Was It Chance? Podcast Por Alan Seales Heather Vickery & Broadway Podcast Network arte de portada

Was It Chance?

Was It Chance?

De: Alan Seales Heather Vickery & Broadway Podcast Network
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People talk about manifestation as a thing that you can just think into existence. Unfortunately, it’s not that easy. When it comes to making your creative dreams come true, what really matters is putting yourself in a position to thoughtfully and intelligently take advantage of the opportunities presented to you. And sometimes these opportunities show up in very unexpected ways. We’re Heather Vickery and Alan Seales, two perfect strangers who met by chance and embraced opportunity! Listen in as we chat with other successful people about the risks they took, and continue taking, to put themselves on a path to creative success. WAS IT CHANCE? The podcast about embracing opportunity and taking intentional risks for your creative life.Alan Seales, Heather Vickery & Broadway Podcast Network Arte Desarrollo Personal Entretenimiento y Artes Escénicas Higiene y Vida Saludable Psicología Psicología y Salud Mental Éxito Personal
Episodios
  • #109 - Ray Hartjen: When Time Stops Being Unlimited

    #109 - Ray Hartjen: When Time Stops Being Unlimited
    Mar 25 2026
    In this episode, Alan and Heather sit down with Ray Hartjen—a self-described professional storyteller whose career has spanned investment banking, pharma, tech, marketing, and creative writing. Ray shares how storytelling became the throughline across every chapter of his professional life, even before he consciously recognized it. From crafting narratives in corporate boardrooms to writing books and playing music, Ray reveals how understanding engagement and human connection ultimately shaped his work and his identity. The conversation takes a profound turn as Ray opens up about his 2019 diagnosis with multiple myeloma. Rather than narrowing his world, the diagnosis expanded it—forcing a reevaluation of time, priorities, and purpose. Through a powerful “timeline” exercise, Ray reframed how he views life, shifting from taking time for granted to intentionally investing it. That shift led him to add new roles—patient advocate, fundraiser, and community supporter—while letting go of others that no longer aligned with his energy and goals. Ray also dives into his creative journey as an author of five books, including both nonfiction and fiction, and how he overcame the fear of stepping into new creative territory. He emphasizes the importance of starting small, embracing failure, and designing a life—and creative career—that actually works for you. This episode is a masterclass in intentional risk, resilience, and redefining what success looks like on your own terms. Connect with Ray Website: https://rayhartjen.com (You can also find Ray across social platforms under his name) Connect With Us: 📩 Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠wasitchancepodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🎧 Follow Was It Chance? on your favorite podcast platform 📱 Connect with us on ⁠TikTok⁠ and ⁠LinkedIn⁠ ✨ More about Heather at her ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠subscribe to her Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and more⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Visit Heather's Bookshop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Reading Well⁠ EPISODE TAKEAWAYS Storytelling is everywhere—even in careers that don’t seem creative on the surface. Your life expands when you stop taking time for granted and start acting intentionally. You can reinvent yourself at any stage by choosing curiosity and growth. Failure isn’t fatal—it’s feedback and part of the process. Start small; progress builds momentum. You don’t have to follow a prescribed path—design your creative life to fit you. A major life event can add purpose, not just take things away. Balancing priorities sometimes means letting go of roles that no longer serve you. Creative risk often means doing something before you feel fully ready. If not now, when? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 h y 4 m
  • #108 - Merit Kahn: Optimistic Personality Disorder - Turning Life Into Comedy

    #108 - Merit Kahn: Optimistic Personality Disorder - Turning Life Into Comedy
    Mar 10 2026
    In this episode of Was It Chance, Alan Seales and Heather Vickery talk with comedian, keynote speaker, and storyteller Merritt Kahn about turning life’s unexpected plot twists into powerful creative material. Merritt is the creator and performer of Optimistic Personality Disorder, a one-woman show that blends stand-up comedy, storytelling, and personal insight as she explores divorce, parenting, empty nesting, and the unpredictable turns life can take. With a background in sales training, emotional intelligence, and positive psychology, Merritt brings a unique perspective to the stage—using humor not just to entertain, but to help people rethink how they relate to their own life stories. What started as a desire to be funnier in her keynote speeches eventually led Merritt into stand-up comedy and, ultimately, into writing and producing her own theatrical show. Through journaling and reflection, she discovered the phrase “optimistic personality disorder,” which became both the title of her show and a philosophy for how she approaches life. In the conversation, Merritt shares how comedy can help loosen the emotional grip of painful experiences, allowing people to revisit difficult chapters—like divorce or family conflict—and reinterpret them through a lens of growth and humor. Merritt also talks about the realities of producing and touring a one-woman show, from selling tickets and traveling with props to dreaming about where the project could go next. Her story is a reminder that failure is rarely final, creativity often emerges from unexpected places, and sometimes the best way to move forward is to laugh at what once felt overwhelming. As Merritt says, tragedy plus time equals comedy—but it doesn’t always have to take that long. Connect with Merit: OPDshow.com Connect With Us: 📩 Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠wasitchancepodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🎧 Follow Was It Chance? on your favorite podcast platform 📱 Connect with us on ⁠TikTok⁠ and ⁠LinkedIn⁠ ✨ More about Heather at her ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠subscribe to her Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and more⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Visit Heather's Bookshop⁠⁠⁠⁠ Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠The Reading Well⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 h y 4 m
  • #107 - Rich Wright: The Dark Side of Creativity—and the Way Through

    #107 - Rich Wright: The Dark Side of Creativity—and the Way Through
    Feb 24 2026
    Content Note: This conversation includes discussion of suicide and severe depression. Please take care of yourself while listening. If you or someone you know is struggling, reach out to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in the United States or a local crisis resource in your area. In this deeply vulnerable episode of Was It Chance?, we sit down with Rich Wright, founder of The Artist Recovery, for an honest conversation about creativity, depression, suicide, and the courage it takes to stay curious about hope. Rich shares how his creative instincts showed up early—from reverse-engineering fashion designs in his mind to launching his own clothing line with zero formal training. But when that venture collapsed in a high-stakes moment at Lollapalooza, it triggered a spiral that led to a suicide attempt and a long journey through inpatient care, therapy, and ultimately a search for healing beyond traditional models. What emerged from that darkness is The Artist Recovery—a platform and podcast dedicated to “bringing light to the dark side of art.” Rich reframes recovery not just as sobriety, but as renewal, resilience, and creative transformation. He speaks candidly about living with lifelong depression, being told by a top university depression center that they couldn’t help him, and the persistent flicker of curiosity that kept him alive long enough to seek alternative paths forward. This episode is about more than mental health. It’s about the unique vulnerability of creatives. It’s about how art can both wound and heal. And it’s about the radical act of staying curious about the light—even when it feels impossibly far away. Connect with Rich at theartistrecovery.com and explore his podcast, The Artist Recovery, on all major streaming platforms. Rich Wright is an artist, multi-instrumentalist, and the founder of The Artist Recovery, a powerful initiative dedicated to helping creatives rebuild their lives and rediscover their art. Based in Michigan with deep Tennessee roots, Rich has spent his life navigating the intersection of creativity and mental health. From early struggles with depression and a suicide attempt in his twenties to years of therapy and alternative healing modalities, his journey is one of resilience, reinvention, and purpose. Through The Artist Recovery, Rich creates space for artists to confront the “dark side” of creativity—mental health challenges, addiction, burnout, and disappointment—while reclaiming renewal, courage, and authentic self-expression. His work centers on vulnerability, curiosity, and the belief that even the smallest light can guide someone forward. Connect With Us: 📩 Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠wasitchancepodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🎧 Follow Was It Chance? on your favorite podcast platform 📱 Connect with us on ⁠TikTok⁠ and ⁠LinkedIn⁠ ✨ More about Heather at her ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠subscribe to her Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and more⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Visit Heather's Bookshop⁠⁠⁠ Visit ⁠⁠⁠The Reading Well⁠ EPISODE TAKEAWAYS Creativity can be both a gift and a burden, and ignoring the mental health struggles that often accompany artistic work only deepens the isolation many creatives already feel. Failure—especially public or high-stakes failure—can become a breaking point, but it can also become the catalyst for reinvention and deeper self-awareness. Traditional mental health models don’t work for everyone, and healing sometimes requires curiosity, experimentation, and alternative modalities. Recovery is not just about sobriety; it can mean renewal, resilience, and reclaiming your identity as a creative human being. Even in the darkest seasons, staying curious about the smallest flicker of light can be enough to keep moving forward. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    57 m
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