#btspodcast by Lynae Cook

Nehemiah Cisneros earned his BFA in painting from the Kansas City Art Institute in 2021 and was awarded a New Opportunities Fellowship at UCLA School of Arts and Architecture, where he will complete his MFA in 2024. He has work on view at the Rubell Museum in Miami until Nov 2024.

Matt Meyerson has been working in talent management & public relations for years, largely in the action sports space. We talk about his career, what makes someone good at his job, and so much more in this episode of #BTSPodcast. This was recorded in summer of 2023.

Sua Hernandez is the Director of Housing Resilience & Executive Administrator at El Sereno Community Land Trust. She’s been working in affordable housing since the late 90s and is an alumni of Occidental College, with a BA in urban and environmental policy. We talk about differences between co-ops, land trusts, and a community development corporation. Sua shares some of the questions ESCLT staff asks themselves to establish and maintain a culture of dignity and autonomy, and why that's important.

Cerise Castle is a multi-award winning journalist best known for her research & reporting around LASD Gangs. She’s been published by VICE, LA Times, LA Mag, HBO, NPR, & Wondery Media. In this episode she talks about what being a freelance journalist means, pitching work, juggling stories, therapy, self-care, & so much more. Be sure to listen to her podcast A Tradition of Violence & follow her across social platforms.

Jay Washington is a comedian, actor, & former wrestler. You may have seen him in Spike Lee’s Chi-Raq or American Gigolo. We talk about parenting as an entertainer, leaving wrestling, finding the right representation, his career in comedy & how comedians get paid, & mental health. Please follow Jay across social (links below) you can watch a YouTube recording of this convo on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/mk15Hed3G-E

Culturalist, journalist, creative coach, grief coach, and multi-media artist Laura Sullivan Cassidy discusses her work around grief, death, & dying, as well as what Recompose does and how states are slowly but surely getting on board with this eco-friendly burial option. 

Annie Cruz is a streamer, horror fanatic, and host. We talk about wrestling, her life after the adult entertainment industry, streaming, and a ton more.  Follow Annie: Instagram.com/AnnieCruz https://www.twitch.tv/thewitchynerd Twitter.com/AnnieFuckinCruz Watch this full convo on YouTube: https://youtu.be/pEUG2d129uA Reference links:  We talked about HeidiWorld, listen here: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-heidiworld-the-heidi-flei-93537284/  Support via Spotify/Anchor at just .99c/month: anchor.fm/btspodcast  Sign up for Rakuten & get cash back on tons of purchases: https://www.rakuten.com/r/LYNAEM19 Book your next hotel stay using HotelTonight & save: LCOOK61 Follow on IG: @btsthepodcast  Follow me on IG & TW: @lynaecook

Brittinae has a Masters Degree in Health Science and works building sex ed curriculums. In this conversations she dispels common misconceptions about Plan B & birth control, explains why she decided to focus on sex ed in Black communities, elaborates on what the health department does, & the importance of talking about sex, acknowledging the history of birth control.

Molly Lambert is an incredible writer. She’s the writer & host of Heidi World: The Heidi Fleiss Story & talks about navigating freelance writing while trying to break into TV writing. I super appreciate how candid she is about juggling jobs, the abyss of pitching & the instability of freelance creative careers. If you haven’t listened to Heidi World, please stop what you’re doing & listen ASAP. Be sure to follow her for updates on her upcoming projects which I am thrilled to hear. 

This episode was recorded at the end of 2020. As of now, Sierra Reed is at Whalar as their Social Platform Partnerships Director. She was previously at Mozilla as their Marketing & Social Media Relations manager where she worked on both Firefox & Pocket & shares what she's learned about working across organizations and managing up. Books Sierra recommends:

Lia Haberman has a steep career in media and is currently an adjunct professor teaching Social Media & Influencer Marketing at UCLA Extension. Her former employers include E!, The Wrap, LIVESTRONG, & Beachbody. In her class she teaches influencers how to best monetize their work, work with brands, and how to advocate for themselves. In her consulting work, she teaches brands how to work with influencers. We talk about about she's reading (links below) & her approach to successful influencer x brand partnerships. 

Caitlin Angeloff is a thoughtful & brilliant strategist who I've had the joy of working with over the years. We met when she was Director of Global Social Strategy & Operations at DocuSign, I then saw her transition in to the healthcare industry, and now she is at Seismic as their Senior Director, Corporate Marketing & Communications. She walks listeners through how she's advocated for increased head count & budget & proven the value of social in organizations. We also talk about parenting & maintaining a marriage while growing a career. 

Open Mike Eagle is an artist, runs a record label, recently launched podcast network, co-created The New Negroes on Comedy Central, & has a merchandise company. He also has a few podcasts of his own: Secret Skin & What Had Happened Was with DJ Prince Paul (both are linked below) & has appeared on many podcasts (I highly recommend his episode of Father Hood.) You may have seen him on SyFy, Adventure Time, Black Ice, or It’s a Party. We dig in to a little bit of what he does & answer listener & fan questions. 

Jordyn Reese is the Director, Global Advertising & Audience Development, we recorded this episode right as she was leaving The Orchard & heading to OneRPM for a role as Product Manager, US Latin & Urban. After just a few months at OneRPM took on her current role as Director of Global Advertising & Audience Development. This episode was literally recorded a year ago. So if we sound less distressed about life… now you know why! Our conversation focuses on work at The Orchard where she lead global strategy and executed +$8.5M in global on-platform Spotify advertising, & lead global strategy on +750 artist YouTube advertising campaigns and increased total client investment on YouTube +400%.

Tiffanie Woods is a writer & strategist who leverages her background in engineering to apply systems thinking to operations & her writing/pitching processes. Tiffanie lists off how she pitches & what she includes, for easy reference these will be listed on my Medium & are found at 00:10:05 in to the podcast & again at 00:30:56. 

This episode is part 2 in a series with the co-founders of Scentia Labs & Canapa, if you haven't listened to Part 1 with Rubin Torf, please do! This episode is with Molly Conroy, Co-founder of Scentia Labs & Canapa. We discuss CBD policy, what her role as CEO entails, reading CBD labels, the development of their business model & revenue streams & how they work with their clients to establish their ethos & standards. 

Rubin Torf is a chemical engineer with a background in computational modeling and equipment design, including data collection for optimized production efficiency and many types of hydroponic systems. With a passion for the science at all steps of the extraction process, he leads the production and development teams as they advance Scientia’s custom methods and technology. Rubin holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Astronomy from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a Master’s of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Aundre Larrow is a Brooklyn-based portrait photographer who has spent the last few years shooting editorial and lifestyle content for clients and for personal work. His work is pursued the truth that can be found in portraiture. We discuss his experience in Adobe’s Creative Residency program, getting work, pricing client jobs, & so much more. One thing we don’t discuss much in this conversation is how terrific Aundre’s videos are! I highly recommend finding him across platforms. He has a super helpful “how to” video to help photographers understand how to best photograph people with darker skin tones. (Linked below)

Throughout her work as an actress, writer, producer, small business owner, & teacher Crystal Lowe brings a strong work ethic and endless curiosity to all that she does. I've gotten so much from her film & TV classes at Graham Shiels Studios & appreciate her vulnerability & humanity. We discuss how she does all that she does in addition to being a parent and wife, lessons learned, & so much more. 

Heidi Bakk-Hansen is a writer, teacher, and researcher. She serves as Board Secretary for the Clayton Jackson McGhie Memorial. We discuss her work as an educator, with CJMM, a writer, and in anti-racist-focused activism. This is part three in a series of #BTSPodcast episodes with anti-racist organizers in Duluth, Minnesota. Please listen to the two previous episodes with Jordon Moses & Terresa Moses for additional context and education. 

Terresa Moses is co-founder and creative director at Blackbird Revolt, she’s also an artist and assistant professor of Graphic Design at University of Minnesota Duluth. This is the second episode in a series with organizers in Duluth, Minnesota where we discuss their work in the community and how they practice self care.

Jordon Moses is the co-founder and visionary director at Blackbird Revolt. His work and the work of Blackbird Revolt focuses on promoting social change through conscious creativity. Their work is strategic, creative, and important in propelling impactful organizations and change forward. This is part one of my conversations with a few of the people behind organization a commemoration event in Duluth, Minnesota to commemorate Isaac McGhie, Elmer Jackson and Elias Clayton, who were lynched June 15, 1920. Jordon's company Blackbird Revolt has been instrumental in organizing CJMM's efforts in recent years, we detail his work in community organizing along with his work as visionary director, and how he practices self care. 

Michael Badal was discovered by Tiësto at the age of 17 (when we were in high school) and has since continued to develop and grow his career in music. We cover what mindsets have helped and hurt him, how he's learned to take better care of himself on tour, and find a way to maintain his personal life wile still creating music. 

Phillip Okonma is an attorney, an athlete, and an artist. He explains what the job of a public defender is, what he feels makes a good attorney, advice for law students, and advice for you in the case that you are ever accused of a crime. (Skip to 2:00:00 for advice on encounters with the police.) We discuss lessons learned, perspective, running on survival mode, and what his encounters with the criminal justice system have taught him. Phillip graduated from California State University Dominguez Hills and went on to earn his Juris Doctorate from Southwestern University law school. When asked why he chose the Public Defender’s office, Phillip describes growing up as a child in South Central and witnessing the extreme poverty surrounding him.

Margaux Brooke is model, actress, and influencer. She's been modeling since she was 9 years old and has deep experience as a model. We talk about how she's kept a level head, stays grounded, has navigated management and agencies, decides on what brands she works with, and her journey in taking on acting. She gives advice, answers follower questions, and shares her advice for preparing for a role and learning lines. 

Evie Smith Rebellious PR and I met via San Diego Comic Con and I quickly realized what a great fit she’d be as a guest! Evie has been doing PR since 2007 and started Rebellious PR in 2016.

Janina M. Jeff, Ph.D is a Spelman alum, population geneticist, Spotify Soundoff Bootcamp winner, a self-taught coder, and expert Googler. We dig in to what a geneticist does, her job as a senior Bioinformatic scientist at Illumina, the importance of information-sharing, and giving her first TEDx talk at TEDxFlatbush. She is also the host of In Those Genes Podcast, a hip-hop inspired podcast that uses genetics to uncover the lost identities of African descended Americans through the lens of Black culture.

Content warning: this episode is essentially 100% about rape and sexual assault survivors. We DO NOT discuss what actually happened, & instead focus on life after being assaulted, pressing charges against one's assailant, and healing from trauma. This is the view point of one person who has been assaulted and is not to be considered as representative of what all survivors feel. I (the host) do not claim to be an expert on trauma and I'm sure I don't use all the correct language all the time. 

Rebecca Weaver is on a mission to level the playing field and end workplace harassment. Nearly 2 decades of corporate HR experience under her belt, and her own personal journey with workplace discrimination, along with cultural shift lead to the launch of HRUprise. A platform where she helps build inclusive, respectful environments, using modern strategies and #MeToo-era approaches that put the humanity of your team first. We dig in to better approaches to the interview process, managing conflict in the workplace, the complexities of working in HR, and the traps that often come with the prioritization of "company culture."  We also discuss her journey, how she & her husband navigate their careers with their family life and personal development.

Erin A. Simon is a host on Cheddar Esports, co-host of the Grass Routes Podcast and has extensive experience in journalism, which in today's landscape inherently includes being an excellent content strategist. Erin walks me through how her perspective has shifted on the value of time and vetting how she spends her time and what she commits to, her approach to mentoring and being mentored, and some of her favorite reads (links below)

Director and Creative Producer Catherine Millais & I dig in to what ideal relationships with agencies & clients look like, brief preferences, negotiating raises, navigating in male-dominated spaces, and life in a creative pursuit. 

Irène Winterkorn is the Connectiors Director at futurefactor, a reputation management agency. We recorded this episode shortly after ADE, where she moderated a panel on Article 17. Prior to her role at futurefactor, she was Head of the AI and Robotics Segment at Management Events. She shares detailed observations from her experience in booking speakers, connect people, and relationship building. We discuss successful roundtables, building and curating events, and being a woman in tech. 

Corey Kindberg is a senior strategist at R/GA and was the voice behind the viral & admirable AXE tweets during PRIDE. We discuss strategy, the importance and value of good community managers, agency life,  Twitter, organizational tips, and who we love to follow for trends & insights. Previous client work of Corey's includes AXE, Ajinomoto, TJ Maxx, eBay, Samsung, Campbells (V8), Martha Stewart Living, & The Cut. 

Amber Tamm is a farmer and horticulturist based in New York. She’s worked as a migrant farmer, the better part of her work experience has been agriculture but in the last 4 years she has come to gain experience and knowledge in cannabis, farm education, permaculture, tropical agriculture, agroforestry, urban farming, floral arrangements and the healing powers of the Earth.

Dr. Brian Keating is a cosmologist,  Chancellor’s Professor of Physics at UCSD, author of "Losing the Noble Prize: A Story of Cosmology, Ambition, and the Perils of Science's Highest Honor." We took a break from San Diego Comic Con to record at UCSD, where we dove in to funding research, peer reviews, flaws in the current system of how we recognize achievement, his work as a professor, involvement with comic con, the Arthur C. Clark Foundation podcast he hosts, and how he does all of this while maintaining his marriage and relationship with their kids. Brian also taught me why nickels have ridges and pennies do not. 

Licensed mental health counselor & pschyotherapist Ryan Lewis, i.e. my therapist joined me on #BTSPodcast. He’s so great and I appreciate him so much which is why I asked him to be on. We discuss the emotional toll of his work, how he fell in to counseling/therapy, learned to set healthy boundaries for himself, selecting a counseling program, making a living as a therapist… including everyone’s favorite subject: insurance! Ryan is a Seattle University alum, and I really appreciate him sharing the business side of therapy and his own journey.

Van der Pop started as a cannabis accessories company, with beautifully-designed accessories made specifically for women. Over time, founder April Pride saw a need for education with her customers and pivoted to women-focused cannabis education. As Van der pop grew, eventually being acquired by Tokyo Smoke, which was later acquired by Canopy Growth, April’s role changed quite a bit. We discuss how she grappled with handing over the reigns and embracing her new role. April’s new company, OF LIKE MINDS is a marketing platform for cannabis brands, and will be launching a podcast in Fall 2019 (link soon to follow). She shares how she's talked to her kids about working in cannabis, the importance of advocating for equity in the cannabis industry, and learnings around launching a product and selling a business. 

Erika Dalya Massaquoi is a curator, educator, and entrepreneur. Erika’s curatorial work includes shows for the Frye Art Museum, the Seattle Art Museum, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) List Visual Arts Center, and the Studio Museum in Harlem. She has held curatorial positions at the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Museum of the Moving Image.

“I never say ‘I’m sorry for your loss.’ All I say, as a funeral home director, is ‘I am here for you.’” Amy Cunningham shares the details surrounding her training and work as a funeral home director in the latest episode of #BTSPodcast, hosted by Lynae Cook. 

Megan Murray leads the strategy group for the US at AnalogFolk, which is an independent creative agency. She’s the former Director of Marketing at Oiselle, and we met several years ago working together at Possible. We discuss advertising-specific topics such as creative briefs, agency structure, the most important conversations to have with clients, flaws in studies and research, the impact of ephemeral content on society, her appreciation for Mark Pollard, & strategist-specific discussions so much more. We also get in to more personal topics, such as how her parents’ approach to teaching lessons has shaped her outlook on life, we discuss burnout (she’s one to definitely run herself in to the ground) and how she’s working on preventing burnout.  

Walter Powell’s goal with Politiscope is to be the most trustworthy source for political information, that is a goal I think we can all support. On this episode of #BTSPodcast, Walter shares how co-founder roles and responsibilities are divided across the team, what being in the NFL taught him, his favorite reads, meditations, and how his upbringing has shaped his approach to entrepreneurship and social responsibility.

Genevieve Ascencio is a VP at Golin, a public relations agency, where she heads up their Mountain Dew account. She has a deep background in strategy, as the former VP of Digital at Factory PR, where she focused largely on public relations, influencer activations, and digital marketing for fashion and retail brands.

Today's policy research methods are outdated and inefficient – but they don't have to be. Civic Eagle equips policy professionals with the tools they need to research and track legislation more effectively. By using a SaaS platform that’s powered by artificial intelligence to make legislative research smarter, faster, and less expensive, Civic Eagle helps organizations spend less time in front of a computer and more time advocating for important progressive issues.

 Melissa Stratton is a parent, wife, sister, daughter, and friend. I've known Melissa (Missy) for over 20 years, and in those years I've learned so much from her about showing up in relationships, being emotionally responsive, and how to approach difficult conversations in a loving way, while having boundaries. I have so much respect for her relationship with her kids and her family, and have seen her raise three kids who were all born at very different times at her life, and all have varying personalities. A week prior to recording this episode, her oldest (24) got married, meanwhile, her other two are 8 and 14 years old.

Filmmaker and journalist Meredith Alloway shares the “behind the scenes” of being an independent filmmaker, a journalist, submitting to film festivals and so much more.  She’s contributed to Film Maker Magazine, Playboy, and Vanity Fair to name a few, and has had films at SXSW, Indy Film Fest, The Overlook Festival, and Montclair Film Festival.

Video Dave is a hip hop and visual artist who also has worked in the reality television industry for some time. He was at SXSW 2019 with Open Mike Eagle for the StubHub event, and we caught up and discussed the “behind the scenes” of reality TV, the wellness of reality TV cast/crew, how it’s changed over the years, and his work as an artist. 

Antonio Roberts is a New Media artist and Curator based in Birmingham, UK. He uses uses technology-driven processes to explore issues surrounding open source software, free culture and collaborative practices.We discuss how he gets funding, in kind support, connecting with artists, building community, and much more.

Jessica Couch is the founder of the consulting agency Luxor & Finch, where she works with brands, advising them on strategic, data-driven planning. She has worked with numerous companies in the fit technology space and has published over 60 articles on the matter of fit and fit tech, a thesis on fit and perception,  and values corporate responsibility as a whole, emphasizing inclusion, sustainability, and improved practices around fit. She is also the co-creator (along with previous guest Brittany Hicks) of the WOC #FashTech Brunch (links below).

Brittany Hicks shares her learnings from years of experience in supply chain management in the fashion and retail industry. She has a breadth of insights surrounding where the industry has room for improvement in business practices, planning, and inclusion. Brittany is the founder of Girls in Fashion and Tech (GiFT), the co-creator of the WOC #FashTech Brunch, co-founder of Slash Seattle, and the co-creator of the WTF?! Fashion Podcast (launching in March 2019), is an adjunct professor at Seattle Pacific University, in addition to her full-time position at Amazon in planning and operations on the Private Label Fashion team.

Almex USA specializes in aluminum casthouse equipment, what does that mean? Exactly. We engage with aluminum as a finished product on a daily basis, millions of people do. It's found in our kitchens, vehicles, landing equipment, and more, but we have no idea about where it came from to get here. Kedar and Lynae discuss the "farm to table" lifecycle of aluminum, as well as elements of sustainability, nuance within the aluminum industry, and how Kedar's perspective on working in aluminum has shifted over the years. 

Dru is a Grammy-nominated artist, and the executive producer of Vic Mensa’s HOOLIGANS album, as well Christian French’s Natural Colors record. Dru has performed with Vic Mensa, Andy Grammar, Miguel, Snoop Dogg, Chrisette Michele, Faith Hill, and many more.

On this episode of #BTSPodcast, Jessica Michelle Singleton discusses the behind the scenes of being a full-time stand-up comedian. She also shares her experience and advice for those considering performing at Edinburgh Fringe Festival (submitting, powering through it, promoting your show, etc). 

Matt Feldman, also known as Matt FX, is the music supervisor for Comedy Central's Broad City. He discusses the "behind the scenes" of music supervision on this episode of #BTSPodcast. We talk about budgets, style, how he approaches projects, and his new show on Genius Kitchen, "In the Mix with Matt FX" 

Karen Okonkwo shares the "behind the scenes" of juggling TONL with her other business ventures. Karen is a Nigerian-American social entrepreneur owning various companies in the event planning and online business realm. TONL seeks to transform the idea of stock photography by displaying images of diverse people and their stories around the world.