The Creative Capital Show

When you think about it most entrepreneurs and creatives have a DIY spirit, but few would exemplify this spirit more than this episode's guest Christian "Coog" Lopez. Christian wanted to simply promote his friend's music and since this was during the blog era this naturally led to creating a tumblr. What was out of the ordinary was how quickly the tumblr grew in popularity, which...

Not caring can usually be associated with online trolls looking to annoy others, but what happens wh0en you care too much? What happens when you care so much it prevents you from not trying in the first place? It's a strange and interesting balance, and few know that balance better than street and concert photographer Rafael Medina. One would assume Rafael picked up a camera at an early age ho...

You have heard of art schools and after school art programs. But what about a non-profit that teaches students how to make commercially viable art for clients, while at the same time paying those students for their work while they learn. Because that is the vision behind Riverzedge arts and Riverzedge Executive Director this episode's guest Kristen Williams. Kristen has a long standing history...

You have heard of art schools and after school art programs. But what about a non-profit that teaches students how to make commercially viable art for clients, while at the same time paying those students for their work while they learn. Because that is the vision behind Riverzedge arts and Riverzedge Executive Director this episode's guest Kristen Williams. Kristen has a long standing history...

There are people out there who think being yourself is old fashioned out of touch advice, however for others like this episode’s guest Victor Baez being his true authentic self was the catalyst for an entire multi media company. Victor created music reaction videos not in a studio but rather sitting in his car, the authenticity and rawness of his reactions led to overnight virality which Victor th...

There are people out there who think being yourself is old fashioned out of touch advice, however for others like this episode's guest Victor Baez being his true authentic self was the catalyst for an entire multi media company. Victor created music reaction videos not in a studio but rather sitting in his car, the authenticity and rawness of his reactions led to overnight virality which Victo...

Artists switch to different mediums all the time that act of switching has occurred ever since art has existed. But for this episode's guest abstract artist Paige Huggon, discovering a new medium she had not utilized before didn't just give her a new creative outlet, it resulted in her presence within the art world rise tremendously, and that medium was scarves. In this episode I talk with...

Storytelling and branding, two words you seem to hear a lot these days when it comes to entrepreneurial success. And it makes sense, storytelling is a powerful tool when you want to create a brand that will last. A good brand story will help you and your customers connect through your work, and this connection will give you an advantage over your competition. But what if you wanted your brand stor...

Pro wrestler by day state representative for the working class by night, that's the story of this episode's guest David Morales. David is Rhode Island's youngest state legislator and one of the youngest legislators in the country, he's also simultaneously the villainous Hype Champion of the Renegade Wrestling Alliance. Now if you're wondering what does wrestling have to do with...

What happens when a New Yorker goes to Brown to study film and they have trouble finding relevant film work? They end up creating a platform to help themselves and other freelancers find that work, at least that's the case with this episode's guest, Adam Alpert. Adam is the co-founder and CEO of Pangea, a platform that wants to connect freelancers looking for work, with start-ups looking f...

What goes on behind the scenes when it comes to content creation? How do I utilize content to create my own personal brand? Is there a formula to going viral? Should I post content constantly? And also where should I go to get dinner? If you have ever asked yourself any of these questions than this episode's guest Laura Afonso may have some answers. Laura is the owner and founder of Buns and B...

Starting a business is tough, starting a successful business is even tougher, now imagine starting a successful business and you can't read, or talk? Sounds impossible, and yet that was the catalyst for Lexus Fernandez's entrepreneurial journey. At age 20 Lexus suffered a brain aneurysm which left her unable to attend school, work a job, and the ability to read and speak. During her recovery she f...

When it comes to content creation especially content for social media, to say that video is having a moment right now, would be an understatement. With the rise of Instagram stories, Youtube shorts, and the platform that put short form video under the spotlight Tik-Tok, good video content is more important than ever. But what goes into making objectively good video content?  Is style more imp...

When it comes to content creation especially content for social media, to say that video is having a moment right now, would be an understatement. With the rise of Instagram stories, Youtube shorts, and the platform that put short form video under the spotlight Tik-Tok, good video content is more important than ever. But what goes into making objectively good video content?  Is style more imp...

When most people think of recycling they tend to think of those blue bins that take glass, paper, or plastic. Rarely do they think of recycling as a creative business opportunity.  However this episode's guest Steve Duque viewed recycling in a different way, which led him on an entrepreneurial journey that is 10 years strong and counting.  Steve is the owner of Duque Skate Art, where bro...

We often think about clothes as something to wear to protect us from the elements, or a uniform that's used to fit in. But have you ever wondered about using clothes as a form of self expression, or a way to provide access to a different lifestyle? If you have then you will want to hear the story of this episode's guest, Albert Kyei-Poakwa the owner and founder of ready to wear luxury lifestyle br...

Food and service industry workers suffered massive setbacks during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. No pandemic however, could stop the creative and entrepreneurial spirits of this episode's guests, Gretchen Lizarda and Monica Martin. Gretchen and Monica are the founders of Juicy Market PVD, a brand that supports small businesses and vendors throughout RI. Gretchen and Monica's combined experi...

There's the term a Jack/Jill of all trades. After making this episode the term should be changed to a Lois of all trades in honor of this episode's guest Lois Harada. Artist, printmaker, activist, teacher, board member, city commissioner, chairperson, are just some of the titles Lois has held in her career.  In this episode Lois and I talk about what makes the Providence creative community un...

Vintage, grails, sneakers, fashion, streetwear. All these terms are related yet uniquely diverse when it comes to clothing. Maybe they should all fall under the term collectible fashion. Which to my knowledge was coined by this episode's guest, Xury Belliard.  Xury is the owner and founder of Cured Collection. A store which has become a focal point in the Providence clothing scene. Cured prov...

Because older episodes can get lost in the shuffle, and because there are true gems of knowledge in those episodes, it's time for The Creative Capital Show Podcast Mixtape vol 2! This vol 2 mixtape features hand picked segments covering topics such as, starting a farm to table distillery, what it takes to make it in the restaurant business, how a hotel can serve a community, how art can improve qu...

Martial arts instructor, virologist, motorcycle racer, comic book expert, and last but not least business owner. These are just some of the ways to describe this episode's guest Thoney Phanlak aka the most interesting nerd in the world. That's not an exaggeration, how else would you describe a person whose story begins with a birth in a refugee camp in Thailand that involved the prince of Laos, wh...

When we think of photography we at times tend to think of fashion magazines, journalism, weddings, or street photography. But how often do we think about photography as a means of self-expression, an artistic medium, a political tool, or a catalyst for change? Well one person thought about all of that and more, this episode's guest Kannetha Brown.  Kannetha's photographic work is social comme...

What do LA, RI, Vietnam, and Kimchi, have in common? Well they are all a part of the story behind Chi Kitchen, the business founded by this episode's guest Minnie Luong.  Minnie founded Chi Kitchen to create flavorful, hand-crafted Asian foods for the well-being of its customers.  But this story is about more than just food, it's a story about having a vision, and the hard work, sacrific...

Burnout it happens to the best of us.  Whether it's our work, our personal life, or just simply going after the goals were trying to achieve, we can sometimes lose ourselves in the process much to our own detriment. Most people recover from burnout by spending time with family and friends or taking a relaxing vacation, however this episode's guest recovered from burnout by starting his own bu...

Do the areas of government and business have to be adversaries? It seems as if you live in the state of Rhode Island the answer is a resounding yes? But what if it didn't have to be that way? In fact what if a former business owner worked in government to make it easier to do business? And what if that person was your "know a guy" that could help you if you ever had an issue with regulations or pa...