The Viral Creative
Join independent film producer and entrepreneur, Maddy Falle, as she sits down with formidable women who are artists, creators and entrepreneurs. The Viral Creative features women who have taken their personal lived experiences and turned them into prosperous works of art and businesses. This show is inspired by its tenacious and brilliant guests who delivered on their goals to build, create and share. As Maddy pursues her own avenues of creation, she learns what motivates those on the show to think outside the box as they seek fulfillment and success.
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Episode Eleven: The Creativity of Elevated Podcasting
07/06/2022
Episode Eleven: The Creativity of Elevated Podcasting
On Episode 11 Maddy and her long time collaborator Rachel Cairns have a candid discussion about Rachel’s newest project Aborsh. Aborsh is a podcast that shares Rachel’s abortion story and details the state of reproductive rights in Canada. Rachel is a prolific artist, who works as an actress, playwright and screenwriter, but also teaches post-secondary students in Toronto on a variety of creative topics. Her new 8 part podcast is thriving on the podcast charts, currently in the top 20 of Society and Culture in Canada and has received thousands of downloads in the first part of its release. Now 4 episodes in, Rachel has come to terms with the hurdles and the triumphs that come with creating a research based podcast, inclusive of reenactments, her own narration and also interview content. Having found success in the podcasting medium she gets candid about what she will do differently for season two. She also explains why she told this story and gives great advice to anyone who wants to share their own experiences or make a splash in the world of podcasting!
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Episode Ten: The Creativity of Authentic Authorship
06/22/2022
Episode Ten: The Creativity of Authentic Authorship
This week’s episode features the multi-talented Andrea Werhun, an author and filmmaker who recently released the second iteration of her incredible book, Modern Whore: A Memoir. The book is a collection of short stories that are based on Andrea’s time working as a sex worker, as well as personal insights and history. It was done in conjunction with photographer and filmmaker Nicole Bazuin who shot the book’s incredible imagery. Published by none other than Penguin Random House Canada! This conversation covers how Andrea used her experiences to embrace her inherent desire to write and create. After the first iteration of the book was self published, Andrea and Nicole’s short film, Modern Whore, premiered at the SXSW Film Festival and caught the eye of the publishing giant. Andrea is just getting started and this episode discusses the importance of writing from a perspective you have lived, the flawed legalities and stigmas surrounding sex work, embracing one’s true self and how Andrea moves through days where creating feels tough. We hope you love this episode as much as we do! Related Links:
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Episode Nine: The Creativity of Empathetic Leadership Pt 2.
06/15/2022
Episode Nine: The Creativity of Empathetic Leadership Pt 2.
This week is part 2 of our conversation with Brandi Leifso, Evio Beauty founder and an advocate for victims of domestic violence. In part one we discussed the rocky start to Brandi’s entrepreneurial journey. She shares how the early days included the company being ripped out from under her by the same person who caused her to turn to the shelter system in the first place. She discusses the fallout of that betrayal and the continued lawsuits and threats that came at her company as a result. In part two we hear about how she put herself and her business back together to bring Evio to the booming company it is today. This episode discusses all of the major things that helped Evio evolve, ranging from strategic partnerships to venture capital involvement and where Brandi hopes to see the business go in the future! *Please note that the episode does discuss topics of domestic violence.
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Episode Eight: The Creativity of Empathetic Leadership Pt. 1
06/08/2022
Episode Eight: The Creativity of Empathetic Leadership Pt. 1
This week’s episode is part one of a two part discussion with our incredible guest, entrepreneur and activist Brandi Leifso. Brandi describes the tumultuous start to her booming makeup company EVIO Beauty, which she founded while she was living in a domestic violence shelter. EVIO is now a multi million dollar enterprise that ensures it serves the community it was built around, with a socially conscious business model and activism driven mandate. The years to follow the initial launch of EVIO were filled with high highs and low lows, but Brandi persevered to build this brand into what it is today. This episode discusses topics of abuse and domestic violence so please take that into consideration prior to listening. Beyond that, it is a conversation about innovation, risk, perseverance and the power of building a business that has a mission bigger than just the bottom line. Brandi gets incredibly candid about the different hurdles that she faced and how she pushed through moments that required her to re-build. Thank you SO much Brandi for sharing with us on these episodes of The Viral Creative. Related links: Instagram: Instagram:
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Episode Seven: The Creativity of Consistency
06/01/2022
Episode Seven: The Creativity of Consistency
Like this week’s guest, many of us are familiar with trying to find a job in our dream industry. Tina Choi, AKA @doobydobap, decided the best way to attract the employers she wanted was to build a portfolio of her own recipe videos. Staying true to her skill, personality and vision, her desire to find a job exploded into an online following that found unparalleled growth on YouTube and TikTok. Now the companies that initially didn’t hire her are calling her to partner. Tina illuminates the habits and work ethic that build a sustainable career as a content creator and what it means to stay true to your brand.
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Episode Six: The Creativity of Pivoting with Hamza Khan
05/25/2022
Episode Six: The Creativity of Pivoting with Hamza Khan
In an episode that feels a lot like a great therapy session, Maddy and her good friend Hamza Khan are here to walk you through the feelings of burnout and the steps to overcome it. Hamza is the best selling author of not one but two books, The Burnout Gamble and Leadership Reinvented and he speaks globally on the topics of resilience, productivity and leadership! In this conversation Hamza opens up about how vital it was to lean into the truest version of himself to see his career really take off. He and Maddy discuss the isolating feelings that often plague creators and ways they both face imposter syndrome. This is an episode for everyone, whether you are a creative freelancer or classic 9 to 5-er. Resources mentioned by Hamza: See how you might be progressing on the burnout scale:
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Episode Five: The Creativity of Audacious Goals with Kadon Douglas
05/18/2022
Episode Five: The Creativity of Audacious Goals with Kadon Douglas
Kadon realized early on that her creative journey was going to be focused on supporting and guiding artists. Carrying out her mission to see true equity and inclusion in the entertainment industry and her calling to build community, Kadon has built her impactful career through the non-profit space. As the inaugural Executive Director of BIPOC Film & TV, Kadon takes us through her perspective on the importance of being a support system for creatives and their projects, how imagination is our biggest currency and she speaks on her “big, audacious goal” for the impact of her work. Links:
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Episode Four: The Creativity of Tenacity with Carlin Domi
05/11/2022
Episode Four: The Creativity of Tenacity with Carlin Domi
This week Maddy has a light-hearted conversation with entrepreneur Carlin Domi. Growing up in a publicly known family, Carlin has a unique view on the power of PR and owning your narrative. Carlin founded her PR firm Domi Co. when she was only 24 and has seen fantastic growth ever since. This discussion is full of humor and candid insight as Maddy and Carlin unpack what it takes to start a business that you’re passionate about, pull yourself together after tough breaks, and ground yourself in your ‘why’. Sprinkled between lots of laughs, Carlin shares her personal story and the pearls of wisdom she’s learned as an entrepreneur. Links:
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Episode Three: The Creativity of Gratitude with Sara Waisglass
05/04/2022
Episode Three: The Creativity of Gratitude with Sara Waisglass
This week Maddy interviews the spectacular actress and influencer Sara Waisglass, who portrays the beloved character Max on the Netflix hit Ginny and Georgia. Maddy and Sara talk through the ways in which anxiety plagues creatives and the tension between wanting to share your art and wanting personal space. They discuss the ups and downs of Sara’s relationship with social media after the drastic growth in her following over the last 18 months. She highlights setting boundaries while still being present for her audience, how leading with gratitude can provide her with a clear mind and giving yourself space to show up for your craft. Links:
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Episode Two: The Creativity of Fueling Momentum with Gabrielle Stone
04/28/2022
Episode Two: The Creativity of Fueling Momentum with Gabrielle Stone
On this episode Maddy sits down with Gabrielle Stone, a prolific creator whose success stems from how she approaches all of her work with dedicated authenticity. From broken-hearted to self-published author, Gabrielle takes life’s struggles and reframes them to inspire others to take their power back. Her story is detailed in her book, Eat, Pray, FML, which saw sales skyrocket after she blew up on TikTok. This sparked a podcast, merchandise lines and the building of a huge online community. From viral success to dealing with Internet trolls, this multifaceted talent will take you through her creative journey and share what it took to build the thriving Eat, Pray, FML brand. See what Gabrielle is up to here:
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Episode One: The Creativity of Perseverance with Samra Zafar
04/26/2022
Episode One: The Creativity of Perseverance with Samra Zafar
On this episode of The Viral Creative, Maddy is joined by Samra Zafar, an internationally renowned speaker, best-selling author, entrepreneur and human rights activist. Samra shares her personal story of escaping an abusive arranged marriage and building a life and career that fulfills her desire to help others. As she describes her forged path to liberation, she demonstrates the power of believing in your future and shares tangible ways you can move forward when you are afraid or unsure of what to do next. You can check out more of Samra’s work and mission in the links below:
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