fail than not get the gig at all. One of the best ways to support this podcast is to recommend your favorite episode to a friend or family member. You can also support the show on Patreon. ------------------------------------ Mentioned in this episode: Little AngelsMario + Rabbids Sparks of HopeMario + Rabbits Sparks of Hope, "For the Galaxy" by Grant KirkhopeBabyface Ray, "Count Money" (feat BossMan Dlow)DK Rap ------------------------------------ More conversations on artistic careers: Andrew Ausseon on "Spellbinders" and What Video Games Teach Us About Storytelling (ep. 12)Haze Kim on Street Dance, Feeling Powerful On Stage, and Friends Who Help You Grow and Feel Safe (ep. 11)Mike Drucker on Stand-Up Comedy, Sharing First Drafts, and Embracing Kindness in Comedy (ep. 10) ------------------------------------ This show is hosted by Tiffany Aurora: https://tiffanyaurora.com
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    40 mins
  • 23: Aaron Jones on Entrepreneurship as a Lever for Growth & Creating Safe Spaces for Your Customers

    23: Aaron Jones on Entrepreneurship as a Lever for Growth & Creating Safe Spaces for Your Customers
    Oct 30 2024
    Aaron Jones is an entrepreneur and the owner of Bushelers of Baltimore. In this episode, we talk about how Aaron fell in love with designing and altering clothes, the tension between being an artist and growing a business, how entrepreneurship will test you and force you to grow, and what it looks like to use your business to create a safe space for your customers. Bushelers of Baltimore: https://www.bushelersofbmore.com/ Key Moments: 03:18 - A busheler or bushelman is a person who alters or repairs garments. 04:10 - With the world becoming more fast casual, the role of a busheler is growing, while tailors are becoming less common. 05:28 - How Aaron fell in love with sewing and the way it allowed him to express himself without feeling forced. 07:20 - The story of Treason Toting Co, Aaron's first company, and how he ultimately ended up founding Bushelers. 09:52 - The pros and cons of going into business with a partner. 10:40 - "The most unnatural thing is for an artist to become a business person." 14:15 - Aaron's aspirations to become a designer. 15:44 - Being an artist and an entrepreneur gives you the chance to create processes that fit you. They might be unconventional, but they'll work for you. 19:38 - Aaron's vision is to franchise Bushelers, so the business can scale, but in a way that is unique to and special for each neighborhood. 20:15 - The tailoring industry is shrinking, but it also isn't adapting to today's culture. Aaron wants to be a part of the new school and help create a new tailor shop experience. 23:51 - Being an entrepreneur is a pathway to serious personal growth. It's uncomfortable, but it will help you learn how far you can go. 28:45 - It can be hard for people who have entrepreneurial wiring to work for someone else. 30:13 - Being an entrepreneur is a privilege. "We GET to do this." 31:25 - Entrepreneurship taught Aaron how to take responsibility. 32:20 - What it looks like to create a safe space for your customers. One of the best ways to support this podcast is to recommend your favorite episode to a friend or family member. You can also support the show on Patreon. ------------------------------------ Mentioned in this episode: 2024 BGE Energizing Small Business Grant, in partnership with Hello Alice and the Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN) Treason Toting CoAndré 3000André 3000 interview with Rick RubinSavannah College of Art & Design (SCAD) ------------------------------------ More conversations on entrepreneurship: Cadie Bridges-Palmer & Stephanie Fabian on Launching a Yoga Studio during the COVID-19 Pandemic and Moving from Surviving to Focusing on Growth (Episode 18)Mikael Dia on Building a SaaS Startup, Finding the Right Customers, and Focusing on Your Zone of Genius (Episode 16) Michael Amato on Preserving a Memory through a Planted Aquarium & Shifting Habits and Services So Your Business Can Grow (Episode 13) ------------------------------------ This show is hosted by Tiffany Aurora: https://tiffanyaurora.com
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    35 mins
  • 22: Annie Marhefka on Embracing Your Identity as a Writer & Publishing with a Small Press

    22: Annie Marhefka on Embracing Your Identity as a Writer & Publishing with a Small Press
    Sep 26 2024
    Annie Marhefka is the Executive Director of Yellow Arrow Publishing, a small, independent publisher in Baltimore. She's also a writer, primarily of non-fiction and poetry. In this episode, we talked about what it's like to work with a small press; how "telling a story that needs to be told" is one of the best ways to make your work stand out; the role of vulnerability in writing; how her own identity as a writer has shifted over the years; what it looks like to build real, genuine community with other writers who are cheering you on; and much more. Yellow Arrow Publishing: https://www.yellowarrowpublishing.com/ Annie Marhefka: https://anniemarhefka.com/ This episode is sponsored in part by a grant from the Maryland State Arts Council. Key Moments: 00:32 - Episode overview 02:58 - Overview and Origin Story of Yellow Arrow Publishing 05:02 - Annie shares about the mid-career shift she made to return to writing, which ultimately led to her becoming Executive Director of Yellow Arrow Publishing 06:30 - Differences between a small, independent press and a larger publishing house 08:00 - The submission process for Yellow Arrow Publishing 10:37 - Volunteering at a small press might be one of the best things you can do for your own writing. 11:47 - Annie talks about using writing to process grief, relationships, and the uglier, darker truths we don't love to talk about. 13:26 - Tips for going deeper in your writing. 14:39 - The role of vulnerability in writing a story that rings true to the reader, and the way that creating art IN COMMUNITY can help you find that vulnerability. 16:25 - Yellow Arrow programming for writers 18:38 - Yellow Arrow's focus on women-identifying writers 19:41 - Annie's approach to her own writing practice, including how she schedules structured time each week for editing. 22:27 - In non-fiction and memoir, a lot of the challenge is figuring out why you feel a need to explore this particular topic. 22:39 - Annie discusses how her writing has evolved through the different seasons of her life, including changes to her identity as a writer. 26:59 - How Yellow Arrow Publishing and other presses may change in the coming years as reading trends change. 28:40 - What's the likelihood of getting paid for your submission if it's accepted for publication? 32:06 - Annie shares one of her favorite books from the past year. 32:50 - The medium of a story impacts who will want to read it. 32:55 - Stories that are memorable are the ones that leave you feeling like you know the writer and you understand why they felt compelled to put those words onto the page. You feel like that story needs to exist and you needed to read it. 34:20 - Publishing with a small press is one of the best ways to start (or continue) building your platform as a writer. One of the best ways to support this podcast is to recommend your favorite episode to a friend or family member. You can also support the show on Patreon. ------------------------------------ Also mentioned in this episode: "I believe in God, and other lies we tell our mothers" by Annie Marhefka "You Could Make This Place Beautiful" by Maggie Smith Door Is A Jar Literary Magazine ------------------------------------ If you enjoyed this episode, you also might enjoy: Jennia D'Lima on Bringing Your Writing To Life through Emotion, Dialogue, and Voice (Episode 17)Emma Snyder on Owning Bookstores, Learning To Ask for Help, and the Surprising Satisfaction of the Entrepreneurial Life (Episode 8)A.M. Parilla on Writing Serial Web Novels and Making a Character Memorable (Episode 1) ------------------------------------ This show is hosted by Tiffany Aurora: https://tiffanyaurora.com
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    39 mins
  • 21: Ian Durias on Asking Powerful Questions & Working with a Coach

    21: Ian Durias on Asking Powerful Questions & Working with a Coach
    Sep 19 2024
    Ian Durias is a certified coach and a stand-up comedian. He's the founder of Copious Coaching, where he specializes in working with people who are ready to take the next steps after divorce. In this conversation, we talk about what differentiates a powerful question from other questions; how powerful questions open a conversation and encourage new insights; how to ask more powerful questions and help people lean into their own wisdom and insight; why leaders should learn to ask powerful questions of their teams; the way questions play a role in building culture and moving society forward; and much more. Copious Coaching: https://copiouscoaching.com Key Moments: 00:40 - Ian Durias Introduction 01:22 - What is a Powerful Question? What is it about certain questions that causes people to lean in and engage more deeply, while other questions shut a conversation down? 03:25 - Ian shares how and why he became a certified coach 04:38 - "Coaching is a space for us to explore the answers that are within people" and to make sure we're solving for the right problem. 05:12 - Several years ago, Ian went through a divorce, worked with a therapist, and found that beyond working with a therapist, he needed "to get off the couch and start doing." 05:40 - Ian now focuses his coaching practice on individuals who have experienced divorce, done some work with a therapist, and are now looking to take the next steps. 06:18 - What question should you ask yourself to decide whether you want to work with a coach? 07:00 - Therapy is understanding your past to have a better present. 08:00 - Ask yourself, "What do you want for yourself?" Then a coach can work with you to break that down and turn it into action steps. 09:00 - Ian discusses why he was drawn to stand-up comedy and how it taught him to understand the vibe of a room, be more vulnerable, take your own pain and bring it to the fore to laugh at it, then use that shared experience as a way to connect with other people. 10:38 - Every year, Ian enters the Portland's Funniest Person contest, where he has made the semi-finals twice. 11:37 - The connection between coaching and comedy is "being in the present with people." 12:35 - Coaching involves asking powerful questions, and you can't ask powerful questions unless you're present. 13:04 - "What is a powerful question?" 13:30 - Often with questions, we try to answer them right away because we're trying to convey our own expertise. A powerful question causes a pause. A powerful question is personal and a result of what a person has already shared. And a powerful questions holds space for the other person to explore. 15:47 - It can feel unfamiliar to hold space for someone to pause and think. We naturally want to fill that silence. But silence is important in coaching and in comedy. In coaching, "silence is people thinking." In comedy, "laughter is the release of tension." If you hold silence after the set-up of a joke, before delivering the punchline, the laughs are bigger. 16:48 - Silence isn't only okay; sometimes it's advantageous. 17:02 - The difference between asking a question FOR another person vs. asking a question that satisfies YOUR curiosity. 18:08 - Sometimes we ask questions for our sake. Coaching is about asking questions for their sake. 18:20 - Coaching is different than mentoring. With mentors, you go to someone because of their expertise and you want to become more like them in some way. Coaches are experts in coaching, not your life. They're experts in asking questions and holding space for you to explore and come to new realizations, because YOU are the expert in your life. 18:55 - As a coach, Ian will ask you questions based on the "cards from your deck." 20:19 - Respect for the other person is inherent in these coaching conversations. 21:17 - Instead of thinking of coaching as a coach standing on the sidelines of a field, yelling at the players, think of coaching as a stagecoach. The coach is the vehicle and you're the driver. The coach is here to help you get where YOU want to go. They're not here to give you advice. 21:54 - Sometimes we do need someone to tell us what to do. That's fine, and absolutely necessary at certain stages or in certain seasons of life. But then there are times when we need to take the reins of our own lives. That's when coaching can become life-changing. 22:41 - Content-rich vs. context-free coaching. Content-rich coaching would be going to someone with a background in sales, where you go to them because you want their expertise. Context-free coaching is about listening deeply, asking questions, delivering concise messages, and holding space. 23:58 - Both types of coaching have value, but most people don't realize how many answers they already have within them, and context-free coaching (which Ian does) is phenomenal for learning to draw out the wisdom and insights you already have. 24:16 - In some workplaces, there is pressure to...
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    44 mins
  • 20: Jessica Henkin on Live Storytelling & Being Emotionally Present

    20: Jessica Henkin on Live Storytelling & Being Emotionally Present
    Aug 8 2024

    Jessica Henkin is the co-founder of Stoop Storytelling, a Baltimore-based live show and podcast featuring "ordinary" people telling extraordinary, true tales of their lives. Stoop held its first live show back in 2006 and has since welcomed nearly 4,000 people to its stages across Baltimore. In our conversation, Jessica shares about what makes a powerful live story, how to connect with your audience, why being emotionally present is so important, and how listening to these personal stories has caused her to fall more in love with humanity.

    Stoop Storytelling Live Shows: https://stoopstorytelling.com/ Stoop Storytelling Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-stoop-storytelling-series/id262444919

    This episode is sponsored in part by a grant from the Maryland State Arts Council.

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    Also mentioned in this episode:

    1. "Listening Is An Act of Love" by Dave Isay
    2. The Moth
    3. Stoop Storytelling event at Manor Mill on Aug 16, 2024
    4. Stoop Storytelling on WYPR

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    If you enjoyed this episode, you also might enjoy:

    • Elana Fishbein on Improv Performance, Becoming a Better Communicator, and the Importance of Psychological Safety (Ep. 6)
    • Mike Drucker on Stand-Up Comedy, Sharing First Drafts, and Embracing Kindness in Comedy (Ep. 10)
    • Andrew Auseon on "Spellbinders" and What Video Games Teach Us about Storytelling (Ep. 12)

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    This show is hosted by Tiffany Aurora: https://tiffanyaurora.com

    If you enjoy this podcast, please take a moment to Follow the Show wherever you listen to podcasts. Ratings and reviews on Apple Podcasts and Spotify are also appreciated.

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    34 mins
  • 19: Celeste Stacey on Identifying Chronic Overwhelm and Recovering from Burnout

    19: Celeste Stacey on Identifying Chronic Overwhelm and Recovering from Burnout
    Jul 23 2024

    Celeste Stacey is a Mental Wellness Coach and entrepreneur who specializes in helping high-achieving individuals identify and recover from chronic overwhelm. In this episode, we discuss the progression from stress to anxiety to chronic overwhelm and ways to notice when you're headed towards burnout; the different ways coaches and consultants serve businesses and business leaders; how to determine whether you need to work with a therapist, a coach, and/or a psychiatrist in your personal journey toward mental wellness; and how Celeste's own burnout from a previous entrepreneurial venture led to her becoming a Mental Wellness Coach.

    Celeste Stacey: https://celestestacey.com/ Are You Feeling the Hum? video: https://celestestacey.com/hum/

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    Also mentioned in this episode:

    1. Forbes article, "Navigating Entrepreneurship And Mental Health: Lessons I Learned That May Help You, Too"
    2. Young Vo interview

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    If you enjoyed this episode, you also might enjoy:

    • Dr. Tracy Hall on Wellbeing in the Workplace and Skills for Preventing Burnout (Ep. 14)
    • Rob Grabow on Writing and Directing a Film, What Drives Us As Creatives, and Tips for Noticing When You Need To Slow Down

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    This show is hosted by Tiffany Aurora: https://tiffanyaurora.com

    If you enjoy this podcast, please take a moment to Follow the Show wherever you listen to podcasts. Ratings and reviews on Apple Podcasts and Spotify are also appreciated.

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    46 mins
  • 18: Cadie Bridges-Palmer & Stephanie Fabian on Launching a Yoga Studio during the COVID Pandemic and Moving from Surviving to Focusing on Growth

    18: Cadie Bridges-Palmer & Stephanie Fabian on Launching a Yoga Studio during the COVID Pandemic and Moving from Surviving to Focusing on Growth
    Jun 25 2024

    Cadie Bridges-Palmer and Stephanie Fabian are the founders and co-owners of Yoga Union Baltimore. As long-time yoga teachers in the city of Baltimore, they weren't initially planning to build a growing business - they just wanted to get their community back after the COVID pandemic. But as you'll hear in this interview, these "accidental entrepreneurs" have built a thriving, community-centered yoga studio that is now a staple of the neighborhood, and they've grown as entrepreneurs who are now considering growth and expansion opportunities.

    Yoga Union Baltimore: https://www.yogaunionbaltimore.com/

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    Also mentioned in this episode:

    1. Mikael Dia Interview on Building a SaaS Startup and Finding the Right Customers
    2. Leadership U: Accelerating Through the Crisis Curve by Gary Burnison

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    This show is hosted by Tiffany Aurora: https://tiffanyaurora.com

    If you enjoy this podcast, please take a moment to Follow the Show wherever you listen to podcasts. Ratings and reviews on Apple Podcasts and Spotify are also appreciated.

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    44 mins
  • 17: Jennia D'Lima on Bringing Your Writing To Life through Emotion, Dialogue, and Voice

    17: Jennia D'Lima on Bringing Your Writing To Life through Emotion, Dialogue, and Voice
    Jun 18 2024

    Jennia D'Lima is a developmental and line editor and writing coach. She provides professional, personalized, and in-depth editing services for fiction and non-fiction, from middle grade to adult. She also hosts the Writing & Editing podcast. In this conversation, we talk about the different types of editing you need for your manuscript, developing your voice as a writer, killer dialogue, helping your reader feel the emotion of a scene, the importance of categorizing your book under the right sub-genre, and much more.

    Jennia D'Lima: https://jenniaedits.com/ Writing & Editing podcast with Jennia D'Lima: https://writingediting.buzzsprout.com/ This episode is sponsored in part by a grant from the Maryland State Arts Council.

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    Also mentioned in this episode:

    1. "The Artist's Way" by Julia Cameron
    2. K-lytics newsletter (literary sub-genre listings)
    3. Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA) Directory
    4. Maryland Writers' Association - Writers' Resources - Proofreading & Editing
    5. "Beloved" by Toni Morrison

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    This show is hosted by Tiffany Aurora: https://tiffanyaurora.com

    If you enjoy this podcast, please take a moment to Follow the Show wherever you listen to podcasts. Ratings and reviews on Apple Podcasts and Spotify are also appreciated.

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    52 mins