Your World of Creativity

Vinnie Potestivo is an industry-leading media and talent innovator who is widely known for his inclusive and impactful approach to brand building and personal brand development. Vinnie was an MTV Talent Exec from from 1998-2007. I was the guy at MTV who helped artists and celebrities claim their brands and their narrative in the original wave of unscripted television. Traditionally, I hired the VJs and scouted the MTV News Correspondents for all of our networks. Then, because of those relationships, I began developing original programming with artists like Ozzy Osbourne and Jessica Jessica Simpson on The Osbournes and Newlyweds. Then with actors like Ashton Kutcher on Punk'd, Nick Cannon on Wild 'n Out, and Wilmer Valderrama on Yo Momma! I'm the guy who put pop royalty in their first tv films when I cast Mandy Moore in 2gether and Beyoncé Knowles in Carmen: A Hip Hopera.With over 25 years of experience, he and his teams have become well-trusted connectors who sell, develop, produce, launch, distribute, and amplify some of the most talked-about original series & talent brands in modern pop culture.Personal brands Vinnie has helped elevate through the use of original content include Mandy Moore, Ashton Kutcher, Jessica Simpson, Ashlee Simpson, Tyrese Gibson, Lauren Conrad, Diane von Furstenberg, Rob Lowe, Danielle Fishel, Peter Thomas Roth, Kelly Osbourne, Kristin Cavallari, Nasir “Nas” Jones, Molly Sims, Vanessa Lachey, Susie Castillo, Damien Fahey, Quddus, Suchin Pak, Gideon Yago, Will.i.am, Ebro, DJ Clue, LaLa Anthony, Hilary Duff, and Leah McSweeney among others.Corporate brands VPE: Vinnie Potestivo Entertainment, Inc. (vpetalent.com) has worked closely with include Macy’s, Samsung, Nikon, MLB, Peter Thomas Roth, June Jacobs Spa, Naturally Serious Skin, Kiehl’s, Hope Fragrances, Ciroc, Dow, Lady Foot Locker, AARP, Prudential & Allstate.A conversation with Vinnie guides us to the fact that there is a process to being a successful recognized creative. That the notion of an overnight success is quite wrong. He shares the most insightful tips to help navigate the waters of a recognized creative.Vinnie insists that artists have to realize that awards are so important. And they are not just handed out randomly they need to be applied for. This means that you need to believe in your work enough and want to apply for an award. Be it the Oscars, the Emmys, or whatever award given to recognize you as a creative.Secondly, credits are equally as important. He observes that there is so much shame as a creative involved in asking for credit credits. And insists that you have to ask for an executive producer credit. Take credit for your podcast and create credit, for your podcast as well. The importance of credit sort of formalizes your production company. Second, It allows you to tag guests, which is a great way for discoverabilityThird, build a team so that even when you are asking for that recognition there are people who deserve it as well in that collaborative effort. So, it made it easy for him to show up and ask for an award for himself and his team to know that they all won together. And so that we reconcile the personal creative platform vision that we have for our work with the thought that if nobody sees it, then you didn't get your message out.Overall, Vinne gives creatives an amazing do list of valuable tips and tricks. From today's chat, we learn that as creatives we should take credit for our work, enter some awards, and find some collaborators, but also Vinne has encouraged us to tap into that inner mindset that inner creativity takes faith in our work."I Have A Podcast with Vinnie Potestivo," a collection of conversations with celebrities and creatives who aim to inspire us in our everyday lives, can be found on Apple Podcasts and anywhere else you listen to yours. IHAP’s companion video series I Have A Podcast on Television can be seen Thursdays on DirectTV, Distro TV, and Channel 285 on STIRR via bspoketv. For more information on viewing times, current episodes, and guest recommendations please visit ihaveapodcast.com.Vinnie can be seen on linkedin.com/in/vinniepotestivo where he shares business and brand strategies for people looking to inspire and impact with media. You can also find him at instagram.com/vinniepotestivo where he over-shares photos of his two mini-schnauzers @BeauWellington and @DudleyGreenfield.Vinnie Potestivo Vinnie's Website @Vinniepotestivo on Instagram Vinnie's Facebook page Vinnie on YouTube Copyright 2025 Mark Stinson

Hailing from Georgia, award-winning music duo Banjii and Mayuri announce the release of "Uncommon Love Story," a compilation of original songs, with each track telling a unique story but linking cohesively with the other. Every song is accompanied by music videos shot in different scenic locations across the United States while diving deeper into the minds, spirits, and lives of Banjii and Mayuri. The seven-part video series "Uncommon Love Story" loosely follows the eastern concept of the seven chakras, which are centers of spiritual power in the human body. The first song, which premiered on September 29, "Copper Lines," focuses on the first and root chakra, representing survival and grounding. While the second song, "Ancient Lover" released on November 19, focuses on the second and sacral chakra, expressing sensuality. Banjii and Mayuri follow the flow of their day-to-day lives when choosing the filming location for their videos, and each video tells a powerful story. Filmed at the site of their wedding in Arizona, the first video, "Copper Lines," highlights their marriage ceremony, which was planned in 48 hours with the help of an elopement company in Sedona. Although initially in Sedona, to celebrate the harvest moon, the song's impetus, timing, and synchronicity seemed fitting to celebrate and shoot at the location that was the inspiration for the music."Ancient Lover," the second song featured on the album, explores their love story, a story of neighbors who met and eventually fell in love during the pandemic. The video features California spots the two explored during their honeymoon. The duo believes in living their life to their full potential by surpassing stereotypes and expressing themselves freely and fully. They hope to inspire others to do the same. Mayuri shares, “Together we can surpass systems, borders, boundaries, stereotypes, expectations, obligations that are holding us back from reaching our full potential as individuals and as a society. While we know this conceptually, sometimes this is hard to apply practically. We believe in being the example by living the example.”For more information about Banjii and Mayuri, visit their website and Instagram. Ancient Lover and Copper Lines are available on all major music platforms, including Spotify and YouTube. Music tracks are copyrighted, provided by the artist, and used with permission.

In today's episode, we chat with Alaura Lovelight. She's an R& B singer, songwriter, producer, published writer, and CEO who combines all her skills to empower people and make them feel better about themselves.Her journey to be an artist started when she was playing at little clubs, jazz bars & at different events. In addition to this, she also coached musicians and posted videos on the business side of music. All of these propelled her to a successful recording artist by getting rid of fake self-limits.Alaura Lovelight has a debut single entitled "Eroticy."  She wants her listeners to feel sexy, confident, and empowered. Alaura did not get her success overnight, it took her years to feel empowered, confident, beautiful, and well put together. She believes confidence is being focused on yourself and inner beauty, and not making other people feel that you are better than them. As a recording artist, it's not only about having a good voice and being able to sing, there are additional things like content that’s put together, but not all of it makes the cut, there are also collaborators and contributors who are included in the feedback.  As an upcoming artist getting feedback is important but you have to weigh this feedback and ask yourself, "Am I implementing this feedback from an industry novice or an individual who lacks background? Always filter the feedback you receive." Alaura is also CEO of Unseen to Young Queen, a mentoring & coaching program for teen girls. Through this program, Alaura not only trains their voices, but she gets to hold space for them, to let them know they are beautiful & valued for who they are even in their current journey of finding themselves.  As a result, she tells guardians, parents, and adults who are in these teens' lives to be accountable to themselves and to check their self-talk.  Alaura's plan for the future is to complete her album, do some live shows and go on tour In conclusion, Alaura’s advice to artists is you can learn from others’ mistakes so you can figure out what works and what doesn’t work. Apple Music : Eroticy Spotiy : EroticyAlaura Lovelight Alaura's Website Alaura on YouTube @alauralovelight on Instagram Alaura's Facebook page Music tracks are copyrighted, provided by the artist, and used with permission.Mentioned in this episode:THE ALAURA SHOWHey, it's Alaura Lovelight. And if you're enjoying "unlocking your world of creativity," make sure to check out my new show, "The Alaura Show" ... on Roku and Amazon Fire TV.

https://go.mysacredartistry.com/markI'm always looking for creative ways to pour into the industry and community. So I’m happy to announce that I’m giving an intimate interview at Art&Heart's Sacred Artistry Summit coming up on May 12, 13, and 14.And I’ve got a free ticket for you!This event was created by my friend, award-winning recording artist, and Sacred Artistry coach, Honey Larochelle. She and I will be talking about "Lessons Learned from 200 Creatives All Around The World." And I’ll be sharing some of my personal journey and how I ended up being who and where I am today. There's an incredible lineup of other artists, creatives and leaders in the entertainment industry on this show. The summit is chock full of juicy stories, inspiring nuggets of wisdom, and actionable steps you can take and use right now to increase your income, status, and creativity -- plus there will be MANY high-value giveaways. Sign up now and grab your spot right away so you don’t miss the downbeat.The whole intention of Art&Heart’s #SacredArtistrySummit is to remind artists and creative entrepreneurs that they are HIGH VALUE and sacred. The intention is to reignite their spark and give them a sneak peek at what's possible just beyond whatever limiting beliefs they may have. If any friends of yours need to know about this, please forward them this post and tell them to sign up!Consider this an exclusive invitation to a private party where all the keys to your success are being passed around on serving trays. Grab your free ticket here!https://go.mysacredartistry.com/markSee you there.Honey Larochelle Copyright 2025 Mark Stinson

In today's episode, we chat with Doug Patton, an inventor, creativity expert, award-winning product designer and engineer, Founder & CEO of Patton Design, and Author of Conquering the Chaos of Creativity.   Doug is an esteemed industrial designer who was an inventor featured on ABCs American Inventor. He has created over 300 products in 20 international market categories and has received over 150 patents and international design awards. His clients include companies such as Mercedes-Benz, Apple, Microsoft, IBM, and Disney. His mission to inspire others to live more authentic lives has led him to write  Conquering the Chaos of Creativity, where he shares his unique, creative problem-solving process and inspires readers to take their own path by giving them the tools they need to creatively problem-solve in their own lives. Doug sees chaos as a place of freedom. One which lacks rules and boundaries, therefore, giving individuals the free space to be as creative as they want. However, the mistakes people make when they are first trying out being creative is getting lost in the chaos. He cautions them  to keep it simple and build on their ability to create,  What is his creative process like when it comes to working on a project? For him, he looks intrinsically and externally, he explores how he will remain excited and creative through the project and how to communicate these creative ideas to various stakeholders. This has resulted in him coming up with the language of creativity. This means he is able to breakdown his ideas into simple terms so as to get buy-in from everyone  In addition to the principles in his book, Doug tells us about the mediative problem-solving method. Where he uses meditation to help with the creative process. In his book, he gives his readers processes to free their minds from any constraints where they can safely go off and explore new ideas and new ways of thinking. In conclusion, Doug believes that everyone is innately creative. and everyone has a great imagination. Additionally, he urges people to take the first step to expanding their creativity in any way they can. For experts and those at the top of their form, he tells them to expand on their creativity and never let it go. You can connect with Doug on the following platformsDoug's Website Doug on YouTube @dougpatton_ on Instagram Doug's Facebook group Doug's Facebook page Book: Conquering the Chaos of CreativityCopyright 2025 Mark Stinson  

Gabe Furtado brings positive vibes and self-love with his latest single, "Flowers."We stamp our creative passport in Los Angeles today with Gabe Furtado "Flowers" is the debut single off his album of the same name. Written as a love letter to himself, the essence of the lyrics and melody of the song depicts his evolution into positive self-acceptance and love. The track is packed with rhythmic sounds destined to make the listener get up and dance. Uplifting and healing in nature, "Flowers" transports listeners to a world of self-confidence that is certain to fill eardrums with positive energy and vibrations.  Produced by Hi5, Sandra Carletti, and Gabe Furtado, "Flowers" explodes with lyrics about staying true to yourself and was recorded in Gabe's home studio. The positive energy and upbeat vibe are Gabe's constant staple in his music. He states, "I feel so honored to be giving life to Flowers. The song and album talk about love, uniqueness, passion, faith, romance, and duality." Known for being the epitome of creativity, Gabe's most prominent qualities are optimism, a positive mindset, and faith. In his presence, you are sure to have a smile on your face. He ensures listeners will want to sing along and dance to the vibrant and self-assuring lyrics paired with the hypnotic upbeat melodies of his latest track. With his life orbiting around fun-filled experiences, Gabe states, "everything I have accomplished in life is because I am blessed, I believe in myself, and because I have amazing people in my life supporting me the way they're able to."  "Flowers" is available on all music platforms. About Gabe FurtadoGabe Furtado initially was studying communication with a focus on journalism. However, while in school, his Dad suddenly passed, and he realized life was too short not to live your best life. With his new mindset, Gabe decided to drop out of college to focus on his passion for music. He began in 2014 by releasing cover songs by Selena Gomez, Taylor Swift, Mika. By 2017, he released his first professional EP titled "Just Feelings." The album had three cover songs, including his version of Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance," his most streamed on Spotify, receiving 200k streams. Gabe started making homemade videos on his YouTube channel for two songs to accompany his EP. With the success of the videos, he decided to make his original LP. Gabe launched his original music with "Last Goodbye," a song about his Dad's passing. Accompanied by stunning visuals, the "Last Goodbye" video sparked the attention of the Los Angeles Brazilian Film Festival. It was nominated for all the music video categories in the Los Angeles International Music Video Festival.   Gabe Furtado Gabe on YouTube Gabe Furtado initially was studying communication with a focus on journalism. However, while in school, his Dad suddenly passed, and he realized life was too short not to live your best life. With his new mindset, Gabe decided to drop out of college to focus on his passion for music. He began in 2014 by releasing cover songs by Selena Gomez, Taylor Swift, Mika. By 2017, he released his first professional EP titled "Just Feelings." The album had three cover songs, including his version of Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance," his most streamed on Spotify, receiving 200k streams. Gabe started making homemade videos on his YouTube channel for two songs to accompany his EP. With the success of the videos, he decided to make his original LP. Gabe launched his original music with "Last Goodbye," a song about his Dad's passing. Accompanied by stunning visuals, the "Last Goodbye" video sparked the attention of the Los Angeles Brazilian Film Festival. Music tracks are copyrighted, provided by the artist, and used with permission.

Theresa Destrebecq https://www.linkedin.com/in/theresadestrebecq/Theresa 's Website After spending over a decade in traditional education and education leadership, and another decade coaching individuals, Theresa Destrebecq now combines the two to create, lead, and facilitate book-centered learning communities. Her company, Emerge Book Circles, focuses on supporting organizations and individual leaders to move beyond consuming ideas. Instead, she supports them to read deeper, build stronger connections with themselves and others, and then to create new ways of living, working, and leading from the ideas they first read. She believes we can all be theorists, but not all of us will be practitioners. When she isn't kickstarting conversations, you can find her swallowed up in a good book (obviously), exploring the woods behind her house, playing board games with her kids, in some awkward pose on her yoga mat, or behind the stove cooking something yummy. She loves to laugh until her stomach hurts, and prefers to be around people who can make her laugh that hard.

Connect with Patrick on Instagram @smithdiditAll music and commercials are copyrighted and used under fair use for critique

In today’s episode, we chat with Shefali Shah. https://www.linkedin.com/in/shefalishahchong/Shefali is VP of Commercialization and an Industry leader focused on evidence-based strategies for Digital Healthcare, BioTech & Pharma sectors. She is also a certified Yoga instructor. Digital health is a tech category that focuses on science and research to continuously develop new methods that empower humans to live their full lives, by making it easier and more accessible to people so that they can make informed decisions on their own on how to live better lives.  We asked Shefali about the creative process for generating new ideas in their different teams: For the product, the team is constantly working within the product teams to customize what the solutions look like based on where in the world they are and the needs of that region. For research,  they look at the areas that make the most sense, where the patients are going to meet the biggest bang for their buck. While at the same time they are constantly developing new digital biomarkers.  On the commercial side, which is her department, she uses a lot of emotional intelligence where her focus is on bringing everyone into the mix and listening to their ideas, seeing a different perspective on the issue.On a personal note, Shefali was born in India and came to the US for her undergraduate in Engineering where she was 1 out of 2 female students. Her ambition is inspired by members of her family who are Nobel prize winners, founders of big startup companies, and successful entrepreneurs. On the side, Shefali teaches a yoga class where she blends yoga and meditation with dance and music, this results in her students experiencing not just a yoga class, but also an education on the anatomy, physiology, and a creative flow from their brains to their entire body. You can connect with Shefali on LinkedIn: Shefali Shah

Our chat today is with a multi-passionate creative entrepreneur Allyson Hernandez. Allyson is the author of Ballad of Dreams, an actor, a singer, a composer, a Broadway star, and CEO of AH Coaching Group.Ballad of Dreams is a love letter to New York City and Broadway theater. The book, which had originally started out as a Broadway musical before Covid, was inspired by two strong women in her life:  her great grandmother who passed away at 96 years and was a mother to 13 children, and her great aunt Laura who lived a spectacular life, being married to a rich talent scout. The book is set in the 1940s and it tells the story of how their different life choices changed their life trajectories.   A few things we can pick up from Allyson's book and as a creative individual  includeImplement feedback when givenOpen your mind to what it could be. Let go of what you wanted something to be and focus on what the future could be like. The sky was the limit when it comes to creativity.Art doesn't have to be just one thing.Human beings are not just one thing. Your art can therefore be a book, a musical, a soundtrack, a stage play a Netflix mini-series. You have enough content for it to be all of those things.Take advantage of the InBetween. As a creative who lacks time, take advantage of the dead time you may have in between doing other things in your daily life. As long as that creative idea comes to mind in between doing other things, stop and take action for your creativity. it's taking that one step and being committed to and starting small.In summary, Allyson says as a creative you must be open to where your creativity takes you. You can reach out to Allyson onAllyson’s Website: Allyson HernandezLinkedIn: Allyson HernandezBook: Ballad of DreamsAllyson Hernandez Allyson Hernandez defines the word multi-passionate as a writer, performer, composer, executive coach, and mom. She wrote Ballad of Dreams to explore who her grandmother was and what she wanted before she became a mother, and, in the process, found the same answers for herself. As President and Founder of AH Coaching Group, LLC she empowers clients to embrace their extra and boldly follow their dreams. She has a BFA in Musical Theater from Syracuse University, is a member of Actors Equity Association, and holds her ACC credentials through the International Coaching Federation. Soul Stories, Allyson’s debut EP, can be found on iTunes, Spotify, and YouTube. She has performed at the acclaimed Apollo Theater and toured with the Gospel musical If This Hat Could Talk, directed by Tony award-winning director George Faison. On the weekends you can find Allyson singing at church and proudly cheering on the sidelines at her two sons’ soccer games. Allyson's Website @allysonhernandez_extra on Instagram Allyson's Facebook page Allyson on YouTube Copyright 2025 Mark Stinson