In EPISODE 2 of SEASON 4 we chat with actor, writer, producer and comedian, Brianna Blackburn aka Funny Girl Bri.

From wanting to be a police officer, influenced by her grandmother to her comedic influences of Bernie Mac & Bill Bellamy we start the episode diving into her comic roots. We chat about her first comedy performance to getting her first paid gig just 2-3 months later.

We chat about her family’s influence on her material, preparing for different audiences, her pre-show prep process, tough shows & being kicked off them. We then dive into staying encouraged, her “never being confident,” the Grand Rapids comedy scene, and advice for up & coming comedians.

We get into her Comedy Special filmed in 2022 and her growth in set times from 3min (her first show) to a 45min special.

We also get into:

• Her favorite comedy shows, movies, & comedians
• Who would be the five people to roast her, if she had another roast
• Some famous name drops
• Her process going into producing her own comedy shows
• A future talk show & people’s comfortability with just telling her all their secrets

Lastly, We finish with our question game. The cast & crew name a comedian, as Brianna gives her reactions, thoughts and stories about them.

Check out her comedy special HERE

Check out her movie Thanksgiving Roast 2 HERE

BIO: A classic laugh out loud comic, Brianna Blackburn has been making big waves in the Michigan comedy world. Combining solid material with crowd interaction, Brianna takes us on a hilarious ride that always ends in funny. Brianna is a multi time Laughfest performers, and has opened for Donnell Rawlings & Patton Oswalt as well as many others.

About: Multi-hyphenate creatives Sophie Rodriguez, George Ward and Alfield Reeves get together to chat about the arts, culture & their lives as creatives.

GOATs Podcast Socials Instagram, Facebook & Website
Produced by Dave Benoit
Photography by Mary Partee

THE IN-HOUSE SERIES: Part Four. The In-House Series highlights and give flowers to the in-house team members that are essential to our podcast success..

In EPISODE 1 of SEASON 4 we chat with Writer, Speaker, Director, Actor, Photographer & our very own podcast co-host George Ward. We start the episode, and to much of a surprise to the rest of the cast & crew, dive into George’s first creative mediums of music & singing and how growing up in church influenced that.

We give him, his flowers, literally. We chat about how his interest in reading & love for books have influenced his writing. How much the podcast is more than just a podcast but a form of therapy a strong community for him. We chat about the journey of creating his respective short films Do Over” & “The Miseducation of Adulting”and his YouTube series “A Moment of Clarity”.

We dive into his bouts with mental health, holding space in lives of others, and the ebbs & flows of his photography journey. We dive into his how his faith and art have mixed and all that has come from that.

We get into some powerful moments George discovered & reflected on while writing his book giving an account on the relationship he had with his father and his father’s impact on their family. Lastly, We finish with our question game. Sophie & Alfield share some of their favorite Ward Words of Wisdoms from Facebook as George shares his live reactions & stories about them.

BIO: Born & raised in Grand Rapids, George Ward is a multi-hyphenate creative. His artistic expressions covers Writing, Motivational Speaking, Directing, Acting and Photography. He is also one of the co-host of the GOATs podcast.

George has acted in local theatre shows like, “Clybourne Park,” starred in nationally televised commercials for Baker College as well written, directed, acted & produced the short films “Do Over” & “The Miseducation of Adulting”. He also had a YouTube series entitled “A Moment of Clarity” where he shared motivational & inspirational words of wisdom on faith, life and overcoming hardships.

George use his creative mediums to share about the importance of mental health, how it can impact creatives and how an individual’s platform/influence can help others. Currently, George is in the process of writing a book giving an account on the relationship he had with his father and his father’s impact on their family.

About: Multi-hyphenate creatives Sophie Rodriguez, George Ward and Alfield Reeves get together to chat about the arts, culture & their lives as creatives.

GOATs Podcast Socials Instagram, Facebook & Website
Produced by Dave Benoit
Photography by Mary Partee

THE IN-HOUSE SERIES: Part Three. The In-House Series highlights and give flowers to the in-house team members that are essential to our podcast success..

In EPISODE 7 of SEASON 3 we chat with Photographer, Painter, Model & our very own podcast co-host Sophie "tender" Rodriguez. We start the episode off recapping our year and sharing some of our favorite podcast moments, memories and guest conversations.

We give her, her flowers, literally. We chat with her about her parent's influence on her start with art, getting into photography (s/o Mr. Roth), the ebbs & flows of painting and the catalyst it can be for handling pain and trauma.

We dive into her rise of modeling gigs, trying new things like nude modeling and her 3 tips for aspiring models. We chat about what she's learned about her self, the experience & the process since being a podcast co-host.

Lastly, we wrap up with what creative things we'd like to see Sophie do more of or get into, what each of us are quietly doing and we finish with our question game. We ask Sophie to "tell us the first things she would paint for the person we name game" from her parents to the whole GOAT Podcast team.

BIO: Michigan native artist, Sophie Rodriguez, has been experimenting with multimedia for several years. Originally beginning with photography then finding a balance primarily between the world of painting and modeling. Initially, seen as an opportunity to challenge the boundaries of her talent and passions-these endeavors have brought new experiences and continue to open many pathways to nurture new mediums and ideas.

About: Multi-hyphenate creatives Sophie Rodriguez, George Ward and Alfield Reeves get together to chat about the arts, culture & their lives as creatives.

GOATs Podcast Socials Instagram, Facebook & Website
Produced by Dave Benoit
Photography by Mary Partee

In EPISODE 6 of SEASON 3 we chat with Terrell ‘SCOOB’ Foy, a Multimedia Artist specializing in painting, shoe customization & artist curation. We chat about his initial art inspiration from family, stepping away & back into art, his back injury and Custom Steppers, his shoe customization business. He takes us through his favorite shoes to customize, paintings to-date, and the effects of your mood on creating.

Last but certainly not least he takes through the process of his ArtPrize winning project, The Trauma Project, “a powerful artistic endeavor that addresses themes of trauma and healing through a combination of visual art and music.”
We wrap up the episode playing the "tell us the first question you would ask this person when you hear their name" game.

BIO: Scoob the artist, whose real name is Terrell Foy, is a multidisciplinary artist and creative visionary based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He is best known for leading “The Trauma Project,” a powerful artistic endeavor that addresses themes of trauma and healing through a combination of visual art and music. His project, which won the Grand Prize at ArtPrize, features collaborations with over 20 local artists.

Aside from that he lives a double artist life as The artist behind Custom Steppers. a prominent custom shoe designer known for his innovative and artistic approach to footwear. Based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, he has gained international recognition for creating one-of-a-kind, hand-painted sneakers that blend street style with artistic expression.

About: Multi-hyphenate creatives Sophie Rodriguez, George Ward and Alfield Reeves get together to chat about the arts, culture & their lives as creatives.

GOATs Podcast Socials Instagram, Facebook & Website
Produced by Dave Benoit
Photography by Mary Partee

In EPISODE 5 of SEASON 3 we chat with James White an all-around creative. His talents and expertise consist of rapping, graphic design, acting, photography, videography and social media influencing. We chat with him about his journey from being a hip-hop artist to being a social media influence. His journey goes from working in a factory to touring for music to shifting during the Pandemic to social media influencing.

We chat about going from researching & studying "How to be an influencer" for 3 months to posting 6 videos a day to now having an audience of over 500k+ followers spanning from Instagram to TikTok. We chat about the importance of knowing your niche and the importance of being consistent. Lastly to wrap up the episode, we ask him for what one should have in their social media influencer tool kit.

BIO: James White, known as MrPr3zz, is a Hip-Hop artist and motivational speaker. James delivers both his music and message from a welcoming platform that reaches audiences with a variety of backgrounds. James has a passion to reach the younger generation locally, nationally, and worldwide. In addition to his talent as a rapper and motivational speaker, James is a social media influencer on all social media platforms, with an audience of over 500k+ followers on Instagram and Facebook with more than 40M views on Tiktok since 2021.

James resides in Grand Rapids Michigan with his 2 children, Journee and Addelyn.

About: Multi-hyphenate creatives Sophie Rodriguez, George Ward and Alfield Reeves get together to chat about the arts, culture & their lives as creatives.

GOATs Podcast Socials Instagram, Facebook & Website
Produced by Dave Benoit
Photography by Mary Partee

In EPISODE 4 of SEASON 3 we chat with Alisha "Lisha B" Brown, a Radio Personality, MC, Podcaster, and Actress. We chat with her about journey into radio from how she got hired to what she thinks is missing, the art of an interview, her interview with the Vice President (now presidential candidate) Kamala Harris, her top 5 favorite/most memorable interviews, the importance of life outside of your job, her journey into Theater despite doubts from others, Hosting (her dream hosting gigs), The Grand Rapids Music scene, How to & not get you music on the radio, and her other dreams & aspirations. Lastly we play "tell us the first question you would ask this person when you hear their name" game to wrap up the episode.

BIO: Alisha Brown, professionally known as Lisha B, is a media connoisseur. Born and raised in the Washington D.C., area, she fell in love with music and being in front of the camera. Growing up in church & school choirs, it was destined for her to be a part of the music industry. In March 2019, Lisha created her own lane with the launch of a podcast, @TheLituationrpod. She grew the platform to 15+ countries, traction with labels, such as Warner Music, and over 3,000 downloads.

After her time as the local producer for the syndicated morning show, Russ Parr Morning Show, Lisha B is the afternoon host of The Afternoon Lituation on Magic 104.9, the number 1 station for hip-hop in Grand Rapids, Michigan She also has a #1 rated show on 105.1 The Block, in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

Lisha B has appeared on MSNBC as a guest correspondent for the Symone Sanders show and has interviewed many notable people, such as Musiq Soulchild and Vice President Kamala Harris. Lisha B strives to continue being a popular media personality, strong working woman, and entrepreneur.

Follow Her

This episode was photographed by Illiana

About: Multi-hyphenate creatives Sophie Rodriguez, George Ward and Alfield Reeves get together to chat about the arts, culture & their lives as creatives.

GOATs Podcast Socials Instagram, Facebook & Website
Produced by Dave Benoit
Photography by Mary Partee

In EPISODE 3 of SEASON 3 we chat with Darline Rodriguez, a photographer, social media strategist & educational disrupter. We chat about her creative journey in photography & social media strategizing, her signature photography style & look, and educational disrupting. We also dive into the Grand Rapids art scene, culture and practices, advocacy for the local artist, licensing, copyright, and the artists dead or alive she'd love to photograph.

BIO: I am a photographer and social media content strategist for lovers & creatives with an emphasis on storytelling + digital marketing. I’ll help you curate thoughtful digital experiences so you can deliver stories with content that connects.

LGBTQIA+ Friendly • Black & Non-Black POC Inclusive • All Humans Welcome.

Her Website

This episode was photographed by Shari Subhan

About: Multi-hyphenate creatives Sophie Rodriguez, George Ward and Alfield Reeves get together to chat about the arts, culture & their lives as creatives.

GOATs Podcast Socials Instagram, Facebook & Website
Produced by Dave Benoit
Photography by Mary Partee

In EPISODE 2 of SEASON 3 we chat with Cindy Meyers Foley, the Director and CEO of the Grand Rapids Art Museum. We chat about her journey to becoming an Art Museum Director, the history of Art Museums, Thinking like an Artist, Losing Creativity, the catalyst that is Boredom & regaining our Wonder & Curiosity, the power of Play and importance of an Artist Council. Lastly we chat about the GRAM's recently launched Diversity & Equity Acquisition Fund, the importance of Representation and the upcoming exhibition of artist Mario Moore.

1. The GRAM's Diversity and Equity Acquisition Fund - Learn More & donate Here
2. Mario Moore Exhibition Details

BIO: Cindy Meyers Foley (@CindyMFoley) (she/her) has worked for 30 years to help museums become welcoming spaces that cultivate curiosity and social engagement. She is currently the Director and CEO of the Grand Rapids Art Museum, an institution that has just opened a Creative Learning Center. Foley has been critical in the development of a several groundbreaking projects including two city wide Creativity Summits to advocate for intentional creativity in all sectors, Making Creativity Visible and Cultivating Creative and Civic Capacities two nationally recognized teacher research and professional development programs, Wonder School a museum/university laboratory preschool, and the Center for Art and Social Engagement an experimental gallery developed to activate conversation, reflection and action in relation to experiencing art that addresses social issues.

Foley curated Playground, 2002 which included an experimental project with Miranda July, Harrell Fletcher and Yuri Ono that launched Learning to Love you More a website that crowdsourced online content to fulfill play based assignments. Foley has been on the faculty of the Maine College of Art, and Harvard’s Project Zero Classroom Summer Institute and regularly keynotes a variety of Museum, Art, and Education Conferences. In November 2014, she was a TEDX Columbus Speaker presenting Teaching Art or Teaching to Think like an Artist and in 2016, she was asked to again take the TEDX Stage to present The Benefits of Boredom . Foley received the 2018 Ohio Distinguished Educator for Art Education award.

About: Multi-hyphenate creatives Sophie Rodriguez, George Ward and Alfield Reeves get together to chat about the arts, culture & their lives as creatives.

GOATs Podcast Socials Instagram, Facebook & Website
Produced by Dave Benoit
Photography by Mary Partee