Side by Side

Today’s guest is documentary filmmaker and founder of Cloudstreet Media , Rheanna Toy . She has worked as a producer, director, and editor on films that have screened at festivals across North America, with her debut short “Serisa 26” winning the Audience Choice Award at Cinema Spectacular. In 2025, Rheanna was chosen for Story Money Impact's pod program where she received mentorship and training...

In this final episode of 2025, we are discussing the Canadian hockey romance TV series Heated Rivalry, with returning guests Tara Edwards , Erika Smith , and Eri Zhang . Leading up to the season one finale, we deep dive inside the TV adaptation and book series, and explore the potential impact of their success for queer stories, and the film and TV media landscape.    Spoiler warning: Most of us h...

Today’s guest is kids’ TV writer and creator, Margaret Hoffman.   She has written for Sesame Workshop (Esme and Roy, Sesame Street Digital), Netflix (The Cuphead Show!), Sid & Marty Krofft (Mutt & Stuff), Lilypad Library, and Hellosaurus. She's also developed new shows with 9 Story Media, Sesame Workshop, and Sutoscience. When not writing for TV, Margaret creates videos for her preschool Y...

Today’s guest is Mordy Levine , the co-author of The Beginner’s Guide to Karma: How to Live with Less Negativity and More Peace alongside Lama Lhanang Rinpoche .   Lama Lhanang Rinpoche was born in the Amdo region of historic Tibet and received a traditional monastic education and later studied under several respected Tibetan lamas. Today, he teaches Vajrayana Buddhism at the Jigme Lingpa Center i...

Today’s guest is Léa Taranto , a disabled Chinese Jewish Canadian writer who lives with OCD and comorbid disorders, and the author of the debut YA novel A Drop in the Ocean .   In this episode, we explore how she transformed her early experiences and diaristic writing into autofiction, unpack harmful tropes about mental health and treatment, and get a glimpse into her upcoming projects.   Side by...

Today’s returning guest is pop culture commentator, Twitch streamer, and cybersecurity analyst Tara Edwards. In this episode, we discuss two films that have come out this year, both of which carry a culturally specific lens centered around demons, sinners, and music: “Sinners” and “K-Pop Demon Hunters.” We dive inside both films to compare and contrast their thematic elements, usage of music and s...

Today’s returning guest is Paul Silva , aka the Creative Alchemist. He is a guide, coach, and collaborator that blends intuition, creativity, and spiritual insight to help multi-passionate entrepreneurs and creatives break through barriers and create meaningful lives and businesses. Through his work, he helps people clarify their ideas, navigate creative blocks, and move from stuck to in-motion wi...

Today’s guest is the incomparable multidisciplinary theatre-maker, musician, performer, and writer Diana Oh . They were known for combining experimental theatre, art installation and ritual to create deeply communal and transformative spaces, which include signature projects like “My Lingerie Play,” “The Infinite Love Party,” “My H8 Letter to the Gr8 American Theatre,” and “Art Chxrch.” They can b...

Today’s returning guest is writer, editor, and my friend Tara Edwards . In this episode, we dive inside the hit television medical drama “The Pitt,” and analyze the storytelling elements that make the show one of the television breakout hits of 2025.    Side by Side Episodes  |  Robert Kuang Home

Today’s guest is multi-disciplinary writer, producer and dramaturg Aisha Josiah , from London. She is an award-winning playwright and screenwriter who has also written for publications such as Media Diversified, The Upcoming, and Mouthlondon. She has served as the editor of the independent theatre blog Fringebiscuit since 2014.   In this conversation, we dive inside Aisha’s nomadic and multicultur...

Today’s returning guest is Sol Smith , the author of “ The Autistic’s Guide to Self-Discovery ” and a certified autism specialist who is autistic, dyslexic, and living with ADHD. He spent more than two decades as a college professor before shifting his professional focus to coaching other autistic and ADHD people to gain autonomy in their lives. Sol’s speaking skills have earned him a following of...

Today’s “Side by Side” guest is Billy Wynne , the author of “ The Empty Path: Finding Fulfillment through the Radical Art of Lessening .” As a student of Buddhism and mindfulness for 30 years, he received his meditation teaching certification under Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach, and his lay Zen Buddhist ordination from the Zen Center of Denver , where he teaches classes and serves on the board.   ...

Today’s guest is Elena Armijo , a Master Certified Coach and former professional opera singer who specializes in executive and leadership coaching for high-performing clients. She is the founder of the C-Suite Collective , an executive coaching agency offering in-depth, customized programs for high performers, and, she is the host of The Collective Corner , a podcast where badass, inspiring, and c...

Today’s “Side by Side” guest is Phil Ginley, a filmmaker, programmer and writer based in Brooklyn, NY. Having produced several short films, Phil is currently a programmer at the microcinema Spectacle Theater , where they've moderated Q&A’s with filmmakers such as Dylan Mars Greenberg for her film SPIRIT RISER . They are currently promoting a posthumous retrospective for the films of experiment...

Today’s “Side by Side” guest is Kate Rose , the author of “ Written in the Stars: The Astrology of Soulmate, Karmic, and Twin Flame Relationships .”   As a therapist, relationship expert, spiritual Intuitive and astrologer, Kate uses the stars to help her clients clarify their purpose and recognize the blocks that are keeping them from living the life they are destined to live.   In this conversat...

Today’s guest is Jane Shi , a poet, editor, and the author of her debut poetry collection echolalia echolalia . She is an alumnus of Tin House Summer Workshop, The Writer's Studio Online at Simon Fraser University, and StoryStudio Chicago. In this conversation, we explore Jane’s early connection to poetry and wordplay, the ethos behind her collection, and the illusory nature of writer’s block.   L...

Today’s guest is Happy Ali , the author of “ The Intuition Bible: How and Why to Tap Into Your Inner Wisdom .” With a B.A. in psychology from UCLA, he is a prophetic dreamer, certified master NLP practitioner, certified master clinical hypnotherapist, and host of the “ Happy Insights ” podcast. Happy’s spiritual journey began in 1995 when he dedicated his life to the exploration of metaphysical di...

Today’s guest is award-winning writer and editor Erika W. Smith , who has been working in the media industry for over a decade, covering the latest in sex and relationships, entertainment, travel, and astrology. She’d previously held staff positions at Cosmopolitan, Refinery29, BUST magazine, with additional writing published at VICE, Allure, and Vulture.    In this conversation, Erika shares some...

Today’s guest is Wendy Baird, the owner and Creative Director of Insight180 , a brand consulting and design firm for b2b businesses, non-profits, and those who “sell the invisible.” She has been advising companies on positioning strategy, name development, brand identity, design, differentiation, and strategies for growth for more than 25 years.   Wendy has written and spoken on topics such as soc...

Today’s guest is Becca Powers , the author of " A Return to Radiance " and "Harness Your Inner CEO." A Fortune 500 high-tech sales executive, keynote speaker, and CEO of Powers Peak Potential, she has worked with industry giants Cisco, Dell, Royal Caribbean International, and Office Depot. With an impressive record of leading large teams and hitting $500 million in annual revenue, Powers has earne...

Today’s conversation was held as part of the multidisciplinary writing workshop led by me and former “Side by Side” guest, Ashley Griggs . We invited special guests into the space, where workshop participants got to ask questions about the industry and the craft of writing. Today’s conversation spotlights television writer Ashley Sims.    Born and raised in Marietta, Georgia. She received her Bach...

Today’s conversation was held as part of the multidisciplinary writing workshop led by me and former “Side by Side” guest, Ashley Griggs . We invited special guests into the space, where workshop participants got to ask questions about the industry and the craft of writing. Today’s conversation spotlights playwright, screenwriter, television writer, and actor Chloé Hung .   Born and raised in Toro...

Today’s guest is Sam Bennett, the author of “Get It Done,” “Start Right Where You Are,” and most recently, “ The 15-Minute Method: The Surprisingly Simple Art of Getting It Done .”  A writer, speaker, actor, and creativity/productivity specialist, she is the founder of TheRealSamBennett.com , a company committed to helping overwhelmed creatives and frustrated overachievers get unstuck. Sam is also...

Today’s guests are Lauren Borden and Katherine Folk-Sullivan . By merging their expertise in coaching, leadership training, and intuitive energy work, they are the co-founders of Whole Human Coaching , an intuitive mashup of mentor-coaching, skills training, and mastermind groups.   In this conversation, we dive inside Lauren and Katherine’s experiences as coaches and facilitators, we look at some...

Today’s guest is Eve Crusto , a writer, director, and producer who is on a mission to bring her ancestral Louisiana Creole stories to life. Her upcoming short film “ Blood and Milk ” takes place a few years after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, and examines the “legacy of isolation and confusion” after events like Katrina and the COVID-19 pandemic.   In this conversation, we discuss Eve’s pa...