Your World of Creativity

Mark Stinson
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Jul 25, 2022 • 21min

Jeff Leisawitz, Musician Producer and Author of "No F*ing Around"

Jeff Leisawitz Jeff 's Website Jeff Leisawitz burns with a mission—to inspire humans with a heartbeat and every flavor of creative to live their gifts and create meaningful lives of purpose, success, connection and creativity. As an award winning musician/ producer, college songwriting prof, critically acclaimed author, distributed filmmaker and internationally in-demand coach, Jeff has devoted his life to empowering creatives. “At its best, creativity is a way for us to be seen, expressed and connected.” With this philosophy as a guiding principle, Jeff has helped empower countless people to tap deeply into their creative hearts to live richer, more fulfilling lives. Not F*ing Around— the No Bullsh*t Guide for Getting Your Creative Dreams Off the Ground is Jeff’s first book. @nfajeff on Instagram Jeff 's Facebook page @nfajeff on X Mark Stinson Copyright 2025 Mark Stinson
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Jul 18, 2022 • 22min

Aryeh Sheinbein, Wealth Architect

What’s in a name? Well, in Aryeh Sheinbein’s case, it’s a perfect metaphor for his track record as a wealth architect; his given name derives from the Hebrew word אריה (aryé), meaning “lion.” He is every bit a lion for those he works with: passionate, courageous, protective, and willing to fight for the valuable assets his clients entrust him with.Aryeh’s bread and butter is helping successful business owners and entrepreneurs invest their money intelligently, allowing their wealth to accumulate so they can stay focused on what truly matters—their business and mission. He’s spent his entire career sharpening his operational experience with investments and valuing businesses, having worked with top private equity, venture capital, hedge funds, investment managers, and banks, as well as a wealth of success in the eCommerce and Amazon selling spaces. Aryeh is particularly skilled in managing large, complex projects and teams—a credit to his excellent executive leadership skills rooted in finance, business strategy, marketing, and operations.Some topics of conversation include:Wealth Creation for the Long HaulStarting vs. Buying a Business: Different Strokes for Different Folks Effectively Growing a Business & Maintaining ProfitabilityStock & Real Estate Investing: From Soup to NutsAchieving Liquidity Events From a Business (Without Selling It) White-Labeling: What It is & Why You Should Do ItWhen he’s not sculpting the financial futures of his clients, Aryeh loves coaching his kids' sports teams, donating his time to various non-profit organizations, and enjoying quality time with his four wonderful kids and amazing wife. He also hosts the iTunes Top 100-ranked Inside the Lions Den podcast, a show that explores the leadership skills, financial acumen, and operational improvements required for sustained entrepreneurial and financial success.Aryeh Sheinbein Aryeh's Website https://www.linkedin.com/in/aryehsheinbein@aryehthebusinessman on Instagram Aryeh's Facebook page @aryehsheinbein on X Copyright 2025 Mark Stinson Your World of Creativity website
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Jul 11, 2022 • 31min

Dan Klitsner, Toy Inventor BOP IT!

We are back for another great interview on our podcast on how to unlock your world of creativity.Our guest today is Dan Klitsner. He joins us on our around the world journey where we talk to creative practitioners about how they get inspired and how they organize and pitch those ideas, and also how they gain the confidence and the connections to launch their work out into the world.  Dan is the founder and creative director of toy inventing and licensing firm KID Group LLC. He is also the inventor of the iconic Bop It, a wildly successful children’s toy that has sold over 30+ million units since 1996. He is also a recipient of 2 gold IDEA awards and 4 Toy of the Year Awards. He also co-founded QiGo Inc., which utilizes USB Key technology to support child-safe internet connections for toys.We talk about the Art of the pitch seeing as Dan has been on both sides of the table. He has done several pitches for several toys and has served as a judge in many design and innovation competitions as well, including the IDSA international design competition, the Consumer Electronics Show, and the Toy of the Year Awards. He also teaches classes in design and invention at the California College of Arts, San Francisco State, and the San Francisco Academy of Art.We also hear about “Bop it for Good” which is Dan's latest project, taking the success of the Bop It and turning it into a force for change for the underserved communities and especially children. Through the Bop It for Good program, 100% of his profits through the website will go to Boys and Girls Clubs in underserved areas to provide assistance and programs to children. This is in recognition of the 25th anniversary of the Bop It.His top tips on the art of pitching are:Remember that Pitching, in general, is so fun especially If you are an idea person. It is very important how you choose to pitch, depending on the idea. Because there isn't just one way to pitch ideas. There are many ideas and you have to figure out what is a compelling way to get people, to love your idea.Knowing your audience is the most important thing before you pitch.The secret to a great pitch is to make sure to keep it loose.In conclusion, Dan walks us through the creative process that goes into making and designing the products that are around for generations. And also he explains the exact process of going from an idea to licensing it, patenting it and bringing it to market, and selling millions of units.You can find more information about Dan’s work and interact with him on social mediaThe Bop It for Good Kickstarter program: https://bopitforgood.comInstagram: bopitinventorTikTok bopitinventor
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Jun 27, 2022 • 27min

Nina Boski, Media Executive and Producer, "Marilyn: Behind The Icon"

We are back for another great interview on our podcast on how to unlock your world of creativity. Our guest today is  Nina Boski.  She is a transformational leader and media executive and founder of LifeBites Global. A dynamic business, energy, and media consultant who believes that people, and their viewpoints and values, make a company what it is. Nina has worked on both sides of the business spectrum, as an entrepreneur and in the corporate world, and understands the creative and administrative sides of the business. She leverages this unique perspective as she coaches organizations through issues involving team, culture, sales, and marketing. Though she believes the people element is of primary importance, an organization’s processes and systems must also be running efficiently to achieve success.In our interview, we discuss three main topics:Marilyn1. What makes this series different from what has already been portrayed about the star?2. Marilyn appears to be a visionary, given her fragmented upbringing and she still created such success. 4. Why do you think people are still so fascinated by her after all these years?Mental health5. You spend a lot of time educating people about mental illness and addiction. Why is this important to the series, and what kind of alcohol and/or drugs were Marilyn addicted to in her life?6. How can we take Marilyn’s life and learn from it – teachable moments?7. Why do you think mental illness and addiction are at an all-time high, even though there are many more tools and resources than back in 1962?8. What type of mental illness did Marilyn suffer from in her life? What is the difference between Bipolar disorder and borderline personality and how did that affect Marilyn?9. When you say Marilyn is the ultimate dreamer, what do you mean?Creative process of seriesTeamExperts interviewed“pitching” the seriesAmongst her many achievements, she has produced two projects for the iconic Marilyn Monroe’s 60th anniversary. Today Nina talks to us about “All Things Marilyn,” and sheds light on the important subject of mental health and addiction. As she shares Marilyn’s story, Nina’s hope is to inspire people to build up their own resilience for their future and be determined to create a vision for themselves that can propel their life forward, especially during this pandemic and beyond. In the two projects, Behind the Icon, a dramatic podcast about the entire life of Marilyn, and a TV docuseries that deals with the mental health and addiction and the correlation between the two along with the actual investigation of the star’s death, she breaks down for the first time, fact from probability theory to the outlandish rumors. Most of the biographies on Marilyn up until this point, blend all of these elements together and claim it as fact. This 22-expert production makes this complex story more easily digestible for the average listener or audience member and allows us to set the record straight on the decades of rumors and lies. In addition to Marilyn’s story, the TV docuseries highlights the celebrity of today who deals with some of the same things Marilyn did back in 1962, not only with the price of fame with addiction and mental health issues but by being “Propped Up for Profit” by the celebrities’ handlers and even loved ones. This unique story gives people a window to look at mental health up close and personal! Nina has spent over 6 years researching Marilyn. She has realized that the icon’s life is filled with inspiration if we search for the teachable moments that can help people heal their lives. Nina’s goal is to make a positive impact in the media with stories that make a difference. This story angle allows the true Marilyn, the core of who she was, about transformation and helping fellow mankind be at the heart of her true legacy to be remembered. Marilyn Monroe is very much a cultural phenomenon that attracts millions of fans across the globe each day. Marilyn was not just a beautiful, glamourous movie star but was a soul on this earth who, just like all of us, wanted to love and be loved.In summary, Nina thinks that the Marilyn Monroe story unfortunately is not unique, but the lessons we can garner from it are invaluable. From our conversation with Nina, we can highlight some of those lessons.The ability to dream the hardest, despite the fact that she had a rough childhood where she was married off at 16 years and also faced abandonment, and abuse, with a mother suffering from mental acute disorders. We learn that She has resilience from her because she had a huge ability to visualize and manifest her life.Marilyn appears to be a visionary, given her fragmented upbringing and she still created such success.We learn that she was brave and humane, she stood up and fought for the rights of people who couldn't fight for themselves. For example, the Me too movement alongside African American rights especially back then when they didn't have a voice. We learn the importance of spending time educating people about mental health and reminding them that they can seek help.To also educate people on alcohol and/or drug addiction and tell them that it is ok to seek help for it Company website: Life BitesLinkedIn: Nina BoskiBehind the Icon  podcast: behindtheicon.com If you are feeling suicidal, thinking about hurting yourself, or are concerned that someone you know may be in danger of hurting himself or herself, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255). It is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and is staffed by certified crisis response professionals.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.
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Jun 20, 2022 • 26min

Bill Small, Singer & Entrepreneur at ARTIST MIND, INC.

Today's guest is Bill Small, a singer-songwriter and entrepreneur at ARTIST MIND, INC. in Austin, TX.A badass business and personal coach, Bill Small has helped hundreds of clients achieve new levels of success and fulfillment over the last 15 years.In 2008 Bill joined the coaching team at Northstar ventures which provided coaches for programs by noted authors Joe Vitale and Bob Doyle, both featured in “The Secret.” That same year Bill worked with Bob Doyle as his personal coach, and was featured in the documentary film, The Boundless Living Challenge.In 2016 Bill created Artist Mind Inc. to make coaching available to small business owners. In 2018 he was asked to join the consulting team at VIP Medical Consultants, and became a partner in healthcare start-up Advanced Clinical Management.Taking a break from touring and live music performances during the 2020 pandemic shut down, Bill created and launched the Awareness Advantage Workshop, a group training course in mindfulness. In 2021 it’s back to performing and launching a new podcast, The Subtle Art of Not Yelling with co-host Miles Hanson.In this episode, you'll also hear highlights from 3 of Bill's latest songs. In our interview, we talk about MUSIC & ENTERTAINMENTMarketingHealthcareBusinessMindfulnessCreativityCareer CoachingGrowing up outside of New York City, Bill honed his performance skills early in student workshops at the Whole Theater Company directed by Olympia Dukakis.After attending Berklee College of music, he spent the next 3 decades working as a performer, producer, recording artist, vocal coach, and songwriter. In 2006 he became a founding member of the Texas Americana group Walt Wilkins and the Mystiqueros, and over the next 15 years released 5 records with the band, 4 solo records, and toured the U.S. and Europe.Bill Small Bill 's Website Media Kit: https://kitcaster.com/bill-small/ @mindartcoach on Instagram Bill 's Facebook page Music tracks are copyrighted, provided by the artist, and used with permission.
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Jun 13, 2022 • 14min

Medical Essays, by Oliver Wendell Holmes. Sr.

Book highlights of Medical Essays, by Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.
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Jun 6, 2022 • 22min

Ian Fraser, GoGames Interactive Experiences

My guest today is Ian FraserIan is the Co-Founder and CEO at WEVE. Think about these sorts of team-building games, outdoor adventures, and trust-building exercises, but also in Ian’s background is in automated how do you digitize that experience? And then how do you bring in the remote teams. In the world now companies are trying to figure out loyalty and how people stay in touch and stay valued, and it's not about money and compensation and benefit. It's about how you feel about the company.For HR leaders, understanding that remote is okay, but you can go anywhere now and be remote, but valuing the work you do, the products you create, and the environment that you create are very important now, and companies are trying to figure that out.While many  C-Suite in the life science industry people have had to learn to communicate in a different way, it's not because their industry is dying or people can't come to work, or everybody has COVID it's because we still have a mission. So that the industry, pharmaceutical has a mission to create life-changing or life-saving products for the public or for the patient.Ian says communication that leaders have focused on in this post-Covid world is about sharing the message, sharing the mission, staying on target while also protecting your health and protecting your family, and trying to balance everything. So the actual communication statements have been different.In our HR practice, about 40% of our practices are with private equity, hedge funds, and those kinds of investors people. It turns out that whether it's a byproduct or whether it's just why we do this for a living, there is still really, really interesting cutting edge kind of work being done, whether it's in cell therapy or certain kinds of rare diseases or biologics that investors at various levels are funding. Their mission hasn't changed but they're very focused on their return. So they do what they need to do to keep people engaged. And, there is a great deal of money still flowing into life sciences, whether it's diagnostics because of COVID and other kinds of vaccine issues. In summary, Ian thinks that it's a generational thing as more women and minorities move up. Some of that will become a little easier, but I think that it's a hard slog for the next 10 years in lots of different industries. Company website: The go gameLinkedIn: Ian FraserIan Fraser Ian Fraser is the co-founder and chief executive officer of The Go Game, the leader in team-building and culture-driving games. Ian and chief technology officer, Finn Kelly, co-founded The Go Game in 2000 to bring fun to work through interactive games, events, and experiences that make employees feel connected and engaged. In 2020, The Go Game launched Go Remote which creates dynamic digital environments that enable real engagement that goes beyond the market standard video conferencing tool. As the CEO, Ian is responsible for The Go Game’s overarching business strategy and day to day profitability. He is also responsible for setting the general tone of the products and is deeply involved in the creative output. Ian also oversees the partnership and sales teams as they introduce Go Remote to the marketplace securing clients such as Google, LinkedIn, Spotify, and Amazon. Ian's Website Copyright 2025 Mark Stinson
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May 23, 2022 • 31min

Vinnie Potestivo, Talent Development and Brand Strategist

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
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May 16, 2022 • 23min

Banjii and Mayuri, "Uncommon Love Story"

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.
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May 9, 2022 • 25min

Alaura Lovelight, R&B Recording Artist and Music Coach

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.

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