Today, as we wrap up our seventh year and 399th episode of Your World of Creativity, it’s fitting that we welcome a guest who perfectly captures the essence of transformation and growth — Rachel Burr.

Rachel's Website

@Catamentum on Instagram

Rachel's Facebook page

Rachel is an executive coach and leadership consultant with more than 20 years of experience helping leaders navigate the complex, unpredictable world of human dynamics. She knows that leadership can be messy — because people are unpredictable — and most leaders are promoted for technical excellence, not people skills.

Rachel specializes in human-centered leadership, guiding executives to build self-awareness, empathy, and relational intelligence. Her book Butterfly Goo beautifully compares leadership growth to a caterpillar’s transformation — messy, nonlinear, and deeply transformative.

1. From Caterpillar to Leader — Why “Butterfly Goo”?

• Rachel, your metaphor of transformation is so vivid — comparing leadership development to the chaos of metamorphosis. What does that “goo” stage represent for leaders, and why do you think so many get stuck there instead of breaking through?

1. Human-Centered Leadership in a Technical World

• You often say leaders are promoted for technical excellence, not people skills. What are some of the most common people-dynamic challenges leaders face — and how can they start to build emotional and relational intelligence?

1. Overcoming Fear and Finding Fulfillment

• Many of your clients struggle with fear — of failure, of being vulnerable, of not being enough. How do you help leaders confront those fears and replace them with a sense of purpose and fulfillment?

1. Navigating Complex Workplace Dynamics

• With your background in organizational development and clinical psychology, what practical tools or exercises do you use to help leaders manage interpersonal challenges and organizational change — especially in high-pressure environments?

1. Humor, Humanity, and Real Change

• You use humor and practical exercises to make deep transformation approachable. Why is it important for leaders to lighten up — and how can humor actually support growth, empathy, and connection?

Rachel, as we wrap up this milestone episode and our seventh year of Your World of Creativity, what’s one piece of advice you’d offer to leaders — or anyone listening — who’s ready to embrace their own transformation and move from stuck to unstoppable?

Thanks to our sponsor, White Cloud Coffee — fueling creative conversations everywhere. Listeners, enjoy 10% off your first order at whitecloudcoffee.com

And before you go, be sure to download your free e-book A World of Creativity when you visit mark-stinson.com.

Then come back for our next episode — as we begin our eighth year of creative conversations — where we’ll continue to travel around the world to talk with creatives about how they get inspired, how they organize ideas, and most of all, how they gain the confidence and connections to launch their work out into the world.

Today is Episode: 398 as we near the end of our 7th year of Your World of Creativity

I’m thrilled to welcome Amani Roberts — an award-winning music business professor, international keynote speaker, and global DJ performer.

He’s a USA Today bestselling author, and his upcoming book, The Quiet Storm: A Historical and Cultural Analysis of the Power, Passion, and Pain of R&B Groups, offers a powerful deep dive into how Black R&B groups shaped music, identity, and community.

Amani's Website

@amaniexperience on Instagram

Amani on YouTube

1. From DJ Booth to Classroom — The Creative Journey

• Amani, your career bridges music, business, and education. How did your early experiences as a DJ evolve into this mission of helping others unlock their creativity and confidence?

1. The Quiet Storm — Why This Story Matters Now

• Your new book, The Quiet Storm, is a cultural and historical analysis of Black R&B groups — from The Temptations to TLC. What inspired you to take on this topic, and why do you think it’s so important to tell this story today?

1. Beyond Entertainment — R&B as Social Commentary

• You write that R&B groups didn’t just make music — they moved culture. How did these artists influence identity, social change, and even the civil rights movement through their art and community presence?

1. Resilience, Reinvention, and Relevance

o With over 30 years in hospitality and 17 years in the music industry, Amani has collaborated with brands like Marriott, 7-11, Calendly, and Chartmetric, generating millions in revenue while inspiring professionals to unlock their creativity, take risks, and stay resilient.

o You’ve led in corporate settings, creative spaces, and classrooms. What are the biggest lessons you’ve learned about staying relevant and resilient — whether you’re spinning records, teaching students, or advising executives?

o Amani’s leadership extends beyond the stage — he was the first African American President of Meeting Professionals International’s Southern California Chapter in 45 years and is co-host of the podcast Adventures in Business. His work has been featured in Forbes, People Magazine, NBC, and Yahoo! Finance.

1. The Future of R&B and Creative Leadership

• As we look forward, how can today’s creatives — musicians, entrepreneurs, or educators — apply the lessons from R&B’s rise, dominance, and decline to keep their work meaningful, collaborative, and authentic?

Thanks to our sponsor, White Cloud Coffee — fueling creative conversations everywhere. Listeners, enjoy 10% off your first order at whitecloudcoffee.com.

And as we close out this special 7th anniversary episode of Your World of Creativity, remember to grab your free e-book, A World of Creativity, when you visit mark-stinson.com.

Join us next time as we continue our round-the-world journey, talking with creative people about how they get inspired, how they organize ideas, and how they build the confidence and connections to launch their work into the world.

Today we’re honored to welcome Stan Lai, one of the world’s most celebrated playwrights and theatre directors. He has been called by one critic ‘the major contemporary Asian playwright of his time, perhaps of all time’ and by the BBC ‘the best Chinese-language playwright and director in the world’.

Stan's Website

@Stanlai99 on Instagram

Stan on YouTube

Born in the U.S. and raised in both America and Taiwan, Stan earned his PhD from UC Berkeley before launching a groundbreaking career in Taiwan that now spans over 40 acclaimed plays, including masterpieces like A Dream Like a Dream and Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land. He’s also the co-founder of the Wuzhen Theatre Festival and Huichang Theatre Village in China, and his Shanghai venue, Theatre Above, is dedicated entirely to his work.

Stan joins us today to discuss his new book, CreativitRy: Asia’s Iconic Playwright Reveals the Art of Creativity, coming in November 2025 from Anthem Press — a transformative guide that blends memoir, Buddhist philosophy, and practical methods for unlocking the creative potential that lives within each of us. https://a.co/d/56PRqeG

5 Questions

1. The Source of Creativity

• Stan, you’ve said that CreativitRy explores “where creativity lives — within each and every one of us.” How did your own creative process as a playwright and director lead you to this realization, and what inspired you to put these ideas into book form?

1. From Stage to Page — Translating Art into Insight

• Your plays are known for their emotional depth and philosophical reach. How was writing about creativity — in prose rather than in performance — a different kind of creative act for you?

1. Buddhist Wisdom and Creative Flow

• You describe the book as rooted in Buddhist thought, guiding readers to unlock creativity through introspection rather than productivity hacks. How do mindfulness and spiritual awareness shape your own approach to artistic creation?

1. Creativity as Education — A New Frontier

• CreativitRy is being adopted as the foundational text for a new Department of Creative Studies at major Chinese universities. How did that initiative come about, and what does it say about the growing importance of creativity in education and society today?

1. The Universality of the Creative Journey

• You’ve been praised by artists like Ang Lee and Jack Ma for bridging the arts, business, and human growth. What do you hope readers — whether they’re artists, entrepreneurs, or students — will take away from CreativitRy about living a truly creative life?

Stan, as we close, what’s one piece of advice you’d offer to someone who feels disconnected from their creativity — someone who wants to rediscover that creative energy in everyday life?

Thanks to our sponsor, White Cloud Coffee — fueling creative conversations everywhere. Listeners, enjoy 10% off your first order at whitecloudcoffee.com.

And be sure to download your free e-book of Your World of Creativity when you visit