The Pursuit Podcast

“The industry is changing and evolving so much. For the kind of broadcaster that I want to be, I want to understand the value of the other roles around me. That’s why it was important for me to learn how to do different things.” Dionne Miller, a sportscaster on ABC-7’s Eyewitness Team, sits down with Kinsley Reliford to talk about how she handles the struggles of working in an ever-evolving broadc...

Josh Frydman, born and raised in the Chicago suburbs, has been reporting on Chicago sports for a decade now. At WGN, Frydman is a co-anchor for GN Sports, a nightly half-hour sports show on WGN-TV, where he also reports on all Chicago sports. Frydman joined WGN-TV and CLTV in 2014 after more than two years as a sports anchor and reporter in Cape Girardeau, Missouri at the station KFVS-TV.

Jimmy Nicholas is an actor and podcast host ( “Everything But The Kitchen Sink” ) known for his role as Paramedic Chief Evan Hawkins on NBC’s Chicago Fire. He was a presenter at the Chicago/Midwest Emmys® in 2022 and is currently starring in a musical (“The Perfect Mate”). In this episode, he shared insights from his career journey so far, stories from set, and dug into how he defines success in a...

Whitney Reynolds sits down with Haley Lloyd, to discuss how she went from a small-town Oklahoma girl to hosting her own nationally syndicated self-titled talk show. In this episode, we discuss how Reynolds has stayed grounded, working to not compare yourself to others, overcoming obstacles to achieve your dreams, and her passion for telling stories of hope.

Karen Lee Cohen is an 8-time Emmy award winning producer and executive producer, and current president of Crystal Pyramid Productions in Los Angeles, CA. Karen grew up in Chicago, attended Columbia College and won her first Emmy in the city. Cohen provides insight in her career journey and what she sees as most important for college students and young professionals in the television production and...

 Emily Reilly is a television news reporter for WBAY Channel 2 in Green Bay Wisconsin. Just over a year after graduating from DePaul University with a double major in journalism and film production, Emily provides insight into landing that elusive first job. From covering feature stories like the EAA AirVenture Oshkosh fly-in convention to harder news stories, Emily has a wide range of experiences...

Sylvia L Jones is an independent producer, screenwriter, and journalist from Chicago, IL. Attending Stanford University with dual degrees in Communications and Psychology and a Master's in Broadcast Journalism from Northwestern University (DATE), Her career had begun by covering historic events such as the President Barack Obama’s election and the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington. A...

Join documentary filmmaker Carmen Vincent as she interviews award-winning filmmaker Linh Tran about her prodigious career journey. Tran is a Vietnamese-born filmmaker and director now based in Chicago.  Holding an MFA degree in film and TV from DePaul University, her talent and dedication culminated in her directorial debut, 'Waiting for the Light to Change,' a captivating film that earned...

James Runde is an independent filmmaker , photographer , and musician from Madison, WI. While a student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (B.A. 2015), he directed his first short film White and Lazy (2016), a slacker comedy shot on 16mm. His follow-up film Played Out (2019, 42 mins) won a Golden Badger Award at the 2019 Wisconsin Film Festival. NATAS Junior Board member Mikey Boyd interviews...

Join host Anthony Landahl along with the NATAS Chicago/Midwest Chapter President John Owens as they discuss John’s presidential duties and how he found his way through his career to such a position. An early multimedia producer, John talks about a portfolio of work spanning print, radio and television, from his early day starting at the Chicago Tribune to working with WLS-TV in Chicago.

Sam Alex is a radio and television personality and producer, and is the Creator, Executive Producer and host of the nationally syndicated radio program “The Sam Alex Show.” In this episode, host Arden Kurhayez talks with Sam about his annual workshop, Camp Broadcast, and how he first started in the industry. Sam’s Links: Personal Website: https://samalexradio.com/ Personal Instagram: https://www.i...

Join video editor Carmen Vincent as she asks accomplished Marketing CEO Wade Breitzke about his incredible career journey. Wade is not only the CEO and Founder of WeCreate Media in Valparaiso, Indiana, but he’s also an active member of his community and an amazing role model for people interested in creative marketing. Let's learn from his pursuit!

NATAS Chicago/Midwest President John Owens announces The Pursuit Season One has come to an end, and folks can look forward to the Season Two premiere coming this September.

Join Anthony Landahl as he chats with lifestyle host Jane Clauss! From childhood aspirations to be the next Jane Pauley to 90s radio DJing to now being the host for WGN-TV’s “Living Healthy Chicago,” Jane touches on the magic of working with a good producer, how to connect with your audience, and the attitude it takes to have a fulfilling career in media–no matter what route you take!

Nihar Gagneja chats with Stephan Moore, a Chicago-based sound artist and composer about his roundabout journey to get to where he is today.

Geoffrey Baer has been hosting programs for over a quarter-century at WTTW. Host Anthony Landahl and Geoffrey talk about how these shows got started, from the Chicago boat tours to tours of Chicago in the air. The conversation also includes how Geoffrey got interested in television from a young age, why he went back to school for his love of theater, and the significance of public media.

Aliyah Muhammad has a discussion with Pat McGann, a Chicago-based comedian who started his comedy career at the age of 31 and has performed as the house emcee at Zanies Chicago, on The Late Show with David Letterman, and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Together they discuss McGann’s career so far, the craft of comedy, and the state of comedy in the modern age.

Sam Brief goes deep with Ryan Baker, a morning news anchor at CBS 2 Chicago. Baker details the winding road to his current post at his hometown TV station, philosophizes on the need for stories and offers his advice to the next generation of storytellers.

Broadcaster Larry Larson chats with former newspaper columnist, ESPN analyst and current director of Sports Journalism at Medill, JA Adande. Adande details his career journeys covering superstars such as Kobe Bryant, what makes ESPN’s Around the Horn special, and the state of journalism and sports storytelling today.

Walk with student director/ producer, Tiyen Simmons, as he converses with former professor, writer, and producer, Yevette Brown. Yevette talks to us about her experiences in the media industry as one of the first African- American female producers in Chicago.  Let’s take a closer look at her pursuit!

A co-founder of Bitter Jester Studios, Nic DeGrazia is the creative director of the Emmy-winning studio. Producer Anthony Landahl talks with Nic about working on the company in his off-hours when it first started to now organizing the annual Bitter Jester Music Festival in Highland Park. The conversation touches on the impact of art, music and the concept of “just going for it.”

Join documentary filmmaker Carmen Vincent as she interviews filmmakers Matt Lauterbach and Reveca Torres about their career journeys and disability advocacy efforts. Matt Lauterbach is the founder of All Senses Go, and he is also a filmmaker, educator, and co-director of ReelAbilities Film Festival Chicago. Reveca Torres is the founder of BACKBONES, and she is also a filmmaker, artist, and co-dire...

In this episode, Melyssa and Pablo Alfaro had the pleasure of discussing what it means to be a Latino/a in the media space, his journey as an immigrant, and how he got to be a Creative Services Manager for Telemundo. Pablo is an alum of Columbia College Chicago where he received his Bachelor's in TV Production and Music and later received his IMC Integrated Marketing Communications Degree Master’s...

A Chicagoland native and lifelong sports nut, Mike Berman has finally returned home to report on sports in his hometown. After covering sports in cities like Austin and Indianapolis, the generous and thoughtful Berman reports on all of Chicago’s major athletics happenings and has covered events like the Super Bowl and World Series. Berman chats with producer Sam Brief about his journey to his drea...

Already an established actress in the Chicago film and theatre scene, Kelly O’Sullivan took the indie film world in 2019 by storm with the feature film Saint Frances , which she wrote and starred in. Join sound designer and fellow Northwestern University alum Nihar Gagneja as he asks Kelly about her transition from actress to writer-director.