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Andy Bothwell's first song was recorded in his parent's house, some of it in the bathroom to get the right reverb.  He didn't think anyone would ever hear it, and he certainly didn't think anyone would like it.  He was mistaken.  More well known by his stage name, Astronautalis is now making his living doing what he loves, making music and performing.  He admits that his career has been successful beyond what even he thought was possible.  He now plays in front of crowds across the United States, Europe, and Australia. I talk to Andy about getting his start, the differences between touring in America and touring in Europe, his favourite song of his and his favourite song to play live, his advice to people that dream of writing and recording music, and more. A super nice guy that is sometimes driven to near tears when people sing along at his concerts, I wish Andy nothing but the best with his music career.  If anyone deserves success, it's this guy.

In 2014, Brian Sonia-Wallace took up a challenge to pay his rent with income solely from his poetry and thus Rent Poet was born.  I talk to Brian about poetry as art vs poetry as a business, the symbolism of his typewriter and 3x5 index cards, being a Writer in Residence for Amtrak, Artist in Residence for the City of Los Angeles, and about his first published book which you can find on the show notes page at www.smcpod.com.We also touch on a festival that Brian is putting together, his upcoming projects and appearances and more. Stick around after the episode as I debut an unreleased song from Jeff Cowell.  Jeff was a guest on Episode 5 and continues to be a friend of mine and of the show. Check out Jeff's song called The Garden We Grow at the end of today's show. Please support the show by visiting www.smcpod.com/support    

Ruby Rojas lived in Venezuela as a child and didn't have a lot. She grew up watching her father play softball and when she moved to the United States at a young age, started playing organized softball. Ruby parlayed that into a scholarship at the University of Virginia and then into a spot in the 2008 Olympic games in Beijing China for her native Venezuela. Ruby is now a coach at Mt. San Antonio College in California and was a part of a committee that fought to have softball remain in the Olympic games.  She also runs camps that empower young girls to follow their dreams of both on educational and sporting nature. Ruby and I talk about softball, the Olympics, empowering young girls and women, and the joys of coaching and mentoring the young women at Mt. Sac.  Please support the show by visiting www.smcpod.com/support    

Imagine being 18 years old and suddenly, without warning, your stomach explodes. That isn't an exaggeration, her stomach actually exploded.  Now imagine undergoing more than two dozen surgeries just so that you can eat again, and live a normal life again. That is exactly what Amy Oestreicher has been through.  For most of us, that would be a killing blow, but for Amy it was the inspiration to kickstart her life and create. Painting, writing, TedX talks, a one-woman show, and more. I talk to Amy about all of her health struggles and how she used positivity and creativity to not only overcome her troubles but to smash them to smithereens. An inspiring talk with an inspiring woman. Please support the show by visiting http://www.smcpod.com/support  

L.A. Salami is one of my favourite singer-songwriters.  The London-based musician's music is inspired by the likes of Bob Dylan, Tom Waits,  and Leonard Cohen and his laid-back style and thought-provoking lyrics make for wonderful listening. Lookman Adekunle Salami and I discuss his music, what started him down the road toward a career in music, we talk writing, art, Dylan, Bowie, Brexit, politics, the hot summer in Canada, and more. It's a thoughtful talk with a very laid back and thoughtful guy.  I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as I enjoyed talking with him. Please show your support for the podcast by visiting www.smcpod.com/support to find out how you can ensure that the Sunday Morning Coffee podcast continues to thrive!

On this week's show, I speak to Juan Parker. Juan is a wonderfully talented artist who discovered art as an escape from the teasing and bullying that tormented him throughout his childhood. Juan also recently underwent a heart transplant after the heart he was born with went down to working at 10% capacity! We have a great talk about art, creativity, positivity, and perseverance. Please show your support for the podcast by visiting www.smcpod.com/support to find out how you can ensure that the Sunday Morning Coffee podcast continues to thrive!  

Eric Vance Walton is an acclaimed writer who has published the first in a trilogy of novels as well as poetry. He is about to release a non-fiction book on meditation and is working on the second novel in his trilogy. I talk to Eric about the craft of writing as well as the business and marketing side, what he has learned from self-publishing his first novel, and who he considers to be his mentors. We also talk about a milestone that Eric has recently reached and what his long term goals are for both is writing and his life, which are pretty much intertwined. Please show your support for the podcast by visiting www.smcpod.com/support to find out how you can ensure that the Sunday Morning Coffee podcast continues to thrive!

Sarantos is an independent musician who releases an original song and music video every month.  Not only that, but he also writes a new chapter for the latest book of his trilogy every month.  All this while holding down a demanding full-time job. We talk about how this whole thing got started and about his process, how he writes and records his songs, where they are released, and how they are monetized.  He explains his motivation for doing all of this and how he deals with reviews of his work both positive and negative. It's a fun conversation that has lead me to re-examine a goal of mine that I have had for a long time and has given me more faith that I can actually make it happen.  If you get nothing else from this conversation, you will get that you CAN do the things that you want to do and live your dreams. Support the podcast and support UNICEF at the same time by visiting patreon.com/yesiamscott.

JC Mitchell is an author and she also runs an animal rescue organization.  All despite being legally blind and using a wheelchair due to the effects of Multiple Sclerosis.  She hasn't let her condition deter her from being a successful writer and helping animals, which leads me to wonder why the rest of us let every minor affliction or challenge bring us down.  Or maybe that's just me. JC and I talk about her current book The Best of Dragonvale and her next project which is a dark yet ultimately inspiring tale about child abuse.  We also talk about her animal rescue organization and how her MS has allowed her to be more productive in her writing than she might have been otherwise.  A silver lining to every cloud.

Jeff Cowell is a musician from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan who released three albums that he wrote and recorded between 1973 and 1983.  Jeff sold his records wherever he could and played wherever he could during that period, and now his music is seeing the light of day again.  Re-released on Numero Records and appearing on an episode of the IFC show Maron, 40 years after the fact, Jeff Cowell's music is finding a wider audience than it originally did.

Jeff Schwarz, aka The Liquidator, is very well known in Canada as the star of the documentary (don't call it a reality show) aptly named The Liquidator.  In this episode I talk to Jeff about his business Direct Liquidation as well as what it is like trying to run a business while trying to film a TV show.  We also talk about the cast of characters that roam through his store on any given day and how you can never judge a book by its cover.  If you listen closely, Jeff also imparts some very wise business and life advice in his own no BS way. 

Luke Kondor is involved in many things.  Writing novels, writing for comic books, filmmaking, podcasting, and probably some stuff I don't know about.  I this episode I talk to Luke about all of his creative endeavors.  We also get deep and talk about Luke's battle with depression and how he is fighting through it day by day.  It's an entertaining conversation but also one that I hope might help someone that is feeling the way that Luke was feeling.  

In this episode I talk to Evan May, an author that recently had his first novel published.  We talk about writing that first book, working with a publisher vs self-publishing, how it's never too late to do that thing that you've always wanted to do, and why making an ass of yourself in a bookstore is not always a bad thing.

Chani Rubin has a hell of an interesting story.  In this episode we talk about that story, but we also get into music, writing for self-therapy, being a seat-filler, why she cries during a certain Whitesnake song, a little bit of basketball, the correct pronunciation of her name, and more. We touch a little bit on being Canadian (O Canada baby!) and I also show my forgiving side when I put aside the fact that Chani is a Lakers fan and Raiders fan.

This introductory episode is not an official episode.  It is a short piece that explains a little about what the show is about and what to expect moving forward.