On episode 35, I have a very special #CreativeConversation with one of my nearest and dearest OG pals, Lee Rutledge.

Lee is actually the creator of this podcast's theme music, but he's more commonly known as an up-and-coming artist/producer who actually goes by two different monikers: Kakuyon and thomTide which are both derived from his two middle names, Kakuyon and Thomas.

Raised in New Jersey and currently based in San Diego, Lee became serious about creating music in high school due to inspiration from other creatives he met as a member of the track team. One of these creatives, Shotta Spence, is now a close friend, frequent collaborator, and also a former P&P guest.

Initially solely focused on producing, Lee decided to start writing lyrics to his own beats and it resulted in the release of his debut album, "Now Go And Flourish" which was later followed up by his collaborative E.P., "Castling: Sky".

While planning his next project, he realized that his vision wouldn't tie in well with the Kakuyon style/branding, so he decided to create a whole new alter ego as thomTide. This led to the release of his episodic album/playlist/series, "Seasons" where he released 1 song every 2 weeks for a year straight!

In this episode, we discuss:

· how music was always in his bones (5:44)

· the making of "thomTide" (23:41)

· wanting to quit as a creative (31:20)

· the effect of Computer Science on his creative process (41:53)

· why being comfortable is a struggle (51:54)

LISTEN TO KAKUYON

LISTEN TO THOMTIDE

SONGS REFERENCED IN INTRO:

• Bag on a Bag - Shotta Spence ft. Kakuyon
• twentySuns - thomTide

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On episode 34, I have a #CreativeConversation with my pal, Rosanna Connolly, the founder of Morena Communications.

It is a startup dedicated to delivering bespoke PR campaigns for musicians who want more than just "press". Bespoke means "custom-made", and in this episode, Rosanna details how she executes these bespoke campaigns from start to finish.

Also in this episode, we talk about: 

· why she decided to cut her hair (5:05)

· her ethical clothing brand dedicated to empowering Women of Color (10:56)

· working with artists such as Ludacris, my twin Ne-Yo, and Rihanna (25:16)

· the easiest technique to help you remember everything (31:24)

· the #1 way for any artist to grow their audience (47:03) 

FOLLOW ROSANNA

MORENA COMMUNICATIONS

MORENA

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On episode 33, I have a #CreativeConversation with my pal, Tom Boyd, a.k.a “Boyder” in a past life.

These days, Tom is a content creator who is strictly dedicated to ensuring other content creators are thriving.

He does this via his brand "Bonus Footage" where he posts short, eye-catching, insightful clips filled with how-to’s, anecdotes, tips, and other resources to help creators create content that actually makes an impact.

He also hosts a podcast called "Creators Are Brands" where he interviews creators who are publicly building brands based on themselves.

In this episode, Tom talks about: 

• what it was like to rap with Asher Roth, meet P. Diddy, and work with Scooter Braun (2:50)
• pivoting out of the music industry and finding his own lane (07:19)
• how he creates his Bonus Footage content (11:53)
• what he's learned from interviewing young Tik Tokers (22:27)
• how everyone is born with natural strengths (47:10)

FOLLOW TOM

WATCH BONUS FOOTAGE

LISTEN TO CREATORS ARE BRANDS

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