The Undaunted Creative

Brad Meyer is a Supervising Sound Editor at Boom Box Post in Burbank, CA. A 2015 graduate of Columbia College Chicago, with a BA in Cinema Arts & Science, his career has featured work on a myriad of films and television shows, ranging from feature length horror films to short-animated comedies. His work has appeared on Netflix, Amazon Prime, The Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, HBO, Hulu, and Para...

Katie Baker, is the Director, of Publishing  & Content Operations at SiriusXM. Before her current position, she was the Senior Manager, Publishing & Content for Stitcher, Premium Content Operations for Midroll Media, and a Producer for Harpo Productions. A 2008 graduate from Columbia College Chicago, with a BA in Radio, with a concentration in Talent/Production, Katie joins Tom to dis...

Cassie Dickson is the HR Director/Project Manager for Audiotree Music which includes Lincoln Hall, Schubas, and Tied House. She also is heavily involved in the Chicago music scene through her involvement with the Chicago Independent Venue League. As a huge proponent of community, she added an additional role in 2025, as she was named Secretary for the Wicker Park Bucktown Chamber of Commerce. Tom...

Samantha Hunter is a 2017 graduate from Columbia College Chicago, where she majored in Music Business Management. Since 2018, she has been employed with Sweetwater where she is Director of Campus Productions and Artist Relations. Located in Fort Wayne, Indiana, the facility is like no other. The 44-acre complex not only features not only the largest on-site inventory of any music store, but it als...

Case Lowe is the Executive Producer of the Q101 Morning crew, which is heard Monday-Friday from 6 am to 10 am on Q101.1 FM in Chicago, as well as streaming worldwide on QIOI.com . As a 2021 Comedy Writing & Performance graduate from Columbia College Chicago, Case found an outlet for his love of audio production, podcasting, and comedy by hosting and producing a weekly program on Columbia’s WCR...

Stacy Burse, Jr., is the Founder and CEO of S.N.B.JR. Records. Based in Illinois, Stacy’s label focuses on artist management, branding, and music releases. Before launching his own company, he gained valuable experience interning at Sony/ATV Music Publishing, as well as Lyrical Lemonade. Stacy and Tom dive into Stacy’s unwavering drive to elevate his company, his process for scouting and signing t...

Ryan McKiddy is the Assistant Program Director, Music Director, and On-Air Talent at iHeart Media’s The Big 98 in Nashville, TN. Before arriving in Nashville, he honed his skill set as Music Director/Afternoon Host at 100.3 KCYY-FM in San Antonio, Texas, and just before that, he hosted weekends on US99 in Chicago. Throughout his journey, he has been recognized for his talents including most recent...

Nina Kolb is Senior Manager of Talent for Dick Clark Productions in California. Throughout her career in the entertainment industry, she has worn many hats including: Talent Booker & Project Manager, Social Media, VIP & Talent Relations, Publicity Director, work in the music business arena, as well as gaining experience working in promotions and producing while at CBS Radio in Chicago. Tom...

Sheila Fortson is the founder and executive director of the FAME Center which is in Chicago’s South Loop District. Alternately known as the South Loop Center for the Arts, the organization serves underrepresented youth on the South and West Side of Chicago by providing equitable access to high-quality arts education. FAME Center is even more crucial today than ever before with many organizations a...

Tom concludes season three of the “Undaunted Creative” podcast with a compelling discussion featuring Pei Pei Chung and Celia Rose, co-founders of “What UP Pitches,” a pioneering female-led music licensing agency and production house. The company has been instrumental in educating individuals within the music industry and aspiring newcomers through various in-person events centered around music sy...

Emma Young is a singer/songwriter, actress, and model who is based in NYC. She graduated Summa Cum Laude as well as full Honors from Columbia College Chicago in the spring of 2020. While at Columbia she majored in Contemporary, Urban, and Popular Music, and had a minor in acting. A few of her notable achievements included writing and composing the official theme song for Manifest 2020, as well as...

Arty Moore is a Casting Assistant on the Jennifer Hudson Show which is based in Burbank, California. His career in the entertainment industry has seen him have a bevy of roles on the Ellen DeGeneres Show, as well as audio production and voiceover work. Tom and Arty frame their conversation around several topics including breaking into the entertainment industry, working on two daytime talk shows,...

Alex Katsaropoulos is a Publishing and Licensing Manager at Alcon Sleeping Giant Music Group in Los Angeles. He chats with Tom about breaking into the business, never losing sight of your creative output, and balancing being a musician in Los Angeles while working on the business side. Additionally, he breaks down the publishing and licensing sector while doling out a healthy dose of advice for cr...

Nick Scalise is a musician, producer, and content creator based in Chicago. His history in the Chicago music scene spans many musical genres including pop/punk, EDM, and much more. His rise in the industry began in the 2000’s when he joined the pop/punk band October Fall. That band was championed by Pete Wentz from Fall Out Boy. In fact, Wentz was so impressed with the band that he signed them to...

Joey Legittino is a Chicago-native and Columbia College Chicago alum, who is now based in Nashville, TN, where he works full time in artist management with Extended Play Music Group. Legittino currently manages Noah Floersch and contributes to artist teams for Myles Smith, Matt Schuster, and Zachary Knowles as a day-to-day manager. Tom and Joey discuss his journey into the industry, playing in a p...

Noah Floersch is a Nashville-based 25-year-old artist and songwriter. Born and raised in Nebraska, Floersch developed a sound with folk roots, rock stems, and pop flowers. Since 2018, Floersch has released over 70 original songs, the most notable being “Ghost of Chicago”, “On Your Mind”, and “Love You By Myself.” At the time of this interview, Noah was on a stateside tour opening for Ricky Montgom...

Amirah Zaveri is a Chicago-based audio producer with experience in journalism, public relations, social media, and management. Throughout her career she has made an impact from her time as a student at the University of Illinois in Champaign, to her current position as executive producer at American Urban Radio Networks where she manages a team of writers, producers, and freelancers. Additionally,...

Sally Blandon is an accomplished music educator and music programmer who makes a direct impact daily with her empathetic and caring nature working with students. Outside of the classroom, she created and stars in, “Tears Dry On Their Own, A Tribute to Amy Winehouse.” This extraordinary production is dedicated to raising awareness around mental health and addiction and substance abuse through tribu...

Ray Flores is one of the preeminent ring announcers and play-by-play commentators in the world of boxing and mixed martial arts. Every week he can be heard and seen plying his craft at any number of television networks and arenas worldwide. Host Tom Joyce has a ringside seat as he talks to Ray about his creative output, what fuels his passions, overcoming adversity, staying motivated, and his love...

Niko Gerentes is a podcast producer and casting director based in California. This Columbia College Chicago graduate has used his passion for all things audio and voiceover to craft a career in the arts doing what he loves. Host Tom Joyce has a birds-eye-view as Niko talks about making the move from the Midwest to the West Coast, creating a successful award-winning audio drama, and giving excellen...

Jaymie Bowles is a successful entrepreneur who, after starting out in radio at a young age, decided to create not only her own radio station, WJMS Radio, but also her own media company, WJMS Media. Based in Savannah, Georgia, Jaymie’s career has been built on helping others through her companies. She sits down with host Tom Joyce to expound upon her career, the importance of empathy, and being fac...

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