5 Best Podcasts for Entertainment Entrepreneurs

1. In the Podlight

Hosts: Caroline Liem and Grant Kretchick

Curious about how Hollywood continues to adapt since the pandemic or how to safeguard your career against AI’s rising influence? In the Podlight tackles these crucial questions, empowering listeners with practical insights and actionable advice. Hosts Caroline Liem and Grant Kretchick, seasoned industry veterans, bring their expertise to help emerging talent and the industry curious navigate the shifting world of arts and entertainment.

With their teaching roles at institutions like Pace University’s Sands College of Performing Arts, Liem and Kretchick’s dedication to lifting up the next generation of talent through the lens of diversity and representation shines through every episode.

Listeners are encouraged to guide their own path forward through creative entrepreneurship and are given the inside scoop of resources like WGA and SAG-AFTRA, unions that are literally on the picket line of change in the industry. From understanding the role of intimacy coordinators to flagging problematic language in contracts (never sign anything “in perpetuity”), each interview is engaging and informative.

Listen here.

2. The Town

Host: Matthew Belloni

Looking for a no-nonsense take on the business of entertainment? The Town delivers commentary on the industry free from the rose-colored glasses and romance of Hollywood. Since 2022, Matthew Belloni’s twice-weekly podcast and similarly prolific newsletter What I’m Hearing have offered grounded takes on what’s developing in Tinseltown and why.

Fans of Belloni’s punchy half-hour episodes appreciate his candid delivery, even if his fervent tone can be polarizing. With a background as an entertainment lawyer followed by years at The Hollywood Reporter, Belloni pulls no punches when it comes to his seasoned insights on the future of entertainment. Whether he’s predicting the consolidation of streaming platforms or interviewing top-tier industry players, The Town keeps listeners ahead of the curve.

Curious if Netflix is truly unstoppable or perhaps overvalued? Wondering how much revenue a hit TV show generates and how that’s evolving? Have we already witnessed the peak of the music industry, and what might the future hold? The Town explores all these topics and more.

Listen here.

3. The Grill Room

Host: Dylan Byers

Have you ever wanted to be in “the room where it happens” (to quote Hamilton) and get the hot goss on who’s actually running the show? Dylan Byers’ podcast The Grill Room takes listeners behind the scenes into the world that shapes media, reporting on the big decisions and the egos that make them.

Byers is an experienced media correspondent, whose newsletter In The Room has been giving readers the inside scoop on his reporting for major platforms for years. Named for the renowned, exclusive dining room in New York’s Four Seasons, where generations of media deals have been made, the allure of The Grill Room is the look inside at the legacy media drama that listeners won’t get from curated media reports published to tell a more controlled story.

Byers delivers two episodes weekly: one featuring an honest conversation with a media professional and the other offering a candid chat with a friend or colleague. With equal parts insider gossip and media reporting, The Grill Room promises to say all the quiet parts out loud for all listeners to hear.

Listen here.

4. ScriptNotes

Hosts: John August and Craig Mazin

If you’re a screenwriter, Scriptnotes is required listening. Hosts John August and Craig Mazin blend wit and wisdom as they interview industry experts, break down scripts, analyze industry trends and deconstruct listener submissions in their fan-favorite “Three Page Challenge.”

With 14 years of weekly episodes, their catalog of content is vast, with older seasons available through their premium subscription and the Scriptnotes app. Veteran listeners enjoy the dynamic August and Mazin bring to each episode, with August’s more serious demeanor playing foil to Mazin’s more silly and relaxed personality. You may recognize Mazin as the former college roommate of Ted Cruz, whose criticism of the U.S. senator ended up on outlets including The Daily Show, delighting listeners and solidifying Mazin’s witty truth-teller voice in the public eye.

No matter the topic, from copyright law to dissecting cult classics like Raiders of the Lost Ark, August and Mazin’s conversations are as entertaining as they are educational, with Scriptnotes providing a treasure trove of insights for screenwriters at any stage.

Listen here.

5. On With Kara Swisher

Host: Kara Swisher

For those who want to understand the crossroads of media, technology and politics, On With Kara Swisher is a master class in hard-hitting interviews. Swisher’s eminent career in journalism started in San Francisco during the ’90s tech boom, earning her the reputation as “the” tech journalist. She’s interviewed Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, Jack Dorsey and Steve Jobs, and her influence has shaped the conversation around technology over the past three decades.

Particularly as suspicions of the media reach a new pinnacle, Swisher’s award-winning work and ethical integrity has made her twice-weekly podcast a must-listen for forward-thinking entrepreneurs. Swisher’s interviews are direct, and she doesn’t shy away from any hard topics or challenging questions, making each episode a promise of something worth hearing.

Whether discussing the dangers of social media on teen mental health with surgeon general Vivek Murthy or challenging the narratives of tech moguls like Elon Musk, Swisher’s fearless approach makes you see each topic in a new light. Hailed as one of the most influential tech journalists, Swisher unpacks the complexities of modern media and its impact on business, culture and success. 

Listen here.

This article appears in the May/June issue of SUCCESS magazine. Photo by Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock.

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Even worse, she was bullied in middle school, experiences that altered the way she saw herself for more than a decade. When Rose eventually became a Billboard-charting pop musician and singer-songwriter, her lack of self-confidence negatively impacted how she performed on stage and in social situations. After graduating from college, she was determined to shed her insecure middle school self and become the confident person she wanted to be. “I wanted to become someone who could like myself and love myself,” says Rose, who now lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two young children.

Through therapy, self-development courses and research, she finally achieved her goal. Now, Rose is spreading the gospel of self-love across the nation through Music with a Message, a program dedicated to empowering students and women through music. By partnering with child and teen psychologists, Rose designed an interactive, music-filled assembly that blends her motivating upbeat tunes with approachable methods for preventing bullying and building self-confidence. “[Music with a Message] started really just based on, ‘This is what I needed as a kid, and this is what I hope I can help young women through,’” she says.

Since Rose founded Music with a Message about three years ago, it has reached more than 100,000 students in prekindergarten through 12th grade. Rose has also brought her messaging to women’s shelters and even took the program on a cross-country tour in an Airstream with her family in 2023, stopping at different schools to perform. At the high-energy assemblies, students are encouraged to get up and dance and sing—elements that set Music with a Message apart from other confidence-building programs.

Rose rewrote some of her popular songs focused on female empowerment to appeal to audiences of all ages and genders. The lyrics are packed with positive messages and affirmations—short statements that people repeat to themselves to improve their self-esteem and confidence—which Rose hopes will stick with students through adolescence and adulthood. For example, one of her most popular songs, “Brave Ones,” features the lines: “When you feel like giving up / When you feel like you’re not strong enough / You’re one of the brave ones… I am strong / I am kind / I’ll get through / I’ll get through.”

“Music lasts with us our entire lives,” Rose says. “It works on our subconscious through affirmations. If we start to listen to music that has words in it, like ‘I’m strong / I can get through this hard time,’ we start to look for that in our environment and look for more evidence to prove to ourselves that those affirmations are true.”

Students leave Music with a Message assemblies with catchy, encouraging tunes in their heads to help them reframe their negative thoughts to focus on possibilities. If the attendees are younger kids, Rose focuses the program on what characteristics make them “brave ones” and small things that can help them build confidence throughout the day, such as helping out a parent or friend.

For middle school and high school programs, Rose adds lessons on how to implement a growth mindset. This way of thinking, which recognizes that knowledge and talent can be developed through hard work and help from others, can help youngsters become resilient and cultivate a love of learning. (Conversely, individuals with a fixed mindset view intelligence and abilities as stable and unchangeable traits and often shy away from challenges.)

The response to Music with a Message has been extremely positive, Rose says. “I’ve had some incredible stories told to me by the older students,” she says. “I think through showing my vulnerability and telling them about my dark times, they’ve felt comfortable coming forward and sharing their own.”

Self-confidence and having a growth mindset aren’t just vital to success in individuals’ personal and private lives—it can save lives. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the suicide rate among young people ages 10-24 increased 62% from 2007 to 2021, while the American Psychological Association noted in 2023 that an increasing number of adolescents reported feelings of loneliness, hopelessness, sadness and suicidal ideation.

“I didn’t think that I would be talking about taking one’s life by suicide when I started this journey with Music with a Message, but that’s what it’s become, and I’m so thankful that I can help people avoid that—especially young people. When we have self-confidence and we possess a growth mindset, that’s something that’s going to get us through adversity.”

In 2024, Music with a Message gained its first sponsor, which allowed it to begin offering scholarships and partial scholarships to schools who have little or no assembly budget or are dealing with bullying issues and hardship. Rose was also able to expand her team, which includes several working moms, and hire another performer for assemblies to expand the program’s reach. “If there’s an assembly at 2 o’clock in Philadelphia that I can’t get to, she will be able to go there,” Rose says.

Rose also says she released an album, titled Brave Ones, in early 2025 and hopes to eventually bring Music with a Message to schools around the world. She says, “I want to reach every single school, every single student.”

How to become a ‘Brave One’

Need a self-confidence boost? Here, Rose shares four tips.

1. Accept that loving yourself is possible.

“Wanting to like ourselves is the first step and then finding ways to appreciate ourselves,” she says.

2. Remember that your thoughts aren’t who you are.

Rose often walks students through a meditative exercise to help them observe and hit pause on their thoughts. “If we can find a tiny space in between those thoughts, whether they’re negative or positive or weird, we actually can discover that the essence of who we are isn’t a negative thought or a positive thought,” she says. “It’s actually the calm and the silence underneath those thoughts.”

3. Name the positives.

Rose encourages individuals to look in the mirror and name three things you’re grateful for or like about yourself every day. “If you choose to focus on those positive things, again, those positive things will expand and become what we focus on more,” she says.

4. Keep going.

“With students, I’m constantly saying the most important two words that you can remember today are ‘keep going’ because it will get easier if you decide to work on yourself and you decide that you want to work on loving yourself and liking yourself and growing your self-confidence.” 

Photo courtesy of Caley Rose. This article originally appeared in the May/June 2025 issue of SUCCESS magazine.

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SUCCESS: Your journey in the music industry has been extraordinary. What defining moments have shaped you as an artist and entrepreneur?

DEBORAH COX: My journey has been defined by some truly life-changing moments. Getting signed by Clive Davis and releasing my debut album was a dream come true—it gave me the freedom to fully explore and find my voice as an artist. Sharing stages with legends like Whitney Houston and Celine Dion was transformative; it taught me the immense power of vocal discipline and the importance of staying true to my artistry. 

Being recognized at the Canadian Music Hall of Fame was deeply personal and meaningful. It’s about more than just an accolade—it’s about leaving a legacy, paving the way for other Black artists and showing them what’s possible. Starring in and co-producing The Wiz is yet another career highlight that I am incredibly proud of.

Now, with KAZAISU, I’m tapping into a whole new side of my creativity. It’s such a joy to merge art and entrepreneurship like this. I feel like every step of my career has led me to this moment, and honestly, I can’t wait to see what’s next.

S: How has your approach to your career and goals evolved since you first started in the music industry?

DC: My approach to my career has definitely changed over the years. When I first started out, it was all about proving myself—whether it was singing background vocals, doing session work or performing in clubs. I was completely focused on getting my foot in the door and showing that I had what it took. Back then, much of it was about meeting the expectations of the industry and trying to find my place in a market that didn’t really have space for R&B artists, especially in Canada.

Over time, I learned that sometimes you have to create your own opportunities. If a door didn’t open for me, I’d find another way to make it happen. That shift in mindset is what led me to try new things like Broadway and dive into dance music. It was about trusting my gut and staying true to myself, no matter what path I was on.

S: Maintaining a loyal fan base for so many years is impressive. What do you think is the key to forming a deeper connection with your audience?

DC: Maintaining a loyal fan base for so long has been such a beautiful journey, and I think it comes down to being real and consistent. From the very start, I’ve always wanted my music to be a reflection of what I’m going through—whether it’s love, pain or hope—and I think that authenticity is what creates a deeper connection because people relate to it.

S: You’re known for breaking down barriers and advocating for representation and your commitment to social injustice initiatives. What advice do you have for emerging artists navigating similar challenges?

DC: Breaking barriers and advocating for representation has always been part of my journey, and my advice to emerging artists is simple: Stay true to who you are. It’s easy to get caught up in trends or what others expect, but your authentic voice is, and will always be, your greatest asset. Your art isn’t just about you—it’s about creating space for others to be seen and heard too. 

Social justice movements, like partnering with Revolutionnaire, are important because we have a responsibility to use our platforms for good. As artists, we’re not just here to entertain—we’re here to inspire change and challenge systems. It’s about leveraging your influence for a cause bigger than yourself.

S: Balancing the music business with a successful personal life is no small feat. How do you prioritize mental health and personal growth amidst a busy career? Do you have any regular habits that keep you grounded?

DC: Balancing the music business with a personal life is not the easiest thing to navigate, but I’ve learned over the years that mental health has to come first. I’ve come to realize that taking care of myself isn’t something I can skip—it’s essential for staying focused and grounded.

Staying connected with my family and close friends is huge for me. They keep me grounded and remind me of what really matters. I try to prioritize quality time with them, which helps me recharge and stay balanced in the midst of everything going on.

Exercise is also a big part of my routine—whether it’s yoga or going for a bike ride. It’s not only great for keeping my body healthy, but it’s also a good way to de-stress, clear my mind and maintain my energy.

S: With KAZAISU, you’ve created a rosé brand that reflects not just your travels but your commitment to organic, health-conscious living and sustainable practices. Could you share more about the philosophy behind the brand?

DC: When I started KAZAISU, I wanted it to reflect my values—health-conscious living, sustainability and luxury. It’s crafted with organic grapes and produced using sustainable practices.

I’m proud of what KAZAISU represents—not just in terms of the wine itself, but also in what it means for me as a Black woman in business. It’s about embracing who I am and where I come from while creating something meaningful. I hope KAZAISU can inspire others to see that there’s room for us in every space, that we can push boundaries and that we can do it all with passion and purpose.

S: Looking ahead, what legacy do you hope to leave—not only in music but also in the way you’ve inspired others?

DC: Looking ahead, I want my legacy to be about more than just the music I create. It’s about showing people that we can break barriers, challenge expectations and create something meaningful that lasts. I want to demonstrate that it’s possible to achieve greatness without compromising who you are. Through everything I’ve done—from my music to Broadway, launching KAZAISU and advocating for social justice causes—I hope to have shown others how to rise above challenges, carve out their own paths and never settle for less than they deserve.

Above all, I hope my legacy ignites a fire in others to live unapologetically, fight for what truly matters and uplift others along the way. I want my journey to show that staying true to who you are, no matter the challenges, is the key to making a real impact.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

This article originally appeared in the May/June 2025 issue of SUCCESS® magazine. Photo by Daniel Saboune.

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While Paris is always a good idea, jetting there after work for just one night, not to mention the time-travel element, seems unlikely—until now. Thanks to Fabien Barati.

As co-founder of Excurio, an entertainment company, formerly known as Emissive, Barati engineers international cultural adventures through virtual reality. While the technology has existed for decades (hello, Nintendo, in the 1980s), Excurio offers a new pathway to entertainment through a format Barati calls “Immersive Expeditions.”

“Expeditions, because you wear a virtual reality headset, but you are free to move in a very big space,” Barati says. “And in the headset, you will see the pyramid of Khufu or the Notre-Dame cathedral… and you really feel that you are there.”

The virtual reality appeal

How many times have you sat down to watch TV, been distracted by texting or doomscrolling and had to rewind the show? And while Nicole Kidman tells us, “Heartbreak feels good in a place like this,” sit next to one mouth-breather at the movies and, boom—that annoyance disrupts your previously rapt attention on the big screen.

Not the case with an Immersive Expedition. Instead of watching something take place and chancing a potential distraction, you’re fully engaged—rubbing elbows with the painters, walking around the pyramid. You’re living out the experience.

“Your senses are hacked,” Barati says. “It’s not real, but your brain and senses tell you it’s real.”

Excurio offers four Immersive Expeditions, which include traveling through paleo-landscapes from 3.5 billion years ago to present day, in addition to adventures involving the Notre-Dame cathedral, pyramid of Khufu and an Impressionist exhibit in 1874 Paris.

“You can really walk into those corridors… and see those objects exactly like in real life,” Barati says. “And you can do that in very large spaces… and you can do that with other people. You are with your friend, your family or colleagues, and you can see each other and live, share and experience all these adventures together.”

He sees virtual reality as a social experience.

“This really feels like a success when we see a family removing the headset and being very happy and chatting with each other,” Barati says. “And when they ask each other… ‘Did you see that? Did you understand that?’”

Content is still king

Humanity has always used storytelling as a means to connect and share knowledge. Virtual reality brings that story to life, transforming worlds you’ve only seen hanging beneath a glass frame into reality.

“Those objects were not meant to be displayed,” Barati says. “They were meant to be used. And so, what we do with virtual reality… is create the context so we can see those objects being used a thousand years ago by the very people [who] created them and used them.”

Virtual reality storytelling also puts humans at the center by having participants interact with key figures, which deepens the emotional link participants have to the topic.

“When you interact, it enhances the immersion and you are more into the moment and you learn more, you understand better, etc.,” he adds.

Each Immersive Expedition runs nearly 45 minutes in length. During that time, a character—like Mona, a young Egyptologist who gives special tours of the pyramid of Khufu, or Rose, a Parisian aspiring writer—will guide the group through the narrative as history unfolds.

Education is an important component of the expeditions. Excurio partners with renowned experts and institutions, including museum curators and paleontologists, to ensure the historical accuracy of its content.

“You will meet some characters and be guided into a specific story,” Barati says. “You will learn a lot, but you will [do so] without realizing it because it’s part of the story.”

Building an expedition is a large-scale production, akin to creating a video game. To reconstruct the environment, the monuments and the characters from when dinosaurs roamed the Earth or the Impressionists exhibited their work, Barati’s company uses 3D graphics and works with a team of 3D designers, 3D animators, developers and actors.

“What is the most important is the content,” he says. “It’s the content and the quality of content that is attracting our audience. It’s not the technology; it’s not the concept. It’s not the format; it’s really the content.”

The cinema business model

Barati believes that the Immersive Expeditions business model is similar to that of movie theaters. Excurio currently partners with 20 venues to show its expeditions. The company hopes in the future to feature its expeditions in thousands of venues worldwide, like movies playing in theaters.

But while you’re limited to one movie per room in a theater, you can conduct several Immersive Expeditions simultaneously in the same venue.

“That means that… in this big space, you can have groups of people walking into their own experience,” Barati says. “Some can be in Egypt; others can be in the Impressionist era.”

An Immersive Expedition could also be a featured exhibit at a venue for years, while movies only stay in theaters for a few weeks.

The next frontier

As this new pathway to entertainment builds more traction (even pop queen Sabrina Carpenter is in on the game, headlining a virtual reality concert last summer) and the technology continues to improve, Barati is driven to stay ahead of the competition.

His company plans a wider rollout of their current expeditions. Excurio is also at work on its next adventure, which will take place in the medieval era.

“I feel we are like the cinema industry a hundred years ago, trying to create this new ecosystem, including the creators, the distributors and the operators,” Barati says. “We are at the very beginning of that with the Immersive Expeditions.”

This article appears in the May/June 2025 issue of SUCCESS magazine. Photo courtesy of Excurio.

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Noack is easy to spot. He’s the one in the pickup truck, pulling a 1912 Steinway Model D grand piano on a flatbed trailer. 

He’s taking it to his office, which is in a forest. And on a mountaintop. Or, sometimes in a canyon. Having figured out a way to fuse his love of classical music with his passion for the outdoors, Noack plays by an entirely different set of rules when he punches his time card.  

Instead of a computer screen, he reads sheet music, sitting at the same piano used in Carnegie Hall.  Only in Noack’s performances, there is no theatre seating or ushers. There are, instead, birds, deer and squirrels experiencing his art alongside people on blankets, people sitting on rocks or people in walking meditation, taking in the gorgeous scenery.

 Since 2016, his traveling show, In a Landscape, has allowed him to give over 300 concerts to more than 75,000 people in state and national parks, working ranches and epic natural spaces that leave most attendees speechless. 

His product is awe and wonder, and his mission is to connect people to nature through classical piano music. With a flatbed that rises to become a stage, and wireless headphones that allow guests to explore their surroundings as the music flows through them, his ROI is measured in faces and feelings, which are not quantifiable by any known marketing metrics. 

How Noack’s journey started

Ten years into his whimsical traveling concert series, Noack’s enterprise hovers between $1.2 and $1.4 million—and a staff of 10. But when he started in 2016, an $18,000 grant from a regional arts agency allowed him to fund nine concerts where, with the help of his family, outside donations and lots of bootstrapping, he’d boldly bring a rented piano into the wild.

“My partner and my mother and stepfather have always been a huge part of making this project happen,” he shares, adding that “my mother came from a career in nonprofit management. And so, at the beginning, it was very much a team effort, kind of trying to figure out how we could make this happen. Now my partner is still involved informally, my mother is the executive director and my stepfather is the board president, and so it still very much feels like a family organization.”  

When Noack got a larger grant from the Oregon Community Foundation the following year to bring the project across the state, hauling rented Steinways became too much of a liability. Thanks to the help of philanthropist Jordan Schnitzer who, in 2016, bought the first set of headphones (which reduce external noise since the outdoors lacks proper acoustics) and, in 2017, allowed him to pivot to a more permanent setup.  

While others advised him to tote a keyboard around because it was easier, he says Schnitzer understood the value of having the same piano used in one of the best concert halls in the country for his project and bought him a fully restored 9-foot Steinway Model D built in 1912. Noack firmly believes that a large part of In a Landscape’s success is owed to the caliber of the instrument he uses.  

The inspiration for the project 

Noack says he got his inspiration for such a grand project from The Works Progress Administration’s (WPA) Federal Music and Theatre Projects, which he says presented thousands of free concerts and plays in theatres, public spaces and parks throughout the country during the Great Depression. “What I was particularly inspired by,” he says, “was that they brought … the performing arts outside of the concert hall and into what I believe are our most democratic spaces, which are our public lands … so with the first round of In a Landscape, I specifically chose parks and WPA sites.” 

Because of Noack’s passion for natural resource management, the bulk of his concerts are in public lands, which include everything from city and county parks to state and national parks like Yosemite Valley and Joshua Tree.  

“We work with federal land management agencies, Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, national parks, state parks as well as … private resorts, ranches and farmers,” he says, adding that “the hope is that these different landscapes—some that are more wild and others where the human impact is more a present part of the story—inspire a state of curiosity to learn more about the landscape.” 

Traveling with a hundred-year-old Steinway

To get his piano to such unique locations, Noack says he and his team had to design their own system of set-up and breakdown wherein the piano always stays inside the trailer with removable legs that allow for easier set-up and breakdown. The trailer elegantly transforms into a stage and is pulled behind a pickup truck that can go anywhere an off-road vehicle can go – including 9,000 feet on top of Mount Bachelor. 

“We did a concert a few times in Big Sky, Montana,” Noack shares, “where through the Warren Miller Performing Arts Center, they arranged a snowcat to bring the trailer out into the middle of this open field where they had groomed a special cross country ski trail so people could snowshoe and cross country ski while they were listening to the music. It was amazing.” 

Noack’s roots run deep

The seed for such a grand idea was planted when Noack was in college, living in the middle of San Francisco, LA and London, where he had to make an effort to be in nature. Having grown up in Oregon, where the outdoors was his playground, he says he longed for his work to bring him outside, but instead found himself creating indoor spaces that felt like they were outdoors.

“The context completely changed how people heard the music… and it was very effective,” says Noack.  

While earning a M.A. from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, he won an award, which offered a stipend and the use of a Barbican theatre for two weeks. He decided to produce a theatrical presentation of the string sextet by Arnold Schoenberg, Verklärte Nacht, which is based on the Richard Dehmel poem about a woman walking in a forest with her lover. Noack wanted to bring the story to life, so he worked with lighting and set designers to transform the theatre into a moonlit forest—including leaves on the ground people shuffled through, forest smells piped in and a choice to sit on seats or tree stumps.  

“In a Landscape” is a hit

When he returned to Oregon, he realized that if he could recreate a forest inside a London theatre, he could bring a theatre experience into the breathtaking natural spaces in his home state and across the country.  

That sensitivity benefits his attendees—many of whom have never heard classical music before, particularly those in rural areas who may not have access to a concert hall. Others, he says, “would never consider going to a classical music event, but because it’s on their neighbor’s ranch, they’re going to check it out. And those people are pleasantly surprised that they feel something.”  

After his first year of In a Landscape, the feedback he got was unlike anything he got while performing inside concert halls. He says people were describing feelings of spirituality and transcendence, which helped him realize his project was much bigger than just him. “[It] has helped me expand my view and be more sensitive to what’s immediately happening around me and letting that energy be a part of the music,” he says. 

Thanks to more than donations and grants, Noack can keep his ticket prices low, and his Good Neighbor program provides free tickets to those for whom the cost is prohibitive.  “In this day and age where there’s so much that is telling us that we are living in different realities, I think that physical experiences together are really important,” he says. “I think that spending time in nature, listening to music together … is really important … and so I really hope that with this project we … get people a little bit out of their comfort zones to experience some magic in the wild.”

Photos by Arthur Hitchcock.

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But “Fight Song” revealed just one facet of Platten’s multidimensional personality—the “really encouraging, empowered side,” she says. Her latest album, I Am Rachel Platten, invites listeners to get to know her on an even deeper, more personal level, including her struggles with “rage, jealousy, fear, grief and all the things that the human existence entails,” she says.

“I really feel like it’s my proper introduction to the world,” she adds. “This record was the first time that I really vulnerably shared these [other] parts of me…. It’s like I didn’t own the shadow side of me because I was too afraid to be anything but grateful and cheerful and empowered and excited. And I thought that’s who I was supposed to be because I broke out with ‘Fight Song.’”

Songwriting as medicine

Platten spent most of her 20s and early 30s trying to make it as a musician, cobbling together a living by playing late-night gigs, doing commercials, performing in cover bands and touring in her mother’s car. Then, at age 33, she released “Fight Song.” It wasn’t an immediate hit, but when it finally took off in January 2015, it catapulted Platten into the global spotlight almost overnight. She signed with a label—something every aspiring musician dreams of—and even performed on stage with Taylor Swift.

At the urging of her label, Columbia Records, Platten released the album Waves in 2017. She’s proud of Waves but, in hindsight, says she wasn’t ready to produce new music so quickly. The album—and the way Platten was being marketed—didn’t necessarily feel authentic, either.

A lot has changed since then. Over the last eight years, Platten parted ways with Columbia Records, gave birth to daughters Violet and Sophie, endured the pandemic, and started her own independent record label with her husband, Kevin Lazan. Through it all, Platten says she struggled to keep her head above water, battling postpartum depression and anxiety, as well as chronic pain, insomnia and panic attacks that left her feeling disconnected from her body. Songwriting—along with therapy, medication, journaling and many other mental health strategies—helped her heal.

“These songs that I wrote for myself were my medicine,” she says. “These songs saved my life.”

Take “Mercy,” for example, which Platten says she wrote “in the middle of a breakdown” in late 2021. Her younger daughter, Sophie, was just a few months old and had been in the hospital with a high fever; her husband, meanwhile, was passing a kidney stone. And Platten was still in the throes of her own postpartum mental health challenges. One night, she fled, sobbing, to the recording studio in the backyard of her Los Angeles home.

“Something in me broke,” she says. “I remember feeling like, ‘Oh my God, I cannot take any more. I can’t take one more thing….’ And that wail of pain turned into a song within 20 minutes…. In that moment, when that song rushed through me and my pain turned into music—and beautiful music—it was almost like an answer. ‘You are going to be OK, and your songwriting is the way out.’”

Other tracks on I Am Rachel Platten poured out in a similar way, as Platten was wrestling with her personal demons. “Bad Thoughts” is based on a mantra Platten repeated to herself over and over again while suffering from anxiety after the birth of her first daughter, Violet: “I’m bigger than these bad thoughts.” She originally titled the song “Listen to this if you’re having a panic attack” and incorporated guided breathing cues to re-center herself.

But several of the songs on the new album reflect Platten’s healing journey as she overcame her struggles and gained newfound confidence in herself. She wrote “I Don’t Really Care (Set Me Free)” about finally shedding the people-pleasing tendencies she’d had since childhood. “Love me as I am or don’t love me at all,” she sings defiantly. “I don’t really care what you say, what you think about me/ Almost lost my mind trying to make everybody happy/ I know who I am/ I don’t care who you want me to be.”

Motherhood ‘ripped my heart open‘

Her new identity as a parent also shines through. Motherhood “ripped my heart open in the most beautiful and ferocious way,” she says, which led to an emotional depth in her songwriting and creativity she hadn’t previously been able to access. She wrote the song “Girls” as she reflected on everything she hoped and dreamed for her daughters as they grew up, like learning to trust themselves and not being afraid to make mistakes. “It was kind of like a prayer over them, and, as I was writing it, I realized it was also for me and my inner child and for all the women and girls that I loved,” she says.

She also believes pregnancy, motherhood and the struggles she faced allowed her to expand her vocal range. “Because my voice has changed, how I wrote and what I do with my voice on songs is different,” she says. “There are so many more ballads on this record and so many more long, held notes where I can shape and bend the vowel and have fun with it and play with it and really express, through my voice, pain and grief and fear and joy and light. You can hear a lot more soul in my voice.”

Finding her own definition of success

I Am Rachel Platten is raw and deeply personal. But, beyond the lyrics of her new songs, Platten has also opened up about her mental health struggles on social media and on stage. She wants other new moms to know they’re not alone and that it’s OK to ask for help. And, in doing so, she’s received a “humongous” amount of love, support and reassurance from her followers in return, she says.

“Because I was asking for help, it was like a clarion call,” she says. “If I had kept that to myself, I think I would’ve really missed out on the most beautiful connection that happens when we are honest about what we’re going through and are brave enough to share.”

Her vulnerability and mental health advocacy has not gone unnoticed. In October 2024, the National Alliance on Mental Illness of New York City honored Platten with its “Voice for Change” award—a recognition that, she quickly realized, meant so much more than other forms of validation she had been seeking.

“To be rewarded for this deeply inner work that I did to save my own life, it was so meaningful,” she says. “It really hit me that that was what success was for me…. We should all really examine that definition of success and understand what it means for us personally and not what we’ve been told it is. What is it really in your heart, what really lights you up, what’s really going to make you feel fulfilled when you look back at your life?”

This article appears in the May/June issue of SUCCESS magazine. Photo by Jess Lynn Hess.

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From small-town preacher to big-city lawyer

McCathern’s path to becoming one of entertainment’s most trusted legal minds started far from the bright lights of Hollywood or the NFL. After growing up in Snyder, Texas, with a preacher father and a teacher mother, he knew his future would involve public speaking. “The only three occupations I could think of that did that were preaching, politics or being an attorney,” McCathern says.

After a brief stint as a teenage preacher and ruling out politics due to his distaste for politicians, McCathern found his calling in law. He completed both his undergraduate degree and law degree at Baylor University before landing at Godwin and Carlton, one of Dallas’s largest firms, in 1993.

The case that changed everything

McCathern’s entry into entertainment law came through an unexpected connection with Jerry Jones, Jr., son of the Dallas Cowboys owner. After becoming the youngest partner in his firm’s history, McCathern started his own practice and initially served as local counsel for some Cowboys cases. But everything changed when Jones Sr. faced a potential judgment ranging from $225 million to $675 million—more than the Cowboys were worth at the time.

“Jerry lost and was very angry at the big national firm,” McCathern recalls. “He called me and asked me who he should replace them with, and I said, ‘Me.’” At just 28 years old, McCathern not only reversed the judgment but also secured a $1.6 million return for Jones. He’s been the Cowboys’ go-to attorney ever since.

High-stakes problem-solver

Today, McCathern describes his practice with one simple phrase: “high-profile problem-solving.” His client roster reads like a who’s who of entertainment and sports, from singer Chris Brown to NFL star Reggie Bush. Each client comes with unique challenges that require creative solutions beyond traditional legal strategies.

Take his work with Chris Brown, for instance. When the singer faced allegations about an altercation that followed a concert, McCathern’s approach wasn’t to prepare for a lengthy court battle—it was to find a resolution that protected his client’s interests while avoiding the spotlight of a public trial. Similarly, when band members from Journey needed legal intervention, McCathern’s focus remained on solving the immediate problem rather than prolonging the conflict.

“A lot of lawyers think that the only solutions to problems are in a courtroom,” McCathern says. While he acknowledges that sometimes the threat of litigation is necessary to encourage reasonable behavior, it often results in a lose-lose for everyone involved. His primary goal is always to find solutions before stepping foot in a courtroom. 

This approach is particularly effective in the entertainment industry, where time is often as valuable as money to clients. “They need immediate answers,” McCathern explains. “It needs to be dealt with right then on an expedited basis and not litigated over for three years.”

The entertainment law difference

Entertainment law isn’t just about bigger names and higher stakes. McCathern notes that entertainers face more legal touchpoints than almost any other profession. For example, every single time a singer or band appears, there are dozens of contracts to contend with between the venue, other performers and merchandise sellers, to name a few.

“One of the things that I think makes me different [from] a lot of attorneys, and what I think all entertainers look for, is kind of a point man,” McCathern explains. “I can direct them to all of the different folks if they have an intellectual property issue about their music. If you’re an athlete [and] you got a personal injury—sports-related or non-sports-related—what are we going to do about that? If you’ve got a litigation because they’re high profile, there’s a lot more fake allegations made against entertainers than against anybody else. And a lawyer can help you not only prepare to avoid those kind of situations but also resolve them when they have them.”

The celebrity legal paradox

McCathern says that one of the biggest misconceptions celebrities face is that they get preferential treatment in the legal system. “In my experience, it’s really actually the opposite,” he says. “The more successful you are, you become more of a target, and people have their eye on you.”

This heightened scrutiny manifests in various ways. “If you or I are in a car wreck, it’s never going to be in the news,” McCathern explains. “But if Jerry Jones is in a car wreck or Dak Prescott, one of my other clients, it’s going to be on every news network in Dallas that night, and maybe some national stuff.”

The exposure extends beyond media attention too. “If you’re at the movie theater and somebody falls down the stairs next to you, nobody’s going to blame you,” McCathern says. “But, in my experience, if you’re at somebody’s concert and somebody gets hurt, they always seem to find a way to blame the performer. So there’s so much more exposure to them than the average person.”

Winning the unwinnable

McCathern’s approach shone in his successful campaign to restore Reggie Bush’s Heisman Trophy. Where other attorneys had failed, McCathern succeeded by focusing on solutions outside the courtroom. The case exemplified his firm’s motto: “improving people’s lives.”

“Every time I get exactly what my client wanted—especially if other attorneys have tried to get it and were unsuccessful—it’s the most satisfying thing,” McCathern says. “There’s just nothing more rewarding than that.”

For McCathern, it all comes back to solving problems. Whether he’s representing a global superstar or a local family, his approach remains the same: Find solutions early, avoid unnecessary litigation and never forget that behind every case is a person whose life you’re trying to improve.

_{This article originally appeared in the May/June 2025 issue of SUCCESS® magazine. Photo by Kris Hundt.}

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Since 2010, Hoover’s been the lovable, bubbly host of the daily entertainment news show Access Hollywood, becoming the longest-reigning host in the show’s history. She also co-hosts Access Daily with Mario & Kit with Mario Lopez.

At age 54, she’s never been more excited about the future, thanks in large part to the launch of her new biweekly podcast, The Coop with Kit, in which she interviews famous women over 40 who are just hitting their stride.

The Road to Hollywood

Being on TV was never part of Hoover’s plan. She studied journalism at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a few years after graduation secured a dream job with a high-profile advertising firm. But the day she got the job offer, MTV called.

Excited by the opportunity to be on Road Rules, a first-of-its-kind reality program in which five cast members would be filmed as they traveled cross-country in an RV together, she asked her new employer if she could defer her start date. They agreed. Hoover’s parents also urged her to go for the MTV gig, her mother saying, “Life is not a dress rehearsal”—a sentiment that has since become one of Hoover’s guiding principles.

Despite being a bit chagrined by the “party girl” branding the show gave her at the outset, the experience of being on Road Rules was overwhelmingly positive. “I loved every bit of it,” Hoover says. “I’d already seen what it was like a little bit to dip your toe in the real world… so I was just grateful that I was on this kind of fun boondoggle.”

Hoover never did go back to her advertising job. While the stream of opportunities she’d hoped would follow from her exposure on MTV didn’t at first materialize, she eventually secured a spot on a news magazine show called American Journal. It was here she learned the art of “making a moment”—like the time the petite host put her shoe inside Shaquille O’Neal’s much larger shoe during an interview. Then, as a correspondent at Fox Broadcasting with longer-format shows to fill, she says she “learned the art of storytelling.” Her growing portfolio helped land her subsequent opportunities on ESPN and guest spots on The View.

All Access, Her Way

After taking some time away from her career to spend at home with her young children, Hoover was offered an audition with Access Hollywood. Despite her feeling she “botched” the interview, she was offered the job. She stepped back on set at age 40 and relocated her family to Pasadena, California—close enough to work in Los Angeles but out of the fray of Hollywood.

After 15 years on the show, there’s not an A-list star Hoover hasn’t rubbed shoulders with. She’s a regular on award-show red carpets, and she’s hosted special programs with stars like Kevin Costner and commentated the Olympic Games. On the day of our interview, she was preparing for an interview with Snoop Dog.

Hoover attributes her longevity in the business, in part, to learning how to adapt to changing conditions and helping to create a supportive environment. “I thrive on being a teammate. I love making other people feel good or teeing them up or cheering them on,” she says. The ethos carries over to her interviews with celebrities, too. Her top priority, she says, is to make guests feel comfortable. “I’m not into something going viral because somebody’s not at their best,” she says. Hoover is also passionate about creating a supportive work environment by mentoring her young associates, assistants and interns, all of whom, she says, “have gone on to unbelievable things.”

Handing Over the Mic

In recent years in her hosting job at Access Hollywood, Hoover noticed a shift among the middle-aged and older female celebrity guests she was interviewing—citing examples like Halle Berry and Jean Smart—who were taking on physically demanding movie roles, winning acting awards and thriving long into their careers. The idea for a podcast dedicated to women over 40 began to simmer.

“I’m thinking, ‘What is in the water? What are we doing different? What can I learn from these women?’ And I feel like it was a voice that nobody was really talking to.”

Her long career in Hollywood has helped jump-start The Coop With Kit podcast, which debuted last spring. She built the guest schedule simply by texting notable women who happened to be in her phone contacts, inviting them to come on the show. The roster is impressive: Cindy Crawford, Katie Couric, Jessica Alba, Elizabeth Hurley and many others have joined Hoover for candid, highly personal conversations.

Hoover says each guest has left her with incredible insights. “I’m so moved. I feel so alive, and I hope they feel the same way…. I’ve taken a nugget from each one, and they stay with me.”

The podcast will soon hit the road for a series of events with live audiences across the country. Hoover is also working on a book on positive mindset, filled with stories from her life and some of the Southern maxims that have become part of her calling card.

Running Her Own Race

It is her contented childhood in Atlanta, Georgia, that Hoover’s attributes much of her lasting positivity and success to. She remains extremely close with her brother, dad and mom (whom she affectionately calls “Bug” and continues to phone daily). Growing up, the family spent quality time together, often running 10K races on weekends and playing tennis on a court her father built in their yard. “I think that set us on a path for discipline and success.”

Hoover excelled at running in high school and college, an activity she still enjoys for fitness. But despite the competitiveness often associated with sports, she believes one of the strongest values her parents imparted was to prioritize personal growth for its own sake. “We really, our whole life, have been told to run our own race and don’t compare yourself to anybody,” she says. “That’s the thief of joy…. Find that internal, inner peace.”

It’s a sunniness that Hoover routinely exhibits, even during the most trying of circumstances—like when her home burned down several years ago while she was pregnant with her third child. The family lost all their belongings, yet still, she found herself filled with gratitude for the fact that no one was hurt in the fire. “I’m not a rearview mirror person,” she says. “I’m not wired for it…. I never look backwards.”

With two of her kids having flown the nest already and the third headed to college in the fall, Hoover is leaning into that perspective. “I get so excited that they’re launching and are leading these… big lives. That brings me so much joy.”

It also gives Hoover the opportunity to focus on her own ambitions. She says with a grin, “It’s Mom’s time to fly.”

This article originally appeared in the May/June 2025 issue of SUCCESS® magazine. Photo by Matt Sayles/NBCUniversal.

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Shank was immediately in awe.

“There was this one moment during the show where Michael Jackson came and sat by the edge of the stage,” Shank says. “The crowd went really, really crazy.”

Although he couldn’t articulate it as a kid, Shank was deeply impacted by the experience of being in the same room with thousands of people, all enjoying live music. The energy was electric and infectious.

That experience propelled Shank, CEO of artist management and production company Terrapin Station Entertainment, to a career focused on creating experiences just like this for audiences around the world.

Shank’s parents noticed their son’s interest, and for many years after The Jackson 5 concert, the family would spend summers at the Jersey Shore, taking Shank to see groups like Chicago and Hall & Oates in nearby Atlantic City. By the time he hit his teens, Shank was venturing out to shows on his own, favoring bands of the time like Milli Vanilli, INXS and U2.

Shank attended Tulane University in New Orleans, where he majored in sociology but always looked for interesting music classes. (The university did not have business-related music classes.) When he found a course called “The History of Jazz,” he signed up immediately and started going to the professor’s office hours, telling the teacher he wanted to do something in the music business. An internship for credit was suggested, and within weeks, Shank was knocking on the doors of the House of Blues New Orleans.

“It was February 1994, and the House of Blues had literally just opened,” he remembers. “I turned up and asked for an internship, and they didn’t even have an internship program yet. I became an assistant to the assistant.”

It was a formative experience. Shank spent his time organizing artist photos and bios and taping show flyers to telephone poles all over the city. The experience introduced him to a wide variety of industry luminaries, from Bob Monroe and Bob Dylan to Dr. John and Allen Toussaint. From there, he interned for a record producer who encouraged him to move to Los Angeles to pursue a career in the music business.

Less than four months after walking across Tulane’s graduation stage, Shank was headed West.

Cutting his teeth in the City of Angels

It was the mid ’90s when Shank landed in LA. He was hungry to land a job in music, producing or assisting. He would take whatever he could get, but jobs were hard to come by. At the time, live music wasn’t a huge market. Instead, money was in selling records.

“I came out thinking I was going to get a job at a record label, but what I found was that the lines were very, very long for those jobs,” Shank remembers.

Undiscouraged, he worked odd jobs and developed friendships with anyone he could find in the business. Then, in late 1997, he landed an assistant role at a boutique music agency. Shank was promoted to agent by the end of his first year, and his career took off. The business was helping acts like The Marshall Tucker Band and Jefferson Starship tour around the country. He worked with the living members of The Doors and a group that played jazz interpretations of Grateful Dead songs. And while many of these groups were favored by fans older than Shank, he had grown up with such a diverse interest in music genres that he fit right in.

“I was a very young person who was able to form relationships with some older legacy artists, and I think they just got a kick out of the fact that I knew their music, knew what I was talking about,” he says. “It showed them that maybe there was a glimmer of light, that their music was going to last for a very long time… that there would be generations of people that came even after me that would be enjoying their music, consuming their videos, watching their shows.”

In fact, Shank’s perspective was revolutionary for the time because, in the mid-to-late ’90s, the music industry was focused on pop acts like ’N Sync and Backstreet Boys—not legacy artists like Bob Dylan and the Grateful Dead.

“There was nothing glamorous about what I was doing at the time,” Shank remembers. “It was just grinding. But I loved it so much because I really connected with these artists. And it taught me all about touring and how to strategically put artists out on the road.

“It really became a theme in my career of working in underappreciated and underserved spaces. If there’s a core audience there, even if it’s an audience that was there previously, you can always find a way to reignite that audience, to engage that audience, to find them again.”

Embracing fresh ideas

Shank’s career blossomed from there. By the early 2000s he was moving into day-to-day management for artists across genres—from LFO to Isaac Hayes to the band War. He was finding himself in rooms with some of the most powerful people in the business, organizing tours with megastars and lining up acts for major music festivals around the country.

Soon, he was working with Mickey Hart, a former drummer for the Grateful Dead. Shank helped connect Hart with performers to start a band and the relationships blossomed. The two are close to this day. (“He texted me this morning, actually,” Shank quips.)

Over the years, Shank expanded his reach to stars like Victoria Justice who were appearing on Nickelodeon. Around that time, there was a show on the same network called “The Fresh Beat Band,” and Shank proposed the idea of producing in-person events for the band. He came on as an executive producer, and the show—a nod to his unorthodox ideas—was a massive success. From there, he worked to bring Peppa Pig to live audiences—again, an enormous win.

Shank has done these shows with his company Terrapin Station Entertainment, which today is wildly successful. For the past few years, he’s worked to bring the Disney Jr. franchise live on tour, and this year, audiences across the Middle East, Southeast Asia and the United Kingdom are able to take in a physical show.

“Terrapin was formed out of the need to create a nontraditional entertainment company that could propel all of these brands and all of this content,” he says. “What I find is that, when you have one project that goes well, people can say, ‘Well, maybe you got lucky.’ But when you have two, you start to show a model, and you start to show how you’re building success on top of what you’ve previously done.” 

Photo by Em Walis. This article originally appeared in the May/June 2025 issue of SUCCESS magazine.

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1. Olu (aka Johnny Venus)

Hip-Hop Artist

The Atlanta-born, platinum-certified, Grammy-nominated artist bridges music, activism and wellness through his introspective lyrics and soulful performances. As one-half of dynamic hip-hop duo EarthGang, Olu has collaborated with a list of superstars, including icons like J. Cole and Snoop Dogg, while promoting environmental conservation through the EARTHGANG Foundation. (Their consistent efforts led to the city of Atlanta declaring April 27 “EarthGang Day.”) 

Olu’s passion and impact extend to mental health advocacy. He launched wellness brand COMPXSS in 2024, inspired by a four-week retreat and 200-hour yoga certification in Bali. COMPXSS, in partnership with brands like Nike and Soho House, fosters wellness-grounded conversations in the hip-hop community through focused retreats and experimental events. Olu is redefining balance and self-care within the music industry.

2. Jason Davis

Entertainment Industry Executive

A serial creative entrepreneur, Davis has championed innovative business models and partnerships within the music industry, while pioneering new approaches to signing and artist development. Davis, who began his career as a songwriter, has held a plethora of titles, including independent label president, consultant and, most notably, senior vice president of A&R for Dolly Parton’s management company, CTK. He and his companies have worked with some of the industry’s leading artists, ranging from Jimmy Eat World to Boyz II Men. Davis has also earned a reputation as one of the music industry’s most passionate—and effective—mentors. Most recently, he led four previously unsigned musicians to record deals with major labels.

3. Brad Mindich

Founder & CEO, Inveniem & Definitive Authentic

Mindich’s lifelong music fandom coalesced into Inveniem, an archival and curation company that creates cutting-edge, fan-driven experiences, enhancing the connection between fans and artists. Inveniem and its consumer brand Definitive Authentic give clients an existential reminder: “Your past is your future.” They put those words into action through preserving—and expanding—the legacies of some of the world’s most beloved and influential artists, athletes and brands. 

Inveniem were the curators behind The Metallica Black Box, a digital museum containing artifacts such as never-before-seen videos and photos, unheard audio and untold stories from the iconic rock band. Mindich and his team have done similar work for artists like Def Leppard, Bon Jovi and Naomi Judd.

4. Jhené Aiko

Singer-Songwriter, Humanitarian, Wellness Advocate

Aiko began her career as a backup vocalist for R&B group B2K in the early 2000s. Since then, the singer-songwriter has curated a long-standing career that’s spawned seven Grammy Award nominations, collaborations with powerhouse artists like Kendrick Lamar and a 2024 sold-out arena tour. Inspired by wellness practices such as sound therapy, Aiko has a specific vulnerability and storytelling element within her ethereal, spiritual music, which has led many fans to describe it—and her—as having a “healing power.” She’s taken that power outside of music and into fans’ hands with the launch of homeopathic self-care line Jhenetics, soothing music platform Sleep Soul and healing products line ALLEL.

5. Tito Nieves

Salsa Singer

Known as “el Pavarotti de la Salsa,” the Puerto Rican singer has been praised and admired for his powerful, melodic voice—and for his efforts to expand the salsa genre to new audiences. Nieves’ notable career, which spans more than 40 years and several genre-defining hits, includes stints in groups and as a solo artist. 

The longtime performer skyrocketed into the mainstream American consciousness in the ’80s and ’90s after launching his solo career. His rendition of ’60s classic “I Like It Like That,” released in the late ’90s, catapulted him to commercial success with its use in advertising campaigns and a film bearing the same name. As a solo artist, the Grammy nominee used his platform and expertise to introduce English lyrics into his music, expanding the salsa genre’s appeal and reach to new audiences.

6. Chapel Hart

Independent Artists

The south Mississippi trio first grabbed the nation’s attention in 2022 with a golden buzzer-approved appearance on America’s Got Talent, where they sang “You Can Have Him Jolene,” their modern twist on Dolly Parton’s 1970s hit. Parton approved, and America followed. (The song has garnered more than 8 million Spotify plays.) The group—composed of sisters Danica and Devynn Hart along with their first cousin Trea Swindle—are also seasoned industry entrepreneurs. 

As independent artists, they’ve largely been responsible for their own marketing and branding, securing their own appearances and gigs. They’ve released a full-length country album, collaborated with brands like Ford and performed at the Grand Ole Opry, where they received four standing ovations—all without the backing of a major record label. From busking on the streets of New Orleans to being named part of CMT’s Next Women of Country: Class of 2025, this group is only getting started.

7. Evan ‘Kidd‘ Bogart

Founder & CEO, Seeker Music

Despite being born into music royalty (his dad was Casablanca Records founder Neil Bogart), Evan Bogart has charted his own path in the industry, turning setbacks into successes. The Los Angeles native started his career as an Interscope Records intern, where he worked on Tupac Shakur’s first posthumous album. While there, Bogart passed along a demo tape that helped bring on one of his favorite battle rappers: Eminem. 

His decades-long songwriting career has produced massive hits for artists such as Rihanna, Beyoncé, Becky G and Lizzo. Now, Bogart is running his own publishing company, Seeker Music. But he remains focused on mentoring and guiding the next generation of songwriters. He’s also the chair of the Songwriters & Composers Wing for the Grammy Awards, where he helped create the Songwriter of the Year Award.

8. Jessica Lynn

Singer & Philanthropist

The New York native turned rising country singer has opened for country stars such as Brad Paisley, Keith Urban and the late Loretta Lynn (no relation). Throughout the past few years, she’s performed for millions across the world, thanks to a persistent touring schedule that’s included a 40-city European tour. 

Lynn’s debut album, “Lone Rider,” jumped to the No. 1 spot on Amazon Music, making her the only independent artist to rank in the top 5. She is also an influencer with nearly a million followers across various platforms, who’s using her rising fame for causes closest to her heart. Lynn has worked with Toys for Tots, United for the Troops and the Barbara Giordano Foundation, which supports female veterans.

9. Joseph Perla

Founder & CEO, Hangout

Serial entrepreneur Perla is on a mission to make social media more social again—with music as the focus. Using his background in creating social networks and working for Meta, he cultivated a virtual listening community through the social music platform Hangout, which launched last November. 

Hangout connects audiophiles through music discovery and curation, using its vast library of more than 100 million songs from major record labels such as Sony, Warner and Universal. Users can invite friends to their “hangout” within the platform, where they can take turns in a virtual DJ booth, playing their favorite songs. “Our vision has always been to create a platform that celebrates the joy of music but also helps support the music industry,” Perla said ahead of the platform’s launch.

10 & 11. Channing Moreland & Makenzie Stokel

Cofounders, EVA

Moreland and Stokel met as students at Belmont University in Nashville, where they were immersed in the vibrant music scene, booking everything from large house parties to small festivals. Booking pain points—scattered details, endless paperwork and overall uncertainty—led them to create EVA, an online marketplace that connects event planners and vetted entertainers in a matter of minutes. 

What started as a dorm room project has become an inclusive solution that’s revolutionized corporate entertainment booking. EVA has put more than $6 million into the pockets of musicians throughout the country, connecting more than 2,500 artists with major corporate clients like Dell and Amazon. The company launched in New York City last December, expanding its influence.

This article originally appeared in the May/June 2025 issue of SUCCESS® magazine. Photo of Channing Moreland & Makenzie Stokel courtesy of Jessica Amerson.

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