The Whole Artist with Courtney Rioux

A client recently asked me, “Do you ever have doubts?” Ohhh yes. I’ve quit acting—more than once—sometimes in my head, sometimes out loud to my agents. In this episode, we talk honestly about self-doubt, why it shows up (even for Oscar winners), and how to work through it with a powerful mindset exercise. Plus, a story about Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, and Julianne Moore that’ll make you feel a w...

Twenty years ago, I started writing down 10 goals a day for 3 months. 📜 My brain was like, “Cool, let’s do this,” and then: 🎤 I booked a global voiceover 🎬 Then another VO 📺 Then an on-camera commercial that flew me first class to LA 💍 My boyfriend at the time came with me, booked it too, and PROPOSED ⚖️ Oh, and I lost 7 lbs—all written in my goals This isn’t magic—it’s science. Writing down...

After having my son almost three years ago, I slowly let go of the habits that kept me feeling my best—working out, meditating, writing down my goals, and prioritizing self-care. Then, life threw another curveball: I lost a long-term voiceover job that had been a major part of my income for seven years. In this mini-episode, I share how one teeny tiny change —a short morning routine—helped me rese...

Not getting a callback and not booking that acting gig is NOT necessarily rejection. It could mean, "Not now!" It could mean, "Let's call her in for something better for her!" It could mean, "They're not right for this role, but wow that was great! Let's call them in again." You never know how, when, or why you'll achieve your acting goals. Stop trying to read other people's minds. And more import...

Courtney sits down with actor, James Vincent Meredith to discuss all things acting...including imposter syndrome! Born in Chicago, raised in Evanston, now residing in Oak Park, James Vincent Meredith is proud to call Illinois and the Midwest his home. Meredithʼs body of work spans film, television, and theater. His feature credits include Widows, the 2018 crime thriller starring Viola Davis, Princ...

Our guest today is Eddie Mujica. He's a Cuban-American actor, writer, director, and Emmy-winning producer. In this episode, we talk about his viral videos on TikTok and  Instagram, his creative process, and auditioning for SNL. We talk about therapy, imposter syndrome, anxiety, and depression. No, it's real. You guys, I swear, it's a really fun episode. We talk about his experience in the writer's...

I'm rereleasing this episode on President's Day for no reason whatsoever... This episode was first released in March 2021. Is someone you know and love in a cult? Do you want to help them? Have you been told you're in a cult, but your organization denies it? Do you wish to know the signs of a cult leader or a cult? You're not alone! And Dr. Lalich can help. Courtney sat down with researcher, autho...

Courtney Rioux and Avis Boone are Co-Hosting this round table discussion with fellow negotiating committee members, Jason George, Shari Belafonte, and Danielle Towne. We cover AI concerns, the process of the negotiations, and the major gains of the 2023 SAG-AFTRA TV/Theatrical Tentative Agreement. Voting ends December 5th at 5 pm PT/7 pm CT/8 pm ET and you can get more info, find your PIN, and vot...

Actor Behzad Dabu talks about taking a leap, acting in LA vs Chicago, the actor mindset, the SAG-AFTRA Strike, and more. Behzad Dabu is an actor, producer, and writer based out of both Los Angeles and Chicago.  He grew up in Syracuse, NY, and got his BFA in Acting from Columbia College Chicago, where he also worked after college as the Senior International Admissions Officer; traveling all over th...

Actor and writer, Barbara Howlin talks about using The Artist’s Way to recover your inner artist, trust your intuition, and heal through play.  Barbara Howlin is a SAG-AFTRA actor & writer who's been guiding creatives for the last decade. She's taught actors at AMAW and various studios around Los Angeles. Barbara is also a Reiki Master guiding people in energy expansion & healing....

Financial fears, abundance, doing what you can where you are right now (even in an actor's strike)...Courtney coaches Bex Marsh through all this and more in a Clarity Session. Bex Marsh is an Asian-American actor, producer, writer, and former college baller and a producer on The Whole Artist Pod! ******* An update post Clarity Session from Bex: "I’ve really been focusing on taking as many mini-day...

Courtney Rioux and guest host, Bex Marsh, talk with Shantira Jackson about spirituality as part of the creative process, career and personal successes, setting boundaries, quitting a writing job for a toxic host, rest, and more. Shantira Jackson is an Emmy-nominated writer/performer based in Los Angeles. She has written for REDACTED FOR THE STRIKE, its spinoff REDACTED, REDACTED Show, and the REDA...

Courtney and her coach, Jaime, discuss the desire to quit acting or at least take a break. They talk about raising strong, independent children, motherhood, and its challenges, especially in the acting industry. Courtney opens up about where the hell she's been the past two years....trigger warning they talk about pregnancy loss. Jaime reveals being recently diagnosed with ADHD. The title of t...

After a two-year hiatus (maternity and bereavement leave) Courtney is back at the podcast! Episode 2 will explain where she's been the past two years, but Episode 1 had to be an update on the strike, didn't it?! #SAGAFTRASTRIKE #SAGAFTRASTRONG Official updates at: Sagaftrastike.org ### Co-produced by Bex Marsh and Courtney Rioux. Edited by Courtney Rioux. Special thanks to: Mandy Work for...

The Whole Artist with Courtney Rioux: Conversations with artists about acting, purpose, and the journey to finding wholeness. Tyler Core contains multitudes. He, fortunately, stumbled into a job he loves: taking actor headshots for the acting community of Chicago. A hearty community of weirdoes lifts him up every day, including his wife, Stephanie, family and loved ones in Indiana, and his makeup...

The Whole Artist with Courtney Rioux: Conversations with artists about acting, purpose, and the journey to finding wholeness.  Born and raised on Chicago's south side, SAG-AFTRA Chicago Local President, Charles Andrew Gardner, is an actor, educator, and filmmaker. On-camera credits include The Chi, Chicago PD; films Long Ride Home, Olympia, Noise and Color, Every 21 Seconds, and Holding On; a...

The Whole Artist with Courtney Rioux: Conversations with artists about acting, purpose, and the journey to finding wholeness. You are so much more than the last job you booked. This week Courtney sits down with Torrey Devitto. Torrey is an actor who is known for the NBC drama Chicago Med (2015-2021),  Amy Makes Three (2016) , and the CW television series The Vampire Diaries (2009), among many...

The Whole Artist with Courtney Rioux: Conversations with artists about acting, purpose, and the journey to finding wholeness.  You are so much more than the last job you booked. This week Courtney sits down with Bex Marsh. Bex is an Asian American actor, producer, writer, and former college baller. She's trained and performed at the world-renowned comedy theaters in Chicago: iO Chicago, The A...

The Whole Artist with Courtney Rioux: Conversations with artists about acting, purpose, and the journey to finding wholeness.  You are so much more than the last job you booked. Today Courtney sits down with Tiffany Yvonne Cox. Tiffany is a 1st generation Trinidadian actress, producer, writer, and director. She began her professional career interning at The Milwaukee Repertory Theatre. This l...

The Whole Artist with Courtney Rioux: Conversations with artists about acting, purpose, and the journey to finding wholeness.   You are so much more than the last job you booked. This week Courtney sits down with Lorena Diaz and Wendy Mateo. They are critically acclaimed sketch comedy writers and actors. As Dominizuelan they’ve been featured in Latina Magazine, Chicago Tribune, and TimeOut NY...

The Whole Artist with Courtney Rioux : Conversations with artists about acting, purpose, and the journey to finding wholeness. You are so much more than the last job you booked. Today Courtney sits down with researcher, author, and educator, Dr. Janja Lalich, Ph. D. Dr. Lalich specializes in cults and extremist groups and has worked with current members, former members, and families of members of...

The Whole Artist with Courtney Rioux: Conversations with artists about acting, purpose, and the journey to finding wholeness.  You are so much more than the last job you booked. Today Courtney sits down with actor, James Vincent Meredith. Born in Chicago, raised in Evanston, now residing in Oak Park, James Vincent Meredith is proud to call Illinois and the Midwest his home. Meredithʼs body of...

The Whole Artist with Courtney Rioux: Conversations with artists about acting, purpose, and the journey to finding wholeness. You are so much more than the last job you booked. Today Courtney sits down with DaJuan Johnson.  DaJuan is a consistently working actor, certified life coach, and the founder of Think Bigger Coaching. Currently, you can catch him recurring as Detective Rondell Pierce...

The Whole Artist with Courtney Rioux: Conversations with artists about acting, purpose, and the journey to finding wholeness. This week, Courtney sits down with actor and coach, Michael Kostroff, for a wide-ranging interview. They discuss changing your mindset when it comes to auditioning, Michael's classic TV role on The Wire, the need for civil discourse, and so much more! Michael’s Free Class a...

The Whole Artist with Courtney Rioux: Conversations with artists about acting, purpose, and the journey to finding wholeness. You are so much more than the last job you booked. The Success Breakthrough Experience: Wendy’s Free 5-Day Virtual Event: Register http://www. Actorinspiration.com/success Free Gifts From Wendy: Free Guided Meditation: Easing Anxiety + Improving Well-being De-stress in unde...