Was It Chance? Podcast By Alan Seales Heather Vickery & Broadway Podcast Network cover art

Was It Chance?

Was It Chance?

By: Alan Seales Heather Vickery & Broadway Podcast Network
Listen for free

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 Art Entertainment & Performing Arts Hygiene & Healthy Living Personal Development Personal Success Psychology Psychology & Mental Health
Episodes
  • #103 - Kay A Oliver: Leaving Hollywood Without Leaving Storytelling

    #103 - Kay A Oliver: Leaving Hollywood Without Leaving Storytelling
    Dec 16 2025
    Award-winning author and Hollywood veteran Kay A. Oliver joins Was It Chance to unpack a career shaped by creative persistence, hard-earned reinvention, and the courage to walk away from systems that no longer fit. With more than three decades in Hollywood—spanning writing, production, consumer products, and studio work—Kay shares what it really takes to survive (and stay sane) in an industry driven by power, timing, and compromise. After being laid off during a breast cancer diagnosis, Kay made a pivotal decision: stop waiting for permission and start telling stories on her own terms. That choice led her to novel writing, where her work has earned more than 30 literary awards and sparked interest from streaming platforms for adaptation. In this episode, Kay breaks down the creative and business realities of Hollywood, the difference between writing for screen versus page, why failure is a prerequisite for success, and how trusting yourself can be the biggest creative risk of all. This conversation is candid, sharp, and deeply grounded in lived experience—proof that sometimes the most important “chance” is deciding not to play by someone else’s rules. 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 EPISODE TAKEAWAYS Failure is not the opposite of success; it is an essential part of any meaningful creative path. Creative rejection can be a redirection that leads to work with greater autonomy and impact. Surviving a personal crisis can permanently change how risk is evaluated and embraced. Writing for Hollywood and writing novels require fundamentally different creative and business mindsets. Strong female characters were never unmarketable; they were simply unsupported by the system. Self-publishing can be a deliberate, empowering strategy rather than a compromise. Protecting creative rights is a necessary business practice for long-term sustainability. Letting go of control in adaptation can preserve both perspective and creative freedom. Thorough research is what allows fiction to feel emotionally and intellectually authentic. The most resilient creative careers are built by trusting personal conviction over external validation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Show more Show less
    1 hr and 9 mins
  • #102 - John DeDakis: Interviewing Hitchcock, Writing Thrillers, and Facing Failure

    #102 - John DeDakis: Interviewing Hitchcock, Writing Thrillers, and Facing Failure
    Dec 10 2025
    In this episode of Was It Chance, Heather and Alan sit down with award-winning novelist and former CNN senior copy editor John DeDakis—a storyteller whose life and career have been shaped by remarkable twists of fate. From navigating the Vietnam War draft and interviewing Alfred Hitchcock as a 20-something Army broadcaster, to decades in journalism at the White House and inside CNN’s The Situation Room, John’s journey reflects both serendipity and relentless creative drive. John shares how grief, politics, and lived experience have informed his Lark Chadwick mystery-suspense series, why he chose a young female protagonist, and how real-world events inevitably find their way into his fiction. He also opens up about failure, fear, courage, and the healing power of writing—offering tangible wisdom for creatives, writers, and anyone navigating major life transitions. 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 Connect with John: Website: johndedakis.com Books, classes, editing services, and upcoming events are all available through his site. Follow John for updates on new novels, writing workshops, and podcast appearances. EPISODE TAKEAWAYS Serendipity shaped John’s entire career, from being drafted during the Vietnam War to discovering journalism and interviewing Alfred Hitchcock at age 23. A long journalism career—including decades at CNN and years working directly on The Situation Room—taught John discipline, story structure, and the power of truth. Writing fiction began as a creative outlet from the emotional toll of newsroom life; it later became a second career and a vehicle for processing grief. His Lark Chadwick series emerged from deep listening and curiosity, especially about women’s lived experiences, with early beta readers helping him get the character right. John believes failure is a critical teacher. His jazz-drummer “crash and burn” moment became a foundational lesson in courage and confidence. Real-world events inevitably influence his writing, including themes of political tension, power, and personal autonomy. Writing—whether journaling or storytelling—can be a profound tool for healing from all forms of grief and loss. Creativity often requires making it up as you go; characters and stories evolve when you allow space for uncertainty and intuition. Career reinvention is possible at any stage of life when you stay curious, open, and willing to take intentional risks. Listening—to others, to mentors, to the world—is one of the most powerful tools any creator can cultivate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Show more Show less
    58 mins
  • #101 - Kara Cutruzzula: The Sliding Doors of Creativity

    #101 - Kara Cutruzzula: The Sliding Doors of Creativity
    Nov 18 2025
    Heather and Alan sit down with writer, lyricist, editor, and creative force Kara Cutruzzula—whose winding, multidimensional career is a masterclass in following curiosity, embracing uncertainty, and letting creative energy lead the way. Kara shares how a series of “sliding doors” moments shaped her path from journalism to essays, from writing short plays to crafting musicals, and how she learned to stop treating choices as “right or wrong” and instead as opportunities to experiment, evolve, and discover what’s possible. She opens up about the power of self-belief, the importance of external accountability for big creative projects, her life as a manifesting generator (which Alan and Heather have thoughts about), and her brilliant system for managing ambition without burning out. We also dive into her upcoming Off-Broadway–focused publication The Hat, her musical Marathon, the joy of collaboration, the magic of mixing mediums, the necessity of tender self-compassion, and yes… the many unexpected life lessons learned from Wendy’s, Cracker Barrel, and saucy nugs. Connect with Kara: Brass Ring Daily newsletter: https://brassringdaily.substack.co Marathon the Musical: https://instagram.com/marathonmusica Open Skies creative brainstorm sessions: Link available via her Substack or Instagram bio 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 EPISODE TAKEAWAYS There’s rarely a “wrong choice” — only the next choice. Kara reframes creative decisions not as irreversible forks in the road, but as directions you can always step away from or return to later. Follow what feels just out of reach. If a project feels a little scary, a little too big, or slightly beyond your current skills, that’s Kara’s signal to lean in — not run away. External deadlines are magic. Kara thrives when she brings in collaborators, contests, classes, or structures that help propel her forward when self-created timelines aren’t enough. Curiosity is a compass. Every major shift in Kara’s creative life — from journalism to plays to musicals to newsletters — began by following a spark of interest and treating it like an experiment. You don’t have to do the same thing twice. Kara intentionally avoids repeating what she already knows how to do; new mediums energize her and expand her skills. Self-compassion is a creative tool. “Tender self-compassion” helps combat the guilt loop of not doing enough. Kara normalizes renegotiating commitments with yourself and starting again tomorrow. Small steps matter more than perfect plans. Whether it’s a “things I can do later” list or writing tomorrow’s newsletter today, she reduces overwhelm by shrinking tasks to their next actionable piece. Failure is data, not a dead end. Kara embraces the idea of “first attempt in learning”— seeing setbacks as rerouting toward opportunities she couldn’t have anticipated. Community fuels creation. From the BMI workshop to launching The Hat, Kara continually builds and collaborates with creative networks that energize her ideas and keep momentum alive. Creative lives aren’t linear. Kara’s journey shows that weaving between mediums, interests, and roles doesn’t dilute your path — it is the path. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Show more Show less
    1 hr and 6 mins
No reviews yet