Craft Talk

Beatbox Jake is an entertainer who blends the craft of guitar and the art of beatboxing in a unique genre he calls “Beatbox Metal”. His journey started with guitar, inspired by influences like Joe Satriani and Steve Vai. Jake is more than just a “shredder.” While he enjoys the fast, ballistic style of playing, he’s also committed years to theory and including melodic choices to elevate his work. S...

In this episode, I chat with Abe Russell, a licensed builder who specializes in tile work. We discuss his journey into the construction industry, his passion for tiling, and all of the skills he has acquired over the years. Abe shares some of his insights on the importance of learning through experience, the challenges of different jobs, and the pride he takes in creating beautiful spaces. We also...

In this episode, I’m joined by singer-songwriter Taylor DeRousse , whose new album “ Running Back To Me ” is the product of a decade long journey of self discovery and bold creative choices. During this album release cycle, I observed that she approaches her craft with so much intentionality, and isn’t afraid to go for it. She not only understands the demands of being an artist, but also understan...

I’m so excited to speak with Ioana Jongsma , an executive presence coach and public speaking trainer. Ioana is an ICF Associate Certified Coach, a Gestalt Professional Certified Coach and a NeuroMindfulness Master Practitioner. Headquartered in Denmark, Ioana has worked with hundreds of speakers from all over the world including scientists, artists, educators, leaders, world record athletes, polic...

For this solo episode, I share 3 essential approaches to leadership whether you’re stepping into a leadership role, refining how you lead, or just curious about what separates great leaders from bad ones. I hope that these items will help you on your own journey to leadership in whatever that looks like for you. The world is always going to be full of questionable leadership or terrible managers,...

For this episode, I have a chat with Singer Songwriter, Jack Droppers. Jack has been in a band with his best friends for almost a decade, and he wouldn’t want it any other way. I loved where this conversation went. From sharing our mutual connection to Orlando, to finding the hidden little things that we incorporate into our work, and also celebrating the fun and quirky methods that we have in ord...

For this episode, we are flipping the script. Creative storyteller and trusted friend, Beni Artreche, steps into the host’s chair to interview me, your usual guide behind the mic. In this episode, we dive into my journey, the doubts I’ve faced, and the ideas that fuel Craft Talk. From where I came from to what keeps me curious, this conversation explores not just the story behind the show, but the...

We’re back with another episode of Craft Talk! Initially Rachele and I had planned to discuss a specific topic, but like most great conversations, some back roads and side streets were taken and although not anticipated, it ultimately led us into a fruitful topic of the “Niche”. “Finding Your Niche” has become a buzzword in social media and marketing circles. I, who sometimes have contrarian tende...

Happy 2025! As we look ahead to the potential that the new year brings, I wanted to share 3 concepts to help you think about some intentions that you could implement into your own life. In this episode, I offer some tools to help us set more wholistic goals, help us visualize how to achieve those goals, and also give ourselves a kind reminder if we don’t end up “meeting the goal” As much as these...

In the final episode of 2024, I’m reflecting on the year and sharing my theme of “The Year of Content (Yes, the way you look at it matters)” . This theme has been an important framework for my creative identity. By setting intentional boundaries and giving myself permission to push myself, it helped me navigate finding balance and peace with my creative output, while also pushing myself at the sam...

This marks the 50TH EPISODE of Craft Talk, so I invited my wife Amanda to join me and celebrate the milestone! In this episode, Amanda shares her journey into becoming a Physician Assistant (PA-C). Her early interest in the medical field and her own personal medical journey led her to wonder what career avenue is best suited for her. After bouncing around many different types of programs and jobs...

Eric Novak and Maurice Hogan is the creative duo behind Visual Cake (formerly known as 31 and Up Media), a Production company that specializes in video and photography for social media. Their company services many local businesses from schools, pizza shops, fashion designers to HVAC companies. As much as their business is technically driven with cameras and microphones, the team sees their role as...

Joe is a cartoonist based out of Greenville, South Carolina. In this episode, we explore playful topics such as Dungeons and Dragons, childhood memories, and storytelling. We also dive into more heartfelt and vulnerable ideas like creative doubts, mental health, and belonging. Although we’ve been Instagram buds for some time now, this was my first time formally meeting Joe. I really enjoyed discus...

As creative minds, we are on a life long pursuit of finding our uniqueness. Surrounded by talented and seemingly original people all around us, it’s easy to start thinking: “where do I even begin?” or “I feel like everything has been done before” or “what I do isn’t THAT special or unique, is it even worth pursuing?” In this episode, I share a few concepts and ideas that help me unpack this topic,...

“While I can't change the entire art world, I can change my small corner of it. Art has only ever been in my life because it was made accessible to me. I will always work to keep my art accessible to you, because art should be accessible for everyone.” - Erica Helder Erica Helder is an abstract artist based out of Brant, Ontario. Erica’s creative journey did not start in the abstract art world...

Vita Artreche is a Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) that has worked in countless events ranging from conferences, trade shows, weddings, and fundraisers. She is currently the Conference Director for Jesus Film Project where she leads the event team with day to day operations, strategy, and professional development. This was such a fun conversation. For about a decade, I worked in the hospitali...

“Being brave doesn’t mean you’re never afraid. It means you do the thing DESPITE of the fear” - Beni Artreche This line from a conversation I had with Beni inspired me to record this episode of Craft Talk on the topic of bravery. In this episode, I share some quotes about this subject that allows us to observe this idea within ourselves, and also share a really amazing method to help us potentiall...

Rachele Wright is a jack of all trades, and a master at ALL OF THEM. She is a pianist, a musician, an educator, a business operations specialist, a marketing strategist, and the list goes on and on. Given all of the tools and skills we possess, it’s only natural to start building strong identities with these different disciplines. We seek the validation based on our performance within set goals an...

Robby Fischer is the owner of Dogtown Studio located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He is a staple in the music scene in GR and has been a honored recipient of an Ovation Award given out by the Michigan Music Alliance for Dogtown Studio’s positive contribution to the local music community. Robby is also one of my best friends and I consider him to be a close partner in creativity. (It’s like “partners...

If you’re like me and often feel like your work or skill is not quite exactly how you envision it, this episode might be for you. I share a concept from Ira Glass called “The Gap” and highlight previous guests experiences with this very subject. Here's my favorite video of it. https://vimeo.com/85040589 If anything, I hope this episode makes you feel like you’re not alone in feeling like this,...

Jonathan Camarillo is a Lighting Designer and Programmer at One4Five Creative Group . Along with partners Damian Rogers, Jason Gray, and Brent Harwell, One4Five currently services clients such as Khalid, Slipknot, Misterwives, Rob Zombie, Pentatonix, and other corporate groups. Out on the road, Khalid is Jonathan’s direct account and handles all of the programming and design of the show under the...

Lynn Gräber is an award winning mix engineer with over 25 years of experience in the music industry. Currently located in Nashville, Tennessee, Lynn has mixed and mastered many thousands of songs and has had opportunities to work on projects with Grammy and Dove nominated artists. In this chat, Lynn shares his journey from being a studio owner in Indiana, going back to school to sharpen his craft...

There’s no better feeling when everything we’re doing seems to be clicking. I’m currently in a very productive phase. My creative output is higher than usual, and it’s a really empowering. I’m trying to lean into it and “strike while the iron is hot”, but on the other side of the coin, I’m fully aware that this mode is not permanent and inevitably, that output will slow down. Not knowing how long...

Karen Albert is a classical singer (mezzo soprano) specializing in choral, oratorio and concert repertoire. Currently residing in Grand Rapids, Michigan, she graduated with master's degrees in both musicology and voice performance from Michigan State University and Central Michigan University. She has been featured as an alto soloist in works such as Handel’s Messiah, or Beethoven’s 9th Symphony....

It’s a tale as old as time. Changing your mind is a reality that we all experience and is an act that we should be more open to embracing. As a self proclaimed over-thinker, I usually live with the constant worry of the “what ifs” when it comes to the creative work that I publish. Questions come up like: “What if I realize that what I’m doing is actually not as good as I imagined?” “What if the th...