Step Into The Sandbox

Nik Olas on the creative, business, and spiritual aspects of his music

Wed, 12 Oct 2022 19:55:00 GMT

Nik Olas (a.k.a. Nicolás Balseiro), is a Miami musician whose work is imbued with influences from his parents' own musicianship, his love of video game music, and his personal exploration of spirituality and music as a tool for healing.

In this conversation with David Verjano on Step Into The Sandbox, Nik talks about the music he was exposed to through his parents, how his music was impacted by his personal growth and maturation, and how music streaming platforms have impacted his and other artists' ability to make a living making music.

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Gus Gomez on producing ads in Miami, his filmmaking mentors, Star Wars [Step Into The Sandbox]

Tue, 20 Sep 2022 22:58:01 GMT

Gus Gomez is senior integrated producer at RBB Communications. Before doing agency work, he was a freelance producer, director and editor. In this conversation with David Verjano, the two discuss Gus’ path to his current role, the mentors and colleagues who contributed to Gus’ growth, and how being in Miami has impacted his professional life, and the role that Star Wars played in sparking his interest in filmmaking and media.

Support Step Into The Sandbox and the rest of DADE's work on Patreon:

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Carlos Escanilla — psychologist by day, musician by night — on mental health, getting fit, seeing clients at gigs

Mon, 19 Sep 2022 21:12:05 GMT

Carlos Escanilla is a psychologist by day and musician by night. In this episode of Step Into The Sandbox, he talks with David Verjano about his own creative expression, the balancing act of moving back and forth between roles that seem, to many, like they’re culturally at odds, and the impact that exercise has had on his own mental health.

Support Step Into The Sandbox and the rest of DADE's work on Patreon:

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Painter and Abuela Mami Coffee co-founder Kiki Valdés on art and entrepreneurship

Wed, 15 Dec 2021 00:55:29 GMT

Kiki Valdés is a painter and the co-founder of Abuela Mami, the Cuban American gift box subscription company that has become a premium coffee brand. In this episode of Step Into The Sandbox, Kiki joins David Verjano to discuss the intersection of art and business and some of the lessons that Kiki Has learned over the course of his career.Support Step Into The Sandbox and the rest of DADE's work on Patreon:www.patreon.com/dademagVisit Kiki Valdés and Abuela Mami:https://www.abuelamamicoffee.com/https://www.instagram.com/abuelamamicoffee/https://www.instagram.com/kikivaldes/For the full show notes, including links to things referenced in this conversation:https://www.dademag.com/Follow Step Into The Sandbox:www.instagram.com/stepintothesandbox/www.facebook.com/stepintothesandbox/www.twitter.com/TweetTheSandbox/Follow David Verjano:www.instagram.com/davidjverjano/Send any feedback to sandbox@dademag.com.

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Gaby Arauz & Valentina Pardi of Freaks Design Co. on finding inspiration in vintage design

Wed, 14 Apr 2021 22:10:16 GMT

Gaby Arauz and Valentina Pardi, the creative design duo behind Freaks Design, co., join us as guests in this episode of Step Into The Sandbox. Their work ranges from creating brand identities to design projects for restaurants, hotels, technology companies, musicians and other clients. They’re also collectors of vintage pieces — like a 1970s pinball machine and a variety of packaging signage and other memorabilia — that serve as reflection of and inspiration for much of their work.Support Step Into The Sandbox and the rest of DADE's work on Patreon:www.patreon.com/dademagVisit Freaks Design Co.'s website:https://www.freaksdesignco.com/For the full show notes, including links to things referenced in this conversation:http://www.dademag.com/features/2021/4/14/step-into-the-sandbox-freaks-design-co-valentina-pardi-gaby-arauzFollow Step Into The Sandbox:www.instagram.com/stepintothesandbox/www.facebook.com/stepintothesandbox/www.twitter.com/TweetTheSandbox/Follow David Verjano:www.instagram.com/davidjverjano/Send any feedback to sandbox@dademag.com.

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Marco Leyte-Vidal of Miami's Unseen Creatures Brewing on beer and creativity

Sat, 30 Jan 2021 21:20:42 GMT

Marco Leyte-Vidal is the owner of Unseen Creatures, a Miami brewery that opened in early 2020, just as the COVID-19 pandemic hit the food and beverage business. He joined David Verjano on this episode of Step Into The Sandbox to talk about beer, entrepreneurship, branding, and the creative inspiration he draws from music — especially Miles Davis — when he’s creating new products.Support Step Into The Sandbox and the rest of DADE's work on Patreon:www.patreon.com/dademagFor the full show notes, including links to things referenced in this conversation:http://www.dademag.com/features/2021/1/30/step-into-the-sandbox-marco-leyte-vidal-unseen-creatures-brewingFollow Step Into The Sandbox:www.instagram.com/stepintothesandbox/www.facebook.com/stepintothesandbox/www.twitter.com/TweetTheSandbox/Follow David Verjano:www.instagram.com/davidjverjano/Send any feedback to sandbox@dademag.com.

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Marco Leyte-Vidal of Miami's Unseen Creatures Brewing on beer and creativity

Sat, 30 Jan 2021 18:10:09 GMT

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John Falco on creativity, the purpose of life, the food & beverage industry after COVID

Fri, 18 Dec 2020 22:15:34 GMT

John Falco is the owner and operator of three South Florida brewpubs — Lincoln’s Beard, Strange Beast, and Maxwell Bros. Clothing Company — and a client of David Verjano’s, who invited John on to this episode of Step Into The Sandbox to talk about the creative aspects of running his small businesses, his outlook on what the hospitality industry might look like after COVID-19, and how he went from a career in military intelligence to building a business from a home brewing hobby.

John has also been a guest on Pan Con Podcast.

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David Martin on building websites, UX design, and the process of bringing a concept to life

Sat, 03 Oct 2020 20:58:00 GMT

David Martin is a website strategist focused on UX design and web development. He joined David Verjano on Step Into The Sandbox to discuss his career path from web development to UX design as well as the process of building a website from concept to execution.

Follow David everywhere:

uxhacks.com

instagram.com/uxhacks

facebook.com/uxhacks

twitter.com/uxhacks_

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Chef Michael Beltran on executing the creative vision for a restaurant and menu

Tue, 25 Aug 2020 11:00:00 GMT

For this special joint episode of Step Into The Sandbox and Pan Con Podcast, David is joined by the latter podcast's host Michael Beltran. Mike is the chef-partner behind Ariete Hospitality Group, which is the umbrella company that owns The Taurus, Chug's Diner, The Scapegoat, Nave, and the flagship Ariete. Mike was a semifinalist for the James Beard Foundation's 2020 award for Best Chef: South.

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JNNS founder Jeanne Canto on her architecture roots and what it means to be a creative director

Thu, 20 Aug 2020 11:00:34 GMT

Jeanne Canto is a multidisciplinary creative with professional roots in architecture. She is the founder of JNNS, a studio in Miami where she focuses on photography and design. This conversation with Jeanne covers the childhood experiences that led her to architecture, her serendipitous journey into design her creative career, and career advice — good and bad — that she’s gotten along the way.

Follow Jeanne on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/jeannnes/

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Andy Tamayo on being an art director, COVID-19 ads, and the creative revelations of quarantine

Tue, 26 May 2020 11:00:28 GMT

Andy Tamayo is a creative from the advertising industry. He was one of the most awarded creatives of 2019, winning over 25 international awards, including 10 Cannes Lions. He made Forbes' 30 Under 30 list and has produced stellar work for brands like Burger King, Budweiser and Kraft Heinz.

We talked about his agency, his role as an art director, the collaborative side of his work, and his next chapter at Wieden+Kennedy.

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Peter Santa-Maria of Attack Peter on printmaking, monsters, working with comics giants Marvel and DC

Tue, 21 Apr 2020 20:41:00 GMT

Peter Santa-Maria is a printmaking artist known for his company, Attack Peter. He's been commissioned to work with brands like Marvel and even inspired some of our host David Verjano's own branding work.

In this conversation, you'll learn about Peter's approach to art, how he ended up connected to top comic book brands, and his fascination with monsters.

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www.instagram.com/attackpeter/

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Visualization artist Azeez Bakare on architecture, 3D renderings, teaching, working with brands

Tue, 07 Apr 2020 11:00:37 GMT

Azeez Bakare is a visualization artist specializing in 3D renderings, photography, and videography. Azeez, who is also a Google ambassador, has worked with the likeds of AirBnB, Nike and Redbull, as well as high profile architecture firms like Bjarke Ingels Group and Arquitectonica. David Verjano sat with Azeez to discuss his craft, his journey from New York to Ohio to D.C., and now Miami, as well as a bit about architecture and his work in the field.

Follow Azeez Bakare:

http://www.azeezbakare.com/

https://www.instagram.com/azeez.bakare/

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Abre Camino Collective writer Vanessa García and director Victoria Collado on theater, storytelling and creative partnership

Thu, 05 Mar 2020 12:00:34 GMT

This episode's guests are Vanessa García and Victoria Collado, the duo behind Abre Camino Collective. This director write team is best known for their work on Amparo, an immersive theater experience that tells the story of the real Havana Club. They joined David Verjano to discuss how they forged their creative partnership, their personal experiences in the theater and performing arts space, and how they're applying unconventional practices in in the field.

Abre Camino Collective:

www.abrecaminocollective.com/

www.instagram.com/abrecaminocollective/

Vanessa García:

www.vanessagarcia.org/

www.twitter.com/vanessathekrane

www.instagram.com/vgarcia43/

Victoria Collado:

www.victoriacollado.com/

www.instagram.com/itsvickylin/

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Christina Hernandez on moonlighting as a DJ and teaching kids creativity through music

Fri, 14 Feb 2020 17:00:22 GMT

Christina Hernández is the founder of Art Cortex, a mixed media art and science program for children to explore and exercise their creativity. In this episode, she and David Verjano discuss her moonlighting as a DJ for over a decade, sharing her taste in music at live events and on the airwaves, how technology has changed music consumption, and the work she does with kids.

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Cyn Lagos: photographer, designer, Adobe Creative Resident and Google Pixel Ambassador

Tue, 28 Jan 2020 17:00:00 GMT

Photographer and designer Cyn Lagos is the first guest on Step Into the Sandbox. She joined David Verjano to talk about how a desire to express herself led her to street photography, how technology and social media has affected the art form, and her experiences as an Adobe Creative Resident and Google Pixel Ambassador.

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