Podcast - Catholic Creatives

The CC Podcast Returns for a special edition of the Catholic Creatives podcast.What do JP II, Greek baths, and Catholic Creatives have to do with each other? Well. Quite a lot, turns out. It's been a minute, but because of the feast of JPII, we decided to dust off this interview that Matt Meeks and Anthony D'Ambrosio did with Christopher West. Christopher discovered a retreat that JP II gave to artists, and had it translated to English and published for the first time ever, complete with commentary from himself and some other notable theologians. The conversation got into some really interesting and very vulnerable waters. What JPII outlines is a path for us creatives and artists to use our creative gifts in ways that can us from our culture's distorted and shamed relationship with the human body. As usual when talking to Christopher, the Holy Spirit revealed some profound truths to us.The book is called God is Beauty, and you can find it at bit.ly/godisbeauty Before we jump in, just a note from our sponsors:Every adult is wrestling with the best way to raise faithful kids in a world that is increasingly less faithful, while making sure our kids stay cool and connected. Catholic.Store recently released the Lion and Lamb book club kids, delivering 3-5 highly curated, beautiful books for children based on their age to their doorstep every quarter. The box contains a range of new catholic releases, hidden classics and undiscovered gems, as well as discussion questions to help parents have rich and formative conversations with their kids at bedtime. You can check Lion & Lamb book club out at www.lionandlamb.club.

Welcome back creatives!As you may know, there have been some big changes happening in the community recently. Anthony D'Ambrosio is stepping down from leadership to be a member of the Catholic Creatives community and Matt Meeks from Catholic Ventures has come in to help shepherd this community into the next phase of our mission to bring beauty back to the Church. Transitions can be hard, bumpy and confusing but they always bring new life.For Catholic Creatives… We are already dreaming of a new and rebooted summit,We are dreaming of a new and improved podcast,We are dreaming of a new way for people to belong in the communityWe are dreaming of more crowdsourced projectsWe are dreaming of a way to get our creations out there to the rest of the world.And, we finally have long needed support to make a lot of these dreams a reality. We see God moving to make all these dreams happen and more through this new partnership.And we are excited to bring you a new episode of the Catholic Creatives podcast today. In this episode we hear from both Anthony D'Ambrosio and Matt Meeks of Catholic Ventures as they discuss their history together, challenges building the CC community, and the future with Matt in this new role. This was a great interview with a few tears shed, and we see God's heart leading these men and the Church as a whole.A program note, the audio is a little rough at times, as this was a zoom call recording. We'll make sure to get all the bugs ironed out for our next episode.What are you most excited about on this next phase of the journey?Let us know @catholiccreatives and for anyone who has specific questions, concerns or wants to connect on the next phase of the community, Matt asked us to include his email for you all to reach out to him directly: matt@catholic.venturesTo learn more about Catholic Ventures, checkout the media release here.

Since his 2008 major label debut, Matt Maher has become a staple in the artistic and songwriting community. A nine time-GRAMMY® nominee and three time-GMA Dove Award winner. Matt Maher shares how his experience with tragedy and trauma has made him a better artist. In this conversation, he and Anthony D’Ambrosio talked on Facebook Live about how they are approaching quarantine, and about their hopes for how Catholic creatives will use this time to truly grapple with their own heartbreak.We hope this conversation encourages you to share your creations with us and the world. Be part of the Through Fire campaign by posting your work with #ThroughFire and #CatholicCreatives.Thanks to our sponsor The Little Catholic Box, who is offering a $20 discount on your first order of a new quarterly subscription when you use the code CCBEAUTY at checkout. And grab one of their new, limited-time “Be Not Afraid” mini-box.

Amanda and Charles Shepard share stories of their experiences curating, running, and building up the Fort Wayne Museum of Art — and why they believe art and beauty are no less important in these days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Charles has been the President and CEO of the museum since 2003, after multiple directorships throughout the country; Amanda, Vice President and COO, studied studio painting at Notre Dame before joining the FWMoA staff in 2007. They share how necessary it is to continue patronizing artists, appreciating beauty, and creating our own work.We hope this conversation encourages you to share your creations with us and the world. Be part of the Through Fire campaign by posting your work with #ThroughFire and #CatholicCreatives.Thanks to our sponsor The Little Catholic Box, who is offering a $20 discount on your first order of a new quarterly subscription when you use the code CCBEAUTY at checkout. And grab one of their new, limited-time “Be Not Afraid” mini-box.

At the CC Summit in 2018, Jeff Schiefelbein and Matt Pinto led a panel on entrepreneurship and making your crazy dreams work. Matthew Pinto is a speaker, author, and the founder of Ascension Press; and Jeff Schiefelbein is the Chief Culture Officer of 5, an energy consulting firm. Together, they shared their best practices for running businesses, sticking to your convictions, and tempering activity with receptivity.To hear more talks like this, get an invite to the 2020 CC Summit! It’s going down in Dallas from April 30 - May 3.Thanks to our sponsor The Little Catholic Box!Support Catholic Creatives by donating or leaving a review.Resources mentioned in this episode: The Vocation of the Business LeaderAdditional music provided by Blue Dot Sessions.

Bradley Santos is the lead designer for the University of Washington central marketing team and the creative director of One Secret Mission, a creative studio leading a conversation to Christ with beauty. Bradley’s work in photography, graphic design, and art direction — and his Filipino background — help him tell untold stories and see beauty in new places. He joins us in the Narthex to geek out about Kanye and tell his story.Thanks to our sponsor The Little Catholic Box! Visit their website now and click the pink banner along the top to have a chance at a free year’s worth of boxes.Resources mentioned in this episode: Cory Heimann CC Podcast Episode, The Freshest Kids breakdancing documentary, God Is (Acoustic Cover) by Noah PepmeyerAdditional music provided by Blue Dot Sessions.

Thomas Yep is a partner and the CEO at the Archetype Group, a Catholic business incubator, accelerator, and holding group that helps launch businesses to grow the economy of salvation. Together with his wife Christina (Archetype’s Chief Creative Officer), he is a father to four children.. Thomas works with entrepreneurs to coach them through the process of running a profitable business while bringing eternal value and human dignity to the culture, making a way for creative business owners to bring goodness, beauty, and truth to the world.Check out this episode’s sponsor, The Little Catholic Box, and order your first box before they ship in early February 2020!Resources mentioned in this episode: As Kingfishers Catch Fire, Gerard Manley Hopkins; Start With Why, Simon Sinek; Why Your Critics Aren’t the Ones Who Count, Brene Brown; Abiding Together PodcastAdditional Music from Blue Dot Sessions

In the Narthex this month is spoken word artist and thrifting queen Clare McCallan! Clare has traveled all over performing poetry, serving, and bringing the mic to underrepresented voices. She joined us in the Narthex to share stories of her Brooklyn adventures before she jetted off to Washington to be the Grunewald Guild artist-in-residence. If you’d like to bring Clare to perform poetry at your church, school, or home, get in touch with her through Instagram or email.Thanks to this month’s Narthex sponsors: The Little Catholic Box and Sock Religious!Blue Dot Sessions provided select music for this episode.

Andreas Widmer and Luke Burgis work at the Ciocca Center for Principled Entrepreneurship at the Catholic University of America. Andreas founded and directs the Ciocca Center; he is the author of The Pope and the CEO. Luke is the current Entrepreneur in Residence at the Ciocca Center and co-authored the book Unrepeatable: Cultivating the Unique Calling of Every Person.Together, they teach the popular “Vocation of Business” course. Luke is now adapting that class for a high school course called the “Catholic Entrepreneurship and Design Experience,” or CEDE.Additional music from this episode provided by Blue Dot Sessions.

Nicholas Gerald Roach hails from Washington, where he began his career in entrepreneurial business and ecommerce marketing. He has worked with Filson and Lucchese Boots; recently, he began his own ecommerce and marketing consulting service — and is continuing to pursue photography and music. In the Narthex, Nick shares his hope to use meaningful, holistic work to help others. You can get in touch with Nick at nick@runningwindriver.com.Keep making this podcast possible by supporting Catholic Creatives.Additional music for this episode provided by Blue Dot Sessions.

Deacon Charlie Echeverry is the founder of the Black//Brown Collective, an accelerator based in Los Angeles that aims to connect emerging technology with emerging audiences. As a former executive for media companies like mitu, Univision, and Walt Disney, and as a chairperson for Catholic Answers and Catholic Association of Latino Leaders, Deacon Charlie is actively working to create a world that sees diversity as a strength, not as a checklist or imposition. He and Anthony discuss practical ways we can all work towards a truly unified Catholic experience.Get in touch with Deacon Charlie at charlie@blackbrown.us.Thank you to Sock Religious for making this podcast possible!Additional music provided by Blue Dot Sessions.

Welcome to The Narthex! It’s our new short-form podcast where we can be a little louder, a little less reverent, and just as inspired. We’ll be dropping new episodes from The Narthex every month.In The Narthex this week is Ali Hoffman, the curly-haired mastermind behind Oodles of Doodles. Ali is the Youth Director at St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church in Carrollton, Texas; a Catholic speaker; a hand lettering instructor; and an all-around inspiration who believes that everyone is loved, wanted, and necessary.Resources mentioned in this episode: Consoling the Heart of Jesus by Fr. Michael Gaitley, Tattoos on the Heart by Fr. Greg BoyleMusic for this episode provided by Blue Dot Sessions

Jamie and Paul Duda's best creations include their creative agency Francis and Louise, the award-winning 8beats film "Almost Home," and their son Hank.Being married coworkers has its challenges and opportunities, so Jamie and Paul joined host Marcellino D’Ambrosio and his wife Augusta for a conversation that pulls back the curtain on the idealized version of marriage, revealing something even richer, deeper, and way more fun.Paul and Jamie live in Detroit, where they work with Unleash the Gospel and other clients who want to bring stories to life.Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions

In the final episode of You're Welcome World, we go beyond St. Nicholas and learn about the many Catholics who shaped Christmas ... including a jacked axe-wielding bishop.Do you have the next big idea? Visit OSVChallenge.com to learn about the OSV Innovation Challenge and join the ranks of the Catholic innovators who have gone before us.

It's the game of choice for Serena Williams and Roger Federer ... and the 12th century French monks who invented it. The latest episode of You're Welcome World uncovers the Catholic beginnings of tennis, as well as the way Christians have carried on the tradition of sport.Do you have the next big idea? Visit OSVChallenge.com to learn about the OSV Innovation Challenge and join the ranks of the Catholic innovators who have gone before us.

It's the ultimate theme park food, the mall food court go-to, the reliable stadium snack. But the pretzel had humble (Catholic) beginnings. The latest bonus podcast episode is all about the history of this twisted treat.Do you have the next big idea? Visit OSVChallenge.com to learn about the OSV Innovation Challenge and join the ranks of the Catholic innovators who have gone before us.

Coffee lovers everywhere should know the name Pope Clement VIII. Discover the way this pope brought our favorite brew into the Western world, changing mornings and increasing productivity forever.Do you have the next big idea? Visit OSVChallenge.com to learn about the OSV Innovation Challenge and join the ranks of the Catholic innovators who have gone before us.

Did you know that Catholics played an essential role in making beer what it is today? This bonus episode explores the history of St. Hildegard, St. Benedict, and all the Catholic innovators who helped brew this iconic beverage.Do you have the next big idea? Visit OSVChallenge.com to learn about the OSV Innovation Challenge and join the ranks of the Catholic innovators who have gone before us.

As the President of the OSV Institute, Jason Shanks gives grants to initiatives within the Church, which offers him a fascinating perspective on innovation (or the lack thereof) in the world of Catholic ministry. He and Anthony discuss the state of the Church, especially why we need new ideas from entrepreneurial Catholics. Jason also shares the lessons he’s learned about effective innovation — how to stay centered, measure results, and make transformative changes.Visit OSVChallenge.com to learn about the OSV Innovation Challenge.Resources mentioned in this episode: Good to Great and Built to Last by Jim Collins

Katherine Cimorelli is a singer, writer, and one-sixth of the group Cimorelli, a band she and her sisters started which gained popularity on YouTube and now releases original music. She tells Anthony the lessons she’s learned in collaboration, affirming others’ strengths, and harnessing her talents. The second of 11 kids, Katherine shares how she and her sisters launched their music career with a viral video, and what it’s been like to navigate a family business. They also dive into the daily practices — spiritual, creative, and physical — that keep Katherine grounded.

“Beauty will save the world, but no one will die if you make something that sucks.”With his ever-important words of wisdom, Cory Heimann is back on this special live episode of the podcast, recorded during the New Renaissance Festival in March 2019. Cory is the founder and creative director of Likeable Art, as well as the pioneer of the insanely popular Created book. He and Marcellino discuss the freedom and detachment that comes from learning to play hard, fail with courage, and keep pursuing beauty. They also chat about Cory’s idea for a college alternative that rights the wrongs of the current education system, as well as his tried-and-true method of creative brainstorming.We would love your feedback on the Catholic Creatives podcast! Go to bit.ly/ccpodsurvey to take a short survey and share your thoughts.

Ryan Boh is a product manager and analyst for a premier global marketing agency, as well as one of the (creators? Investors?) in Brand$tanding, an improv-comedy-slash-startup-pitch card game (and yes, it’s as crazy as it sounds. In this episode, Ryan and Marcellino dive into Ryan’s faith journey of faith as he traveled from conviction to disillusionment to healing. He discusses the experience that wounded his trust in the Church, and the lessons he’s learned from it, most especially the importance of community.

Fabiola Garza is a character artist with Disney Creative Group, where she illustrates characters for Disney Theme Park merchandise. She also wrote and illustrated The Boy Who Became Pope, a book about the life of St. John Paul II, and illustrated the Little Golden Book for Pixar’s Coco. In this Summit 2018 Breakout Session, she digs into what makes a great character — including the shapes, colors, and lines that make a character’s personality come to life on the page and screen.

In this breakout session from CC Summit 2018, Jacob King, Megan Mastroianni, and Liz Saroki Reckart share how they disrupt the status quo and lead revolutions from within their dioceses. Jacob, the Director of Anthem Philly, and Megan, the Associate Director, draw from their experiences transforming the Archdiocese of Philadelphia’s youth and young adults ministry (which was literally just called YYAM before they arrived) into an authentic, dynamic brand that won the Catholic Creatives project of the year award. Liz brought her expertise in marketing management for entertainment, technology, and CPGs to the Communications Office at the Archdiocese of LA, where she is the Managing Director of their in-house creative agency. She shares a counterintuitive approach to changing the world by making excuses, an approach that turns competitiveness into compassion and judgment into understanding. Together, these talks create a practical guide for revolutionary change.

Independent film director, writer, and producer Laina Barakat knew from an early age that “Christian movies” just weren’t cutting it. She shares her journey of making films that actually move hearts. Laina tells the story of starting her own production studio, Wayward Ark Productions, as well as her experiences of collaboration while creating her 8beats film. She discusses with Anthony the four hour Russian film that changed her life, the boarding school that somehow didn’t crush her spirit, and her approach to embracing controversial topics while staying grounded in truth.

World Youth Day. The Grammys. Every parish retreat you’ve ever attended. Matt Maher’s music has found its way into Catholic and Christian circles — and beyond. On this episode, the singer / songwriter and worship leader discusses his journey with Anthony. He dives especially into the moments that deepened his interior life, including a cheesy retreat skit and the daily devotions that slowly but surely formed his character. Matt offers plenty of life lessons from his time as an unnoticed (and underpaid) parish musician, and he shares how he’s learned to weave truth with transcendence in his music.

Singer, songwriter, and worship leader Ike Ndolo released his third album, “Shine,” in 2018. He and Marcellino discuss what makes this album different — both in sound and in story. Ike shares how he’s rewritten his self-image to better reflect God’s view of him, sharing stories of his father’s love and his own recent marriage. He also dives into what it’s like to buck stereotypes, lament injustice in the pursuit of equality, and remain hopeful through it all.Check out what's happening at the Catholic Creatives New Renaissance Festival!

Cole Matson, PhD, is the programming associate for the Sheen Center in NYC, and serves New York Catholic artists through retreats and community initiatives. He and Marcellino discuss his story: captivated by narratives, Cole pursued theater, but kept finding that his convictions didn’t match the culture of the acting community. Cole shares how his conversion to Catholicism fueled a new outlook on art, and he dives into the potential for vulnerability and communion in theater.

Santonio Hill coordinates urban outreach for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, and on this episode, he shares his big dreams for creating spaces where everyone belongs. Santonio tells Marcellino his wild journey — including the gang fight that shook him from apathy, his stint in seminary (or, in his words, “Catholic rehab”), and the fearlessness he gained as a FOCUS missionary. He also shares his reignited passion for music and rap, and he and Marcellino discuss the opportunities he has to carve a new path to Church unity.

Christopher Pesigan didn’t initially consider himself a “creative,” but as the Chief Operating Officer of Player’s Health, a sports risk management platform, he has learned that creative ideas need accounting and operations as much as they need art. He and Anthony explore the paradigm shift that changed Chris’s life — and the friend-turned-CEO who continues to challenge Chris in faith and career. They also discuss trusting God in daily decisions and leading with purpose rather than profit. Resources mentioned in this episode: For Goodness’ Sake: Satisfy the Hunger for Meaningful Business (Chris Houston and Jordan Pinches)

Jill Simons is the founder and creative director of Pink Salt Riot, a Catholic women’s lifestyle brand that definitely wasn’t part of “the plan.” On this episode, she and Marcellino discuss the plans God wrecked to make way for even better gifts, like her life as a wife, mother, and business owner. She tells stories from her days as a theater kid and shares vulnerable, powerful moments of trust as she navigates being a creative and rebel-at-heart.

Amanda Vernon and Fr. Matt Fase, CSC, co-authored When God Wrecks Your Romance, the unlikely story of two people who fall in love but are (spoiler alert) ultimately called to different vocations. Their conversation with Anthony covers the vulnerable places their writing took them to, and how their work — as a recording artist and a college chaplain, respectively — sheds light on their roles as authors. Amanda and Fr. Matt also share practical wisdom on discernment, not only for vocations, but also for creating art.

Wesley Bancroft believes that everyone should know what they believe. On a mission to help companies discover their beliefs and operate more authentically, he shares the philosophy behind his work: knowing our “why” halts purposeless action and gives us radical direction. He and Marcellino dive into the experiences that shaped Wesley’s ideas, including his time at a Socratic high school, his conversion to Catholicism, and his work as a designer. He also lays out practical ways for listeners to start finding their central beliefs.

Freelance filmmaker Jake Brown joins Anthony on the podcast to explain how college party marketing and megachurch video production led him to where he is today. As he tells his story, Jake shares the lessons he learned from Protestant churches that use their services to make every second meaningful. He also reflects on the process of deciding to enter RCIA—while still allowing for the room to doubt, change, and keep learning.

This week, David Calavitta shares his thoughts on creativity and communication. As Life Teen’s Director of Design and Marketing, he has learned how to take every opportunity to communicate a message and make it extraordinary. David tells the story of his encounter with excellent design that taught him the value of intentionality in messaging. He and Marcellino also discuss what makes parish communication effective, which is the main subject of Life Teen’s upcoming Horizon conference. And, bonus, podcast listeners can get $30 off their registration for Horizon by using the code CCPodcast at checkout!

This week we chat with Dave Plisky, the Director of Marketing and Digital at DeSales Media Group who thought marketing was kind of bogus back in college. Along with stories of his forays into Quidditch and flute playing, he tells us how a good mentor, authenticity, and a little bit of Seth Godin helped him see how meaningful marketing can be. The same principles that altered his professional life have impacted his faith, too; he shares the way authentic relationships brought him to a deeper relationship with Christ.

Dr. Johannes Hartl, founder of the 24/7 prayer house Gebetshaus, breaks all the stereotypes: he grew up as a hippie/punk who admired the Church’s beauty; he’s a Catholic creating prayer experiences in ecumenical spaces; and he makes a German accent actually sound nice. In this episode, he tells Marcellino about his first personal experience of God, which forever shaped his approach to religion, trust in providence, and prayer (he’s written two books about it!). He offers powerful insight into the role beauty plays in drawing people to God, as well as the way Gebetshaus has fostered unity among Christians through beautiful prayer.

Meet the guy who recorded a ten-minute voice memo describing his work for his mom. And, despite his best efforts, she’s still a little confused. Ryan Thomas describes the basketball camp conversion that set him on his life’s course, which included being inspired by St. Ignatius of Loyola to discern religious life and having Archbishop Chaput as his spiritual director (nbd). These experiences created the foundation he works from—mentorship, interiority, and letting his faith permeate his work. Ryan is now working on a Blockchain-based payment and donation system and has a book about Our Lady of Guadalupe in the works. Thank you as always to our Patreon sponsors for making this podcast possible.

Jeff Schiefelbein and Marcellino talk about Jeff’s life of business building, risk taking, and culture shaping. His life is story-worthy: not only is he currently the Chief Culture Officer of 5, an energy advisory firm, but he’s also started a few bands, danced off-Broadway without formal training, and founded a safe ride initiative at Texas A&M. As he shares these and many other stories, Jeff delves into the guiding principles behind his life, most especially the fearlessness to embrace awkwardness and create a life worth living. As always, thank you to our Patreon sponsors for making this podcast possible.

Anna Carter, co-founder of the Eden Invitation, talks with Marcellino about the sense of adventure and community that defined her childhood—through books, family life, and her home parish—and has accompanied her throughout her journey. This “pilgrim faith” set Anna on a course of continual discovery; she tells the story of coming to understand her gender and sexuality, and how vulnerability about her same-sex attraction created even deeper relationships. She offers wisdom on everything from creating Trinitarian communities to living like you’re in Narnia.

In this episode, Tony Vasinda of Project YM tells Anthony the origin stories of Catholic Beard Balm and his up-and-coming card game Brandstanding. Tony explores the common threads uniting all of his projects and work: doing God’s will—and having fun doing it—while creating opportunities for people to be together. He shares his thoughts on supporting fellow artists (do it), meganspeaks.com (visit it), and detachment from finances (it’s the only way to live).

This week, Anthony sits down with Edmundo Reyes, the Director of Communications for the Archdiocese of Detroit, and (with some fancy microphones) they chat about Edmundo’s missionary enthusiasm. They talk about the retreat during his time in college that set Edmundo on a path to God and solidified the calling on his heart to be a missionary in whatever capacity the Lord wanted. This call guides his life; he discusses how God’s will fuels him as he pioneers the Unleash the Gospel campaign in his archdiocese, encourages the Church to be innovative and collaborative, and brings revival to Detroit. All of this, he explains, because he has “Christian FOMO”—he fears missing out on any part of God’s plan.

In this episode, Ian Cabrera shares how he went from A/V club dweeb to communications freelancer and host of The Convo podcast...so, like, still kind of an A/V club dweeb. Ian and Marcellino talk about the great and terrifying switch to freelance work—how it is freeing, exciting, scary, and kind of weird at times. They also delve into the time in Ian’s life when he was working at Costco and engaging in a nine-month Ignatian formation, a trying time that taught him to trust, wait, and beg God for help. Ian pulls back the curtain on why The Convo is a narrative-driven podcast, and shares his favorite stories from his time producing it.

This week, we talk with Angela Schnieders, a senior partner with Mission Advancement Partners, the director of mission advancement with ENDOW, a former FOCUS missionary and staff member, and all-around breath of fresh air. Angela dives right in, exposing the heart behind her work—a heart that’s seen the darkest nights and still seeks the magic of relationship. The cross of mental health difficulties has taught her what a full life looks like, and she delves into the ways that sharing deep, intentional life with others creates purpose. She shares wisdom on unhealthy cultural ecosystems, the necessity of presence in the body and mind, and the beauty of her recent marriage to Bill Schnieders. She brings practical tips to her deep, rich view of human nature.

This week’s podcast is a conversation with Dominic Ismert, a father of six children, an inventor and patent-holder for multiple products, and the founder of four companies (yeah, you read that right). Dominic delves into how he “does it all” by admitting he doesn’t do as much as it seems—he lets God take the lead. He shares the story of how an idea from God became a reality through persistence, and the frustrations that led him to create the crowdfunding site WonderWe. He offers insight into the fact that creativity flows from God’s abundance and the desire to create an ecosystem of support for the Catholic and Christian world.

Today, we talk with Joe Klinker, a father of three, the creator of Tiny Saints, and a seminary dropout turned Coast Guard communications director. Joe and Marcellino dive right in, talking about the move away from perfectionism into true expression and freedom, in both art and faith. Joe tells the heartbreaking, powerful story of how Tiny Saints came to be—and all the risks and joys of starting the business. He offers insight into what our art and faith need: wrestling, learning, humility, a search for truth that isn’t stifling or destructive to others. His journey away from a heavily apologetics-based faith life culminates in a profound story about learning to love his LGBT neighbors.

This week we speak with Scott Williams, co-founder of Sock Religious and the Director of Youth Ministry for the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. Marcellino and Scott chat about the ridiculous ways people come to know Jesus better—cake, beard destruction, and of course, pope socks. Scott shares the ups and downs of running a small business, including his efforts to find balance as he raises his three-month-old son and build a company without letting it take him away from his primary vocation. He offers insight into entrepreneurial courage, especially the humility it takes to let others do what you can’t in order to be your best.

This week we speak with Mike Mangione, father of three, professional musician, and co-founder of The Cor Project. In this podcast, Anthony and Mike discuss the relationship between vulnerability and music. Mike shares about his experience with Peter Gabriel’s music as a young boy, he talks about the role of music in his Theology of the Body ministry with Christopher West, and he explains how he uses suffering and pain to play music out of a place of vulnerability.

This week we speak with Destiny Herndon-De La Rosa, national speaker, hardcore pro-life activist, and founder of New Wave Feminists. In this podcast, Anthony and Destiny discuss how rejection, suffering, and doubt have played a role in Destiny’s journey as an activist. Destiny talks about her insecurities as a public figure and how she’s adopted the role of misfit throughout her life. Anthony and Destiny both share about moments when they’ve encountered God during their darkest hours, and how their spiritual journeys have been shaped by both moments of serious faith and serious doubt. Destiny isn’t afraid to get real and also shares about her experience of God as an agnostic and about her struggle with alcoholism.

This week we speak with Michelle Benzinger, mother of six, speaker, entrepreneur, and Creative Director of Meaningful Market. In this podcast, Marcellino and Michelle talk about how we are called as creatives to champion each other’s dreams. Marcellino and Michelle each share stories from their own lives of times when the body of Christ poured into them and encouraged them to dream. They discuss the importance of being rooted in your identity instead of your gifts, the risk of choosing to play as an adult when our culture places so much emphasis on performance and achievement, and how we were originally created to live in a garden. They tell us that if we want to create great art, we need to find ways to pour into each other.

As the 2018 Summit gets even closer, we wanted to share with you another talk from last year’s summit. This breakout session was given by Cory Heimann, founder and Creative Director of Likable Art, father of 3, and all around awesome creative. In this talk, Cory discusses how we as Catholic creatives are set apart and are called to present Christ as irresistible to the world. He talks about the responsibility we have as the artists through whom many major projects the Church is working on are funneled through. He explains how we as Catholics are set apart from other creatives, and describes what unique opportunities our Catholic heritage presents to us as storytellers and artists. Cory also challenges us to think about how we live out our personal values in our work and how we encourage those we work for to move their own missions forward as well.