Info

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

From writers, musicians, and actors, to tech magnates, to mom & pop businesses and food, beverage, or cosmetics entrepreneurs, New York-based startup attorney Michael Prywes (www.Proud.Lawyer) takes the audience on a deep dive into the world of creative business building. Every innovator has an important story to tell, and lessons to share. For more information, call 212.206.9104 or visit www.Proud.Lawyer
RSS Feed Subscribe in Apple Podcasts
How I Broke Into: Michael Prywes Interviews Artists and Entrepreneurs About Their Big Break
2017
September
July


2016
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
March
February
January


Categories

All Episodes
Archives
Categories
Now displaying: January, 2016
Jan 28, 2016

Eva Shure grew up between Manhattan and South Florida. She was a Theater Major at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. While in college, she completed her training at the Second City Improvisation Training Center right outside of Chicago. After finishing at Northwestern, she went on to complete a three-year Masters degree from The Actors Studio. After graduating from school, she starred in the national tour of the Broadway Biopic ”Love, Janis”, portraying the life and career of the singer/icon, Janis Joplin. Eva has also starred on several TV Shows and off-Broadway Productions in New York City. Eva is the Co-Founder of Red Carpet Kids and Red Carpet Improv, an experiential event and interactive education company with its flagship in New York and opening Miami and Beverly Hills this year.

Craig Saslow is originally from Long Island, NY and attended the Cornell Hotel School. After graduating from school, Craig started working in the Hospitality Industry in Los Angeles - learning every facet of operations and service. After moving back to NY to work with Todd English and several prestigious restaurant groups, Craig leveraged his acumen and knowledge to co-found Red Carpet Kids. He brings his 15+ years of experience in the Hospitality world into the realm of experiential entertainment.

Notes from the show:

After being rejected by banks, they found help through the Small Business Development Center at CUNY Baruch College.

They received a loan from Renaissance Economic Development Corporation.

"It's a blessing in disguise not to know everything that will go wrong. Sometimes it's better to jump in and learn on the fly."

Vetting vendors, such as publicists and general contractors, by calling references is not necessarily enough.

"Improvisation is a life skill."

"Don't cheap out on hiring."

"CraigsList is a lot like Loehmann's: you really have to look, but at the end of the day, you find something spectacular."

The press always needs stories; use "Help a Reporter Out (HARO)."

The low-tech secret to partnering with luxury brands such as the Four Seasons, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Lincoln Center. Hint: anyone can do this.

Book Recommendation from Michael Prywes: Blue Ocean Strategy by W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne

This podcast hosted by New York attorney Michael Prywes was sponsored by Prywes Schwartz, PLLC, a law firm devoted to artists and entrepreneurs.

This podcast may contain attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee future outcomes.

Jan 21, 2016

Naomi Grossman is best known for her portrayal of the fan-favorite, “Pepper” on FX’s American Horror Story: Asylum. Previously, Naomi wrote, produced, and starred in her second hit solo show, Carnival Knowledge:  Love, Lust, and other Human Oddities, which enjoyed a twice-extended, sold-out run and rave reviews (“Recommended” by LA Weekly).  It was then reprised at the world-famous fringe theatre festival in Edinburgh, Scotland, where it received more critical praise (4 stars: The Scotsman, Broadway Baby, Fringe Review) and a transfer to London’s West End (Leicester Square Theatre).  It later went on to have a successful run Off-Off Broadway. Naomi’s first solo show, Girl in Argentine Landscape, also received critical acclaim (LA Weekly, “Pick of the Week”) and earned her an LA Weekly Theatre Award nomination for best solo performance.  Naomi toured with Girl to Chicago's Single File Festival, the Los Angeles Women’s Theatre Festival, the New York International Fringe Festival, and screened a subtitled video-version on the big screen in Argentina. A former member of the esteemed Groundlings Sunday Company, as well as alumna of Improv Olympic, Naomi has written, produced, and starred in numerous comedic shorts under her “Red Meat Entertainment” banner, which have screened at the LA Comedy Shorts Film Festival, the TriMedia Film Festival, the Connecticut Film Festival, the Dam Short Film Festival, the Faux Film Festival, the Los Angeles Comedy Festival, the Wet Your Pants Comedy Film Festival, the Action On Film International Festival, and the Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival.  Naomi also made a cameo in the feature film,Table for Three. A graduate of theatre from Northwestern University, Naomi has acted in several of Chicago’s illustrious, long-running, cult comedies:Cannibal Cheerleaders on Crack and Shannen Doherty Shoots a Porno at the Torso Theatre, as well as Attack of the Killer B’s and White Trash Wedding and a Funeral at the Factory Theatre.

Notes from the show:

Naomi started acting and comedy with KidSkits in Denver

Started LA quest for acting success by reading Backstage West.

Los Angeles is not a theatre town.

She recommends going to Paley Center for Media, watch solo shows by John Leguizamo, Eric Bogosian, Lily Tomlin, Spalding Gray.

Here are Naomi's book recommendations:

The Luck Factor - Dr. Richard Wiseman

The Secret - Rhonda Byrne

Ask and It Is Given  - Esther and Jerry Hicks

You Are a Badass - Jen Sincero

There's No Business Like Soul Business - Derek Rydall

Failing Forward - John C. Maxwell

A Year in Van Nuys - Sandra Tsing Loh

Recommendation from Michael Prywes:

Essentialism - Greg McKeown

A-ha moment: "I'm not acting. I'm a professional mailer. If these people won't cast me, I'll cast myself."

Naomi's biggest mistakes: "Waiting for success to come to me. And not getting jobs that used my brain."

How Naomi plans her day: "LISTS!"

Naomi shares a treasure trove of information, advice, and emotional experiences. She talks about her darkest days, and the time she realized she "arrived." She also gives a comprehensive rundown of her special visiting artist lecture at Northwestern University, twenty years after Ethan Hawke's memorable lecture.

This podcast hosted by New York attorney Michael Prywes was sponsored by Prywes Schwartz, PLLC, a law firm devoted to artists and entrepreneurs.

This podcast may contain attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee future outcomes.

Jan 14, 2016

Jim Dooley is an Emmy Award-winning composer/songwriter with a diverse repertoire spanning the film, television, video gaming and live theatrical industries. He has earned accolades for his solo work as well as proud collaborations with many of the top names in music.

Jim is a graduate of New York University, and upon completion of his degree, moved to Los Angeles to study the art of film composing at USC with prolific scoring legends Christopher Young, Elmer Bernstein and Leonard Rosenman. He joined Media Ventures (now Remote Control Productions) in 1999 and collaborated with Hans Zimmer on DreamWorks’ “Gladiator” and as an additional composer, arranger and orchestrator on Columbia Pictures’ “The Da Vinci Code,” Disney’s “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl,” DreamWorks’ “The Ring,” and many others. Two projects featuring Jim’s music were also honored with Oscar nominations.

In Television, Jim has written original music for shows on NBC, ABC, FX, CW, and Lifetime and his music on the critically acclaimed series, “Pushing Daisies,” won him the Primetime Emmy Award for “Best Original Music Composition for a Series.”

In film, Jim composed has composed for many live action films, and animated films such as “Madagascar,” “Madagascar 2,” and the Penguins of “Madagascar.” the Oscar-winning “Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit,” and “Operation Got Your 6” featuring First Lady Michelle Obama.

Jim’s expertise in other mediums can be found in the complex, interactive scores for best-selling videogame titles such as “Epic Mickey,” “Disney Infinity: Marvel Super Heroes,” “Infamous” and “SOCOM 3: U.S. Navy Seals,” “U.S. Navy Seals: Combined Assault.”

Jim is currently scoring TNT’s hit drama “The Last Ship” with collaborator James Levine. He recently emerged into the Sports industry with his theme for the 2015 Senior PGA Championship, heard on both NBC and the Golf Channel.

Some topics we discussed:

Jim's introduction to "Stairway to Heaven" and "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)"

The percussion of Danny Elfman's "Nasty Habits"

Patelson's Music Store in Manhattan

The New York Times article "Cultivating the Art of Serendipity"

Ordering music from (and finally releasing through) Varese Sarabande Records

The joy of handwritten takedowns

"You don't take as much ownership if you don't figure it out yourself."

Playing a tragic Gladiator theme at Hans Zimmer's birthday party

How an expert swinging a golf club correctly is more difficult than an expert playing a concerto 

Ideas from Oliver Sacks's "Musicophilia"

J.K. Rowling's commencement speech at Harvard about the importance of failure

This podcast hosted by New York attorney Michael Prywes was sponsored by Prywes Schwartz, PLLC, a law firm devoted to artists and entrepreneurs.

This podcast may contain attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee future outcomes.

Jan 7, 2016

Pang-Ni (Bonnie) Landrum, a recovering Big 10 mascot and daughter of an Asian tiger mom and a Southern military cop dad, has written on both comedy and drama shows including Malcolm in the Middle and JJ Abrams’ Six Degrees. She has sold pilot scripts to Sony, Touchstone Television and E! A co-founder of SeaGlass Theatre in Los Angeles, she also writes and produces the micro web series, The Aftermooners. Through Words Empower Media, Pang-Ni and co-creator Jennifer Quintenz, publish anthologies of short stories written by fellow television writers to benefit non-profits. In 2014, their inaugural release, EMPOWER: Fight Like A Girl raised funds for the Lupus Foundation of America while the proceeds for the upcoming EMPOWER: Mind Over Matter will go toward brain cancer research. Follow Pang-Ni on twitter and periscope: @pangni.

Recommended sites:

Deadline.com

Variety.com

HollywoodReporter.com

TVbytheNumbers.Zap2it.com

TubeFilter.com

Recommended writing books:

Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott

On Writing by Stephen King

Save the Cat by Blake Snyder

Biggest mistake: "Not keeping in touch."

Smartest move: "Learning how to draw from my life." 

When she knew she really broke into television writing: "1) When the money I was sending my mom was more than what my dad was sending her for alimony, 2) when my former writing partner and I were on Malcolm in the Middle & we got picked up for a second season

Productivity Hack: Using Siri to record thoughts while driving

This podcast hosted by New York attorney Michael Prywes was sponsored by Prywes Schwartz, PLLC, a law firm devoted to artists and entrepreneurs.

This podcast may contain attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee future outcomes.

1