Does networking HAVE to give you the ick? In this episode, Carissa and Emma Claire break down how to network outside your comfort zone by building genuine relationships. If you’ve ever found it hard to bridge the gap of relationship-building in a public setting, this is the episode for you!

What We Talked About

• How most creative jobs are passed through relationships instead of job boards
• The difference between networking and building real community
• How to stay top of mind without being annoying or transactional
• Sending “one scary email a day” and why rejection isn’t the worst outcome
• The power of genuine compliments, handwritten thank-you notes, and thoughtful follow-up
• How being a connector and hype person for others builds long-term reciprocity

Links & Resources:

• Show Biz Pod newsletter: The Direct Deposit
• Be a guest on our show!

Connect With Us:

• Instagram: @showbiz.pod
• TikTok: @showbiz.pod
• Website: www.showbizpod.com

In this episode, we sit down with actor, producer, and entrepreneur Makayla McIntosh to talk about building an entertainment company that started as a high school accident and now runs remotely across state lines as she pursues her art. From princess parties to producing films, Makayla shares how business ownership has funded her art, reduced industry pressure, and expanded her creative freedom.

What We Talked About

• How Makayla accidentally started her company in high school and turned it into a long-term, scalable business
• Why you can’t rely on the entertainment industry to be your “everything”
• Running a business remotely while living between Las Vegas, Vancouver, and beyond
• Hiring a team and learning to relinquish control as a creative founder
• The surprising overlap between producing films and running live events
• Why building a business can actually take pressure off your artistic career
• Tools and systems that make creative businesses sustainable
• Why AI will never replace live human connection (and why that matters for artists)

Links & Resources:

• HoneyBook (CRM platform Makayla uses to manage bookings and contracts)
• Castle on a Cloud Entertainment Website
• Castle on a Cloud Entertainment Instagram
• Show Biz Pod newsletter: The Direct Deposit
• Be a guest on our show!

Connect With Us:

• Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/showbiz.pod
• TikTok – https://www.tiktok.com/@showbiz.pod
• Website – https://www.showbizpod.com

In this Ask Us Anything episode, Carissa and Emma Claire answer real listener questions about money, side hustles, entrepreneurship, burnout, and balancing creative careers in NYC. From budgeting and taxes to UGC, voiceover, and hustle culture, this is an honest conversation about building sustainable creative lives. If you’ve ever thought “am I doing this right?” this episode is for you.

What We Talked About

• Why we started Show Biz Pod and how our branding came together so intentionally

• Where to actually start with personal finance as a creative

• Saving money in NYC (buy nothing groups, Facebook Marketplace, and sneaky discounts)

• Doing your own taxes vs. outsourcing as a freelancer

• Balancing a day job, dream job, social life, and mental health

• When hustle culture goes too far

• How to get started as an entrepreneur when you don’t know what you’re doing

• Getting into voiceover and UGC in today’s market

• Why UGC is becoming the new commercial lane for actors

Links & Resources:

Rocket Money – https://www.rocketmoney.com

• Acorns – https://www.acorns.com

• Buy Nothing – https://buynothingproject.org

• FreeTaxUSA – https://www.freetaxusa.com

• Backstage – https://www.backstage.com

• Fiverr – https://www.fiverr.com

• Too Good To Go – https://www.toogoodtogo.com

• Canva – https://www.canva.com

Connect With Us:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/showbiz.pod

• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@showbiz.pod

• Website: https://www.showbizpod.com

Investing can feel intimidating - especially as a creative when your income is irregular and your job doesn’t come with a 401k. But don’t fear! In this episode, we sit down with Chief Investment Officer of Due West Wealth, Troy Harmon, to break down investing fundamentals in a way that actually makes sense for creatives. We talk simply about long-term strategy, beginner mistakes, and how building wealth can increase your creative freedom!

WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT

• What investing should actually look like for beginners
• Why diversification matters more than picking hot stocks
• ETFs vs mutual funds
• Why starting small now beats waiting until you make more money
• How inflation quietly erodes your savings (and how investing fights back)
• Emergency funds, high-yield savings, and when to keep money liquid
• Retirement options for freelancers and creatives without a 401k
• How financial stability can give you more freedom to pursue creative work

RESOURCES & LINKS

• Learn more about Troy’s investing services here
• Mention ShowBizPod when you contact Troy & receive 10% off his beginner investing program
• Show Biz Pod newsletter: The Direct Deposit
• Be a guest on our show!

CONNECT WITH US:

• Instagram: @showbiz.pod
• TikTok: @showbiz.pod
• Website: www.showbizpod.com

This week, we’re talking personal branding, social media, and digital presence for artists with actor and brand coach, Jenna Leigh Miller. Jenna shares how her online presence helped her book auditions, sign with a manager, and build multiple businesses while still pursuing her dreams of #JennaForBroadway!

WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT

• How Jenna built a social media management agency and brand coaching business while pursuing theatre
• Why casting teams are Googling artists and how your Instagram can work as a digital portfolio
• Whether actors really need to post on social media (and what to do if you hate posting)
• The mindset shifts that make social media less intimidating and more strategic
• Tools that helped Jenna scale her business
• Practical first steps for artists building a digital presence without getting overwhelmed
• Work-life balance as a multi-hyphenate

RESOURCES & LINKS

• Follow Jenna here: @JennaLeighMiller
• Check out Problem Solved by Jenna here!
• Social media scheduling tool: Later.com (affiliate link available)
• Show Biz Pod newsletter: The Direct Deposit
• Be a guest on our show!

CONNECT WITH US:

• Instagram: @showbiz.pod
• TikTok: @showbiz.pod
• Website: www.showbizpod.com

Retirement might feel like a problem for later in life...especially if you’re freelancing, auditioning, or stacking side hustles just to make rent right now. But planning for retirement is one of the most powerful things a creative person can do to protect themselves. In this episode, Carissa and Emma Claire break down retirement in a clear, approachable way and explain how artists can start building security even without a 401k or consistent income.

• What a retirement account actually is
• Why creatives need to care about retirement
• The difference between Roth IRAs, 401ks, and brokerage accounts
• Why Roth IRAs are especially powerful for freelancers, performers, and self-employed creatives
• How compound interest works and why starting early matters
• The order of operations for saving if you have access to multiple accounts
• How to automate retirement contributions so saving happens without extra effort

• Helpful Nerd Wallet Articles!
• The best index funds and how to start investing
• Investing 101
• Retirement 101
• Brokerages mentioned: Fidelity, Schwab, and Vanguard
• Break Your Budget with Michela Allocca

• Instagram: @showbiz.pod
• TikTok: @showbiz.pod
• Website: www.showbizpod.com

That’s all for now. See you next week! Xoxo

Why does money feel so emotional for creatives? In this episode, Carissa and Emma Claire sit down with licensed therapist and lifelong creative Amy Dykes (MS, APC, NCC, E-YRT) to unpack financial anxiety, avoidance, and the deeply ingrained starving artist narrative.

• Why so many creatives struggle with fear, shame, and avoidance around money
• How family upbringing and cultural narratives shape our relationship with finances
• The emotional toll of rejection and inconsistent income on self-worth
• Why avoidance is often a nervous system response, not laziness or failure
• The damaging impact of the “starving artist” myth
• How perfectionism shows up in financial habits
• Practical ways to identify limiting money beliefs
• Journaling prompts and mindfulness tools to build financial self-awareness

• Find more about Amy’s counseling here.
• Download Amy’s Money Mindset Mini Journal here!
• Sign up for The Direct Deposit, our free weekly recap newsletter
• Download the 5 Things Financial Checklist and other free tools
• Explore more about us at www.showbizpod.com

• Instagram: @showbiz.pod
• TikTok: @showbiz.pod
• Website: www.showbizpod.com

That’s all for now. See you next week! Xoxo

College is often framed as the finish line before a creative career begins, but for most artists, it’s actually the starting point. In this episode, Carissa and Emma Claire sit down with current BFA student Ruby Wolter to talk about what school doesn’t teach artists about money, business, and long-term sustainability.

• Why college is the beginning of your career, not a waiting room
• How Ruby turned her own college audition experience into a coaching business
• When a “fun Instagram account” becomes a real income stream
• The reality that auditioning is unpaid labor and how to financially plan for it
• Why being a multi-hyphenate is a strategic choice, not a fallback
• Letting go of the starving artist mentality early and building sustainability from the start

• Follow Ruby Wolter and RubyInRehearsal
• Ruby’s book: The Audition Chronicles
• Sign up for The Direct Deposit, our free weekly recap newsletter
• Download the 5 Things Financial Checklist and other free tools
• Explore more episodes at www.showbizpod.com

• Instagram: @showbiz.pod
• TikTok: @showbiz.pod
• Website: www.showbizpod.com