19Stories

Cheryl Holling

19Stories is about women and men working in various creative endeavors. I've interviewed some of the most stellar talent in voiceover, music and broadcasting as well as authors, speakers and coaches. We have intriguing conversations about the successes, challenges, and fears they've faced and what they did to press-through to a future filled with joy and hope. Oh, and we laugh...a lot!

  1. Hannah Castillo . Love Your Calm

    11/26/2025

    Hannah Castillo . Love Your Calm

    In this podcast, I connect with remarkable people from the worlds of voiceover, music, broadcasting, writing, and coaching. Together, we explore their voyage through life, the highs and the lows, the moments of fear and the breakthroughs of hope. Through candid conversations, you'll hear powerful stories of resilience, creativity, and triumph that just might inspire your own path forward. Today, I'm joined by someone whose story is both deeply personal and universally inspiring. My guest, Hannah Castillo, is a Certified Professional Coach with a background in mental health counseling. She holds a master's degree in Mental Health Counseling and a dual bachelor's in Psychology and English. Hannah has dedicated her career to helping others find balance and hope, and what makes her story so compelling is that she knows firsthand how hard that balance can be to achieve. Living with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, or POTS, Hannah faced years of unanswered questions and difficult symptoms while trying to build her career and family life. Through it all, she discovered the power of meditation and mindfulness, not only in managing her own health, but also as a transformative practice for her coaching clients. Her podcast 'Love Your Calm: mini-mediations' won the 2025 American Writing Awards for Podcast of the Year, the Goodpods #1 Podcast of the Month in both the Meditation and Alternative Health categories, the cover story in the summer issue of the Women Who Podcast magazine, and winner of their 2025 awards in the 'Changing the World' category. Today, we'll hear how even a few minutes of stillness a day can open the door for us to move from fear to hope. And I'm especially excited to talk with a fellow coffee aficionado and budding latte artist. To contact Hannah reach out to her via the followng: Business websites: https://www.love-your-calm.com/ Aura Health App: https://www.aurahealth.io/coaches/hannah-castillo Business email Address: hannah@love-your-calm.com IG: https://www.instagram.com/love_your_calm/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/hannah.castillo.60635  If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to follow 19 Stories wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. It would be greatly appreciated if you gave a nice review and shared this episode well :-) To give feedback or a story idea: 19stories@soundsatchelstudios.com To listen to my demos: https://www.cherylholling.com/ To contact me for voiceover work, or to host your podcast, reach out to me at: cheryl@cherylholling.com Follow me on Instagram: @cherylhollingvo Theme Song Credit: 'Together' by For King & Country Outro song excerpt: 'Hannah' by Rick Bashore, © 1982 All Rights Reserved Proverbs 23:18 "Surely there is a future, and your Hope will not be cut off."

    46 min
  2. Amy Bolduc . Grounded in Maine

    11/13/2025

    Amy Bolduc . Grounded in Maine

    Welcome to 19Stories: from Fear to Hope. I'm your host, Cheryl Holling, in this podcast we explore stories of resilience, transformation, and the courage to step into new beginnings. My guest today is Amy Bolduc, a woman whose life beautifully weaves together compassion, creativity, and community. After years in her hometown of Brunswick, Maine, Amy relocated to Virginia—a move inspired by her desire for a longer growing season and a fresh chapter in life. She shares her home with a rescue dog, two cats, and a flock of chickens while balancing her work in healthcare, her award-winning podcast 'Grounded in Maine', and her small-batch jam business, aptly named 'Amy's Garden Jam'. Amy is also a contributing author to Breaking the Silence, Volume 3, an anthology that uplifts survivors' voices and offers readers the strength of shared healing. I first met Amy through the New England Podcasters Group, founded by the always-inspiring Ande Lyons, where I quickly came to admire Amy's warmth, authenticity, and the powerful way she uses her involvement with the New England Podcasters community. In today's conversation, you'll hear about what motivated Amy's move, how sustainability fuels her work, her role in Breaking the Silence, and the many ways she stays grounded while inspiring others to do the same. To contact Amy reach out to her via the followng: Business website: https://www.groundedinmaine.com/ Business email Address: amysgardenjam@gmail.com IG: https://www.instagram.com/groundedinmainepodcast_/ LI:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-bolduc-a9404a35/ About the Dempsey Center and how you can support them: Founded by actor Patrick Dempsey in 2008, the Dempsey Center provides personalized and comprehensive cancer care at no cost. To purchase a copy of 'Breaking the Silence: Voices of Survivors Vol.3' https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0FRMQ5HL3?ref_=dbs_m_mng_rwt_calw_tpbk_2&storeType=ebooks https://www.dempseycenter.org/ Amy's Homemade Lip Balm Recipe by Philomene Cauchois . Copyright 2024 Ingredients:  16 g extra virgin coconut oil or shea butter 24 g almond or apricot oil 12 g beeswax 8 g raw cocoa butter 12 drops of vitamin E Optional - 4 drops of rose geranium essentail oil Directions:  On a double boiler, add together the coconut oil (or shea butter), almond oil (or apricot oil), coca butter and beeswax stir until everything is melted and mixed properly.  Take off the heat add the vitamin E and essential oil, mix well and pour into tin containers, screw the lids on and let them cool down. Imperfection Roll On Ingredients: 40 drops of lavender essential oil 40 drops of tea tree essential oil 2.5 ml (1/2 tsp) of apricot kernal oil or almond oil Directions: In a 5ml roll-on bottle, pour 40 drops of lavender essential oil, 40 drops of tea tree essential oil Fill the rest of the bottle with apricot kernel oil or almond oil Close your bottle and mix well Apply on skin imperfection before going to bed If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to follow 19 Stories wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. It would be greatly appreciated if you gave a nice review and shared this episode well :-) To give feedback or a story idea: 19stories@soundsatchelstudios.com To listen to my demos: https://www.cherylholling.com/ To contact me for voiceover work, or to host your podcast, reach out to me at: cheryl@cherylholling.com Follow me on Instagram: @cherylhollingvo Theme Song Credit: 'Together' by For King & Country Outro song excerpt: 'Strange Fire' by Indigo Girls from their album Retrospective Proverbs 23:18 "Surely there is a future, and your Hope will not be cut off."

    41 min
  3. Nancy May . High Performance Governance

    10/23/2025

    Nancy May . High Performance Governance

    In this podcast, I talk with artists, actors, musicians, writers, coaches, and creative pioneers as they share personal, powerful, and often humorous stories of facing adversity and the wisdom they gleaned in the process.  I started this podcast back in 2020 as a way to connect with fellow creatives during a time of fear and uncertainty.  Five years later, I'm still sharing stories of creativity, resilience, reinvention, and hope. My guest today is a true renaissance woman who embodies all of these attributes as she wears many hats— and does so extremely well. Nancy May is the founder and President of The BoardBench Companies, LLC, a female-owned board governance consulting group focusing on the advanced development and execution of public, private and not-for-profit board organization, company board quality, board succession and director placement. She is a Member of the Board, Nature Coast Council for the Community Foundation of Tampa Bay and is listed in Who's Who of Global Business Leaders and has been a guest lecturer for business and professional organizations.   As the CEO and co-founder of CareManity, and creator and host of the award-winning podcast Eldercare Success, Nancy is a dedicated caregiver advocate, and author of How to Survive 911 Medical Emergencies: Step-by-Step Before, During, After!.   Her most recent publication is of the beautifully illustrated book My Family Tree, Food & Stories, which she co-authored with Sylvia Lovely. The book celebrates the deep connections between food, memory, and family. Nancy and Sylvia now co-host the companion podcast of the same name that was inspired by their best-selling book; which happens to be a 50 Over 50 Podcaster Award Winner. Something Nancy and I share in common. Nancy is a woman of deep wisdom, generosity, and inspiration and it's my honor to welcome Nancy May to 19Stories. To contact Nancy, you can reach out to her via the followng: Business email: nancy@familytreefoodstories.com Business website: https://podcast.familytreefoodstories.com/ FB personal:  https://www.facebook.com/nancy.may.520 FB FTFS group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/familytreefoodstories FB biz page: https://www.facebook.com/FamilyTreeFoodStories/ IG:  https://www.instagram.com/familytreefoodstories/ LI page:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancyamay/ YT:  Just building up. Book: My Family Tree Food & Stories, Eldercare Success: Award winning podcast Podcast: https://www.eldercaresuccess.live/ YT: https://www.youtube.com/@EldercareSuccess Book:  How to Survive 911 Medical Emergencies:  Step-by-step Before, During, After If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to follow 19 Stories wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. It would be greatly appreciated if you gave a nice review and shared this episode well :-) To give feedback or a story idea: 19stories@soundsatchelstudios.com To listen to my demos: https://www.cherylholling.com/ To contact me for voiceover work, or to host your podcast, reach out to me at: cheryl@cherylholling.com Follow me on Instagram: @cherylhollingvo Theme Song Credit:  'Together' by For King & Country Outro song excerpt: 'Don't Fence Me In" by Willie Nelson Proverbs 23:18 "Surely there is a future, and your Hope will not be cut off."

    58 min
  4. Jo Yuan . "Banana-Brained" .  Meisner & Voice Trained

    09/10/2025

    Jo Yuan . "Banana-Brained" . Meisner & Voice Trained

    It's not often that I'll get to introduce a guest whose moniker is "banana-brained and voice-trained"!  But joining me today is a woman who is the embodiment of quirkiness, versatility, and her own words "a bit unhinged".  From clown noses to stage and to your favorite streaming platforms, Jo Yuan has covered a lot of ground...and that's saying something given she's been in the entertainment industry just shy of 6 years, and in voiceover for five of those years. She's made audiences laugh, cry while pondering social biases through the roles and characters she's played, whether it's in a packed house, on a TV set, or through your earbuds while narrating the Harper Collins' audiobook Counterattacks at Thirty. An Asian American actor of Chinese, Taiwanese, and Korean heritage, Jo's career spans theatre, television, voiceover, and comedy, and brings authenticity, wit, and heart to every role. She's trained in the Meisner technique, on-camera acting, clown and sketch comedy to long-form improv, as a graduate of the now defunct Second City Conservatory, in Hollywood. Her stage work includes performances at East West Players, IAMA Theatre, Artists at Play, and as a company member of PlayGround-LA. As a voice actor, Jo's credits read like a streaming guide - with an impressive list of dubbing credits, lead and recurring roles on Netflix, Disney+, Paramount+, and Amazon Prime and Nat Geo.  In 2024, Jo was named one of 24 New Digital Audio Narrators by Macmillan Audio, selected from over 350 applicants.  Jo is also a proud and active member of the Television Academy, the Asian American Theatre Artists Collective, and the century old Los Angeles Breakfast Club, to name a few.  In addition, she is my fellow Door Builder in the Building Doors VO Campaign!  From the stage to the booth, Jo's work is a testament to the power of curiosity, craft, and connection. To contact Jo, you can reach out to her via the followng: Business email Address: joyuanactor@gmail.com Business Website:  www.jo-yuan.com IG: https://www.instagram.com/itsme.joyuan/ For more information on Jo Yuan's one woman show on September 21, 2025 'Something Borrowed. Something Blue. Something Tesla. Something True.': https://app.arts-people.com/index.php?ticketing=brea For more on the Building Doors VO Campaign: https://www.buildingdoorsvo.com/ If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to follow 19 Stories wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. It would be greatly appreciated if you gave a nice review and shared this episode well :-) To give feedback or a story idea: 19stories@soundsatchelstudios.com To listen to my demos: https://www.cherylholling.com/ To contact me for voiceover work, or to host your podcast, reach out to me at: cheryl@cherylholling.com Follow me on Instagram: @cherylhollingvo Theme Song Credit:  'Together' by For King & Country Proverbs 23:18 "Surely there is a future, and your Hope will not be cut off."

    45 min
  5. Sandra Russell . Managing the Mic

    08/06/2025

    Sandra Russell . Managing the Mic

    If you're tuning in for the first time, welcome, and to my longtime listeners, you know that throughout the years you've heard me interview some of the most iconic voices behind your favorite commercials, video games, documentaries, etc... But today, I'm pulling back the curtain on a voice that gets much less exposure—but is crucial to running a successful voiceover business as she's the Unsung Hero of a Voiceover Virtuoso who's all about the business of sound! Sandra Russell may not be a name that you're familiar with, or have a voice you recognize—but her fingerprints are all over the success of one of the top voices in the VO industry; that of her multi award-winning husband Ian Russell, aka The British Voice, who as a side note, joined me as a guest on my other podcast, 'The Voice Kitchen: where recipes and voice talent blend! Where he shared his recipe of a very British staple, Raised Pork Pie. Sand ra joins me today to talk about what it's like being a voiceover wife and mum and how she's applied her education and business acumen to being Ian's business manager and creative consultant. Add to the mix, the award-winning voiceover careers of their two daughters, Eva and Lauren, and occasionally when Sandra steps in front of the mic, and you've got quite the family affair!  We'll hear how a Christmas present for a one-day class, launched a lucrative international voiceover career for Ian, to co-running a thriving studio from their family home. Sandra's story is one of quiet leadership, business savvy, and possessing a keen eye for the right opportunity. Someone we'd all be so lucky to have in our corner, no matter what creative endeavor we're pursuing. Join me as I welcome Sandra Russell to 19Stories. You can contact Sandra, or Ian,or Eva directly via the followng: Sandra's Business email Address: brillbrits1@gmail.com  Sandra's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brillbrits/ Ian's website(s): ianrussellvoice.com Eva's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evarussellvoiceactor/ Eva's IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm13597096/   Ian's IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8358149/   Ian's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebritishvoice/ If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to follow 19 Stories wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. It would be greatly appreciated if you gave a nice review and shared this episode well :-) To give feedback or a story idea: 19stories@soundsatchelstudios.com To listen to my demos: https://www.cherylholling.com/ To contact me for voiceover work, or to host your podcast, reach out to me at: cheryl@cherylholling.com Follow me on Instagram: @cherylhollingvo Theme Song Credit:  'Together' by For King & Country Outro Insert: "Take a Chance on Me" by ABBA Proverbs 23:18 "Surely there is a future, and your Hope will not be cut off."

    38 min
  6. 5th Anniversary . Thank You to my Guest & Listeners

    06/28/2025

    5th Anniversary . Thank You to my Guest & Listeners

    Today marks a very special anniversary in that on June 28th 2020, a year we definitely all remember, I launched this podcast as a way of initially addressing and combating the fear so many creatives were feeling during the pandemic by talking about the tools and or faith they used to move into Hope.  These days, I'm still talking with creatives in all mediums about challenges they've faced while celebrating their successes and offering some pearls of wisdom for listeners to implement into their own lives.    Speaking of which, I'd like to give a huge thank you to the listeners in the following countries, who as of this date, have downloaded '19Stories' close to 11,000 times;  the United States, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Canada, Australia, China, Norway, France, Bangladesh, Spain, Japan, India, Mexico, Kenya, Germany, Switzerland, Hungary and Tunisia.  I'd like to give a special thanks to my incredible guests that have been so generous in sharing their stories over these past 5 years. Your trust and openness have been the heartbeat of this podcast. So, here's to you, and to us, and to many more years of '19Stories: from Fear to Hope'. Thank you for being a part of my podcasting  journey. And remember, Like, Follow and share, and of course, stay healthy and Hopeful! If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to follow 19 Stories wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. It would be greatly appreciated if you gave a nice review and shared this episode well :-) To give feedback or a story idea: 19stories@soundsatchelstudios.com To listen to my demos: https://www.cherylholling.com/ To contact me for voiceover work, or to host your podcast, reach out to me at: cheryl@cherylholling.com Follow me on Instagram: @cherylhollingvo Theme Song Credit:  'Together' by For King & Country Proverbs 23:18

    2 min
  7. Alex Poppe . Chasing An Unconventional Life

    06/09/2025

    Alex Poppe . Chasing An Unconventional Life

    You may have heard me quote a former acting coach a time or two on this podcast, that "if you want to bring life into your characters, you have to first live a life in order to have something to pour onto the stage, screen or microphone."  I'd say the same holds true for any good author or storyteller. Today, I'm incredibly honored to have as my guest, Alex Poppe, the multi-award-winning author renowned for her compelling literary fiction that delves into themes of resilience, identity, and social justice.  After graduating at the top of her university's undergraduate business school, Alex began her  professional career as a business analyst for Mobile Oil and quickly became disenchanted with the corporate culture after, she, and I quote, "hit my head too many times on the glass ceiling and exchanged my corporate life to pursue an artistic one."  Poppe moved to New York to enroll in the 'Circle in the Square's' two-year professional actor training program.  It's where Alex honed her observation skills and enabled her to quickly identify and address individual student learning challenges after she quit her acting pursuits, got certified to Teach English as a Second Language, moved to Poland for her first teaching assignment, and then eventually to the Middle East spending almost a decade there as an educator in several prestigious public and private universities.   Her experience as an actor, world traveler, humanitarian aid worker and educator in war-torn conflict zones, before coming back stateside to work for USAID, is what Alex pours onto the page. Alex joins me today to talk about her forthcoming memoir, Breakfast Wine: A Memoir of Chasing an Unconventional Life and Finding a Way Home, which chronicles her transformative journey from that disillusioned corporate professional in the U.S. to an educator navigating cultural complexities and personal upheavals.  You can contact Alex Poppe directly via the followng: Business email: sallya.poppe@gmail.com Business website: www.alexpoppe.com On Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/alex_poppe_author/ On LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/sallyalexpoppe/ Order Breakfast Wine at Bookshop.org or your local indie bookstore. Alex will be speaking and doing a booksigning of Breakfast Wine at the following locations: Magic City Books in Tulsa, Ok on June 10, 2025 at 7:00pm pm The Book Cellar in Chicago, IL on June 12, 2025 at 6:30 pm Boswell Books in Milwaukee, WI on June 13, 2025 at 6:30pm If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to follow 19 Stories wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. It would be greatly appreciated if you gave a nice review and shared this episode well :-) To give feedback or a story idea: 19stories@soundsatchelstudios.com To listen to my demos: https://www.cherylholling.com/ To contact me for voiceover work, or to host your podcast, reach out to me at: cheryl@cherylholling.com Follow me on Instagram: @cherylhollingvo Theme Song Credit:  'Together' by For King & Country Outro Insert: "Titantium" by Sia Proverbs 23:18 "Surely there is a future, and your Hope will not be cut off."

    1h 3m
  8. Lawrence Payne . The Pen of Human Intelligence

    05/07/2025

    Lawrence Payne . The Pen of Human Intelligence

    It's hard to believe (at the time of this recording) that it's April, and hopefully we all survived tax day and are able to get out and enjoy some of the beautiful Spring foliage that's popping up all over. On this Spring day, I've invited Lawrence Payne to join me as my guest. He is an award-winning copywriter, editor, voice actor and composer,  who has worked with some of the world's most progressive companies such as Yamaha Digital Musical Instruments, Yamaha Audio, Teac, Hitachi and Brother.  Many of them in his capacity as a senior copywriter at Intermart Advertising/Tokyo.  He's received awards for his creative work featured in prestigious national and regional competitions and he has a reputation for excellence in technical documentation and communications. Lawrence has over 32 years of professional experience covering subjects ranging from music, cultural history, philosophy, religion, robotics, telecom and travel.   Lawrence has contributed widely to consumer and trade publications, including the graphic-design journal How.  As a  knowledgeable musician and critic, he has written for Guitar Player magazine, served as associate editor at Music Connection magazine and studied with the Latin guitar virtuoso Jorge Strunz. He produces the YouTube channel Deep Space Theater, which features his own musical compositions. Among his recent literary efforts are the books of a Zen Buddhist abbot whose influence is spread throughout Asia to the Americas and Europe.   However, with all of the aforementioned projects, the one title that's missing from Lawrence Payne's accomplishments, is as LinkedIn's Chief Cheerleader and Encourager! On any given day, you can find Lawrence reposting, commenting and encouraging others on their accomplishments.  It's that kind of generosity and kindness that has brought us together to have a conversation. You may contact or follow Lawrence via the following: Business email Address(s): writerhead@msn.com, blueworldeditors@gmail.com LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lawrence-payne-b64a532/ Music: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdbzKL0rxVV5MXm0fWaLJLg Music for media: https://desertviewrecordsllc.disco.ac/cat/325091309/artists/9749899 Blog: https://medium.com/@blueworldeditors Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/creative-drive-lawrence-payne If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to follow 19 Stories wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. It would be greatly appreciated if you gave a nice review and shared this episode well :-) To give feedback or a story idea: 19stories@soundsatchelstudios.com To listen to my demos: https://www.cherylholling.com/ To contact me via VO work or to host your podcast, I can be reached at: cheryl@cherylholling.com Follow me on Instagram: @cherylhollingvo Theme Song Credit:  'Together' by For King & Country "We got it together" insert: Barry White Proverbs 23:18 "Surely there is a future, and your Hope will not be cut off."

    45 min
4.8
out of 5
18 Ratings

About

19Stories is about women and men working in various creative endeavors. I've interviewed some of the most stellar talent in voiceover, music and broadcasting as well as authors, speakers and coaches. We have intriguing conversations about the successes, challenges, and fears they've faced and what they did to press-through to a future filled with joy and hope. Oh, and we laugh...a lot!