A Life Creative Podcast

Show Notes: With Thanksgiving just around the corner it is especially timely to chat with Lucinda Scala Quinn , Author and Founder of Mad Hungry.  Melanio and Lucinda share the heritage-inspired dishes that are on their holiday tables and reminisce about their time working at Martha Stewart Living.   Lucinda has a storied career in food, starting from her high-school days onward and has now publis...

This year John Derian celebrates 30 years of his eponymous boutique and antiques shop on 2nd Street in New York City's East Village neighborhood.  His path took him from a creatively inspired childhood in Massachusetts to New York City as an adult where he built a design and retail business from scratch.  He's known for finding antique illustrations and extending their life and enjoyment...

Julia Wachtel is a conceptual artist who thrived in the New York City art scene of the 1980’s among contemporaries like Robert Gober, Jeff Koons and Cindy Sherman.  Her art looks at the interplay of advertising and other commercial media in everyday life and speaks to her interest in consumer and political culture. Julia has a bachelor’s degree from Middlebury College, studied at the School of Vis...

Ngoc Minh Ngo is a photographer whose poetic eye captures the quiet beauty of the natural world. Known for her evocative images of flowers, gardens, and interiors, Ngoc’s work reveals the harmony between art and nature. Born in Vietnam and based in New York City, she has authored several acclaimed books including Bringing Nature Home , In Bloom , and in 2025 Roses in the Garden .  Ngoc models a se...

Stylist, author, and interior designer Rebecca Robertson shares the story of how she developed an appreciation for antiques and collectibles at a young age and a lifelong interest in designing sets that has been a throughline in her career.  She's led a very 'NYC' professional life working on film production, as a talent coordinator for the likes of Snoop Dogg, as a stylist at Marth...

Stephanie Housley is the founder, designer, and creative force behind Coral & Tusk , an embroidered textile brand celebrated for its whimsical, nature-inspired home goods.  Born and raised in the Ohio Valley, Stephanie studied textile design at RISD and spent fifteen years working as an interior textile designer in New York City before turning her passion project into a full-time business.  In...

Jon Carloftis grew up in rural Kentucky with parents that fostered a deep understanding and appreciation for nature and gardening.  His educational pursuits further informed his creative aesthetic.  Eventually, through life's twists and turns he ended up designing rooftop and terrace gardens in New York City, building a unique business from the ground up, often catering to wealthy and celebri...

Megan Pflug talks about her years at Martha Stewart Living , her early role at One King’s Lane where she developed her interiors practice, and the decision to take on a run-down Catskills motor lodge. That project became the Woodhouse Lodge , now a distinctive wedding venue shaped by Megan and her husband’s aesthetic, persistence, and hands-on problem solving.   For more about Megan and links to h...

Christine Lavigne, Founder of Home Agency, a talent representation company, shares her various experiences that led her to establishing her own business.  She explains what talent agents do, and some best practices for how creatives seeking representation should present themselves to prospective agents.  Home Agency has offices in New York, Paris, Tokyo, and Seoul and represents photographers, mak...

This mini episode marks a milestone — 20 episodes! We take a moment to reflect on what has resonated most with us so far, share a few behind-the-scenes updates, and highlight some of the other projects we’ve been working on. Our producer, Chris Kangas, joins us to give a peek behind the scenes of making the podcast. And finally, we take a moment to thank our guests, our sponsor Rowenta, and our mu...

In this episode, we talk with Rob Van Wyen and Kevin Seitz, the team behind the furniture brand Seitz. We discuss how their complementary skills shaped the company, why they paused to focus on the operational side, and how they’re approaching their re-launch while continuing to work full-time. The conversation also covers their upcoming Monocle residency, working with skilled Swiss makers, and the...

In this episode we sit down with David Mann, founding principal of MR Architecture + Decor, to explore his path from an early fascination with buildings as a child to building a successful career in architecture and design. David reflects on his education at Pratt and the formative experiences in his early career, the leap to starting his own practice, and how MR Architecture + Decor has evolved o...

In this episode, we dive into the fascinating world of collecting with Fritz Karch — a true renaissance man. From his early start as a passionate collector to his longtime role as Editorial Director of Collecting at Martha Stewart Living , Fritz shares his unique perspective on styling, antiques, and curating meaningful objects. We explore his background in styling, co-authoring Collected: Living...

In this episode, we speak with Nancy Soriano, a seasoned editorial leader and brand strategist whose career has spanned media, design, and retail. We talk about her early days as a stylist, her decade-long run as Editor-in-Chief at Country Living , and how she has navigated major roles at brands like One Kings Lane, West Elm, and now Perigold. Nancy shares what it has been like to shift from story...

In this episode, we speak with Kristen Aronsson, founder and creative director of Aperçu, a direct-to-consumer eyewear brand that blends fashion, functionality, and strategy. With over 15 years of experience, Kristen has built a career focused on eyewear design and now leads both the creative direction and business development at Aperçu. She shares how she transitioned from studying art history to...

  In this episode, we sit down with Heidi Johannsen Stewart, co-founder of Bellocq Tea Atelier, the celebrated Brooklyn-based tea company known for its exquisite hand-blended teas and deep commitment to quality and ritual. Heidi shares her journey from training at the French Culinary Institute to nearly a decade at Martha Stewart Living , and how those experiences ultimately led her to co-found Be...

In this episode, we sit down with Raylene Marasco, founder of Dye-namix, a textile studio that creates custom fabrics for film, fashion, and fine art. Today, her work shows up in everything from The Gilded Age and Severance to runway pieces for Giorgio Armani and Ralph Lauren.  We speak with Raylene about how her business has evolved over the years and some of the unique projects that have come he...

  In this episode, we sit down with Andy Gray, a seasoned creative director and founder of Transport New York, whose career has taken him from early days in TV graphics to top agencies like Wieden+Kennedy, Ogilvy, and VSA. Along the way, he has worked in-house at major brands like Cole Haan, Warby Parker & Bonobos, giving him a unique perspective on both sides of the client-agency relationship...

In this episode, we talk with Eve Ashcraft, a color expert and founder of Eve Ashcraft Studio . A RISD-trained painter, Eve has spent over two decades shaping and defining her role of architectural color consultant—a discipline she helped pioneer through her independent practice. She’s collaborated with architects, designers, institutions, and private clients on everything from residential palette...

In this episode, we sit down with designer and creative director Alex Bates to discuss her career—from growing up in a creatively charged Midwestern household to helping shape influential brands like Martha Stewart Living and West Elm. Alex shares stories of early influences, hands-on learning at Macy’s, and eye-opening trips to Copenhagen that helped define her aesthetic. She reflects on the magi...

In this episode, we sit down with Joelle Hoverson, founder of Purl Soho, to talk about how her background as a painter led her to build one of the most beloved knitting and craft brands in the country. Joelle shares how she went from studying painting at the San Francisco Art Institute and earning her MFA at Yale to freelancing for Martha Stewart Living , where a new passion for knitting took root...

In this episode, we sit down with Tucker Fort, Partner and Executive Director at Smart Design, to explore the evolution of his career shaped by curiosity and a commitment to human-centered design. From his early days taking apart gadgets and cleaning a ceramics studio to leading multi-disciplinary teams at one of the world’s top design consultancies, Tucker shares how he transitioned from engineer...

In this episode, miniature artist and NBC's Making It alum, Chelsea Andersson, shares her creative journey—from studying landscape architecture to finding her true passion in the world of miniatures. Chelsea opens up about the moment she realized her original career path wasn’t the right fit, how a hamster named Martin sparked a new direction, and what it was really like to go from being a su...

In this episode of A Life Creative , we talk with Jennifer Aronsson, a culinary expert whose career has taken her from top kitchens to influential roles in food media and entrepreneurship. A graduate of the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts, Jennifer trained under renowned chefs like Suzanne Goin and Todd English before becoming Pastry Chef at the historic Upstairs at the Pudding. She later moved...

What’s it really like to work with icons like Martha Stewart, Ralph Lauren, and NYC's Hudson Yards developer Steve Ross? In this episode, we sit down with Stephen Earle, an accomplished design director and stylist, whose career has taken him from the early days of home lifestyle branding to the creative helm of some of its most recognized names. Stephen shares the story of how he got his star...