Logo design by Eva Martinez-Bond
An interview style podcast where we talk to creatives who often find themselves working in two worlds - in their artistic endeavors that make them thrive, and the service jobs that not only fund their livelihoods, but teach them about people.
Season 1
Episode 9: Corynne Ostermann
Corynne Ostermann is an artist/musician and performer based in Baltimore, MD. This was such a fun way to end season 1, Corynne is such an amazing and endlessly interesting person we could talk to forever.
AIR DATE: JULY 19TH, 2021
And just like that! Here is our last episode with the amazing, multidisciplinary creative beast, Corynne Ostermann. Corynne Ostermann is an artist/musician and performer based in Baltimore, MD. This was such a fun way to end season 1, Corynne is such an amazing and endlessly interesting person we could talk to forever. We talked about being a “slash”, not being afraid of boasting about how good we are at shit, being a musician, finding space for self, and so much more. Corynne is a fucking brilliant powerhouse and we truly could not have thought of a better way to wrap up.
Episode 8: Heidi Cannon
AIR DATE: JUNE 12TH, 2021
Our next guest on deck is Heidi Cannon aka AmericanWastoid. A full time optician and a self taught hand embroidery artist, Heidi has worked in the service industry for over ten years in various places all over the country. In this episode, we cover the differences in working in smaller rural areas versus a bigger urban city. Anxiety about the thought of diving back into restaurant world after leaving which a lot of people are dealing with (and honestly perhaps why a lot of folks have not gone back). We also touch on being the voice for folks in a company who are too afraid to speak up for what they need/deserve. I feel like this has come up a lot with many folks in previous episodes which says a lot about the people we have been talking to.
We also talk about the gymnastics your brain had to do during the height of the pandemic. The stress, the fear, the turmoil happening, and still having to go to work to survive. We also talked to Heidi about treating life outside of work with as much care as you do your job.
Focusing on how we feel about ourselves and what we love instead of what someone else has said is the shit. And what has been interesting for me personally (Ade👋🏾) as I grow my creative business, the difference between gatekeeping versus trade secrets.
HEIDI’S LINK
Episode 7: Eva Martinez-Bond
AIR DATE: MAY 30TH, 2021
This week our guest is Eva Martinez-Bond. A painter and illustrator currently based in Seattle, WA whose work explores the distortion of mind, body, and self in a capitalist reality. Using their own personal history and body as a reference, to reflect greater themes of loss, grief, and discomfort. Topics discussed include brown and black bodies being used as tools of "coolness" to draw in money while being constantly disrespected. Not being allowed to acknowledge the pain and abuse being inflicted because the owner of a business is popular. We also talk about the infamous fried chicken fiasco by a former business owner in Philadelphia. Losing yourself and identity to work when it was originally to supplement the creative life, and most importantly, joy being a form of revolution.
Episode 6: Attia Taylor
AIR DATE: MAY 17TH, 2021
Episode six features musician and Womanly Mag founder, Attia Taylor. Attia is a Brooklyn-based writer, musician, and content producer. She is the founder of Womanly, The Dorothy and a member of The Art Dept Collective. Her work is rooted in social justice, art, and design, to bring inclusive and culturally relevant content to sound, print and digital realms. She is passionate about building and cultivating communities through journalism, music, storytelling, and research. We touch on the intense nature of New York City and adapting to it, and how family practices and beliefs passed down from generation informs what you eventually believe. How sometimes you go interview at a place where everyone is a clone of you and apparently everyone who grew up in Philadelphia had their first job at Rita’s?? The fallacy of midlife breakdowns mainly happening in your thirties but truly being burnt out in your twenties which leads to reassessing what time and abilities were worth and making mental health a priority. The best way to set up getting out of your boring nine to five, to do the things you enjoy in life which I believe you should break out that notepad app and take some fuckin notes babes. It’s a genius set up. Attia’s dry humor and wit truly shine here and am so excited we could sit and chat and explore. But seriously I still ask, when does she sleep?
ATTIA’S LINKS
WOMANLY: “Womanly Magazine provides accessible health information to women and non-binary people through visual and literary art. Through our print and digital content, we lift up narratives that are often neglected by the typical women’s magazine. Just like us, our content is diverse. Our subjects include discrimination in the health care system, intergenerational concerns, and physical and sexual health and expression.”
*Pre-Order* Womanly Mag Special Issue: High Blood Pressure
THE DOROTHY: “The Dorothy is an art and design production house and journal based in New York, NY. We curate, produce, and examine art through storytelling, photography, film, and music. The Dorothy collaborates with gifted artists. “
GIRLS ROCK PHILLY: “Girls Rock Philly is a youth-centered music organization dedicated to building an intergenerational community of girls, women, and trans and gender-expansive people. Through the practice of fearless expression, artistic experimentation, and collaboration, we build the confidence and leadership skills needed to transform ourselves and our communities. Our staff, volunteers, and participants foster a joyful culture of creativity, critical thinking, and collective care in order to build a more safe and equitable world.”
Episode 5: Tsehaitu Abye
AIR DATE: MAY 9TH, 2021
This week our guest is Tsehaitu Abye. Tsehaitu Abye is a social strategist, entrepreneur, startup fixer, Founder of Black Dragon Breakfast Club, and a rising singer-songwriter. As an Ethiopian American growing up between Philadelphia and Hawaii, Tsehaitu gained unique perspectives of identity, race, class, immigration, community organizing, and leadership. We talk about building trust and space with other black folks to create the way we would like to and build in a way that we do not feel taken advantage of. Asking the real question of.. are hobbies really a thing? What the fuck are they? Exorcising people from your life who are only living for trauma porn and political organizing at a nonprofit vs union organizing/grass roots organizing. How the search for a woman producer was important for the creative process because men stay trying to take advantage of situations and not respecting women for their talent and only taking advantage of the situation to score a date or whatever else is on their minds. How the pressure of trying to be perfect in friendships, romance, work, can distract from the beauty of learning as you go and not being hard on yourself. Tsehaitu is an internet friend who has become an inspiration and passionate in real life force of nature. We go deep in this one and hope you enjoy this conversation as much as we did.
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
One Fair Wage: One Fair Wage is a national coalition, campaign and organization seeking to end all subminimum wages in the United States and increase the sustainability of wages and working conditions in the service sector.
Episode 4: Sarah Thompson
AIR DATE: MAY 3RD, 2021
In episode four, we talk to Sarah Thompson. A culinary school attendee, who like a lot of our guests, has worked in multiple roles in restaurants and coffeeshops. She learned how to brew beer before heading off to New Zealand for a year to learn charcuterie. Since she’s been back in the states, Sarah has been putting together all that she has learned under the moniker, Tall Poppy Projects, making delicious, mouthwatering, fatty biscuits and bagels and so much more. We talk about reciprocal collaboration within and outside of the food world and how personal history can inspire your goals. This conversation with Sarah gave us a larger view of how service workers are treated in other countries - like New Zealand - where Sarah worked for several years. But also that while people are provided better job security and better wages, it doesn’t mean those countries aren’t still problematic in their wealth distribution or their treatment of native people, immigrants, and people of color. We also touch on Adesola’s favorite concept to shit on fusion food (read, most hated concept). How it is often synonymous with cultural appropriation and how prevalent that is in Philadelphia’s restaurant scene. We dive into the controversy over Mission Taqueria’s team of chefs uninvitedly inspecting the kitchen and questioning the head chef and owner of South Philly Barbacoa, Cristina Martinez and then copying her barbacoa recipe for their restaurant.
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
Head chef and owner of South Philly Barbacoa, Cristina Martinez wrote about the experience in 2016 of the controversy over Mission Taqueria’s team of chefs copying her barbacoa recipe for their restaurant. in an article called “Don’t Call It Barbacoa”
Eater has an article about the same controversy
Sarah talked about the persisting racism that exists in places where people believe the concept has been wiped out. Please do yourself a favor and learn more about the Maori people.
Sarah talks about her involvement in two local Philadelphia organizations that try to provide equity in the service industry and encourage collaboration.
- 215 People’s Alliance : a multi-racial collaborative dedicated to fighting for equity and justice in Philadelphia
- Philadelphia Coalition for Restaurant Safety and Health : “ We provide education through intersectional sexual
harassment prevention trainings, legal guidance on implementing anti-harassment policies, and resources on how
workers can build solidarity and organize their workplaces.”
Episode 3: Jessa Jordan
AIR DATE: APRIL 25th, 2021
In episode three we chat with erotic laborer, writer, educator, indie event coordinator and reproductive justice, human rights and sex worker’s rights advocate Jessa Jordan. How she created her own role and identity in the adult modeling field (i.e. refused to be pigeonholed as the “Alternative Black Girl”) and how many of her jobs forced her to develop a thick skin. (Stripping and the racism/body shaming from clients - i.e. her body type was not appreciated at the “urban” clubs but at the predominantly white male clubs she was fetishized.) How various service jobs taught her about unfair fees and dues, the devaluation of workers, and thus why she decided to be her own agent, promoter, and manager in her erotic modeling and film career. Photographer elitism much like tattoo artist elitism. Fighting for yourself as a model and what you deserve when this is your livelihood. An industry where survival is based on word of mouth teaching and warnings. We also talk about the popular weird milk bath photos, Kamala Harris and the poor way that black and brown people are shot in photos and film, and sketchy situations that owners and bosses put us in, especially earlier on that condition us as we move through the working world.
SUPPORT FOR SEX WORKERS
BIPOC Adult Industry Collective : a resource for education and support services to make the adult entertainment industry a safe space for everyone who chooses this labor.
Pineapple Support : Pineapple Support provides 24/7 online, emotional support as well as free and subsidized professional therapy and advice to all performers and producers who have been active in the adult online industry within the past 6 months.
Stilletos Inc. : To educate, unify, support & liberate BIPOC strippers, sxwrkrs, & allies.
Episode 2 : D’Onna Stubblefield
AIR DATE: April 18th, 2021
In this episode we chat with long time food and beverage industry professional, D’Onna Stubblefield. After taking a much needed break after being burnt out and feeling used up by the industry, D slowly inched her way back in with some new perspective on how to move in the space and setting boundaries to protective herself. We dig into the type of toll it takes working at these types of jobs and how they rob you of energy and time to take care of yourself. As a manager at the new Philadelphia restaurant Sally , D has taken everything she has learned in building support and education in the workplace and talks about how she has implemented them in hopes that this will be a place employees feel comfortable and empowered to speak up and feel supported. Workers in the restaurant industry often know the fucked up owners and management and how they treat people, we talk about how the pandemic let workers, including D, feel comfortable in speaking up about the nonsense. We also touch on white guilt in the form of tiny amounts of money being given to black people to assuage any culpability white folks felt. The podcast Reply All did a wonderful episode on this which is linked here. How working twice as hard as a black person when others give half as much to be recognized, wine, the love for Philly’s aggressive love, and so much more. Burn out is real, especially in the restaurant industry where it is accepted to treat employees like crap and use them up with little to no pay. This episode is a beautiful guide in how to take a step back, re-asses to see what is important, and coming back on your own terms.
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
Reply All episode on “Reperation Funds”: “Black people all across the US are receiving the world's weirdest form of reparations: Venmo payments from white people. Producer Emmanuel Dzotsi investigates”
Be Wary Spreadsheet: Public list created by Adesola that people can anonymously submit to that allows service industry workers to report unfair treatment, missed wages pre-pandemic and businesses not creative safe environments during the pandemic.
Episode 1: Cassie O’Neal
AIR DATE: APRIL 11th, 2021
We kick off episode one of season one with Philadelphia based tattoo artist, Cassie O’Neal. We talk about tattooing on all types of skin tones and pushing back against the false narrative that darker skin tones are "difficult". We also talk about building and understanding self worth in the workplace and as an artist, mutual aid in the tattoo community, and staying open to growth. It’s nice to start off this way because when the general public thinks of customer service, several jobs - like tattoo artists - are often missing from the narrative. We strive to give a more well rounded view of what service work is and by including the voice of someone who works in this area, it’s an awesome start.
ARTICLES ON TATTOOING DARKER SKIN TONES
https://www.cosmopolitan.com/style-beauty/beauty/a33956683/tattoos-for-dark-skin/
YOUTUBE VID // Ryan Henry (black tattoo artist and owner of 9mag) talking about struggling to get an apprenticeship, learning how to tattoo on darker skin from people like Miya Bailey, what white tattoo artists mess up, tattooing on all skin tones and learning from different tattoo artists from all different backgrounds and using different techniques, continuously learning
Miya Bailey : world renown artist based in Atlanta, Georgia that specializes in color tattoos on people of color
Color Outside The Lines : documentary “Struggle, Joy, Failure, Success; words like these could serve as the backdrop for the next big Hollywood blockbuster, or as a description of a tattoo artists life. Color Outside the Lines is the first film that provides a deep look into the history, culture and lives of the world's top black tattoo artists”
6 Black Tattoo Artists Unpack The Most Common Myths About Tattooing On Darker Skin
MEET THE HOSTS
Adesola
35 year old multidisciplinary undocumented artist. I’m also a queer blackity black black woman. I’ve been living in Philadelphia for about 10 years and have worked in the service industry for over 17 years. I’ve done everything from being a barista, managing the shops, event planner, ice cream scooper for the all mighty cold stone and little baby’s ice cream (RIP), a food runner, server, expediter (you know, the people who yell at the back of the kitchen “where is my ravioli!!”). Currently I am a manager and drummer for the post punk band Full Bush, an illustrator, writer, and food activist. Food has always drawn me in because of the way folks danced in the kitchen and to be frank, I really do like the military style coordination in the kitchen. Everything in its place and everyone in their spot to make things run smoothly. Maybe it’s because I wanted to join the Marines when I was in high school? I don’t know. What I do know is that making food itself is an art form and am not surprised that so many creatives end up in the field to survive and make some shmoney. I actually met my Carolyn through music who I lovingly call the queen of freelance.
Carolyn
A cis-gender, straight, 32 year old white woman. I’ve lived in Philadelphia for the past 11 years and have spent most of my life growing up in the state of Pennsylvania. I’ve worked in service industry jobs - as a cashier, hostess, bartender, food runner, ticket taker, and more - since I was 16 years old. I also have an MBA and have worked in video production, radio, tour management, and as an ESL instructor. I’m also a musician who plays saxophone, guitar, drums, bass, piano, glockenspiel, and various auxiliary percussion things. Being a musician has allowed me to travel and perform in the UK, France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Canada, and the mainland US multiple times over. This past year has brought an insane halt to the work that myself and many friends rely on. Both in the music industry and the service industry. It’s given a lot of us time to assess what’s important and how often we’re asked to put financial (barely) stability above our health and the work we want to do. Ade and I hope that by talking to others, we can all learn a little bit from each other and maybe find new ways of bridging that gap between what’s available to us in the service field, and how to thrive in our creative endeavors
QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? WANT TO BE ON THE SHOW? HIT US UP!
CREATIVESONDECK@GMAIL.COM