Broken to Brave: The Love Coach Donna Barnes | Dedicated to fixing what is broken in your love life

Former Capitol Records exec George Saadi reveals how he got Radiohead's The Bends into 30 million homes with a 31-night Discovery Channel campaign, how a Dick Clark phone call changed his career, and his backstage KISS stories.In this episode of Broken to Brave, Donna Barnes sits down with George Saadi, a former Capitol Records executive, TV producer, and close friend of Leprechaun creator Mark Jones. If you love 80s and 90s music, vinyl records, Dick Clark, or the stories behind the record labels, this one is for you.In this episode:How a Juilliard audition falling apart led George to Berklee College of Music and a career in the music businessWhy George wrote a fan letter to Casablanca Records president Neil Bogart at 15, and why he still treasures the replyHow KISS manager Bill Aucoin discovered the band and kept them on tour using his American Express cardGetting hired at Capitol Records in the late 80s, and why record labels wanted experience over a degreeThe Radiohead The Bends marketing campaign: buying leftover late-night airtime on Discovery Channel for 31 nights in a rowWhy record stores charged labels "co-op" fees for shelf placement, and how George worked around itThe phone call from Dick Clark that led George into TV developmentThe PBS show Buried History, which earned an Emmy nominationWhy vinyl now outsells CDs, and what it says about the end of the "walls" between music, TV, and filmThe story of signing his Casablanca letter with KISS, and the night at a Hollywood burger stand that ended with "gorilla marketing at its finest"Quick answers:Who is George Saadi? A former Capitol Records executive and TV producer who worked with Dick Clark Productions and was Mark Jones' friend and business partner.How did Radiohead promote The Bends? George bought late-night Discovery Channel infomercial airtime and ran a half-hour electronic press kit for 31 nights straight, reaching roughly 30 million homes. Record sales climbed, with no radio airplay or tour behind it.Who discovered KISS? Bill Aucoin, the host of NBC's Flipside, saw them at the Coventry club in Queens and became their manager.Is vinyl making a comeback? Yes. George and Donna discuss why vinyl now outsells CDs and why he still bristles at the word "vinyls."Guests and topics: George Saadi, Donna Barnes, Capitol Records, Casablanca Records, KISS, Radiohead, Dick Clark, Neil Bogart, Bill Aucoin, Berklee College of Music, vinyl records, and 80s and 90s music history.Subscribe to Broken to Brave for more honest conversations with people from entertainment, sports, and beyond.If you enjoyed this look behind the music, comment with your favorite 80s or 90s album, and tell us whether you still own it on vinyl!#80sMusic #CapitolRecords #MusicNostalgia

Is pretty privilege real? Does being physically attractive actually make dating and relationships easier, or can beauty create its own problems?In this episode of Broken to Brave, Donna Barnes, The Love Coach, sits down with emotional intelligence coach Chris Gillis to unpack the complicated reality of pretty privilege, looks maxing, physical attraction, confidence, dating, chemistry, and finding lasting love.Donna and Chris talk openly about what happens when people make assumptions based on someone's appearance, including the assumption that a beautiful woman must be less intelligent, less approachable, or already surrounded by romantic options.Donna also draws from her own experiences as a former model in New York, where she worked around some of the most beautiful people in the world, to explain why being attractive may get you noticed, but it doesn't necessarily make someone a good partner.Is pretty privilege real?There can be social and dating advantages associated with physical attractiveness. But as Donna and Chris discuss, being attractive can get you in the door. What happens after that depends on who you are.The conversation explores why:• Physical attraction can create powerful chemistry, but chemistry can also be misleading• First impressions are often wrong• Beautiful people can be intimidating to approach• Attraction doesn't necessarily mean compatibility• Confidence and charisma can change how people perceive you• Dating apps can reduce people to photographs and appearance• Someone who isn't immediately physically attractive may become extremely attractive as you get to know them• Boundaries become especially important when attention from others is constant• Being desired isn't the same thing as being loved• The qualities that sustain a long-term relationship often go far beyond physical appearance• Self-acceptance and feeling good about yourself can affect how other people respond to you• Healthy relationships require emotional connection, communication, kindness, intelligence, and genuine compatibilityDonna also shares personal stories from her modeling days, including being approached by men on trains, at the gym, and in restaurants, and why unwanted attention isn't always the privilege people assume it is.Donna and Chris explore why we sometimes become attracted to people who aren't necessarily good for us, how familiar relationship patterns can feel like chemistry, why toxic relationships can become difficult to leave, and why the person who gives you a feeling of safety and comfort may ultimately be more meaningful than the person who simply creates intense physical chemistry.It can grow from:Confidence. Charisma. Intelligence. Kindness. Humor. Personality. Emotional intelligence. Self-acceptance. Compatibility.And the feeling that you genuinely enjoy being around someone.If you've ever wondered:Is pretty privilege real?Does being attractive make dating easier?Why are beautiful people sometimes intimidating?Can physical attraction be misleading?Why am I attracted to people who aren't good for me?Can someone become more attractive as I get to know them?What makes someone genuinely desirable in a long-term relationship?Why do first impressions get attraction so wrong?This conversation is for you.#PrettyPrivilege #DatingAdvice #RelationshipAdvice❤️ Work With Donna👉 Coaching info: https://www.donnabarnes.com/virtual-coaching/🔔 Subscribe for real, no-fluff dating advice that actually helps you find lasting love.Donna Barnes is an New York University Certified Love Coach, Breakup Specialist, Podcast Host, and Author of Giving Up Junk-Food Relationships: Recipes for Healthy Choices. https://amzn.to/3gFykPS

Remembering Mark Jones — The Creator, Writer & Director of LeprechaunMark Jones — the writer, director, and creator of the Leprechaun horror franchise — passed away, and in this deeply personal episode of Broken to Brave, Donna Barnes sits down with George Saadi, one of Mark's closest friends in his final years, to remember the man behind the movie.Before Leprechaun made him a horror icon, Mark Jones wrote for Hanna-Barbera classics like Scooby-Doo and Super Friends, and cut his teeth alongside legendary TV producer Glen A. Larson — the creative force behind Quincy M.E., McCloud, Magnum P.I., The Fall Guy, and Knight Rider. This conversation traces Mark's path through that golden era of television and film, his decades-long friendship circle (including actor Scott Baio), and the private, guarded, endlessly creative man his friends and loved ones knew off-camera.Donna Barnes, who dated Mark in the early 1990s during the making of Leprechaun and stayed close with him for the rest of his life, and George Saadi, who was with Mark in his final days, share stories spanning Hollywood premieres, the Larson family's legendary Holmby Hills home, industry mentorship, love, loss, and what it meant to be part of Mark Jones' inner circle.If you grew up on Leprechaun, Glen A. Larson's action-adventure shows, or 80s/90s Hollywood nostalgia, this is a tribute episode you don't want to miss.🎙️ New episodes of Broken to Brave every week — stories of heartbreak, healing, and the people who shaped us.👉 Subscribe for more real conversations about love, loss, and life after both.Who was Mark Jones? Mark Jones was the writer, director, and creator of the Leprechaun horror film franchise, and an early writer on animated series including Scooby-Doo and Super Friends.How did Mark Jones know Glen A. Larson? Glen A. Larson, creator of Magnum P.I., Knight Rider, and The Fall Guy, was Mark Jones' close friend and mentor for decades in Hollywood.#Leprechaun #GlenLarson #HollywoodNostalgia❤️ Work With DonnaIf dating feels exhausting or confusing, I can help you create healthy, secure connections and meet the right partner.👉 Coaching info: https://www.donnabarnes.com/virtual-coaching/🔔 Subscribe for real, no-fluff dating advice that actually helps you find lasting love.Visit my new store: https://www.donnabarnes.online/Donna Barnes is an New York University Certified Love Coach, Breakup Specialist, Podcast Host, and Author of Giving Up Junk-Food Relationships: Recipes for Healthy Choices. https://amzn.to/3gFykPS💔 Ready to become the best version of yourself?👉 Breakup Recovery Program https://www.donnabarnes.com/breakup-recovery/ — 10+ HOURS of expert coaching videos, quizzes, and checklists to help you heal and move forward stronger than ever.

What happens when everything you built before tragedy strikes becomes the exact thing that pulls you through it? In this episode of Broken to Brave Podcast, Love Coach Donna Barnes sits down with Vincent Van den Broeck — hit by a car, three weeks in a coma, and forced to relearn how to walk, talk, and eat from scratch — to talk about the mindset shift that changed everything.Vincent shares the raw, unfiltered truth about waking up from a coma with no memory of the accident, why "victimizing yourself" only fools you, and how the life he'd already built before his accident became the foundation that saved him after it. This conversation goes far beyond recovery — it's about choosing your priorities, showing up authentically, and becoming the version of yourself capable of attracting real, lasting love.If you're struggling through a hard decision, feeling stuck on how to become your best self, or searching for a relationship that actually lasts, this episode will change how you think about resilience, priorities, and what it really means to live authentically.📖 Get Vincent's book, Everything Feels Impossible Until It's Done: How the Life You Build Becomes the Life That Saves You — https://link.amazon/B0eiu8q7oIn this episode, you'll learn:How to reframe "impossible" situations using a simple 5–10 word exerciseWhy true friends tell you what you need to hear, not what you want to hearHow shifting your priorities after crisis can transform your relationshipsWhy accepting life as it is (not as you think it should be) creates real peaceWhat it means to live authentically starting today — no matter what you're facing🎙️ Broken to Brave Podcast is where real conversations about relationships, resilience, and becoming your best self happen every week with Love Coach Donna Barnes.FAQ:Q: How do you become your best self after a life-changing setback?A: By identifying your true priorities, surrounding yourself with people who challenge you rather than enable victimhood, and defining — in your own words — what "the other side" of your struggle looks like.Q: How does personal growth affect your ability to find a lasting relationship?A: The more authentically and intentionally you live, the more you attract a partner who matches that energy — love follows self-worth, not the other way around.Q: What is Vincent Van den Broeck's book about?A: It's about how the habits, mindset, and life you build before a crisis become the tools that carry you through it.👍 If this episode resonated with you, like, subscribe, and drop a comment about what "living authentically" means to you.#BrokenToBrave #MindsetShift #RelationshipAdvice❤️ Work With DonnaIf dating feels exhausting or confusing, I can help you create healthy, secure connections and meet the right partner.👉 Coaching info: https://www.donnabarnes.com/virtual-coaching/🔔 Subscribe for real, no-fluff dating advice that actually helps you find lasting love.Visit my new store: https://www.donnabarnes.online/Donna Barnes is an New York University Certified Love Coach, Breakup Specialist, Podcast Host, and Author of Giving Up Junk-Food Relationships: Recipes for Healthy Choices. https://amzn.to/3gFykPS💔 Ready to become the best version of yourself?👉 Breakup Recovery Program https://www.donnabarnes.com/breakup-recovery/ — 10+ HOURS of expert coaching videos, quizzes, and checklists to help you heal and move forward stronger than ever.

In 1973, a teenager caught spray-painting graffiti outside Yankee Stadium was arrested — and then handed a bat boy uniform by George Steinbrenner himself. That teenager was Ray Negron, and this is the story of how one second chance turned into 53 years with the New York Yankees.In this episode of Broken to Brave Podcast, host Donna Barnes sits down with Ray Negron — former Yankees bat boy, author of Yankee Miracles, actor, and associate producer for the YES Network — to talk about the moment that changed his life forever, and everything that came after.Ray shares what it was like growing up idolizing the Yankees after watching The Pride of the Yankees, being caught by Steinbrenner's security outside the stadium, and getting a second chance that no one — including Ray — saw coming. He opens up about his close bond with Yankees captain Thurman Munson, the lesson Munson taught him about fatherhood before his tragic death, and how George Steinbrenner became a mentor and father figure. Ray also recounts working alongside Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez, an unforgettable night at Patsy's Italian Restaurant with Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr., breaking into film through Reggie Jackson, and the "one good thing a day" promise that still drives him.What you'll learn in this episode:* How a chance encounter with George Steinbrenner turned into a 53- year career with the Yankees* The story behind Ray's bond with Thurman Munson and the promise that shaped his life as a father* How Reggie Jackson helped launch Ray's acting career (and his roles in The Cotton Club and other films)* The night Frank Sinatra taught Ray a lesson about pride, identity, and forgiveness* Why Ray calls giving back "selfish" — and what that really means* What it was like navigating the Yankees organization after George Steinbrenner's passingThis is a story about redemption, mentorship, faith, and what it means to get a second chance — and actually take it.About Broken to Brave Podcast: Hosted by The Love Coach Donna Barnes, Broken to Brave explores stories of resilience, healing, and transformation — because the path from broken to brave looks different for everyone, whether it's in love, career, or life.📖 Ray Negron's book, Yankee Miracles, is available now.🔔 Subscribe for more inspiring stories of resilience and second chances.❤️ Work With DonnaIf dating feels exhausting or confusing, I can help you create healthy, secure connections and meet the right partner.👉 Coaching info: https://www.donnabarnes.com/virtual-coaching/🔔 Subscribe for real, no-fluff dating advice that actually helps you find lasting love.Visit my new store: https://www.donnabarnes.online/Donna Barnes is an New York University Certified Love Coach, Breakup Specialist, Podcast Host, and Author of Giving Up Junk-Food Relationships: Recipes for Healthy Choices. https://amzn.to/3gFykPS💔 Ready to become the best version of yourself?👉 Breakup Recovery Program https://www.donnabarnes.com/breakup-recovery/ — 10+ HOURS of expert coaching videos, quizzes, and checklists to help you heal and move forward stronger than ever.#RayNegron #NewYorkYankees #SecondChances