see & free studio

See & Free Studio Season, Episode 15 with writer, director, entrepreneur and futurist Michael Shaun Conaway

How do we want to be? As a world, as communities, as organizations, and as individuals? How do we live to make a difference? That is the question Michael Shaun Conaway ponders every day. His USD. To unleash the greatness of people and organizations to bring about a thriving future for humanity. To that end, he’s spent his career encouraging others to find the unique expression of themselves so they may make a profound impact in life. Many years ago, Michael Shaun discovered that he had no trouble tapping into his passions, but that they were focused in many diffuse ways. It took time to realize that the best way to make an impact is to tie his passion to his ultimate purpose - that thing that is so important that it gives you connection and energy…the ability to find your “wings.” And now he is soaring. In his recent film We Rise Up, he met with 150 inspirational global leaders including the Dalai Lama, Richard Branson, and Tony Robbins to re-envision our future and what’s possible over the next 100 years of humanity. The focus of the film is to imagine a world where we are all living in purpose and doing amazing things to solve incredible challenges. And as co-creator of the Generative Futures Institute, Michael Shaun continues to bring people together to create a thriving future for humanity and our way forward…bringing together problem solvers from all parts of the world and all walks of life to build shared visions and solutions that give us hope for what we can do together…in purpose. Or what we call at See & Free Studio…our USD. Come learn about Michael Shaun and The Generative Futures Initiative.

See & Free Studio, Season 2 Episode 13 with renowned stylist and Bravo’s Shear Genius winner Anthony Morrison

Proud West Londoner Anthony Morrison knew he wanted to be a hairdresser at age 8. That dream not only became a reality, but he became one of the most renowned stylists in the World as winner of Bravo’s inaugural season of Shear Genius and as a member of TLC’s “Glam Squad” on 10 Years Younger. It is no surprise that Anthony’s USD is to make every day better than the day before and to make everyone’s life brighter and more beautiful. Anthony uses his creative talents to create a unique space and community where his customers have an unforgettable experience. He’s done just that with The Londoner Salon in Hermosa Beach, where he’s modeled the salon after an English tea garden as LA’s first and only Open (H)air Salon - something that made The Londoner one of the most coveted salons to visit during the pandemic. Come learn about Anthony, his USD, and his commitment to Comfort Human - a nonprofit organization dedicated to aiding people suffering with Alzheimer’s.

See & Free Studio, Season 2 Episode 8 with Marica Slaughter who is fiercely advocating for recognition and equality for women athletes

Marica Slaughter...what's her USD? She's a connector and bridge builder - she prides herself on bringing people together to win and be successful. She's thoughtful and contemplative, and most importantly a leader who approaches challenges, goals, and circumstances with a steady resolve. While Marica has opportunities to lead in her day job as Director of Design Ops at MailChimp, her real passion is founding and leading Raw5Gear (www.raw5gear.com). A former star point guard at Georgia State University, Marica started Raw5Gear as a way to combine her innate creativity, community connections, and leadership while paying homage to her love of sports. Raw5Gear is a clothing brand dedicated to bringing awareness to the disparity in women's sports. Women make up 40% of collegiate athletes but only get 4% of marketing and recognition. Marica is using this medium to create dialogue, bring awareness, and drive change for fair and equitable programming and resources for women playing and coaching sports. Every step of the way, she’s focused on being a good leader and leaving a legacy. As she states, “legacy comes from the longevity of the things you instill in other people.” The people that mean the most to her are her three young boys - her legacy as a Mom is to raise “good humans.” Come learn about Marica, Raw5Gear, and The Women’s Sports Foundation.

See & Free Studio Season 2, Episode 4 with James Mitchell, bringing his professional problem solving to building start ecommerce delivery service Pandion

James Mitchell is a professional problem solver with an endless curiosity about well...everything. That’s his USD, and he’s tackled many challenges and problems over the years - weaving through science labs to marine bases to the board room. In all cases, James realized the power of great questions and deep inquiry to provide the best strategies and solutions. In each chapter of his career, he’s focused on advising others how to get to “yes” - exploring what’s possible, then identifying who and what was needed to solve the problem at hand. He brought his solution-oriented strategic brain and team mentality to his role as one of the founding members of the Amazon Air team and now to building cutting-edge start up Pandion. But his favorite role is shaping a new generation as a father of four kids with his partner in life Carra. Please learn about James, this chapter in his life, and help him support the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals (https://obap.org/give/).

See & Free Studio Season 2, Episode 3 with Meet Allison Buchner, our favorite IP lawyer and litigator and all around great human

Whip smart, tenacious, compassionate and resilient - that's how I describe this week's guest Allison Buchner. But what really matters is how this mom, wife, community leader and kick ass lawyer and IP expert describes herself. Allison's USD is a perfect triad of qualities: 1) the ability to make order out of chaos and thrive in it, 2) an incredible drive to win and succeed, and 3) solving problems for others so that they may have a better reality. This mix makes her a terrific lawyer and leader and an even better mom to her two girls. Allison wants her girls to know that having a great job and intensely pursuing success doesn't have to come at the expense of enjoying one's life and having fun. A great reminder for all of us. Please watch Allison's episode to learn about her daughter Sammie and her rare genetic disorder CACNA1A, and how her mom fights everyday for her to realize her dreams...to ride a unicorn and slide down a rainbow. 

See & Free Studio, Season 2 Episode 2 with Mark Nicholas, the multi-talented wizard behind See & Free Studio

This is a special behind-the-scenes episode of See & Free Studio with our Producer Mark Nicholas. In this episode, Mark gives us a peek at what it takes to produce our show while sharing insight into his very cool career. Mark’s a lawyer, musician, author, artist, photographer, and Owner of Manhattan Beach Studios. How did he become this Jack of all Trades? His USD: He describes it as FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) without the Fear. Mark throws himself into any endeavor with fearlessness & friends, to push him to master whatever is in front of him --sans that familiar fear of failure. His USD led to the creation of Manhattan Beach Studios, where he uses his expertise and products to bring others’ expertise and products to life, all while continually adapting his methods to a rapidly changing world. Come learn about Mark, the legacy he’s created, and his unwavering commitment to nonprofit Walk with Sally.

This is one to watch on YouTube at https://youtu.be/3pgNAmxXPkM

See & Free Studio with Sienna Jackson, a brilliant Change Maker who encourages each of us to create net positive change against the social issues impacting all of us

She started college at just 14 years old, and now at 28, she’s attaining her fourth college degree - this time an MBA at UCLA. Yes she is smart, but there’s more to it. Her USD is the perseverance to work really hard and master what she learns. She tackles whatever is in front of her, and that includes the pursuit of knowledge and the pursuit of social change. Sienna found the intersection of her passions for journalism and government - where she chased down geo-political scandals and illuminated international relations, and married that with her experience in the entertainment industry, an industry with an enormous platform to reach people through music and movies yet steeped in issues around discrimination and harassment leading to the Me Too movement. That intersection - social good. Now she is taking on climate change, institutional racism, gender bias, food deserts, access to fintech, and more. Her objective - getting the right stakeholders in a room to solve big problems. She reminds us that all of these problems are man made and therefore can be solved by man through powerful collaboration and coalition where we recognize that these issues are interconnected and need to be detangled and resolved. How do we all make net positive change on a social issue?

Come learn all about Sienna, the change she’s making in the World, and The Collective Identity Mentoring, a new 501c3 nonprofit organization based in Los Angeles that focuses on mentoring Black women and girls. https://www.thecollectiveidentity.org/donate

See & Free Episode 11 with goal-oriented Miss California USA 2017 India Williams, tackling her next dream of solving the World's problems

Goal! India Williams chases goals with tenacity, speed, and conviction. That is her USD. One of her major life goals was to win Miss California USA, something she accomplished in 2017 at just 20 years old. What that experience taught her was to hold onto her values and use every platform she has to make a difference in the community. Today, she is doing just that...tackling some of the World’s most systemic challenges as Executive Director of ScaleLA Foundation. Please come watch India tell us how to set ambitious goals and achieve them and learn all about the ScaleLA Foundation.