Today’s guest is award-winning writer and editor Erika W. Smith, who has been working in the media industry for over a decade, covering the latest in sex and relationships, entertainment, travel, and astrology. She’d previously held staff positions at Cosmopolitan, Refinery29, BUST magazine, with additional writing published at VICE, Allure, and Vulture.

In this conversation, Erika shares some of her insights and experiences as a contemporary working writer, from pitching in the newsroom, to traditional publishing and ghostwriting.

Photo by Kim Hoyos

Side by Side Episodes | Robert Kuang Home

Today’s guest is Wendy Baird, the owner and Creative Director of Insight180, a brand consulting and design firm for b2b businesses, non-profits, and those who “sell the invisible.” She has been advising companies on positioning strategy, name development, brand identity, design, differentiation, and strategies for growth for more than 25 years.

Wendy has written and spoken on topics such as social responsibility, authentic branding, fostering high-performance b2b culture, conscious business practices, finding your voice, Human Design in business, and more. She is a board member of Conscious Capitalism of Central Maryland. As a Reiki practitioner, singer and vocal coach in her spare time, she is known to break into song unexpectedly.

In this conversation, we explore Wendy’s musical upbringing, the art of branding and seeing people’s essence, and the delight of being a multi-passionate creative.

Side by Side Episodes | Robert Kuang Home

Today’s guest is Becca Powers, the author of "A Return to Radiance" and "Harness Your Inner CEO." A Fortune 500 high-tech sales executive, keynote speaker, and CEO of Powers Peak Potential, she has worked with industry giants Cisco, Dell, Royal Caribbean International, and Office Depot. With an impressive record of leading large teams and hitting $500 million in annual revenue, Powers has earned the coveted President’s Club award seven times. She is also a certified Kundalini yoga teacher and Reiki master.

In this conversation, we dive inside Becca’s comeback journey after burnout, the connection between awareness and safety, and the power of recognizing and changing generational patterns.

Side by Side Episodes | Robert Kuang Home

Today’s conversation was held as part of the multidisciplinary writing workshop led by me and former “Side by Side” guest, Ashley Griggs. We invited special guests into the space, where workshop participants got to ask questions about the industry and the craft of writing. Today’s conversation spotlights television writer Ashley Sims.

Born and raised in Marietta, Georgia. She received her Bachelors in Journalism from the University of Georgia before moving to New York and completing her MFA at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. She got her professional start working as a Staff Writer for the Peabody Award winning series "UnREAL." After "UnREAL," Ashley spent the next 3 years on the ABC drama "A Million Little Things" before landing at CW's "4400" as a producer.

In this conversation, Ashley shares her insights on claiming your voice and cultivating relationships within the industry, and the benefits of being an evolving artist.

The Fall session for "Embracing the Multidisiplinary Writer" will commence September 29. Click here to learn more.

Side by Side Episodes | Robert Kuang Home

Today’s conversation was held as part of the multidisciplinary writing workshop led by me and former “Side by Side” guest, Ashley Griggs. We invited special guests into the space, where workshop participants got to ask questions about the industry and the craft of writing. Today’s conversation spotlights playwright, screenwriter, television writer, and actor Chloé Hung.

Born and raised in Toronto, Canada, Chloé has been called a “writer to watch” by The Globe and Mail. A graduate of NYU’s MFA dramatic writing program, her theater work has been seen on stages like the The Kennedy Center, the Banff Playwrights Centre, the Geffen Theatre, and the New Jersey Repertory Company. In the film and TV world, Chloé has written for “Queen Sugar” and “Cherish The Day” on OWN, and “The Watchful Eye” on Freeform. She is a Film Independent Screenwriters Lab fellow, and her screenplays have been shortlisted by the The Black List and the Fusion Film Festival.

In this conversation, Chloé shares some of her early memories that sparked her imagination, the journey of balancing personal with paid writing, and the skills that writers should cultivate in addition to writing itself.

The Fall session for "Embracing the Multidisiplinary Writer" will commence September 29. Click here to learn more.

Side by Side Episodes | Robert Kuang Home

Today’s guest is Sam Bennett, the author of “Get It Done,” “Start Right Where You Are,” and most recently, “The 15-Minute Method: The Surprisingly Simple Art of Getting It Done.” A writer, speaker, actor, and creativity/productivity specialist, she is the founder of TheRealSamBennett.com, a company committed to helping overwhelmed creatives and frustrated overachievers get unstuck. Sam is also a popular course instructor on LinkedIn Learning with over a million class participants worldwide.

In this conversation, we talk about her journey of modeling the 15-minute method while completing the book, the way arts and humanities can disrupt disengagement in the workplace, and the myth of laziness and overwhelm.

Side by Side Episodes | Robert Kuang Home

Today’s guests are Lauren Borden and Katherine Folk-Sullivan. By merging their expertise in coaching, leadership training, and intuitive energy work, they are the co-founders of Whole Human Coaching, an intuitive mashup of mentor-coaching, skills training, and mastermind groups.

In this conversation, we dive inside Lauren and Katherine’s experiences as coaches and facilitators, we look at some of the biggest challenges coaches face beyond being sufficiently trained, and we discuss ways we can embrace collective effort over rugged individualism.

Side by Side Episodes | Robert Kuang Home

Today’s guest is Eve Crusto, a writer, director, and producer who is on a mission to bring her ancestral Louisiana Creole stories to life. Her upcoming short film “Blood and Milk” takes place a few years after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, and examines the “legacy of isolation and confusion” after events like Katrina and the COVID-19 pandemic.

In this conversation, we discuss Eve’s passion for the arts, humanities and her New Orleans roots, the lessons she learned in school and on the job in the writer’s room, and the balancing act of being a parent while modeling what it takes to cultivate passion and drive.

Side by Side Episodes | Robert Kuang Home