Get Messy with Maddie

Maddie McGuire
  • 5.0 (6)
  • Self-Improvement
  • Updated Weekly

Get Messy is the mindset podcast for creatives who want sustainable, successful careers — without losing their sanity. Hosted by Maddie McGuire, a performer of 10+ years and currently in grad school to become a therapist, each episode goes deep on the mental side of the creative grind: core beliefs, mindset blocks, facing obstacles, making a living as a creative, chasing dreams, and what it takes to stay in the game.

  1. 3d ago

    Someone Half as Talented as You Is Living Your Dream | Why Audacity Matters More Than Talent

    Someone out there is half as talented as you, living a version of your dream just because they had the audacity to put themselves out there. When I heard that, I didn't get angry, I got lit up, because it means the thing standing between you and everything you want might have nothing to do with talent. In this episode, I'm talking about audacity: the word that has been following me around all year, and what it actually takes to cultivate it. I get into why audacity is the new confidence (but louder, grittier, and a little bit delusional in the best way), why I believe it matters as much as talent, and why our nervous systems are hardwired to protect us instead of promote us. I talk about the people I took acting class with years ago who were profoundly talented, and why the biggest differentiator in who went on to build a career was their level of self-belief. I also get real about why self-belief has to come before the evidence, and why audacity isn't just talk: it's built in action, one kept commitment at a time. I'm recording this on a day that doesn't feel great, and I share why that's exactly the point. This one's for anyone who's waiting to feel ready, confident, or validated before they go after what they want. In This Episode: The quote that lit me up: someone half as talented as you is living your dream because they had the audacity to go for itWhy the word "audacity" has been following me around all yearAudacity as the new confidence, and what makes it differentWhy audacity matters as much as talent (and what I've seen in people from my old acting classes)Why our nervous systems are wired to protect us instead of promote usWhy self-belief has to come before the evidenceHow the brain can read the absence of evidence as proof of failure, and how people quietly kiss their dreams goodbyeWhy audacity isn't just talk: it's built through action and kept commitmentsShowing up on a hard day, and why the gap between where you are and where you want to be is smaller than it looksThought replacement, signing your own permission slip, and taking action before the evidence arrives ✨ Resouces in this episode✨ "You Have the Talent, What You Need is the Audacity" via the Crystal Clear Substack"The Artist's Way" by Julia CameronJessi Jean, online content creator ✨Connect with Maddie✨ @maddiemcguirecoaching | @maddiemcguire4

  2. Oct 1

    88. Not All Feedback Is Good Feedback | Ruchi Loomba on Filmmaking, Motherhood, and Owning Your Own Path

    Welcome to The Grind — a new series here on Get Messy. Nobody tells you what the middle looks like: the slow seasons, the unglamorous work, and the years it actually takes to build something that lasts. This series is for that middle, told by the people who are actually living it. Ruchi Loomba is an actor, writer, producer, and director based in Seattle, and this conversation covers a lot of ground: juggling acting with another full-time career in healthcare, pursuing outside representation in markets like Chicago, and the two short films she's written, produced, and self-funded — including one deeply personal story about mental illness in the South Asian community. She also opens up about becoming a new mom just 11 weeks before this conversation, and what it's looked like to figure out how to make space for creativity in a completely new season of life. We get into the damaging "this has to be your Plan A" rhetoric so many actors are raised on, why most actors don't make most of their money from acting (and why that's nothing to be ashamed of), learning to discern good feedback from bad, and the power of community — including the serendipitous referral that landed her outside representation in Chicago. Ruchi also shares what it's been like to navigate this industry as a person of color, and how that's shaped the kind of work she's chosen to create herself. This episode is for anyone balancing a creative career with another job, another identity, or a completely new season of life, and wondering if that makes them any less of an artist. Key Topics Discussed: Balancing Acting with a Full-Time Career in HealthcarePursuing Outside Representation and the Realities of Being a "Local Hire"Why "This Has to Be Your Plan A" Is Damaging, Limiting AdviceLearning to Discern Good Feedback from BadWriting, Producing, and Crowdfunding Her First Short FilmStepping Back from Acting to Direct Her Second FilmNavigating the Industry as a Person of ColorBecoming a New Mom and Making Space for CreativityThe Power of Community and Serendipitous Connections ✨Connect with Ruchi Loomba ✨ Instagram: @ruchiloomba Website: ruchiloomba.com ✨Connect with Maddie ✨ Explore Maddie's Website | @messywithmaddie

    88. Not All Feedback Is Good Feedback | Ruchi Loomba on Filmmaking, Motherhood, and Owning Your Own Path

  3. Sep 24

    87. Your Calling Will Always Find You: On Purpose, Timing, and Finally Saying Yes

    I got nominated to give a speech in front of 150 people at my grad school residency, and what came out of that week — the stories I heard, the things I haven't been able to stop thinking about since — is something I knew I had to bring here. In this episode, I share what unfolded during my grad school's yearly residency, including getting nominated as my cohort's group leader and having to give a speech in front of the entire program. I get into the three biggest things that came out of that week: why your purpose and your calling will always find you on the right timeline, why the people in your inner circle are keys that unlock the next door you're meant to walk through, and why zooming in on the next step (instead of the whole mountain) is often the only antidote to future tripping. I also share my own winding path to grad school — including a conversation with a past guest, Sasha Feldman, that planted the seed years ago, and a strange, chills-inducing moment involving Tim Tebow's Instagram bio that pushed me to finally act on it. This one's for anyone who feels like their calling has been trying to get their attention for a while now. In This Episode: Getting nominated as group leader and giving a speech to 150 people at grad school residencyMy own winding path to grad school, including the conversation that planted the seedThe Tim Tebow story that gave me chills and pushed me to finally commit"Your purpose and your calling will always find you on the right timeline"Why the people in your inner circle are keys that unlock your next doorWhy clarity often comes from moving forward together, not figuring it out aloneFuture tripping, and why the antidote is zooming in, not outThe bravery of saying yes to something that scares youRESOURCES: Get Messy episode with Sasha Feldman✨Connect with Maddie✨ Schedule a Call with Maddie | Explore Maddie’s Website @maddiemcguirecoaching | @maddiemcguire4

  4. Sep 17

    86. Climbing Cringe Mountain | Corey Clifford on Creating Your Own Work, Coaching, and Community

    Corey Clifford is a SAG-AFTRA actor, writer, director, and acting coach based in LA, and this conversation is a masterclass in staying in the game for the long haul — with humor, humility, and a whole lot of reality TV references along the way. We get into what it actually takes to balance the craft and the business side of acting, why the old "ladder" of co-star to guest star to series regular doesn't really exist anymore, and why creating your own work has become less optional and more essential. Corey opens up about becoming a mom nearly two years ago and figuring out what it means to stay an artist while raising a toddler, the terrifying-but-necessary decision to end a manager relationship that wasn't serving her, and the years-long journey of writing a feature film with her husband that they're now determined to actually get made. We also talk about coaching actors through self-doubt regardless of how much they've booked, the "actor's rejection muscle," and why climbing cringe mountain — reaching out, self-promoting, putting yourself out there — is nonnegotiable in this version of the industry. This episode is funny, honest, and full of real, practical wisdom for anyone building a long-term creative career in an industry that keeps rewriting its own rules. Key Topics Discussed: Balancing the Craft and the Business Side of ActingWhy the Old "Ladder" of Career Progression No Longer ExistsCreating Your Own Work as a Non-Negotiable Career StrategyBecoming a Mom and Staying an Artist at the Same TimeEnding a Manager Relationship and Learning to Advocate for HerselfCoaching Actors Through Self-Doubt at Every LevelClimbing Cringe Mountain: Self-Promotion, Reaching Out, and the Actor's Rejection MuscleWriting and Pursuing Funding for a Feature Film with Her HusbandThe Importance of Community and Accountability Groups ✨Connect with Corey✨ Corey’s Instagram Corey’s Website Corey’s Podcast: Cinema Possessed ✨Connect with Maddie✨ Schedule a Call with Maddie | Explore Maddie’s Website @maddiemcguirecoaching | @maddiemcguire4

    86. Climbing Cringe Mountain | Corey Clifford on Creating Your Own Work, Coaching, and Community

  5. Sep 7

    85. Authenticity Isn't Fixed | It's a Practice, Not a Personality Trait

    Authenticity has become such a buzzword that some people are starting to reject it entirely — but what if we've been thinking about it all wrong? In this episode, I'm reframing authenticity as something that isn't a fixed destination you arrive at, but something that shifts depending on the day, the season, and the version of you that showed up this morning. I revisit something my past guest Sasha Feldman (actor-turned-therapist) said that I haven't been able to stop thinking about: that authenticity isn't a general idea, because he's constantly different — sometimes confident, sometimes not. I get real about how I'm actually feeling on the day I'm recording this (not great, if I'm honest), and why showing up in that state is just as authentic as the confident, put-together version of me from last week. I also share a reframe my therapist gave me about anxiety — how a part of me I've resented has actually been helping me all along — and why staying near yourself, even the messy or scared parts, matters more than performing a fixed identity. This one's for anyone who's tired of performing a version of themselves that doesn't leave room for the full range of who they actually are. In This Episode: Why authenticity isn't a fixed destination — it shifts day by dayA reframe from Sasha Feldman: "I can't be authentic as a general idea because I'm constantly different"Getting honest about how I'm actually feeling today, and why that counts as authentic tooA therapy reframe on anxiety — how a part of me I resented has actually been helping meStaying near yourself instead of abandoning yourself when things aren't going perfectlyWhy vulnerability, contradiction, and mess are the material for creative work, not liabilitiesA conversation with Amy Austin on unraveling yourself from what other people expectAuthenticity as a practice of telling the truth about where you are right now, not a state you achieve RESOURCES: Get Messy episode with Sasha FeldmanMy mindset coach, Amy Austin ✨Connect with Maddie✨ ⁠Explore Maddie's Website⁠ | ⁠@messywithmaddie

  6. Sep 3

    84. Your Insecurities Are Boring | Tatiana Pavela on Fear, Failure, and 20 Years in the Industry

    Welcome to The Grind — a new series here on Get Messy. Nobody tells you what the middle looks like: the slow seasons, the unglamorous work, and the years it actually takes to build something that lasts. This series is for that middle, told by the people who are actually living it. Tatiana Pavela has been in the industry for two decades — from experimental theater in New York, to grad school in Seattle, to finding her creative home in Chicago's storefront theater scene. In this episode, she opens up about the darkest, most burnt-out period of her career (a deep depression that forced her into real mindset work out of necessity), and the profound reset that came out of COVID: learning to build space into her life instead of constantly pushing. We get into what it actually means to "do it" in this industry, why the fearless artist is a myth, and how Tatiana has learned to hold fear as a sign of doing meaningful work rather than something to avoid. She shares the wild, years-long journey of developing and touring her solo show Brandy Alexander — from a grant, to a double-header show in Minneapolis, to an invitation from Juilliard, to a full run in Edinburgh that was, in her words, one of the hardest and proudest things she's ever done. We also talk about the stigma around staying non-union, redefining success beyond bookings, and why she's stopped believing in goals altogether. This episode is for anyone who's ever felt like the industry's "shoulds" were pulling them further away from what they actually want. Key Topics Discussed: Two Decades in the Industry: New York, Seattle, and Finding Home in Chicago TheaterRedefining What It Means to "Do It" as an ArtistBurnout, Depression, and the Mindset Work Born Out of NecessityHow COVID Forced a Profound Reset and the Gift of SpaceThe Stigma Around Staying Non-Union, and Why Talent Isn't the DistinctionThe Fearless Artist Is a Myth: Learning to Use Fear as a Signal, Not a Stop SignCreating Her Own Work: The Years-Long Journey of Brandy AlexanderSuccess and Failure Existing in the Same MomentLetting Go of Goals and Making Room for What Actually Feels Aligned ✨Connect with Tatiana Pavela ✨ Instagram: @tatianapavella Website: https://www.tatianapavela.com/ ✨Connect with Maddie ✨ Explore Maddie's Website | @messywithmaddie

    84. Your Insecurities Are Boring | Tatiana Pavela on Fear, Failure, and 20 Years in the Industry

  7. Aug 31

    83. The Unfinished Version of You Deserves to Be Loved Now

    What if the pursuit of the thing is actually what's keeping you from having it? In this mini episode, I'm sitting with a question I haven't been able to shake: can we ever really have something if we're purely in the pursuit of it? Can I feel at peace when peace itself is the thing I'm chasing? I get into the paradox of pursuit — how chasing a feeling can actually create the very distance you're trying to close — and why the unfinished, still-figuring-it-out version of you isn't the "before" photo waiting to be edited into something worth keeping. It's the version actually living your life right now, and it deserves to be loved today, not once everything finally clicks. I talk about what it looks like to hold wanting more and being at peace with where you are, at the exact same time. This one's a shorter, more reflective episode for anyone who's been treating their current life like a waiting room for the one they're chasing. In This Episode: The paradox of pursuit: why chasing a feeling can push it further awayCan you feel regulated while you're busy trying to figure out how to get regulated?Why the "gap" between where you are and where you're going doesn't have to feel like a problem to solveThe unfinished version of you isn't the rough draft — it's the version actually living your lifeReframing arrival in a creative career (spoiler: there isn't one)How to hold pursuing growth and loving where you are, at the same time ✨Connect with Maddie✨ Explore Maddie’s Website | @messywithmaddie

  8. Aug 27

    82. Your Invisible Ceiling | The Difference Between Confidence and Worthiness

    You can be confident and still have a ceiling. In this episode, I'm getting into something I think gets constantly conflated in the personal development space: the difference between confidence and worthiness. We're always told to just build more confidence, take more action, do more reps — and the worthiness will follow. I don't think that's true, and I've watched it play out too many times, both in myself and in the creatives I work with, to keep letting it go undiscussed. I break down what confidence and worthiness actually are — confidence is about capability and self-trust, built through keeping promises to yourself; worthiness is about deserving, the belief that the outcome is actually available to you, not because you've earned it, but because you get to have it. I share stories of two women I know who were doing everything "right" on the outside but were quietly capped by an invisible worthiness ceiling they didn't even know they had. I also get into how I personally work through moments of low worthiness (hello, dance parties and nervous system regulation), and how to start identifying where your own ceiling actually lives. This one's for anyone who feels like they're doing all the right things and still can't figure out why the results keep landing just out of reach. In This Episode: The difference between confidence and worthiness — and why they're not the same thingWhat confidence actually is: self-trust, built through keeping promises to yourselfWhat worthiness actually is: the belief that the outcome is meant for youTwo real stories of women capped by an invisible worthiness ceilingWhy your potential is capped at what you believe you're worthy of (a concept from Jamie Kern Lima)How a worthiness ceiling can quietly erode confidence, even after you've built itBottoms-up vs. top-down nervous system regulation, and how I use bothJournal prompts to start identifying and examining your own ceiling RESOURCES: Jamie Kern Lima — author, founder of IT Cosmetics"The Artist's Way" by Julia Cameron ✨Connect with Maddie✨ Explore Maddie’s Website | @messywithmaddie

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

Get Messy is the mindset podcast for creatives who want sustainable, successful careers — without losing their sanity. Hosted by Maddie McGuire, a performer of 10+ years and currently in grad school to become a therapist, each episode goes deep on the mental side of the creative grind: core beliefs, mindset blocks, facing obstacles, making a living as a creative, chasing dreams, and what it takes to stay in the game.

Information

  • Creator
    Maddie McGuire
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    90
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Maddie McGuire
  • Show Website
    Get Messy with Maddie

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