How I Broke Into: Michael Prywes Interviews Artists and Entrepreneurs About Their Big Break

Michael Prywes, Esq.
How I Broke Into: Michael Prywes Interviews Artists and Entrepreneurs About Their Big Break

Every writer, actor, fine artist, filmmaker, musician, artisan food / liquor magnate, or mom & pop small business owner has a story of the "Big Break." New York startup attorney Michael Prywes interviews successful artists and entrepreneurs, and common themes become evident: there is no such thing as overnight success, learning continues for a lifetime, and relationships are everything. The guests--who all have succeeded where so many others have failed-- share actionable insights, retrospective advice, and instructive stories.

  1. Sitcoms with Janae Bakken ("Scrubs") - 026

    09/29/2017

    Sitcoms with Janae Bakken ("Scrubs") - 026

    Janae Bakken grew up in Minnesota - where she spent too many frozen winters on the cross-country ski team, and went to college in Chicago - where she rarely saw the sun, so she made her escape to Los Angeles soon after graduation.  She worked on the production staffs of such shows as Mad About You, Caroline in the City, and Malcolm in the Middle before making the jump to writer, where she spent eight years writing on the critically-acclaimed Scrubs, rising from a Staff Writer to Co-Executive Producer.  Janae was twice-nominated for an Emmy Award with the other Scrubs writers.  In addition, she has written & sold television pilots for Warner Brothers, ABC Studios, MRC and ABC Network.  Janae was most recently a Co-Executive Producer on Freeform’s Baby Daddy for four years, and before that a Co-EP on Anger Management and Gary Unmarried.  In 2007, she was selected to participate in the WGA Showrunner Training Program.  In 2011, Janae was a guest professor at her alma mater Northwestern University, teaching Television Writing to the MFA Creative Writing students.  Notes from the show: Grew up in a suburb of Minneapolis St. Paul, MN. She discovered "The Wonder Years," her favorite and my favorite television show. Northwestern University's "Creative Writing for the Media" program - selected 12 people each year, was in the program with me, Breen Frasier ("Criminal Minds") Heavily influenced by the show "Friends." A lot of her friends back home in MN got married in their early 20s. She lived in London, England after college. Hollywood will always be there, but you're better off going without attachments. La-La Land. If you want to be in television, you need to be in Los Angeles. 20 years later, she loves Los Angeles. "Everyone's starting over... you're in it together." It helps there are so many alumni there. Has been in the workforce since the age of 14, but all Los Angeles jobs were "in the industry." First screenplay was a comedy. First TV job was a comedy. Gave a funny speech at high school graduation. First job she had in L.A., she got fired. Agency job is a good foot in the door. On her resume, she mentioned her job as "Gedney the Minnesota Pickle." William Morris called about it. Interview with Pang-Ni Landrum; Mascot life got her the job. Unruly: most people can't do funny. At least 70% who made it in television comedy went the assistant route. During all down time, she wrote scripts. Every night, after work, would stay at desk and work on own scripts. Skills went "through the roof" being in the room with great writers. Had "interview" with UTA, thought she was being interviewed. "The longer I have done this, the more I realize how hard it is to run a show. And it's really easy to see who does it well and who doesn't." "I'm not young enough to know everything." - Oscar Wilde "Baby Daddy" is over, and she can't wait to get back in a writer's room. "The TV Writer's Workbook" - Ellen Sandler "Writing the TV Drama Series 3rd edition: How to Succeed as a Professional Writer in TV" - Pam Douglas Take a UCLA Extension class or Santa Monica Community College class

    1h 18m
  2. How I Broke Into Writing with Taffy Brodesser-Akner (GQ, NY Times) - 025

    07/21/2017

    How I Broke Into Writing with Taffy Brodesser-Akner (GQ, NY Times) - 025

    Taffy Brodesser-Akner is a writer who has contributed compelling non-fiction features to major publications such as the New York Times Magazine, GQ, Cosmopolitan, Los Angeles Times, SElf, and so many more. Taffy is also the author of the forthcoming Random House novel, Schrödinger's Marriage. Taffy has been a finalist for multiple awards, including the James Beard Award and the Mirror Award, and has won awards from the New York Press Club, the Los Angeles Press Club, Society of Feature Journalists. She also teaches a phenomenal writing class, but the class we discuss in this interview unfortunately sold out before we launched. Subscribe to "How I Broke Into" on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, TuneIn, I Heart Radio, or Google, or listen to the entire podcast here: Notes from the show: John Cheever's short stories Inspired by writer Lauren Slater. "It’s also telling that I’m not a trained journalist.  I have a degree in screenwriting from NYU. The highest priority when I’m writing is on storytelling, not voice, but storytelling.  That’s my business.  Voice comes easily to me because it’s easy for me to write how I sound.  And structure is the thing that I think about the most.  ‘What is the beginning, middle, and end of this?’ " Loved the soap opera Santa Barbara, and got a job at a Soap Opera publication Worked at Mediabistro in Los Angeles PTSD from giving birth "Moving Swift-ly on? Giggling Tom Hiddleston is spotted bidding farewell to a mystery brunette during evening stroll back in London" - Daily Mail "Chasing the New American Dream" "My Color Story" "Obsessive-compulsive disorder nearly ruined her life" by Sarah Maraniss Vander Schaaff "Who Controls Childbirth?" - Self Magazine "We Have Found the Cure! (Sort Of)" - Outside Magazine Water's Edge (The story of Bill May, the greatest male synchronized swimmer who ever lived, and his improbable quest for Olympic Gold) - ESPN Magazine The Art of War by Steven Pressfield Interviewing celebrities is never not weird. Classes at: taffyakner.com/classes (but August 2017 class is sold out)

    1h 1m
  3. How I Broke Into Photography with Jordan Matter ("Dancers Among Us") - 024

    12/30/2016

    How I Broke Into Photography with Jordan Matter ("Dancers Among Us") - 024

    Jordan Matter, a Manhattan portrait photographer, is the author of the New York Times bestseller, Dancers Among Us, a collection of photographs of dancers in everyday situations around the world, and his collection of photos of nudes in public places, Dancers After Dark, is a monumental achievement, in my humble opinion. He and his work have been featured on television, in print, online, and in exhibitions throughout the world, including Buzzfeed, ABC World News Tonight, Today, The Tyra Banks Show, the BBC, The New York Times, The Huffington Post, #1 on Reddit, Daily Mail U.K., O, The Oprah Magazine, NPR, Lincoln Center, and the Savina Museum of Contemporary Art in Seoul, Korea. Matter lives in New York with his wife, two children, dog and cat. Notes from the show: Serendipity Dancers Among Us: A Celebration of Everyday Life My interview with my father. My interview with ballet champion Brooklyn Mack. Behind the Scenes "Ode on a Grecian Urn" by John Keats The Professional Photographer's Legal Handbook by Nancy Wolff Henri Cartier-Bresson Uncovered: Women in Word and Image The Beauty Myth - Naomi Wolf Camera + App actually DOES work with the iPhone 7 Plus dual lens system (but not "Portrait Bokeh" mode) Alan Cumming Sings Sappy Songs

    1h 8m
  4. Surf Art with Nelson Ruger, "Nelson Makes Art" - 023

    12/25/2016

    Surf Art with Nelson Ruger, "Nelson Makes Art" - 023

    Nelson Ruger grew up along the beaches of southern New Jersey, finding his stomping grounds among Ocean City’s 7th Street and North Street beaches and boardwalks.  Loving art from an early age, he dove into a career as a theatrical artist, designing scenery and lighting for stage productions up and down the eastern United States, lending his creative style from tiny one-room shows to huge regional theaters. In 1998, he fulfilled his dream of designing on Broadway.  With this life goal achieved so young, Nelson began searching for new horizons and artistic possibilities. Nelson eventually left the theatre industry to pursue his surf painting and zen watercolor art. He formed the ‘Nelson Makes Art!’ Studio in Virginia, where he spent several happy years developing commissioned pieces in his flip-flops. ‘Nelson Makes Art!’ then led him far far west to the opposite coast of sunny Los Angeles.  As Creative Director at RGH Themed Entertainment, Nelson worked with a diverse team of artists across many disciplines, designing theme parks and attractions around the world.   In 2014, Nelson discovered a passion uniting two of his favorite things - painting, and tropical beverages.  This led him to his most exciting works to date - the Huli Pau Glassware series - painted glassware featuring the beautiful waves of oceans from around the world. He's the guy who believes you deserve to live the life you've always wanted.  And he's gonna do everything he can to help get you there. Notes from the show: He didn't like the "drama" offstage of theatre. He went to work for Apple. He was invited to build a theme park in Los Angeles. He opened an Etsy store. Can Infringement on Etsy, Ebay, or CafePress be Considered "Fair Use?" Helped by Amy Colella Kim Bloomberg Designs The One of a Kind Show Winsor-Newton paintbrushes Liquitex enames to be discontinued. Gordon Firemark Jason Fellerman Glass Buck's Rock Tools of Titans by Tim Ferriss 1000 True Fans by Kevin Kelly James Schramko's SuperFast Business SoCal vs. Hawaii Ocean City, NJ A Crash Course on Taking on Centuries-Old Brands... and Succeeding The Virgin Way by Richard Branson Simon Sinek's TED talk No, No, No, No, No, Yes. Insights From a Creative Journey: Motivation & Self-Improvement (Creative & Innovation series Book 1) by Gideon Amichay etsy.com/nelsonmakesart facebook.com/nelsonmakesart instagram.com/nelsonmakesart NelsonMakesArt.com

    1h 9m
  5. Charity with Brad Broder, Kenya Education Fund - 022

    11/24/2016

    Charity with Brad Broder, Kenya Education Fund - 022

    Bradley Broder is the founder and Executive Director of the Kenya Education Fund. Bradley founded Kenya Education Fund as a means of supporting the children he befriended while serving in the US Peace Corps for two years (Kenya 1999-2001).   Bradley has over 17 years experience working with Kenya and speaks fluent Kiswahili.  His deep, personal connection with Kenya and knowledge of international development issues has led Bradley to focus KEF focus on keeping Kenyans in school to develop the country’s human capital and reduce dependency on foreign aid.  Brad holds a BA in Spanish from SUNY Stony Brook and an MA in Political Science from Western Washington University.   He lives in New York City with his wife and two sons. The story of KEF weaves together the rich histories of three organizations,  the Kenya Education Fund (est. 2006), the Nomadic Kenyan Children’s Educational Fund (NKCEF, est. 2001) and the Children of Kibera Foundation (est. 2007). KEF has over 20 years of collective experience working to promote education in Kenya. KEF was started by former Peace Corps Volunteer, Bradley Broder and local community leader, Dominic Muasya, to keep kids in high school when their means did not allow.  NKCEF was formed after a group of families from McLean, Virginia accompanied their children’s high school teacher, Hon. Joseph Lekuton, on a trip to his nomadic homeland in Northern Kenya where many of the children were not in school. NKCEF combined with KEF in 2011. Children of Kibera Foundation was founded by Honorable Ken Okoth (Kibra) and provided hundreds of educational scholarships to primary, secondary and university students from Kibera –Africa’s largest slum. CoKF decided to join hands with KEF in 2013. Notes from the show: Brad founded the KEF in 2006. The KEF gives scholarship to Kenyan high schools; you can sponsor a child for just $750 a year. He was a Peace Corps volunteer in Loitoktok, Kenya from 1999-2001. He was in Namibia when the towers came down. When he returned to Kenya 3 years later, so many people had died from AIDS. The KEF started with asking friends and family for money to send one girl and then five kids to school. About Schmidt (2002), starring Jack Nicholson. The KEF has helped thousands of kids get an education. "The ask is sort of an art... asking is a sales pitch. Barack Obama: "Fired up, ready to go" video Salesforce.com gives 10 free licenses to non-profits Chronicle of Philanthropy The Art of the Ask - Connie Phieff Three Cups of Tea - Greg Mortenson The Ask - Laura Fredericks Ask. - Ryan Levesque Essentialism - Greg McKeown

    1h 31m

  6. 10/13/2016

    Chef Life with Chef Rossi, Anti-Caterer, "The Raging Skillet" - 021

    Chef Rossi, of the renowned Raging Skillet, is a master storyteller, and this episode doesn't disappoint. She is not your ordinary chef. She credits her success to everything from "kishka and grits" to marijuana munchies to the Hasidim in Crown Heights to foul-mouthed bar tending. Her stories are phenomenal, worthy of a Moth competition. Oh, and don't take my word for it: her cookbook (!)/memoir is being turned into a play and screenplay! Rossi, yes, she only has one name -– has been a writer for many publications, such as The Daily News, The New York Post, Time Out New York and Mcsweeney's to name a few. She has been the food writer of the "Eat Me" column for Bust magazine since 1998, hosts her own hit radio show on WOMR and WFMR in Cape Cod called "Bite This," now in its twelfth season, has been featured on "The Food Network" and "NPR” and is a popular blogger for “The Huffington Post.” As the owner and executive chef of "The Raging Skillet," a cutting-edge catering company known for breaking any and all rules, she has earned a reputation as the one to call when it's time to do something different. The Raging Skillet has been called "a new breed of rebel anti-caterer" by The New York Times, "the wildest thing this side of the Mason Dixon line" by Zagat and has been named among The Knot’s Best Of Wedding Caterers for 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 2015 and now 2016. Having won six years in a row, The Raging Skillet is in The Knot’s Hall of Fame. On November of 2015 Rossi’s first memoir; The Raging Skillet/The True Life Story of Chef Rossi was published from the Feminist Press to rave reviews. From Kirkus - "A humorous and witty chronicle of a woman’s pulling-herself-up-by-her-bootstraps rise through the culinary ranks." From Publisher’s Weekly: "With an insightful and irreverent voice, Rossi’s debut is well suited for foodies, feminists, and creative revolutionaries." Rossi’s motto is simple; "molds are a delicious thing to break!” Notes from the show: As a child, she always thought she would end up as President of the US. Then she thought she would end up an artist. She has always had a problem with authority and considers herself completely unemployable. Her parents bought swampland in Panama City, Florida (the "Redneck Riviera"), diet of "kishka and grits." At 13, her mother got a microwave and that was the end of home-cooked meals. She discovered marijuana, made stoner food. At 16, she ran away from home. Her parents drove her to Hasidic Crown Heights... "like being dropped off on Mars with matzoh balls." She explored different cuisines based on the ethnicity of women she dated. She hired a sous chef who was so good, should have been the chef. She cooked for 10 years before going solo. "The Raging Skillet" came to her like a light bulb. Doing V-Day for The Vagina Monologues led to her listing in Celebrities love to be treated like everyone else, and she likes to treat everyday people like celebrities. She is most comfortable with 150-200 people. She did not like working in restaurants: too high stress yet boring. She lived for the daily specials. Her goal is to delegate more and have more fun. By working for others, she learned what not to do. She has a "Zen kitchen." No yelling allowed. "Gordon [Ramsey], there's no way people aren't spitting in the food." She turns down competition shows. "Why One Neuroscientist Started Blasting His Core" - The Atlantic Like Water for Chocolate Stay super-organized. Never let things accumulate. The food processor: "mi esposa." The play based on her book is written by Jacques Lamarre. Advice: go work for as many different types of kitchens. She loves The White Trash Cookbook.

    1h 10m

  7. 09/22/2016

    Circus Life with Ringmaster Johnathan Lee Iverson (Ringling Bros. "Greatest Show on Earth") - 020

    Ringmaster Johnathan Lee Iverson is the Voice of the Greatest Show on Earth. He began performing at age 11 with the world-famous Boys Choir of Harlem. For seven years, he was intensely trained in all forms of music including classical, jazz, hip hop and gospel. Johnathan experienced a string of unforgettable, inspiring moments as a member of the Boys Choir, which included being awarded the lead tenor role for the choir, singing at the intermission for Luciano Pavarotti's Concert in Central Park, performing in a live show on Broadway for two weeks and winning second place in the Lena Horne Vocal Jazz Scholarship. Johnathan graduated from the University of Hartford's Hartt School in May 1998 with a degree in voice performance, and shortly after his graduation, Johnathan was invited to begin his professional entertainment career with the 129th Edition of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey®. Johnathan couldn’t refuse the offer and felt his prominent role in the show was an unbelievable dream come true. Johnathan toured with Ringling Bros.® all around the United States, and his charismatic charm and incredible voice caught the eye of Barbara Walters, who within a year of his first tour named him one of the ten most fascinating people in 1999. Johnathan’s historical tenure with The Greatest Show On Earth is featured in numerous publications, including: the New York Daily News, the Huffington Post,  Black First: 4,000 Ground-Breaking and Pioneering Historical Events by Jessie Carney Smith, African-American First by Joan Potter, Live Life! Be Young, Black, and Successful by Quincy Benton, and Beat of a Different Drum: The Untold Stories of African-Americans Forging Their Own Paths in Work and Life by Dax-Devlon Ross. Notes from the Show: He was a nominal fan of the Greatest Show on Earth (Ringling Bros and Barnum and Bailey Circus) as a boy. His favorite act was Globe of Death/Globe of Steel He studied to be an opera singer. He planned to move to Europe to launch his opera career. He auditioned for the Fireside Dinner Theatre in Wisconsin, which was directed by the director of Ringling Bros. He loved being around the late great Gunther Gebel-Williams. He credits the Boys Choir of Harlem for his commitment to excellence. He saw Placido Domingo in Tokyo when he was with the Choir, and at 13 years old, knew he had to become an opera singer. He credits Dr. Walter J. Turnbull for so much of his success. "You have to walk boys to manhood." He went to Fiorello LaGuardia High School. Tyranny always targets artists and intellectuals. "Believe me, when you're 40 feet up in the air, about to turn a triple somersault, you could care less if your catcher is black, white, gay, straight, speaks English, whatever." "The Mongolian father has the same concerns for his kids as I do mine. The Chinese guy over there is just as romantic or he's vying for that woman's attention like I would have when I was single. We all have these same types of things. It's really fascinating. I think the arts open the gateway to our common humanity." A check for the ego: the animals are the reason people come to the circus. The circus is a singer's nightmare. His first year was vocally traumatic. Working in the circus is a "learn-on-the-job thing." Frank Sinatra was so much better after Ava Gardner. Mortality is what distinguishes his colleagues from him. The band is the hardest working band in show business. "You can't phone it in in the circus. You have to be focused." He puts Vaseline on his teeth and a lozenge under his tongue to have moisture in his mouth. "I continue to be a student of my voice." "I've never trained with an academic. Ever. I don't trust someone who's just learned it from a book. They don't know anything. People who've gone out and done it can teach it." "It's a hard life to be a performer of any kind." His wife is his boss. "I consider myself the wealthiest man in show business." Early in his career, it was all ab

    1h 13m

  8. 09/01/2016

    Artisan Cheese with Adam Moskowitz, founder of the Cheesemonger Invitational - 019

    Adam Moskowitz is the wunderkind President of Larkin Cold Storage and Columbia Cheese, and he founded the Cheesemonger Invitational, an in-demand twice-a-year event that is considered the Olympics of cheese skills, an celebrates what are to cheese what sommeliers are to wine. The profits from the CMI, which Adam hosts as his alter-ego, "Mr. Moo," go towards The Barnyard Collective, an organization devoted to food education. Adam was responsible for the introduction of Challerhocker cheese to the U.S., just as his father was responsible for the introduction of cave-aged Gruyere to the U.S. But Adam bought out his own father's business long after Adam had pursued other entrepreneurial and artistic endeavors, and, in a decade Adam has grown various multi-million dollar revenue streams by focusing on "small ponds," "big trees," and "not chasing butterflies." He has been featured in the cover story of Cheese Connoisseur Magazine and has appeared as a judge and expert on the Food Network. Notes from the show: "New York's Prince of Cheese" - Politico His grandfather was one of the first importers of cheese in New York. His father started up Larkin Cold Storage. Adam took over 10 years ago. Adam considers himself a cheerleader. Adam has always been entrepreneurial; in college, he launched a valet company, and sold pot. In his early 20s, Adam worked for Yahoo, and earned a lot of money. Adam used his earnings from Yahoo to launch his rap career as The Beat Poet. His father saw an entrepreneur, even more than an artist, when he saw Adam at CBGB. Adam worked at Essex Food Market to develop skills. "Cheese is the perfect food." He loves connecting to the land, to the animals, to families. "I made a conscious decision early on to make choices that would lead me not to have regret." He has 5x earnings in 10 years. He loves helping people: artisans, cheesemongers, connect supply chain, employees. "All life experiences are cumulative." "I'm not going to regret that decision. I am simply going to make another decision." Still uses pen and paper for inventory. Jiro Dreams of Sushi The conundrum of the perfectionist. Adam fires toxic customers. The Importance of Being Dirty: Lessons from Mike Rowe The Complete Counselor webinar on work-life balance: uncrossable lines. "Food is the great equalizer. Food has no social class. A great piece of meat tastes the same--amazing--whether you're rich or poor." Life's Too Short for Miller Lite "I'm a mission-driven entrepreneur." Flavor: taste, aroma, trigeminal stimulation. He owns Larkin Cold Storage, Columbia Cheese, and the Cheesemonger Invitational. Becoming a father reset Adam's notions of success. Kids don't follow the entrepreneur's playbook. "The return is giving." On the horizon: curriculum and lexicon, empowering people with words. Adam is interested in content creation. Latest favorite cheese: Wrangeback from Sweden. Favorite bubbly: Cremant du Jura. Beer: Fat Tire Amber Ale Meats: Olympia Provisions, Herb Eckhouse Prosciutto, Smoking Goose Olympia Provisions is an example of an excellent product being more important than its name. "Let go of your food fear." Michael Prywes is Managing Attorney of Prywes, PC. For more information, visit www.NewYorkStartUpAttorneys.com

    1h 28m
See All (26)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Every writer, actor, fine artist, filmmaker, musician, artisan food / liquor magnate, or mom & pop small business owner has a story of the "Big Break." New York startup attorney Michael Prywes interviews successful artists and entrepreneurs, and common themes become evident: there is no such thing as overnight success, learning continues for a lifetime, and relationships are everything. The guests--who all have succeeded where so many others have failed-- share actionable insights, retrospective advice, and instructive stories.

Information

To listen to explicit episodes, sign in.

Stay up to date with this show

Sign in or sign up to follow shows, save episodes, and get the latest updates.
Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

Asia Pacific

Europe

Latin America and the Caribbean

The United States and Canada