There’s No Business Like...

Ep. 196 AI: A Tool or the End of the Artist   Josh, Katie, and Danielle take some time to discuss Real world use of AI as an administrative tool.  We also discuss and discover ways that we have been using AI without advertently intending to.  We remain hopeful that it remains a tool, but also express a fair amount of skepticism of what capitalism will do with it. Share your thoughts with our on ou...

Ep. 195 Joshua Holden: Puppets and Whoopi Goldberg The podcast hosts its first puppeteer this week as Joshua Holden joins Katie for a thoroughly delightful conversation! They explore what it takes to be a puppeteer, how to make the most of a conference showcase as an artist, and discuss Josh’s experiences on Broadway and Sesame Street. Yes, Sesame Street! Joshua Holden is a New York City-based pup...

Ep. 194 The Michigan Maven, Katie Trzaska-Miller This week Kevin checks in with Katie and gets an update on two years of Michigan Maven Creative Associates. We find out what she has been working on, what drives her, and the challenging nature of balancing it all. You can learn more and contact Katie at MichiganMaven.art Follow us on social media and let us know your thoughts and questions – https:...

Ep. 193 Who is the Meet and Greet For? This week Danielle wants to know more about the logistics of meet and greets, as her venue prepares for a style of meet and greet with an artist they haven’t facilitated before. We get into the questions of who they are for, how artists and venues can mutually benefit, and how to make the experience great for all parties involved. Follow us on social media an...

Ep. 192 Building a Culture of Care Josh recently had a visit from Friend of the Pod Todd Wetzel (Ep. 162), who is currently cycling across America – and he inspired this week’s conversation about the importance of taking time off, rest, and instilling that in our personal and organizational cultures. Todd Wetzel’s Journey Across the Trans American Bike Trail can be followed at https://www.crazyguy...

Ep. 191 Connecting the Dots Through NAPAMA This week we join Josh, Kevin Peters, and Spring Karlo in Tucson, AZ from the 2026 NAPAMA Retreat. We learn about the history of NAPAMA, the collaborative role it plays in the industry, and the unique aspects of the annual retreat. NAPAMA (North American Performing Arts Managers & Agents) is an organization of agents, managers, self-represented artist...

Ep.190 Amanda Cooper – Under The Radar: If you don’t know who to ask – Ask Me. This week we bring our next episode in our Under the Radar Series. Kevin and Josh sit down with Producer Amanda L. Cooper. Amanda was producer for Sunny Jain’s “Love Force” at Symphony Space as part of the 2026 Under the Radar Festival. We learn about Amanda’s background, her process as a producer, and further how she c...

Ep.189 New Jobs, Real Talk This week we check in with Kevin and Bryan on how their new gigs are going, and discuss transitioning to new jobs, integrating with staff, creating positive workplace culture, and lessons in leadership. It’s a valuable conversation for anyone considering a move or taking on a new challenge. Follow us on social media and let us know your thoughts and questions – https://l...

Ep. 188 State of the Arts: Pacific Northwest This week Katie sits down with leaders from Arts Northwest and the Oregon Arts Commission to learn more about what’s happening beyond the Rocky Mountains. We get a vibe check on the scene and explore some of the challenges these organizations are addressing in the region. Amy Lewin is the director of the Oregon Arts Commission and Oregon Cultural Trust...

NBL Rewind: Broadway’s Biggest Night – Voting for the Tonys The Tony Award nominations for 2026 just dropped, so we are rewinding back to our Tony episode from 2025. The lights are bright on Broadway as Katie and Josh learn all about the Tony Awards from Broadway producer Rashad Chambers and the Wharton Center’s Eric Olmscheid, who both serve as Tonys voters. We discuss seeing 42 shows in a season...

Ep. 186 AI Plans an Episode This week we needed a “brain break”, as the kids call them, and Bryan, Danielle, and Katie answer some questions about the industry written by AI just for the Pod. We did have some moments of deep reflection, as well, and we’d love to hear your answers, too! Make sure to share in the comments on our socials.   Follow us on social media and let us know your thoughts and...

Ep. 185 Audience Etiquette in the Modern Age This week Josh, Danielle, Katie, and Bryan dive into only some the nuances of audience behavior and expectations from a venue and presenter perspective – how to manage conflict, what our responsibilities are, and how to make the live performance experience enjoyable for everyone in the face of shifting cultural tides. And guess what... it’s complex. You...

Ep 184 Mark Russell – Under the Radar – How it all began This week Kevin and Josh continue with the Under the Radar Series by sitting down with Mark Russell, the founder and one of the current artistic directors of the Under the Radar Festival.  He discusses his origins in theater, how he began working in New York City, and then how Under the Radar originated.  We also discuss how the festival has...

Ep 183 Booking in 2026 – Back to Normal? This week the Pod Squad discusses how the booking cycle is going, and it feels strangely back to normal... but is that a good thing? We touch on some of the ongoing challenges and ideas to consider as we finalize our ‘26-’27 seasons and look forward. Agents and artists, we’d love to hear your perspective and what it feels like for you. Follow us on social m...

Ep 182 Vikas Arun: We Don’t Do This for the Money This week Vikas Arun of Project Convergence gives us a bit of a behind-the-scenes look at the life of a professional dancer. Katie dives into Vikas’s varied resume, including his time performing with the New York cast of STOMP, as well as working on So You Think You Can Dance. Vikas Arun (www.vikasarun.com) is a professional dancer based in Seattle...

Ep. 181 – Opera, Ballet, and Public Perception This week our hosts dive into the discussion around the comments of Timothee Chalamet.  They question the relevance of some of the traditional arts like opera and ballet to the overall general public. They further question in what ways those classic art forms can gain more relevance to the general populous.   Follow us on social media and let us know...

NBL Rewind: David Rowell: Inspiring the Next Generation As colleges and universities are on Spring Break, we are taking a Spring Break of our own and rewinding to episode 72, highlighting a (now former) university presenter and his students. Our hosts talk about times they said, “never again,” and then totally did again. This week Bryan sits down with David Rowell, an amazing educator and mentor i...

Ep. 179 Are the Arts a Luxury? As the State of Michigan considers a 6% luxury tax, which includes the performing arts, Josh, Kevin, and Pure Michigan Katie Trzaska-Miller, consider the impact and ask, have the arts become a luxury? Follow us on social media and let us know your thoughts and questions - https://linktr.ee/nobusinesslikepod Our theme song is composed by Vic Davi.

Ep. 178 Project Convergence: The Rhythm of Collaboration Katie sits down with Vikas Arun and Apoorva Natarajan, co-directors of the American dance company Project Convergence, home to the union of Bharatanatyam and American tap dance. A chance conversation at the Midwest Arts XPO led to this discussion about the state of dance in the presenting field, marketing for artists, and the challenges of c...

Ep. 177 Under the Radar Festival: The Edgy Side of Theater Josh and Kevin sit down to discuss their experience with the Under the Radar Festival in NYC. They share what the festival is, what they did, and more. They also talk about a show outside of the festival, GREEF, a one-woman clown show. GREEF is a show by Christina Gelsone. Link to a post about the show: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1DA...

Ep. 176 Willem Van Der Maij: Making Solo Show Production Easier Today Bryan sits down with Willem Van Der Maij; the Founder, inventor, and managing director of Midian, a company that produces the Midian Prime – a wireless remote multi function midi control device.  Hear how this device makes live performance easier for solo gig artists.  Learn more at https://www.midian.live Follow us on social me...

Ep. 175 Hot Headlines: Trump-Kennedy Center Closing? Katie, Josh, and Kevin talk about the President posting about closing the Trump-Kennedy Center for two years for “renovations,” and funding of the NEA, among other topics, because you can’t talk about a Presidential social media post without diving into the state of America.  Follow us on social media and let us know your thoughts and questions...

Ep. 174 APAP Recap 2026 The Pod Squad takes NYC in this episode where they met up while attending the APAP 2026 Conference. Conferences are a big undertaking for organizations and attendees alike and this is what the group thought about this years largest global gathering of arts professionals. We discuss  things we loved, the things we didn’t, dead cell phones, and more. Shout out to the presente...

Ep. 173 Scott Speck: Conducting Energy The Pod goes classical this week as Katie welcomes conductor Scott Speck to talk about life as an orchestra conductor, his philosophy around making classical music accessible, and more. The team talks the business of the orchestral world and how to make attending orchestra concerts comfortable for more people. Scott Speck has conducted all over the world and...

Ep. 172 Ideas from MAX: Less Profit, More Community This week on our Ideas from MAX series we share Socks Whitmore’s thoughts on the industry focusing less on profits and more on community.    Socks Whitmore ( https://sockswhitmore.com/ ) among many other things is the Communications Leader at the Creative and Independent Producer Alliance ( https://www.cipausa.org/ )   Follow us on social media a...