135: Creative Career Touchdowns

Catalyst is a Creative Industries podcast, from Chapman University. Each episode features Chapman students who have completed a Podcasting course through the Center for Creative and Cultural Industries at the university. Students who had no podcasting experience or technical ability in the genre before taking the course were able to contribute all the segments to Catalyst this season with the goal being that they will take this ‘hands-on’ experience and carry it over to the launching of their very own series. Each episode of Season 15 will feature one to two different interviews conducted by CCI students, exploring different aspects of the Creative and Cultural Industries.

Our season starts off with a real kick when Jayne Towers sits down with Cal Hunter, a Digital Media professional with the NFL, to explore what happens when creativity, culture, and communication converge on one of the world's most recognizable stages. Cal shares how an unconventional background in media and culture shaped his path to the league, offering an honest look at what it actually takes to build a career at the intersection of storytelling and strategy. Jayne and Cal also examine the cultural forces that quietly shape the league's creative direction and keep its digital team moving. Their conversation digs into how fan engagement is built not through highlights alone, but through the kind of authentic storytelling that turns casual viewers into loyal communities. Cal closes with grounded, practical advice for students eyeing careers in media, marketing, and entertainment.

Concluding our first episode of the season, Producer and Social Media Manager for Will & Rusty's Playdate Podcast at Almost Friday Media, Andrew Nelson, speaks with Tessa Weir about Nelson’s unique career trajectory. They discuss the path that led Andrew from college graduation to running a show almost entirely on his own. Andrew reflects candidly on the stops that shaped him: cutting his teeth under David Dobrik's company, transitioning to the Los Angeles Chargers, grinding through a freelance stretch as a photographer and editor, and ultimately landing at the tight-knit startup. The pair dig into the unglamorous realities behind the mic and what it actually means to shepherd two two-hour episodes from record to release every single week. For students hungry to break into content creation and social media Andrew offers advice that lands with the credibility of someone who hasn't been out of their shoes all that long—and hasn't forgotten what it felt like to be in them.