The Little Birdie Podcast

PLAY with Justin Mabry

Play isn't something you grow out of. It's something most workplaces quietly train you to stop doing and that's exactly when creativity, connection, and energy start to disappear. In this episode of the Little Birdie Podcast, I'm talking with Justin Mabry of JM Entertainment about what happens when leaders and teams make room for genuine play. And what gets lost when they don't. Justin has spent years producing live entertainment and experiences, and he knows the difference between a room that's executing and a room that's actually alive. We talk about why play is the precondition for creativity, not a break from work. How psychological safety makes experimentation possible. What performers understand about presence and joy that most corporate teams have forgotten. And how leaders can model playfulness; not as a personality trait, but as a practice. If you lead a team, run a creative business, or just feel like the work stopped feeling alive somewhere along the way, this one's worth your time.

OPTIMIZE with Matt Heller

Everybody's optimizing something.Their schedule. Their team. Their culture.But most of us have never stopped to ask whether we're optimizing the right things. In this episode, Ryan sits down with Matt Heller, leadership coach, author, and one of the most respected voices in the attractions industry, to pull that word apart and see what's actually inside it. What does it mean to optimize a human being? Where does the drive to perform better serve people, and where does it grind them down? And what happens when a leader finally turns the lens on themselves instead of their team? This is a conversation about performance — but not the kind that lives on a dashboard. It's about encouragement, self-awareness, purpose, and the uncomfortable distance between where we are and where we know we could be. Matt started as a ride operator at 18. He's now the author of All Clear and The Myth of Employee Burnout, co-host of the AttractionPros podcast, and the founder of a mastermind community built for leaders who are ready to do the real work. This one asks something of you. Come ready to look in the mirror. In this episode:What optimize actually means when you point it at a person. The difference between high performance and sustainable performance. Why encouragement is a leadership tool, not a soft skill. What's really underneath most cases of employee burnout. The mirror moment — and why most leaders avoid it. How community does what training programs can't. Joy as a signal, not a reward. Links + Resources:Performance Optimist Consulting — performanceoptimist.comAttractionPros Podcast — attractionpros.comAll Clear — available on AmazonThe Myth of Employee Burnout — available on AmazonPOC YOUniversity — patreon.com/mattheller

CURIOSITY with Jon Cooke

What happens when curiosity stops being a compass and starts being noise? Jon Cook, owner of Plague Productions, a themed entertainment company that designs Halloween experiences and immersive environments - sat down with me to talk about curiosity in ways I didn't expect. We didn't just talk about how to be more curious. We talked about what happens when you're too curious. When the ideas flood in faster than you can follow them. When the spark that used to energize you starts to overwhelm you. Jon's journey from scare actor to designer taught him something most creative leaders don't talk about: that the strongest teams aren't built on structure, they're built on trust. That curiosity thrives in chaos when people feel safe enough to figure things out together. That ego gets in the way of growth the moment you think you're the smartest person in the room. We also got into the lessons hiding inside failure. The scrappy problem-solving that happens when you don't have the budget you wish you had. Why Orlando's creative community feels different. What it takes to build a work culture where people actually want to stay. And how curiosity (when it's working right) feels less like a thought and more like a full-body sensation. This conversation reminded me that curiosity isn't just about asking questions. It's about knowing which questions to follow, which ones to let simmer, and when to give the whole thing a rest so the answers can find you. If you've ever felt creatively stuck, burned out, or unsure which spark to chase next - this one's for you. 🎙️ Jon Cook / Plague Productions plagueproductions.com [http://plagueproductions.com/] What We Talked About: * Why curiosity can overwhelm you (and what to do about it) * How scare actors build trust in ways corporate teams don't * What happens when you surround yourself with people smarter than you * Why failure is where curiosity does its best work * The scrappy mentality that keeps creative work alive * How to recharge when the work starts draining the joy out of it * What makes Orlando's creative scene so vibrant * Why work-life balance is one of the hardest things creatives have to figure out * What curiosity feels like when it hits If this resonated: This episode is part of the Little Birdie Podcast, where we explore what it means to lead with heart, serve with flair, and create with joy. Every episode is built around a single word and this time, it's Curiosity. Want to bring more curiosity into your team, your leadership, or your next event? Learn more at littlebirdieconsulting.com

WHISMY with Andy Crocker

What does whimsy have to do with leadership? More than you think. In this episode of the Little Birdie Podcast, host Ryan Allen sits down with Andy Crocker, creative professional, experiential designer, and self-described "passionate goofball for hire", to explore why whimsy, play, and imagination aren't just nice to have. They're essential leadership tools. Ryan and Andy dig into the intricate balance between creativity and practicality across live entertainment, theme parks, and experiential design and what that balance reveals about how all of us lead, gather, and create. Through personal anecdotes and real project experiences, they explore the role of imagination in both intimate and large-scale experiences, the challenges of measuring emotional impact, and why understanding your audience is the foundation of every great creative decision. Whether you're a leader trying to build more engaged teams, a creative professional navigating serious stakeholders, or someone who has quietly forgotten how to play, this conversation will challenge you to rethink what playful leadership actually looks like in practice. And it makes a compelling case that whimsy might be the most powerful antidote to cynicism we have.

GATHER with Morgan Montgomery

What does it mean to truly gather? Not network. Not connect strategically. Gather. In this episode of the Little Birdie Podcast, Ryan sits down with Morgan, co-captain of Paisley and Jade, to talk about the art and intention behind bringing people together. From the evolution of the event industry to the shift away from hustle culture, Morgan shares what she's learned from building spaces where real connection happens — and why the most memorable moments are almost always the unplanned ones. They also dig into community, accountability, and why experiencing a moment fully will always be more valuable than capturing it. If you've ever left a gathering feeling more like yourself than when you walked in, this one's for you. - Enjoyed this episode? If you're ready to bring more intention to how your team or organization gathers, Little Birdie Consulting can help. From keynotes to workshops to creative strategy, we'd love to be in the room with you. Reach out at littlebirdieconsulting.com.