Courtney Kocak's memoir, Girl Gone Wild, tells the story of a young woman from Smalltown USA who chases her dream of becoming a movie star, only to find the road to success filled with unsavory people and hard choices. But after 20 years of trial and error, she achieves success as a writer and comedian, with her best days still ahead. THIS EPISODE CONTAINS EXPLICIT LANGUAGE AND ADULT THEMES.

Did you ever think you're simply not good enough when really, you are? I hear it all the time on this podcast from guests who never thought they had permission to create. This is classic imposter syndrome, the feeling that we don't deserve our talent, skill, or success, that we are impostors in our own minds and bodies. Today's guest, Mike Sealy, was that guy once upon a time, until he had a talk with himself and decided he really did belong in a roomful of high achievers. Today, Mike coaches managers, companies, and even creatives on how to break free of preconceived notions and turn failure into an opportunity. His book, Mindset Unlocked, is the roadmap.

Contact Mike:

Mike Sealy FRSA | LinkedIn

Book a Call: https://calendly.com/mike-sealy/book-a-call-1

Author and historian Deric Gilliard discusses the violence at the alleged immigration enforcement operations that have led to assaults and deaths of American citizens in Minneapolis and other locales in the context of Black History Month. Is history repeating itself?

Seattle Jazz Hall of Famer Bill Anschell's 30-year career encompassed prog rock, jazz, and electronic music. Now he's added a book to his artistic accomplishments, "Benched: Jazz Stories." Join me for this conversation with Bill, including samples of his music and readings from his book.

Celebrating Christmas and Hanukkah with four guests from 2025 contributing their music and written word with a holiday theme.

:00 - Nu-Blu with Carolyn and Daniel Routh
11:03 - Charles Wiedenmann, holiday stories
11:30 - Dr. Hankus Netsky on Hanukkah music
29:38 - Sudi "Rick" Karatas, west coast Christmas

Dr. Hankus Netsky has devoted his life to researching, documenting, and performing Klezmer music. It is traditional Jewish music with roots in Eastern Europe, introduced to the United States in the 20th century. Klezmer was a signature element of Yiddish theater in New York and Philadelphia and is a mainstay of many Jewish celebrations. Dr. Netsky talks about his own history as a kid in a predominantly black Philadelphia neighborhood, where he played in jazz and blues bands before beginning the search for his own musical roots. His book, Klezmer: Music and Community in 20th Century Jewish Philadelphia, is available on Amazon

Dan Parr's faith came to him early, but it took him a while to go with it. He became a believer in earnest after reading the Bible. Today, Dan is a successful voice artist who has gone through the Bible, line by line, and rewritten it in everyday, easier-to-read English. He hopes it'll bring more people to God, especially Gen Z-ers.

Author Susen Edwards wrote a memoir on behalf of a woman whose troubled life took her into and out of three bad marriages, addiction, a Kenyan prison, and the global drug trade. As an author, Susen was committed to writing a true account of the subject's life while being careful not to invade the privacy of some of the principals. A fascinating tale of a true story written by a skillful writer who endured the same emotional roller coaster as her subject.