Level Up! with Shay

In this solo episode, I talk about my experience using motivation and force in order to get things done, why I stopped using it, and the three things I've implemented in my life to accomplish my goals instead.

Super exciting announcement - the Video Creator Membership is LIVE!

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On this episode of Level Up! With Shay, Shay talks with Atlanta based actor, performer, improviser, writer and content creator, Karen Cassady.

They talk about:

• How she got started in theater and comedy
• Personal relationships and how she deals with lost friendships
• Leaving her corporate job and going freelance
• How she got into content creation
• Her experience working with brands as a content creator
• Process for making videos when she started vs now
• Mindsets around content creation to stay mentally well
• What to focus on instead of numbers
• Advice to people just starting out
• What she’s been intentional about lately
• What she does to take care of her mental health

Follow and connect with Karen:

Hope you enjoy this solo episode where I talk about usual excuses that keep us from creating, why we make them, and how to get rid of them.

Want to stop making excuses, believe in yourself, be surrounded by a community who wants the same?

On this episode of Level Up! With Shay, Shay talks with Atlanta based actor and writer, Hannah Aslesen.

They talk about:

• Her one woman show about honesty and taking it to the Hollywood Fringe Festival
• Her experience being gay, making herself small, and imposter syndrome
• Creating depth as a human being and an artist
• Putting yourself out there
• Putting people on pedestals
• The pressure of social media
• How she works having ADD
• And more!

Follow and connect with Hannah:

Hope you enjoy this solo episode where break down the 5 steps of creation, so you can take your comedy video idea and make it a reality.

Want to be more confident around your art, have an accountability system, and receive support and guidance from a group of creatives who are doing what you're doing?

On this episode of Level Up! With Shay, Shay talks with her manifestation coach, Kat Cozadd, a manifestation expert, money mindset and fulfillment coach, and multiple 6 figure entrepreneur.

They talk about:

• The steps Kat took to find her successful career as a money mindset and fulfillment coach
• What consistency and discipline mean
• The importance of creating habits around your identity
• Her experience with haters and why you may not have any
• Feeling inspired to create rather than creating because you think you need to
• How to see and create a positive future if you’re currently in a dark place
• And more!

Follow and connect with Kat at the links below.

On this episode of Level Up! With Shay, Shay talks with popular comedian and writer for the Kid’s Tonight Show (Jimmy Fallon), Kylie Brakeman.

They talk about:

• The classes and resources she’s used to fine tune her comedic voice
• How to be a performer and put on a better show by seeing the audience as a mirror
• How she creates her social media videos and characters
• What it felt like for her going viral
• How the times are changing for the quality of content people like
• Being ready for opportunity to come knocking
• Uses her creative community to hone in her writing and characters
• And more!

Follow and connect with Kylie below:

On this episode of Level Up! With Shay, Shay talks with Actress, Comedian, and Content Creator,  Becca Bastos. Becca became popular on social media from her comedy skits and POV videos during the pandemic and has just moved to LA to continue her acting and performance journey.

They talk about:

• How Becca gets into character for her performances
• Being hesitant to put out content
• How her audience influences her creative work
• Things she’s learned about herself through content creation
• The first step for someone who wants to make content
• The difference between being a full time content creator and someone doing it on the side
• Being a people pleaser
• How she deals with negativity or hate on social media and comparison
• How she takes care of her mental health
• And more!

Follow and connect with Becca below!

Guess what?? This is the last interview episode of Season 2! And I’m so excited about it because I have an awesome, kind, hilarious, and talented guest - Gilli Nissim.

Gilli is a writer, actress, and performer based in Los Angeles. She has been a writer for The Other Two on HBO Max, Pretty Smart on Netflix, and A.P. Bio on Peacock. She is also a co-host of the live talk show, We’re Gross, which was held at the UCB Theater in Los Angeles. And I’m so excited because after the long shutdown, it is coming back. And she and her co-host, Jake Jabbour, who was a guest in Season 1, get naked on stage. I don’t think every show, but a lot of them.

In this episode we talk about how Gilli viewed success after graduating college and trying to get into the entertainment industry, the many valuable things she learned from creating and making “We’re Gross,” the top 3 skills that helped her a job as a tv writer, and some great advice for writers and artists on their journey as they navigate the entertainment industry.

I had such a great time talking with Gilli and I hope you enjoy and get a lot out of our conversation. If you do, please take a screenshot of this episode and share on Instagram - tag me @levelupwithshay and Gilli @time2getgill

Thank you so much for being here. It’s time to level up.

Subscribe to Level Up! With Shay wherever you get your podcasts.

Welcome, level uppers! In today's quick hitter episode from my interview with Sam Valentine, she talks about being deserving of rest, being conscious about her schedule and how much she can manage and knowing what’s actually important to her.

Enjoy!

"We have to figure out how we can bake this [rest] into our lives to where we deserve it now and not wait for permission."

Welcome, level uppers! In today's quick hitter episode from my interview with Sam Valentine, she talks about the business of acting and the MINDSET of playing professionally in your art. 

Enjoy!

"I think once you realize it is not about the next gig, but it's about the next 10 years; that's when you're starting to play professional ball."

Welcome, level uppers! In today's quick hitter episode from my interview with Sam Valentine, she talks about the importance of a side hustle, building your skills, and why having multiple streams of income is the only sustainable way to live as an artist. 

Enjoy!

"What a boring life if you're always just waiting for someone else to give you the permission to make money."

Welcome, level uppers! In today's quick hitter episode from my interview with Sam Valentine, she talks about focusing on the important things in your career instead of worrying about things that don't matter.

Enjoy!

"I think if you're running around just trying to find the next moneymaker, the thing that will help you find stability, without giving any credence to your career pursuit, dude, you completely lose track of time."

In this week’s episode, I’m so excited to introduce you to Sam Valentine, an actress, podcaster, and entrepreneur. Sam is best known as One Broke Actress. She has the One Broke Actress blog, podcast, YouTube, Patreon and all the social medias. She moved to LA right after college with a Theatre Degree and in her words “with more conviction than she had dollars”. She is also the CEO of a new women-focused podcast production company called Fast Forward Productions.

In this episode we talk about her high and sort of outlandish expectations of moving out to LA to pursue acting, how she continues to refocus on her acting when she gets off track here and there, why she believes having a side hustle as an actor or artist is a MUST, how she has, throughout the years, figured out that she is deserving of rest and how slowing down has helped her realize what she really wants out of life.

I hope you enjoy our conversation and if anything that Sam says resonates with you, please share this episode on Instagram and tag me @levelupwithshay and Sam @onebrokeactress.

Thank you so much for being here. It’s time to level up.

Subscribe to Level Up! With Shay wherever you get your podcasts.

Welcome, level uppers! In today's quick hitter episode from my interview with Ashlei Shyne she talks about how she creates her life and her future, she opens up about how she almost gave up on her dreams and what has kept her going.

Enjoy!

Welcome, level uppers! In today's quick hitter episode from my interview with Ashlei Shyne, she talks about her experience going from acting to filmmaking with almost no experience besides acting and how the need for something to be perfect didn't stop her from putting it out into the world.

Enjoy!

Welcome, level uppers! In today's quick hitter episode from my interview with Ashlei Shyne she gives some advice for moving to the big city to pursue your career and how you can start even if you’re not ready for a big move.

Enjoy!

Welcome, level uppers! In today's quick hitter episode from my interview with Ashlei Shyne she talks about her experience with leveling up in her community through mentorships, surrounding herself with talented people and doing things that push her to grow!

Enjoy!

In this week’s episode, I’m so excited to introduce you to Ashlei Shyne, an LA-based comedy writer, actress, filmmaker and activist. She is best-known for playing Josephine Baker in the new sketch comedy tv series “The Book of Queer" now streaming on Discovery+.

She created, wrote and directed the web series “#TMI” and also created, wrote and directed a short film called Sia. As a writer, Ashlei is passionate about writing character-driven comedies centered around love, Black women and the LGBTQIA+ community.

In this episode we talk about how Ashlei surrounds herself with people who make her level up, the real struggles about living in LA and some advice for people who want to move there, how she writes characters who are based off of her life, but are still authentic in their own right, and she looks back to her younger self and gives her some advice and encouragement for her journey.

On today’s quick hitter episode, Rory Gardiner talks about how he went from getting discouraged playing the short game, chasing success and recognition, and why he switched to the long game with his authenticity.

Enjoy!

On today’s quick hitter episode with Rory Gardiner, he talks about two very important things - pivoting in our careers and trying something new.

Enjoy!

On today’s quick hitter episode, Rory Gardiner talks about how he changed his mindset around his day job. He shares a really interesting way of looking at it so we can stop focusing on having to go to a day job and instead turn our focus to our art.

Enjoy!

On today’s quick hitter episode from my interview with Rory Gardiner, Rory talks about how one thing he thought was his biggest failure was actually a huge success in the long run. And he speaks on the importance of making things because you never know what could happen.

Enjoy!

In this week’s episode, I’m so excited to introduce you to Rory Gardiner, a comedian, musician, singer-songwriter, and content creator. He is a 2018 Country Music Awards Nominated artist, has appeared on multiple CMT nationally broadcasted reality shows, shared the stage with a number of great country acts like Keith Urban, and has music featured in commercials, one including stars Kevin Nealon, Chris Bosh and Arnold Palmer. He has fused his music background with stand up comedy and has made a number of television appearances for brands like Under Armor, or shows like The Handmaid's Tale. He has over 50 Million views on TikTok, his comedy sketches have been featured on Funny or Die, America's Funniest Videos, and you can catch his hilarious 2019 TEDx Talk, on using humor as a coping mechanism.

In this episode we talk about how he thought one experience was once a failure but turned out to be one of the biggest successes he’s had, how to change your mindset around the day job, and how he started focusing on the long game through authenticity instead of chasing the short game and what’s popular.

Please share this episode on Instagram and tag me @levelupwithshay and Rory @rorygardinermusic.

Thank you so much for being here. It’s time to level up.

Subscribe to Level Up! With Shay wherever you get your podcasts.

On today’s quick hitter episode, Nicky Endres shares their perspective on what success means, how they internalize success and why it's so important to know our priorities in life in order to feel successful.

Enjoy!

On today’s quick hitter episode, Nicky Endres shares with us some advice for if you are trying to figure out who you are, what you want to say, who you want to be, how you want to show up in the world.

Enjoy!

On today’s quick hitter episode, Nicky Endres talks about embracing the darkness (the fear, the doubt, the insecurities, the shame, etc.) in ourselves through their hero, Xena Warrior Princess.

Enjoy!

On today’s quick hitter episode, Nicky Endres talks about their love for storytelling, questions you can ask yourself and things to keep in mind when creating your future.

Enjoy!

In this week’s episode, I’m so excited to introduce you to Nicky Endres, an adopted Asian-American Non-Binary Transfeminine Queer actor, comic, voice artist, and audiobook narrator based in Los Angeles, CA. They can be seen in The Dropout on Hulu, NCIS: Los Angeles on CBA, One Day at a Time, Lucifer, and On the Verge on Netflix, Veneno on HBO Max, amongst many other credits. Nicky has also narrated and co-narrated multiple books including Lead Me Astray, The Boy with a Bird in His Chest, How to Money, and How You Get Famous all of which can be found on Audible. And has a stand up comedy special called American Asian Eye’zd on the Reel Women’s Network.

In this episode we talk about how Nicky sees their differences as a gift, the importance of telling our own stories, the wisdom they learned from studying martial arts, how success is a state of mind, and most importantly, Nicky shares with us their true hero, Xena Warrior Princess.

If you enjoy this episode, share it on Instagram and tag us (@levelupwithshay and Nicky @MxNickyE) on Instagram!

Thank you so much for being here. It’s time to level up.

Subscribe to Level Up! With Shay wherever you get your podcasts.

In this week’s episode, I’m so excited to introduce you to Joel Byars, a comedian, podcaster, and writer based in Atlanta, GA. He has won both the Kenan Thompson Comedy Contest and Search for the One Competition, has been a writer for Comedy Central and The Weather Channel, and even the author of his own book, Finding Your Funny. He is the host of the award winning podcast, Hot Breath! Which features over 400 interviews with comedians like Jeff Foxworthy and Cedric the Entertainer talking all about the craft of comedy.

In this episode we talk about how to set small incremental goals to build upon, recognizing the source of where you’re getting advice from, what inspires him, how to battle self doubt and comparison, being grateful for where you are, the importance mediation and therapy has had on his life in the past two years, how he took what he wanted and created it himself and so much more.

I hope you enjoy our conversation and if anything that Joel says resonates with you, please share this episode on Instagram and tag me @levelupwithshay and Joel @joelbyarscomedy.

Thank you so much for being here. It’s time to level up.

Subscribe to Level Up! With Shay wherever you get your podcasts.

On this week’s Level Up! With Shay, I am so excited to introduce you to Moni Oyedepo, writer, actress, and comedian. Moni is a 2021 Women Write Now fellow through Lol Studios, Kevin Hart’s studio, and the Sundance Institute where she was selected from 100’s of applicants for her comedy short, Take the Job which is now available on Peacock. Her comedy has been featured on Freeform, WhoHaHa, CollegeHumor, Funny or Die, and Voyage LA.

In this episode Moni talks about why we should do things we’re interested in, how believing in yourself starts by diving head first into the unknown, the importance of being present, why we need to be selfish with our joy, how to have more fun on our creative journey and so much more.

I hope you enjoy our conversation and if anything that Moni says resonates with you, please share this episode on Instagram and tag me @levelupwithshay and Moni @momonilessprobs.

Thank you so much for being here. It’s time to level up.

Subscribe to Level Up! With Shay wherever you get your podcasts.

On this week’s Level Up! With Shay, I am eager to introduce you to Will Hines, an actor, comedian, author, podcaster and musician. Will shares how he got into comedy as a computer programmer, how he knew he was getting better at improv, why he loves trying almost every idea he has, how it is being a beginner all over again, but this time in stand up comedy and so much more.

I hope you enjoy our conversation and if anything that Will says resonates with you, please share this episode on Instagram and tag me @levelupwithshay and Will @williebhines.

Thank you so much for being here. It’s time to level up.

Subscribe to Level Up! With Shay wherever you get your podcasts.

Will’s links:

On this week’s Level Up! With Shay, I am so excited to introduce you to Carl Tart, writer, actor, performer, and DJ. Carl is a lead on NBC’s Grand Crew and can be seen on Miracle Workers, The Good Place, Arrested Development, and more. He’s written for Kenan, MadTV, Brooklyn Nine Nine, just to name a few. In our conversation, Carl shares how he got into comedy, how he deals with criticism on social media, his writing style and how he rewards himself, the fun he has working with his friends, and where he fits in with the grind and hustle mentality of our culture.

I hope you enjoy our conversation and if anything that Carl says resonates with you, please share this episode on Instagram and tag me @levelupwithshay and Carl @dammitcarl.

Thank you so much for being here. It’s time to level up.

Subscribe to Level Up! With Shay wherever you get your podcasts.

Show page and transcription: www.levelupwithshay.com/podcast/s2e17

Carl's links:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dammitcarl

Watch NBC’s Grand Crew: https://www.nbc.com/grand-crew

The Flagrant Ones: https://www.instagram.com/theflagrantones/

On this week’s Level Up! With Shay, I am honored to introduce you to Heather Parady, a podcaster, heart-centered creative, and unconventional leader. Heather shares her experience of wanting to be a therapist but realizing the 9-5 life was not what she wanted. She took a deep dive into the online space as a photographer and helped therapists and coaches build online programs. We talk a lot about creativity, the biggest hurdles people face when creating an online presence and building a community, whether to know if your idea is a good or bad one, and why fostering a deep relationship with your creativity is so important to creating good, meaningful work. For the first time ever, Heather shares some of her recent writing, which she wants to do more of and she also sings a little bit for us.

I hope you enjoy our conversation and if anything that Heather says resonates with you, please share this episode on Instagram and tag me @levelupwithshay and Heather @heatherparady.

Thank you so much for being here. It’s time to level up.

Subscribe to Level Up! With Shay wherever you get your podcasts.

On this week’s Level Up! With Shay, I am eager to introduce you to Brett Schultz, comedian, host, and actor. Brett shares his story of coming up as a leader in the Christian church, with his parents being missionaries and how that propelled him into being a performer. He opens up about being a cancer survivor at 12 years old, the importance as an artist of practicing your point of view, the power of adaptability, his urge to put himself out there and fail, why we need to focus on the work more than anything and his experience of coming out as gay within the past year which has opened up the conversation to his social media following of over 600K and to his Christian community.

I hope you enjoy our conversation and if anything that Brett says resonates with you, please share this episode on Instagram and tag me @levelupwithshay and Brett @bretttheastronaut.

Subscribe to Level Up! With Shay wherever you get your podcasts.

Thank you so much for being here. It’s time to level up.

On this week’s Level Up! With Shay, I am excited to introduce you to Lace Larrabee, actor, stand up comedian, founder of Laugh Lab, and co-host of the Cheaties podcast. Lace shares her story of being a child actor, eventually moving to pageants where a lot of her comedy started to take shape, the lessons she learned growing up from her hard-working parents, the struggles of a female comedian in a male dominated space, and she opens up about how she gets through the hard days and stops herself from doom scrolling on Instagram, even if it’s just getting some sun for 15 minutes.

I hope you enjoy our conversation and if anything that Lace says resonates with you, please share this episode on Instagram and tag me @levelupwithshay and Lace @lacelarrabee.

Subscribe to Level Up! With Shay wherever you get your podcasts.

Thank you so much for being here. It’s time to level up.

On this week’s Level Up! With Shay, I am proud to introduce you to Kia Barnes, comedian, activist, and an LGBTQ community leader. We talk about how at a young age Kia used comedy and humor as a defense mechanism to protect her from people knowing she was gay, the discrimination she faced in schools as a teacher, how she found herself in comedy, the importance of visibility and why she has decided to take on a leadership position in the LGBTQ community, continuing to always walk in her purpose.

On this week’s Level Up! With Shay episode, Shay shares the lessons she's learned from taking breaks. Life is not a straight shot of all work, it is a flow between work and play. Let us go into our hearts and be able to see what is right for us at different times. Cut out all of society's expectations of artists and be true to yourself and your journey.

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Subscribe to Level Up! With Shay wherever you get your podcasts.

Thank you so much for being here. It’s time to level up.

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Are you willing to do what it takes?

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Taking a moment to reflect at the New Year is a great way to show gratitude for what you've accomplished, what you did that scared you and pushed you out of your comfort zone, what lessons you learned and how they can help you move forward, and to notice which habits or thoughts you can let go of in the next year. Come on and join me in leveling up today where I share my answers to three questions on reflection of the new year and one really important message that I think you should hear! See you in there!

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it to your IG story and tag me! @levelupwithshay

If you have a minute, go to iTunes or Apple Podcast and leave a rating and review. I'd love your help to spread the message.

It doesn't matter what you're doing or where you're at, you have the CHOICE to choose gratitude!

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it to your IG story and tag me! @levelupwithshay

If you have a minute, go to iTunes or Apple Podcast and leave a rating and review. I'd love your help to spread the message.

No this isn't another way on how to set the best New Year goals, it's about how NOT to set goals and find a way that makes YOU happy. Hope you enjoy!!

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it to your IG story and tag me! @levelupwithshay

If you have a minute, go to iTunes or Apple Podcast and leave a rating and review. I'd love your help to spread the message.

VIDEO PODCAST: https://youtu.be/hyJv5sxjSZQ

Welcome! Hope you had a great Thanksgiving and week filled with things and people you're grateful for! And perfect timing, of course, because in this episode of the Level Up! With Shay podcast I talk about 5 ways you can TRAIN YOUR BRAIN to increase gratitude and happiness that are backed by science!

Which one will you start doing TODAY? 

#LevelUp