Your World of Creativity

Meet Yiqing Zhao, an actor, writer, and creative life coach.Here's a little about Yiqing:Lucy Liu's savviness + Komiko Glenn's bubblinessI did real surgeries on real people, twice, as an assistantMust-haves: 85% dark chocolate & kaleHalf-marathon runner, yogi, home chef, dog momAn untethered spirit. INFJ, Enneagram Type 8, Rebel. When it comes to her creative expression, she shares:Coming to the US alone with 2 suitcases adding up to my body weight.Got a full scholarship and completed my master's degree in public health with a GPA of 3.94Published journals on people living with HIV/AIDS​Made my theatre debut in Baltimore, as the only non-native English speaker in the cast with no prior trainingMade my New York debut while working a 9-5 for a non-profitWrote and produced 3 plays and a short filmObtained a Visa for People with Extraordinary AbilitiesAnd more!https://www.linkedin.com/in/yiqing-zhao-329a11a6/

Mickie Kennedy, eReleases Public RelationsMickie Kennedy is an expert at helping small businesses, authors, and startups increase their visibility and credibility. Mickie founded eReleases 22+ years ago after realizing that small businesses desperately need a press release service they can actually afford, giving them access to the media and to a national newswire – all with a personal touch.Mickie lives in Baltimore County with his family and two feuding cats. He enjoys British science fiction and acknowledges an unhealthy addiction to diet soda. Mickie holds an MFA in Creative Writing with an emphasis in Poetry from George Mason University. He still writes poetry most Monday nights (virtually) with a group of fellow misfits in Brunswick, Maryland.Key Metrics About MickieHe has distributed more than 100,000 press releases for more than 10,000 customersHe has worked with more than 20 Shark Tank companies, including Manscaped & Squatty PottyHe has generated in excess of $87 million in earned media for his clientsHe is an Amazon Best-Selling Author in Public Relations and MarketingHe has has more than 20+ years of experience helping small businesses succeed with PRWe discussed:1. How to Write a Powerful Press ReleaseMickie literally wrote the book on writing powerful press releases, earning him Amazon Best Seller’s status in Public Relations and Marketing: Beginner’s Guide to Writing Powerful Press Releases. More than 10,000 print copies have been sold, with more than 40,000 digital versions sold or given away on Kindle, Apple Books, and the eReleases website.2. How to Apply Strategy to Your Press Release Plan for Proven ResultsMining 22+ years of press release successes and failures, Mickie can distill what will work when building a PR campaign of six or more press releases, preventing you from sending the dreaded “new hire” press release that will likely get ignored.3. Why Press Releases Provide the Biggest ROI of Most Marketing Campaigns.You can launch a PR campaign of 6 press releases including distribution over a bonafide press release newswire (like PR Newswire, when using eReleases) for under $2,000. If just one of those press releases lands a key article in a major publication you could see thousands of visitors and hundreds of new customers. If you apply strategy, there’s no reason why at least two of those press releases won’t garner actual media pickup: actual articles, possibly even links, in magazines, newspapers, blogs, trade publications, and more (including TV and radio)—both online and offline.4. How To Get Regular Local Media Coverage Without Spending a DimeLocal media is the easiest media to obtain. Best of all, it doesn’t require anything more from you than your time. Mickie breaks down the way to systematically work to get on local media’s radar and finally get some articles, features, and interviews in newspapers, online sites, TV, and radio.5. Honing Your Unique Selling Proposition (USP) to Make You Irresistible to the MediaWhat makes you different? Faster shipping, more selection, unique features? By conducting a USP audit you can better position your company for business and getting media attention.6. How Credibility Through PR Allows You To Close More Sales, Both Online and OfflineGetting media coverage boosts your credibility, bringing you traffic, improved SEO, and better customers. Discover how clients hack this credibility to close more sales, regardless whether selling online or offline.7. How I Doubled the Number of Repeat Customers Through Trust-Building as an Online CompanyThe number of people who judge the value of PR from a single press release and not a PR campaign of 6 or more press releases is frustrating. That being said, it’s part of the business as people skip from one shiny marketing object to another. I worked strategically to educate my customers and establish trust, doubling the number of customers who bought multiple press releases—all as an online company.8. Mickie Is Professionally Trained to Write PoetryMickie holds an MFA in Creative Writing With an Emphasis in Poetry from George Mason University. What does that mean? It means Mickie can stand his own against Emily Dickinson in an MMA cage fight if it was less of a cage and more of a library table with a pad of paper between them. Regardless, this cat knows how to spin a yarn and mix his metaphors with the best of them. 

In this episode, meet podcast creator, producer, and consultant Lisa Orkin. She is a great storyteller that uses audio and sound to paint a picture for her audience. Lisa started her own podcast, then working with indie podcasts, and now bigger businesses are into it and advertising has also come into it.Her secret for storytellingLisa says that her secret to better storytelling is to paint pictures instead of words. Rather than narrating how something feels or seems, she describes how it looks -- and that’s how to successfully paint a picture in listeners’ minds. Lisa also loves to expand people’s limits by giving her audiences a nice push out of their comfort zones. Her projectsShe is currently working on Michael Cohen’s podcast for Audio Up. She also has Project Woowoo, which is her own fun podcast. Lisa likes helping people with the creative aspects of their podcasts, especially intros and outros. Since she works with people who have been in that industry, she finds that it is super important to help them decipher what they want to say and find a way to say it in a way that is going to be attention-grabbing.AuthenticityLisa believes that it is important to have authenticity in media; people want to see who you are in all ways and that will keep people interested in you and what you have to say. People want real. And even for hosts who prefer to keep to themselves and just present information, they can still present information in a way that represents them. Find the line where comfortable, authentic, and private lay side to side -- it does take practice but you just got to do it and get out there. Audio vs. Writing For Lisa, the difference when writing for listening is that everything has to be shorter and more precise. Use the dialog to paint a picture but in a way that also is engaging. One of the mistakes people make when they’re writing for audio is that they write something that is meant to be read. Audio sentences must be short, but also be filled with information and move the story enough without much narration or feeling tedious. Her creative journeyLisa had all kinds of jobs before choosing the artistic path of writing. She started writing with her dad, Dick Orkin. She felt like the Radio Ranch was a family business that allowed her to grow, While she wanted to be an actor, she found that her true passion was in writing. What’s AheadLisa hopes to soon make more shows and use the medium to its fullest to tell as many stories as possible. She is ready to set off on her ideas with many great collaborators. Connectwebsite: www.lisaorkincreative.com Instagram @lisaorkingram

Emilia Pedersen is a half-Brazilian pop singer from Denmark.Emilia offers us a unique perspective of the entertainment industry, as she has lived & worked all over the world. She currently resides in New York, where she has lived for the last 12 years. Aside from singing, Emilia shines in acting and modeling. Over the years, she has participated in several fashion shows and acted in various productions in New York, Denmark, and Brazil. She is multi-lingual and can speak Danish, Portuguese, Spanish, and English. Emilia is also an ambassador for multiple charity organizations. Her musical influences include Ariana Grande, Selena Gomez, Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, and Miley Cyrus.In this episode, we talk about:Singing and production Acting and music videosCreative writing and poetryEMILIA'S SOCIAL PROFILEWebsitehttps://www.emiliapedersen.com/TikTokhttps://www.tiktok.com/@emiliapedersen?lang=enFacebook https://www.facebook.com/emiliapedersenofficialTwitterhttps://twitter.com/_EmiliaPedersenYouTube https://www.youtube.com/emiliapedersenInstagram@emiliapedersenofficialYou can read a transcript of our interview attached Music tracks are copyrighted, provided by the artist, and used with permission.

Rebecca King Crews is an adult contemporary, R&B artist originally from Benton Harbor, MI. She has recorded under the pseudonym “Regina Madre” Rebecca is a singer, songwriter, actress, and wife to actor Terry Crews. She debuted the pseudonym in 2018 to get an honest opinion on her music and soon had 2 radio singles, “(I Keep) Holding On” and “Destiny”. Although she has never stopped writing songs, she has taken several breaks from her career to support her family. Rebecca believes in putting family first and the rest will follow.Watch and listen at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJw6np-r2tkqwzgHmrZrlJQFollow her on Instagram @therealrebeccakingcrewsFind her Audible book Stronger Together: How Fame, Failure and Faith Transformed Our LivesMusic tracks are copyrighted, provided by the artist, and used with permission.

Giuseppe is a franchise veteran who simplifies the process of franchising and excels at guiding his candidates to the model that best suits them. His greatest joy is helping people realize the American dream and sharing the freedom that comes from franchising. Franchising has allowed Giuseppe to enjoy the freedom so many hope for.Sharing his expertise with his candidates, learning about their goals and their lives, and guiding them towards their dreams are what lights him up the most.Giuseppe Grammatico has owned a number of Master Franchise licenses and has enjoyed a successful franchising career, guiding more than 100 individuals through business ownership, many for the first time. In addition to 15 years in franchising, he also has 20 years of sales, marketing, and management experience. He has assisted over 1000 individuals and businesses with their investments and achieved over $1 billion in sales.Not everyone is motivated by money and fame, and Giuseppe knows this. He takes the overwhelming guesswork out of the franchising process, listening and teaching along the way. Learning about his candidate's specific goals for their business and lives aids in guiding them down their dream path. Those bold enough to take action on their own are the ones that realize the freedom boldness can deliver.Topics discussed:Why franchising?Is franchising right for you?Best franchises to own?How much investment is needed to own a franchise?Can I keep a franchise and have a full-time job?How franchising can create a safety net'?Own a franchise or start a business from scratch?Linkedin: Giuseppe GrammaticoFacebook: @GGTheFranchiseGuideTwitter: @ggrammaticoInstagram: @gg_the_franchise_guideYoutube: GG The Franchise Guide

During today’s episode, we are speaking to Bruce Honig.Bruce is the chief executive facilitator (CEF) of Honig IdeaGuides, which focuses on boosting leaders to facilitate meetings that are productive, engaging, and inspiring to teams both on- and off-site and virtually. With 24 years of experience, Bruce was the creativity guru way before it became a thing. He is a cultivated facilitator and trainer, author of a good number of books on creativity,  a creator of board and card games around the same topic, a workshop facilitator, as well as a featured speaker in the Playful Creative Summit.  Meeting up virtually in the sunny Bay Area, Bruce tells me how we can get out of our rut and into a more creative thinking process. Bruce has come up with 4 stages in the creativity process known as B.E.T.A. He compares these creative stages to an individual’s fingerprint. As an individual, you must be aware of what’s unique to you, what generic stage you’re in, and what kind of environment harnesses your creativity. For Bruce, that awareness of his creativity helps him and others he is working with.How does Bruce use BETA to unlock the creativity process?   B- Blocked; Be aware of any internal and external factors blocking your fate. Internal factors would be assumptions you have of the world.E- Exercise; The only way to be creative is to go right ahead and just be creative! Exercise being creative by doing something you haven’t done before.T - Tools; For ideation to occur you need tools for Brainstorming, Focusing, and Decision- making.A - Awareness; Be aware of your generic creativity. Just like a toddler, walking is something that they are inherently born with the knowledge to do. When it comes to facilitating a group, ensure you’re not the one coming up with the new ideas, but you are steering your team to generate these ideas. A good facilitator will ensure the team has all the materials needed, and all resources that are there, and instructions on how to do it. Group creativity sessions follow the BETA process but you move beyond focusing and defining the problem to exploring ideas and solutions together.Embracing technology using tools like the breakout rooms in zoom, Mural for collaboration, is key to facilitating virtually.Other resources mentioned in this episode:Bruce’s Idea guides websiteDownloadable tools and resourcesLinkedIn Bruce the CEF SummaryOverall. Bruce teaches us how to use the BETA steps in cultivating the creativity that is inherently within us and as a facilitator how to achieve the same results in a group setting, moving beyond ideation to problem-solving. Listen in to hear the full interview and hear what else Bruce has planned. If you’d like to contact Bruce, you can reach Bruce on LinkedIn here, check out his facilitation processes on his website while you can download tools and resources which are available.

From Amsterdam, we are joined by Douwe van der Werf:  writer, filmmaker, creative director, and producer.He uses creative storytelling to solve and create awareness of social issues. Website: www.douwe.works You can read a rough transcript of our interview attached here.

Michael Lee, a South African creativity trainer, coach, and author.He is also a Silicon Valley advisor, a TV screenwriter, and a film producer who has worked in Prague, Nigeria & South Africa.His training is called "innotivity" (creativity and Innovation) Michael believes that creativity is a trait that we are all inherently born with. The best way to start being creative is to go ahead and just be creative. Creativity is a muscle that has to be exercised so as to get it going. A simple way to practice is freewriting.Creativity is the process of confronting the problem and then solving the problem.in order to do that, you have to first think about the problem that's creativity, and then you have to take action that's innovation. Visit his website: www.innotidityinstitute.com. And read a rough transcript of our entire interview attached here.

My guest is Mutita Panmook, a business operation strategist, host of GetUNSTUCK radio, and the CEO of Extraordinarily By Mutita She helps service-based entrepreneurs and business owners around the world to systemize, automate, and delegate their business operations to get back at least 10 hours a week without sacrificing their lifestyle.She believes that time is the number one commodity in the world that you can’t get back once it’s gone. Because of that, Mutita helps small business owners and entrepreneurs build and design efficient business that supports their lifestyle with the Get UNSTUCK Method.Mutita’s mission is to help business owners and entrepreneurs getting unstuck from working in the hamster wheel. The goal is to reclaim their time to be with their families, do what they love with joy, or even travel the world, whenever they want, wherever they want, with whomever they want and letting their business work for them.She is also a host of GetUNSTUCK Podcast that helps entrepreneurs get unstuck in their journey through the guest experts’ experiences. Mutita’s joy is when her clients keep making positive impact on the world and become unstuckable.Connect at https://www.getunstuckmethod.com/resources/Find her at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mutitapanmook/