Catalyst is a Creative Industries podcast, from Chapman University. Each episode features Chapman students who have completed a Podcasting course through the Center for Creative and Cultural Industries at the university. Students who had no podcasting experience or technical ability in the genre before taking the course were able to contribute all the segments to Catalyst this season with the goal being that they will take this ‘hands-on’ experience and carry it over to the launching of their very own series. Each episode of Season 14 will feature one to two different interviews conducted by CCI students, exploring different aspects of the Creative and Cultural Industries.

Kicking off our show this week Carly Arebalo sits down with Gianna Verde, a Public Relations trainee at Christian Dior in New York City. Originally from a small coastal town in New Jersey, Gianna always dreamed of working in fashion, a passion that took her to the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT). Through multiple internships, she discovered her love for public relations and followed that path to Dior, one of the world’s most prestigious luxury fashion houses. In this conversation, Gianna reflects on her journey from creative childhood to young professional, offering a candid look at the challenges of breaking into the fashion industry. She shares honest advice for students and recent graduates about resilience, determination, and the importance of taking on responsibility.

Wrapping up the episode today is a conversation with Nick Weihe, a Baltimore-based visual artist and clothing designer who speaks with Sidney Karjian about his creative journey. Raised in Seattle, Nick studied Fine Art Photography and Film Studies at Seattle University before earning his MFA in Photographic and Electronic Media at the Maryland Institute College of Art. Weihe talks about starting out at Youth in Focus, a photography program in Seattle and how it sparked his lifelong interest in telling stories through images. In their discussion, Nick reflects on how his work evolved from darkroom photography and graffiti to his current work with hand-stamped fashion designs. Weihe also discusses the balance of emotional storytelling and experimentation in his work, and the challenges of sustaining a creative practice. He offers advice on trusting your instincts, staying motivated, and continuing to create—even when it feels imperfect.