Thoughtful Intentions

The fifth solo episode with reflections from me, your host, Fiona Winch.

Jorrel Javier: Born in Manila, Philippines and raised in Torrance, California, the now Brooklyn resident lives his life with his emotions on his sleeve and chaos at the helm. From originating the role of Grover on Broadway in The Lightning Thief, to playing James Reynolds in the Angelica Touring Company of HAMILTON, Jorrel strives to inspire other queer Asian kids in taking their spotlight by living life as boldly and as deliberately as he can.

David Gaines is a Black writer, filmmaker and performer based in his hometown of Philadelphia. His work examines Blackness, masculinity, Christianity and mental health through an intersectional lens, and has been featured in the National Black Arts Festival, International Human Rights Art Festival, Write About Now, among many others. David has won numerous national slam poetry championships and placed 4th at the 2017 Individual World Poetry Slam. In 2020, he became the Poet Laureate of Montgomery County, PA and his poetry short film "Fine china." received international acclaim. Using written, visual and physical languages he hopes to make audiences laugh, think and reflect.

Anna Primosch is a law student at Georgetown University Law Center.  She had zero desire to go to law school….until she somehow wandered into the most competitive law school application cycle in history.

Maddie McKay guest hosts to interview me, Fiona Winch.

Paulina is an early childhood special education teacher. She's originally from Philadelphia but is now spreading her wings in Chicago. Paulina started her journey studying Theater at Penn State but it wasn't until her move to the Windy City that she discovered her heart was in the classroom. She decided to go back for her Masters in Early Childhood Education. She balanced working full time and grad school full time all while supporting herself to follow her passion. She hopes to become a wacky, artsy, preschool teacher in Chicago Public schools.

Aida Murad is an Arab NYC based Intuitive Artist whose mission is to help people feel seen, heard and loved through art. She paints with her fingers due to a past trauma. She became an Artist because she had Rheumatoid Arthritis. They say the darker the shadow the brighter the light. Her Rheumatoid Arthritis was her shadow. Her art is her light and serves as a light for others. When she was 20 years old, she was diagnosed with her shadow and, subsequently, semi paralyzed for 4.5 years. When she was in a place of suffering, she turned to art to help her heal. However, she didn't paint with paint brushes, she painted only with her hands to demonstrate to herself and to the world that she is not damaged, and this dysmorphia will not define her. Today, Aida combines her expertise as a Reiki master, Inuitive, Coach and Artist to create fine art by painting with her fingers to both beautify people's physical spaces and bring healing (each art piece is infused with reiki). As of May 2022, Aida has sold out 10 collections and has been featured in 21 exhibitions. Her work has been featured globally including in Voice of America, Reuters, TRT World, Al Jazeera, and the United Nations. She is named as the 2022 Georgetown University Artist in Residence to create healing art for the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center. She has also collaborated with Grammy Award winning artists including the drummer from The Doors, John Densmore, to use art for social good. Her paintings have been acquired globally including by the previous Deputy Minister of Culture of the U.A.E, Qatar America Institute for Culture, Board Member of the National Museum of Mexican Art and the previous Chairman of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights under Obama's administration at a historical landmark in Chicago. She is a BMW Foundation Leader and has received numerous awards for women in impact. As an Arab and previously disabled individual, Aida hopes to open increased pathways for more minorities and differently abled individuals to enter the arts as well as use art for nature conservation and climate change awareness.

Nelson Simon is a writer and performer. Originally from La Paz, Bolivia, he was a long-time collaborator with the choreographer Susan Hefner and the composer/percussionist Michael Evans, with whom he created performances and videos that explored the human situation with wit, irony, and lots of pratfalls. In 2006 Simon led a team of interviewers and facilitators from StoryCorps, the national oral history project, to New Orleans to chronicle the life of the city in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. In 2016 he created "The Accidental Sailor," the storytelling performance on which Soul of the Hurricane is based. He lives in Brooklyn.   Find the book at your local book store, on Amazon, or Book Depository.  

Sophie Brown is an actress and producer at a creative studio, deriving from Boston, Massachusetts. She moved to NYC after graduating from Pennsylvania State University in 2020 with her BFA in Acting. Sophie is still learning and growing as she breaks into an industry that has been ever-changing since the pandemic began.

22-year-old Rachel Wanat became a mother and full-time law student. 25-year-old Rachel became a licensed attorney and a wife. Rachel has juggled many challenging roles in a very short span of time. She hopes that her journey inspires others to be open towards non-traditional paths of life and to take chances and discover all that you're capable of achieving. She serves as an advocate for young mothers and for women in the legal profession.

Paige Barry is an actress, puppeteer and all-around creative person living in NYC. Originally hailing from Rhode Island, Paige made the trek to NYC after a series of really strange events: getting waitlisted at Harvard, living on an island, and babysitting for Fortune 500 families. Paige has recently pivoted from pursuing the performing arts full-time with several side hustles to taking on a new role in the financial space. She's working on shifting her mindset about what a job means to her: seeing a job as more of a tool to do the things she loves rather than as an uphill, unrelenting passion project. Through all of her life's turns and missteps, she has kept one thing constant: her desire to connect with others through art.

Vanessa Chapoy, 25, was diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer at the age of 24 with zero family history and no known genetics. She is passionate about early detection, breast health education, and patient advocacy for young women of color.

The fourth solo episode with reflections from me, your host, Fiona Winch.

Eva Katsaros is a CrossFitter by day and travel ICU nurse by night. Literally. She's been in various strength sports for most of her life, but CrossFit and weightlifting started her lifelong commitment to holistic fitness. The other lessons she's learned from being a woman in the strength sport space have opened her mind and changed her life over and over again.

Kira Robbins (she/her) is an enthusiastic tv watcher, book reader, creative, learner, and someone trying to stop describing herself by job descriptions first. After graduating in 2019 with a BFA in stage management and a BA in political science, Kira steadily climbed the theatre work ladder until the pandemic. Since then she has worked in digital art, on a political campaign, in elementary school classrooms, and somehow landed in Prague studying film. Back from Europe she now lives in Los Angeles combining all her previous skills while also trying to find footing in her new career path: the film industry.

Courtney Parr got her undergrad degree from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business and began her career in investment banking where she spent a couple of years doing mergers & acquisitions advisory (mostly healthcare), then moved over to a private equity fund doing large scale investments across the healthcare, financial services, and consumer industries. Recently she made the transition over to a company called Redesign Health, a mission-driven innovation platform that creates and launches healthcare companies.

Lauren Blitz is a Maryland native, new nursing student, and soon-to-be bride! She is currently working at a family-owned private home healthcare agency where she practices the fine art of client satisfaction management. Throughout her life, Lauren has been fascinated (and maybe a little obsessed) with all things medical and clinical. In her youngest years, playing doctor/nurse was the most frequent pastime. For her 13th birthday, she received a microscope and an Anatomy and Physiology textbook, which she used to fulfill her curiosities about the human body and life. Despite this passion, Lauren never felt as though she could handle the academic rigor in order to achieve her dream of becoming a clinician - until 2020. The pandemic brought newfound motivation, and existential crisis. What do I want to do with my life? Why would I be doing anything other than what I am most passionate about? These were some of the hard-hitting questions Lauren began asking herself. With the help of some trusted mentors and the blessing of her family, Lauren took one class at a time in order to qualify to apply for nursing school. One class led to another, and now she is an incoming nursing student in the Spring 2022 cohort. By day she may be hitting the books, but by night she is still a broadway show tunes connoisseur who loves to sing and dance around with her friends and family. 

Natalie Vero, or newly and legally now Natalie Brisson, is an actor, comedian, writer, editor, producer, podcaster, traveler, snowboarder, and other funky things. She was born and raised on Long Island, graduated from Penn State University with bachelor degrees in Theatre Performance and Broadcast Journalism, attended The Second City's Comedy Studies Program, and then moved to NYC to pursue acting. In September of 2018, she and her high school sweetheart, Ryan, got engaged in Croatia. What they thought would be less than a two-year blissful engagement turned into a three-year roller coaster ride as a result of the pandemic and so much more bad luck. With the world shut down, wedding plans crumbling before them and creative career opportunities halted, Natalie and her fiancé, Ryan, started a podcast called Just A Wedding. On the podcast Natalie and Ryan discuss their terrible luck with wedding planning, they feature guests who dive into the impact that the pandemic has had on them, and they always find a way to remind themselves to take life's sour lemons and make a kick ass vodka lemonade.

Marie MacTigue is a licensed occupational therapist (OT) who serves individuals of all ages in the greater Washington DC area. As a woman of faith, working in healthcare for the past year has taught her the importance of surrendering control and letting God take the lead. She spends most of her week seeking to increase the quality of life of older adults, and derives so much joy from the special friendships she's been able to develop. Outside of work, you can find Marie sucked into a deep TikTok hole, running on trails in DC, trying out new bars with her roomies, coaching pre-k soccer, or shopping at TJ Maxx with no actual purpose.

The third solo episode with reflections from me, your host, Fiona Winch.

Morgan V. Canham is an actress, fitness professional, and artist career coach with a passion for inspiring people to live more mindfully and speak their truth. With over a decade in the entertainment industry, a lifetime of practicing mindfulness, and her training as a dance and Pilates instructor, Morgan brings a unique blend of creative expression, discipline, and compassion to everything she does. She is the founder of Wakeup with SolRise and The Canham Collective where she offers group meditation and fitness classes and one on one career coaching for artists.

Shannon Wilson is a multi-hyphenate creative who is inspired by bringing the best out of everyone around her. By career, she's an art director who just made a switch to working at a leading home services company. By habit, she's a culture feen and loves to take steps toward creating a life where she can be her most authentic self. Her latest side gig is her new vintage brand, New Lover.

Emily Chertow, she/her, is the founder of @journalingclasses and community manager at The Washington Post. She is a Brooklyn-based creative often spending time in parks with friends and coffee shops with her journal. Emily is passionate about advocating for mental health, human connection, and the power of putting pen to paper. Emily created these spaces to hold space for others and to give people the opportunity to dig deeper into valuable conversations and thoughts. All the prompts instructed are hand-made with love and can be used on a regular basis or as needed!

Jonathan Savage is a New York based actor whose pandemic journey somehow led him to living in a van in Yellowstone National Park. Jonathan was last seen off-Broadway in Seesaw, as well as Footloose at both The Muny and The Kennedy Center. His concert Farewell to the West describes his quarantine journey from being a Professional Actor in New York City to living in a van in Yellowstone. A live performance is available on YouTube and once again in person at Feinstein's/54 Below this coming January. 

Jesse Winch was born and raised in the Bronx of Irish immigrant parents. He is the former cathaoirleach (chairman) of the O'Neill-Malcom Branch of CCÉ. A founding member of the band Celtic Thunder, Jesse also performs with various other groups playing bodhrán (Irish drum; pronounced "bow-ron"), guitar, bouzouki, and harmonica, and has recorded widely with many notable musicians. In May of 2012, Jesse was inducted into the CCÉ Hall of Fame.

Alex Kramer is a “nontraditional” pre-med student in almost every sense of the word. After graduating from Northwestern University in 2018 she moved to New York to pursue her dreams of being a Broadway performer. She worked as a waitress, a fitness instructor, and even dabbled in the corporate world while working on her original Jazz Vocal Album. After a medical diagnosis of her own, and with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic Alex decided to pursue another dream - a dream of becoming a Doctor. She's currently in the throes of applying to medical school, while working full time at a Clinical Research Facility.

Gabriella & Isabela Ramirez are sisters and founders of the Brooklyn-based business, Las Brewhas. Las Brewhas is a Latina-owned, family-run skincare line that is 100% sustainable. All of their ingredients are either supplied by local farms or sustainably sourced from the amazon from indigenous sellers. They are able to make products that are both beneficial for your skin's health as well as the planet, and Gabriella handmakes all the products herself. Their goal is to be able to have different weekly vendors that are local, and are especially looking to work with other QTBIPOC vendors and artists. When they are able to have a staff they will prioritize diversity and providing a community hub that is just as unifying.

Brendan Berndt is an actor, podcaster, and former vlogger who has major passions for both directing and writing. After attending four years as part of the Penn State BFA in Acting program, Brendan made the big move to New York. Less than a year later, the pandemic hit hard and Brendan found himself back home in Columbia, Maryland trying to figure out his next steps. Thank god that he had his own Podcast (Stuck in my Head) to keep him sane and moving forward.

The second solo episode with reflections from me, your host, Fiona Winch. 

Chloe de Winter is an Aussie physiotherapist, master Pilates instructor, and founder of online Pilates studio, Go Chlo Pilates. After living in Brooklyn for three years, she found herself stuck in Australia, unemployed, and living with her husband at her parents' house. How romantic! It was from her parents' converted study that Chloe launched Go Chlo Pilates and brought her skills to an online, global community. Chloe is passionate about Pilates, about helping others feel good in their bodies and making Pilates accessible to all. Her online platform offers classes for all levels, all schedules, and all preferences.

Designer Natalie Brown founded her clothing brand “NMB New York” in October 2020. The brand is based on her thesis collection from Parsons School of Design, where she graduated in 2020 with honors in Fashion Design following an undergraduate degree in Art from Elon University. The Peachtree City, Georgia native now calls New York home. She started her brand with an aim to create clothing that allowed people to embrace their individuality, and feel empowered by what they wear; feel good, look good, and do good. Natalie wanted to create the clothing that she wanted to wear, but could not find. NMB New York designs are based on upcycling, meaning that they take thrifted/vintage/other clothing, deconstruct them, then use them as fabric to create new, upgraded NMB original clothing. No NMB piece of clothing looks the same, each is an original, giving every customer their own unique expression. NMB aims to rebrand the idea of upcycling, giving it a fresh edge and luxury feel, whilst making strides toward a fashionably cleaner world and a healthier environment. Reduced waste never looked so good.

Wendy Behar is a licensed Therapist and author who has been sober for more than 23 years. There have been many twists and turns in her life that have inspired her to share resources and personal stories in order to empower all women, especially millennial women. Married at 22, raising two children in an abusive family, with an unsupportive spouse, divorcing, going to grad school at 40, and caring for sick parents are only a few of the challenges she’s faced. Her goal is to help women conquer their fears and learn to live a more authentic life. In her Amazon book #YourRulesYourLife, she discusses what she wish she had known when she was younger. Her goal is to empower others to improve by prioritizing their needs. For daily inspiration, follow her on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Linkedin.

Zack Wold is an actor, writer, and content creator based in LA. He is a graduate of both the Penn State School of Theater and the comedy studies program at The Second City in Chicago. He has his own sketch series WOLD ENTERTAINMENT, the first season of which is available on YouTube right now, and his podcast, "Around The Wold", drops new episodes every Friday.

Kameron Villavicencio is a different kind of triple threat. She's an actor, writer, and producer. She's also proudly pigeon-toed. She graduated from Penn State in 2018 and moved to Chicago on a whim, before ending up with the love of her life, New York City. Currently, she tries to find the balance between working and pursuing her dreams of being a creative in the theater and film world. She's passionate about pilates, bagels, and taking the ego out of acting, and everything for that matter.

I'm your host, Fiona Winch, and welcome to the first solo episode! As someone who asks people to share their stories, I thought it was about time to share mine.

Sammi Sadicario, aka The Creative Storyworker, guides people-pleasing artists to unconditional self-love with her Creativity Ignition Method. Before her obsession with all things nutrition, storywork, mindset, and self-care, she was on track to a career in the entertainment industry. She spent her days auditioning for Broadway, writing shows, and producing short films. After years of seeking external validation in work and relationships, high stress, low immunity, and constant injury, she found her true passion for healthy mindset and life coaching. Now when she’s not coaching her fabulous clients to stronger health and creativity, she can be found rock climbing and camping outside of her home in Seattle, WA.

In 2018 JeNaye Alston graduated from Elon University with a degree in Strategic Communications & Business. Upon graduating she headed straight to NYC to pursue a career in Public Relations. Shortly after JeNaye transitioned out of the PR agency life and into the world of fashion. She now works in the operations division for a major department store, and moonlights as a freelance digital designer. As a 20 something just starting out in NYC JeNaye has had many formative and eye opening experiences that have shaped who she is today, and she's excited to share her newfound perspective.

Francesca grew up in an Irish-Catholic family in a small town in Northern New Jersey, about 20 miles west of New York City. Her childhood and youth were defined by her Catholic school education and by formidable nuns who encouraged their students to strive to make the world a better place.   Her college years led her to her mother's alma mater, Trinity College in Washington DC, where she earned a BA in English. She spent her junior year abroad at The University of East Anglia in England, a truly life-changing experience. The time she spent backpacking all over Europe broadened her understanding of the world around her and deepened her resolve to immerse herself in it.    After graduation, Francesca worked for The US National Park Service at Arlington House in Arlington Cemetery, Virginia, the Robert E Lee Memorial. She gave tours in period costume hoop skirts, using sign language she learned at Gallaudet University for specialized tours for the deaf. This experience sparked her interest in teaching and motivated her to earn her MA in Secondary Education from The College of William and Mary. She began teaching English at Yorktown High School in Virginia.   At Yorktown, she created a popular elective course in World Literature which examined the texts of the major religions and the literature associated with the rise of these various belief systems. Guided field trips to a mosque, synagogue, and the National Cathedral were part of this program; she worked with students in developing a peer-facilitation program and was Chair of the English Department. She retired in July of 2020, after 36 years in the classroom, as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.    Francesca is the founder and President of the Board of Directors of Teen Angel Project, an ensemble of middle and high school students who sing and dance in nursing homes, rehab centers, and veterans' facilities, free of charge, and the founder and CEO of Eire-Go Tours, designing and leading culturally educational tours to Ireland. In 2020, she co-directed the virtual Kids' Camp for the annual Irish cultural immersion program, Musical Arts and Dance Week for the O’Neill Malcom Branch of the Dublin, Ireland-based Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann.     Now in retirement, she satisfies her need to teach and discuss literature and writing with teens and young people through her tutoring business, WriteAwayMoCo. (www.writeawaymoco.com.)

Lauren Echausse has been working on strengthening her gift as a lightworker for the past 6 years, and really just wants to bring more light into people's lives. In a time where there is so much darkness, she feels lucky that she was given this gift to help relieve people of some of the darkness they may feel is stuck inside them, and replace it with fresh, new light from the earth. Sound crazy?? She promises it isn’t. All of this work is rooted in ancient Hindu meditation. As a lightworker, Lauren goes through the chakras in the body to basically fine-tune and realign them so that they are at the right frequency to have the energy flow evenly. An easy meditation for you, and fun freeing work for her.

Aden Fikru graduated with a BS in public health science and will continue her education to become a PA. She currently works at Georgetown hospital in the IMC unit (with COVID patients) and founded her own mask company - Safe AF. During the beginning of the COVID pandemic, her goal and mission was to make, and give away as many masks as humanly possible to everyone, and anyone. Thanks to generous donations, she's made 1300 masks so far, and has shipped them nation wide.   

Rikki Postal graduated from UMD & launched her career in elementary education. She then moved into recruiting & HR for technology start-up companies where she developed a passion for inspiring & guiding others with their careers. Rikki continues to immerse herself in collaborative training, & conducting research in cognitive & behavioral therapies. Founder of Higher Ground; she now brings her knowledge, & experience to mentor others.

Melanie Guerrero is a Silver Spring Latina native, whose parents immigrated from Paraguay. She's a lover of food; food justice, gardening, and baby carrots! She loves working out and doesn't mind being bruised, like a banana. Mel recently got into climbing & is not good at it, but she's excited to get better. You can find her taking naps at Brookside Garden, watching a scary movie, or getting excited about new Trader Joe's products.

Noah Kieserman is an actor, composer, lyricist, playwright. Born in Maryland, he studied musical theater at the University of Michigan, joined DEAR EVAN HANSEN as an understudy for Evan/Jared/Connor after college, & now plays Connor Murphy on tour. He's also working on a musical called SHEL about the life and times of children's poet Shel Silverstein & hosts a YouTube improv series. Loves crosswords & yellowtail rolls.   

Jesse Winch was born and raised in the Bronx of Irish immigrant parents. He is the former cathaoirleach (chairman) of the O'Neill-Malcom Branch of CCÉ. A founding member of the bands Celtic Thunder, Jesse also performs with various other groups playing bodhrán (Irish drum; pronounced "bow-ron"), guitar, bouzouki, and harmonica, and has recorded widely with many notable musicians. In May of 2012, Jesse was inducted into the CCÉ Hall of Fame.

Welcome aboard! I'm Fiona, & I'm super happy to have you here - stay tuned for episodes coming soon.