honestly, dear listener
Being a creative person is tough.
We want to make cool things, but then life hits us with insecurity, rejection, schedules, etc. How do we push past all the noise and make the things that light us up?
Welcome, Dear Listener, to a space where it's okay to ask questions and dive deep into the world of fear, creativity, and the roadblocks that get in the way of us busting forth with creativity energy. We share stories here of what it’s like “being in the arena” (thank you, Brene Brown!) and how we can nurture our inner artists so we can feel free to create. With an emphasis on storytelling, we interview artists of all mediums on how we can get “unstuck” and let our creativity flow.
We're a couple of weirdos who want to talk about the hard things with you, so welcome to our living room--pull up a chair, cover up with a cozy blanket, and let's get started.
Honestly, Dear Listener is a weekly podcast hosted by Emily Hatch and Carrie Schaeffer.
Carrie Schaeffer started Honestly, Dear Listener in 2014. The first iteration of the podcast ran for two seasons. She revived the show in 2023 when she teamed up with her childhood friend, Emily Hatch, who joined the podcast as co-host.
Carrie and Emily the day they met (1995)
A bit of history…
Emily and Carrie met at a private, Christian school when they were eleven. They connected over their mutual love for a rose ring Emily had, and they became fast friends despite Carrie pinching Emily upon their first meeting. All throughout middle school, you could find them making up and performing dances and dreadfully over-styling the National Anthem at their church-school’s basketball games.
Although they have gotten older, they have never grown up.
emily hatch
Emily an award-winning professional contemporary vocalist and vocal coach in New York City. Her versatile career began in 2002 as a trained singer, expanding into education in 2009 when she opened her own vocal studio. Emily studies with other vocal teachers around the world to stay on the cutting edge of vocal health and science. Her coaching clients include Broadway stars, touring performers, songwriters and aspiring singers. She is an accredited Vocal Health First Aider, who works with other vocal professionals to assist post injury singers. While growing her business, she concurrently performs, teaches, and writes with musicians globally.
As a songwriter, Emily has collaborated with pop artists and top songwriters from around the world. In addition to her private voice studio, she has led and contributed to numerous songwriting workshops, masterclasses and intensives, including Los Angeles based VocalizeU. She has been the musical/vocal director for many productions including Matilda, 13 the Musical, Fiddler on the Roof, High School Musical, Grease and Hedwig and the Angry Inch.
Emily personally crafted, wrote, directed and produced the musical Overjoyed: Celebrating the Music of Stevie Wonder. Currently she’s working on an original show titled Your Mom, a semi-autobiographical work following a single mother’s story.
From Emily:
“The thing that brings me the most joy? Helping people overcome the obstacles that stop them from sharing their creativity. Whether it be mindset, planning, function… Whatever it is, I’m here for it.”
carrie schaeffer
Carrie Schaeffer is a certified Life Coach, certified Master NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Processing) Practitioner, and certified Life Purpose Coach specializing in helping women cultivate kind and nurturing relationships with themselves. She is also a professional sewing patternmaker and the creator of Gatlin and King Patterns.
She has an extensive performance background in musical theatre and vocal music and helped found the all-girl vintage vocal jazz quartet, The Tonettes. With her partner, she owns and operates Hoptocopter™ Films, where she’s worked both behind and in front of the camera as copywriter and editor, actress, and voice talent. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English Literature, continues to write for several publications, and writes young adult fiction.
Above almost anything, she loves asking questions. She has been described by both strangers and close friends as "quirky," an adjective she finds highly complimentary. She lives in Nashville, Tennessee with her partner and two sons.
From Carrie:
“I believe we already have everything we need inside us to create. As an artist myself, I continually walk through and am fascinated by the creative process. I love helping creators release their limiting mindsets and replace fear with joy as the prime mover behind why they make.”