Inspired Minds (Jeff Watson, Michael Lee Simpson)

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Peg O’Connor, Ph.D., is a Professor of Philosophy at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota. Her training is in moral philosophy, feminist philosophy, addiction studies, and the work of Ludwig Wittgenstein. She believes that philosophy helped her to get and remain sober. Avoiding Alcoholics Anonymous for the first 20 years of her sobriety because of the concept of a “higher power,” she is focused on using some of the great canonical thinkers in western philosophy to illuminate dimensions of addiction. She further shares this in her new book, "Higher and Friendly Powers: Transforming Addiction and Suffering" (Wildhouse Publications, 2022). Peg is also the author of "Life on the Rocks: Finding Meaning in Addiction and Recovery" (Central Recovery Press, 2016), "Morality and Our Complicated Form of Life: Feminist" Wittgensteinian Metaethics (Penn State, 2008), and "Oppression and Responsibility: A Wittgensteinian Approach to Social Practices and Moral Theory" (Penn State, 2002). She writes a column, Philosophy Stirred, Not Shaken, for Psychology Today, which has more than two million total views online. Peg is also a first-degree black belt in Taekwondo. She's like Buddy in the movie, "Elf."

pegoconnorauthor.com 

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Michelle Holbrook was diagnosed with Schwannomatosis, a type of neurofibromatosis also known as “NF,” at the age of 30. The disease causes tumors to develop throughout her body. But despite the pain she goes through each morning, she is now serving as an Ambassador for the Children’s Tumor Foundation and wants to educate others about the rare disease.

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23 years ago in 2000, Jason Eric Perlman packed up a U-Haul trailer, hitched it to his Jeep and drove across the country to begin his new life in Los Angeles. Three years after that move, his same Jeep was crushed by a 2000-year-old Sequoia Redwood tree while shooting his USC Master Thesis Film. So— in many ways, his dream came true… 

Since his days in a fine art high school outside of Philadelphia, Jason had been fascinated by film. It amalgamated his creative interests, being a lifelong musician, photographer, and creative writer. 

After sidelining creative pursuits in college, where he studied Environmental Science, Jason returned to his magnetic north of creativity. He decided to pursue a Master’s Degree in filmmaking at USC.

Now , Jason is a WGA screenwriter and two-time feature film director. His first independent feature was Threshold, which was distributed by Archstone Pictures in conjunction with Sony in 2019. Jason directed the feature sci-fi thriller, Site in 2022 from his award-winning screenplay. The film is currently in post-production and attracted an impressive cast; Theo Rossi (Emily the Criminal, Sons of Anarchy), Jake McLaughlin (Will Trent, Quantico), Yoson An (Plane, Mulan), Miki Ishikawa (The Terror, The Falcon, and Winter Soldier), and Arielle Kebbel (The Grudge, The Uninvited.) This mind-bending thriller was filmed in North Carolina under the banner of Jason’s film production corporation, Entelekey Media.

Entelekey is moving forward with its next feature film as a partnered production company with a $50 million budget. Based on the true story of a family that spent 16 years trying to find the world’s most valuable sunken treasure, the screenplay was written by Jason and is being shepherded by an Oscar-Nominated producer.

Adapting an award-winning non-fiction book into a series, Jason inked a deal with a major production company to shepherd the show. It draws from Jason’s unique environmental studies background, detailing the grassroots efforts in Los Angeles to combat car pollution that ultimately escalated into the passage of the Clean Air Act in 1970. Legendary agent and former Chairman and CEO of ICM Agency, Jeff Berg, has represented both Jason and the property.

Jason has also sold scripted television material in the past, most notably with Oscar-nominated producer Alexandra Milchan (Tár, The Wolf of Wall Street) and Josh Weinstock (HBO’s Nightingale). In the past, Jason’s also developed television material with Warner Bros, Cloud Nine at CBS, The Tannenbaum Company, SquareOne Entertainment, Bold Films, and Annapurna Pictures.

His film editing work on the 2019 feature documentary, Hate Among Us earned the film an Emmy Win as it detailed the troubling rise in global anti-semitism. In 2016, Jason edited Sean Brosnan’s (son of Pierce) feature debut, My Father Die, which opened theatrically in January 2017. This film was also honored with its premiere at SXSW 2016 and won Jason a “Best Editing” award at Screamfest LA. He recently cut Daniel Myrick’s (The Blair Witch Project) horror anthology, Black Veil. Jason has cut over a dozen feature films and edited for significant companies like Lionsgate, Comedy Channel, Rockstar Games, Verizon, and Cinedigm. His feature work has contributed to great festival successes like Oscar-nominated director Paola DiFlorio’s Home of the Brave, which won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance. 

In 2018, Jason taught a Film lecture section at UCLA Extension. He’s also been a guest lecturer at the LA Film School, where he taught documentary editing, and a Guest Director at the Ringling College of Art and Design.

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Laverne is a Japanese-American film and television producer with more than 20 years of successful programming and producing experience in premium cable, broadcast and digital platforms. She is the Executive Producer of the Netflix series GIRLBOSS, and co-founder of K&L Productions, a film & television company created with Kay Cannon (PITCH PERFECT, BLOCKERS and CINDERELLA). Her guiding passion is helping creative professionals tell their stories to derive outer accomplishment from inner meaning.

For a significant part of her career, Laverne was a successful programming executive with stints as Senior Vice-President of Drama Development at CBS, and as Executive Vice-President of Original Programming & Development at EPIX. She was also Head of Television at Charlize Theron’s production company, Denver and Delilah. Her work has encompassed scripted comedy and drama series, documentaries, web series, animation, music events, comedy specials, and children’s programs.

K&L Productions have sold multiple television and film projects to distributors and financiers including Amazon, Freeform, Paramount +, NBC, ABC, CBS, FBC and TBS as well as Participant, River Road, Warner Bros, and Red Crown. Laverne is passionate about telling marginalized and underdog stories from both a comedic and dramatic lens.

As a certified leadership and personal coach and grief counselor, Laverne works with clients to master the art and power of transformation. Her approach is holistic, encouraging clients to see themselves as creative, resourceful and whole; it’s also cognitive, focusing on growth through purpose and values, on “being” as well as “doing.”

Laverne is also an adjunct professor at Northwestern University's MS Leadership for Creative Enterprises program. She teaches courses in Persuasion & Pitching and Leadership & Ethics which combine her producing, coaching and counseling work to create a unique experiential format that transcends book-learning.

Laverne is the former Co-President of the Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment (CAPE), and continues to work with them as a mentor in their New Writers and Leadership Fellowship programs.

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Michael Pollack has held leadership positions for more than 35 years in the legal, financial and entertainment industries. Michael is the founder and former President of a litigation support firm that is today part of an international group of companies. He has held directorship positions for more than a dozen financial institutions that are both private and publicly held. Specializing for decades in M&A and Turnaround Management he has spearheaded tens of billions of dollars of financing in commercial real estate, business and entertainment related transactions.

Michael is the Chairman and CEO of Pollack Films and a managing partner of APW Film Partners. He has been involved in the production of theatre and screen features for more than 35 years.

Michael's current projects include the feature films Delfino's Journey, Major, The Angel Of Harlem, The Black Cyclone, Cold Feet, Meet Me In The Kitchen At Midnight, A Game Of Deception (The Chic Harley Story) & Danny's Secrets. In addition, Michael's company Pollack Films is developing an exciting new episodic television anthology to be announced in 2023.

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Christina Lopez is an assistant editor at St. Martin’s Press, where she started as an intern in 2021 and worked her way up. In her time at SMP, she has worked on a wide array of books in several genres and with several amazing authors including Katherine Center, Kristin Hannah, and Sally Hepworth. She loves books that make her feel big emotions and is passionate about giving a voice to writers of underrepresented backgrounds.

Christina graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a double major in English and International Relations. Aside from reading, she enjoys spending time with her cat, Nova and watching bad reality TV. Originally from the sunny border town of El Paso, she currently lives in Austin, Texas.

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Damon West, M.S. Criminal Justice, is a college professor, internationally known keynote speaker, 3 x Wall Street Journal bestselling author and former crime boss in Dallas, who was sentenced to Life in prison for Organized Crime. 

USA Today calls him the “modern day Shawshank Redemption and the most in-demand speaker in America.”

At 20 years old, he was a Division 1 starting quarterback at the University of North Texas, when he suffered a career ending injury and turned to hardcore drugs to cope with disappointments of life. 

After graduation, he worked in the United States Congress and trained to be a stockbroker for United Bank of Switzerland (UBS). 

One day at UBS, he was introduced to methamphetamines; he became instantly hooked—and the lives of so many innocent people would forever be changed by the choices he made in order to feed his insatiable meth habit. 

After a fateful discussion during his incarceration with a seasoned convict, Damon had a spiritual awakening. He learned that, like a coffee bean changing with the application of heat and pressure, he was capable of changing the environment around him. Armed with a program of recovery, a renewed faith, and a miraculous second chance at life, Damon emerged from over seven years of prison a changed man. 

On parole in Texas until 2073, his story is one of hope, redemption, grit and the resilience of the Human spirit.

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Katharine Sands is a literary agent with the Sarah Jane Freymann Agency in New York City. She is the agent provocateur of Making the Perfect Pitch: How to Catch A Literary Agent’s Eye. She has been a guest speaker on writing and publishing for Poets and Writers, The American Society of Journalists and Authors, UCLA, New York University, and the New York State Council on the Arts.

Katharine has worked with a varied list of authors who publish a diverse array of books including fiction, memoir and non-fiction. Among the books she represents are: The Apothecary’s Curse, by Bram Stoker Award nominee Barbara Barnett; Girl Walks Out of a Bar, a memoir by Lisa Smith that was featured by People Magazine as Notable Nonfiction; and I'm Speaking: Every Woman's Guide to Finding Her Voice and Using It Fearlessly by Jessica Doyle Mekkes.

Katharine likes books that have a clear benefit for readers’ lives in categories of food, travel, lifestyle, home arts, beauty, wisdom, relationships, parenting, and fresh looks, which might be at issues, life challenges or popular culture. When reading fiction she wants to be compelled and propelled by urgent storytelling, and hooked by characters. For memoir, femoir, and himoir, she likes to be transported to a world rarely or newly observed.

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Legendary “Star Wars” editor and "A Long Time Ago in a Cutting Room Far, Far Away" author Paul Hirsch discusses the craft, showmanship and evolution of film editing. The Academy Award-winner's credits also include “Carrie," "Creepshow," "The Empire Strikes Back," "Blow Out," "Footloose," "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," "Planes Trains and Automobiles," "Steel Magnolias," "Mission: Impossible," "Ray," "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol," "Life of Pi," "The Great Gatsby" and "World War Z."

Podcast | Inspired Minds (inspiredmindspodcast.com)

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In-depth interview with Diane Drake,  WGA screenwriter and former Vice President of Creative Affairs for Sydney Pollack's production company, Mirage Enterprises. Drake wrote the smash hit romantic comedies “Only You” (Marisa Tomei, Robert Downey Jr. and Bonnie Hunt) and “What Women Want” (Mel Gibson and Helen Hunt). As an instructor for the UCLA Extension Writer's program and author of “Get Your Story Straight; A Step-by-Step Guide to Screenwriting by a Million-Dollar Screenwriter,” her wisdom has laid valuable groundwork for aspiring writers across the globe. 

Podcast | Inspired Minds (inspiredmindspodcast.com)

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"The End of Getting Lost" author Robin Kirman expounds on storytelling technique, character development and integrating life challenges into her work. Earning a BA in philosophy from Yale College and an MFA in fiction from Columbia University, Kirman taught English at Columbia before writing her first novel, "Bradstreet Gate," which was published by Crown in 2015. Now behind powerhouses like Simon & Schuster and William Morris Endeavor, Kirman is adapting “The End of Getting Lost” for Amazon Studios, as a film produced by Dakota Johnson and starring Margaret Qualley and Paul Mescal. 

Podcast | Inspired Minds (inspiredmindspodcast.com)

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Genein Letford, M.Ed is a bestselling author, corporate trainer, podcaster, TED Talks speaker and the CEO of CAFFE Strategies. Now one of America's most popular and innovative keynote speakers, her mission is to reignite the creative flame in people of all ages. Books include "16 Diamond Tools of Creative Thinking," "From Debt to Destiny: Creating Financial Freedom from the Inside Out," "I am Creative!" and "The 7 Gems of Creativity." Letford joins "Inspired Minds" to explore neuroscience and the meaning behind Intercultural Creativity. 

Podcast | Inspired Minds (inspiredmindspodcast.com)

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Spiritual entrepreneur, human connection coach, Rabbi and “Showing up with Asher G” podcast host Asher Gottesman talks addiction-recovery and radical honesty. After losing a multi-million-dollar real estate business at the age of 33, Asher dedicated the rest of his career to helping others “restore wholeness” in their lives. Armed with a renewed sense of self, profound life experience and entrepreneurial passion, he founded Transcend in 2008, building an internationally recognized recovery community. Now sober twelve years and counting, he has counseled hundreds of men and women and built a renowned reputation, recognized by his three hallmark pillars of recovery: Accountability, Community, Unconditional Love.

Podcast | Inspired Minds (inspiredmindspodcast.com)

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Two-time Emmy award-winner, producer and “New York Times” bestselling author Phoef Sutton digs into the creative process onscreen and on the page. Some TV/film credits include: “Boston Legal,” “Cheers,” “Kevin Can Wait,” “Darrow and Darrow,” “Past Malice,” “Defiance,” “Rob,” “Valentine” and “The Soulman.” He also wrote the Tony Scott cult classic “The Fan” starring Robert De Niro and Wesley Snipes, as well as “Mrs. Winterbourne” with Shirley MacLaine, Ricki Lake and Brendan Fraser. Novels include: “Heart Attack and Vine,” “Wicked Charms: A Lizzy and Diesel Novel,” “Curious Minds: A Knight and Moon Novel,” “From Away,” “Always Six O'clock,” “Fifteen Minutes to Live,” “Colorado Boulevard: A Crush Novel,” “Crush,” and “The Dead Man: Freaks Must Die - Slave to Evil - The Midnight Special.”

Podcast | Inspired Minds (inspiredmindspodcast.com)

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Twice Oscar-nominated and Emmy Award-winning director/producer Mark Mori explores the documentary side of Hollywood. His harrowing, world-renowned films, "Building Bombs," "Kent State, The Day the War Came Home," "Blood Ties: The Life and Work of Sally Mann," "The Atlanta Child Murders" and "Bettie Page Reveals All" have been both controversial and widely acclaimed. Earlier this year, his master catalog was released to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and Music Box Films Home Entertainment libraries. Mori has also made documentaries for National Geographic, MTV, Discovery, Animal Planet, HBO, BBC, Fox TV and Turner Classic Movies. Future projects include: the COVID-19 social impact documentary "Blue Collar America" and "The Lost Print: The Making of Orson Welles' The Magnificent Ambersons."

Podcast | Inspired Minds (inspiredmindspodcast.com)

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Neuroscience researcher, therapist, columnist, public speaker and Behavioral Therapeutics founder Marlowe Kaufmann M.Sc., tells her personal story and reveals the science and stigma behind mental health. In today's world with 450 million people struggling with addiction and mental health disorders worldwide, the topic is shrouded in stigma. She discusses this uneducated thinking and her comprehensive approach as a Behavioral Strategist. Gelmon is a University of British Columbia graduate, Keynote Speaker for CBC Radio and Global News, a Contributing Writer for "Today's Parent Magazine," the Director of Mental Health Education at Living Well Now, Behavioral Therapist at Behavioral Therapeutics Calgary, Capital Campaign Director for the Neurological Wellness Association and CEO/Founder of Neuro INSights.

Podcast | Inspired Minds (inspiredmindspodcast.com)

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With “The Batman” storming through theaters, Executive Producer Michael E. Uslan dives into the origins of the franchise, its monumental impact and Bruce Wayne's drive to defend humanity. Uslan, a legend in his own right by bringing the Caped Crusader to the screen, has executive produced every Batman-related movie since Tim Burton’s 1989 “Batman” with Michael Keaton, up to Matt Reeves’ “The Batman” with Robert Pattinson. This includes "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" and "Joker," along with animated favorites like "The Long Halloween" and "The Killing Joke." After buying the film rights with producing partner Benjamin Melniker in his twenties, a ten-year battle to make the franchise a reality reflects the determination of Batman himself. His incredible journey is detailed in "The Boy Who Loved Batman: A Memoir" and a follow-up, "Batman's Batman: A Memoir from Hollywood, Land of Bilk and Money."

Podcast | Inspired Minds (inspiredmindspodcast.com)

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After 25+ years in Film Acquisition at HBO, where she served as SVP of Film Programming and was responsible for the HBO Latino programming model, Doris Casap made a leap of faith and launched MOTHER FILMS as Founder/CEO, an independent production, sales and advisory company based in NYC. In her first year, Casap executive produced and sold (to Amazon and Peacock) “A Most Beautiful Thing," a documentary depicting the journey of the country’s first all-Black rowing team, a group of high schoolers from Chicago’s West Side. Her short film, "F^¢K '€M R!GHT B@¢K" starring rapper Ddm Ddm, was accepted into Sundance and won Best Comedy Film at the Aspen Shortsfest. She was also a consulting producer and sales distributor on “Surge,” a documentary sold to Showtime about the surge of female candidates in the 2018 Midterms and the triumphant victory of now-Representative Lauren Underwood, the youngest Black woman ever in Congress, with Executive Producers Alyssa Milano and Katie Couric. Diving into the horror genre, she executive produced “Red Pill,” written and directed by Tony Award winning actress, Tonya Pinkins, a political horror movie which premiered during the 2021 Pan African Film Festival in Feb/Mar 2021 and was released on multiple platforms, including iTunes, Prime Video and Direct TV, after receiving glowing coverage in a growing number of publications and platforms, running the gamut from Forbes to Black Girl Nerds. Tonya’s political horror film tells the story of a posse of progressives who ride into red country armed with idealism on the eve of the 2020 Election, when they should have brought heavy artillery. In addition to films, she oversaw the acquisition and commissioning of HBO Latino branded music programming. Awards for these programs include a Latin Grammy for Sony Music for music special “En Letra de Otro” with Pedro Capo, which led to a series of specials including “En Letra de Otro” with Farruko. Concerts included Carlos Santana, Gilberto Santa Rosa , Gente de Zona, Juanes, and many others. Along with being on the board of Almanack Screenwriters, Casap was most recently on the boards of the New York Urban League and El Museo del Barrio. Currently, she is an advisor to Second Act Women, Team TLC New York, and the upcoming Reading Rainbow Live. She has been an activist for the promotion of social justice and liberal causes, including the election of women, immigration and voting rights.  Looking at film as a throughline, she believes "comedy that moves culture through its humanity, and it’s culture that’s necessary to have been moved to make policy possible."

Podcast | Inspired Minds (inspiredmindspodcast.com)

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Isabel Dréan is an award-winning screenwriter, director, and producer who likes to explore human nature’s dualities of light and dark through psychologically intricate storytelling.

Raised by a single mother and now mother to two children herself, the theme of motherhood is an important and recurring one in her stories, with "Let Go" taking an uncompromising look at the devastating realities of losing a child. In general, Isabel is passionate about exploring female perspectives through thought-provoking narratives that cover various contemporary themes such as female revenge, #metoo, and women overcoming the impossible.

Her screenplay, "Rush of Blood to the Head "sees a woman escaping an abusive relationship via an unpredictable road trip, and in her Nicholl Fellowship quarter-finalist thriller, "The Wife of Frank B," she further investigates the harrowing effects of abuse through a boundary-pushing story exploring battered woman syndrome (BWS) with female empowerment at its core. 

Isabel’s expertise in handling darker themes has resulted in a prolific career as a writer and director of complex psychological horrors and thrillers. Her short film, "Let Go," which she both wrote and directed, won numerous awards including Best Short, Best Directing, and Best Cinematography at Los Angeles New Wave International Film Festival. Other award wins include Best Directing at HollyWeb Festival and Austin WebFest for her short format series, Manigances, about a famous novelist who employs a dinner party to orchestrate his own death. The series became one of the most-viewed online series in Canada and led to Isabel optioning the series to a major Hollywood studio.  

In response to the inescapable pandemic gloom, Isabel has felt compelled to tell lighter-hearted, uplifting stories under romcom, holiday, and coming-of-age umbrellas. For the latter, she developed unique narratives from her own personal experience, including her screenplay for "Love Letter to Laos," in which an adventurous woman settles in Laos to open the first bookshop after the communist era. Originally from Montreal, but a global wanderer at heart, Isabel’s love of travel has taken her beyond Laos to all corners of the world, immersing her in wonderfully diverse cultures that continue to influence and inspire her storytelling.

Breakthrough Entertainment & Vast Entertainment acquired FOUR of her scripts in the last twelve months. Two were produced and aired in 2021 and the others are all slated for production in 2022.

Podcast | Inspired Minds (inspiredmindspodcast.com)

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Adam Glass is an executive producer, screenwriter and comic book writer. Writing and producing credits include “Supernatural,” “Cold Case,” “Criminal Minds” and “In from the Cold,” a new thriller on Netflix. As a comic writer, Glass wrote “Deadpool” and “Luke Cage” for Marvel Comics and "The New 52" phase of Suicide Squad in DC Comics.

Podcast | Inspired Minds (inspiredmindspodcast.com)

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Independent film producer Veronica Nickel discusses powerful stories, influencing audiences and her segue into documentary filmmaking. Credits include: the 2021 documentary "InHospitable," Netflix Originals "First Match" and "Uncorked,” “A Kid Like Jake," "Stand Clear of the Closing Doors," "Dead Man's Burden," Wildflower" and "Moonlight," which won an Academy Award for Best Picture. Nickel was chosen to take part in the Sundance Institute Creative Producing Summit, LAFF Fast Track Lab, Tribeca All Access Lab and as a San Francisco Film Society fellow. While earning her MFA at Columbia University, she was awarded the Arthur Krim Award for excellence in producing. 

Podcast | Inspired Minds (inspiredmindspodcast.com)

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William D. Cohan, a former senior Wall Street M&A investment banker for 17 years at Lazard Frères & Co., Merrill Lynch and JPMorganChase, is the "New York Times" bestselling author of three non-fiction narratives about Wall Street: "Money and Power: How Goldman Sachs Came to Rule the World," "House of Cards: A Tale of Hubris and Wretched Excess on Wall Street" and "The Last Tycoons: The Secret History of Lazard Frères & Co.," the winner of the 2007 FT/Goldman Sachs Business Book of the Year Award. His book, "The Price of Silence," about the Duke lacrosse scandal was published in April 2014 and was also a "New York Times" bestseller. His book, "Why Wall Street Matters," was published by Random House in February 2017.  His most recent book, "Four Friends," about four of his friends from high school and what happened to them in their lives, was published in July 2019 by Flatiron Press. His new book, to be published in November 2022, is titled "Power Failure: The Rise and Fall of an American Icon." It is about the astounding rise and precipitous fall of the General Electric Company, once the world’s most valuable and respected company.

A former longtime special correspondent at “Vanity Fair,” he is a founding partner of “Puck,” a daily digital news and opinion publication. His focus at “Puck” is on Wall Street and the business world, writ large. He is a former columnist for the DealBook section of the “The New York Times.” He also writes for “The Financial Times,” “The New York Times,” “Air Mail,” “Barron’s,” “Bloomberg BusinessWeek,” “The Atlantic,” “Town & Country,” “The Nation,” “Fortune,” “The Hollywood Reporter,” and “Politico,”among other publications. He previously wrote a bi-weekly opinion column for “The New York Times” and an opinion column for “BloombergView.” He also appears regularly on CNN, on CNBC, where is a contributor, on MSNBC and the BBC-TV. He has also appeared three times as a guest on the Daily Show, with Jon Stewart, The NewsHour, The Charlie Rose Show, The Tavis Smiley Show, and CBS This Morning as well as on numerous NPR, BBC and Bloomberg radio programs. He was formerly a contributing editor on Bloomberg TV.

He is a graduate of Phillips Academy, Duke University, Columbia University School of Journalism and the Columbia University Graduate School of Business. He grew up in Worcester, Massachusetts and now lives in New York City and upstate New York with his wife and, on occasion these days, their two sons.

Podcast | Inspired Minds (inspiredmindspodcast.com)

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RCA Records Senior Vice President of Artist Development Nick Light has led the music industry in the production of major tours and special events for entertainment giants Warner Bros. Records, MCA, Sony Entertainment and Mercury. He has orchestrated and directed the production of major tours for a countless number of icons including Bruce Springsteen, AC/DC, Beyoncé, Neil Diamond, Green Day, Josh Groban, Faith Hill, Fleetwood Mac, Michael Bublé, Madonna, Christina Aguilera, Seal, The Eagles and Don Henley, The Who, Mary J. Blige, Blink-182, Bon Jovi, KISS, and many others. In this episode, Light reflects on his early days as a tour manager, his role as an executive, some crazy stories, the talent he's worked with and the ever-evolving music industry.

Podcast | Inspired Minds (inspiredmindspodcast.com)

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Janet Scott Batchler is the writer (with her partner Lee Batchler) of "Pompeii," "Smoke and Mirrors" and "Batman Forever," among many other projects. She was an Executive Producer on "Running for Grace," a lyrical indie about life and prejudice on a coffee plantation in 1910s Hawaii. The film, directed by David Cunningham and starring Matt Dillon and Jim Caviezel, was released in 2018. Janet moved into the world of directing with her award-winning short, "The Spittin' Image," based on the short story by Walt Wangerin, and has written and directed several other shorts. A graduate of the prestigious Directing Workshop for Women at the American Film Institute, Janet served on the Board of Directors of the Alliance of Women Directors for six years and is now an emeritus board member with the organization. As a guest speaker and teacher, Janet is on the Faculty of the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts, where she teaches screenwriting to graduate and undergrad students, and has pioneered classes in Collaboration and Adaptation, as well as the division's most popular class ever, on The Harry Potter Franchise.

Podcast | Inspired Minds (inspiredmindspodcast.com)

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First slashing his way to the screen as a Bob Weinstein's assistant at Miramax Films, Richard Potter read Kevin Williamson’s “Scary Movie” script one night, and insisted the film be made. He convinced Dimension Films to buy it, Wes Craven to direct it, the script was re-titled “Scream,” and the rest is horror movie history. He also developed legacy titles such as “Halloween,” “Hellraiser,” and “Highlander” into their biggest and most successful releases with “Halloween H20,” “Hellraiser: Bloodline” and “Highlander: The Final Dimension.” Other films to his name: “Scream 2,” “Mimic,” “The Crow: City of Angels,” “Nightwatch,” "Phantoms” and “Diciembres.”

As an executive, Potter was Senior Vice President of Production and Development at Dimension, as well as Executive Vice President of Production and Development at Relatively Media. In this episode, he discusses The Beatles, the origin of the “Scream” franchise and why his “Night of the Animated Dead” serves as a love letter to George A. Romero’s horror classic, “Night of the Living Dead.” 

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Mercedes De La Cruz (Gendron) is a Canadian actress, best known for her memorable and charismatic performances in more than two dozen television shows and independent films. As a model, De La Cruz has graced the cover of ALEPH Magazine, was Former Miss Hawaiian Tropic, Poster Girl Molson Canadian and notably secured a highly visible contract for The Brick before Cindy Crawford took the campaign over. After a successful modeling career, De La Cruz made the transition to a versatile supporting actor, lauded as a “great actress” by the likes of Academy Award nominee Sally Kirkland. For her role as Carla, a savvy pregnant prostitute, in Ramshackle Blues, De La Cruz was nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the 2019 Vancouver Badass Film Festival.

De La Cruz was born and raised in Edmonton, Canada where she began performing onstage at the age of three. She was a gifted dancer winning countless competitions and awards including Outstanding Performer from Lecky’s School of Dancing in 1994. She loved to dance and performed in front of large crowds in productions such as “The Nutcracker” performed by the Alberta Ballet. From there she went on to Musical Theater and then Classical Theater where she fell in love with the art of acting. She began with small roles and music videos and in 2009 made a move to Vancouver, Canada to pursue acting full time. Shortly after her move to “Hollywood North,” she landed numerous international commercials and now appears in various episodes of many hit TV shows and movies, including Hallmark’s upcoming "Right In Front of Me" opposite Janel Parrish, Lifetime’s Lonestar Christmas opposite Marco Grazzini, AMC’s "Bates Motel" opposite Freddie Highmore, Bravo’s Girlfriends’ Guide To Divorce opposite Lisa Edelstein (House), History Channel’s Project Blue Book opposite Aidan Gillen (Game Of Thrones) and the WB’s Supernatural opposite Jared Padalecki. De La Cruz recently wrapped filming the co-lead in the feature "Because You’re Dead To Me" and a co-starring role on the Netflix series "Maid." She studied acting under the likes of Jeff Seymour, John Cassini, Neil Schell, Kate Twa, Dean Armstrong, Mathew Harrison, Zibby Allen, Jeb Beach, Bradley Stryker, Michelle Allen, Anthony Shim, Lindsay Gibson, Edward Foy, Daniel Bacon, Rhonda Fisecki, Shea Hampton and Adam Davenport. Mercedes is represented by Melisse Kelly at Cue Management.

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A native of Los Angeles, Marilee studied philosophy at Yale before moving to Rome where she started her career in the film business as Francis Ford Coppola's philosophy tutor. She then worked in Italian TV as a director and development executive before returning to the US. Back in LA, Marilee started her career as a writer in commercials, writing treatments for many well-known directors, before turning to screenwriting. She has written primarily for film but has also developed several TV pilots both alone and with her writing partner, Reinhard Denke. They have optioned and/or sold over a dozen screenplays and pilots through their company, Mercury Media. Marilee is presently producing Reinhard’s Blacklisted script, "Sex, Greed Money, Murder, and Chicken Fried Steak," in a co-production with Amicus Films in Dallas. The film is scheduled to begin production in early 2023. Marilee has also turned to fiction. Her first novel, "The Tutor" (loosely based on her experience as Coppola’s philosophy tutor in Rome) was published by Rare Bird Books in the fall of 2019. Her lit agent is presently shopping her new novel, a psychological crime thriller, "He’s Gotta Go." Marilee is the founder of the nonprofit, One Village Green, which promotes mental health and wellness in American kids and communities through content, community building and grants to families in need. Through One Village Green, Marilee has a recently launched a podcast, Wake Up! where she discusses the youth mental health crisis with a wide assortment of experts across the mental health sphere. She is also developing a documentary, "Good Little Dead Robots," exploring the same. Her other careers? Busy mother to two teen boys, one-time annual fund co-chair at her kids’ school, gross-out cake expert, language lover (fluent French, Italian, Spanish), trained painter, and animal lover. 

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The saga continues with another “Scream” franchise legend. Her movies grossing over $1 billion at the global box office, veteran producer Marianne Maddalena started out Wes Craven’s assistant on “Deadly Friend.” Eventually becoming producing partners, the pair formed Craven/Maddalena Films and their work sliced through Hollywood as horror movie gold. Credits include: every “Scream” film, the upcoming sixth “Scream,” “Scream: The TV Series,” “Wes Craven’s New Nightmare,” “Red Eye” with Rachel McAdams and Cillian Murphy, "Vampire in Brooklyn” with Eddie Murphy, “Delirium,” “The Hills Have Eyes” (2006 and 2007), “Cursed,” “Dracula 2000,” "The People Under the Stairs,” “Shocker” and “Music of the Heart,” which garnered two Oscar nominations; one for Meryl Streep as Best Actress and one for Best Song. Maddalena joins “Inspired Minds” to cover the horror genre, manifesting dreams, her early ambitions as a film producer and discovering the iconic Ghostface mask. Special thanks: Richard Potter.

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A powerful force in both journalism and entertainment, CNN producer and "The Newsroom" star Margaret Judson joins us to discuss her career, ultimate truths and inspiration. She’s now up for an Emmy (Outstanding Actress in a Short Form Comedy or Drama series) for her work in the hit series, “Strut,” for which she also recently won the Best Supporting Actress award at the New York Independent Film Festival. The series was also a participant in the Tribeca Film Festival. Margaret can also be seen in the HBO drama, “The Deuce," the ABC comedy, “Modern Family,” and the supernatural thriller, “Bornless Ones.”

Judson’s broadcast career began at the NBC Page Program, where she worked with television personalities such as Lorne Michaels, Jimmy Fallon and Brian Williams, before moving on to write and produce for prime time cable shows like "Countdown With Keith Olbermann" and "The Ed Show." She further contributes to the arts as a member of the Television Academy and as a Fellow for Tribeca Film Festival's Disruptor Foundation, alongside talents including Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ava Duvernay and Fran Lebowitz. In addition to her passion for acting, Judson continues her work in journalism as a producer at CNN.

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“Orange is the New Black” star Christina Toth, who played Annalisa Damiva in seasons 6 and 7, dishes on acting methods in front of the camera and under the bright theater lights onstage. Other TV and film credits include HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire,” Discovery’s “A Crime to Remember,” Prime’s “Bumbld,” BRIC TV’s “All Hail Beth,” “Consensus Reality,” “Inside the Rain,” “Crowddating,” “Frankie: Italian Roulette,” “Taste,” “Disconnected,” “Black Star,” “Ovum,” “Night Time She Lay Sleep,” “Jane St.,” “The Latents” and “Blooming Flowers.”

Christina is the resident artist of theatre company The Bridge Production Group. She performed in their productions of Richard 3 (Lady Anne), Red Light Winter (Christina), The Blue Room (woman) and most recently in the New York premiere of SEE YOU (The New Ohio Theatre), a play by French Canadian playwright Guillaume Corbeil. She’s now on the Emmy ballot for her new television series, “Strut.”

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Sobey Road Entertainment Co-Founder and producer Andrew Trapani joins us to discuss his career path, music, film culture and producing in the horror genre. Credits include: “The Haunting in Connecticut,” which opened at #2 at the box offices and went on to gross over $99 million, “Winchester,” the supernatural horror film starring Oscar-winner Helen Mirren, “The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart,” “Tamara,” written by “Final Destination” franchise creator Jeffrey Reddick and “True Rights.”

In 2016, production began on a documentary about the Showtime era of the Los Angeles Lakers, which Trapani is producing in partnership with Lakers president Jeanie Buss. Trapani’s projects in development include a remake of the 1981 film “An American Werewolf in London,” a film adaptation of the Richard Brautigan novel “The Hawkline Monster,” and a scripted sports drama series for Showtime which he is co-producing with legendary basketball coach Phil Jackson.

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Neil D'Monte is an American artist, SAG-AFTRA film actor, musician, producer, creator of the Hellbilly clothing line, and director born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. A graduate of the USC School of Fine Arts, Neil began his career as a comic book and storyboard artist, which segued into a successful acting career. The multi-hyphenate made his feature film debut in 2003 with "Vampires Anonymous," followed by the box office blockbuster "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest." His theatrical training at Chicago’s prestigious Goodman Theatre allowed him to develop his skill at portraying offbeat and eccentric characters, for which he is quickly gaining notoriety among his peers in the film industry. In addition to his work as an actor and as a sought-after artist, he is currently recording as a drummer with guitarist Peter DiStefano (Porno for Pyros/Satellite Party), industrial-metal band Tweaker and former Smashing Pumpkins guitarist/bandmate James Iha (A Perfect Circle), playing music festivals like Coachella, Lollapalooza and SXSW. A staple at San Diego Comic-Con, Neil is also the co-creator/artist behind the graphic novel/vampire epic Clan of the Vein which was featured in the Lionsgate film "Cooties" and in MTV’s "Teen Wolf" – Seasons 5 and 6. Neil's latest artwork can be seen in the Summer Blockbuster, "The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard," and on Netflix with Awesomeness TV/Paramount’s "The F**k It List." Storyboard/concept artist credits include: "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice," "Rambo: First Blood" and "Jurassic World."

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Comedian Sarah Halstead talks career, the art of good comedy and performing standup across the country. Her Comedy Special, "RVs and Cats,” is streaming on Amazon Prime with a widely popular comedy album released last year. Also host of the “Drinking During Business Hours" podcast, her "Bottle Shock Comedy" is featured at Hollywood Improv every month.

Along with appearing in over ninety commercials, her film and TV credits include: "I Got The Hook Up 2," "I Am the Night," "Betrayed," Group-Ease," "The Album," "Baskets," "Blood Relatives," "Cry Wolfe," "A Chorus Line," "Deadly Sins," "Meet the Roommate" and "Walk the Past.”

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"Final Destination" franchise writer/creator Jeffrey Reddick started his creative journey when he wrote a ten-page treatment for prequel to "A Nightmare on Elm Street" at the age of fourteen. After mailing it to New Line Cinema founder Bob Shaye, an unlikely letter-and-phone relationship with Shaye and his assistant began. The result, eventually, was another global horror phenomenon. "Final Destination" exploded into five films, two comic books and nine novels. Reddick continued with the horror genre, writing and/or producing fan-crazed smash hits like "Tamara," "Day of the Dead," "The Final Wish" and "The Call." Television credits include: "Return to Cabin by the Lake," "Dante's Cove" and the "Belly of the Beast" episode of the animated Netflix series "Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles." 

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Bestselling author/acclaimed journalist Chip Jacobs joins us to explore his magical and powerful craftmanship. His debut novel, "Arroyo," a historical fiction masterpiece set in 1913 around the construction of Pasadena's Colorado Street Bridge, was a "Los Angeles Times" bestseller, "CrimeReads" most anticipated book, and Independent Book Publisher Award winner.  Other books include "The Darkest Glare: A True Story of Murder, Blackmail, and Real Estate Greed in 1979 Los Angeles" and "Strange As It Seems: The Impossible Life of Gordon Zahler," which was an Indies Book of the Year finalist and optioned for a streaming series. With William J. Kelly, he wrote the "The People’s Republic of Chemicals" and the international bestselling "Smogtown: The Lung-Burning History of Pollution in Los Angeles." Jacobs also contributed pieces to anthologies like the bestselling “Los Angeles in the 1970s: Weird Scenes Inside the Goldmine" and "Go Further: Literary Appreciation of Power Pop." As a journalist, his work been published and aired in some of the biggest outlets in the world, including "The New York Times," the “Los Angeles Times," "Los Angeles Daily News," "LA Weekly," the Southern California News Group and CNN. Special thanks: Marilee Albert, author of "The Tutor."

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Reinhard Denke grew up in Texas and is a graduate of USC Film School. He got his start as a writer in 2009 with his spec script “Sex, Greed, Money, Murder and Chicken Fried Steak” about the Cullen Davis murders in Fort Worth, Texas. The script was chosen for the prestigious Hollywood Blacklist. The film is currently in pre-production with Amicus Pictures and Mercury Media. In 2013, he wrote “Far Below” for David Oyelowo, and was hired to rewrite 2015’s “Captive," starring Oyelowo, Kate Mara, and Michael K. Williams. He also wrote a TV pilot and series entitled “Golden Gate” about 1960’s era San Francisco that has been optioned by Demarest Films, and wrote the limited TV series “Vanished” for Straight Up Films and Truly Original Entertainment. Reinhard adapted “The Lives of Beryl Markham” for Rock Island Films; it is now entitled “Undaunted." He wrote the screenplay “Ackia” for the Chickasaw Nation and award-winning director Nathan Frankowski. Also for the Chickasaw Nation, Reinhard wrote “Montford; Chickasaw Rancher," which currently plays on Netflix. He adapted “The Madman of Music”," a bio of composer George Anthiel and movie actress Hedy Lamar. He also wrote “Moonchild," the story of Linda Kasabian and her ordeal with the Manson Family, for director Marcus Nispel and producer Adam Krentzmann. 

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Thuc Doan Nguyen was born in Vietnam. She survived life as a boat person refugee as a child, was sponsored to the US and spent her whole life in public school. She grew up in North Carolina and Southern Maryland and is a dual passport holder of the United States and the Republic of Ireland. Thuc has lived in London, United Kingdom, New York City and Los Angeles. When not in those places, you might find her in rural out of the way small towns or in her spiritual home of New Orleans, Louisiana. She is a journalist and essayist for major publications like "The Los Angeles Times," "PBS," "The Daily Beast," "Esquire Magazine," "Southern Living," "VICE," "Refinery29," "Vogue" and several others. She is also a screenwriter who creates feature scripts centering Women of Color, including the upcoming drama, "Scent of the Delta," starring Tiffany Pham and directed by Adele Free Pham. She’s part of award-winning teams for commercial work and is responsible for the viral satire Toni Lahren, spoofing Tomi Lahren. Thuc has also done punch-up work for Paramount Studios’ features division.

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"IndieWire" TV Editor Kristen Lopez discusses Hollywood culture, classic movies and disability representation in film. Beginning as a film critic writing for $10 a review, Lopez is now recognized as an influential figure in the journalism field. As an entertainment journalist for fifteen years, her work has been published in "Forbes," "Variety," "RogerEbert," "Bustle," "TV Guide," "Collider," "The Hollywood Reporter," "The Daily Beast," "Film School Rejects," "Yahoo Entertainment," "Yahoo Canada," "Yahoo Singapore," "Holistic Women's Health," "StyleCaster," "We Live Entertainment," " Vox," and many more. She was also recognized by the "L.A. Times" as a diverse critic to watch and published in Rotten Tomatoes' latest book. 

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Vietnamese-American memoirist and humanitarian Le Ly Hayslip tells her incredible story about surviving the horrors of Vietnam, translating those memories to the page and striving to change the world. Her first memoir, "When Heaven and Earth Changed Places: A Vietnamese Woman's Journey from War to Peace," chronicles her experiences as a young girl growing up during the Vietnam War. It was adapted by Oliver Stone into the groundbreaking "Heaven & Earth" war drama starring Tommy Lee Jones. The third film in Stone's Vietnam War trilogy, "Heaven & Earth" followed "Platoon" and "Born on the Fourth of July." Her second book, "Child of War, Woman of Peace," continues her life story into the United States. As a humanitarian, Hayslip is the founder of two charitable organizations providing emergency assistance to the needy in Vietnam: East Meets West Foundation and Global Village Foundation.

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“Variety” Deputy Awards and Features Editor, screenwriter, playwright, director, actor and producer Jenelle Riley explores the arts, her inspirations and living with OCD and bipolar disorder. Riley wrote the 2015 short film, “Warning Labels,” directed by Jennifer Morrison, and is the host of Variety's "Actors on Actors," for which she’s won a Daytime Emmy Award and two Los Angeles Emmy Awards. Her theater career began early when her first play, "Just Julie," was published as a teenager. Other plays include "Heart Murmurs and Brain Matter," "The Gemini Project," "Duct Tape and Dreams," "Unholy Matrimony" and "A Kind of Love Story," which she wrote and directed. The latter premiered at Sacred Fools Theatre, earning six L.A. Weekly Award nominations and earning a directing prize for Riley.  She wrote and produced short films like "Auditions," "Crazy Love," "The Perfect Canidate," "Butter Emails" and "Grand Gestures," which she also directed. Acting credits: "The B.P.R.D. Declassified," "A Girl, a Guy, a Space Helmet," "Nobody's Perfect" and "Stealing Forces."

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Katherine is a multifaceted journalist, editor and content creator who has written for publications including "Entertainment Weekly," "Los Angeles Times," "Mother Jones," "Esquire.com," "Marie Claire," "Billboard," "Village Voice," "Black Book," "TEEN," "Guitar World," "Rolling Stone," "NY Observer" and dozens more. She is the co-author of "Louder Than Hell: The Definitive Oral History of Metal," published in 2013 by HarperCollins, named a Best Book of the Year by Rolling Stone and Kirkus Reviews. She is also a writer for the AXS TV series, "If These Walls Could Rock," and an editor, bio writer and researcher for VH1's "Bands Reunited."  Additionally, Katherine is a producer for the syndicated radio show: "Nights with Alice Cooper."

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Rob Schnapf has been making critically acclaimed records for the past two decades. He first gained recognition by producing (with his then-partner Tom Rothrock) Beck's debut album, "Mellow Gold," including the breakthrough single, "Loser." Rob and Tom produced three albums for Elliot Smith, including "XO" and "Figure 8."

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Born & bred in Sydney, Australia to European/Middle Eastern parents Serah danced from a young age. After joining Youth Theater at age 16, she finished her training in London, where she performed in both period & contemporary plays. Serah is an award-winning actress, with an established career in Europe. She was a lead on a hugely successful sitcom in Turkey for four years. She also kick-boxes, performs her own stunts (including wire work), and has had several lead roles in drama, action, comedy and thriller features. 

After accruing a huge following and success on Turkish TV for several years, she enjoyed TV shows in Germany, Holland, the UK & shot several films in Bulgaria. Later, Serah moved to Los Angeles to pursue a more international career. Since then, she has enjoyed roles on "Ray Donovan," "Scandal," "Entourage," and other series, while also performing in several plays, including most recently Darren Bousman's ("SAW II," "III," "IV" & "Spiral") "Theatre Macabre." Her latest venture, "The Surprise Visit," is one she both stars in & produced. This is her first time producing a film. "The Surprise Visit" story belongs to Nathan Cowles & Serah & is based on a true story that took place on the historical Virginia estate it was filmed on. 

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Tracy is Amasia Entertainment’s Senior VP of Television. Currently, Amasia is in development at The CW with a sequel series to Dan Curtis’ classic, "Dark Shadows," to be showrun by Emmy-winner Mark B. Perry. Additional shows in development include "Because the Night" based on the James Ellory book, "Wolfe"— A contemporary mystery thriller series inspired by a Patricia Highsmithian author, a Francis Perkins miniseries about the trailblazing woman known as FDR’s conscience, and a sexy CIA actioner created by "Spygame" writer Michael Frost Beckner.

A graduate of Pepperdine University, Tracy began her film in production before working as a personal assistant to actress, Jennifer Aniston. Tracy assisted Aniston in production during three seasons of "Friends," and several feature films. After working as a script analyst for producers Jennifer and Suzanne Todd at Team Todd, Tracy took a story editor position with producer Rob Fried at Fried Films; there she worked on projects including "The Boondock Saints," and HBO’S critical darling, "Winchell." Tracy next joined producer Dan Halsted at Halsted Pictures, who was then partnered with Oliver Stone, where she worked in development on TNT’s "Witchblade" and films including "Any Given Sunday" and "The Art of War."

Spending much of her childhood as a rabid fan of science fiction and horror films, Tracy was next hired by her childhood hero, Gale Anne Hurd, at her company, Valhalla Motion Pictures. She rose through the ranks to become Senior Vice President and Head of Development. At Valhalla Tracy was the executive in charge of production on the PBS award-winning documentary, "True Whispers: The Story of the Navajo Codetalkers" and helped develop Ang Lee’s "Hulk," Marvel’s "The Punisher," and Karyn Kusama’s "Aeon Flux."

After four years at Valhalla, she headed up development for Academy Award-winning actor Morgan Freeman’s Revelations Entertainment, where she was involved in the development of films including "Invictus," directed by Clint Eastwood, and "10 Items or Less," directed by Brad Silberling. She was a producer on Richard Loncraine’s film, "5 Flights Up," starring Diane Keaton, Morgan Freeman and Cynthia Nixon. Tracy also helped get Revelations into television when she sold "Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman" to Discovery Science Channel, where she served as Executive Producer on the Emmy-nominated series. She was also co-producer of the Peabody Award-winning “ESPN 30 For 30 Documentary, "The 16th Man," which won a special “Television with a Conscience” Emmy.

Of all of her work at Revelations, she is most proud to have been instrumental in setting up, developing, and serving as an executive producer on the pilot of CBS’ hit series, "Madam Secretary." Working with TV showrunner goddess Barbara Hall remains a career highlight. Tracy was a producer on 60 episodes of "Madam Secretary" before moving on from Revelations to launch Amasia’s TV division.

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“Rolling Stone” legend Jason Fine joins us to share his musical inspirations and journalism journey. He’s been with “Rolling Stone” since 1997 in a number of capacities, from Editor to Director of Content Development to SVP of Rolling Stone Films. He’s edited books on Johnny Cash, George Harrison and Michael Jackson, and wrote/executive produced “Long Promised Road,” a documentary about The Beach Boys' founder Brian Wilson. Fine also served as Editorial Director for Men’s Journal Media Group. For several stories he edited while at “Rolling Stone” and “Men’s Journal,” he received ASME awards and nominations as well as transformed “Men's Journal” into a modern, cutting-edge magazine for a new generation.

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Multi-media artist, writer, recording artist, songwriter, filmmaker and actor Brandyn Cross talks about his career and living as a wheelchair-bound amputee. He’s written over 100 episodes of the award-winning hit episodic drama TV show “Proper Manors” (now streaming on Amazon Prime) and the show has been voted the #1 most popular fan-favorite three times. Among his body of written work is the Feature Film “The Legacy,” and the Gary Coleman biography, “As if I Never Existed,” with Gary's widow Shannon Price. Cross is presently releasing the first volumes in an epic book series, "The Legacy," based on real events. As a singer-songwriter Brandyn scored the international top 10 hits “Dear Mr. Jesus” and in 2020 “If Money Talks (It Ain’t on Speakin’ Terms with Me)," and the top 10 music video “I Will Always Love You” and Blue Moon Over Heaven.” As a recording artist on StarPointe Records, he recently won Best Song at the prestigious Utah Film Festival & Awards for his composition and recording of “Love Again,” as featured in “Proper Manors.”

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As one of America’s most prominent journalists, Malina Saval is a three-time LA Press Club award winner and National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Award winner. She’s currently the Features Editor at Variety where she’s penned profiles on artists and luminaries such as Sean Penn, Robert De Niro, famed litigator Mathew Rosengart and Nick Nolte. Her articles and essays have appeared in the “Los Angeles Times,” “Los Angeles Review of Books,” “LA Weekly,” “Jerusalem Post,” “Forward,” “Glamour,” “Tablet” and several other national and international publications. She’s authored books including “Jewish Summer Camp Mafia” and “The Secret Lives of Boys: Inside the Raw Emotional World of Male Teens.” Her short fiction and essays have also been included in Palehouse and The Truth About the Fact literary journals and in the anthology “Now Write! Nonfiction: Memoir, Journalism and Creative Nonfiction Exercises from Today's Best Writers and Teachers.” She’s also a photographer and has written screenplays for Disney and Touchstone. A graduate of Cornell University and USC’s School of Cinematic Arts, Saval has appeared as a guest on such as outlets as NPR’s “Talk of the Nation,” PBS and CBS Radio. She’s currently at work on a memoir. 

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Oscar-winning screenwriter, bestselling author and producer Diana Ossana discusses the magic behind art, her thirty-five year friendship with Larry McMurtry and crafting powerful stories and characters. After co-writing novels “Pretty Boy Floyd” and “Zeke and Ned” with McMurtry, the pair’s collaborative partnership exploded with the onscreen adaptation of “Brokeback Mountain,” which forever changed the way the world saw romance in movies. “Brokeback” won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay in 2006, a Golden Globe, BAFTA Award and Writers’ Guild of America Award. Other works as a writer/producer include mini-series “Streets of Laredo,” “Dead Man’s Walk” and “Comanche Moon,” “Johnson County War” and “Joe Bell” with Mark Wahlberg.

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People Magazine Executive Editor, Entertainment Jeremy Helligar opens up about his journey through life, the journalism field, being the underdog as a gay black man and a newfound passion for writing. He’s written for numerous publications over the years: Variety, HuffPost, Reader’s Digest, The Wrap, Queerty, Popular Science, among others.  While living in South America, Australia, Asia and Africa, he wrote two acclaimed travelogue memoirs called “Is It True What They Say About Black Men?" and “Storms in Africa.”

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Drew Fortune is a pop-culture journalist and screenwriter, who has been actively publishing for the past ten years. He is a regular contributor to Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, Esquire, and Vulture, but his writings on music, film, and television have been published in Cosmopolitan, Playboy, SPIN, Billboard, the A.V. Club, Stereogum, and many others. His favorite bands are Week, Superchunk, and the Replacements. He loves fly fishing and loitering in record stores. His first book: No Encore! Musicians Reveal Their Weirdest, Wildest, Most Embarrassing Gigs was released in 2019 and is totally fucking awesome.

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Entertainment journalist and author Randee Dawn writes for the LA Times Envelope, Variety, Today.com, and a number of other outlets. fiction. She's also a former editor at The Hollywood Reporter and Soap Opera Digest. Her short fiction has appeared in numerous anthologies and online publications; she also dreams up trivia questions for BigBrain Games. Randee's science fiction/fantasy/horror novel, "Tune in Tomorrow," is a humorous tale about a reality TV show run by mythical creatures (but starring humans.

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Pulitzer Prize-winner Marc Fisher is a Senior Editor at The Washington Post, and reports and writes on a wide range of topics. Most recently, he wrote "Trump Revealed," a biography of Donald Trump. He previously was The Post’s Enterprise Editor, leading a team of writers creating narrative journalism and experimenting with new forms of storytelling for digital and print editions of the newspaper.  His books include "Trump Revealed: An American Journey of Ambition, Ego, Money, and Power," a wide-ranging examination of Donald Trump’s public and private lives to date, and "Something in the Air," a sweeping, anecdotal account of the great sounds and voices of radio and how it became a bonding agent for a generation of American youth.

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Jillian Dale is a journalist and has written pieces for The Huffington Post on film as a Contributor, as well as a producer/director for her own company, Bella Luce Productions.  She has directed and created shows like "Omniscient," "Up In Arms," and "Beverly Hills Canine Club."  She was formerly a research attorney and a US Army 2nd Lieutenant, and is currently a digital content producer for the State of California. 

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Eric Morse is an author and activist who wrote the twin children's books, "What Is Hip Hop?" and "What Is Punk?" featuring claymation images of Biggie Smalls, Tupac, The Ramones, The Clash, and other luminaires from their respective scenes.  He cut his teeth in the music industry while joining bands and eventually became a music industry executive.  As Eric says, “When I love something, I advocate for it.”

Podcast | Inspired Minds (inspiredmindspodcast.com)

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Standup star Jeremiah Watkins appears on Inspired Minds to talk about film, comedy icons, and his widely-acclaimed style in front of the microphone. Known to make Judd Apatow fall in love with comedy again, Jeremiah lit a fire in the industry that hasn’t been blazing since Chris Farley. 

His debut 1 hour standup special “Jeremiah Watkins: Family Reunion” is streaming now on Amazon Prime, and you can hear him as the new voice of the iconic role of The Joker on “DC Superhero Girls.” Other credits include “Lights Out with David Spade,” Netflix’s “Historical Roasts,” Jimmy Kimmel Live & more. Jeremiah’s off-the-cuff and physical standup style routinely provides audiences with a show experience they’ve never seen before.

Podcast | Inspired Minds (inspiredmindspodcast.com)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alicia Dennis is a content executive, award-winning journalist and editor innovating the telling of mass media stories across print, digital and broadcast. A true crime and pop culture expert, Dennis leads teams of breaking news reporters in crime and serves as an executive within multiple brands. Dennis's success as editor, digital content director, creative producer, story consultant and on-camera-talent coupled with her drive to create programs that satisfy strategic audience needs continues to expand her role throughout Meredith. She also serves as a senior editor at Entertainment Weekly where she oversees the creation and development of its pop culture true crime franchise. Dennis is a senior editor & vertical director at People Magazine and is a regular on-camera contributor for crime and entertainment topics.

Podcast | Inspired Minds (inspiredmindspodcast.com)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" director Jeremiah Chechik discusses his career, the film industry and the future of cinema.

Podcast | Inspired Minds (inspiredmindspodcast.com)

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Bobby Roth is a writer, director and producer on shows like "Without a Trace," "Lost," "Prison Break," "Miami Vice," "Criminal Minds," "Grey’s Anatomy," "Hawaii 5-0" and the critically acclaimed feature, "Pearl."  He joins us to talk about filmmaking, Roger Moore living out of his parents' house and his fascinating journey through Hollywood. 

Podcast | Inspired Minds (inspiredmindspodcast.com)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Singer-songwriter Freedy Johnston leads us into the infinite universe of music. This Perfect World, his major label debut released on Elektra Records, featured the radio hit "Bad Reputation," an alternative rock gem that launched into Billboard's Hot 100 list and crowned Johnston as Rolling Stone's Songwriter of the Year. His music appears on the soundtracks of "Kicking and Screaming" starring Will Ferrell, James Mangold's "Heavy" with Liv Tyler and the Farrelly brothers' "Kingpin" with Woody Harrelson. 

Podcast | Inspired Minds (inspiredmindspodcast.com)

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Sadie Dean is a screenwriter, musician, American Film Institute alumni and the editor-in-chief of Script Magazine. In this episode, Dean examines the craftsmanship of storytelling in a variety of art forms, from filmmaking and screenwriting to playing in rock bands. 

Podcast | Inspired Minds (inspiredmindspodcast.com)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Decades after pioneering the notorious and mega-successful Chippendales franchise, Bruce Nahin leaves a seedy underworld to mentor young filmmakers: “Be the person you needed when you were younger.”

Podcast | Inspired Minds (inspiredmindspodcast.com)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.