Inspired Minds

Author, journalist, and media historian Patrick Jankiewicz interviews legendary blacksmith and Hollywood armorer Tony Swatton — the master craftsman behind some of film’s most iconic weapons and props. Swatton’s creations include the Zenith Blade from  League of Legends , Wolverine’s claws from  X-Men , and the Infinity Gauntlet from  The Avengers . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/pr...

Tom Hoeler is the Editorial Director of Fiction & Special Projects at Random House Worlds, a division of Penguin Random House. He specializes in developing and editing fiction across major licensed properties, including Star Wars, Magic: The Gathering, and World of Warcraft, playing a key role in bringing immersive storytelling to fans worldwide. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more...

Neil O’Brien is a Senior Broadcast Producer at NBC News Specials and an Emmy and Peabody award-winning journalist with over two decades of in the industry. He is the author of  After Disney: Toil, Trouble, and the Transformation of America’s Favorite Media Company , which explores the dramatic succession struggles and creative transformations at Walt Disney Productions following Walt Disney’s...

PAULA MUNIER  is the Senior Agent and Director of Storytelling for Talcott Notch Literary and  USA TODAY  bestselling author of the Mercy Carr mysteries from Minotaur. Over her 20-plus years in the business, she’s conceived, created, produced, and marketed exceptional content in all formats across all markets for such media giants as WGBH, Fidelity, Disney, Gannett, S...

David L. Robbins is the author of seventeen novels, including two bestselling works, War of the Rats and The End of War . Known for his gripping historical fiction, Robbins has also made a mark as a co-founder of the James River Writers and as the founder of the Richmond-based Podium Foundation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Katharine Sands  is a literary agent with the Sarah Jane Freymann Agency in New York City. She is the agent provocateur of  Making the Perfect Pitch: How to Catch A Literary Agent’s Eye . She has been a guest speaker on writing and publishing for  Poets and Writers , The American Society of Journalists and Authors, UCLA, New York University, and the New York State Council on th...

Damon West, M.S. Criminal Justice, is a college professor, internationally known keynote speaker, 3 x Wall Street Journal bestselling author and former crime boss in Dallas, who was sentenced to Life in prison for Organized Crime.  USA Today calls him the “modern day Shawshank Redemption and the most in-demand speaker in America.” At 20 years old, he was a Divisi...

Christina Lopez is an assistant editor at St. Martin’s Press, where she started as an intern in 2021 and worked her way up. In her time at SMP, she has worked on a wide array of books in several genres and with several amazing authors including Katherine Center, Kristin Hannah, and Sally Hepworth. She loves books that make her feel big emotions and is passionate about giving a voice to writers of...

Lisa Sharkey, SVP Director of Creative Development of HarperCollins Publishers, opens up about her journey into the publishing industry after working as Senior Producer for “Good Morning America” and President of Al Roker Entertainment. She has overseen the acquisition and publication of more than fifty New York Times Bestsellers, including multiple number-one bestsellers. A two-time Emmy Award wi...

Marco De Molina is a 2022 Grammy Nominated film producer and co-founder of the independent production company Spacebrain. He has received international acclaim at prestigious film festivals worldwide, including the Festival de Cannes. De Molina has also produced countless music videos for chart-topping musicians in all genres, from metal to pop, receiving numerous nominations and wins at the MTV V...

Jim Kouf is a screenwriter, director, and producer who has worked on a variety of beloved films and TV shows. He wrote "Rush Hour," "National Treasure," "The Boogens," "The Hidden," executive produced "Con Air," and wrote/directed "Gang Related," "Miracles," and "Disorganized Crime." In the television space, Kouf wrote and co-created "Grimm," along with writing and producing credits for "Ange...

Michael Pollack has held leadership positions for more than 35 years in the legal, financial and entertainment industries. Michael is the founder and former President of a litigation support firm that is today part of an international group of companies. He has held directorship positions for more than a dozen financial institutions that are both private and publicly held. Specializing for decades...

Laverne is a Japanese-American film and television producer with more than 20 years of successful programming and producing experience in premium cable, broadcast and digital platforms. She is the Executive Producer of the Netflix series GIRLBOSS, and co-founder of K&L Productions, a film & television company created with Kay Cannon (PITCH PERFECT, BLOCKERS and CINDERELLA). Her guiding pas...

Chelsea Peng is the Senior Editor of  New York Magazine 's  The Strategist,  formerly Assistant Editor at  Marie Claire  and Fashion Editor, Branded Content at  Refinery29 . She joins us to discuss fashion, the journalism industry, and bringing fresh, new ideas into the world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

23 years ago in 2000, Jason Eric Perlman packed up a U-Haul trailer, hitched it to his Jeep and drove across the country to begin his new life in Los Angeles. Three years after that move, his same Jeep was crushed by a 2000-year-old Sequoia Redwood tree while shooting his USC Master Thesis Film. So— in many ways, his dream came true…  Since his days in a fine art high school outside of Philad...

A former film critic and scholar with M.A. Degrees in Philosophy from Harvard University and the University of London and in Cinema Studies from New York University, producer Steven Schneider has quickly risen the ranks of Hollywood to become one of the go-to experts in genre films. After having authored and edited numerous books on world cinema and horror, Schneider moved to Los Angeles to pursue...

Michelle Holbrook was diagnosed with Schwannomatosis, a type of neurofibromatosis also known as “NF,” at the age of 30. The disease causes tumors to develop throughout her body. But despite the pain she goes through each morning, she is now serving as an Ambassador for the Children’s Tumor Foundation and wants to educate others about the rare disease. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for mor...

BuzzFeed Editor Morena Duwe discusses her rare journey from ballet dancer and film school student to finding her place in the world of journalism. Duwe is a Contributing Writer for Rolling Stone and the Los Angeles Times, and has written for CNN, Guardian News & Media, Business Insider, VICE Media, Billboard, Flaunt Magazine, LA Weekly, The Huffington Post, among others. She’s also a video hos...

Maximillian Potter is a best-selling author and a Contributing Editor to Vanity Fair. He has been a staff writer and/or editor at Philadelphia Magazine ,  Premiere , Details , GQ and Esquire ; and he has contributed to Outside and The Atlantic , among other publications. Potter has written two books: " The Opposite of Woe: My Life in Beer and Politics, " the memoir of Colorado Governor and De...

Mara Reinstein is a New York City-based entertainment journalist who's contributed to The New York Times, Parade, The Television Academy, CNN, The Ringer, The Hollywood Reporter, The Wall Street Journal, AARP, Vulture and more. She’s also the film critic for Us Weekly magazine and Reader’s Digest and a Top Critic on Rotten Tomatoes. Read more at  MaraMovies.com  ...

Heather Langenkamp began her career as an extra in The Outsiders (1983) and Rumble Fish (1983) before debuting as a lead actress in Drew Denbaum’s film Nickel Mountain (1984). She is best known for her performances in several movies, including A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) and Dream Warriors (1987), as well as her return to Freddy in Wes Craven’s New Nightmare (1994). She has also appeared...

Cole Haddon is an Australian-American novelist, screenwriter, and journalist. His new novel "Psalms For The End Of The World" was called ‘Ingenious and compelling’ by The Times. "Dracula," his first television commission, was produced by NBC and Sky Living starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers, and he has gone on to develop dozens of feature films and TV series around the globe. His graphic novels ha...

Peg O’Connor, Ph. D., is a Professor of Philosophy at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota. Her training is in moral philosophy, feminist philosophy, addiction studies, and the work of Ludwig Wittgenstein. She believes that philosophy helped her to get and remain sober. Avoiding Alcoholics Anonymous for the first 20 years of her sobriety because of the concept of a “higher p...

Christopher Lockhart is a Hollywood executive, filmmaker, and teacher. As a story professional, he has worked in the talent agency business for almost 25 years. He started at ICM, worked his way to William Morris, and transitioned to WME, the world’s largest diversified talent agency, where he serves as story editor, curating projects for “A” list talent such as Denzel Washington. As an Emmy...

Jessica Toscano is a skilled content creator and editor with experience in print and digital media. She founded unisex lifestyle publication, IntrigueMag in 2014, having first published as a blog (its formal recognition as a legal entity was in Sep 2020), and continues to serve as CEO and Editor-in-Chief. Additionally, her articles have been published in Cosmopolitan, Men's Health, SELF, SHAPE, He...