Camera Ready & Abel

As Heraclitus said 2500 years ago: The only constant is change. Duly noted, but...humans are creatures of habit and change is often scary. Fear and uncertainty go hand in hand. Joining me to discuss the importance and impact of CHANGE is actor, writer and musician, Matt Wells. In our conversation we discuss identity, the disappointment of missed opportunities, fighting the depression that often accompanies the disappointment and keeping a positive mental attitude to stay open to the opportunities coming to you. Matt is best known for his work in the award winning and critically acclaimed independent film "Crown and Anchor" which he created, produced and Co-starred. Like most people, what he is best known for today is not where he started his career. His path began writing songs and fronting the notorious Newfoundland punk/hardcore band Bucket Truck while sharing stages with Slayer, Damage Plan, Fishbone, and Lagwagon. This journey directly led to him embarking on a career as an acclaimed music/film journalist for Much Music, The New Music, Bravo and MTV where he interviewed everyone from The Police, Quentin Tarantino, Lee Daniels, and John Lydon to Lou Reed, Mariah Carey, Ben Kingsley, Zack Snyder and Lady Gaga. Since shifting his focus to acting and filmmaking Matt has appeared in the Emmy Award winning Schitt's Creek, Designated Survivor, Murdoch Mysteries, and the multiple award winning short film "Poison in the Water," which he co-wrote with his then 6-year old daughter. Watch "Poison in the Water" at  https://youtu.be/-U5k-EIPPJY and tune in to this episode of Camera Ready & Abel for a conversation full of heart and soul!

I am a big believer in daily rituals. I don't have the same work schedule every day so I find simple, thoughtful daily disciplines enormously impactful in helping me focus, manage stress, gain clarity and perspective, creative breakthroughs and approach each day with enthusiasm. Here to discuss the POWER OF RITUAL on this episode of Camera Ready & Abel is my friend Carlos Greer whose daily ritual includes prayer, running and walks around New York City. Carlos Greer is a senior reporter for Page Six at the New York Post and host of "New York Post Reports: Off the Record" on Investigation Discovery. He also contributes to "Extra" as a special correspondent and he previously co-hosted the nationally syndicated entertainment newsmagazine show, "Page Six TV."  Prior to joining the New York Post, Greer covered music, pop culture, crime and human interest stories as a writer for People magazine. He was one of the first reporters to interview Taylor Swift backstage when Kanye West hijacked her award at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, a story he revisits during our conversation.  Greer has been on the ground reporting on the biggest pop culture stories over the past decade. In addition to breaking celebrity news, Greer has interviewed A-listers such as Jennifer Lopez, Rihanna, Janet Jackson, Justin Bieber, Oprah Winfrey, Jay-Z, Madonna, Kim Kardashian and many more.  Follow Carlos at @carlosgreer and visit his work on Page Six. I would love to hear what your daily rituals are and how they work for you? So please shoot me a note at abelintermedia.com/contact!

It's a core human desire to be seen and I am thrilled to be joined by author, on-air host and truth-teller Nancy Redd to discuss the importance of REPRESENTATION. Nancy has been slaying taboos and normalizing stories that traditionally exist in the margins for as long as I have known her from her first book, BODY DRAMA, giving real answers about real bodies to real girls (and her follow up, DIET DRAMA), to her highly highly-acclaimed picture book BEDTIME BONNET to her newest picture book, The Real Santa, released in October and currently available everywhere.  The Real Santa is a joyous tale celebrating identity, family and holiday cheer about a Black family's journey to discover what the real Santa looks like. Called "the perfect combination of style and substance" by Essence magazine, Nancy, a former Miss Virginia, holds an honors degree in women's studies from Harvard University. This dynamic woman offers incredible insight into her creative process and the importance of representation in imagery, stories, and media to humanize our vast experiences. You can find more about Nancy at www.nancyredd.com.

Being camera ready for photographs is as important as being camera ready for video, and yet, how much thought did you put into preparing for the photo(s) you use in your LinkedIn profile, on your website and the social media content in between? I had a recent photoshoot with my go-to photographer, Nick Coleman, and it was a brilliant lesson in self-compassion, preparedness, and endurance. Nick's ability to see me and help me be seen was a true gift that I do not take for granted which is why I insisted he share his wisdom on Camera Ready & Abel. Nick is an award winning photographer, filmmaker, actor, and screenwriter. Recognized by Backstage magazine for his actor headshots, Nick has also photographed US Presidents and heads of state, and his regular clients include top law firms and financial institutions in New York City. His photo work has appeared in The New York Times, The Economist, The New Yorker, and other publications.  In this episode of Camera Ready & Abel Nick discusses the why and how of preparing for a photoshoot, the crucial difference between a portrait and a headshot, and how looking great in a picture is a lot about caring who is on the other side of the lens (the photographer and the viewer) as in show up with purpose and make an emotional connection. Bonus: Learn about micro expressions and what THIS assessment taught Nick. One of the most universally flattering camera angles is to be slightly turned away from and leaning towards the camera. Nick explains that this is the case because the photographed person appears interested in the person on the other side of the photograph. His words of wisdom have me understanding the art of photography in a whole new light. I hope the same is true for you! Follow Nick on social media platforms at @NickJoeColeman and check out his website at www.ColemanPhotoGraphix.com.

Are you on the fast track to burn out? In a culture of DO, DO, DO the reminder to also BE is critical to your wellness and overall success. Combat fatigue, limiting beliefs, and emotional blocks with a HOLISTIC approach.  So where do you start? Right here! Joining me on this episode of Camera Ready & Abel is award-winning holistic coach and TV journalist Hilary Russo.  Hilary Russo is The HIListically Speaking® Health Coach. She is also a Certified Integrative Nutrition Holistic Health Coach and Certified Havening Techniques Practitioner. In private practice, she supports and empowers purpose-driven professionals to change the stories they are telling themselves by using Havening, a neuroscience based, psycho-sensory approach that changes the landscape of the brain. Her devotion to holistic living keeps her connected to life on-camera. She continues to make regular TV appearances as a health/wellness expert on affiliates nationwide and has been part of the QVC on-air guest family since 2012. Hilary is also one of the original cast members and can still be seen on the online fitness show, Daily Burn 365. She also hosts a monthly program for CVSHealth/Aetna called “Healthy Communities News”.  Her hosting doesn’t stop there, Hilary is also host/creator of the weekly podcast “HIListically Speaking”: conversations with guests in varied expertises who have turned  their traumas into triumphs through health, healing and humor. She's also a college professor at St John's University and teaches on-camera presentation and journalism.  To learn more about Havening Techniques and how you can work with Hilary, she’s offering Camera Ready & Abel listeners a complimentary guided video using this self-soothing approach: https://hilaryrusso.com/resiliency Love to get social? Connect with Hilary via Instagram @hilaryrusso

Grab a wheelbarrow because you're going to need one to carry all the gems that my guest, Dave Noll, drops in this episode of Camera Ready & Abel. It will only take you a few seconds to feel this week's theme - POSITIVITY - in Dave's energy as he generously walks through the mindset, technique and practice that has made him a two-time Emmy award winning producer and show formats mastermind with over 60 TV shows (3300 episodes and counting) under his belt that have generated over $500 million in sales. Listening to how Dave brainstormed the concept for his mega hit show, Chopped, and how he positioned its value to the Food Network will blow your mind and inspire you. In an episode packed with gems, I leave you with this quoteable moment: “You can accomplish almost nothing worthwhile and amazing and impressive in a year, but there's almost nothing that you can't accomplish that is amazing or worthwhile in 10 years. So if you're focusing on the next 10 years and not what's happening tomorrow, or the rejection you got today, it's so much more valuable.” -Dave Noll Connect and follow Dave at www.linkedin.com/davenolltv

Confidence is an inside job and believing in your enoughness is a forever journey but there are easy, actionable steps you can take every day in your confidence building.   Joining me on this episode of Camera Ready & Abel is makeup artist, content creator and beautypreneur Delina Medhin, who shares how important confidence was when she made the huge career pivot from corporate America to launching a beauty business with big impact.    Delina is an expert in all areas of makeup - including lighting - but her empathy and emotional intelligence may be her biggest assets. You've seen her work in print, film and television. I think her greatest gifts are her skills as a teacher and communicator and she brings that plus her generous spirit to her segments on the Today Show and The Wendy Williams Show.   Join her beautiful IG community at www.instagram.com/delinamedhin, learn from her teachings on Youtube at www.youtube.com/Delinamedhin, and tune in to her recently released podcast It Takes a Village (I'll be her guest November 30th).

The good people at Merriam-Webster define RELATABLE as possible to understand, like, or have sympathy for because of similarities to oneself or one's own experiences. Being relatable is a critical, contemporary skill because if I can see myself in some aspect of you, your values or your situation, I am much more likely to pay attention to you and what you are saying. Joining me on this episode of Camera Ready & Abel is Rachel DeAlto who quite literally wrote the book on being relatable.  Rachel is a relationship expert (you know her from Lifetime’s Married at First Sight and TLC’s Kate+Date), coach, media personality, speaker, and now the author of “Relatable: How to Connect with Anyone Anywhere (Even if It Scares You).”  Rachel generously shares deep insights on the power of our words, how to work through social anxiety and the effectiveness of communicating with ESP: Empathetic, Straight Forward, and Positive. Rachel's impressive background includes a law degree, a Master’s in psychology, and an influential social media presence. Rachel is a frequent guest on television including The TODAY Show, Access Hollywood Live, and Fox News and has given three TEDx talks including Being Authentic in a Filtered World which is featured on TED.com. Learn more at www.racheldealto.com.

You've likely seen this quote attributed to Charles Darwin: It is not the strongest of the species that survives nor the most intelligent. It is the one most adaptable to change. My guest for this episode of Camera, Ready & Abel, DeDe Brown, Senior Vice President of Multicultural Marketing and Publicity at Paramount Pictures, is both strong and highly intelligent but you want to settle in and listen to her deep and vulnerable insights about how being ADAPTABLE and nurturing that mindset has led her to career opportunities, personal growth and a richer life. DeDe does not say it's easy, but it's well worth the effort, because life has no blueprint and learning to dance in the moment makes for a far more enjoyable experience. DeDe is also the co-host of BLK ON THE SCENE, a podcast which celebrates Black people and content in the entertainment industry that help drive change and authentic representation. Follow DeDe on instagram at @d2bnyc. As Greek philosopher Hercalitus said, the only constant in life is change. Adaptability is an essential life skill.

COMMUNITY is a feeling of fellowship with others whether virtual or in real life. It feels good to be in community. This is especially true for creatives who often work alone in highly competitive fields. My guest for this episode of Camera Ready & Abel, TV host, actress and entrepreneur Shay Holland, talks to me about how she built one of my favorites Facebook communities, Hosts in LA, from 50 members to an inclusive global group of 4000, because she knew she could create more opportunity and support together than alone. That includes fighting for equal pay, systemic racism in casting and welcoming diverse voices in the group. The biggest takeaway? Community is a two-way street. You've got to show up with a generous spirit and participate. A self-described recovering TV newscaster, Shay is the Co-Host/Interior Designer on a new HGTV show debuting October 23rd —a job she credits to her father’s insistence that she learn her way around power tools from the time she was a little girl. With a never-ending curiosity about the world, Shay is a consummate storyteller who views her new show as an extension of that passion—telling stories through the language of design. As an anchor and investigative reporter, she's covered breaking news stories that have aired on NBC affiliates, CNN and the “Today” show. If you are an on-camera personality looking for ways to grow your opportunities and connections among colleagues in the entertainment industry, check out the Hosts in LA Facebook group.  You can follow Shay Holland on instagram at @shayhollandofficial and be sure to check out her new show on HGTV, premiering on October 23rd.