Reading the Room with Michael Frontier

In this season finale of Reading the Room, Michael and Bente close out Season 2 with travel tales, creative insights, and a look at what’s next. From the antique-laden charm of Round Top, Texas to the electric, fast-paced energy of Japan, they swap stories from their latest trips. They also take on a modern creator-culture debate: are social media selfies and influencer content pure vanity, or a n...

In this episode of Reading the Room, Michael and Bente sit down with Amy Jin — leadership coach, international speaker, and co-host of She Speaks , a comedy and storytelling community for women. As a first-generation Chinese-American immigrant, Amy’s approach to coaching is shaped by a lifetime of navigating what it means to take up space, ask for help, and trust what you already know. Today she o...

Bente is having prophetic dreams, Michael is explaining the beard, and Chris Quintos Cathcart — co-CEO of Unapologetic Projects — is in the house. When Chris got tired of the lack of meaningful roles for Filipina-American actors, she took matters into her own hands and became an independent film financier championing underrepresented voices. From backing standout projects like Sean Wang’s Dìdi , J...

Bente is having prophetic dreams, Michael is explaining the beard, and Chris Quintos Cathcart — co-CEO of Unapologetic Projects — is in the house. When Chris got tired of the lack of meaningful roles for Filipina-American actors, she took matters into her own hands and became an independent film financier championing underrepresented voices. From backing standout projects like Sean Wang’s Dìdi , J...

You asked — and we're back in the hot seat. In this episode of Reading the Room, Bente brings a fresh batch of listener questions and Michael brings his intuition and advice. From career paralysis to honoring a grandmother who's no longer here, from smelling someone who died thirty years ago to figuring out how to create when everything feels overwhelming — this one covers a lot of ground. We also...

In this episode of Reading the Room, Michael and Bente welcome back a very special guest — and Michael's husband of nearly 30 years — Terry Opalek. Terry is a Reiki master, intuitive coach, published author, and workshop facilitator. He's also a dedicated fitness enthusiast currently tuning his body for a 120-year lifespan — a message that came to him in a dream and was confirmed days later by a p...

In this episode of Reading the Room, Michael and Bente welcome Erin "Big" Diehl — Business Improv Edutainer, Failfluencer, Professional Zoombie, and founder of improve it!, an improv-infused talent development company. Erin is the host of The Workday Playdate Podcast, a top 1% global podcast on experiential leadership, and the author of the Amazon bestseller I See You: A Leader's Guide to Energizi...

In this episode of Reading the Room, Michael and Bente welcome Josh Phillips — athlete, bodybuilder, personal trainer, and manager at Pharos Athletic Club in Palm Springs and Idyllwild. Josh built his life around physical strength and discipline. But that foundation was put to the ultimate test when he was caught in — and completely buried by — an avalanche. In seconds, someone whose entire identi...

In this episode of Reading the Room, Michael and Bente sit down with LA-based screenwriter and director Katie Wadsworth — writer on Velma , Animaniacs , Never Have I Ever , and AP Bio . Katie is currently developing a scripted sports comedy with A Touch More and TOGETHXR, and directing her debut documentary, Whoever You Say I Am , due out summer 2027. It's a film about her year-long journey throug...

Listen in to find out why I can't hire Bente as my swim instructor—though she is definitely on the short list to be my Couch Coach! We have a lovely conversation with our guest, Mark Vigeant. Mark is a comedian, writer, and one of the most inventive live performers working today. He brilliantly blends clowning, improv, and startling tech wizardry to create shows that are wildly unpredictable yet d...

What happens when a college linebacker ditches the gridiron for a cappella and comedy? You get Andrew Knox. In this episode, we sit down with actor, writer, and improviser Andrew Knox to explore his journey from moody kid in Vermont, to college athlete, to comedy powerhouse.  We talk about his time in Chicago—writing and performing in four original revues across The Second City’s Mainstage and ETC...

Hello and welcome to Season 2 of Reading The Room with Michael Frontier and Bente Engelstoft! We’ve missed you! We are so excited to kick off Season 2 by catching up and sharing everything that’s been happening behind the scenes. We're diving into our latest adventures, fresh perspectives, and everything we've learned along the way. Thank you for being here with us for another season.

We spent the season Reading The Room, but the real work began when we finally had the courage to look in the mirror. In this Season One bonus episode, Bente and I are dropping the "expert" mask to get raw about the parts of this journey we didn’t see coming—like the subtle pressure to perform for the mic and the trap of sprinting toward forgiveness before the heart has even had a chance to catch i...

In this episode of Reading the Room, Michael and Bente sit down with singer, songwriter, and musician Elise Burchard. In her early twenties, Elise was struck in the throat by a hockey puck during a charity tournament — an accident that damaged her vocal cords and silenced her overnight. What followed was a years-long journey to reclaim not just her voice, but her truth. She's now turning that stor...

In this episode of Reading the Room, Michael and Bente sit down with LA-based actress, writer, and clown Nalini Sharma — co-creator of the dark comedy Garbage and the international hit Until Death . Nalini has toured her solo work from LA to the Edinburgh Fringe, but it's her work with clowning that truly hits home — choosing the flawless absurdity of being human over the constant audition for per...

You asked, and we’re answering! In this episode of Reading The Room , co-host Bente Engelstoft is taking over the moderator seat. She’s curated the best, weirdest, and most relatable questions from our listeners and is putting Michael Frontier in the hot seat. Think of this as a "group reading" for our entire community. Bente brings the questions, and Michael brings the intuitive hits. Whether you...

In this episode of Reading the Room, Michael conducts his first ever on-air reading — and writer, director, and performer Jason Avezzano is in the chair. Jason is the co-creator of Susan Bones: The Untold Story of a Horsegirl Who Went to Hogwarts — a musical comedy that, as it turns out, may be perfectly timed for the Year of the Horse. In this episode, we discuss: The Reading: What the kidneys re...

Color, Kindness & Connection w/ Todd Parr In this episode of Reading the Room, Michael and Bente welcome world-renowned author and illustrator Todd Parr — and a dear friend of 37 years. With over 60 books and an Emmy-nominated series, ToddWorld, Todd has spent his career reminding the world that it's okay to be different. Today, we look past the signature bright colors to explore the heart and...

In this episode of Reading the Room, Michael and Bente turn the lens inward. Moving away from the guest chair, they dive deep into the mechanics of their own intuitive journeys — the signals they've learned to trust, the moments that tested them, and the stories that shaped how they see the world. In this episode, we discuss: The Internal Signal: How to distinguish the voice of the gut from the no...

In this episode of Reading the Room , Michael and Bente sit down with the lightning-fast mind of Ryan Asher . A powerhouse alumna of The Second City Mainstage , iO , and The Annoyance Theater , Ryan has carved a singular path from the stages of Chicago to the heart of Los Angeles. While she is known for her acclaimed work and viral characters on The Bert Show , today we go behind the performance t...

In this episode of Reading the Room , Michael and Bente welcome a man who has mastered the art of transformation: Terry Opalek . Many know Terry as the visionary co-founder of the award-winning Terry’s Toffee , but his journey is a masterclass in shifting from the "architecture of business" to the "anatomy of the soul." As an Intuitive Coach, Published Author, Workshop Developer/Facilitator and Ce...

In our second episode of Reading the Room , the tables turn as Michael Frontier sits down to "read" the internal framework of his co-host, Emmy Award-winning writer and director Bente Engelstoft . How does a world-class creator maintain a clear "signal" in an industry built on external noise and constant auditioning? Michael and Bente pull back the curtain on the spiritual anatomy of a creative ca...

Welcome to the debut of Reading the Room . In this inaugural episode, hosts Michael Frontier and Bente Engelstoft open the door to a conversation about the courage it takes to listen—to yourself, to your craft, and to the world around you. Michael shares the unfolding story of his journey as a clairvoyant, offering insight into how he learned to trust his own energy and move beyond the static of s...