Excelsior Journeys
The Excelsior Journeys podcast exists primarily as a platform for creatives of all kinds (authors, filmmakers, stand-up comics, musicians, voice artists, painters, podcasters, etc) to share their journeys to personal success.
It is very important to celebrate those voices as much as possible to not only provide encouragement to up-and-coming talent, but to say thank you to the established men & women for inspiring the current generation of artists.
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Going from Self Publishing to Traditional Publishing
This week on Excelsior Journeys, host & producer George Sirois sits down with author / publisher Jendia Gammon. A Nebula Award finalist, Jendia has had a love and passion for writing since childhood, and that has led to various published works released through different presses around the country...
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Exploring Podcasting, Game Design, and the 'Book of Extinction'
Lucas Zellers is multi-game designer. In addition to sharing his journey into the world of games, Lucas goes into great detail about the development of his enormously successful crowdfunding campaign for his game "Book of Extinction," and so much more!
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Powerhouse Strategy (Part 2)
Last week, we learned about how Ann has been working for years with podcasters, authors, and other content creators developing strategies for them to get their work in front of as many eyes as possible. For this episode, Ann & I go into the L word, Legal, and discuss the promising language and th...
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Powerhouse Strategy (Part 1)
This is a two-part episode with digital strategist Ann Koppuzha. She has been working for years with podcasters, authors, and other content creators developing strategies for them to get their work in front of as many eyes as possible. For this episode, Ann & I go into her history of how she got ...
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I Use Storytelling Wherever I Go
George Sirois sits down with FMO Media's VP of Operations, Rebecca Vickers. As a marketer, a performer, and now as the head of her own publishing company, Rebecca's primary thrust that she brings to all of her ventures is storytelling. And the lesson she learned during her journey is that fellow ...
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Walking the Trail from Experience to Story
George Sirois sits down with author Mic Lowther, who harnessed his decades-long dream of writing into seeking out experiences that can become the basis for later stories. The first major experience came in 1973 when he, his wife, and their 10-year-old child walked the Appalachian Trail, a 200+ da...
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Searching for the Source of Creativity
George Sirois sits down with multimedia artist & author Michaell Magrutsche. This became a truly fascinating conversation that focused on the one thing that all creatives take for granted: finding out where the ideas came from that sparked the artistic journey we're all on.
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The Incredible Journey of a Ceramic Artist and Author
Ceramic artist & author Morgan McCarver has overcome many challenges in life. From scoliosis spinal fusion surgery to working with all kinds of clay to start up her business that now resides in Asheville, NC, Morgan never lost sight of her faith, which guides her to the next milestones in her lif...
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Taking My Writing to the Community
George Sirois sits down with fellow author Laura E. Thompson. She has written several YA & New Adult novels under the pen name Laura LaBarge, and has moved into sci-fi & fantasy with her Elven Quest series, her Witches of Tradbeldam series, and more! And she accomplished this with the help of the...
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My Message to Everybody: Dance!
George Sirois sits down with filmmaker Dan Watt to discuss his latest project, the feature-length documentary "Everybody Dance." The two also talk about the various pivots he made in his career in entertainment, from dancing to stage managing to working with icons Carol Burnett & Bea Arthur, to f...
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Ask Me Anything
George Sirois goes solo by answering questions provided by different creatives on social media. He discusses his history with voice acting, what led him into audiobook narrating, the mysteries of time management, the future for the Once Upon a Podcast Network, and more!
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Different Identities for Different Genres
George Sirois sits down with the author now known as CE Foltz. After making herself known as an author in the YA/MG genres under the name Coral Elizabeth, she has taken the freedom afforded to the modern-day author and moved into adult science-fiction. Now with a new name and a fresh high-stakes ...
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Use Your Voice to Launch Opportunities
George Sirois sits down with fellow audiobook narrator Victoria Connolly. After working in retail for ten years, Victoria decided to stop putting her creative dreams on hold and leapt into the wonderful world of audiobook narrating. Through sheer talent and tenacity, she has built strong professi...
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New Voices on Recycled Paper
George Sirois sits down with fellow author Georgia Lininger, who not only made her creative passion a reality by publishing her own works, but also set out to provide the same kind of opportunity to other authors through her own Salus Publishing. And what is truly amazing about Georgia's work - o...
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Many Ways to Tell a Story
** THE FOLLOWING EPISODE CONTAINS MATERIAL THAT MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR YOUNGER EARS. LISTENER DISCRETION IS ADVISED. **
George Sirois sits down with fellow author Dr. Leanna Wolfe. With the recent launch of her non-fiction book "177 Lovers and Counting: My Life as a Sex Researcher," Leanna has ...
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Glitter for Fellow Authors Everywhere
Writing is, at its heart, a very solitary profession. No matter how the day unfolds, at some point the writer has to sit down by themselves and get the daily word count finished. Sometimes the words spill out onto the page very easily, most of the time it's agonizing just to put one sentence toge...
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Unleash the Charisma Within
George Sirois sits down with charisma expert Milena Dalinaros. With years in performance coaching and now with her first book in progress, Milena has made it her mission to help as many people as possible to unlock the charisma within themselves. By tapping into this energy that some don't even r...
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Hollywood Can Be Anywhere
George Sirois sits down with the filmmaking duo The Boylan Sisters. Since starting their own production company, Alexandra Boylan and Andrea Polnaszek have written & produced various films all around the country, and everywhere they've gone, they've been met with nothing but support, enthusiasm, ...
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It's Okay for Introverts to Stay Introverted!
George Sirois sits down with fellow podcaster Stephanie Laffey. As co-host of the show Stay Introverted, Stephanie has made it a mission to let fellow introverts know that it's okay to not try to push yourself to get out there and act extroverted when you only want to do the exact opposite. This ...
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Getting Into Voice Acting, Audiobook Narrating, and a Podcast Network
This week, host & producer George Sirois takes the time to answer some questions about getting into voice acting and audiobook narrating, as well as advice on what to do and what not to do when starting a podcast. Also, if you have an idea for a podcast yourself, the Once Upon a Podcast Network w...
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Moving Ever Upward
George Sirois sits down with his friend & co-worker, voice artist Chris Woodworth. The two discuss getting to know each other through the 529 Club on the Clubhouse app, working together on Excelsior: The Audio Journey, the animation VO dubbing videos on social media that sparked a sensation and l...
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Keep Making Life Interesting
Starting out as an actress performing on stage in various theaters around the country, Catherine Butterfield took control over her career and started writing plays that she could star in, including a one-woman show. This led to many opportunities and connections that led to Catherine working on n...
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One Stop Shop for Indie Authors
A one-stop shop for everything an indie author needs for their books for over 20 years, 1106 provides formatting, cover design, interior design, eBook production, and even audiobook production that are at the same level of books launched by the top publishers in the country. And Michele DeFilippo...
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Knocking Doors Down
Reena Friedman Watts is the host & producer of “Better Call Daddy.” Reena has worked behind the scenes in television for years and has taken her experiences and expertise to the world of podcasting.
And as 2024 begins, Reena has dedicated herself to kicking doors down and building a community o...