Breaking Walls: The Podcast on the History of American Network Radio Broadcasting

In Breaking Walls Episode 48, experience an evening unlike any other at BAM with BitterSuite, a fully immersive concert experience with one catch—the participating audience is blindfolded, touched, danced with, fed, and loved by a complete stranger. I got to experience this first hand. Today you can too, through on-the-scene conversations with Bittersuite creator Stephanie Singer, and participant...

In Episode 47 of Breaking Walls, we introduce a new sub-series to Breaking Walls called, The Radio Chronicles. It’s the 75th anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. In honor of this momentous day we travel back in time using actual radio broadcasts from that day and the days which followed, to take the temperature of a nation and a world at war. Voices heard include: Orson...

In episode 46 of Breaking Walls, we sit down with corporate art & design consultant Elle Neale for a conversation about the ways she’s learned to live, laugh, and love by setting intentions and releasing herself from the burden of expectations. It’s a great chat for Thanksgiving week! Highlights • Elle’s upbringing in New York City • What it’s like for Elle to be part of RareCulture, her family’s...

In episode 45 of Breaking Walls, we sit down with Brighton, UK-based designer Cat Rose for a conversation about The League of Creative Introverts—a creative community headed by Cat (http://www.thecreativeintrovert.com/lci/) and how Cat has used conscious gratitude to improve the way she sees the world. Highlights Include: What is The League of Creative Introverts and what gave Cat the inspiration...

In Episode 44 of Breaking Walls, we sit down with Illustrator and illustration professor Cheryl Gross for a conversation about how she uses fear as a catalyst in her art. Highlights Include: • The significance of Cheryl’s melting-pot upbringing in a Brooklyn that can be a polarizing place to grow up in •Cheryl’s earliest memories of art and recollections about her childhood •Why she believes her w...

In episode 43 of Breaking Walls the old cohorts are back together as Lina Gonzalez and James Scully sit down for a chat about why fear is so important and why the anxiety fear brings isn't something we should ignore, but should work through. Highlights: • Thoughts on Lina and James' takeaways from rebranding The WallBreakers in 2014 • Why now is so important • Lina's new gorgeous greeting card bus...

In Episode 42 of Breaking Walls we sit down with Episode 26 guest, Staten Island Hip-Hop MC Brodie Jaymz (@BrodieJaymz) one year later, for a chat about facing fears to release music and the last year of Brodie's life. Also making a behind-the-scenes appearance is Episode 1 guest, Reb Randt (@ItsRebRandt) Hightlights include: • The reception from Brodie's 10/25 LP - Dark Side of the Stars • The in...

In episode 41 of Breaking Walls we sit down with UK-based designer, and BW EP21 guest Kieron Lewis for a chat about some of the important learning lessons he's picked up this year. Highlights: • What is Powder Bryne? • Kieron's experience designing a massive 100+ page lifestyle brochure • How life's struggles have help Kieron become more present • Why Kieron is learning German • The importance of...

In episode 40 of Breaking Walls we sit down with UK-based Entrepreneur, Writer, and Creative Nigel Twumasi about his and his partner Lao’s experience creating and growing the anime-inspired comic book and clothing company Mayamada as well as the inspiration behind Mayamada’s #BeCreative2016 campaign. Highlights • Mayamada’s origins. How did two engineering students become comic book writers? • How...

In Episode 39 of Breaking Walls, we sit down with tattooing icon, world traveler, and author Jonathan Shaw for a conversation about his life and where he's going next. This is a guy that's lived many lives—artist, author, world-traveler, fringe society member. He's very self-reflective about his experiences. Highlights: • Jonathan recently released a Vintage Tattoo Flash collection (the book is fa...

In Episode 38 of Breaking Walls we hear from Steve Jobs and Milton Glaser on getting over the fear of failure, Paul Rand and Saul Bass on the importance of creativity and knowing oneself, and from TEDxWandsworth's speaker Daniel Doherty on Engineering Serendipity. For the full Daniel Doherty TEDxWandsworth talk, go here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJ-sZIWRvqk Follow The WallBreakers on soundc...

In Episode 37 of Breaking Walls we sit down for a chat about musical growth with Guillermo Varillas and Jeremy Levy of London-based band Crash Island (@CrashIsland). Highlights: • Where Crash Island's self-described "Dark Tropical" sound originates from • How the members of Crash Island met in 2011 • Where the emotive and honest quality to their music comes from • Current Inspirations • How Crash...

In Episode 36 of Breaking Walls, we sit down with Bi-Coastal Curator, Creative Director, and Founder of Created Here Samantha Katz for a conversation about things we can all do to put ourselves out there, have more confidence, and in turn, create serendipity in our lives. Highlights: • Where Samantha’s natural confidence and charisma comes from • Is there an art to being smooth? • What growing up...

In episode 35 of Breaking Walls we sit down with art director and musician Samantha Leon for a conversation about how she’s used her own vulnerability to grow creatively and emotionally. This is a great conversation that centers around tips Sam uses to be more confident and to trust herself that we can all instill in our lives. Highlights: • What it was like growing up just north of New York City...

In Episode 34 of Breaking Walls, we introduce February's monthly topic, hit on some burning bullet points, and wish ourselves a happy 4th birthday. Highlights: • The 4th anniversary of The WallBreakers • The Monthly topic: Vulnerability - Why it’s so important • Stuff going on with the podcast going forward • Looking for guest writers • Looking for new kinds of content and feedback Follow The Wall...

In Episode 33 of Breaking Walls we sit down with Enterprise IT Buyer Donald Thompson as he offers tips by the common man, for the common man, for better financial literacy. Highlights: • The Importance of "naming" your money • Why you don't need to be "Joe Science" to have financial literacy • How Donny has learned these lessons • Why he does his own taxes • Advice on accountants • The large diffe...

In Episode 32 of Breaking Walls, we sit down with Bronx-based artist Stephanie Guzman for a conversation about things she's learned in life that can help relieve stress in the new year. Highlights: • Fact vs. Myth on growing up in the South Bronx • The Dangers of being afraid to come out of our shell • What is Momentum? How it helped Stephanie • How Stephanie has learned to trust her creativity •...

Happy New Year! This brief message is one of thanks and announcements. We also tease our guest for Breaking Walls EP32, who stops by to say hello. Breaking Walls EP32 will be released on Friday 1.8.2016.

Part 2 of our interview with author David Shields about his pictorial novel War is Beautiful in which David looked at over 2000 New York Times front-page war photos between 1991 and 2014. What David found after reviewing the common themes and constructs of these photographs made him stop reading The Times. The pictorial guide is available for purchase here: www.amazon.com/War-Is-Beautiful-…ict/dp/...

Part 1 of our interview with author David Shields about his pictorial novel War is Beautiful in which David looked at over 2000 New York Times front-page war photos between 1991 and 2014. What David found after reviewing the common themes and constructs of these photographs made him stop reading The Times. The pictorial guide is available for purchase here: http://www.amazon.com/War-Is-Beautiful-P...

In Episode 28 of Breaking Walls, we sit down with two-time published author Pamela J. Campbell to talk about her experiences growing up in an abusive household, foster care, how it shaped her for the better, and how she's become both a writer and a community leader. Pamela is currently in the process of publishing a memoir of her experiences thus far in life. It's due out in 2016 and called "A Wor...

We change up the format in Episode 27 of Breaking Walls. While interviewing BWEP 09 Guest Spencer Johnson, he and I took a walking tour of Greenwood Cemetery in Brooklyn and recorded our conversation. Greenwood was the last place Spencer visited before leaving NYC in 2014 to move to Florida. Hear him talk about the fears he faced when making the decision to leave a place he lived for his entire ad...

In episode 26 of Breaking Walls we sit down with Brodie Jaymz (@brodiejaymz) in anticipation for the release of his debut album "Dark Side of the Starz." In this conversation, which also showcases the return of BW EP01 Guest RebRandt (@itsrebrandt) and Jason Adams (@jason_adams), we talk about the many things Brodie's gone through to get him to this point. Highlights: • Is there a stigma towards S...

For our one year anniversary, we go back and revisit important moments with all our prior interviewees. First time listeners can also hear bits of each prior episode. Our guests include: Reb Randt,​ Lina Gonzalez,​ Brett Affrunti,​ Tom Mauriello,​ Steven Attanasio,​ Chelsea Bonosky,​ Spencer Johnson,​ Javan Ivey,​ Monica Lo,​ Eric Scott,​ Susan Doyle,​ Mike Freiheit,​ Olga Lysenko,​ Fer Sanabria,​...

In Episode 24 of Breaking Walls, we sit down with WallBreakers co-founder Matt Weckel about all the places his life has taken him and the things he's learned as parenthood approaches for the first time. It's a great chat between a couple of Brooklyn natives who are long-time friends. Highlights • Was Brooklyn an angry place to grow up living in? If so, Why? • How Matt's parents instilled a progres...