The Thomas Sawyer Podcast

I've wanted to have Amber on the podcast for so very long and things finally lined up where we were able to make it happen. Mainly I finally reached out because even I still get insecure about asking people. We hopped on the mics and talked about her finding photography in high school, creating work to be viewed in person vs online, being the only young black woman in the room, and being a creative who works a 9-5. Great talk!

One of my friends gives me solid constructive feedback that I try to implement as quickly as possible. The thing she said to me most recently is, “I’d like a better picture of your work – not so much the finished product, but what do the clients of a Cleveland videographer actually look like.” So I immediately shot a text to a client of mine who’s down for anything and here we are. Today’s guest is Ryan Young, the CEO and vision of the Young Team. We get into the nitty gritty of bridging the gap between creative and corporate, running a business in the midwest, and challenging your creativity. Great talk!

Living in Cleveland means that Lauren and I both spend quite a bit of time in the car and we typically use these windows of time to talk throughout the day. On this day, we got into a pretty heavy talk about perfectionism, how it manifests in our generation, and our perception of it’s manifestation in older generations. 20 minutes into our car-ride phone call I had to stop Lauren and said, “Wait, this is a podcast.”

There are two types of people you can interview; ones who come strictly to answer the questions asked of them and ones who want to have a dialogue. Ylonda was very much the latter. She came ready and open to talk about her experiences of her childhood, her marriage, her career, and her health – and she didn’t shy away from engaging me on any topics either. Absolutely loved this talk!

I’ve met and/or talked to quite a few people in my lifetime and I have yet to find someone with a more coveted job than Greg. He spends his days getting kisses and giving belly rubs to puppers of Cleveland, Ohio and occasionally beyond. I want to sit down to see what that life was like and also hear more about all that he’s doing to help destigmatize negative stereotypes for Pitbulls. Great talk!

I haven't seen my friend, Madeline, in quite some time because she's been traveling the country playing music so it was nice to sit down with her for an hour or so and chat. We talk about essential self and social self, fear, and insecurity. Great talk!

I love talking with charismatic people. We always end up steering away from main topics on tangents that leave me laughing. Those are my favorite people to interview. Kayla is definitely a charismatic person and, honestly, you need to be if you're going to be a wedding photographer. I loved chatting with her about her work, traveling all over the country in a camper for her project 50 Shoots in 50 States, and the crazy way she met my best friend. Great talk!

We all need someone to push us to be the best version of ourselves that we can be, but how hard do we need them to push? For me, it’s as hard as humanly possible. I don’t want someone to care about my feelings – I want them to care about my future. Lauren is my someone and, man, does she push me. This week I was reflecting on that and realized just how vital that is in my life so I asked her to sit down so we could talk about it.

Always interesting interviewing someone whose use to being the one who asks the questions. I asked JD to be one of the first guests on my podcast in season one, but due to my inexperience I completely screwed up the audio and the talk was lost. In addition to discussing the harsh realities of starting a podcast, we talked about being vulnerable and allowing yourself to take a step back from things without the fear of losing momentum. Great talk!

I went into this conversation with one goal – apologize. Mariangela and I met through Instagram years ago and at the time I wasn’t in the best of mental states. Long story short, I snapped at her and I wanted to say sorry and what better way then to do it publicly. We also got into her story – growing up in Venezuela, moving to the states, finding her passion for photography, and dealing with abuse. A very deep and honest conversation!

Spent the morning catching up with Alex Mazzurco. We got to chat about buying a house, being in a relationship, planning for the future, and dealing with “speeding tickets” for your business. Great talk!

I stumbled across Elena’s Instagram at the very end of last year and she caught my attention immediately – she was asking her followers to share their New Year’s Resolutions and posting them on her story with encouraging words. We sat down to talk about using her platform to empower others, moving to the United States with only $500 and a carry-on, and learning english by watching Friends Reruns. Great talk!

I've been thinking about the idea of imposter syndrome a lot lately. Mostly in a conceptual way, but also a little bit self reflective. Aubrey and I have talked about this topic a few times and I thought she would be the perfect person to have over to hash this topic out. We got off track a few times, but overall, it was a great talk!

This is a conversation that I’ve been wanting to have for a very long time. First and foremost because I think that Reed has a strong and unique voice and that there’s something to be learned from her perspective, but also because the topic of proper conduct when working with models and the topic of consent are something that need to be discuss in an open forum. Not an episode that I would recommend listening to out loud at work or around young children, but it’s definitely a conversation that need to be had.

I invited Lauren Skunta over for what was supposed to be a 25 minute podcast about knowing your worth that quickly turned into an hour long episode everything that goes into being a freelance creative. I'm not complaining at all – great talk!

Jacqui's transitions through life have really fascinated me. I love when people follow their dreams, but I very rarely see someone change directions completely. Most people who follow Jacqui's story now don't know where it began so I asked her if she'd share and she did. Great talk!

Lauren and I have been having this “discussion” for the last few weeks. I can’t really write about it in an unbiased way so for the sake of keeping you with an open mind.. just take a listen.

From the moment Lauren showed me Hanna's work on Instagram, I have been enamored with the way she creates and the vulnerability with which she shares online. I reached out on a whim when I was in Chicago and she was kind enough to sit down with me for an hour to chat. We talked about everything from her dance career to being a role model to other things I'm currently blanking on at this moment. Great talk!

Fear can be a controlling factor in our lives. It can mold us into people that we don’t want to be. In the past, I’ve found that fear transformed me into an incredibly jealous person. Thankfully, I identified that problem early enough and was able to walk myself back to someone who sees everyone’s success as success, not as my own personal failure. But recently, I’ve noticed fear creep back into my life and manifest in a different way. The Fear of Interpretation.

Welcome back! Busting out of the gate with a solid episode. If you’ve followed my Artisan series then you probably already know this week’s guest, Adam Vicarel. He is a Cleveland raised Denver dwelling designer and a man I’m glad to call a friend. Whenever I’m on a project with him, we always get into the best discussions and I was finally able to wrangle him onto the podcast. Great talk!

Welcome to Episode 40! The last episode until we start up season 2 on February 4th. I decided to sit down with Lauren and talk about what we've learned this year. Great talk!

I've wanted to do an episode with Aubrey and Janey since the moment I started this podcast and when they came to me with the idea of sharing the dark truth of being an influencer, I bought a third microphone on the spot. We focused on the expectation of influencers from brands, followers, and ourselves. Our goal was to create an episode that could be used as a teaching tool. We know that social media as a career is a new idea and no one really knows the right etiquette (ourselves included), but we will never get to a place of harmony if someone doesn't speak up first. Great talk!

It feels very strange to say this, but this is one of the greatest conversations I've had to date. On and off podcast. I find that I can connect with most people on at least one thing, but it's very rare that I feel completely eye to eye on life. I'm sure if we kept digging that we'd find disagreements, but I walked away feeling very understood. Liz and I talk about making the move to LA, being on tour with Demi Lovato, and a few of her life philosophies. Great talk!

Whether you're the audience or the artist, life is difficult. I decided to take sometime to dissect how I get through life. It's just a quick episode talking about all that and a few updates on where I'm at in this moment!

I started a podcast because I was having too many conversations that ended with life changing revelations and I needed a proper way to share the new philosophies I’d just uncovered. Marie dropped a big one on me during our talk last week. It completely changed the way I look at my work/life balance. Great talk!

We, as a society, have this issue with talking about money. For some reason, it’s taboo and completely forbidden for us to discuss money even though we are all dependent on it. Thankfully I have a friend who is more than willing to talk about finance with me. Madeline Finn flanks me this week as we talk about the principles we use to make money as a freelance artist. Great chat!

Anastasia Souris is back on the podcast to talk about how not to get burnt out, what an actual turning point in life looks like, and a step by step guide into forcing Thomas Sawyer to accept compliments. I was on board until the last part. Great talk!

Taking the podcast to Instagram Live and talking about accepting compliments, comments, and criticisms.

This week I got to sit down with Porsha Hall to talk about her experience as a model, pursuing multiple passion concurrently, and how to deal with negativity by spreading positivity. Great talk!

I sat down for another "solo" episode with Lauren. We talked about things we fear, growing up without the internet, and how we met. Great talk!

Got a chance to sit down with Braxton & Charity before we shot some photos in my home office. We talked about their up-bringing, how the two of them met, and how they’ve navigated being a band – including having 8 different bass players in a matter of months. Great talk!

I might be three days late posting it, but you know what – I showed up. Today we talk about simply stating what you’re doing rather than talking down about yourself, detour to talk about how cool my friends make me feel, and go out with a bang on a side tangent about trying new things after I’ve already done the closing remarks; better late than never.

I had the opportunity to sit down with my friend, Katie. She’s a professional pole vaulter. She has a number of accolades under her belt, but somehow remains to be one of the most humble people I’ve met. I know there are so many good things in store for her. Great talk!

Links to everything I talked about: My Youtube Channel, Artisans S2E1 – Blacksmithing, Artisans S2E2 – Headwear, and my Instagram.

The main topic of today's episode is travel, but we also hit on boundaries and personal growth as we circle the drain. Lauren and I break down what makes us better travel companions and how we can coexist on the road. Let's get into it!

Remember that scene from Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone where Ron says "She needs to sort out her priorities!" That's what inspired this week's episode title. Anyways, this is the first time in the podcast's history that I've missed a week and I wanted to talk about it. Lauren graciously accepted the invitation to be on again because I really didn't want to talk to myself two episodes in a row. Let's talk priorities!

We put a lot of pressure on ourselves as creators. Often times we see others creating work that is so inspiring to us and done an incredibly fast rates that we feel overwhelmed and discouraged. Today I wanted to share my story of how I navigated that feeling and a little bit of encouragement for you to keep doing things your way.

The Thomas Sawyer Podcast is a weekly show that dives into the reality of being a creative, imperfect human. With fly on the wall access to conversations between guests and host, Thomas Sawyer, the show captures a unique perspective on a generation determined to live out their calling. Connect with Thomas Sawyer on Instagram, Youtube, & Twitter.For questions, comments, sponsorship inquiries, visit tomcsawyer.com/connect

The Thomas Sawyer Podcast is a weekly show that dives into the reality of being a creative, imperfect human. With fly on the wall access to conversations between guests and host, Thomas Sawyer, the show captures a unique perspective on a generation determined to live out their calling. Connect with Thomas Sawyer on Instagram, Youtube, & Twitter.For questions, comments, sponsorship inquiries, visit tomcsawyer.com/connect

Resisting the urge to make any twin puns.Follow these two on Instagram: @langshawtwinsAlso, how they found time to write a children's book is baffling... https://amzn.to/2uyPrcoThe Thomas Sawyer Podcast is a weekly show that dives into the reality of being a creative, imperfect human. With fly on the wall access to conversations between guests and host, Thomas Sawyer, the show captures a unique perspective on a generation determined to live out their calling. Connect with Thomas Sawyer on Instagram, Youtube, & Twitter.Questions, comments, sponsorship inquiries? Visit tomcsawyer.com/connect

Finally able to define what makes this podcast unique and how to focus on that. Honestly, I’m figuring out what makes my work as a whole unique. Excited to be on this journey and starting a dialogue with you guys.'Working For Free' Video I mentioned: https://youtu.be/J6nm0U_oBX8The Thomas Sawyer Podcast is a weekly show that dives into the reality of being a creative, imperfect human. With fly on the wall access to conversations between guests and host, Thomas Sawyer, the show captures a unique perspective on a generation determined to live out their calling.

The Thomas Sawyer Podcast is a weekly show that dives into the reality of being a creative, imperfect human. With fly on the wall access to conversations between guests and host, Thomas Sawyer, the show captures a unique perspective on a generation determined to live out their calling. Connect with Thomas Sawyer on Instagram, Youtube, & Twitter.Questions, comments, sponsorship inquiries? Visit tomcsawyer.com/connect

The Thomas Sawyer Podcast is a weekly show that dives into the reality of being a creative, imperfect human. With fly on the wall access to conversations between guests and host, Thomas Sawyer, the show captures a unique perspective on a generation determined to live out their calling. Connect with Thomas Sawyer on Instagram, Youtube, & Twitter.Follow our special guest host, Madeline Finn, on Instagram (@madeline_finn_) for daily affirmation stories and other encouraging content.Questions, comments, sponsorship inquiries? Visit tomcsawyer.com/connect

Playing every role on the show doesn’t afford me a lot of time (no complaints – I’m psyched I get to do this) so I actually don’t listen to my own podcast. I drop the audio in a timeline, cut the in’s & out’s, make any edits that I made a mental note of when recording, and then export. This makes things interesting because there’s always one specific moment that sticks out to me. The moment from this episode with Sam was about masks. Happy hunting!The Thomas Sawyer Podcast is a weekly show that dives into the reality of being a creative, imperfect human. With fly on the wall access to conversations between guests and host, Thomas Sawyer, the show captures a unique perspective on a generation determined to live out their calling. Connect with Thomas Sawyer on Instagram, Youtube, & Twitter.If you’re interested in my podcasting set up, I have 2 Shure SM58s on dirt-cheap scissor boom stands running into a Zoom H4n Pro Recorder.Questions, comments, sponsorship inquiries? Visit tomcsawyer.com/connect

National Suicide Hotline: 1-800-273-8255

We need to talk more about failure. I’m glad Aaron is willing to speak up.The Thomas Sawyer Podcast is a weekly show that dives into the reality of being a creative, imperfect human. With fly on the wall access to conversations between guests and host, Thomas Sawyer, the show captures a unique perspective on a generation determined to live out their calling. Connect with Thomas Sawyer on Instagram, Youtube, & Twitter.If you’re interested in my podcasting set up, I have 2 Shure SM58s on dirt-cheap scissor boom stands running into a Zoom H4n Pro Recorder.

The Thomas Sawyer Podcast is a weekly show that dives into the reality of being a creative, imperfect human. With fly on the wall access to conversations between guests and host, Thomas Sawyer, the show captures a unique perspective on a generation determined to live out their calling. Connect with Thomas Sawyer on Instagram, Youtube, & Twitter.If you’re interested in my podcasting set up, I have 2 Shure SM58s on dirt-cheap scissor boom stands running into a Zoom H4n Pro Recorder.

Tiffany was an absolute delight to have on the show. I cannot stress how cool and smart and wonderful she is. She definitely deserves more time in the spotlight (even though she’ll probably fight it).Follow her on Instagram: @tiffanyjoyphotoThe Thomas Sawyer Podcast is a weekly show that dives into the reality of being a creative, imperfect human. With fly on the wall access to conversations between guests and host, Thomas Sawyer, the show captures a unique perspective on a generation determined to live out their calling. Connect with Thomas Sawyer on Instagram, Youtube, & Twitter.If you’re interested in my podcasting set up, I have 2 Shure SM58s on dirt-cheap scissor boom stands running into a Zoom H4n Pro Recorder.

The Thomas Sawyer Podcast is a weekly show that dives into the reality of being a creative, imperfect human. With fly on the wall access to conversations between guests and host, Thomas Sawyer, the show captures a unique perspective on a generation determined to live out their calling. Connect with Thomas Sawyer on Instagram, Youtube, & Twitter.If you’re interested in my podcasting set up, I have 2 Shure SM58s on dirt-cheap scissor boom stands running into a Zoom H4n Pro Recorder.

Aubrey is one of my best friends and when I got to her house to record, I asked her, “What’s off limits?” When she said nothing I knew it was going to be a deep talk, but I had no idea she was going to dive in with being adopted. Woo. Follow her on Instagram: @thatswhatsheeatsThe Thomas Sawyer Podcast is a weekly show that dives into the reality of being a creative, imperfect human. With fly on the wall access to conversations between guests and host, Thomas Sawyer, the show captures a unique perspective on a generation determined to live out their calling. Connect with Thomas Sawyer on Instagram, Youtube, & Twitter.If you’re interested in my podcasting set up, I have 2 Shure SM58s on dirt-cheap scissor boom stands running into a Zoom H4n Pro Recorder.

The Thomas Sawyer Podcast is a weekly show that dives into the reality of being a creative, imperfect human. With fly on the wall access to conversations between guests and host, Thomas Sawyer, the show captures a unique perspective on a generation determined to live out their calling. Connect with Thomas Sawyer on Instagram, Youtube, & Twitter.If you’re interested in my podcasting set up, I have 2 Shure SM58s on dirt-cheap scissor boom stands running into a Zoom H4n Pro Recorder.