Andy J. Pizza, an illustrator, bestselling children's book author, and host of "The Creative Pep Talk" podcast.

We dive deep into Andy's creative journey, exploring his early influences, including impact from the comedy world and Jim Carrey's work. The conversation unfolds as we discuss the highs and lows of the creative process, touching on moments of self-discovery and the importance of embracing all facets of oneself, even the parts we don't like. We also explore the challenges of navigating mental health, sharing personal experiences and coping mechanisms. Andy reflects on his pre-social media creative beginnings, highlighting the changes in the creative landscape influenced by algorithms and the impact on authenticity, his path to making a career out of illustration, his latest children's book 'Invisible Things' + lots more.

Join us for what I feel is a very insightful conversation that delves into the real stories behind Andy's journey, offering a glimpse into the hidden treasures found in the cave of self-discovery!

FOLLOW @andyjpizza

Find out more information + find Andy's books at andyjpizza.com

Check out his 'Creative Pep Talk' Podcast

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THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY:

The Scatter Joy Project - @thescatterjoyproject

The Scatter Joy Project is a local Columbus nonprofit focused on fighting for mental health. They aim to make mental health care accessible and affordable for everyone. They sell apparel with 100% of the profits funding their crisis text line, their network to help people find the mental health help they need, and their very own therapy fund. So whether you're looking to get help or want to donate to help support the cause, Scatter Joy is right for you. Find more info at www.thescatterjoyproject.com

Midwest Photo - @mpex_photo_video

Midwest Photo is a photo, video & audio store located in Columbus, OH offering tons of services from gear purchases & rentals, used gear buy & sell, printing services, film development and simply a knowledgable staff ready to help you with your photo needs at any time! Go check them out or visit mpex.com for more information.

PromoWest Productions - @promowestlive

For all upcoming shows & event info visit promowestlive.com  or to purchase tickets directly, visit AXS.com

Ashley Tracy is an Ohio based Wedding, Family & Couples Photographer 

In this episode I sit down with the talented Ashley Tracy, a photographer hailing from right here in Ohio. We uncover Ashley's journey, from her background in news reporting to the pivotal moment when she decided to turn her passion for photography into a thriving business.

As we delve into Ashley's entrepreneurial venture, she sheds light on the evolving landscape of social media and how she navigates it, the challenges posed by algorithms and the pursuit of authenticity in the creative realm. We also talk about the unique ability to read energy in a room, not as a happenstance skill but as an intuitive gift shaped by life experiences. Together, we then explore the nuances of personal growth, the impact of anxiety, and the importance of self-awareness..

Join us for a fun conversation that goes beyond the lens, touching on creativity, self-discovery, and the ever-changing dynamics of the photography business!

FOLLOW @ashleytracyphoto

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THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY:

PromoWest Productions - @promowestlive

For all upcoming shows & event info visit promowestlive.com  or to purchase tickets directly, visit AXS.com

 River & Rich - @riverandrich

At River & Rich, you’ll find yourself living the colorful life. River & Rich brings together quality apartments, desirable amenities, and a vibrant artistic community. They offer guided and self-guided tours, so come view an apartment anytime. Visit their website at riverandrichcolumbus.com for more information! Use 'WYDHPOD' for HALF OFF your security deposit! 

Unmeasured - @movementunmeasured

Unmeasured is a virtual barre class studio that celebrates your body & never shames it. When you join, you’ll have 100s of barre classes including a new on demand class added every week, weekly live classes, epic playlists, & even the occasional pop in from guest instructors at your fingertips and in the coziness of your own home.

Unmeasured is more than a movement membership, it’s a movement. Find out more at movementunmeasured.com

THEAL - @thealcolor 

THEAL is aimed to help independent creatives get out of the dark when it comes to the business end of creativity. Their goal to create tools that organize and empower creative leaders to grow their productions.

So how do they do that? Well they’ve got a handful of plug & play ready digital assets to help you on the ground level of your business. Find them all at thealcolor.com Use the code 'WYDHPOD' at checkout! 

'No Name Tim' is my guest this week. He's a Music Producer & Engineer, and within that, has produced entrance themes for stars in the pro wrestling world. (NJPW/TNA) 

So, why's he called "No Name Tim"? Does he have an actual name? We uncover all of that plus a lot more is we dive into his multifaceted journey. From an initial foray into advertising and communications to a serendipitous connection in the music scene that transformed his career path. We talk early days mixing records to navigating the industry's challenges and evolving hip-hop trends. Fellow wrestling fans out there will also enjoy our dive into how he became involved in the world of pro wrestling and what led him to creating entrance music for wrestlers! We also cover the intricacies of burnout, balancing intro/extroversion, the power of taking breaks, finding a way to push through lifes setbacks, feeling like you can live in a "default state of sadness" in life and how to balance that complexity, + tons more. 

FOLLOW Tim @no.name.tim

WATCH this episode on YouTube

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THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY:

PromoWest Productions - @promowestlive

For all upcoming shows & event info visit promowestlive.com  or to purchase tickets directly, visit AXS.com

 River & Rich - @riverandrich

At River & Rich, you’ll find yourself living the colorful life. River & Rich brings together quality apartments, desirable amenities, and a vibrant artistic community. They offer guided and self-guided tours, so come view an apartment anytime. Visit their website at riverandrichcolumbus.com

CrossFit Gahanna - @crossfitgahannaoh

CrossFit Gahanna is a gym built on community style fitness, focused on gym-goers of any and all skill levels. Whether you want to stop in for open gym and do your own thing, or get started in one of the many Beginner's Classes, there's options for everyone! Visit crossfitgahanna.com for more info.

Unmeasured - @movementunmeasured

Unmeasured is a virtual barre class studio that celebrates your body & never shames it.

When you join, you’ll have 100s of barre classes including a new on demand class added every week, weekly live classes, epic playlists, & even the occasional pop in from guest instructors at your fingertips and in the coziness of your own home.

Unmeasured is more than a movement membership, it’s a movement. Find out more at movementunmeasured.com

Mackenzie Schutt is a Personal Trainer at Fit One Four here in Columbus, OH, and most recently won 'Miss Ohio'!

In this episode I get to know Mackenzie Schutt and how she got involved in the world of modeling, fitness, and the full story behind what led her to being crowned 'Miss Ohio'! After having previously only gotten to interview Mackenzie for a few small commercial film projects we made for Fit One Four, I got to really dive into her full story in this one and we covered a lot I wasn't expecting! We talk what drew her to the world of fitness, entering modeling at a young age, the realities of the world of modeling and feelings of needing to "be on", dealing with the eyes of the public on social media, how she became a personal trainer, the story of Miss Ohio & a lot more. 

FOLLOW Mackenzie @macks.fit + @missohusa 

FOLLOW Fit One Four @fitonefour 

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THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY:

Unmeasured - @movementunmeasured

Unmeasured is a virtual barre class studio that celebrates your body & never shames it.

When you join, you’ll have 100s of barre classes including a new on demand class added every week, weekly live classes, epic playlists, & even the occasional pop in from guest instructors at your fingertips and in the coziness of your own home.

Unmeasured is more than a movement membership, it’s a movement. Find out more at movementunmeasured.com

Midwest Photo - @mpex_photo_video

Midwest Photo is a photo, video & audio store located in Columbus, OH offering tons of services from gear purchases & rentals, used gear buy & sell, printing services, film development and simply a knowledgable staff ready to help you with your photo needs at any time! Go check them out or visit mpex.com for more information.

PromoWest Productions - @promowestlive

For all upcoming shows & event info visit promowestlive.com  or to purchase tickets directly, visit AXS.com

Bridjet Mendy is a Comedian from Columbus, OH.

This week I get to know my (until now) good internet friend Bridjet Mendy and how she entered the comedy world, getting involved in stand-up and improv. We chat what got her interested in improv and getting started in Chicago, navigating a fear of public speaking, and how she started in stand up. We also each dig into our time (and gripes) working in the music industry, her time as a publicist, how she lived real life movie scenes by pretending to work at the HQ's of businesses she wanted jobs with (including P. Diddy's office) to get inside, the value in doing things that make us happy, uncovering our "whys", and well...A LOT of pro wrestling fandom talk. 

FOLLOW Bridjet @bjmendy

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THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY:

Unmeasured - @movementunmeasured

Unmeasured is a virtual barre class studio that celebrates your body & never shames it.

When you join, you’ll have 100s of barre classes including a new on demand class added every week, weekly live classes, epic playlists, & even the occasional pop in from guest instructors at your fingertips and in the coziness of your own home.

Unmeasured is more than a movement membership, it’s a movement. Find out more at movementunmeasured.com

PromoWest Productions - @promowestlive

For all upcoming shows & event info visit promowestlive.com  or to purchase tickets directly, visit AXS.com

Midwest Photo - @mpex_photo_video

Midwest Photo is a photo, video & audio store located in Columbus, OH offering tons of services from gear purchases & rentals, used gear buy & sell, printing services, film development and simply a knowledgable staff ready to help you with your photo needs at any time! Go check them out or visit mpex.com for more information.

Andrew White (@andrewleewhite) is a Columbus, OH based Photographer in the worlds of food & lifestyle.

It's another "Ross finally sits down with an internet friend" type of episode as I get to know Andrew this week! We talk about how he got into photography, how he made the leap from employed to self employed to become a freelancer, the feeling of being out of place and uncomfortable in a job you dislike, finding out what he really liked in the world of photography, getting initial clients as a freelancer + building a portfolio, publishing his own photo books, what attracted him to food photography in the Columbus community + how that lead to his latest involvement in the "Cooking Through Columbus" project + a lot more! 

Check out "Cooking Through Columbus"

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THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY:

Midwest Photo - @mpex_photo_video

Midwest Photo is a photo, video & audio store located in Columbus, OH offering tons of services from gear purchases & rentals, used gear buy & sell, printing services, film development and simply a knowledgable staff ready to help you with your photo needs at any time! Go check them out or visit mpex.com for more information.

Promo West Productions - @promowestlive

For all upcoming show & event info visit their site above & to purchase tickets directly visit AXS.com

THEAL - @thealcolor

The brand aimed at helping creatives get out of the dark when it comes to the business end of creativity. Their goal to create tools that organize and empower creative leaders to grow their productions. Being organized, is being creative. USE CODE 'WYDHPOD' AT CHECKOUT!

Franklinton Market - @franklintonmkt

Located right in the heart of the Franklinton Arts District in Columbus, OH, Franklinton Market is a convenience store that features a variety of snacks, beverages, health and beauty items, last minute grocery items, and of course the awesome Go Meals, a local and freshly prepared line of sandwiches, breakfast, lunch and dinner take-and-go, meals.

We made it to 100 episodes! It's a bit of a different episode for this one as I wanted to do something unique to lookback at 4 years and 100 episodes of making this show, so I called upon friend of the show, friend of mine, and reocurring guest Josh Emerick, to once again come on and take helm of the host's chair to help guide me through this one! 

He helps me spotlight and celebrate this podcast coming this far, how it's changed and evolved since the beginning, and we also catch up on the life side of things and how I've grown in the last few years since my full story episode, way back on E28. I wanted to also spotlight you, my dear listeners and give you the reigns for the topics in this one and you showed up! We dive into a Q&A portion in the last half of this one, answering all the rad questions and subjects you guys submitted (which seriously, thank you for that) some of which include topics like; Navigating the balance of mutliple creative pursuits, Goals for the next 12 months, The hardest parts of making this podcast, Going viral, When have you felt the most vulnerable, Regrets, Biggest lesson learned from my guests & more! 

I've said it everywhere else in this episode and I'll say it here, thank you for supporting this show so I can do what I love and sit and talk to people about their lives. Thank you to my guests, listeners, viewers, partners and anyone who's supported this show in any way! 

Be sure to hit that Follow & Subscribe button wherever you're at, and add a star rating + review if ya really wanna support! 

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THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY:

Midwest Photo - @mpex_photo_video

Midwest Photo is a photo, video & audio store located in Columbus, OH offering tons of services from gear purchases & rentals, used gear buy & sell, printing services, film development and simply a knowledgable staff ready to help you with your photo needs at any time! Go check them out or visit mpex.com for more information.

PromoWest Productions - @promowestlive

For all upcoming show & event info visit their site above & to purchase tickets directly visit AXS.com

 River & Rich - @riverandrich

At River & Rich, you’ll find yourself living the colorful life. River & Rich brings together quality apartments, desirable amenities, and a vibrant artistic community. They offer guided and self-guided tours, so come view an apartment anytime. Visit their website at riverandrichcolumbus.com

CrossFit Gahanna - @crossfitgahannaoh

CrossFit Gahanna is a gym built on community style fitness, focused on gym-goers of any and all skill levels. Whether you want to stop in for open gym and do your own thing, or get started in one of the many Beginner's Classes, there's options for everyone! Visit crossfitgahanna.com for more info.

THEAL - @thealcolor 

The brand aimed at helping creatives get out of the dark when it comes to the business end of creativity. Their goal to create tools that organize and empower creative leaders to grow their productions. Being organized, is being creative.

Terrance "ThaGawdShow" Davis is an improv & stand up Comedian here in Columbus, OH.

This week I chat limiting beliefs and breaking through those personal roadblocks with my hilarious friend Terrance Davis. While Terrance and I are no strangers to podcasting together, as he's been a reocurring guest on my improv comedy show 'Whose Life is it Anyway?', we had never gotten to sit down and get to know one another sans-making everything up. 

As we dive into all things Terrance we cover how he got into the world of comedy, what drew him to improv, unknowingly getting signed up for his first open mic (and doing it still), what the growing comedy scene is like in Columbus, learning to get past personal roadblocks, realizing the barrier of entry for dreams is a lot lower than we think, and a ton more in what is a VERY fun conversation. This is a great one! 

Follow Terrance @ThaGawdShow

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THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY:

PromoWest Productions - @promowestlive

For all upcoming show & event info visit their site above & to purchase tickets directly visit AXS.com

River & Rich - @riverandrich

At River & Rich, you’ll find yourself living the colorful life. River & Rich brings together quality apartments, desirable amenities, and a vibrant artistic community. They offer guided and self-guided tours, so come view an apartment anytime. Visit their website at riverandrichcolumbus.com

Midwest Photo - @mpex_photo_video

Midwest Photo is a photo, video & audio store located in Columbus, OH offering tons of services from gear purchases & rentals, used gear buy & sell, printing services, film development and simply a knowledgable staff ready to help you with your photo needs at any time! Go check them out or visit mpex.com for more information.

Diane Boden is the creator of the "Minimalist Moms Podcast" and Author of "Minimalist Moms: Living & Parenting w/Simplicity".

No, you don't have to be a minimalist, or a Mom to check out this episode! In this episode as Diane and I get to know each other, we delve into the lifestyle and philosophy of minimalism, the profound impact of mindful living, the importance of celebrating small victories, exploration of the Diane's life as a homeschooling mother, the shifting of priorities once you hit your 30s, and lots more! Tune in for a candid and insightful dialogue with Diane on life, parenthood, and the pursuit of balance in the midst of modern challenges!

Follow Diane @diane_boden

If you want to dive in more, be sure to check out her Minimalist Moms Podcast, or find grab her book "Minimalist Moms: Living & Parenting w/Simplicity"

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THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY:

Midwest Photo - @mpex_photo_video

Midwest Photo is a photo, video & audio store located in Columbus, OH offering tons of services from gear purchases & rentals, used gear buy & sell, printing services, film development and simply a knowledgable staff ready to help you with your photo needs at any time! Go check them out or visit mpex.com for more information.

PromoWest Productions - @promowestlive

For all upcoming show & event info visit promowestlive.com & to purchase tickets directly visit AXS.com

Franklinton Market - @franklintonmkt

Located right in the heart of the Franklinton Arts District in Columbus, OH, Franklinton Market is a convenience store that features a variety of snacks, beverages, health and beauty items, last minute grocery items, and of course the awesome Go Meals, a local and freshly prepared line of sandwiches, breakfast, lunch and dinner take-and-go, meals.

You can follow them online for more information @franklintonmkt

It's another great one from the archives! What was originally Episode 41, now Episode 97, it's a seriously FUN conversation with my friend Ryan Francis. 

Ryan was "Darren" in indie-cult-classic horror comedy "ThanksKilling", and is also a musician under his moniker "Huge Euge", he's been an event promoter as well, but more than anything, he's one of the most fun people to sit and talk to!

I label this episode simply a "feel good" conversation because while digging through Ryan's story, what's uncovered is a ton of fun side stories willed with tons of laughs, that are all encapsulated around the idea of doing your best to enjoy your life, create memories, experiences and connections with those around you, and to simply have a just do it mentality. (Nike stole that from him btw!) 

FOLLOW Ryan @HugeEugeOfficial 

WATCH Ryan on my improv show 'Whose Life is it Anyway?'