Passion Project with Cat Margulis

Episode 55: Author and Director Gabrielle Stone

In this interview for the series Success Story, Gabrielle Stone shares her journey to best-selling self-published author, what worked for her and her book, how to make your videos go viral and how to grow a loyal following.  Gabrielle Stone is no stranger to the world of entertainment. Growing up on set with her legendary scream-queen mother Dee Wallace (Cujo, E.T.), she had days of licking off mommy’s fake blood and watching behind the scenes movie magic. Seeing the world with mom and dad gave her the travel bug at an early age—until Gabrielle experienced a real-life horror when she lost her father suddenly at age seven.   After many years in the industry herself, Stone transitioned from meaty acting roles to writing and directing. Her award-winning films It Happened Again Last Night and After Emma gained her awards for writing, directing, and acting—but she had a bigger role in life that would soon present itself: freaking badass.   After the rug was vigorously pulled out from under her when her husband’s affair came to light, she found herself falling into the arms of another man. After a second failed attempt at love and a massive heartbreak, she decided that instead of landing flat on her ass—she’d make a career out of it.   And so came the birth of the book Eat, Pray, #FML [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/fml], where she shared all the mistakes, all the lessons, and most importantly, how she became a fearless leader from it all.

Episode 54: Author K.A. Tucker

In this interview for the series Success Story, author K.A. Tucker shares her journey from self-published author to traditionally published and back again, as well as what audiences are craving now, her advice for self-published authors and more. K.A. Tucker writes captivating stories with an edge. She is the internationally bestselling author of more than thirty books, including the Simple Wild, Ten Tiny Breaths and Burying Water series, He Will Be My Ruin, Until It Fades, Keep Her Safe, and Say You Still Love Me. Her books have been featured in national publications including USA Today, Globe & Mail, Suspense Magazine, Publisher's Weekly, Oprah Mag, and First for Women.

Episode 53: Secrets to a Successful Book Launch with Dan Blank

In this interview for the series Success Story, Dan Blank shares why your greatest asset in your publishing journey and book marketing strategy is you, and other book launch tips. Dan Blank is the founder of WeGrowMedia, where he helps writers develop their author platforms, connect with readers, and launch their books. He is the author of the book Be the Gateway: A Practical Guide to Sharing Your Creative Work and Engaging an Audience. He has worked with thousands of writers, and amazing organizations who support creative people such as Penguin Random House, Sesame Workshop, Hachette Book Group, Workman Publishing, Abrams Books, Writers House, The Kenyon Review, Writer’s Digest, Library Journal, and many others. You can find Dan at https://WeGrowMedia.com [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbC1UU1lVQXczMVZLazhfb2hCbW9GMDVmNU14d3xBQ3Jtc0tsNUs1ZUlRQ0dFeExXRUN5V09OZTktcWN5QWRSQng2RmtFeGdJcXJnSHczVFdOUU1DUVJ6NkwzejZySTduOVp3SWFvUkJHakZSQ0R4TXRCOW5XNldxYlpDOHdwX2x3U0FlWXEydE5xQnpiemxYLW94Yw&q=https%3A%2F%2FWeGrowMedia.com%2F&v=y_hzqCgRPlg] or on Twitter and Instagram at @DanBlank.

Episode 52: Wattpad author Tamara Lush

In this interview for the series Success Story, Tamara Lush shares what she’s learned from the Wattpad community about marketing and publishing your book, as well as her secrets to writing a great serial novel and how to market your book without giving up your writing time. Tamara Lush is a Florida-based author and journalist. She’s an RWA Rita finalist, an Amtrak writing fellow and the winner of the George C. Polk award for environmental journalism. She was a reporter with The Associated Press, covering crime, alligators, natural disasters and politics.  Tamara is a fan of vintage pulp fiction book covers, Sinatra-era jazz, 1980s fashion, tropical chill, kombucha, gin, tonic, seashells, iPhones, Art Deco, telenovelas, street art, coconut anything, strong coffee and newspapers. She lives on the Gulf coast with her husband and dog.

Episode 51: Kate Bradley Chernis, Founder & CEO of Lately AI

In this interview for the series The Future of Content Marketing, host Cat Margulis and guest Kate Bradley Chernis talk about AI-powered content, the theatre of the mind and creating content for an audience of one, plus her secrets to designing a powerful content experience.  Kate is the Founder & CEO of Lately, which uses AI to generate high-engaging content in your unique brand voice that is customized to target any audience. As a former rock 'n' roll dj, Kate served 20 million listeners as Music Director and on-air host at Sirius/XM. She’s also an award-winning radio producer, engineer and voice talent with 25 years of national broadcast communications, brand-building, sales and marketing expertise. What she learned in radio about the neuroscience of music helps fuel Lately's artificial intelligence. Prior to founding Lately, Kate also owned a marketing agency which got Walmart a 130% ROI, YoY for three years.