Today we’re welcoming T. Christian Helms, Founder and Creative Director of Helms Workshop, an award-winning branding agency known for building brands that truly connect.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/tchristianhelms/

T. Christian's Website

Over the past 15 years, Christian has led creative strategy for beloved names like Jack Daniel’s, Hershey, Austin Beerworks, and Howler Brothers—helping them clarify their voice, tell authentic stories, and bring creative visions to life.

But what makes Christian’s creative journey especially powerful is the transformation behind the work. After years struggling with an undiagnosed illness, he rebuilt his life and his business using the same creative tools he teaches—clarity, storytelling, curiosity, and purpose. Today he helps companies and creators alike rediscover their creative spark and turn ideas into meaningful impact.

1. Rebuilding Through Creativity
2. Christian, your story includes a long period of illness and recovery—and ultimately a complete personal and creative reset. How did those challenges shape the way you think about creativity, purpose, and your role as a storyteller and brand builder?
3. The Spark of Curiosity and Play
4. You often talk about the importance of curiosity and play in breaking out of creative ruts. How do you intentionally bring curiosity into your process, both for yourself and for the brands you help shape?
5. Storytelling as Strategy
6. Your agency is known for helping brands find their soul and voice. What’s your approach to uncovering an authentic story—whether you're working with a global brand like Jack Daniel’s or an emerging creative business?
7. Rebuilding Creativity After Burnout
8. Many of our listeners have faced burnout, adversity, or seasons where their creative energy felt depleted. From your own journey, what have you learned about restoring creativity when the tank feels empty?
9. Creating Meaningful Impact
10. You’ve said that great design connects—and great stories endure. What does “impact” look like to you now? And how can today’s creators translate their ideas into work that actually makes a difference for others?

Christian, for creatives who are listening and may be at a crossroads—professionally, personally, or creatively—what’s one small step they can take today to reconnect with their creative spark?”

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And before you go, download your free e-book A World of Creativity, featuring insights and interviews from the podcast. Visit mark-stinson.com

Today, we welcome Dennis Welch — a lifelong songwriter and creative force who is now experiencing a remarkable musical renaissance in his sixties. Dennis has written more than 500 songs, published two books, played concerts far and wide, and built a body of work anchored in one central identity: storyteller.

Dennis's Website

Dennis on YouTube

@Poo_Welch on Instagram

Dennis's Facebook page

After recording an album in 2000, Dennis continued writing but went 18 years without releasing new music… until a single moment changed everything. When his longtime friend, Little River Band guitarist Rich Herring, heard one of Dennis’s songs, he offered to produce a single — which turned into an album, and then another, all landing on the first Grammy ballot in multiple categories.

His newest album, Strong, released this July, continues this extraordinary creative chapter. Dennis’s message is simple but powerful: Never give up. Keep creating. You never know what’s around the next corner.

1. A Renaissance at Sixty: Why Now?
2. Dennis, your story is such a powerful example of perseverance. After releasing an album in 2000, you kept writing but didn’t return to the studio for nearly two decades. What was happening creatively during those years — and what made this the right moment to reemerge?
3. The Song That Changed Everything
4. When Rich Herring heard one of your songs and offered to produce a single, it sparked an entire new era of your career. Tell us about that moment. What did you feel when you realized this might be the beginning of something big?
5. Storytelling as Your Legacy
6. You’ve said that if you could be remembered for just one word, it would be storyteller. How does storytelling show up in your songwriting today, and how has your perspective evolved across 500+ songs?
7. Three Albums, Two Grammy Ballots, and a Creative Surge
8. What Love Makes Us Do and If I Live to Be a Hundred both made the first Grammy ballot in five categories — and now you’ve released Strong. What themes, emotions, or experiences shaped this newest album?
9. Advice for Creatives Who Feel “It’s Too Late”
10. Your message is incredibly encouraging: Don’t ever give up. Tune out the naysayers. Do what you’re here for. What do you want other artists — especially those who feel their creative window is closing — to understand from your journey?

Dennis, if you could leave our listeners with one thought about sustaining creativity across a lifetime — what would it be?

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Today, we welcome Greig Watts, a powerhouse in songwriting, publishing, and music development. Greig is one-third of the internationally successful songwriting and publishing team DWB, known for selling millions of units worldwide and for pioneering early breakthroughs in markets like Japan and South Korea long before the global rise of J-Pop and K-Pop.

Greig's Website

@greigwatts on Instagram

Greig's Facebook page

Greig's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greigwatts/

For songwriters who feel stuck, discouraged, or tired of rejection, his mission: help creators overcome setbacks, rediscover joy, and keep fighting for the dream that first sparked their love of music. Greig has captured decades of experience—and the heart of his creative philosophy—in his bestselling book, Keeping the Dream Alive. It’s part memoir, part guide, and part rallying cry.

He’s overseen 16 Eurovision entries in 10 consecutive years, coached dozens of successful writers, spoken at industry conferences from Moscow to Taiwan to Amsterdam, served as a BBC Music Consultant, and mentored songwriters around the world.

1. From Almost Quitting to International Success

• Greig, your book opens with a vulnerable story—by 2003 you almost walked away from music entirely. What helped you turn rejection into fuel instead of failure, and how did that turning point shape the book Keeping the Dream Alive?

1. The Mindset of Persistence

• You say showing up matters more than talent. What does “showing up” actually look like for songwriters—and how can creatives overcome procrastination, self-doubt, and the belief that they’re not good enough?
• What’s the secret to finishing songs instead of endlessly rewriting them?

1. Protecting Creativity While Treating Music as a Business

• You’re very honest that loving music isn’t enough—you also have to monetize it to keep going. How can songwriters protect their creativity from burnout while still building a viable career in an intensely competitive industry?

1. Finding Success in Unexpected Places

• You and DWB broke into Japan and Korea long before most UK or US writers even knew those markets existed. You also helped make Eurovision songwriting camps what they are today. How has seeking out “the niche” shaped your creative and business success?

1. Mentorship, Neurodiversity & Keeping the Dream Alive

• You’ve launched courses supporting songwriters—including neurodiverse creatives—and you speak often about defending the underdog. How do you help writers identify their strengths, build a supportive team, and keep the dream alive even when people around them doubt them?
• Greig, for any songwriter listening who feels like their dream is slipping away—what’s the one thing you want them to hear today?”

Book link for listeners:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Keeping-Dream-Alive-Songwriters-Overcoming/dp/195725551X

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