The Thing You Do

Have you ever wondered how songs end up getting played on the radio? Like, have you ever been listening to the radio and thought, “Why THIS song? Who decided that of all the songs and all the musicians in the world, that THIS is the song that should be played on this radio station” Depending on the radio format you listen to, my guest today may have had a significant role in why you’re hearing that song. 

Chris Hauser is an independent radio promoter.  His job is, essentially, to convince radio stations to play the artists and songs he represents. And, he’s been doing it for a really, really long time.  He's also a truly delightful human, and even if you aren't all that interested in what he does for a living, I'm certain you will be engaged and uplifted as you listen.

Links:
Patrick Mayberry, Holy Spirit Come:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7npYkaJ8kWc

Brandon Heath, Human Nature: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35JU_EwcUhQ

Join me in welcoming Stacy Shawiak to the podcast. Stacy works for Wycliff Associates where she is in the midst of an exciting and very unique project that involves developing a translation of the Bible for people who are deaf.  I can hear you now, "Wait, what? Why would deaf people need a their own Bible translation?" I know, I know. I thought the same thing.  But, there's a real need for it, and the whole process of developing this translation is quite fascinating! You'll learn about in this episode of The Thing You Do.

Learn more about Wycliffe and the work Stacy does here: https://bibleineverylanguage.org/processes/sun/

Who in the world has a MORE interesting job than Santa Claus? No one.  And, believe it or not, Mr. Claus took some time out of his very busy schedule to be a part of this incredibly special episode of The Thing You Do podcast. 

Special thanks to Bernard the Elf for his (albeit begrudging) help with putting my call through. And, thanks to my good friend Sean Sellers for helping to make this interview happen. 

It’s not really all that shocking that Bob Allen became a pilot to presidents and celebrities, when you consider that Bob is one of those people who reaches the apex of whatever he does. If there were an overachievers club, he would be the president. For example, in high school, Bob played three sports. Not only was he the starting QB for the Lee High School Football team in Springfield VA, but he was also the team captain and starting guard on the basketball team, and the team captain and shortstop for the baseball team. In his free time in high school and college, he didn’t just go bowling and play pool, he won bowling and pool tournaments.

And, by his senior year at Randolph Macon college, he was starting shortstop once again, and now, scouts were paying attention to him. In fact, there’s a pretty good chance that Bob would have gone on to play in the major leagues, but, as Bob puts it, before Houston could draft him, the army did. So, instead of ending up a star in the major leagues, Lt. Colonel Bob Allen ended up having a remarkable career as an airman and a pilot. Including time as an Air Force One Pilot. Kind of ...

My guest this episode is Richard Burgin. Richard has written, directed and is now in post-production of the horror movie, Fang. Richard also has Asperger syndrome, a form of autism,  and his experience with this disorder plays a major role in his film...which he describes as a metaphor for life with a disability.  I never would have expected an interview with horror movie maker to be so tender, sweet, and touching...but there were moments where I must admit, Richard had me tearing up. 

I know you'll enjoy learning more about making movies through the eyes of this brilliant, funny, resilient young man.

Learn more about Fang: The Movie...
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11706558/
https://www.facebook.com/fangmovie

When Ed Cobbler hung out his Private Investigator shingle 37 years ago, he was the ONLY PI working in Greensboro, North Carolina. He's got more competition these days, but ask anyone in town who's the best, and there's a really good chance they'll point you in Ed's direction. 

Between his nearly 40 years as a PI, 15 years in law enforcement, and the time that he served in the US Army, including a tour in Vietnam, Ed's witnessed some of the worst things humanity has to offer. While he spends his days investigating things like violent crimes, insurance fraud, embezzlement, etc., he still somehow manages to be a positive, kind guy who looks for the best in people.

Ed is a fearless, funny, fascinating fellow. And he answers questions with stories, which is why I think you will find this episode especially captivating. Enjoy!

Ian Russell is an award winning voice actor with a flair for British and International English accents. His voice has been featured on TV, in Movies, in Video Games, on radio and as an Audiobook Narrator. As glamorous as this sounds, Ian says he spends much of his time in small room talking to himself and waving his arms around. Glamourous...or crazy? I'll leave that to you to decide.

If you've ever watched an animated film, played a video game, listened to a commercial and wondered how to get into the business of voiceover, this is a must-listen episode!

Ian's website: https://www.thebritishvoice.net/
Ian's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thebritishvoic2/
Learn about becoming a voice actor: HERE, HERE, and HERE.

Shelby Kirillin has a job that I didn’t even know existed until just a few weeks ago. She’s what’s sometimes called a Death Doula. I don’t know about you, but when I first heard that term, I immediately thought of the title of some really terrible horror flick. It’s nothing like that, though. Actually, Shelby has a career that helps bring meaning and purpose, and even beauty, to the last few chapters of her client’s lives. 

To learn more about End of Life Doulas, visit The International End of Life Doula Association (INELDA) HERE.

Here's Shelby's website: http://apeacefulpassing.info/

Pretty much every kid ever has dreamed of being a zookeeper some day. Well, today's guest is living the dream! Aly is the night keeper at Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City, Utah, and on this episode of The Thing You Do she gives us an up-close look at what it's like to play with wild animals for a living. Spoiler alert, there's A LOT of poop involved, so maybe finish what you're eating before you press play.