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In this episode, I sat down with John DeDakis, a journalist with 45 years in the newsroom and 25 years at CNN, to get  honest about the upsides and downsides of Artificial Intelligence in writing, pu…

In this episode, I s…

In this episode, I sat down with John DeDakis, a journalist with 45 years in the newsroom and 25 years at CNN, to get  honest about the upsides and downsides of artificial intelligence in writing, publishing, and Education, and where he draws the line. John walked me through his pivot from journalism to mystery and suspense fiction, including what reporters have to unlearn when they move from “just the facts” to character emotion, interiority, and voice. We talked about persistence through rejection, why small independent publishers can be a great home, and how self-publishing changes th…

In this episode, I'm joined by Alisa Kriegel, a Manhattan psychologist with a thriving private practice and the author of From Sexless Marriage to Sex Goddess. Together, we unpack what researche…

In this episode, I&a…

In this episode, I'm joined by Alisa Kriegel, a Manhattan psychologist with a thriving private practice and the author of From Sexless Marriage to Sex Goddess. Together, we unpack what researchers actually mean by “sexless marriage," why shame and lack of communication keep couples stuck, and how complicated the real causes can be. Alisa shares personal, unfiltered insights on sexual pain, birth control effects, learning your own body later in life, and the difference between friendship chemistry and sexual chemistry.We also shift into the writing and publishing side: how Alisa drafte…

Jessica Danel built a thriving preschool business, scaling from a home daycare to a 140-student facility. But when the 2008 recession hit at the same time her newborn faced serious medical challenges,…

Jessica Danel built …

Jessica Danel built a thriving preschool business, scaling from a home daycare to a 140-student facility. But when the 2008 recession hit at the same time her newborn faced serious medical challenges, she was forced to make difficult decisions that changed her life and business.In this episode, Jessica shares the lessons she learned from growing, selling, and rebuilding—and how those experiences inspired her memoir, Bucket List from a Redneck Girl. We discuss her writing process, self-editing tools, hybrid publishing journey, audiobook creation, and practical book marketing strategies, inclu…

Quitting a stable job to write full-time sounds bold, until you hear what it actually takes. Author Carla Vergot, a former special education teacher and the voice behind the Lily Barlow series, joins…

Quitting a stable jo…

Quitting a stable job to write full-time sounds bold, until you hear what it actually takes. Author Carla Vergot, a former special education teacher and the voice behind the Lily Barlow series, joins us to talk about the moment a planned sabbatical became a life pivot, including her husband's Cancer diagnosis, which arrived just as she left teaching. She shares how writing became both an escape and a survival tool, and why that pressure pushed her stories to be lighter, funnier, and more hopeful.We also get practical about building a sustainable author career: growing a Facebook reader g…

In this episode I sit down with author and speaker Douglas Schmidt to discuss his upcoming book, The Power of Self-Leadership: The Path to Unleash Your Talents, Strengths, and Superpowers.We talk abo…

In this episode I si…

In this episode I sit down with author and speaker Douglas Schmidt to discuss his upcoming book, The Power of Self-Leadership: The Path to Unleash Your Talents, Strengths, and Superpowers.We talk about the connection between learning and leadership, why habits matter more than motivation, and how small daily decisions can shape your future. Douglas shares insights from books like Atomic Habits and Learning How to Learn, explains the neuroscience behind procrastination, and reveals why he believes “learning is a superpower.”We also dive into his publishing journey, building writing habits,…

A head-on crash took author Laura Van Wormer out of the writing life she knew and forced her to rebuild from scratch, including her voice. What she did, though, was that she didn’t just return to s…

A head-on crash took…

A head-on crash took author Laura Van Wormer out of the writing life she knew and forced her to rebuild from scratch, including her voice. What she did, though, was that she didn’t just return to storytelling; she invented a new lane for herself through a serialized fiction podcast. Laura, a best-selling novelist and former Doubleday editor, joined me to explain how The Class of 74 became a narrative “soap opera” told week by week, complete with cliffhangers, research, and a listening experience that feels intensely personal. Laura broke down how she grew her audience through word of m…

Thirty-one children's books. Written in a creative sprint. Published within months.When Kelly Anne Manuel tells that story, the most surprising part isn't the speed; it's the Clarity of…

Thirty-one children&…

Thirty-one children's books. Written in a creative sprint. Published within months.When Kelly Anne Manuel tells that story, the most surprising part isn't the speed; it's the clarity of purpose behind it. Her mission is to give kids a steady stream of comfort, confidence, and language that feels fun to live in.In this episode, I sit down with Kelly Anne Manuel, a children's book author whose modern nursery rhymes often arrive uninvited. She "hears" them while walking the dog, drifting off to Sleep, or moving through a hard moment. We dig into how she flips familiar phrase…

He started writing at 16 during lockdown, finishing a massive first draft he’ll never publish, but instead of stopping there, he kept going. That persistence turned into real momentum for Harrison S…

He started writing a…

He started writing at 16 during lockdown, finishing a massive first draft he’ll never publish, but instead of stopping there, he kept going. That persistence turned into real momentum for Harrison Stockland, a rising crime-thriller author known for his “twisted originality” and willingness to embrace the gritty choices that traditional gatekeepers often want softened. His debut novel, Watch It Burn, sets the tone for the kind of dark, character-driven stories he’s building his career on. In this episode, we talk candidly about protecting your voice as you grow as a writer—and why �…

You've probably been told to "just let it go." Dr. Angela Longo says that's the wrong instruction and offers an alternative: replace it. I'm joined by Dr. Longo, a UC Berkeley–trained…

You've probably…

You've probably been told to "just let it go." Dr. Angela Longo says that's the wrong instruction and offers an alternative: replace it. I'm joined by Dr. Longo, a UC Berkeley–trained biochemist with decades of experience spanning Stress biochemistry, acupuncture, traditional Chinese medicine, and holistic healing — and the author of Relationshifting: Tools for Living Quantum Resplendence. We dig into what she means by quantum waves and why she treats them as information you can update through what you believe, feel, say, and do. She shares the personal moment that changed …

He calls himself Virus the Poet, and the name is the point: take something with a negative meaning and flip it into art that spreads in a better way. I sat down with Viral Gore to talk about what it …

He calls himself Vir…

He calls himself Virus the Poet, and the name is the point: take something with a negative meaning and flip it into art that spreads in a better way. I sat down with Viral Gore to talk about what it looks like to build a modern poetry career that lives both online and on real stages, with real people, and real stakes.We got into why poetry became his most natural channel for expression, how spoken word connects to music and rap lyrics, and why he keeps most poems short to match today’s attention span. We also talked about the platforms shaping discovery right now, including TikTok poetry, …

Crankiness might be the most honest creative fuel we all share, and Stephen Joseph has built an entire writing life around it.I sat down with Stephen, a first-generation American, practicing attorney,…

Crankiness might be …

Crankiness might be the most honest creative fuel we all share, and Stephen Joseph has built an entire writing life around it.I sat down with Stephen, a first-generation American, practicing attorney, seasoned negotiator, and 53-time marathon finisher, to talk about how irritation can become humor, clarity, and surprisingly practical life lessons for writers and readers.We trace his “cranky” origin story from a Travel mishap in Rome to a children’s book idea that snowballs into blogs and multiple titles, including his Cranky Superpowers approach to embracing life's cranky corners. …

What does it take to turn real life into a book readers can’t put down?In this episode, I talk with Dr. Amanda Edgar, award-winning author, ghostwriter, and founder of Page and Podium Press, about t…

What does it take to…

What does it take to turn real life into a book readers can’t put down?In this episode, I talk with Dr. Amanda Edgar, award-winning author, ghostwriter, and founder of Page and Podium Press, about the craft and business of memoir and prescriptive nonfiction. Amanda shares how she helped document firsthand stories from the summer of 2020 for a follow-up to her 2018 Black Lives Matter book, and why she measures success not just in sales, but in impact and ongoing conversations.We also get practical. Amanda explains what ghostwriting really involves—from interviews and research to collaborat…