Authenticated

Measuring Backwards w/ David Mattar Merten

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2348621/fan_mail/new] On the latest episode of Authenticated, Kate is joined by Broadway actor David Mattar Merten to workshop what it means to measure backwards in his career.  David's always been a "look ahead" person, great at getting the job and currently in the practice of staying present in it. He reflects on the threads that have woven together to get him from his 11-year-old poster dream to now: showing up, following the artists that light his passion on fire, sending the email and making the ask when intuition says the moment calls for it, and trusting that work begets work. They explore what it means to actually see the evidence around you—the proof of what you've already done—rather than only chasing the dream ahead.  Kate and David dig into the difference between gripping goals tightly and holding them with trust, how personal and professional growth are inseparable, and why the way you treat people in rooms matters more than any single audition. Their conversation moves through the simultaneous weight of imposter syndrome and belief, the gift of being exhausted from work you once begged for, and the quiet revolution of simply believing what the world is already telling you about who you are.  They explore the mirrored evolution from smoothing yourself out to fit any mold to embracing the intersectionalities that make you a unique asset, the power of practicing being in the spaces you say you want to inhabit, and how sometimes the most generous thing you can do for your future self is look back and finally believe what you see. David Mattar Merten: Insta: https://www.instagram.com/david_merten_/?hl=en [https://www.instagram.com/david_merten_/?hl=en] Website: https://david-merten.com/?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGngl2oO-Y-FAEJ44kfSMyXQKKW3VHI9Cr6fpekwldV9Ovg7-y91tp6pCkxgaw_aem_HMC7t1UnIvkSllOSgWGdAg [https://david-merten.com/?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGngl2oO-Y-FAEJ44kfSMyXQKKW3VHI9Cr6fpekwldV9Ovg7-y91tp6pCkxgaw_aem_HMC7t1UnIvkSllOSgWGdAg] Authenticated All Access              [https://linktr.ee/authenticated.pod] ME³        [https://linktr.ee/ME3access]  Kate McLeod           [http://katesmcleod.com]

The Rise of Solo Entrepreneurship w/ Kara Brothers

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2348621/fan_mail/new] In this episode of "Authenticated," Kate invites on entrepreneur, creative, and former Starface President Kara Brothers for a grounded exploration of intuition, leadership, and building a life system that actually reflects you. They unpack Kara's lifelong relationship with her intuition, the moments her internal voice showed up, how she learned to trust without external proof, and why patience arrives once control drops away.  Kate and Kara examine the shift toward individual creativity and solo entrepreneurship, what it means to lead from internal alignment rather than systems designed to flatten everyone the same, and how "empty space" becomes a functional tool for creative clarity. Mirrors are meant for reflection, not direction. Their conversation moves through ego as an advantageous tool, listening as a creative discipline, and holding both teacher and student energy simultaneously. A direct, thought-provoking listen for anyone rethinking how they create, lead, or define their own path. Kara Brothers: Website: https://www.karabrothers.com/ [https://www.karabrothers.com/] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karabrothersp/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/karabrothersp/] Podcast: https://www.instagram.com/_sayitoutloud__/?hl=en [https://www.instagram.com/_sayitoutloud__/?hl=en] Insta: https://www.instagram.com/karabrothers/?hl=en [https://www.instagram.com/karabrothers/?hl=en] Authenticated All Access              [https://linktr.ee/authenticated.pod] ME³        [https://linktr.ee/ME3access]  Kate McLeod           [http://katesmcleod.com]

Powered By Perception w/ LadyDi MegaDiva

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2348621/fan_mail/new] On the latest episode of Authenticated, Kate sits opposite the LadyDi MegaDiva, a star on her ascent who is powered by perception. She's a real-life, adult, her-version Tinkerbell—she needs the applause and laughter or she dies. Give her an audience and she comes alive. Her songs are her scrapbook because she's terrible at journaling. Silly, cliche and real all at once. She sings them over and over, carrying past versions of herself into who she is now. LadyDi told me she just wants to have fun. So I asked her the obvious question: if fun is your native language, your superpower, why isn't it everywhere? Why the social media anxiety? Why the overthinking? Why not sprinkle fun on all of it? The conversation of artistic stretching through dialogue delivered LadyDi MegaDiva to the following: "I'm literally just trying to sing and be a showgirl for a living. Why wouldn't it be sprinkled with fun?" This episode is about the gap between knowing what you're good at and taking confident action to delivering it everywhere. LadyDi has the talent and drive to make it to a massive platform. Kate sees it. Everyone who knows her sees it. But every artist can get in their own way. They know their superpower but don't trust it enough yet to let it loose consistently, and that informative journey along the way, is a story of solidarity every up and coming creative could stand to bear witness to. Kate and LadyDi MegaDiva talk about vulnerability in singing, being powered by perception, authenticity as allowing yourself to be who you will in a moment without preemptive planning, and what it means to assume your audience will love you before you even start performing. If you're an artist who knows what makes you special and wants to practice leaning all the way in, this conversation will surface some questions and answers that you need to hear yourself. LadyDI MegaDiva https://www.instagram.com/ladydi.megadiva/?hl=en [https://www.instagram.com/ladydi.megadiva/?hl=en] https://www.youtube.com/@ladydi.megadiva/videos [https://www.youtube.com/@ladydi.megadiva/videos] https://open.spotify.com/artist/6vMcINv5A40cYWlilPx1mZ [https://open.spotify.com/artist/6vMcINv5A40cYWlilPx1mZ] https://www.tiktok.com/@ladydi.megadiva [https://www.tiktok.com/@ladydi.megadiva] Authenticated All Access              [https://linktr.ee/authenticated.pod] ME³        [https://linktr.ee/ME3access]  Kate McLeod           [http://katesmcleod.com]

Malleability Over Rigidity w/ Dr. Moiya McTier

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2348621/fan_mail/new] On the latest episode of "Authenticated," Kate is joined by astrophysicist, folklorist, and science communicator Dr. Moiya McTier to explore what happens when you understand both the universe's vastness and your own insignificance — and allow that scale of knowledge to deliver you liberation. They leverage their shared comfort with not knowing everything to dig into curiosity as an intimate relationship, spite as a temporary fuel versus fun as sustainable propulsion, and why comparing yourself to galaxies is healthier (and better science) than comparing yourself to other humans. Kate and Moiya tinker and play in the intersection of astronomy and mythology as two languages attempting to answer the same fundamental questions, the practice of enjoying your own brain as a prerequisite for creative work, and how grief mirrors the physics of space filling voids. Their conversation surfaces the spiral versus the circle, the privilege of authenticity once you've proven yourself, and why the fastest force in the universe still takes time — so maybe you can cut yourself some slack. They examine how studying the cosmos teaches personal philosophy, why creativity requires malleability over rigidity, and what it means to be a curious nihilist who knows nothing matters cosmically but everything matters locally. A conversation between two people who both geek out about the human experience, just from wildly different disciplinary entry points—proving that the most valuable dialogues happen when people approach similar life lessons through completely different means. Dr. Moiya McTier: https://www.moiyamctier.com/ [https://www.moiyamctier.com/] Authenticated All Access              [https://linktr.ee/authenticated.pod] ME³        [https://linktr.ee/ME3access]  Kate McLeod           [http://katesmcleod.com]

Ego, Intuition & The Art of Honoring Your No w/ Terrease Rebecca Aiken

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2348621/fan_mail/new] On the latest episode of "Authenticated," Kate sits down with harpist, artist and sound healer Terrease Rebecca Aiken to talk about the courage to choose your individual path. They share their practices of distinguishing ego from intuition—and all the masks ego has—and how surrendering perfectionism creates space for something else. Their conversation moves through the physical demands of playing a "diva" instrument that requires full-body presence to why stepping away from traditional acting pathways doesn't mean abandoning your craft but rather focusing your energy where it generates real momentum. Kate and Terrease spill some hard truths about the forced intimacy of performance training and how those early connections can confuse professional networks, the liberation that comes from honoring your "no," and why being peaceful makes you more valuable than being productive. They end somewhere in the realm of realization that how you show up in life is exactly how you show up in your art—your humanity on display—and that protecting your peace isn't selfish, it's the foundation for showing up authentically in every role you inhabit. Two multifaceted creatives proving that expansion happens when you stop shrinking yourself to make others comfortable or yourself easily digestible. Terrease Rebecca Aiken Website: https://www.terreaseaiken.com [https://www.terreaseaiken.com] Terrease Rebecca Aiken Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/noirhathorsounds/ [https://www.instagram.com/noirhathorsounds/] Authenticated All Access              [https://linktr.ee/authenticated.pod] ME³        [https://linktr.ee/ME3access]  Kate McLeod           [http://katesmcleod.com]