Was It Chance?

A globally renowned magician and performer, Asi Wind shares his journey in the world of magic and the art of performance, including his childhood encounter with a magician that shaped the rest of his life. He shares insights into his creative process, discussing how he designs and refines his tricks, always striving to balance perfection and enjoyment. Asi reflects on his views on failure, emphasizing the importance of learning from mistakes and finding beauty in imperfections. He speaks about the unique connection between a performer and their audience, highlighting the role of empathy and sensitivity in delivering a memorable experience. He also touches on various topics, including the significance of perspective, the inspiration drawn from everyday acts performed with care and attention to detail, and the idea of continuous improvement–providing a fascinating glimpse into the mind and philosophy of a dedicated magician and artist. This episode is a special crossover with Alan's solo podcast, The Theatre Podcast. Asi Wind is a highly acclaimed magician known for his innovative and captivating performances in the world of magic. He has performed all over the world and is currently sharing his talent on the off-broadway stage in "Asi Wind's Inner Circle" which is produced by David Blaine and is currently scheduled to until January 2024 at the time of this episode drop (it’s already been extended at least 4 times – we lost count!). Connect with Asi: Instagram: @asiwind Youtube: @asiwind Twitter: @asiwind Facebook: @AsiWindsInnerCircle Magician REVEALS trick and still fools Penn & Teller!!! - Asi Wind on Penn & Teller: Fool Us Connect with Heather and Was It Chance: Slip into our Instagram DMs at @wasitchance. More about Heather via @vickeryandco on Instagram, @Braveheather on TikTok, and listen to The Brave Files Follow Was It Chance Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast Threads, Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast TikTok: @thetheatrepodcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sometimes those with the quietest voice make the biggest impact. Analena is an experienced Human Design & Energetic Alignment Coach, Life, Health, and Mastery Level Coach. She is also certified in Energy Healing modalities like Emotional Acceptance, Infinity Healing, and the Rapid Relief Technique.  She supports Conscious Introvert Leaders to create Success on their own terms so they can enjoy life more while creating more Impact with Ease (and without the Burnout!). After going from BORED & UNFULFILLED TO... FIRED, she developed the BLOOM Framework, which integrates Human Design and helps her Clients activate and listen to their birth-given Success Strategy that is already hidden in their DNA. She is also a Co-Founder of the Aligned Living Academy where Conscious Leaders obtain their Human Design Certification. She currently lives in South Florida drinking Aperol Spritzes while watching Topgun Maverick on repeat and obsessing about African Elephants.  Connect with Analena on Instagram, or her website. Make sure to follow this podcast everywhere you find podcasts, leave a rating and a review, and slip into our Instagram DMs at @wasitchance. More about Heather via @heather_vickeryandco on Instagram and Threads, @Braveheather on TikTok, and listen to The Brave Files More about Alan via @theatre_podcast on Instagram and listen to The Theatre Podcast with Alan Seales EPISODE TAKEAWAYS: We recorded this episode on the 777 portal! Learn all about it. Trust yourself and put what you want into the world. Don’t embrace the negative. Analena was raised that religion was fear-based not hopeful and helpful. That led to a path of spiritualness. Gutsy Analena started a new business while still working in corporate and at her annual review, she handed her boss her new business card. Talk about embracing intentional risk. The wellness industry can really screw you up. Be sure you’re making aligned choices. Growth came when she learned to allow herself to feel crappy sometimes. To be honest about all of your feelings and emotions. Masculine energy is go, do, take action, get shit done. Feminine energy is about leaning back, being in your body, and tuning more into how you feel. It’s about receiving and allowing what’s meant for you to find you. For Analena, her masculine energy is more powerful when she leads with the feminine energy first. She has a gift of making things easy and practical. Any modality is only as power as the energy of the human putting it into play. Live the question! Analena’s work is always starting from “you are whole.” And builds from there. What you resist persists. Your feeling want to be felt in order to be released. Less is more. Slowing down to QuantumLeap. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Whoa buddy are y’all in for a treat! For this episode Alan and Heather were live and in person in the middle of Time Square with Jasmine Rafel and Cassidy Hamilton - two brilliant Queer artists who are truly shaking things up! It was a conversation that none of us wanted to end. Jump in on this truly exceptional conversation between three lesbians and an Alan. From deconditioning gender “norms” to learning to express yourself no matter what and so much more. Don’t wait to dive into this episode. Jasmine has over a decade of experience working in the dance industry for the likes of Ariana Grande, JoJo Siwa, Tori Kelly, and more, and is now making her Broadway debut as Imogen in & Juliet. Cassidy is a writer/producer who has spent her career developing new works theatre projects working underneath some of the industry’s most successful producers behind projects like Broadway’s ROCKTOPIA and The Trans Siberian Orchestra, and currently serves as an associate producer on AVALONA: An Immersive Musical.  Together, not only are they both producing Co-Founders of SKYLAR STUDIOS, they are also a queer couple working in the industry and have an upcoming show called Pretty, Witty, and Gay Cabaret coming up this Sept 27th at GreenRoom42 with a new cast of industry trailblazers from Broadway's biggest shows, such as & Juliet, SIX, Moulin Rouge, KPOP and more. They created this show to playfully challenge the heteronormativity of the American musical by providing a refreshing and exuberant new queer twist on your favorite Broadway hits. Connect with Jasmine on Instagram. Connect with Cassidy on Instagram. Grab your tickets to Pretty, Witty, and Gay! Make sure to follow this podcast everywhere you find podcasts, leave a rating and a review, and slip into our Instagram DMs at @wasitchance. More about Heather via @heather_ vickeryandco on Instagram and Threads, @Braveheather on TikTok, and listen to The Brave Files More about Alan via @theatre_podcast on Instagram and listen to The Theatre Podcast with Alan Seales EPISODE TAKEAWAYS: Live, in person, interview from Time Square  Gender “rules” deeply affect what artists believe they can and should be pursuing. It’s time to get rid of them.  It’s imperative that we create spaces for people can be on the outside what they feel they are on the inside.  Gender expression is not exclusive to the Queer community.  All art is always growing, changing, and expanding. Sometimes coming out and accepting a “label” is about other people because it’s easier for someone else.  Once you make a choice to live your truest self it stops feeling like a risk and becomes required to survive.  Jasmine moved to NYC from LA in 6 days to take the job with & Juliet. This dream came true almost as soon as she decided to stop pursuing Broadway work.  As always, trust the universe because it has your back. Cass’s heart belongs to new works and developmental theatre.  It’s all about learning to trust yourself and put yourself out there.  Hold discomfort for a second longer than seems possible and seeing what shows up.  Try what your heart tells you to peruse! Listen to where the universes is pushing you.  Each failure is a stepping stone to the next best thing if you learn from it.  The dream changes. Allow it to change.  Get comfortable with the journey. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Performance is as much science as it is art says this week’s guest, Javier Muñoz. But Javier also knows that the Universe is vast and always looking out for him.  Javier is one of the kindest, most sincere people on Broadway and this conversation is filled with beautiful moments so don’t miss a second. With stage credits that include the 2006 New York Musical Theatre Festival's off-Broadway show hit All Is Love, In the Heights, and of course Hamilton (where he took over for Lin-Manual Miranda and earned the title of “Sexy Hamilton”). TV and film credits include of course the 2021 release of In the Heights, Blindspot, Odd Mom Out, Shadow Vaults, Eureka!, Central Park, Quantico, and Full Frontal with Samantha Bee. He is now starring alongside Jessie Mueller in My Heart Says Go, a musical concept album which is available for streaming now.  Connect with Javier on Instagram and listen to My Heart Says Go! Don’t forget to catch the companion podcast Javier did on The Theatre Podcast With Alan Seales as well. Make sure to follow this podcast everywhere you find podcasts, leave a rating and a review, and slip into our Instagram DMs at @wasitchance. More about Heather via @heather_ vickeryandco on Instagram and Threads, @Braveheather on TikTok, and listen to The Brave Files More about Alan via @theatre_podcast on Instagram and listen to The Theatre Podcast with Alan Seales EPISODE TAKEAWAYS: Although Javier is the youngest of three, he didn’t reap the benefits of that position. From an early age, Javier recorded “Fame” and learned the dance moves and mashed them with popular music, and created his own music videos. In 5th grade, Javier went on his first camping trip and discovered a true night sky filled with stars and it fully changed him. From there his dream was Astro Physicist and study Astronomy. Science is just exploration, curiosity, and asking questions and that’s exactly was a good actor does with a script. Javier was a first-generation college student. Mentors are, literally, everything! It took Javier a long time to become introspective and really look inside himself. In 2002 Javier got HIV and couldn’t book a gig for anything so he quit the business and took a job at a high-end restaurant in Hell’s Kitchen. He decided to do this one last show that his friend Josh has written and while in the rehearsal room, he meets someone who wants him to audition for In The Heights. He agrees to do two weeks at Manhattan Theatre Club. Unfortunately, his part in the show got cut and this lead to him taking over the lead after Lin-Manuel Miranda Next thing you know Lin-Manuel Miranda put Javier through “rap school.” When it came time for Hamilton, Javier and Lin teamed up again to create the character of Alexander Hamilton. Javier got a direct offer to do My Heart Says Go and he took it without even seeing the music and script. Whatever you chose is right, because you chose it. When things don’t work out or go my way I really do trust that it’s for a reason. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Erica Lynn is an American actress and dancer born in Bakersfield, California where she began her dance training at the tender age of 3. By 6 years old, she had caught the performing bug in her first theatrical performance as Molly in Annie the Musical. Erica began to pursue a professional career as an actress in 2016, starring in her first short film, It's the Taste. In 2020 she made her feature film debut in Netflix's The Prom, directed by Ryan Murphy. Follow Erica and learn more on Instagram.   Make sure to follow this podcast everywhere you find podcasts, leave a rating and a review, and slip into our Instagram DMs at @wasitchance. More about Heather via @heather_ vickeryandco on Instagram and Threads, @Braveheather on TikTok, and listen to The Brave Files More about Alan via @theatre_podcast on Instagram and listen to The Theatre Podcast with Alan Seales EPISODE TAKEAWAYS: Erica knew from the earliest age that she wanted to be an actress. Dance was her primary focus for years and found her way back to the theater through backstage. While Erica does feel fear and stage fright, she says that “performing feels like home.” She was active in competitive dance and it was about passion, not winning. Erica found her first agent by befriending a flight attendant who had a nephew in Glee, which she was watching during the flight. A series of crazy events. The Prom (movie) was filmed in California and it was Erica’s first-ever film audition. Being on set for The Prom was a blast. Just a bunch of theater nerds having a great time together. Erica loves self-tapes and thinks this process was a positive to come out of the pandemic. Family Lead on Netflix coming out soon Failure is a common companion in the acting world but Erica stays hopeful, excited and engaged. Erica’s favorite moment/memory from being on the set of The Prom was the ability to learn from more experienced actors on set. But having Kerry Washington checking in on her was a highlight moment.  Be the person you want to work with… That’s how to be successful in this industry. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From Alan’s dad jokes to real comedy! Afraid but failing forward anyway - This week we bring you Maria Shehata, a multi-award-winning Egyptian-American comedian based in London who has been featured on Showtime's Bridging the Gap, Comedy Central's The Watch List, Dave Channel’s Comedy Guide to Life, Comic Relief’s viral Modern Dating Horror Stories, and BBC’s Period Dramas and Breaking the News. Her writing has been featured in Modern Love in the New York Times, Comic Relief, and BBC Radio 4. Maria was shortlisted as Top Five Best New Acts at the 2017 Edinburgh Fringe and showcased as Pick of the Fringe at the 2019 Edinburgh Fringe and she’s featured in the upcoming, season 2 of Comedy Central Live.  She’s about to go on tour so be sure to follow her on Instagram and TikTok and her website. Make sure to follow this podcast everywhere you find podcasts, leave a rating and a review, and slip into our Instagram DMs at @wasitchance. More about Heather via @heather_ vickeryandco on Instagram and Threads, @Braveheather on TikTok, and listen to The Brave Files More about Alan via @theatre_podcast on Instagram and listen to The Theatre Podcast with Alan Seales EPISODE TAKEAWAYS: Maria grew up in Columbus, Ohio as a shy kid that never spoke up and was terrified of public speaking. She always admired comedians and how they captured the audience. Baby steps are the key to anything and everything you may want to be successful at. She surrounded herself with comedy in everywhere possible, expect performing, for a long time before she actually went on stage. The win was just showing up on stage. Stand-up can be lonely but she tests things out at small open mics and getting feedback from other comics. Fear is based on the unknown. Once you have experience and information the easier it is to show up and do big things. Preparation is everything in Standup. Connections and friendships make a massive difference when building a career in comedy. Failure is not trying. Everything else is learning. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Orgasms, vulvas, cramps, Oh My … Tune into this wildly fascinating conversation with Lauren Lee-Crane, founder of Semaine Health. Semaine Health provides plant-based, science-backed supplements that help people experience a better quality of life at every stage. Lauren and Semaine help break the taboos around periods, women's health, and menopause with their clinically backed supplements. Lauren embraced this journey after her own traumatizing and painful experience with stage IV endometriosis and says that starting her own supplement company wasn’t nearly as painful as dealing with endometriosis! Connect and learn more: Semainehealth.com, Amazon, target.com, Walgreens, thrive market, and on social media: Instagram and TikTok. Make sure to follow this podcast everywhere you find podcasts, leave a rating and a review, and slip into our Instagram DMs at @wasitchance. More about Heather via @heather_ vickeryandco on Instagram and Threads, @Braveheather on TikTok, and listen to The Brave Files More about Alan via @theatre_podcast on Instagram and listen to The Theatre Podcast with Alan Seales EPISODE TAKEAWAYS: Endometriosis is a condition where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows in other parts of the body, such as the ovaries and fallopian tubes. And it hurts like hell! Everyone needs to be talking about periods and have an understanding of what’s actually happening to 50% of the population. After diagnosis, Lauren didn’t want to talk about it at all. She would have ignored the pain forever but her body simply wouldn’t let her. Her husband, a scientist, decided to create supplements to ease her pain. Semaine’s supplements are plant-based, safe, and only need to be taken when they are on their cycle. There is a massive inequity in women’s health across the world. It’s so important to listen to your body and be patient. Semaine was well-received by almost everyone as it served a community of people who suffer from period-related issues.  Transitioning into peri-menopause, menopause, and post-menopause because a focus as women grew older and need a different type of support. Semaine Health offers supplements that support women, non-binary and trans folks with PMS and period support, daily hormone balance, menopause essentials, urinary tract support, pre and probiotic for gut health. Make sure to follow this podcast everywhere you find podcasts, leave a rating and a review, and slip into our Instagram DMs at @wasitchance. More about Heather via @vickeryandco on Instagram, @Braveheather on TikTok, and listen to The Brave Files More about Alan via @theatre_podcast on Instagram and listen to The Theatre Podcast with Alan Seales Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It turns out this guest is the older version of our very own Alan Seales. Get ready for excellent Dad jokes and a lot of laughs. Seriously though - Jeffery Madoff has a wildly inventive and creative brain and a masterful entrepreneurial spirit. For Jeff, barriers are simply not something that exists because his creative spirit always finds a way to thrive.  Jeff is a Fashion designer, teacher, author, playwright, and producer who helps dispel the myth that artists can’t be good business people and that good business people can’t be creative!  Jeff has directed award-winning commercials, documentaries, and web content for clients such as Ralph Lauren, Victoria's Secret, Tiffany, Radio City, The American Academy of Dramatic Arts, and Harvard University just to name a few. He’s also the writer and producer for “PERSONALITY” a play based on Rock and Roll Hall of Fame artist, Lloyd Price that just opened in Chicago in June 2023. Connect with Jeff on LinkedIn, Instagram, and his website.  Get Jeff’s book: Creative Careers: Making a Living with Your Ideas See Personality in Chicago Make sure to follow this podcast everywhere you find podcasts, leave a rating and a review, and slip into our Instagram DMs at @wasitchance. More about Heather via @heather_ vickeryandco on Instagram and Threads, @Braveheather on TikTok, and listen to The Brave Files More about Alan via @theatre_podcast on Instagram and listen to The Theatre Podcast with Alan Seales EPISODE TAKEAWAYS: Jeff had no plan on what he was going to do but he was always seduced by ideas. Fashion design was never a passion but an opportunity.  He did have some merchandising experience from his parent's business when he was younger. Jeff put his designs on the back of a motorcycle, headed to Chicago, and made a name for himself. We make sense of our lives through the rearview mirror. By the age of 22, Jeff had over 100 people working for him. When Jeff decided to move to NYC he lost his financial backing. So he closed his company in Wisconsin and took off. As a young man with long hair in the 70’s Jeff had to prove he had financial backing in order to be taken seriously.  Jeff has embraced opportunity over and over again through meeting other people, embracing storytelling, and being willing to simply try things that interested him. If you’re paying attention everything you do plays a part in everything else you do. It’s easier to start at the top and work your way down. You never know until you try and there’s no reason not to go big. Jeff believes that you shouldn’t say no to yourself. You shouldn’t say no to yourself. If you’re passionate about something give it a try. There are enough people that will say no to you. Don’t say no to yourself. Jeff was his own fallback position. There was no other Plan B. He focuses on the goals rather than the obstacles in the way. The way to “run distance” is to break it down into smaller milestones and then celebrate those milestones. Perseverance is more important than talent. Jeff says he’s smart enough to know what he doesn’t know. After being a guest speaker for a class at Parsons, Jeff took a job as a part-time professor (he was actually hired by Tim Gunn!). His class is about Creative Careers. The way you talk to yourself makes a big difference in how successful you’ll be. Opportunities are not opportunities if you don’t recogonize them.  It was absolute chance that Jeff was introduced to Lloyd Price and that’s what eventually led to Jeff writing and producing Personality which is now running in Chicago. Don’t wait for someone else to make magic happen in your life, do it yourself. There’s courage and there’s confidence. Confidence is a capability that comes from repetition. Courage is stepping off the edge of the cliff and not knowing what’s going to happen.  Doing a play is like a start-up. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amber Trueblood traveled across the country supporting her two oldest sons as they starred in the hit musical The School of Rock and along the way she picked up some lessons, while traveling and homeschooling, that eventually made their way into her new book The Unflustered Mom. This book teaches moms (and all parents) practical and achievable strategies for reducing anxiety and overwhelm.   She’s also a licensed marriage and family therapist, best-selling author, speaker, and mother of four sons. She has over 25 years of experience in mental health and co-founded The M.E.C.A. Project to help teens and young adults thrive Mentally and Emotionally through Conscious Awareness. Amber has been featured in People, Oprah Magazine, CNN, Motherhood Maternity, Good Day LA, and many more.  Connect with Amber on her website, and Instagram. Make sure to follow this podcast everywhere you find podcasts, leave a rating and a review, and slip into our Instagram DMs at @wasitchance. More about Heather via @heather_ vickeryandco on Instagram and Threads, @Braveheather on TikTok, and listen to The Brave Files More about Alan via @theatre_podcast on Instagram and listen to The Theatre Podcast with Alan Seales EPISODE TAKEAWAYS: Amber chose to homeschool her kids. This started when their glow-up for learning started to fad in traditional schools. Things worked out nicely when her two oldest sons went on tour with School of Rock. Amber’s approach to life and parenthood has been to make it fun and not focus on the challenges or pressure. Amber wrote her first book, Stretch Marks, While touring with her family - this was her way of focusing on herself and prioritizing her own needs while being the main planner, packer, and organizer for a family of 6 on tour and homeschooling. Find your own anxiety style with this short, free quiz. Amber leans into creativity, especially things she’s not an “expert” at to help channel frustration and the challenges life throws at you. Take your risk on the road. Amber really embraces the “what’s the worst that can happen” mindset and tries new things. Life approach: Slow down. Enjoy the present moment. Being grateful. Celebrating daily wins. Just take the first risk. TAKE THE RISK and see what happens. You will likely surprise yourself with the results. Be particular about who you share your ideas and work with. You can take risks without turning yourself inside out and allowing people to walk all over you. And be very clear about what you want after you share. It’s your responsibility to take risks in a way that maintains your self-care and preservation. Preorder the Unflustered Mom. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Creative success comes in many many different formats and we’re sharing something totally new to Was It Chance today! Meet Julie Civiello Polier - she is, literally, the aesthetician to the stars.  Julie is a licensed aesthetician – specializing in gua sha and reflexology – Reiki Master, an intuitive guide, and a celebrity facialist. Julie also specializes in facial mapping because Our skin is a message board for everything that is going on inside of us. Our faces are a map of our whole body, all our organs, and their corresponding emotions. In 2020, Julie launched LINEA, a holistic gua sha beauty kit designed to educate and empower people to connect with their inner and outer bodies. Julie has worked with top brands True Botanicals, KORA Organics, and Jenni Kayne. Her work has been featured in Vogue and Conde Nast just to name two. And she has a brand new book out called Gau Sha and Crystal Massage: Techniques for healthy, clear, and glowing skin. Get all of Julie’s links and contact info here and be sure to follow her on Instagram  Get her book: Gau Sha and Crystal Massage: Techniques for healthy, clear, and glowing skin. Make sure to follow this podcast everywhere you find podcasts, leave a rating and a review, and slip into our Instagram DMs at @wasitchance. More about Heather via @heather_ vickeryandco on Instagram and Threads, @Braveheather on TikTok, and listen to The Brave Files More about Alan via @theatre_podcast on Instagram and listen to The Theatre Podcast with Alan Seales EPISODE TAKEAWAYS: Gua Sha is an ancient ritual to bring things out of the body and cleanses As a young child, Julie went to an acupuncturist (which was really frowned upon) with her mother and it introduced her to understanding the body. Julie was an actress until she was 26 years old. Everything changed when she got in a terrible car accident and couldn’t perform anymore. Meditation was a healing modality after the accident and she healed herself completely after 9 months. Becoming an aesthetician and combining it with the other spiritual modalities gave Julie a sense of freedom and possibility. She knew there were ways to help other people heal themselves. Society tells us aging is one way only. Julie says that’s not true. Physical appearance is deeply related to emotions. The face is a beautiful mask that leads to healing you mind, body, and soul. Julie embraced a lot of experimentation and playing to figure out how to create her signature approach to supporting clients. She doesn’t hold judgment on what people want to do. She holds space for everyone and supports them. Make sure you feel empowered in the office of your doctors and healers! Be thoughtful and intentional. Make sure it’s collaborative. The lips are heart tissue. Literally pulled from our hearts while in utero. Julie is moving into group events, virtual face readings, and courses because she wants to help as many people as possible by being active in their healing. Time traveling is when you go back into thoughts and experiences and rewrite them into what you wish they had been. You can apply this in forward motion also by setting intentions for you day. Time travel but deciding what your true experience will be, surrender and fully embrace! Julie loves failure because it’s the breeding ground for learning, growth, and opportunities. The message is, to love yourself. You can’t get it wrong! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tune in to hear how The Avengers lead to this week's guest accepting his claim to fame as “The Broadway Trainer.” We even get a few off-the-cuff renditions of Shut the Eff Up Alan! Joe Rosko is the founder of Built For The Stage, Broadway’s #1 online fitness training platform, and its accompanying podcast on Broadway Podcast Network (with over 200 episodes to date!). In the past six years, Built For The Stage has trained clients in over 50 Broadway shows and on international stages around the globe. BFTS clients can currently be seen in such Tony-nominated and Tony-winning shows as “Some Like It Hot,” “& Juliet,” “New York, New York,” “Wicked” and “Hamilton." Joe has some terrific fitness and overall wellness tips about preparing for this busy and exciting time leading up to Broadway’s Biggest Night. Joe began his professional career as a trainer and actor at the exact same time in 2007. Since then, it has been his mission to build a bridge between the worlds of fitness and theatre. Joe believed that actors were truly professional athletes but didn't feel as though the theatre community was equipped with the proper resources to train like said athletes. This realization led to the creation of Built for the Stage. Joe and his coaches pride themselves on having the unique abilities to continue a performer’s fitness progress while being in or out of a show. Connect with Joe on his website, TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram. Make sure to follow this podcast everywhere you find podcasts, leave a rating and a review, and slip into our Instagram DMs at @wasitchance. More about Heather via @heather_ vickeryandco on Instagram and Threads, @Braveheather on TikTok, and listen to The Brave Files More about Alan via @theatre_podcast on Instagram and listen to The Theatre Podcast with Alan Seales EPISODE TAKEAWAYS Broadway performers are the Olympians of theater. It’s important to challenge your body in different ways to protect it during such rigorous work as eight shows a week. How the hell did Joe get here? It was the perfect storm of three specific things:  He started playing sports at the age of 4 A middle school girlfriend talked him into trying out for the school play An entrepreneurial spirit. Joe studied theater in college and continued to do both theater and sports. While performing in school shows he was also playing football which is a little nuts, if you ask us. Built for the Stage really started in college when he started training fellow actors at the age of 18. Although his fellow athletes gave him a little shit, they were always supportive and sat in the front row when he did a show. Everything in life is mental. It’s all about what you decide to make it. After college training was a “survival” job. He discovered Crossfit in NYC and ended up managing a gym which led to early virtual training. In order to be accessible to Actors, no matter their work status, all of Built for the Stage’s programs have always been virtual. During the pandemic, Joe lowered the cost of the Built for the Stage app and donated proceeds to the Actor’s Fund. While it may look like it’s all rainbows and butterflies it’s not. Joe works countless hours, drives and flies thousands of miles, and puts his whole heart and soul into the work. Although Joe does have a bit of a Midas touch, he embraces failure with the mindset of “never be afraid to ask” and this has helped lead to his massive success. Having a really great niche is game-changing! Built for the Stage Podcast on BPN. Joe is a big believer in the power of no. Stay focused and don’t say yes to things that don’t serve you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joanne Lipman knew she wanted to be a journalist at the age of 7. What happened next was a combination of hard work and embracing chance and opportunity and perhaps a little luck in working with folks who truly wanted to see her succeed and believed in her. Joanne is a bestselling author and pioneering journalist who began her career reporting for the Wall Street Journal, rising to the position of deputy managing editor (the first woman to attain that post). She subsequently was the founding editor-in-chief of Conde Nast Portfolio magazine, was Chief Content Officer of Gannett, where she was Editor-in-Chief of its USA Today and the USA Today Network, encompassing the flagship publication plus 109 metro newspapers including the Detroit Free Press, the Des Moines Register, and the Arizona Republic. In that role, she oversaw more than 3,000 journalists and led the organization to three Pulitzer prizes. She has served as Editor-in-Chief of USA Today, USA Today Network, Conde Nast Portfolio, and The Wall Street Journal’s Weekend Journal, leading those organizations to six Pulitzer Prizes. She is also an on-air CNBC contributor and Yale University journalism lecturer. Connect with Joanne on her website. Make sure to follow this podcast everywhere you find podcasts, leave a rating and a review, and slip into our Instagram DMs at @wasitchance. More about Heather via @heather_ vickeryandco on Instagram and Threads, @Braveheather on TikTok, and listen to The Brave Files More about Alan via @theatre_podcast on Instagram and listen to The Theatre Podcast with Alan Seales EPISODE TAKEAWAYS Although Joanne has a vast and impressive career, she considers herself a journalist first and foremost. Joanne first wanted to become a journalist at the age of 7 after reading Harriet The Spy. As a freshman in college, Joanne got a summer job working for her local, New Jersey, newspaper which led to an unpaid internship at a fledgling but “real” newspaper. While commuting to Manhattan for her internship she started reading The Wall Street Journal and it completely changed the direction of her passion. The skill that helped most, as an editor, was being able to conceptualize ideas and find a common thread. When Joanne first started at Wall Street Journal there wasn’t even a women’s room - that’s how few women worked at the paper. She was offered promotion after promotion for five years and kept turning them down. But she wasn’t “mommy tracked” and stayed on the top of the list. This was an unusual and wonderful opportunity. Leaving Wall Street Journal was difficult and risky but Condé Nast made an offer she couldn’t refuse. Post Traumatic Growth is being open to new opportunities because of the stress associated with traumatic experiences. After the financial crises, advertising feel apart and the magazine she’d created, Conde Nast's “Portfolio” closed. This was the chance opportunity that lead to writing her own books. Reinvention Roadmap from Joanne’s book, Next: Search, struggle, stop, solution In order to solve problems you have to stop thinking about the solution! Turn your brain off and do something different - then the answers will appear. We don’t talk about failure enough and we all fail! Tracking your failures provides really excellent data. Pay attention because nothing is wasted! Get Joanne’s books, Next!, That’s What She Said: What Men Need to Know (and Women Need to Tell Them) About Working Together, and Strings Attached. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alex Donnelly grew up a theater lover but believed had to pursue a “real career” and decided to get a finance degree. Although the voice inside his head told him to fully walk away from theater, he simply couldn’t do it. Fast forward years later and Alex is producing the Corkscrew Theater Festival. While securing in-kind donations for the festival, Alex is offered an unexpected turn (some may call it chance!?) in the form of a job with Production Resource Group (aka PRG), the longtime global live event innovation company that turns creative dreams into technical realities. Alex decided to take this intentional risk and joined hosts Heather and Alan to share just how well it all worked out. It’s pretty amazing what having the courage to make a cold ask can lead to! Tune in to hear all about it plus some pretty cool behind-the-scenes tech stuff from our lovable mega nerds Alan and Alex. Follow Alex on Instagram. Make sure to follow this podcast everywhere you find podcasts, leave a rating and a review, and slip into our Instagram DMs at @wasitchance. More about Heather via @heather_ vickeryandco on Instagram and Threads, @Braveheather on TikTok, and listen to The Brave Files More about Alan via @theatre_podcast on Instagram and listen to The Theatre Podcast with Alan Seales EPISODE TAKEAWAYS Alex Donnelly has an impressive resume. He’s a key innovator behind some of Broadway's most iconic moments His previous career was banking and it was complete chance that he joined PRG and then the theater division. As a child attending theater was a reward for good behavior. As many people think, Alex went to college planning on a degree that would lead to a “stable career.” In fact, getting into college was his main goal for the majority of his life - but what happens after achieving that goal!? Asking strangers for money was easy for Alex and he excelled at it - this included helping his theater friends raise money for their own work. Chance stepped in when Alex started the Corkscrew Theater Festival, and he was introduced to PRG assuming they would just be a lighting sponsor for the festival. Little did he know what awaited him. There have been several moments where Alex is just in awe that his life has taken him down this path.  Sometimes things simply don’t work out - it’s to be expected. His approach to balancing is that you can only prioritize one thing at a time. Essentially you can have it all but not at the same time. The way Fringe allows folks to do theater doesn’t lead to an artists best work, but it does open the door and help build a resume. Don’t be afraid to ask for what you want and reach out to strangers - you never know what will happen! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Anthony Norman takes the stage by storm in the lead role of Evan Hansen for the touring cast of Dear Evan Hansen. But he’s also an incredibly nice guy with a great sense of humor. In fact, Anthony and our co-host, Alan, are two peas in a pod. Heather had her hands full for sure ;) A talented musician who plays multiple instruments, Anthony thought his career would be in Jazz and then he started getting cast in Musicals and the two roads diverged. Anthony has performed in many wonderful shows including The Prom, Newsies, Love...Reconsidered, and City of Light as well as TV shows such as Living the Dream, Chicago Med, and Mare of Easttown. He has been a guest on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.  Follow Anthony on his Website, Instagram or TikTok. Go see Dear Evan Hansen in a city near you and check out both Anthony Norman and Past WIC guest, Lili Thomas! Get tickets here. Make sure to follow this podcast everywhere you find podcasts, leave a rating and a review, and slip into our Instagram DMs at @wasitchance. More about Heather via @heather_ vickeryandco on Instagram and Threads, @Braveheather on TikTok, and listen to The Brave Files More about Alan via @theatre_podcast on Instagram and listen to The Theatre Podcast with Alan Seales EPISODE TAKEAWAYS Anthony grew up as a musician in Chicago as the youngest of three. He loved being in the background watching his older siblings play music and picked up the Sax when he was in 4th grade. At one time he had a fantasy of going to college to play professional basketball. After performing in High School his uncle approached and offered some vocal lessons and things just kicked off from there. Anthony essentially taught himself to play multiple instruments. Getting booked as Jack in Into The Woods for the Illinois Theater competition is what really set things off with acting. He decided to lean into acting (over jazz) when his sister said “Is Jazz a passion or a hobby.” And that provided a lot of clarity. The audition process for Dear Evan Hansen was extremely rigorous but once cast he was really empowered to put his own touch on the character. Playing a high schooler but no longer being one provides a lot of insight in his role as Evan Hansen. Anthony says it’s a lot of fun. Touring is hard, hard work. It’s fun to explore new places but the constant travel is intense. Anthony says he has a great relationship with failure. Everything he has “failed” at has led to something so much better. Relationships are so key and important in having a creative career. Being in The Prom changed everything in Anthony’s life. Anthony honored us with his own version of STFU Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Grab your popcorn and get ready to hear some amazing stories from Reality TV wedding planner, Donnie Brown.  Donnie starred in the very first wedding planning reality TV show, “Who’s wedding is it anyway” on The Style Network and then went on to start in 10 of the show's 11 seasons and its spin-off!  Co-host, Heather Vickery had the opportunity to share the virtual stage with Donnie at a celebration of our friend, Eddie Babbage, and his podcast Wedding Industry Insider. Donnie Brown is considered one of the leading wedding and event planners in the industry today. With over 3 decades of experience, He’s helped shape the landscape of the modern wedding and is a serious trendsetter. He has been profiled and quoted in every fashion and wedding magazine you can find on the newsstand. He’s the author of "Donnie Brown Weddings: from the couture to the cake" and when not planning weddings and other events, he travels the world for speaking engagements. Connect with Donnie via his website and connect on Instagram. Make sure to follow this podcast everywhere you find podcasts, leave a rating and a review, and slip into our Instagram DMs at @wasitchance. More about Heather via @heather_ vickeryandco on Instagram and Threads, @Braveheather on TikTok, and listen to The Brave Files More about Alan via @theatre_podcast on Instagram and listen to The Theatre Podcast with Alan Seales EPISODE TAKEAWAYS Donnie started in the floral business. Was approached by Lion Entertainment to be the star of “Who’s Wedding is it Anyway.” Didn’t seek the job. Planned LeAnn Rimes' wedding- that catapulted everything. They are still friends and in regular contact. Donnie gets his BIG personality from his mom. Connections and relationships are everything - build relationships if you want to embrace chance. No interest in going back to the way things were before the pandemic. Life is less stressful. Communication is always the most important thing - even in the creative process. Positive reinforcement helps folks relax and stay creative. Donnie solves problems in his sleep. Sometimes less is more - know yourself and do what’s best for you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do you remember when our collective hearts broke watching “Connors's mom” breakdown in Dear Evan Hansen? Yeah, that was traumatic! And Lili Thomas does it every single night on stage as she performs the beautiful and devastating role of Cynthia Murphy for the North American touring company of DEH. The child of two world-renowned classical musicians, Lili made her own path in the arts. She became a triple threat by training extensively in acting, singing, and dancing in addition to, of course, learning several instruments. She plays professionally on 6 different instruments. Lili recently completed the pre-Broadway run of Octet and is an acclaimed vocal coach, choreographer, director, and the hardest job of all, parent of two kids. She’s kind, funny and crazy talented! Follow Lili and learn more on Instagram, grab tickets to see Dear Evan Hansen here, and make sure to stick around to the end of the episode for a fun, dirty joke form Lili! Make sure to follow this podcast everywhere you find podcasts, leave a rating and a review, and slip into our Instagram DMs at @wasitchance. More about Heather via @heather_ vickeryandco on Instagram and Threads, @Braveheather on TikTok, and listen to The Brave Files More about Alan via @theatre_podcast on Instagram and listen to The Theatre Podcast with Alan Seales EPISODE TAKEAWAYS Being exposed to professional musicians helped Lili embrace chance as an entertainer. She randomly started singing with a live band at the age of 5 and people loved it. The thrill was real! Both of Lili’s parents are world-renowned musicians but they didn’t pressure her into playing music, which Lili considers a gift. Lili’s performing love is musical theater - that’s her creative home. She loves playing complex characters and embracing them fully which she does beautifully. It’s really hard to balance being a parent and needing daycare with auditioning (as a job) because it’s not a paying job but must be treated as a job. When she went back to theater it felt like breathing again. This is truly where she's meant to be. She has such a loving and supportive family who love seeing her pursue her dreams. Positivity and energy are the core of who Lili is and that’s counter-intuitive to the role she plays in Dear Evan Hansen. When Lili needs to decompress and get into creative a space she needs total quiet and solitude (just like our co-host, Heather!). The most creative minds are also the most curious ones. Self-taping has become really dangerous for people - it drives perfectionist behaviors and that’s just not possible. It sets unrealistic standards and puts undue pressure on actors (and kids!). Returning to the theater has been part of Lili’s journey toward loving herself and it’s magical. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

MANIFESTATION, BABY! This week Heather and Alan talk with Manifestation expert, Sami Moog, about how we can all create the future we desire. We are, in fact, constantly creating our futures whether we’re aware of it or not. This was such a fun, eye-opening and exciting conversation. You’re going to want to soak up every moment of it. Sami discovered manifestation in 2007 when The Secret came out and since then he’s been on a lifelong journey to try and understand, and expand upon, these principles! He’s the author of “Alchemy of Imagination: The power of your mind to transform your life” which he wrote while sitting at a local nature preserve! He’s got a killer TikTok presence and manifestation is the name of the game for Sami.  Get an astrology reading from Sami here. Connect with him on TikTok. Get Sami’s book here. Make sure to follow this podcast everywhere you find podcasts, leave a rating and a review, and slip into our Instagram DMs at @wasitchance. More about Heather via @heather_ vickeryandco on Instagram and Threads, @Braveheather on TikTok, and listen to The Brave Files More about Alan via @theatre_podcast on Instagram and listen to The Theatre Podcast with Alan Seales EPISODE TAKEAWAYS: True manifestation takes action. Work is positive, effort is negative. All manifestation requires work! It's an energy thing, not a mental thing. True manifestation takes intentional habit because life has a way of knocking us down. The choice is yours. You can’t expect life to work out for you. The steps of manifestation: Visualize in 1st person, belief, and release.  Visualization: Thinking about what you want while also feeling good about it. Belief: trust and know it will come to be. Release: release the how and attachment but not the desire. No anxiety about it. Maintain a high vibration. The universe does not locally exist! Scientists have proven it. Our reality is an ILLUSION.  The consciousness of people creates beauty and turmoil (and everything in between). Synchronicity: You think about something and then it just appears. Visualize something you desire no more than a few times and then believe and release - otherwise it will turn into anxiety. When you’re manifesting it may not always appear in a linear, predictable fashion. Keep your visualizations short so you don’t complicate the message. Meditation is to release all thoughts, visualization is to focus on a specific thought. Mornings are better for vibration, evenings are better for visualization. Failure is an important, although painful, step to becoming a mature soul. Sometimes we go through rough periods in life, not getting what we want, in order to remind us to manifest. Manifest the afterthought - not the experience of achieving. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most of you have heard of MacGyver … Not only was it an internationally successful television show, but it’s also become a full-on verb for many (especially us Gen Xers) “Hold on, let me go MacGyver that!” In this episode, Alan and Heather got to chat with Lee Zlotoff brainchild behind the world-renowned MacGyver franchise. Lee is an award-winning writer, producer, and director of film and television. In addition to creating the original MacGyver TV series, he also wrote and directed the indie hit film The Spitfire Grill which won the coveted Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival and has also become a successful musical with over 700 productions. More recently, he is the author of the best-selling book The MacGyver Secret: Connect to your Inner MacGyver and Solve Anything as well as MacGyver: Meltdown, the first installment of a new MacGyver fiction series. Lee is also the Executive Director of The MacGyver Foundation which is funded by a portion of the proceeds from all the MacGyver projects. Now entering into the wonderful work of musical theater, he has executive produced the world premier concept album for MacGyver the music and the Musical is on its way to Broadway! But Lee is so much more than his resume. He’s an inspiration and a force of nature. Listen in to hear how he manifests all of his desires and why it’s important for him to help society do the same. Learn more on the website and Instagram.  Make sure to follow this podcast everywhere you find podcasts, leave a rating and a review, and slip into our Instagram DMs at @wasitchance. More about Heather via @heather_ vickeryandco on Instagram and Threads, @Braveheather on TikTok, and listen to The Brave Files More about Alan via @theatre_podcast on Instagram and listen to The Theatre Podcast with Alan Seales EPISODE TAKEAWAYS: There’s serious power in gathering talent together and sharing ideas. Start with NOTHING! You might be surprised by what you’ll find. Lee’s education taught him that great ideas come from conversation and collaboration It’s about the magic that comes from everyone putting in their best effort We seek to feel good - look for it inside of you first, then it will show up in the world. If you dare take the risk to find what you’re seeking inside of you - the opportunities appear. Lee created something powerful by “taking away the gun” for the superhero. MacGyver CORE VALUES: avoid conflict, resourcefulness, and maintain a sense of humor and humility. Breaking out of a block: Write the problem down, then go do something else and forget about it for a bit, then go back and ask “what do you have for me?” I don’t worry about where the answers are going to come from - I surrender and trust. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mikayla Petrilla realized early on in her career that there was a “side door” to nearly everything. Although she hadn’t been a serious actor in school, Mikayla knew acting was her desired career. So she took all of her other skills and went to work supporting theatre companies, shows, and other theater-adjacent businesses. Eventually, she grew her acting resume and now has an impressive resume including Saturday Night Live, The Marvelous Ms. Maisel, Inventing Anna, and more. In addition to her acting and “side door” work, Mikayla is dedicated to lifting up gender equality in the theater and tv/film industry through community and inclusiveness. When not performing, Mikayla volunteers with Off the Lane, Young Storytellers, and Togetherhood, three organizations that support inclusive and accessible arts education for both inner city schools K-6 and young arts professionals. Heather and Alan really enjoyed this conversation. It’s a beautiful reminder that there are lots of ways to solve a problem, get what you deeply desire, and be a damn good person in the process. Makayla’s self-awareness is inspiring.  Find all of Mikayla’s social links here. Learn more on the website and Instagram.  Make sure to follow this podcast everywhere you find podcasts, leave a rating and a review, and slip into our Instagram DMs at @wasitchance. More about Heather via @heather_ vickeryandco on Instagram and Threads, @Braveheather on TikTok, and listen to The Brave Files More about Alan via @theatre_podcast on Instagram and listen to The Theatre Podcast with Alan Seales EPISODE TAKEAWAYS: Mikayla was the child put on the “family” stage for holidays.  Becoming a performer was NOT chance - Mom put her into it. But chance still played a powerful role because Mikayla was not active in her school performances. When it was time to apply for college she decided to take the risk despite not doing as much performing as a teenager.  Her theater teacher judged her personal charachter and that was unacceptable to 14 year-old Mikayla. Wise beyond her years, it pushed her forward in empowering ways. There is a “Side Door” to everything. Use your skills in multiple creative ways. Taking risk and having it pay off gives you confidence to ask for more and invite other people to collaborate. Being a valuable team member means recognising the importance of everyone's job, appreciating the roles everyone plays and being grateful. Manifestation is science “I don’t know how easy it would be for people to say yes!” The pandemic essentially forced people to turn inward and do necessary self-work. Accountability is incredibly powerful in achieving your dreams and goals. Cultivate as much calm as possible amongst the chaos. The grief process of “failure” is about knowing that we all move through it differently. It’s important to understand what happened and give yourself some grace. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Like it or hate it, 2022 is over! Alan and Heather chat about all of the incredible guests from the past year while sharing some of their favorite moments. Good times were had by all. Make sure to follow this podcast everywhere you find podcasts, leave a rating and a review, and slip into our Instagram DMs at @wasitchance. More about Heather via @heather_ vickeryandco on Instagram and Threads, @Braveheather on TikTok, and listen to The Brave Files More about Alan via @theatre_podcast on Instagram and listen to The Theatre Podcast with Alan Seales Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices