18 MAY 2022 · Ever since Chef JJ Johnson graduated from the world-renowned Culinary Institute of America, he seemed destined to work in the world of fine dining and that’s exactly what he did. JJ cultivated his path from storied eateries like Tribeca Grill, Jane and the Morgan Stanley Executive Dining Room and eventually became the executive chef at the Cecil, which was named the Best New Restaurant in America by Esquire. But he wasn't fulfilled and decided to choose a new path, opening up an unassuming, fast casual rice bowl shop in Harlem called Fieldtrip, which features menu items spanning the globe and celebrates culture from all different countries. In this eye-opening conversation learn what caused his career shift, how his roots influence his own cooking and become a rice expert in the span of just 45 minutes as JJ walks you through its fascinating history and impact on society and the world.

11 MAY 2022 · If you’re a fan of the band Phish (a phan), you probably know Don Hart or at least have heard the fruits of his labor. He's lead guitarist Trey Anastasio's composer and arranger and Don's transformed some of Trey and Phish's most beloved and well-known tunes into orchestral masterpieces. All of that work culminated in the Beacon Jams - a pandemic-inspired eight-show live stream residency at an empty Beacon Theater in New York City. Trey and his friends didn't repeat a song the entire run and the repertoire ranged from Phish compositions with the Trey Anastasio Band to incorporating a string quartet, at times pushing Don to turn around those parts in less than a week. Among some of the highlights In this light and eye-opening conversation, Don tells us what that experience was like, how he goes about arranging Trey and Phish's music, and which tune was the most challenging to adapt (it might surprise you!)

4 MAY 2022 · Adam Farber has always been interested in building things, which led him to a thriving career behind the scenes in theatre. As head carpenter on the first national tour of Broadway's highly acclaimed (and soon to be Tony-nominated) musical SIX, he's responsible for making sure the show looks the same in Chicago as it does in Omaha - basically what's drawn on paper is what the audience sees on stage. But to do that, he has to be much more creative than you might think. Learn how he uses that creativity to problem-solve on the road and much more in this insightful conversation.

27 APR 2022 · Ari Brand never imagined he would one day write a play and have it performed on stage, but that's exactly what happened when he put pen to paper (so to speak) and told his father's story in Scenes from Childhood. His father Natan was a concert pianist who died from AIDS at the height of the epidemic at just 46 years old, raising a family but also living a secret life. In this conversation, Ari raises the curtain on his creative process, giving us an inside look at how a play goes from an idea to a production with plenty of insight and tips along the way.

20 APR 2022 · Annette Insdorf is a renowned film historian, professor, and moderator of the Reel Pieces series at New York City's 92nd Street Y, where she talks with the biggest names in Hollywood from Meryl Streep to Andrew Garfield to Jason Reitman and beyond. Learn how she prepares to interview these masters of their craft in front of a live audience, which star has actually audited her film classes at Columbia University, and many more priceless stories in this exciting conversation.

11 APR 2022 · Zach Swartz produces multimedia content with the top athletes in the world for WME Sports, but this wasn't always his passion. Learn how Zach found his creative path and why his willingness to take advantage of every opportunity helped him stand out in a now-crowded field.

28 MAR 2022 · LJ Rader started the Art But Make It Sports meme account not expecting much, but it's grown to 12.5K followers on Instagram and now almost 10K on Twitter. How does he create these viral posts? What makes them unique? Where does his inspiration come from? Find the answers to those questions and much more in this week's episode.

21 MAR 2022 · Play-by-play broadcaster Mike Couzens shares his journey to ESPN, how he prepares for a game and what drives his thirst for storytelling in this enlightening and inspiring conversation.