Episodes

Few things in this world embody grace, finesse, and beauty as ballet. Dancers train almost obsessively to refine their performances to the most minute detail. Dance can therefore become an all encompassing venture, but it doesn’t have to be. Today’s guest on The Holly Hughes Podcast is professional ballet dancer Remi Okamoto. Remi is originally from Kyoto, Japan, but has trained and studied all around the world. Remi is currently residing in Charlotte, NC as part of Charlotte Ballet’s First Com...

Today’s guest on The Holly Hughes Podcast is author Judy Goldman, an author of eight books — four memoirs, two novels, and two collections of poetry. Judy has recently released a book called The Rest of Our Lives, a reflection on the aging process no matter what stage of life you’re in. Judy joins Holly for a discussion around different perspectives on aging, evolving feelings about self-image and confidence, and the beauty of writing memoirs.

Canadian-Korean author Jinwoo Park joins host Holly Hughes on today’s episode of The Holly Hughes Podcast for a conversation about his journey of cultural identity, the immigrant experience, and the creative process behind his debut novel, The Oxford Soju Club. Jinwoo and Holly explore themes of belonging, the challenges of fitting in, and the expectations placed on immigrant children. Jinwoo talks about his academic pursuits, the influence of family expectations on his career choices, and the importance of humor in storytelling.

Today’s guest on The Holly Hughes Podcast is a literary professional who helps countless other writers express their ideas and get their work published. Betsy Thorpe has worked with both big name authors at prestige publishing houses to indie writers trying to breakthrough. Betsy Thorpe joins host Holly Hughes for an insightful conversation about all things writing. Betsy talks about her journey to becoming a writer, how a good editor can shape a story, the emotional core of storytelling and the business of writing and publishing.

Filmmaker Rob Moniot joins host Holly Hughes on today’s episode of The Holly Hughes Podcast. Rob talks about his career in Hollywood, from being a stuntman to finding his path in filmmaking through short films. Rob also talks about the business of making movies, navigating loneliness, and telling a Jewish story as a non-Jew in one of his latest films.

Brian Lafontaine and Holly Hughes sit down for a conversation about how Brian uses his voice professionally. Brians talks about his background in the arts, particularly his love for live theatre. He also shares some of his philosophies for creativity, public speaking, and tuning into your own unique perspective to help you stand out from the crowd.

Indie musician Francis Doom joins The Holly Hughes Podcast for a wide-ranging conversation about music and the identity behind the beats. Born in the US, but to Korean parents, Francis Doom grew up quietly rejecting his Korean heritage in favor of American assimilation. It wasn’t until he was older and grew more comfortable with his roots that he was able to truly embrace his craft. Francis Doom and Holly Hughes have a conversation about the creation of music, embracing identity, and the simple joys of creating.

Creativity is a holy way of being! The essence of creativity is both intangible and undeniable. Today’s guests on The Holly Hughes Podcast specialize in channeling your creativity energy and letting go of needless veneers. Sam Howarth is the founder of The Way She Was Made, where she is a “brand alchemist, Business doula, embodiment guide, and soul-led business strategist.” Phoenyx (Vanessa Giorgio) is a visual artist based in Toronto. Sam and Phoenyx join host Holly Hughes for a deep dive discussion on spirituality, creativity and tapping into our own intuition. Sam and Phoenyx also discuss human design and how it can help you live a more spiritually aligned life.

The essence of creativity is both intangible and undeniable. Today’s guests on The Holly Hughes Podcast specialize in channeling your creativity energy and letting go of needless veneers. Sam Howarth is the founder of The Way She Was Made, where she is a “brand alchemist, Business doula, embodiment guide, and soul-led business strategist.” Phoenyx (Vanessa Giorgio) is a visual artist based in Toronto. Sam and Phoenyx join host Holly Hughes for a deep dive discussion on spirituality, creativity...

Lorin Oberweger joins Holly Hughes to talk about a wide range of topics in the writing industry. They talk about the intricacies of editing, the importance of workshops, and the evolving landscape of publishing. Lorin shares her insight on the impact of AI on creativity, the dynamics of self-publishing versus traditional publishing, and the significance of character agency in storytelling.

Rob Noxious joins host Holly Hughes to talk about his musical influences growing up in LA, making the move to Hollywood and launching a career in music. Rob also speaks on inventing Unigrips, a special grip for drumsticks, and the decade-plus journey it took him on. Finally, Rob speaks about balancing family life and music, as well as the need to stay fit to continue performing and recording.

For many listeners of this podcast, the golden era of comic books is something we fondly remember. Names like Spiderman, Superman and Conan are more familiar to us than many family members. For each of those iconic properties, there is a creative mind behind the writing, artwork and storytelling that brings those comics to life. Today’s guest on The Holly Hughes Podcast has dedicated his life to breathing life into some of the most beloved franchises to grace the pages of comic book lore. Jim Zub is an artist, writer and creative director for the Conan: The Barbarian franchise, as well as The Avengers, Skullkickers and more.  Jim and Holly talk about the creation and direction of revered comic franchises, the atmosphere of events like San Diego Comic-Con, the industry of creativity, collecting memorabilia, and the power of relationships - particularly the one you have with your life partner.

Coming from a background in writing rooted in journalism, Samantha Dunn always writes with the idea that someone, somewhere will read what she’s writing. From that foundation, Samantha has authored numerous books, short stories, essays and memoirs, including Faith in Carlos Gomez: A Memoir of Salsa, Sex and Salvation. She is now the editor of Coast Magazine, based in Southern California, and also teaches at Chapman University. Samantha and Holly talk about their creative processes, the influence of journalism on her writing, her love of horses, and living with Parkinsons.

Misha Fair is no stranger to music and the industry surrounding it. Growing up in Georgia, she was raised by a family that had deep connections to music, including parents who were in the SOS Band, a grandfather who was friends with Sammy Davis Jr., and another grandfather who was nicknamed “King of the Stroll.” It’s no surprise that Misha has learned a lot from her family about the music industry, and today is a singer, songwriter and producer herself. Misha records and performs under her own ...

The world we live in is bigger than we can fully grasp and holds more diversity than we know exists. While it would be easy to continue creating from a place of familiarity, discovering new places and people will challenge us as creatives to have a more complete perspective. Chris Georgiev is a software engineer, graphic designer and founder of Imagga, and AI-powered image recognition software. Chris is Bulgarian, but has lived in Seoul, South Korea for more than a decade. Chris and Holly began...

No matter who you are or what you do, life has a way of challenging you. It’s never easy, but the way we react to things not working out the way you’d like often is the catalyst for personal growth.  Today’s guest on The Holly Hughes Podcast makes midlife look like a dream. In her forties, Wendy Valentine found herself battling debt, divorce, unemployment, the passing of family, chronic illness and of course depression. From that low point, Wendy began a journey of rediscovery and transformation. Today, Wendy is a successful life coach, podcaster, and author. Wendy Valentine joins Holly Hughes for a discussion about creativity, personal growth, and the challenges of mental health. They discuss the importance of self-care, the impact of loss on creativity, and the need to embrace imperfection. Finally, Wendy talks about the significance of detaching from external validation and the freedom that comes with pursuing one's passions.

In the very first episode of The Holly Hughes Podcast, Holly sits down for a conversation with actor, writer and teacher Jamie Rose. Rose began her Hollywood career as a child actor starring in commercials for Kool-Aid and Mountain Dew before becoming a full time actor. She would have starring roles in TV shows such as Falcon Crest and Lady Blue in the 1980s, and would have regular appearances on Chicago Hope, Ally McBeal and Walker, Texas Ranger in the 90s. Jamie Rose now owns her own acting s...