Was It Chance?

We sit down with writer Jennifer Shoop, creator of Magpie and author of Small Wonders: A Field Guide to Life’s Quiet Joys, to talk about the winding path that led her to a creative life she never quite imagined for herself. Jennifer was supposed to be a professor, a nonprofit executive, and a tech founder. Instead, she followed her need to write, publishing daily, building a devoted literary commu...

What happens when the career you thought you were supposed to have turns out not to be the career you actually want? Megan Minutillo Weiner is a writer, poet, Broadway producer, and creator whose career has taken plenty of unexpected turns. From teaching theater to producing her own cabaret series, to becoming a Tony Award-nominated producer of Operation Mincemeat, Megan has built a creative life...

Loki Mulholland grew up with a civil rights icon Joan Trumpauer Mulholland for a mom, but like most kids, he mostly just knew her as Mom. It wasn’t until he saw her in his history books that he began to understand the extraordinary role she had played in the Civil Rights Movement. In 2011, Loki picked up a camera to tell her story, never realizing that one documentary would lead to a career making...

Sarah Marshall has lived a lot of different lives. She served in the U.S. Navy, built a career in engineering and technology leadership, practiced martial arts, traveled the world, and eventually became a novelist. But one of the biggest transformations in her life came when she finally stopped trying to outrun a part of herself she had been hiding and transitioned. In this episode, Sarah talks ab...

Diana Colleen found healing, then trusted the story that wouldn't let go. Sometimes the biggest creative risk isn't starting something new. It's believing you're the right person to do it. Diana Colleen never imagined she'd write a novel, but after life-changing psychedelic-assisted therapy helped her heal from profound childhood trauma, an idea arrived during meditation that simply refused to lea...

Author Carmella Lowkis joins Was It Chance to talk about the intentional path she built toward becoming a published novelist. From working in her childhood library to strategically entering the publishing industry, Carmella shares how every career decision was made with one goal in mind: writing the kinds of historical gothic novels she wanted to see on bookstore shelves. She also opens up about t...

What if creativity isn't about setting the perfect goal, but about learning to trust yourself in the unknown? In this episode, Heather and Alan sit down with choreographer, educator, somatic practitioner, and author Alexandra Beller for a conversation that moves far beyond dance. Alexandra shares how a lifetime of listening to her body, embracing uncertainty, and following curiosity led her from p...

David Homan believes that relationships are the foundation of every opportunity, and this conversation is a masterclass in what that actually means. David, the CEO of Orchestrated Connecting, joins us to share how a career that began in music and the arts eventually led him to build a global community centered on authentic connection. From unexpected opportunities that started with something as si...

Author Tiffany Crum joins Alan and Heather to talk about the twenty-year journey behind her breakout debut novel, This Story Might Save Your Life. From growing up on a dairy farm next to a maximum-security prison to working in the film industry, getting fired from Warner Bros. after accidentally insulting her boss over company chat, and writing multiple novels that never sold, Tiffany opens up abo...

This week on Was It Chance?, we sit down with author Kern Carter for a conversation that starts with collective grief, simulations, and angry Brooklyn cab drivers, then unfolds into one of the most honest discussions we’ve had about creativity, anxiety, ambition, and what it really takes to build a life as an artist. Kern shares how writing became both an emotional outlet and a survival tool while...

Alan and Heather sit down with New Jersey–based voice actor and coach Chris Dattoli to unpack the winding, risk-filled path that led him from a corporate marketing job he despised to a thriving career behind the mic. Chris shares how a mix of early creative instincts, a pivotal audiobook opportunity, and one bold decision to quit his job forced him to bet on himself in a big way. What followed was...

We sit down with documentary filmmaker Katy Scoggin to unpack the decade-long journey behind her deeply personal film Flood. What begins as a curiosity about science, faith, and her upbringing as a young earth creationist evolves into a profound exploration of family, identity, and the limits of belief. Katy shares how a chance opportunity to work in documentary filmmaking, along with a simple ask...

In this episode, Alan and Heather sit down with Ray Hartjen—a self-described professional storyteller whose career has spanned investment banking, pharma, tech, marketing, and creative writing. Ray shares how storytelling became the throughline across every chapter of his professional life, even before he consciously recognized it. From crafting narratives in corporate boardrooms to writing books...

In this episode of Was It Chance, Alan Seales and Heather Vickery talk with comedian, keynote speaker, and storyteller Merritt Kahn about turning life’s unexpected plot twists into powerful creative material. Merritt is the creator and performer of Optimistic Personality Disorder, a one-woman show that blends stand-up comedy, storytelling, and personal insight as she explores divorce, parenting, e...

Content Note: This conversation includes discussion of suicide and severe depression. Please take care of yourself while listening. If you or someone you know is struggling, reach out to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in the United States or a local crisis resource in your area. In this deeply vulnerable episode of Was It Chance?, we sit down with Rich Wright, founder of The Artist Recovery, fo...

Heather Vickery and Alan Seales sit down with Troy Horne, a multi-hyphenate creative whose career spans music, Broadway, television, entrepreneurship, and authorship. The conversation explores what it really means to take intentional risks—especially in midlife—and how clarity, courage, and self-trust compound over time. Troy shares how his creative journey began with a childhood performance in ch...

What if saying “yes” before you know how is the real creative superpower? In this episode of Was It Chance, Heather Vickery and Alan Seales sit down with Paul Pape—creative problem navigator, TEDx speaker, author, and the man affectionately known as “Santa for Nerds.” From a studio in Nebraska, Paul has built custom props, collectibles, and prototypes for Disney, Universal, Nickelodeon, Broadway,...

In this special year-end wrap-up episode, hosts Heather Vickery and Alan Seales kick 2025 out the door the only way they know how: with candid reflection, sharp banter, and a deep appreciation for creative risk. From standout guests and unforgettable conversations to personal highs, hard-won lessons, and the realities of building meaningful work in the middle of busy, complicated lives, Heather an...

Award-winning author and Hollywood veteran Kay A. Oliver joins Was It Chance to unpack a career shaped by creative persistence, hard-earned reinvention, and the courage to walk away from systems that no longer fit. With more than three decades in Hollywood—spanning writing, production, consumer products, and studio work—Kay shares what it really takes to survive (and stay sane) in an industry driv...

We sit down with award-winning novelist and former CNN senior copy editor John DeDakis—a storyteller whose life and career have been shaped by remarkable twists of fate. From navigating the Vietnam War draft and interviewing Alfred Hitchcock as a 20-something Army broadcaster, to decades in journalism at the White House and inside CNN’s The Situation Room, John’s journey reflects both serendipity...

Heather and Alan sit down with writer, lyricist, editor, and creative force Kara Cutruzzula—whose winding, multidimensional career is a masterclass in following curiosity, embracing uncertainty, and letting creative energy lead the way. Kara shares how a series of “sliding doors” moments shaped her path from journalism to essays, from writing short plays to crafting musicals, and how she learned t...

What a milestone! For our 100th episode, we’re joined by the powerhouse that is Bianca D’Alessio—real estate broker, reality TV star of Selling the Hamptons, and now author of Mastering Intentions: 10 Practices to Amplify Power and Lead with Lasting Impact. In this inspiring, high-energy conversation, Bianca opens up about her journey from earning just $11,000 her first year in real estate to mana...

We sit down with David Armstrong — lifelong theater-maker, educator, and author of Broadway Nation: How Immigrant, Jewish, Queer, and Black Artists Invented the Broadway Musical. David’s 40-year career as a director, producer, choreographer, and writer has been steeped in creative risk, from his 18 years leading Seattle’s Fifth Avenue Theatre (where Hairspray began!) to hosting the Broadway Nation...

Audrey Goldberg Ruoff knows a thing or two about living a double life—in the best way possible. By day, she’s a middle school teacher, bringing “Ms. Frizzle-level” energy to the classroom. By night (and early mornings, and stolen weekends), she’s a novelist who just released her debut adult novel, Hopelessly Devoted. This cozy, witchy rom-com blends love, humor, ghosts, and tea in a way that feels...

Sometimes creativity shows up in the most unexpected places. For author Megan Michelle, it was during recovery from open heart surgery and battling severe light sensitivity that her debut novel Skylark came to life. What started as a vivid story playing in her mind became the foundation for The Seales Saga—a seven-book series blending military action, slow-burn romance, and fierce patriarchy-smash...