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PODCAST

Inspired Minds

Jeff Watson, Michael Lee Simpson

The soul of artistry lies behind the scenes in the creative process and the heartbeat of greatness lies within the most inspired individuals. Listen to in-depth interviews with directors, writers, producers, authors, entrepreneurs, comedians, musicians and figures from all walks of life. Produced by writer and journalist Michael Lee Simpson and hosted by Warner Bros. Records executive-turned therapist in training Jeff Watson, “Inspired Minds” is filled with tales of life, joy, pain and imagination

tv & film film interviews

All Episodes

35:18

Tom Hoeler

Inspired Minds ·

2025/06/22

Tom Hoeler is the Editorial Director of Fiction & Special Projects at Random House Worlds, a division of Penguin Random House. He specializes in developing and editing fiction across major licensed properties, including Star Wars, Magic: The Gathering, and World of Warcraft, playing a key role in bringing immersive storytelling to fans worldwide. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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56:19

Neil O'Brien

Inspired Minds ·

2025/04/26

Neil O’Brien is a Senior Broadcast Producer at NBC News Specials and an Emmy and Peabody award-winning journalist with over two decades of in the industry. He is the author ofAfter Disney: Toil, Trouble, and the Transformation of America’s Favorite Media Company, which explores the dramatic succession struggles and creative transformations at Walt Disney Productions following Walt Disney’s death, revealing how the company evolved into the modern entertainment powerhouse it is today. Hosted on Acast

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45:44

Paula Munier

Inspired Minds ·

2025/04/01

PAULAMUNIERis theSenior Agent and Director of Storytelling for Talcott Notch Literary andUSA TODAYbestselling author of the Mercy Carr mysteries from Minotaur.Over her 20-plus years in the business, she’s conceived, created, produced, and marketed exceptional content in all formats across all markets for such media giants as WGBH, Fidelity, Disney, Gannett, S&S, Quarto, Greenspun Media Group, among others.She represents both fiction and nonfiction; her clients run the gamut from debut authors to

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49:32

David L. Robbins

Inspired Minds ·

2024/12/29

David L. Robbins is the author of seventeen novels, including two bestselling works, War of the Rats and The End of War. Known for his gripping historical fiction, Robbins has also made a mark as a co-founder of the James River Writers and as the founder of the Richmond-based Podium Foundation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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39:27

Katharine Sands

Inspired Minds ·

2024/08/30

KatharineSandsis a literary agent with the Sarah Jane Freymann Agency in New York City. She is the agent provocateur ofMaking the Perfect Pitch: How to Catch A Literary Agent’s Eye. She has been a guest speaker on writing and publishing forPoets and Writers, The American Society of Journalists and Authors, UCLA, New York University, and the New York State Council on the Arts.Katharinehas worked with a varied list of authors who publish a diverse array of books including fiction, memoir and

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47:41

Damon West

Inspired Minds ·

2024/08/14

DamonWest, M.S. Criminal Justice, is acollege professor,internationally known keynotespeaker,3 x Wall Street Journalbestselling author and former crime boss in Dallas, who was sentenced to Life in prison for Organized Crime.USA Today calls him the “modern day Shawshank Redemption and the most in-demand speaker in America.”At 20 years old, he was a Division 1 starting quarterback at the University of North Texas, when he suffered a career ending injury and turned to hardcore drugs to cope with

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42:52

Christina Lopez

Inspired Minds ·

2024/05/16

Christina Lopez is an assistant editor at St. Martin’s Press, where she started as an intern in 2021 and worked her way up. In her time at SMP, she has worked on a wide array of books in several genres and with several amazing authors including Katherine Center, Kristin Hannah, and Sally Hepworth. She loves books that make her feel big emotions and is passionate about giving a voice to writers of underrepresented backgrounds.Christina graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a double

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36:03

Lisa Sharkey

Inspired Minds ·

2024/02/22

Lisa Sharkey, SVP Director of Creative Development of HarperCollins Publishers, opens up about her journey into the publishing industry after working as Senior Producer for “Good Morning America” and President of Al Roker Entertainment. She has overseen the acquisition and publication of more than fifty New York Times Bestsellers, including multiple number-one bestsellers. A two-time Emmy Award winner, she received the Peabody and Dupont Awards for her work on the ABC News team during 9/11. Hosted

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49:30

Marco De Molina

Inspired Minds ·

2024/02/08

Marco De Molina is a 2022 Grammy Nominated film producer and co-founder of the independent production company Spacebrain. He has received international acclaim at prestigious film festivals worldwide, including the Festival de Cannes. De Molina has also produced countless music videos for chart-topping musicians in all genres, from metal to pop, receiving numerous nominations and wins at the MTV VMAs and UKMVAs, including a Grammy Nomination for Best Music Video for LIL NAS X “Montero (Call Me By

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48:48

Jim Kouf

Inspired Minds ·

2023/11/28

Jim Kouf is a screenwriter, director, and producer who has worked on a variety of beloved films and TV shows. Hewrote "Rush Hour," "National Treasure," "The Boogens," "The Hidden," executive produced "Con Air," and wrote/directed "Gang Related," "Miracles," and "Disorganized Crime." In the television space, Kouf wrote and co-created "Grimm," along with writing and producing credits for "Angel" and "Ghost Whisperer," among others. He received the 1988 Edgar Award for Best Motion Picture Screenplay

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47:48

Michael Pollack

Inspired Minds ·

2023/08/15

Michael Pollack has held leadership positions for more than 35 years in the legal, financial and entertainment industries. Michael is the founder and former President of a litigation support firm that is today part of an international group of companies. He has held directorship positions for more than a dozen financial institutions that are both private and publicly held. Specializing for decades in M&A and Turnaround Management he has spearheaded tens of billions of dollars of financing in

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57:15

Laverne McKinnon

Inspired Minds ·

2023/04/12

Laverne is a Japanese-American film and television producer with more than 20 years of successful programming and producing experience in premium cable, broadcast and digital platforms. She is the Executive Producer of the Netflix series GIRLBOSS, and co-founder of K&L Productions, a film & television company created with Kay Cannon (PITCH PERFECT, BLOCKERS and CINDERELLA). Her guiding passion is helping creative professionals tell their stories to derive outer accomplishment from inner

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45:56

Chelsea Peng

Inspired Minds ·

2023/03/30

Chelsea Peng is the Senior Editor ofNew York Magazine'sThe Strategist,formerly Assistant Editor atMarie Claireand Fashion Editor, Branded Content atRefinery29. She joins us to discuss fashion, the journalism industry, and bringing fresh, new ideas into the world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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1:02:51

Jason Perlman

Inspired Minds ·

2023/03/22

23 years ago in 2000, Jason Eric Perlman packed up a U-Haul trailer, hitched it to his Jeep and drove across the country to begin his new life in Los Angeles. Three years after that move, his same Jeep was crushed by a 2000-year-old Sequoia Redwood tree while shooting his USC Master Thesis Film. So— in many ways, his dream came true…Since his days in a fine art high school outside of Philadelphia, Jason had been fascinated by film. It amalgamated his creative interests, being a lifelong musician,

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42:22

Steven Schneider

Inspired Minds ·

2023/03/01

A former film critic and scholar with M.A. Degrees in Philosophy from Harvard University and the University of London and in Cinema Studies from New York University, producer Steven Schneider has quickly risen the ranks of Hollywood to become one of the go-to experts in genre films. After having authored and edited numerous books on world cinema and horror, Schneider moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in producing. Following the record-breaking success of 2009's PARANORMAL ACTIVITY, a film he

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48:23

Michelle Holbrook

Inspired Minds ·

2023/02/18

Michelle Holbrook was diagnosed with Schwannomatosis, a type of neurofibromatosis also known as “NF,” at the age of 30. The disease causes tumors to develop throughout her body. But despite the pain she goes through each morning, she is now serving as an Ambassador for the Children’s Tumor Foundation and wants to educate others about the rare disease. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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49:47

Morena Duwe

Inspired Minds ·

2023/01/29

BuzzFeed Editor Morena Duwe discusses her rare journey from ballet dancer and film school student to finding her place in the world of journalism. Duwe is a Contributing Writer for Rolling Stone and the Los Angeles Times, and has written for CNN, Guardian News & Media, Business Insider, VICE Media, Billboard, Flaunt Magazine, LA Weekly, The Huffington Post, among others. She’s also a video host and producer, and her work explores topics ranging from social injustice and humanitarianism to

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48:59

Max Potter

Inspired Minds ·

2023/01/08

Maximillian Potter is a best-selling author and a Contributing Editor to Vanity Fair. He has been a staff writer and/or editor at Philadelphia Magazine,Premiere, Details, GQ and Esquire; and he has contributed to Outside and The Atlantic, among other publications. Potter has written two books: "The Opposite of Woe: My Life in Beer and Politics," the memoir of Colorado Governor and Democratic Presidential / U.S. Senate Candidate John Hickenlooper, published in May 2016; and "Shadows in the Vineyard:

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54:51

Mara Reinstein

Inspired Minds ·

2022/12/27

Mara Reinstein is a New York City-based entertainment journalist who's contributed toThe New York Times, Parade,The Television Academy, CNN, The Ringer,The Hollywood Reporter,The WallStreet Journal, AARP, Vulture and more. She’s also the film critic for Us Weekly magazine and Reader’s Digest and a Top Critic on Rotten Tomatoes. Read more atMaraMovies.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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45:44

Heather Langenkamp

Inspired Minds ·

2022/12/21

Heather Langenkamp began her career as an extra inThe Outsiders (1983) and Rumble Fish (1983) before debuting as a lead actress in Drew Denbaum’s film Nickel Mountain (1984). She is best known for her performances in several movies, including A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) and Dream Warriors (1987), as well as her return to Freddy in Wes Craven’s New Nightmare (1994). She has also appeared in films such as The Butterfly Room (2012), Star Trek Into Darkness (2013), Truth or Dare (2017). Heather

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77 results

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