Make It with Mike and Kristen
Creative people make things in an effort to “make it”. But what does making it really mean? Is it selling out stadiums, having your painting in the Louvre, making enough money from your art to pay your bills, or simply having the privilege of getting to create in your spare time? Success looks different for everyone, and we’re here to explore those paths and what it takes to make them a reality. Welcome to Make It with Mike and Kristen — where creative people talk about what they make, and what “making it” means to them. Whether you’re a painter, musician, writer, or someone simply looking to infuse more creativity into your daily routine, this show is a gathering space to discuss the struggles, triumphs, ideas, and inspirations that come with pursuing your passion. Hosted by husband-and-wife duo Mike Ryan and Kristen Herrington, Make It explores the beautiful, messy, and often hilarious journey of living a creative life. Mike is a professional musician with nearly two decades of experience on stage and in the studio. Kristen left a six-figure job in politics to become a full-time visual artist. Together, they bring honest conversations, personal stories, and insights from fellow creatives across all disciplines. Recorded in-person at Hot Jupiter Sounds in Nova Scotia, each episode blends real talk, big ideas, and heartwarming moments that’ll leave you feeling inspired—and maybe a little less alone on your own path. No matter where you are in your creative journey, this podcast is your reminder to keep going, keep making, and redefine what it means to make it.
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Episodes
Wednesday May 04, 2022
Wednesday May 04, 2022
We sit down with Lindsay MacPhee to chat about her past, present and future as a community wellness advocate, corporate gigger turned entrepreneur and how her recent 40th birthday was celebrated with Conan O’Brian! In this episode we discuss the importance of following your true calling and how a good dance party offers the best re-set. Lindsay shares her honest feedback on managing a service-based business and how inclusion and creativity are held at the highest standard.
Us on the web/Buy our Book "You and Me": www.mikeandkristen.ca
Buy our Audiobook: You and Me (Audiobook)
Instagram: www.instagram.com/mike_and_kristen/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mikeandkristencreative
Shoot us a message! Say hello, tell us who you think we should have on the podcast, and your deepest and darkest secrets:mikeandkristencreative@gmail.com
Review our book "You and Me" on Amazon (it helps a lot!!): https://amzn.to/3qqNCMo
Intro song: "The Walk"Outro song: "The Jam" both by Mike’s band The Town Heroes - www.thetownheroes.com
Mike's site: www.michaelsryan.com
Kristen's site: www.kristenherringtonart.com
Episode Sponsored by: Steph McNamara Photography
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephmcnamaraphotography/
Interview with @lindsayfloats from @thefloatcentre
Wednesday Apr 27, 2022
Wednesday Apr 27, 2022
We play chapters from our audiobook (that are not for the faint of heart) and then have a discussion on the embarrassing details of our worst travel poops. Kristen’s story will make you say, “not a chance in hell did she do that, right?!” and Mike’s story will basically make you lose consciousness. Kristen talks about using “Queen Anne’s Lace” as T.P. as a kid, and Mike tells a story about pooping his pants while making out with a girl. If you want to get a little more personal with us, there’s no better episode! We tell it like it is and then some. And if you’ve been playing our drinking game, “DUMP” I’m sure there’s an opportunity to incorporate that somewhere in here ;)
Us on the web/Buy our Book "You and Me": www.mikeandkristen.ca
Buy our Audiobook: You and Me (Audiobook)
Instagram: www.instagram.com/mike_and_kristen/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mikeandkristencreative
Shoot us a message! Say hello, tell us who you think we should have on the podcast, and your deepest and darkest secrets:mikeandkristencreative@gmail.com
Review our book "You and Me" on Amazon (it helps a lot!!): https://amzn.to/3qqNCMo
Intro song: "The Walk"Outro song: "The Jam" both by Mike’s band The Town Heroes - www.thetownheroes.com
Mike's site: www.michaelsryan.com
Kristen's site: www.kristenherringtonart.com
Episode Sponsored by: Room 152 Clothing Boutique
On the web: https://room152boutique.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/room_152/
Wednesday Apr 20, 2022
Wednesday Apr 20, 2022
Mike and Kristen dig into their individual ideas of what “making it” as artists looks like. Mike talks about how that vision has evolved since he started a career in music and how it’s the artist’s responsibility to teach and communicate back to the world. Kristen reflects on how feeling good day-to-day is a priority and how creating community is an important step in the journey to success. They talk about tangible examples, dancing to Rod Stewart, lofty dreams and how making it is really a work in progress.
Us on the web/Buy our Book "You and Me": www.mikeandkristen.ca
Buy our Audiobook: You and Me (Audiobook)
Instagram: www.instagram.com/mike_and_kristen/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mikeandkristencreative
Shoot us a message! Say hello, tell us who you think we should have on the podcast, and your deepest and darkest secrets:mikeandkristencreative@gmail.com
Review our book "You and Me" on Amazon (it helps a lot!!): https://amzn.to/3qqNCMo
Intro song: "The Walk"Outro song: "The Jam" both by Mike’s band The Town Heroes - www.thetownheroes.com
Mike's site: www.michaelsryan.com
Kristen's site: www.kristenherringtonart.com
Episode Sponsored by: Forget Me Not Hair Studio
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/forgetmenothairstudiobedford
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/forgetmenothairstudio/
Wednesday Apr 13, 2022
Wednesday Apr 13, 2022
We sit down with photographer and author Lyndsay Doyle for a compelling chat about her life and journey from working as a government employee to making her living as a full-time creative. We talk about how people view artists (often in a negative light), rejection, inspiration from anger, her work as an advocate for women in sport — her book “Strong and Free” highlights amazing adult female athletes in Canada. She talks about using her platform to showcase and highlight the ideas and people she’s interested in, the values and work ethic learned from playing sports and how it helps you later in life, learning how to win and lose, and so much more. We loved this chat and hope you will too. For more on Lyndsay and how to purchase "Strong and Free"Website: http://www.lyndsaydoyle.ca/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ldoylephoto/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LyndsayDoylePhotography
Us on the web: www.mikeandkristen.ca
Instagram: www.instagram.com/mike_and_kristen/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mikeandkristencreative
Shoot us a message! Say hello, tell us who you think we should have on the podcast, and your deepest and darkest secrets:mikeandkristencreative@gmail.com
Review our book "You and Me" on Amazon (it helps a lot!!): https://amzn.to/3qqNCMo
Intro song: "The Walk"Outro song: "The Jam" both by Mike’s band The Town Heroes - www.thetownheroes.com
Mike's site: www.michaelsryan.com
Kristen's site: www.kristenherringtonart.com
Episode Sponsored by: The Floatation Centre
On the web: https://thefloatationcentre.ca/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefloatcentre/
Wednesday Apr 06, 2022
Wednesday Apr 06, 2022
Mike and Kristen talk about growing up in small towns and how that shaped them to be the people and artists that they’ve become. Right off the bat, if you want to make this a drinking game (why not???) have a drink every time we say “dump”… it will all make sense later.
Kristen tells a story about helping deliver a cow that ended up being named after her — “Kristen the Cow”. Mike quits swimming lessons as an 8-year-old to see a dead shark. We talk about how having a lack of lessons helped us learn on our own. We had to “learn how to learn”, and how lack of opportunity can help shape who you become. Kristen talks about shaping her imagination, playing “runaway”. We talk about developing feel through learning on your own, and how it’s the most important part of being an artist in any form. Mike talks about how our home province of Nova Scotia is the joke place on American TV, and he’s always seen himself as an underdog. We talk about creative and resourceful problem solving we learned from our parents, and tell probably one too many “Dump Anecdote”.
SHOW NOTES
Us on the web: www.mikeandkristen.caInstagram: www.instagram.com/mike_and_kristen/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mikeandkristencreativeContact: mikeandkristencreative@gmail.com
Review our book on Amazon (it helps a lot!!): https://amzn.to/3qqNCMo
Intro song: "The Walk"Outro song: "The Jam" both by Mike's band The Town Heroes - www.thetownheroes.com
Mike's site: www.michaelsryan.com
Kristen's site: www.kristenherringtonart.com
Episode Sponsored bys.a.m. light workInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/s.a.m.lightwork/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/samlightwork
Wednesday Mar 30, 2022
Wednesday Mar 30, 2022
We read our chapter “Venezuela” from our book You and Me and talk about an encounter with a Venezuelan refugee family while we were in Colombia. We recorded this episode the day after the Russian invasion into Ukraine. We were initially going discuss “Pooping Our Pants While Travelling” stories, but the mood felt too sombre.
We talk about perspective in life, and although we might not be “wealthy” in the eyes of many North Americans, we have more than the vast majority of the population and are incredibly lucky and fortunate to have what we do. We talk about the current situation in Ukraine and Mike tells a story about killing a rat with a sword (sort of).
SHOW NOTES:
Us on the web: www.mikeandkristen.caInstagram: www.instagram.com/mike_and_kristen/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mikeandkristencreativeContact: mikeandkristencreative@gmail.com
Review our book on Amazon (it helps a lot!!): https://amzn.to/3qqNCMo
Buy our Audiobook - You and Me - AUDIOBOOK
Intro song: "The Walk"Outro song: "The Jam" both by The Town Heroes - www.thetownheroes.com
Mike's site: www.michaelsryan.com
Kristen's site: www.kristenherringtonart.com
Episode Sponsored by and Baked by Butcher: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bakedbybutcher/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bakedbybutcher
Wednesday Mar 30, 2022
Wednesday Mar 30, 2022
Kristen talks about planning to leave her six-figure government job to be a full time artist. Mike talks about his experiences over the past 20 years being a musician and how he’s made it work. We discuss how passions in life differ and that’s what makes the world run. Kristen wonders if the mic can pick up farts.
Mike tells a funny story about playing in London, Ontario and why it sucks. He also talks about playing music for a summer job and having one AMAZING summer that caused him and all his bandmates to quit university and follow the dream of “Making it”.
Kristen talks about the fear and excitement of leaving the stability of a 9-5, and how money, happiness, time, and sacrifice factor into it all. SHOW NOTES:
Us on the web: www.mikeandkristen.caInstagram: www.instagram.com/mike_and_kristen/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mikeandkristencreativeContact: mikeandkristencreative@gmail.com
Review our book on Amazon (it helps a lot!!): https://amzn.to/3qqNCMo
Intro song: "The Walk"Outro song: "The Jam" both by The Town Heroes - www.thetownheroes.com
Mike's site: www.michaelsryan.com
Kristen's site: www.kristenherringtonart.com
Episode Sponsored by: Aleyah Solomon Photography: https://www.instagram.com/aleyahs/&Here and There Magazine: https://www.instagram.com/hereandtheremag/
Sunday Mar 06, 2022
Sunday Mar 06, 2022
An introduction to our podcast - "Mike and Kristen". First episode coming March 30th.
Husband and wife artists Mike (musician) and Kristen (painter) discuss following dreams, living the life of a ”creative”, and all the ridiculous stories along the way.
Subscribe now!
Mike and Kristen
Creative people make things in an effort to “make it”. But what does making it really mean? Is it selling out stadiums, having your painting in the Louvre, making enough money from your art to pay your bills, or simply having the privilege of getting to create in your spare time? Success looks different for everyone, and we’re here to explore those paths and what it takes to make them a reality.