There’s No Business Like...

Ep. 121 Live from MAX – State of the Industry   This week we share the final episode recorded at the Midwest Arts Xpo in 2024.   Our guests: Lauren Jelencovich, Artist Kris Kaminski, ECE Touring Andy McGuire, George Daily Community Auditorium Lisa Rock, Lisa Rock Entertainment Marc Baylin, Penn Live Arts and Collins Center for the Arts Sara Beatty, Kauffman Center for the Arts Maggie McClure, Arti...

Ep. 120 Melanie Weir: They Don’t All Become Artists This week our hosts talk about obscure reports they gave in school, most of which involved dressing up as historical figures. Katie shares her conversation with Melanie Weir from the Western Arts Alliance Conference. Melanie shares the incredible work happening at the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts, how she got started in the arts, the impact...

Ep. 119 APAP Recap 2025 This week Katie hosts a conversation with the PodSquad on their time in NYC at APAP 2025.  We talk Broadway, showcases, and conference hot topics! 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. 118 Chad Lindsey: Togetherness is Our Strength   On this episode, we learn what song our hosts would choose as their walkout music, and Katie sits down with fellow Michigander Chad Lindsey. As a new arts Executive Director, Chad shares insights into his first year and how he has connected with his community. Chad also puts to rest the idea that you can’t get a lot done in year one. Chad Lindse...

Ep. 117 Censorship with Gail Boyd and Jade Solomon Curtis   This week Kevin shares his conversation with Gail Boyd and Jade Solomon Curtis following a townhall event on censorship at the Western Arts Alliance in August, 2024. Censorship is a complex topic, and this conversation only scratches the surface.   Gail Boyd is President of Gail Boyd Artist Management ( https://gailboyd.com/ ). Jade Solom...

Ep. 116 NBL Rewind Josh Benson: Making Time   We’ve rewound alllll the way back to Josh’s interview from July 19, 2023 in our final episode of our holiday Rewind series. Danielle visits Josh and catches up on his latest developments, including painting some amazing murals in Marion and cutting back on his 27 gigs…by 1.   Join Danielle and Kevin as they sit down with fellow host, Josh Benson. Josh...

Ep. 115 NBL Rewind: Katie Trzaska-Miller: Creating Connections   This week we rewind back to September 2023 and our chat with Pod Host Katie Trzaska-Miller! Danielle checks in with Katie and they catch up on her new business, aptly named Michigan Maven Creative Associates, taking our own advice, and the joy of getting back on stage.   Danielle and Kevin continue our special series of interviewing...

Ep. 114 Holidays Holidays and Ask Us Anything   This week the Podsquad gets together at Danielle’s house for another holiday party!  The shenanigans are top notch as we take listener questions and talk about our favorite holiday traditions.   We wish you a safe and happy holiday season and thank you for continuing to join us week after week!   Follow us on social media and let us know your thought...

Ep. 113 NBL Rewind: Danielle Van Hook: Comforting, Yet Challenging In this week’s rewind Katie lady-chats with Danielle and learns what she’s been up to lately, including facilitating a world premiere at the Alden and engaging the art of making memories on family vacations. In this episode we continue our special series of interviewing members of our team, this week Bryan and Katie sit down with D...

Ep. 112 NBL Rewind: Bryan Zellmer: Don’t Be Afraid to Show Your Silliness The rewinds continue as we get some big updates and news from Bryan! In this episode we continue our special series of interviewing members of our team, and this week Katie and Josh sit down with Bryan. Bryan shares his journey from marketing director to arts admin, how his programming style has shifted as our ecosystem chan...

Ep. 111 NBL Rewind: Kevin Maynard: People Come First With so many life changes and new listeners, we thought the holidays would be a good time to revisit our Interpodsquad interviews and reintroduce ourselves! Danielle gets the fresh scoop and we re-enjoy Bryan and Josh’s interview with the incomparable Kevin Maynard. We learn about Kevin’s surprising (but unsurprisingly wholesome) first foray int...

Ep. 110 Lenore Naxon: The Only Constant is Change This week the PodSquad dreams about what to do with a magical pot of money for extra programming, which leads to Katie’s conversation with friend and mentor Lenore Naxon. Lenore dives into nuances of board management, leading in the presenter consortium space, and how changes in the industry present challenges and opportunities. Lenore Naxon is the...

Ep. 109 Phil Esparza: Challenges Not Barriers This week we bring you an unexpected interview from our time at the 2024 WAA Conference. Bryan has the honor and pleasure of sitting down with Phil Esparza of El Teatro Campesino, the legendary Chicano theater company. We discuss the company’s history and legacy, community engagement, and trace Phil’s career from college student to performer to collegi...

Ep. 108: Live from MAX – Are Audiences Back? This week our hosts go back in time without the time machine (thanks, Kevin!) to when we first started presenting shows inside again after pandemic closures, and then our guests from the expo hall floor at MAX bring different perspectives on engaging with audiences in this moment to the conversation. We dig into the future of opera and classical music a...

Ep. 107 Live from MAX – Reflections on Equity in the Field This week Kevin shares some great news and our hosts think they are hay-larious before diving into the serious topic of changes in equity in our field. Our guests at the Midwest Arts Xpo discuss slow shifts in programming and the hierarchical structures that impede progress, and we dig deep into just a few of the challenges with contractin...

Ep. 106 Paul Sage Cannon: Be Brave Enough to Believe in Yourself This week our hosts get a bit philosophical before we listen to Danielle’s conversation with singer-songwriter Paul Sage Cannon from our time at the 2024 Western Arts Alliance Conference. Paul shares how his personal history informs his songwriting, how the weight of being a culture barer is both painful and joyful at the same time,...

Ep. 105 Eric Olmscheid: Make Room to Dream Whoohoo! This week the Quad Producers celebrate our two-year anniversary! We are so grateful for everyone’s support of this endeavor and for sticking with us week after week, listening and laughing with us. This week Katie speaks with Eric Olmscheid about his journey from farm kid to arts administrator, staying focused on what’s important, and keeping aud...

Ep. 104 Live from MAX – The Cost of Touring and Merch Splits  We’re bringing you round 2 of our mini-interviews from the 2024 Midwest Arts Xpo featuring five more guests discussing the costs and challenges of touring today. Our hosts also have a spirited discussion about merch splits and the changing financial pressures of the industry (but Kevin is somehow the eternal optimist?) You can find the...

Ep. 103 Live from MAX – The Art of Curation   The Pod Squad (including Bryan’s double, Bry-Bacca) was lucky enough to spend a week at the 2024 Midwest Arts Xpo and record interviews live once again in the expo hall! This week we bring you five mini-interviews and our own commentary on the topic of curation as we look forward to planning the 25-26 season. Our guests this week are: Gary Minyard, Chi...

Ep. 102 We ❤️ Conferences! The Pod Squad has finished the sprint that is the start of conference season and we’re pausing to reflect on our time at the 2024 Western Arts Alliance Conference and Midwest Arts Xpo. We discuss our differing experiences of conferencing over the course of our careers, what we love about evolving conference models and what is going well, and consider how conferences can...

Ep. 101 Taína Lyons: Don’t Say No To Yourself This week most of the crew as at the Midwest Arts Xpo, but we aren’t too busy to share conversations in the industry! This week our hosts talk about moments that were meant to be and Katie sits down with professional dancer Taina Lyons to talk about training as a young dancer, the life of a dancer, and advocating for yourself in a professional space. ...

Ep. 100 Peter Noone: Watch Every Act It’s our ONE HUNDREDTH EPISODE and to celebrate Josh sits down with a living legend, Peter Noone! Peter shares stories of his incredible (and still going) career. Our host share their 100 favorite things and dream of booking the bills of the 60s.  Don’t forget you can see us at MAX in booth #512 Peter Noone (https://peternoone.com/) is a multi talented entertai...

Ep. 99 Colleen Jennings-Roggensack – Part 2:  Must Have Passion Welcome back to Part 2 of Bryan’s conversation with Colleen Jennings-Roggensack; while you can listen to this as a standalone episode, we would recommend starting with Part 1. This week Colleen talks about EDIA, creating the New Deal for Broadway ( https://www.blacktheatreunited.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/BTU-New-Deal-For-Broadway...

Ep. 98 Colleen Jennings-Roggensack – Part 1: Broaden Your Horizon's to be a Success This week our hosts are on the road recording in person at the Western Arts Alliance (WAA) Conference! It is also the first two-parter, because this week’s guest is a true rockstar in our industry, and a recent Tony Award Honoree. Colleen Jennings-Roggensack shares stories, insights, and lessons learned from her in...

Ep. 97 Gretchen Shope: Defying My Own Expectations Katie sits down with fellow Michigander and JIMMY AWARD WINNER, Gretchen Shope! Gretchen shares her passion for the performing arts, her gratefulness for her arts education, and gives us a peak backstage of the Jimmy Awards. Don’t forget you can see our hosts at the Western Arts Alliance Conference next week! You can also see us at MAX in booth #5...