5th Anniversary . Thank You to my Guest & Listeners
19Stories
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...
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Alex Poppe . Chasing An Unconventional Life
19Stories
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...
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Lawrence Payne . The Pen of Human Intelligence
19Stories
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...
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Ande Lyons . Shattering Ageism
19Stories
It’s no secret to some of my longtime listeners that I’m originally from Los Angeles; sometimes referred to as the land of the rich, famous and forever young. That “fountain of youth”, has been featured and celebrated in films, commercials and advertising for decades, leading those of us who are now in our more “mature years”, to believe that we’ve become irrelevant, worthless and should claim our rightful spot in the proverbial “pasture”. Well, Ande Lyons, the guest joining me today, has made it her mission to dismantle age-related stereotypes and explore the limitless...
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Chris Kughn . Destigmatizing Mental Health
19Stories
Welcome to a very special episode that is launching during the week of ‘Podcasthon’; the world’s largest podcast charity initiative, bringing together podcasters worldwide to raise awareness of local non-profits charitable causes. And what’s more timely and relevant right now, than delving into a discussion of behavioral health with an organization that has been servicing its clients for over 55 years. Founded in 1970, Buckelew Programs encompasses a combined 137 years of experience serving the North Bay, here in California. With programs in Marin, Sonoma, Lake and...
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Sandra Beckwith . Cultivating Civility in a Fractured World
19Stories
It's been a minute since our last episode, and as we step into a new year, it's clear that for many of us, things haven't quite gone as planned. In particular, I’m referring to friends and family in Los Angeles, who are grappling with the aftermath and the ongoing devastating fires, and to those facing social, environmental, and political challenges. I’ve recently returned from attending the 11th Annual Podfest Expo in Orlando, FL, and as a first time attendee, I am reinvigorated and more committed than ever to bringing you authentic, inspiring, and hope-filled stories. A heartfelt thank...
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Jennifer Sims . Reimagining Success
19Stories
If you’re a regular listener to my show, then you know by now that I’m always excited to introduce you to intriguing creatives who are making a positive impact in their fields of expertise. Today, I’m especially excited for this conversation as in some ways I feel like this particular guest and I have been doppelganger’s in both experiences and creative choices. She also happens to share one of my core beliefs that it’s never too late to pursue one's dreams. Now a full time voice and on-camera actor as well as a voice over coach, Jennifer “Jenn” Sims, was deep...
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Heidi Love . Navigating Redemption
19Stories
This episode discusses childhood molestation and rape and may not be suitable for younger listeners or those who’ve experienced similar trauma. I hope you’ve all had a beautiful and rejuvenating summer. I’m recording this episode on the eve of the Autumn Equinox. I imagine we’re all beginning to pull out those comfy sweaters for the cooler weather that is right around the corner! I’m delighted to be back with a new season of episodes beginning with the very special guest that’s joining me today. The descriptor's “bestselling author, global sailor and...
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Paul Schmidt . From Stage to Studio
19Stories
The first thing my guest, Paul Schmidt, would like you to know about him, is that as a single dad, his teenage son, Robbie, is his world and his reason for everything. Which is incredibly endearing considering the level of success he’s attained in a variety of professional and creative endeavors. Perhaps his success is due to being cast at the age of six in the role of “God” in his school play and that has “anointed” his efforts ever since. For years Paul would continue his Thespian pursuits acting in just about anything he could, which in 1980’s Baltimore meant musicals, as he...
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Christy Harst . The Voice of Change
19Stories
My guest today, Christy Harst, has been heard on the World Series, Monday Night Football, and the NBA Finals as one of the national voices of YouTubeTV. She’s also the national voice of John Deere, and has voiced dozens of television, streaming, and radio ads. Her career in voiceover began in college when she applied for a news internship at a local classical radio station. It was during her interview that the station manager told her she had a good voice, escorted her to the studio, recorded her reading the Star Spangled Banner and then suggested, “You’d do well in voice...
info_outlineYou 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.
To contact Alex Poppe directly via the followng:
Business email: [email protected]
Business website: www.alexpoppe.com
On Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/
On LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/
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: [email protected]
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: [email protected]
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."