Firestarters Podcast

Sander Tilsley
  • 5.0 (1)
  • ENTREPRENEURSHIP
  • EVERY TWO WEEKS

Awareness and Stories at the Intersection of Business, Communication & Art. Welcome to the Firestarters podcast, where stories come alive at the crossroads of storytelling, business, communication, music and art. We dive deep into the creative minds of entrepreneurs, artists, and musicians as they share, inspire, and challenge with their unique journeys. Discover how personal stories not only strengthen brands but also open new pathways in the world of creativity and entrepreneurship.

  1. 19 MAR

    Disruption - With Ann Bevers

    Welcome to the next chapter of the Anatomy of a Shift. In our last episode, we sat down with Benjamin (Judassime) to explore Phase 4: Darkness. Benjamin showed us what it means to willingly dive into the shadows, using his intense psychological pain, isolation, and avant-garde BDSM fashion to take power back and create beauty from toxic depthsBenjamin’s story proved that true creation often requires confronting the parts of ourselves that society rejects. But what happens when you don't choose to face the dark? What happens when life forces your hand, and the universe decides to hit the reset button for you? This brings us to Phase 5: Disruption In this episode, we sit down with Ann. For 12 years, Ann lived a high-stakes, fast-paced life as a fashion consultant, entirely unaware of the heavy "backpack" of unfelt trauma she was carrying. She was numbing her nervous system with the hustle, the nightlife, and alcohol. But then, the disruption hit. In a sudden, violent collapse of her comfort zone, Ann lost her job and her relationship all at once, plunging her into a deep freeze mode of isolation and depression. Today’s conversation is a raw look at what happens when the illusions shatter. We explore Ann's incredible journey of rebuilding herself from the ground up through painting, unpacking generational trauma, and radically rewiring her brain with plant medicines like Psilocybin and Ayahuasca. Ann proves that you cannot truly see the light without first surviving the dark.

    2h 16m

  2. 4 MAR

    Darkness - With Benjamin Voortmans

    Season 2 – The Anatomy of a Shift Season 2 of Firestarters is built as a transformation model.Each episode represents one phase in a personal and entrepreneurial shift.Not random conversations. A structured arc. The journey moves from Awareness to Integration at Scale.Benjamin represents Phase 4: Darkness. Darkness is the moment where illusion breaks.Where identity is tested.Where the parts of yourself the world rejects can no longer be avoided. This episode sits exactly there. It is not about scandal.It is about shadow ownership. In this episode: • Arriving as Benjamin, then transforming into full glam as a conscious act of identity (JUDASSIME)• Growing up with trauma and rejection• Psychiatric hospitalization and rebuilding self worth• What happens when your private life becomes national news• The psychological impact of sudden public exposure• Covid and the disappearance of nightlife• Club Kids culture as belonging, protection, and survival• Fashion as storytelling and confrontation• What darkness actually teaches about power Chapters: 00:00 – Arrival and transformation07:42 – Trauma and early wounds09:28 – Psychiatric hospitalization13:12 – Post covid shifts in people17:45 – Club Kid energy21:47 – Dana Montana and lockdown culture37:01 – Entering Darkness41:55 – Collection symbolism01:58:37 – National Day moment02:11:37 – Closing

    1hr 55min

  3. 29 JAN

    Identity - With Vlad Solovov

    This episode of the Firestarters Podcast is a long-form conversation with visual artist and filmmaker Vlad Solovov, whose work spans queer nightlife, fashion, touring, and Tomorrowland. We talk about identity not as a label, but as something formed through experience. Through pressure. Through the environments you move through and the moments that force you to show up. From finding belonging in queer nightlife and creating Zaika, to stepping away from the scene to work in a kitchen. From touring with Indira Paganotto to intense years inside Tomorrowland. From working with Jeff Mills to a full circle moment with Nico Morano. This is a conversation about identity built through action. Key moments 00:00 Teaser and tone00:55 Welcome to the Firestarters Podcast 01:06 Early life, identity and moving away 01:29 Queer nightlife, Zaika and chosen family 02:06 Stepping away from nightlife and working in a kitchen01:08:23 Returning through Indira Paganotto and touring 01:33:51 Tomorrowland years and creative pressure01:55:09 Nico Morano and a full circle moment 02:01:21 Fashion, Judassime and rejection02:13:09 Jeff Mills and the need to keep creating 02:32:10 Reflection and closing thoughts

    2h 38m
  4. Truth - with Nicky Vaes

    7 JAN

    Truth - with Nicky Vaes

    Episode 2 of The Anatomy of a Personal Shift “A routine business issue slowly unravels into a confrontation that forces one simple question: when the truth is clear, do you act or stay silent.” In this episode of the Firestarters Podcast, titled Truth, I speak with Nicky about a real sequence of events that began with unpaid invoices and unfolded into a confrontation that went far beyond money. Rather than presenting a finished story, the conversation follows the process as it developed. The doubts. The checks. The confirmations. And the moment when waiting was no longer an option. This episode is part of a broader storytelling approach in which certain moments are not only discussed afterwards, but followed while events were still in motion. Allowing the listener to stay close to the tension, the decisions, and the uncertainty that shaped the outcome. In this episode, you’ll hear about: • how routine cases slowly became suspect • how good faith delayed action longer than expected • how confirmation shifted motivation and direction • how preparation for confrontation took shape • and what remained unresolved after it was over The episode also includes interviews with three victims, approached through two distinct perspectives: the financial aftermath and the emotional aftermath. Together, these conversations show how the impact of a situation like this extends far beyond numbers. This is not a story about resolution or victory. It is a story about acting, reflecting, and living with the consequences. The episode closes with an open question. If you knew who wronged you, and you knew you would never recover what was lost, would you still confront them. And why. This conversation is part of Season 2 of the Firestarters Podcast, titled The Anatomy of a Personal Shift. A season focused on moments where something changes. Not suddenly, but through a series of decisions that quietly redirect a life. Narrative chapters Normality - When unpaid invoices still feel routine Doubt - The first signs that something is not adding up Contradiction - Records, calls, and details that no longer align Confirmation - The moment suspicion becomes certainty Anger - What changes once the truth can no longer be ignored Decision - Preparing for confrontation Confrontation - Crossing the line from knowing to acting Aftermath - Three victims, two forms of impact The financial cost The emotional cost Reflection - What remains after the damage is done The Question - Would you confront, and why *** This episode documents personal experiences and reflections shared by the participants. All statements are subjective accounts and do not constitute factual or legal determinations. No individual is identified or accused of criminal conduct. This content is not intended to harm reputations, but to explore the personal, financial, and emotional impact of a real situation as experienced by those involved.

    1hr 45min

  5. 06/12/2025

    Shift - with Laurens Polfliet

    Season 2 opens with a conversation about a feeling many people recognize, but rarely know how to name. A shift. Not a breakdown. Not a breakthrough. Just the quiet realization that something inside you has started to move, while the outside world still expects you to stay the same. This episode introduces something new. For the first time, Future Sander physically sits at the table. He is not a gimmick. He is not a character. He is the embodied question that appears the moment growth stops being theoretical: Who are you becoming , and what happens when that future version of you interrupts your present life? Future Sander doesn’t lead the conversation. He watches. He listens. He mirrors. His presence doesn’t offer answers. It creates awareness. Leadership coach Laurens Polfliet joins me at the start of this season to explore what happens when leaders begin to sense that the old way of operating no longer fits, but the new one hasn’t revealed itself yet. We talk about sensitivity, fear, belonging, purpose, and responsibility (...) not as solutions, but as signals. As indicators that something deeper is asking for attention. This is not a conversation about transformation. It’s about recognizing that transformation has already begun. This episode opens Season 2 of the Firestarters Podcast: "The Anatomy of a Shift" If you’ve ever felt that your future is quietly tapping you on the shoulder, this will feel familiar. Welcome to Season 2. Find Laurens on: - https://www.lightyourfire.club/ - https://laurenspolfliet.com/

    2h 9m
  6. Behind the scenes: Stromae's "Multitude" film with Robin De Praetere

    29/05/2025

    Behind the scenes: Stromae's "Multitude" film with Robin De Praetere

    What happens when the biggest opportunity of your life starts with a cancelled tour?Robin De Praetere, an editor from Leuven, had just started his own production company when he got a call: “Your name got dropped a few times… can you come in?” The next day, he was cutting one of Europe’s most iconic concert experiences — Multitude, le film — piecing together over 1,500 shots from Stromae’s interrupted world tour.In this conversation, we talk about what it means to be an editor: the invisible architect of emotion, rhythm, and truth. We explore kintsugi — the Japanese art of repairing what’s broken with gold — as a metaphor for storytelling, and how Robin brought a shattered project back to life.We talk legacy, pressure, baby sleep, and what it’s like to go from feeling invisible… to realizing your voice shapes the stories of millions.This one is for the unseen.For the editors.For anyone who ever fixed something no one knew was broken.______________________________00:00 Teaser01:01 Welcome to the Fire Starters Podcast01:18 The Coin Flip: English or Dutch?01:48 Using AI for Podcast Preparation02:36 AI and Personal Information05:20 The Ethics of AI in Creativity06:58 AI in the Creative Industry22:45 The Chameleon: Versatility in Post-Production24:59 Childhood Interests and Escapism28:57 Family Struggles and Escaping Through Media38:05 Focus and Creativity: A Deep Dive41:44 Structured Work Routine42:45 Balancing Work and Personal Life43:10 Adapting to Different Work Environments44:03 Early Career Challenges and Lessons44:55 The Role of Passion in Work50:10 Impact of AI on Travel Planning53:25 Journey into Film and Editing54:11 Film School and Early Projects57:16 Internship and Professional Growth59:56 Recognition and Awards01:01:21 Setbacks and Learning Experiences01:04:29 High Standards and Professional Development01:17:09 Starting at a High Level01:17:41 Exploring Different Directors01:19:19 Starting a Post-Production Company01:20:51 Handling the Pandemic01:21:28 The Viral Sketch01:25:08 Growing the Business01:26:49 The Importance of Networking01:30:06 The Stromae Project01:38:28 The Art of Editing01:47:15 Balancing Work and Family01:52:49 Final Thoughts and Advice________________________________Stromae - Multitude, le film (Full concert): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5WgAr4B8VoKevin Janssens speelt 'Van Ranst' in explosieve thriller (trailer) : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpPya2ARgK4

    1hr 59min
  7. "The World Is Changing" — Thomas Lambrechts on the Easiest Way to Adapt

    16/05/2025

    "The World Is Changing" — Thomas Lambrechts on the Easiest Way to Adapt

    Thomas Lambrechts has lived every version of the creative dream. From organizing parties at 15 to becoming one of Belgium’s most active music project launchers in Belgium, he's spent years lighting up dancefloors as a DJ and curator. Now, he's trading the fast-paced nightlife for storytelling, community, and deeper conversations about creativity. We talk about the shift toward slowing down, about the courage to say "no," and why the next generation of creatives—the young guns—are choosing meaningful connections over endless hustle. This episode is for those between chapters. The builders, the breakers, and anyone still searching for their fire.Are you ready for your next chapter in your life?

    1hr 32min
  8. Alja Al Saadi - A stroke of creativity. "How She Turned a Health Crisis Into a Creative Awakening."

    04/05/2025

    Alja Al Saadi - A stroke of creativity. "How She Turned a Health Crisis Into a Creative Awakening."

    What if the life you’re meant to live begins where certainty ends?In this episode, Sander sits down with Alja Al Saadi — DJ, Storyteller, Podcast host and Ambassador at WE.ARE.WOOM — to explore a life-changing moment that redefined everything. On October 3rd, 2023, Alja was suddenly hospitalized, unable to speak, her body paralyzed and in shock. What began as confusion and fear turned into a deep confrontation with her values, identity, and voice — quite literally. "It felt like I was drunk and had a hangover at the same time," she says. "I realized this is not good. And then, lying on the hospital bed, it hit me: I might never be the same again."But instead of trying to get back to who she was, Alja chose to become someone new. Through stillness, silence, and eventually sound — she started telling stories, reclaiming power through podcasting, DJing, and live events rooted in presence and emotional truth. This episode opens with a Gandhi quote about how beliefs shape destiny and flows through trauma, self-inquiry, and creative rebirth.Alja’s story is a powerful Firestarters reminder: transformation doesn’t start when we’re ready — it often starts when everything else falls apart. Like a phoenix, she rose not from victory, but from ashes — fueled by the fire within.

    2h 9m
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About

Awareness and Stories at the Intersection of Business, Communication & Art. Welcome to the Firestarters podcast, where stories come alive at the crossroads of storytelling, business, communication, music and art. We dive deep into the creative minds of entrepreneurs, artists, and musicians as they share, inspire, and challenge with their unique journeys. Discover how personal stories not only strengthen brands but also open new pathways in the world of creativity and entrepreneurship.

Information

  • Creator
    Sander Tilsley
  • Episodes
    18
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Sander Tilsley
  • Show Website
    Firestarters Podcast