Hello everyone and welcome to another episode of Monetizing Your Creativity. I’m your host Marvin Polis. This is actually going to be a very short episode because I’m here to let you know that our podcast is going on hiatus for a while. In the meantime, we’d like to suggest that you dive into the archives for some inspirational episodes to help you launch and leverage your creative career. With 125 episodes, there’s something for everyone. Even if an episode seems like it might not apply to...

Welcome to another themed episode drawing upon the advice and counsel of various guests on a single topic. The topic: When creativity meets business acumen Four multi-talented and experienced entrepreneurs prove it is possible to pursue your creative passion and make a good living from doing so. It helps if one’s passion for a creative career is balanced by an appreciation of (or skills in) the business side of show business. Toronto-based Todd Latham is the President of Actual Media....

Welcome to another themed episode drawing upon the advice and counsel of various guests on a single topic. The topic: Making it in LA. Four experienced individuals (a media entrepreneur, publicist, film festival founder and talent agent) share their own “Making it in LA” stories with Marv and Fred. They are proof positive that creative people need other creative people in order to earn a living in media industries. Nobody does it alone. Cachita Hynes is the founder of the style-revamp...

Welcome to another themed episode drawing upon the advice and counsel of various guests on a single topic. This week's topic: Acting careers – stage and screen. Four multi-talented and experienced performers share with Marvin and Fred their own career stories and tips for navigating the tumultuous rapids of an acting career. Amy Shostak is a talented theatre artist whose improv skills in performance and directing have taken her to festivals and live special events all around the world. She...

Fred and Marvin have put together another themed episode that draws upon the wisdom of various guests on a single topic. Three multi-talented musicians share with you their own particular experiences in "The Business of Music”. Patched in from France, Mark Olson, an American horn player for European orchestras, shares his stories of breaking into the business, getting lessons from the best in the world and the challenges of auditions. And how the horn has been his ticket around the world for...

In another of our themed episodes, Marvin and Fred visit the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers (CAPS) convention and speak with four champions of motivational speaking. They pepper their presentations with humour and great advice on building and living a creative life. The two themes explored in this episode are “Getting Started” and “Everything You Do is Grist for the Creative Mill.” Comedian, author and comedy coach Judy Carter describes the difference between public speaking...

In this next of our series of themed episodes, we continue on the topic of speaking professionally. Marvin and Fred talk to four more contemporary champions of motivational speaking at the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers (CAPS) convention. The common undercurrent is: “You need a little help from your friends in business.” Getting acquainted with the business side of show business is important. Things like bookkeeping, accounting and contracts. That can be a lot to learn, so it...

Question: Where do professional motivational speakers go to get motivated and trade trade secrets? Answer: The annual national CAPS Convention. CAPS stands for Canadian Association of Professional Speakers but professional speakers, business coaches, corporate trainers and meeting facilitators from all over the world gather there each year to learn from one another. Marvin and Fred set up camp right in the middle of the busy exhibit hall and interviewed some of the superstars of public...

In this specially-themed episode, Marvin and Fred speak to three contemporary writers of non-fiction and discuss the steps in the writing process that take place prior to and after the actual “pounding it out” on the keyboard. Tracey Friesen shares with you how ideas for subject matter present themselves and how to locate natural partners to assist in bringing your book to publication. Eric Termuende describes the importance of a team consisting of other writers, editors and promotional...

Welcome to the first in a series of themed episodes of Monetizing Your Creativity. In this edition, Marvin pulls segments of Fred’s interviews with arts specialists who dedicate time and energy not only to their own studio work but also invest in the development and teaching of other individuals. Chrysalis is an organization that discovers the abilities in individuals with disabilities and trains them for volunteer or part-time / full-time employment. As part of programming to explore and...

After the shooting for top-notch television or film production comes the phase rarely seen by civilians: the mysterious world of post production. This is where all the production elements come together in one final burst of creative collaboration. Sound, editing, music, colour correction, and a variety of necessary tweaks take projects from persistence to perfection. Marvin re-visits Vancouver’s post production guru Randy Egan in his brand new Post Pro Media facility and gets a tour...

When Marvin was recently strolling the bilingual boulevards of Montreal, Canada he visited the workshop of Greenfield Guitars* to interview some of that city’s best musicians. Composer and studio musician Kevin Tighe is one of those outstanding people. Kevin's specialty is creating music that underscores television and theatre productions. Although Kevin doesn’t perform his own work live in public, his compositions have been heard by millions of people around the world! His unique success...

Lindy Sisson was born into a showbiz family and grew up taking tickets, printing posters, and dancing in productions put on in the community theatre group created and sustained by her parents and surrounding regional audiences. That combination of artistic and administrative talent has come in quite handy. Lindy is now both the Executive Director and Artistic Director of ACT, a Canadian arts centre that incorporates performing, teaching and art studio spaces for professional and student...

He is introduced on set to newly arrived actors as the “Voice of Fargo” on the Emmy Award winning TV series. That’s because dialect coach and actor David LeReaney is in charge of ensuring the authentic distinctive Minnesota dialect in Fargo’s cast of characters whether those performers come from various parts of America, the UK, or Australia. In addition to his service as dialect coach in the first seasons of the show, he is now a regularly featured character on the series. Marvin and Fred...

111 Holiday Greeting by Marvin Polis and Fred Keating

In this episode, Fred and Marv chat with Dana Gonzales, a Primetime Emmy Award winner for his work on the television series Fargo. Dana was also an integral part of the Oscar winning film Crash. Dana's rise through the ranks is impressive - from truck driver to Director of Photography! His path was punctuated by several time-outs, giving him an appreciation of the various craft categories that work around a cinematographer and make the filmmaking process a more collaborative one for all...

How can you go viral without even trying? One way is to strike a strong emotional chord and have fun while doing it. Satire is a strong pull. Dave Carroll sang his way into YouTube history and about 400 textbooks on customer service and public relations with his viral video, United Breaks Guitars. He also made Time Magazine's list of top 10 viral videos in 2009. Impressive! Dave started as a musician with his brother in a group called the Sons of Maxwell and they made a good living touring...

Marvin is on the loose again in Montreal and back at Greenfield Guitars to interview African percussionist Moise (MO – eez) Yawo Matey. Moise asks you to consider the cost of participating in the music business and the necessity of recovering, if not exceeding, those costs. Otherwise, you may end up playing for free until you decide not to play at all! Moise has made Montreal his home since 2005 and is an integral part of the music scene in that city. His connections with a variety of...

In this episode of the Monetizing Your Creativity mentorship podcast, Fred flies solo into the heart of Vancouver, Western Canada's media centre. He talks with documentary film producer and author Tracey Friesen. Tracey's book "Story Money Impact" is THE guidebook for emerging and active documentarians seeking information and support to share their stories on screen. There are many reasons to listen to this episode, but the top three are Tracey's take on: 1) Preparing the interview or...

Marvin is on the loose in Montreal again! In this episode of the Monetizing Your Creativity mentorship podcast, Marvelous Marvin elicits great advice for creative entrepreneurs from fashion designer, stylist and boutique boss Manika Gaudet. Manika describes moving from creating dresses for her childhood dolls to real live fashion models and actors. Whether designing fashion for runway and retail, or wardrobe for television shows, Manika creates pieces that are distinct. She understands...

Many people think of the term “arts administration” as an oxymoron. Similar to “deafening silence”, “living dead” or “jumbo shrimp”. People wonder what arts have to do with administration and what administration has to do with arts. Plenty. And the proof is personified in Julian Mayne, a musician who has capitalized on his management expertise to enhance the performances of many great stars by producing their concerts, converting and creating space where art can take place in a city, and...

“I pay attention to life.” So says a documentary filmmaker who actually gets “the shivers” when she senses the spark of a story that needs to be told. Some have been taught to follow their bliss. Viveka Melki (After Circus) taught herself to follow her instinct. And that has led to some incredible stories being shared with audiences around the world. Can history disappear? Are we doomed to forget? What if stories have been told and retold by millions but you have yet to do your...

Want a case study in crowdfunding for creative projects? You've come to the right place! Producer Kelly Wolfert of Leven Creative describes SpiderMable The Film, a full length feature documentary about a six-year old kid with cancer who has morphed into a heroic seven-year old global ambassador for charitable fundraising. As we've said many times, if you have a compelling story to tell, people will support you. Kelly reveals some of the details of the story, the challenges of crowdfunding...

In this episode, Marvin is on the loose in Montreal where he visits le maison de Mark Krupa (White House Down, Sum of All Fears, Assassin's Creed, The Wild Hunt). Mark is a fluently bilingual (French and English) photographer, actor, producer, screenwriter and reality television host. As Marv chats with Mark, it becomes clear that V stands for victory. And V stands for versatility. And often one V leads to another! The phrase "One river, many streams!" comes to mind. Mark Krupa refuses to...