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
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About this listen

 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
  • #93 - Laura Wood: Therapy, Romance, and Embracing the Chaos

    #93 - Laura Wood: Therapy, Romance, and Embracing the Chaos
    Jul 8 2025
    This week’s guest is the brilliantly charming and very British Laura Wood — author of 17 (yes, seventeen!) books including her newest adult rom-com, Let’s Make a Scene. Laura is a screenwriter, novelist, unapologetic romantic, and former PhD student whose creative journey started as the ultimate procrastination project. In this episode, we dig into how a last-minute writing contest entry changed her entire life, the difference between writing for adults and young readers, and why procrastination might just be a secret creative superpower. Laura opens up about her writing process (spoiler: she’s a speed demon), her love of dual timelines, and what it really takes to create effortless, seamless storytelling. We also get into why blank pages are terrifying, how she structures her novels like a mad genius, and how therapy — both real and fictional — shapes her characters. This conversation is part author confessional, part comedy, and part creative masterclass. Also, someone please get Laura to Costa Rica. Connect with Laura: 📚 Check out her latest book Let’s Make a Scene 🌐 More about Laura: https://laurawoodauthor.com 📸 Follow her on Instagram: @lauraclarewood Connect with the Hosts & Show: 📩 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 follow her on ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠YouTube EPISODE TAKEAWAYS: Sometimes procrastination leads to brilliance — and publishing deals.A blank page is the enemy, but structure can be salvation. Therapy isn’t just healing; it can also be hilarious and plot gold. Adulting doesn’t mean the end of coming-of-age. Celebrate your wins. Don’t let the goalposts keep moving without you. Creative success isn’t about one big break — it’s built slowly, consistently, and authentically. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 24 mins
  • #92 - Serena Burdick: When Your Grandmother’s Nude Sparks a Novel

    #92 - Serena Burdick: When Your Grandmother’s Nude Sparks a Novel
    Jun 17 2025
    USA Today bestselling author Serena Burdick is living proof that creative success doesn’t follow a straight line. In this deeply personal and inspiring episode, Serena shares how her journey from aspiring actor to celebrated novelist came with plenty of unexpected twists—including returning to waiting tables in her 40s while raising kids and chasing her dream. With honesty and humor, she opens up about the realities of artistic life, the power of resilience, and the value of believing in your own story—especially when others don’t see it yet. We dive into Serena’s new book, A Promise to Arlette, and the fascinating real-life inspiration behind it—her grandmother’s connection to avant-garde photographer Man Ray and a long-lost nude photograph that sparked a fictional journey through postwar France and conservative 1950s America. Serena talks about balancing fiction with history, channeling her theatrical background into richly drawn characters, and navigating the emotional tightrope of writing stories that sometimes go to very dark places. This is a must-listen for anyone who's ever wanted to rewrite their own story. Connect with Serena Burdick: 📘 Buy A Promise to Arlette anywhere books are sold 🖋️ Follow Serena on Instagram: @serenaburdick 📚 Learn more at Zibby Media to purchase signed copies and support indie authors Connect with the Hosts & Show: 🎧 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 follow her on ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠ EPISODE TAKEAWAYS Your first creative dream doesn’t have to be your last Failure is part of the process—and can sometimes lead to unexpected wins Historical fiction is a powerful tool for preserving and imagining untold stories Creative careers often require privilege and sacrifice—acknowledge both Be open to feedback, but stay grounded in your artistic voice Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 8 mins
  • #91 - Nick Rashad Burroughs: Living the Life You Were Meant to Create

    #91 - Nick Rashad Burroughs: Living the Life You Were Meant to Create
    Jun 10 2025
    This episode is a masterclass in following your gut, showing up fully, and creating your own path—even when it’s not the one you planned. Nick Rashad Burroughs joins us to share the wild and wonderful story of how a missed ride after school led to an accidental audition… and an entirely new life trajectory. From growing up in a deeply religious, sports-focused family in Alabama to starring on Broadway in Kinky Boots, Something Rotten, and Tina, Nick has lived a life powered by guts, grit, and creative risk. Nick opens up about the struggle to reconcile his artistic truth with his upbringing, the challenges of coming out, and what it meant to have his mother watch him perform in drag on Broadway. He also shares the deeply personal origin of his music career, his viral music video that Beyoncé reposted (!!!), and how he’s living in the center of a manifestation with his latest role in Goddess at The Public Theater. This conversation is packed with honesty, vulnerability, inspiration—and a whole lot of laughter. EPISODE TAKEAWAYS: Inspiration is a gift—don’t waste it. You can do it scared. Self-advocacy creates opportunities. Your unique voice and background are assets, not limitations. Fear doesn't go away—it just gets quieter when you're doing what you love. Connect with the Hosts & Show: 📩 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 ⁠⁠⁠BlueSky⁠⁠⁠ 🎭 More about Alan via ⁠⁠⁠@theatre_podcast⁠⁠⁠ and check out ⁠⁠⁠The Theatre Podcast with Alan Seales Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr
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