Beatbox Jake is an entertainer who blends the craft of guitar and the art of beatboxing in a unique genre he calls “Beatbox Metal”. His journey started with guitar, inspired by influences like Joe Satriani and Steve Vai. Jake is more than just a “shredder.” While he enjoys the fast, ballistic style of playing, he’s also committed years to theory and including melodic choices to elevate his work.
Some years into his musical journey, he stumbled upon beatboxing and became completely immersed in a new world of possibilities. He took the same approach to learning as he did with guitar, building a library of sounds that eventually led him to merge the two into a singular blend.
I really enjoyed chatting with Jake. Hearing about his experience as a one-man band, how he discovered these talents, and his mindset throughout. I especially appreciated Jake’s vulnerability when it comes to learning how to accept compliments and being intentional with the time he gives fans and fellow artists at events.
For updates on Jake, check out his website at https://beatboxjake.com/
We hope you enjoy the chat!
About this Podcast : Craft Talk is a collection of interviews with people of different disciplines ranging from creativity, business, and lifestyle. By diving into my guest's story and learning about how they approach their craft, I hope that these conversations help you find different ways to improve your own!
Say hi to me on Instagram @crafttalk.podcast
Website - crafttalk.net
In this episode, I chat with Abe Russell, a licensed builder who specializes in tile work. We discuss his journey into the construction industry, his passion for tiling, and all of the skills he has acquired over the years. Abe shares some of his insights on the importance of learning through experience, the challenges of different jobs, and the pride he takes in creating beautiful spaces.
We also touch on so many areas like evolving trends in tile and construction, the journey of entrepreneurship, customer experience, and even chat about some of his favorite tools! As Abe continues to grow in his experience, he ultimately is working on balancing artistry with business and after talking to him, I know he's well on his way.
Finding any "contractor" is easy. Finding the right contractor... not so much. As a former customer for multiple projects in our home, I really appreciate sitting down with Abe and hearing about his creativity, work, and experience. I really enjoyed this conversation.
I hope you all enjoy!
About this Podcast : Craft Talk is a collection of interviews with people of different disciplines ranging from creativity, business, and lifestyle. By diving into my guest's story and learning about how they approach their craft, I hope that these conversations help you find different ways to improve your own!
Say hi to me on Instagram @crafttalk.podcast
Website - crafttalk.net
In this episode, I’m joined by singer-songwriter Taylor DeRousse, whose new album “Running Back To Me” is the product of a decade long journey of self discovery and bold creative choices. During this album release cycle, I observed that she approaches her craft with so much intentionality, and isn’t afraid to go for it. She not only understands the demands of being an artist, but also understands the work required to market her work in the social media space.
Taylor also runs a music school called “Tailored Harmonies Music Co.” where she shares her passion for teaching music and providing custom paths for aspiring artists. She shares insights on her teaching philosophy, emphasizing the importance of balancing emotional expression with technical skills and fundamentals.
I really enjoyed learning about where Taylor’s drive comes from. Hearing about her experience of being told that she can’t do something, really explains why she’s always rose up to challenges and made her want to fully commit to what she truly believes in. That drive shows up in her music, her teaching, and the way she builds her business.
With her balanced mindset, I can’t wait to see Taylor’s success continue and I hope that the listeners enjoy our conversation!
About this Podcast : Craft Talk is a collection of interviews with people of different disciplines ranging from creativity, business, and lifestyle. By diving into my guest's story and learning about how they approach their craft, I hope that these conversations help you find different ways to improve your own!
Say hi to me on Instagram @crafttalk.notes
Website - crafttalk.net
I’m so excited to speak with Ioana Jongsma, an executive presence coach and public speaking trainer. Ioana is an ICF Associate Certified Coach, a Gestalt Professional Certified Coach and a NeuroMindfulness Master Practitioner. Headquartered in Denmark, Ioana has worked with hundreds of speakers from all over the world including scientists, artists, educators, leaders, world record athletes, policy experts, and entrepreneurs to help them communicate their ideas. Whether it’s for a TEDx talk, a pitch to investors, or a networking presentation, her goal is to help people clarify and structure their ideas, cultivate confidence, hone their personal style, find the right words, and build leadership presence.
In this conversation, we explore the ins and outs of speaking in front of others. From how the body responds to stress, to reframing nerves as energy, to building trust through presence. This chat was a perfect combination of science and soul when it comes to the artform of public speaking.
Whether you’re an introvert, a seasoned speaker, or just trying to find your voice, this episode offers tools, insight, and warmth to help you grow more authentically in your journey to sharing your story.
You can find Ioana’s work on https://onspeaking.com/
Enjoy!
About this Podcast : Craft Talk is a collection of interviews with people of different disciplines ranging from creativity, business, and lifestyle. By diving into my guest's story and learning about how they approach their craft, I hope that these conversations help you find different ways to improve your own!
Say hi to me on Instagram @crafttalk.notes
Website - crafttalk.net
For this solo episode, I share 3 essential approaches to leadership whether you’re stepping into a leadership role, refining how you lead, or just curious about what separates great leaders from bad ones.
I hope that these items will help you on your own journey to leadership in whatever that looks like for you. The world is always going to be full of questionable leadership or terrible managers, but maybe in our own small circles, we can make even decisions to serve the people around us, and make any type of positive impact. And I think if that happens, it's all worth it.
Enjoy!
About this Podcast : Craft Talk is a collection of interviews with people of different disciplines ranging from creativity, business, and lifestyle. By diving into my guest's story and learning about how they approach their craft, I hope that these conversations help you find different ways to improve your own!
Say hi to me on Instagram @crafttalk.notes
Website - crafttalk.net
For this episode, I have a chat with Singer Songwriter, Jack Droppers. Jack has been in a band with his best friends for almost a decade, and he wouldn’t want it any other way. I loved where this conversation went. From sharing our mutual connection to Orlando, to finding the hidden little things that we incorporate into our work, and also celebrating the fun and quirky methods that we have in order to chase down that great idea.
Jack has really great insights when it comes to creative work. His music is really in touch with his personal memories and emotions, and also inspires listeners to ultimately celebrate life despite all of its imperfections. He understands the value of art, and also has a deep desire in expressing that the act of creating is just as important as the finished product.
I can’t help but to smile when thinking about how serendipitous this conversation was. To start the chat with me sharing a childhood photo wearing an Orlando Magic jersey (well before I’ve ever lived in Orlando), to learning how big of a basketball fan Jack is, particularly the Orlando Magic, and to top it off, the conversation about creativity was focused on finding the little MAGICAL moments to incorporate into our art. I mean, cmon!
The band Jack Droppers and the Best Intentions is in the process of writing and recording their next album. Their latest album "Scooter" won the WYCE "Alternative Album of the Year" in 2024 and "Dad Rock" won the WYCE "Rock Album of the Year" in 2023
Enjoy!
About this Podcast : Craft Talk is a collection of interviews with people of different disciplines ranging from creativity, business, and lifestyle. By diving into my guest's story and learning about how they approach their craft, I hope that these conversations help you find different ways to improve your own!
Say hi to me on Instagram @crafttalk.notes
Website - crafttalk.net
For this episode, we are flipping the script. Creative storyteller and trusted friend, Beni Artreche, steps into the host’s chair to interview me, your usual guide behind the mic.
In this episode, we dive into my journey, the doubts I’ve faced, and the ideas that fuel Craft Talk. From where I came from to what keeps me curious, this conversation explores not just the story behind the show, but the power of leaning into uncertainty and asking the big questions.
Beni’s natural curiosity and thoughtful questions brought out reflections I didn’t expect, making this episode both deeply personal and incredibly rewarding to record.
If you’ve ever wondered about the heart behind Craft Talk—or wanted encouragement to explore your own doubts—this episode is for you.
Enjoy!
About this Podcast : Craft Talk is a collection of interviews with people of different disciplines ranging from creativity, business, and lifestyle. By diving into my guest's story and learning about how they approach their craft, I hope that these conversations help you find different ways to improve your own!
Say hi to me on Instagram @crafttalk.notes
Website - crafttalk.net
We’re back with another episode of Craft Talk! Initially Rachele and I had planned to discuss a specific topic, but like most great conversations, some back roads and side streets were taken and although not anticipated, it ultimately led us into a fruitful topic of the “Niche”.
“Finding Your Niche” has become a buzzword in social media and marketing circles. I, who sometimes have contrarian tendencies, shares doubts and gripes about the concept, while Rachele, a seasoned marketing expert with a focus on helping small businesses succeed in social media, provides a balanced perspective. She shares functional and practical tips in finding where we fit into all of this authentically but emphasizes how to avoid getting trapped by trends or algorithms.
We hope that this conversation helps you take time to observe your goals, reasons and “why’s” so you can ultimately present the most honest version of you online.
Enjoy!
About this Podcast : Craft Talk is a collection of interviews with people of different disciplines ranging from creativity, business, and lifestyle. By diving into my guest's story and learning about how they approach their craft, I hope that these conversations help you find different ways to improve your own!
Say hi to me on Instagram @crafttalk.notes
Website - crafttalk.net
Happy 2025! As we look ahead to the potential that the new year brings, I wanted to share 3 concepts to help you think about some intentions that you could implement into your own life. In this episode, I offer some tools to help us set more wholistic goals, help us visualize how to achieve those goals, and also give ourselves a kind reminder if we don’t end up “meeting the goal”
As much as these are intentions and wishes for my year, it is also my wish that these ideas are something that you can adopt into your own new year planning. I can’t wait to see what 2025 has in store for us!
Enjoy!
About this Podcast : Craft Talk is a collection of interviews with people of different disciplines ranging from creativity, business, and lifestyle. By diving into my guest's story and learning about how they approach their craft, I hope that these conversations help you find different ways to improve your own!
Say hi to me on Instagram @crafttalk.notes
Website - crafttalk.net
In the final episode of 2024, I’m reflecting on the year and sharing my theme of “The Year of Content (Yes, the way you look at it matters)”.
This theme has been an important framework for my creative identity. By setting intentional boundaries and giving myself permission to push myself, it helped me navigate finding balance and peace with my creative output, while also pushing myself at the same time. While I still feel like I have more work to do to truly achieving this balance, I truly feel that I’ve gotten closer to it with this theme, and I hope that it can do the same for you!
Lastly, I would like to thank EVERYBODY who has supported Craft Talk. I’m extremely grateful for all of the guests that have agreed to have a chat with me. I’m extremely proud to have created something meaningful and I’m looking forward continuing to collect, observe, and share all of these great ideas with you.
Thank you!
About this Podcast : Craft Talk is a collection of interviews with people of different disciplines ranging from creativity, business, and lifestyle. By diving into my guest's story and learning about how they approach their craft, I hope that these conversations help you find different ways to improve your own!
Say hi to me on Instagram @crafttalk.notes
Website - crafttalk.net
This marks the 50TH EPISODE of Craft Talk, so I invited my wife Amanda to join me and celebrate the milestone!
In this episode, Amanda shares her journey into becoming a Physician Assistant (PA-C). Her early interest in the medical field and her own personal medical journey led her to wonder what career avenue is best suited for her. After bouncing around many different types of programs and jobs such as physical therapy or nutrition/dietetics, she ultimately decided to obtain a pre-med undergrad degree so she can apply to PA school.
This conversation led us to talk about self doubt, confidence, and fighting for balance while pursuing our careers. We also chat about her love of all things houseplants, animals, books, interior design, and Taylor Swift!
Amanda’s intelligence, empathy, and perseverance is something that I admire about her everyday, and I am absolutely honored that she’s open to sharing her experiences and vulnerability on this chat with you all.
Enjoy!
About this Podcast : Craft Talk is a collection of interviews with people of different disciplines ranging from creativity, business, and lifestyle. By diving into my guest's story and learning about how they approach their craft, I hope that these conversations help you find different ways to improve your own!
Say hi to me on Instagram @crafttalk.notes
Website - crafttalk.net
Eric Novak and Maurice Hogan is the creative duo behind Visual Cake (formerly known as 31 and Up Media), a Production company that specializes in video and photography for social media. Their company services many local businesses from schools, pizza shops, fashion designers to HVAC companies. As much as their business is technically driven with cameras and microphones, the team sees their role as more than just a “tech” or a “videographer”. Their ultimate responsibility is to helps their clients share their story in a fun, informational, and authentic way.
In this chat, we explore the idea of translating different skillsets into our current work. Having experience as musicians, they are familiar with key skills such as improvisation and collaboration, which are crucial elements to possess in fast paced live environments such as grand openings, ceremonies, concerts and weddings.
As I got to know Eric and Maurice, I observed that their superpower is the ability to make people feel comfortable. Having this in their tool belt elevates their craft because creating a comfortable environment allows the client to feel at ease, which results in a better performance on camera, which ultimately provides the best end product.
I really appreciate having them on Craft Talk and we hope you enjoy our chat!
About this Podcast : Craft Talk is a collection of interviews with people of different disciplines ranging from creativity, business, and lifestyle. By diving into my guest's story and learning about how they approach their craft, I hope that these conversations help you find different ways to improve your own!
Say hi to me on Instagram @crafttalk.notes
Website - crafttalk.net
Joe is a cartoonist based out of Greenville, South Carolina.
In this episode, we explore playful topics such as Dungeons and Dragons, childhood memories, and storytelling. We also dive into more heartfelt and vulnerable ideas like creative doubts, mental health, and belonging.
Although we’ve been Instagram buds for some time now, this was my first time formally meeting Joe. I really enjoyed discussing some of the similar thought processes that we go through. I also appreciate how open he is about the struggles of burnout and balancing your passion with daily life. I feel like it’s something that all of us deal with in some shape or form, so a lot of the things we chatted about really resonated with me and I hope it does the same for you.
Enjoy the episode.
About this Podcast : Craft Talk is a collection of interviews with people of different disciplines ranging from creativity, business, and lifestyle. By diving into my guest's story and learning about how they approach their craft, I hope that these conversations help you find different ways to improve your own!
Say hi to me on Instagram @crafttalk.notes
Website - crafttalk.net
As creative minds, we are on a life long pursuit of finding our uniqueness. Surrounded by talented and seemingly original people all around us, it’s easy to start thinking:
In this episode, I share a few concepts and ideas that help me unpack this topic, and I also share a practical exercise to provide a visual representation to guide us into realizing that all work that we do inherently has our unique fingerprint embedded all along.
Enjoy!
About this Podcast : Craft Talk is a collection of interviews with people of different disciplines ranging from creativity, business, and lifestyle. By diving into my guest's story and learning about how they approach their craft, I hope that these conversations help you find different ways to improve your own!
Say hi to me on Instagram @crafttalk.notes
Website - crafttalk.net
“While I can't change the entire art world, I can change my small corner of it. Art has only ever been in my life because it was made accessible to me. I will always work to keep my art accessible to you, because art should be accessible for everyone.” - Erica Helder
Erica Helder is an abstract artist based out of Brant, Ontario.
Erica’s creative journey did not start in the abstract art world; actually, quite the opposite. As a child who grew up in challenging circumstances, Erica found incredible support from her local community and was sponsored to be an apprentice of a local community artist where she learned the craft of oil painting and photorealism. As she developed her skills and grew her experience as a gallery represented artist, she realized that the life of galleries and the style of photorealism did not resonate with her goals.
As her journey continued over the years, Erica discovered a love for a more nuanced artistic expression. She found herself experimenting by blending her photorealistic training while embracing the imperfections. Over time, her style evolved even more into a medium that expressed the human condition such as bittersweet emotions, deep personal loss, and change.
I had an awesome time chatting with Erica. I am so fascinated by creative minds who allow their intuition to guide them in their work. To be able to observe the world around them, absorb it, and be able to translate extremely complex feelings and emotions into a medium that communicates to everyone universally is amazing. There are so many lessons in this chat that we could all transfer into our own life and work so we hope that you enjoy the episode!
About this Podcast : Craft Talk is a collection of interviews with people of different disciplines ranging from creativity, business, and lifestyle. By diving into my guest's story and learning about how they approach their craft, I hope that these conversations help you find different ways to improve your own!
Say hi to me on Instagram @crafttalk.notes
Website - crafttalk.net
Vita Artreche is a Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) that has worked in countless events ranging from conferences, trade shows, weddings, and fundraisers. She is currently the Conference Director for Jesus Film Project where she leads the event team with day to day operations, strategy, and professional development.
This was such a fun conversation. For about a decade, I worked in the hospitality/convention industry with an audio visual company so being able to share stories with Vita brought back so many memories (the good, the bad, the stressful and everything in between)
I absolutely loved hearing about Vita’s wisdom when it comes to setting high quality standards, yet employing empathy and teamwork during the entire event planning process. Her ability in finding collaborative ways to digest creative vision, and execute while being able to effectively set expectations is truly an art.
Enjoy this chat!
About this Podcast : Craft Talk is a collection of interviews with people of different disciplines ranging from creativity, business, and lifestyle. By diving into my guest's story and learning about how they approach their craft, I hope that these conversations help you find different ways to improve your own!
Say hi to me on Instagram @crafttalk.notes
Website - crafttalk.net
“Being brave doesn’t mean you’re never afraid. It means you do the thing DESPITE of the fear” - Beni Artreche
This line from a conversation I had with Beni inspired me to record this episode of Craft Talk on the topic of bravery. In this episode, I share some quotes about this subject that allows us to observe this idea within ourselves, and also share a really amazing method to help us potentially make practical steps towards a more courageous attitude.
Enjoy!
About this Podcast : Craft Talk is a collection of interviews with people of different disciplines ranging from creativity, business, and lifestyle. By diving into my guest's story and learning about how they approach their craft, I hope that these conversations help you find different ways to improve your own!
Say hi to me on Instagram @crafttalk.notes
Website - crafttalk.net
Rachele Wright is a jack of all trades, and a master at ALL OF THEM. She is a pianist, a musician, an educator, a business operations specialist, a marketing strategist, and the list goes on and on.
Given all of the tools and skills we possess, it’s only natural to start building strong identities with these different disciplines. We seek the validation based on our performance within set goals and plans, and we put much value in how productive these different parts of ourselves are.
What happens when these different ideas of ourselves are no longer as active as they once were? What if music or teaching is not playing a primary role in our current day to day work? Does it feel like failure? Can we still identify ourselves with those titles? How does it feel when those identities that we held on to for a majority of our lives start to crumble.
These are the questions that we discuss on this episode. I had a great time working through this with Rachele and I’m looking forward to more conversations like this.
Enjoy!
About this Podcast : Craft Talk is a collection of interviews with people of different disciplines ranging from creativity, business, and lifestyle. By diving into my guest's story and learning about how they approach their craft, I hope that these conversations help you find different ways to improve your own!
Say hi to me on Instagram @crafttalk.notes
Website - crafttalk.net
Robby Fischer is the owner of Dogtown Studio located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He is a staple in the music scene in GR and has been a honored recipient of an Ovation Award given out by the Michigan Music Alliance for Dogtown Studio’s positive contribution to the local music community.
Robby is also one of my best friends and I consider him to be a close partner in creativity. (It’s like “partners in crime”… but with creativity… get it? anyways…) Whenever I have new ideas or thoughts that I’m working through, he’s one of the people I bounce stuff off of and I have so much appreciation on his positive and energetic outlook on creative work. As someone who has the tendency to overthink or can be overwhelmed with negative thoughts about my work, it is crucial that I have friends like Robby around.
In this special episode, we chat about a really interesting concept regarding familiar and unfamiliar. What makes something “good”? and what do we really mean when we say something is “bad”?
Outside of running a studio business and winning prestigious community awards, Robby is a musician at the core. I also got to hear about his latest music project called “Unsummer Club” and learned about his thought process on how it came about.
Enjoy the episode!
If you’re like me and often feel like your work or skill is not quite exactly how you envision it, this episode might be for you.
I share a concept from Ira Glass called “The Gap” and highlight previous guests experiences with this very subject.
Here's my favorite video of it. https://vimeo.com/85040589
If anything, I hope this episode makes you feel like you’re not alone in feeling like this, and you making efforts to get better is actually work well done.
Enjoy the episode
About this Podcast : Craft Talk is a collection of interviews with people of different disciplines ranging from creativity, business, and lifestyle. By diving into my guest's story and learning about how they approach their craft, I hope that these conversations help you find different ways to improve your own!
Say hi to me on Instagram @crafttalk.notes
Website - crafttalk.net