Got to sit down with the Ice Cold Comedian, Mike Logan…IN HIS HOUSE! (He's got a bad leg at the moment, so I came to him. You'll hear some neighborhood noise in the interview.)  I named this one "ADD & Homegrown Weed" because those were the main obstacles early in our conversation. But once it got going, Mike and I had a great talk. We, of course, covered creativity and the creative process, but we got into all kinds of other stuff: moving from place to place, racism, goal setting/changing goals as you age, classic art, how the media tries to convince us we're divided when, in Mike's opinion, we've actually been brought closer together in the last year and a half.  Mike tells stories from the entertainment industry, does a few impressions, cracks me up, and shares his fascinating perspective on a wide variety of topics.  Follow Mike Logan on all your favorite social media platforms @icecoldcomedian for updates on performances, a daily dose of wholesome, and some hard-but-necessary truths. Follow the host of Creative Ops at http://www.christophertallon.com and as @tallonwrites on all social media!

Auggie is a brilliant mind and great guy. In 2016, Auggie placed 5th world-wide in the Dyson Rethinkers Challenge. Then in 2018, Auggie won the Red Bull Mind Gamers Quantum Challenge. In 2019, his team placed 10th in the Red Bull Mind Gamers Escape Room World Championship. He's designed multiple rooms, including one in a hotel at the world championship for the competitors to play, that the hotel didn't even know about, haha! He also had a hand in the SYGNYL podcast that I talked about on Ep.17!  Check him out on social media @okapikid, and get in touch with him. He also has a website with a game built into it…www.okapikid.com. . . . If you like the show, BUY ME A COFFEE! Thanks to Jeff M. for the cup this morning!!!!! . . . CHECK OUT OUR SPONSORS: Irie Kitchen: http://www.irie.kitchen River Town Adventures: http://www.rivertownadventures.com Baby Farm Soaps: only at @BabyFarmSoaps on Facebook Hey Guys Media Group: http://www.heyguysmediagroup.com If you want more, go to: http://www.creativeops.podbean.com http://www.christophertallon.com I'm @christopher_tallon on IG @TallonWrites everywhere else I'm on Litsy and Goodreads, too

Jonathan Wayne Freeman is a funny funny man. He didn't find his niche until he was in his late 30s, but now he's posting funny stuff on IG daily, and getting paid to endorse cool stuff. He's an inspiration and always good for a giggle. Go check out @jonathanwaynefreeman on Instagram and peruse the JWF online shop. ——————————————————– Go to http://www.christophertallon.com if you don't have anything better to do right now. ——————————————————–   Friends of Creative Ops: River Town Adventures, Baby Farm Soaps, Six Coast Soil, Fresh Coast Seed Co. Buy me (Christopher Tallon) a coffee!  

Jeff Hull joined me, via the magic of the internet, to discuss literature, culture, Nonchalance, and his latest project–a revolutionary podcast–SYGNYL. Listen as we discuss past and present projects, how how created and implemented them, and how the lines between art and reality can blur to create something unintended, both in our art and, as we've seen recently, in our culture. That blurring, as Jeff puts it, "can lead us to chaos or meaning." Join us and try to find the meaning in the chaos. If we can't find it, we'll make our own. -CT . . . LINKS: GUEST Nonchalance: website | IG | Twitter | Tumblr SYGNYL: website | IG | Twitter | FB | YouTube SHOW Christopher Tallon: website | IG | FB | Twitter | Goodreads | Litsy | Buy Me a Coffee Sponsors: Hey Guys Media Group | River Town Adventures | Baby Farm Soaps

Fable the Poet (aka Marcel Price) became the Poet Laureate of Grand Rapids, MI in 2017. At the time, he was GR's first black PL. He was the first PL to not graduate from college. On top of that he was also the youngest PL in city history. Now he works with The Diatribe, mainly focusing on improving the south side and educating people about GENTRIFICATION and REDLINING. Check out The 49507 Project. Marcel Price / Fable the Poet: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter The Diatribe: Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, SUPPORT!

Shatawn Brigham and his wife, Nadia, moved from fields in mental health and education into business with the idea of changing the culture of professional inequality in Grand Rapids from the inside. Listen to how he met his wife, how they've worked to help the city and it's negatively impacted communities, and how GR Noir–Grands Rapids' only jazz bar–came to be. . . . Check them out at http://www.grnoir.com, and on Facebook and Instagram!  

Christopher Daradics works at the University of Oregon's Center for Applied Second Language Studies – CASLS (check that out for free language learning tools!) He's also a part of Resonance Building, a healing and arts collective. Check out their upcoming online workshop "The Embodied Voice", and keep coming back for new events, projects, ideas… .   .   . Learn more: Christopher Daradics on IG: @swagadics Resonance Building on IG: @resonance-building CASLS website Resonance Building website Embodied Voice info/registration .   .   . Thanks everyone! See ya next time. -CT .   .   . For more on Creative Ops and/or Christopher Tallon: Website | Instagram | FaceBook | Twitter | Podcast

Derek Mohr is a Grand Rapids, MI based artist who works as a developer and designer. We talked about his early interest in art and technology, traced his path to professional status, talked about some of his projects, and stuff creative people deal with, go through, and chat about with other creatives. By day Derek works for an agency called Might In The Midwest. You can see more about Derek and the things he does at https://onemohrti.me/ .     .     . Catch Derek On.. Instagram: @onemohrtimedesign Twitter: @OneMohrTime Dribble: dribbble.com/OneMohrTime

Casey Kornoelje is the sole owner of the only locally-owned cannabis dispensary in Grand Rapids, Michigan. You might ask, "There are so many dispensaries…how is Pharmhouse Wellness the only local one?"  Great question. Listen for the answer to that, how Casey got into growing in the first place, how the shop came to fruition, and what his plans are for the shop and the community around it going forward. . . . Check out Pharmhouse Wellness on their website, http://www.pharmhousewellness.com, on Facebook @pharmhousewellness, and on Instagram @pharmhousewellness. . . . Follow the show and its host at http://www.christophertallon.com and on all social media @TallonWrites. . . . And leave a review AND a rating for the show wherever you download podcasts. Thanks!

David Hayward is a former pastor turned full-time artist and he shares his story of becoming an artist, leaving the church, and moving into art as his main hustle. David makes art from a very welcoming place of spiritual freedom. If you're looking for a good follow on Instagram, check out @nakedpastor, and consider buying his book, sort of a "best of" collection of his comics: FLIP IT LIKE THIS. Get more at: http://www.nakedpastor.com!

Jody J. Sperling came on to talk about creative stuff, including (but not limited to) his amazing novel, THE 9 LIVES OF MARVA DELONGHI. It's a story in a time loop, with a lot of cool characters, murder, booze, murder, psychopaths, murder, sacrifice, and…MURDER! Some characters die. A lot. It's a lot of fun. Jody also hosts a podcast called TRBM, he has other books, and you can find out about ALL of it at http://www.jodyjsperling.com! (Buy his books there!) . . . Thanks for listening. Go to http://www.christophertallon.com for more podcast info, or to check out Christopher Tallon's novel about teens in 1996 who get in a time travel war against their adult selves: Switchers If you're on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and/or TikTok, please follow me @tallonwrites and let's keep the creativity flowing!

This is part one of a a two-parter with horror author Mike Salt. Salt is more than just a fantastic writer from Oregon, he's a smart and creative guy with a knack for marketing and social media. He talks about writing to get attention, how many more followers he has than I do, and how he's glad he's not bald like me. And we explore his creative process, talk a little about his books, and what he's got up his sleeve. . . . Check out Mike and his books at http://www.mikesaltauthor.com, then follow him @mike_salt on IG, @mikesaltmoose on Twitter, and/or @mikesaltmoose on Facebook. . . . Check out my pod-friends Threads Podcast: Life Unfiltered (a space for authentic conversations)  

Jason Tieri (TEER-ee) is a podcaster from west Michigan. Actually, he's kinda my podcast mentor. (And beard guru.) He got me into podcasting. Hear what it takes to start a podcast, some techy stuff, some how-to, and us just kickin it.  This was a fun one, especially if you're a podcaster, you're thinking about podcasting, or you just like a peek at how it's done. (Recorded in the Hey Guys Media Group studio. Click the link to learn more about them and their podcast services!)

ZERO is a fantastic beat producer in Grand Rapids, MI. His energetic performances are mesmerizing. I liken watching him play his drum machine to watching Stevie Wonder play the piano. Those performances, coupled with award winning music, are a can't-miss. Follow ZERO on his Instagram @zerodgaf to keep up with what's going on and to see some examples of his performing and musical abilities. He's on Twitter and Facebook as well, if you're not into the whole Instagram thing. . . . Thanks for listening. Check out more show stuff, listen to some original music, and take a gander at my time travel novel at http://www.christophertallon.com. Follow me on IG, FB, Twitter, & TT: @tallonwrites . . . Shout outs to Dante Cope, Wuzee, Beatrat, and DJ Phazer.

Jonathan Wayne Freeman is a funny funny man. He didn't find his niche until he was in his late 30s, but now he's posting funny stuff on IG daily, and getting paid to endorse cool stuff. He's an inspiration and always good for a giggle. Go check out @jonathanwaynefreeman on Instagram and peruse the JWF online shop. ——————————————————– Go to http://www.christophertallon.com if you don't have anything better to do right now. ——————————————————–   Friends of Creative Ops: River Town Adventures, Baby Farm Soaps, Six Coast Soil, Fresh Coast Seed Co. Buy me (Christopher Tallon) a coffee!  

Fable the Poet (aka Marcel Price) became the Poet Laureate of Grand Rapids, MI in 2017. At the time, he was GR's first black PL. He was the first PL to not graduate from college. On top of that he was also the youngest PL in city history. Now he works with The Diatribe, mainly focusing on improving the south side and educating people about GENTRIFICATION and REDLINING. Check out The 49507 Project. Marcel Price / Fable the Poet: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter The Diatribe: Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, SUPPORT!

Casey Kornoelje is the sole owner of the only locally-owned cannabis dispensary in Grand Rapids, Michigan. You might ask, "There are so many dispensaries…how is Pharmhouse Wellness the only local one?"  Great question. Listen for the answer to that, how Casey got into growing in the first place, how the shop came to fruition, and what his plans are for the shop and the community around it going forward. . . . Check out Pharmhouse Wellness on their website, http://www.pharmhousewellness.com, on Facebook @pharmhousewellness, and on Instagram @pharmhousewellness. . . . Follow the show and its host at http://www.christophertallon.com and on all social media @TallonWrites. . . . And leave a review AND a rating for the show wherever you download podcasts. Thanks!

Jeff Hull joined me, via the magic of the internet, to discuss literature, culture, Nonchalance, and his latest project–a revolutionary podcast–SYGNYL. Listen as we discuss past and present projects, how how created and implemented them, and how the lines between art and reality can blur to create something unintended, both in our art and, as we've seen recently, in our culture. That blurring, as Jeff puts it, "can lead us to chaos or meaning." Join us and try to find the meaning in the chaos. If we can't find it, we'll make our own. -CT . . . LINKS: GUEST Nonchalance: website | IG | Twitter | Tumblr SYGNYL: website | IG | Twitter | FB | YouTube SHOW Christopher Tallon: website | IG | FB | Twitter | Goodreads | Litsy | Buy Me a Coffee Sponsors: Hey Guys Media Group | River Town Adventures | Baby Farm Soaps

Alternate title: TROPHY HUSBANDSWATCH ON YOUTUBEChristopher Tallon is a writer and podcaster hailing from Grand Rapids. His novel, Switchers, is being shopped around to various publishers as he juggles fatherhood, husbandhood, and his podcast, Creative Ops, which highlights other creative people doing their things, respectively. Today's episode is a fun one, complete with a parody of Kirk & Christopher's future collaboration: Trophy Husbands. Music contributions include Dresden the Flamingo, King Flamingo, Baum, Rhythm Scott, and Keven Graham, all licensed through soundstripe.com!CT on IGATITA LinksSupport the show

**WATCH ON YOUTUBE** … When author Christopher Tallon's first novel, SWITCHERS, hits the shelves next month, it will feature a book cover design by host Kirk Ross. Excerpted from a full interview on Chris's podcast "Creative Ops", the duo discusses the creative process, consent in nature, and the risks of using words that end in "phile". Today's featured song is called "Big Sale Improv", inspired by a doozy of a trip to the pot shop. Chris's WebsiteAll the Attic LinksSupport the show

Christopher Tallon Spoke to me about how he started his Podcast Creative Ops and the associated website and blog to build an audience for his forthcoming novel, Switchers. Chris has Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Goodreads. If you take one thing from this episode it's to preorder Switchers. Nothing has a bigger impact on a writer's life than preordering his book, and you have that chance from now until June 3rd. So do it. Preorder Switchers today.If you're curious to check any of the movies we mentioned you can pick up a copy of Looper for a fun time travel yarn, or Primer for a more disturbing time travel tale.As always, please join my newsletter for more insights on the marketing mindset you won't find anywhere else and jump over to Patreon where you can support my show for as little as $5.00 a month.Subscribe to my Substack for unparalleled partner content, and follow me on Twitter. Get full access to TRBM at jodyjsperling.substack.com/subscribe

Christopher Tallon, the musician behind my updated podcast music, one of my rotating cohosts for 2023, is in the guest chair today to tell his story.Thanks for listening to TRBM! Subscribe to receive new episodes and stimulate your brain.Something is moving your plates…is it a ghost? Are you losing your mind?And so begins a story of grief, sadness and scorpions. Christopher Tallon hangs a framework of a military vet who retreats to a remote Tennessee cabin for some self-care, but no sooner than he arrives does he find his environment disturbed.It’s a heartbreaking story that culminates when the veteran recalls the moment of his death. I spent hours afterward wondering if there are men and women who gave their life for their country and their spirit wanders the land wondering if it was all worth the sacrifice, if they gave too much.I don’t know about you, but I think Christopher has a hell of a knack for storytelling. And you need to get his novel, Switchers. Check out his website. Follow him everywhere.*If you listen carefully, you’ll catch me dropping the f-bomb in this episode. I have no issue with strong language, but I do try to keep this show clean. Please know the language is a rare occurrence. Forgive me. Get full access to TRBM at jodyjsperling.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, I'm chatting with Christopher Tallon about the benefits of podcasting. Christopher is the creative genius behind the Creative Ops Podcast and you can find him online at: https://christophertallon.com/Like this episode? Buy a girl a drink perhaps? https://paypal.me/FamousAshleyGrantMore Show Notes From This Episode:What’s up my bloggy friends! I'm slowly updating the show notes for this and every episode of The Bloggy Friends Show. My new home base for all things Bloggy Friends can be found here: https://www.famousashleygrant.com/podcast/Be sure to follow me on social: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn

Have you thought about your book launch strategies?  In this episode, I talk with author and podcast host Christopher Tallon about why this is important to do if you are writing a book. We also talk about a few strategies that Chris has done. We talk about blogging and podcasting and how what we have learned over the last few years. These tips will help you as an author to start your own show, or help you pitch yourself to podcasts as a way of getting publicity for your book. Christopher Tallon is a veteran, former middle school teacher, the author of the sci-fi/horror novel Switchers, host of Creative Ops (a podcast for creative people), and makes being bald look awesome. Highlights 02:22 Chris’ Story 04:00 Defining strategizing 06:00 Strategy 1: Blogging 13:31 Strategy 2: Podcasting 16:59 Mistakes to avoid 25:21 How has all this helped with selling books 28:46 Picking topics for blogs and podcast episodes 40:54 Author Action Point Author Action Point Start as soon as you can. If you have an idea that you will be selling a book, start as soon as you can. Start reaching out to people and trying to get on podcasts. Get on social media but don’t just constantly be posting about your book. Think of the future, plan for the future and don’t wait for a week before the release Connect with Christopher http://www.christophertallon.com Facebook Instagram Twitter Resources Mentioned Creative Ops Podcast Threads Podcast Life Unfiltered