Excelsior Journeys: The Road to Creativity

This week on Excelsior Journeys, host & producer George Sirois sits down with fellow author Laura E. Thompson. She has written several YA & New Adult novels under the pen name Laura LaBarge, and has moved into sci-fi & fantasy with her Elven Quest series, her Witches of Tradbeldam series, and more! And she accomplished this with the help of the writing community she had cultivated over...

This week on Excelsior Journeys, host & producer George Sirois sits down with filmmaker Dan Watt to discuss his latest project, the feature-length documentary "Everybody Dance," which can be found HERE . The two also talk about the various pivots he made in his career in entertainment, from dancing to stage managing to working with icons Carol Burnett & Bea Arthur, to filmmaking. Learn mor...

This week on Excelsior Journeys, host & producer George Sirois goes solo by answering questions provided by different creatives on social media. He discusses his history with voice acting, what led him into audiobook narrating, the mysteries of time management, the future for the Once Upon a Podcast Network, and more! For those who would like to get involved with the Podcast Network, please me...

This week on Excelsior Journeys, host and producer George Sirois sits down with the author now known as CE Foltz. After making herself known as an author in the YA/MG genres under the name Coral Elizabeth, she has taken the freedom afforded to the modern-day author and moved into adult science-fiction. Now with a new name and a fresh high-stakes story at the ready, CE is ready to show the world wi...

This week on Excelsior Journeys, host and producer George Sirois sits down with fellow audiobook narrator Victoria Connolly. After working in retail for ten years, Victoria decided to stop putting her creative dreams on hold and leapt into the wonderful world of audiobook narrating. Through sheer talent and tenacity, she has built strong professional relationships with indie authors, USA Today &am...

This week on Excelsior Journeys, host and producer George Sirois sits down with fellow author Georgia Lininger, who not only made her creative passion a reality by publishing her own works, but also set out to provide the same kind of opportunity to other authors through her own Salus Publishing. And what is truly amazing about Georgia's work - other than the various authors she has discovered - i...

** THE FOLLOWING EPISODE CONTAINS MATERIAL THAT MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR YOUNGER EARS. LISTENER DISCRETION IS ADVISED. ** This week on Excelsior Journeys, host and producer George Sirois sits down with fellow author Dr Leanna Wolfe. With the recent launch of her non-fiction book "177 Lovers and Counting: My Life as a Sex Researcher," Leanna has not only succeeded in getting this long-researched boo...

Writing is, at its heart, a very solitary profession. No matter how the day unfolds, at some point the writer has to sit down by themselves and get the daily word count finished. Sometimes the words spill out onto the page very easily, most of the time it's agonizing just to put one sentence together. So it's very important for the writer to have a community to lean on, people who know the highs a...

This week on Excelsior Journeys, host & producer George Sirois sits down with charisma expert Milena Dalinaros. With years in performance coaching and now with her first book in progress, Milena has made it her mission to help as many people as possible to unlock the charisma within themselves. By tapping into this energy that some don't even realize they have, they become much more credible a...

This week, host & producer George Sirois sits down with the filmmaking duo The Boylan Sisters. Since starting their own production company, Alexandra Boylan and Andrea Polnaszek have written & produced various films all around the country, and everywhere they've gone, they've been met with nothing but support, enthusiasm, and a willingness to help. They've proven time and again that featur...

This week, host & producer George Sirois sits down with fellow podcaster Stephanie Laffey. As co-host of the show Stay Introverted, Stephanie has made it a mission to let fellow introverts know that it's okay to not try to push yourself to get out there and act extroverted when you only want to do the exact opposite. This is a show that encourages its listeners to simply be who they are and re...

This week, host & producer George Sirois takes the time to answer some questions about getting into voice acting and audiobook narrating, as well as advice on what to do and what not to do when starting a podcast. Also, if you have an idea for a podcast yourself, the Once Upon a Podcast Network wants to know about it. Send your concept - or some samples of your work - to george@hesgotit.com, a...

For this week's episode of Excelsior Journeys, host & producer George Sirois sits down with his friend & co-worker, voice artist Chris Woodworth. The two discuss getting to know each other through the 529 Club on the Clubhouse app, working together on Excelsior: The Audio Journey, the animation VO dubbing videos on social media that sparked a sensation and led to Chris gaining well-deserve...

For this week's episode of Excelsior Journeys, host & producer George Sirois sits down with actress, playwright, and screenwriter Catherine Butterfield. Starting out as an actress performing on stage in various theaters around the country, Catherine took control over her career and started writing plays that she could star in, including a one-woman show. This led to many opportunities and conn...

For this week's episode of Excelsior Journeys, host & producer George Sirois sits down with Michele DeFilippo, the founder of 1106 Design. A one-stop shop for everything an indie author needs for their books for over 20 years, 1106 provides formatting, cover design, interior design, eBook production, and even audiobook production that are at the same level of books launched by the top publishe...

For this week's episode of Excelsior Journeys, host & producer George Sirois sits down with prolific fellow podcaster Reena Friedman Watts, host & producer of her show Better Call Daddy. Reena has worked behind the scenes in television for years and has taken her experiences and expertise to the world of podcasting. And as 2024 begins, Reena has dedicated herself to kicking doors down and...

For this week's episode of Excelsior Journeys, host & producer George Sirois sits down with Rabbi / Personal & Executive Coach / retired EMS Ezra Max. For years, Rabbi Ezra has been working with men, women, and children to help them unlock their own potential and be the leaders they want to be. And as we begin 2024, he is preparing a special leadership seminar that will be an ideal way to...

Season 8 of the Excelsior Journeys Podcast is off and running, and this episode featured two veterans of both entertainment and sports entertainment: Dr. Chris Whaley and Mike McClaskey. Chris has been in the squared circle as a professional wrestler and now stands at the pulpit as a pastor at the First Baptist Church of Orlando. He combined his experiences into his first novel "The Masked Saint,"...

Season 8 of the Excelsior Journeys Podcast has begun! And we're getting it all started with successful author marketing strategist Stephanie Moon. With years of experience in publishing and with authors of various genres, Stephanie is the ideal person you want in your corner. She will push you in the right direction to promote your work and will get you started much sooner than you thought you sho...

It's been an incredibly eventful 2023. For this show, for myself, for the Once Upon a Podcast Network, and more! So this is my chance to take a moment to reflect on everything that has happened this year, to thank everyone for tuning in, and to even provide a little hint of what to expect for 2024. NOTE: I am taking a week off from recording so the season 8 premiere will launch on Tuesday, January...

Our month of celebration continues on the Excelsior Journeys podcast with this week's guest Donald Dunn. After serving in the military for over 20 years, Donald started the podcast "Two Drunk Dudes in a Gun Room," which provided him and other servicemen with a fun and creative outlet that allowed them to share stories and even undergo some therapeutic moments. This led Donald to expand his reach a...

The month of celebrating on the Excelsior Journeys podcast continues with this week's guest, author Tyler Schwanke. After years of studying film in college and beyond, Tyler took all of his experiences as a young filmmaker and brought them together into an exciting new novel from Blackstone Publishing, Breaking In. Subscribe to all shows in the Once Upon a Podcast Network by clicking HERE . The Ex...

On November 26, 2022, we lost a true Hollywood icon: Albert Pyun, the director of over 30 films who brought a unique style and consistent ability to make the most out of the tiniest budgets. And on December 2, Excelsior Journeys host & producer George Sirois had the honor of speaking with Albert's wife Cynthia Curnan, who was all too happy to share some wonderful stories about the man she stoo...

You did it! Whether you're a participant in the National Novel Writing Month challenge or the National Podcast Post Month challenge, it's time to celebrate you reaching your goals, or at least doing your best to reach them. Don't let anyone take away what you've done this month and what you'll be doing in the future! Subscribe to all shows in the Once Upon a Podcast Network by clicking HERE . The...

Enjoy Part 1 of the Day 28 2-parter that's been posted just in time for you to wake up on Day 29 of the National Novel Writing Month & National Podcast Post Month Challenges. And remember, if you feel sick, give yourself a chance to rest. Subscribe to all shows in the Once Upon a Podcast Network by clicking HERE . The Excelsior Journeys podcast exists primarily as a platform for creatives of a...