So Many Questions...

What does it take to bring live sports to television? And what happens when the person behind the broadcast has to reinvent his own life?In this episode of So Many Questions…, Kendall sits down with Evan Ellis, a live sports television producer, former Yale football player and creator of Producing Smoke, to explore the art of sports broadcasting, the power of storytelling and the challenges of personal reinvention.Evan takes us behind the scenes of live college sports production, sharing how producers, directors and camera crews work together to bring football, basketball and baseball games to life. He traces his unconventional journey from a small town in Tennessee to Yale, his early dreams of becoming a play-by-play announcer and his eventual discovery of a passion for producing live television.But there's much more to Evan's story than sports. He opens up about his mental health struggles, losing more than 150 pounds, fatherhood and navigating an unexpected career transition from Virginia Tech to NC State.Along the way, we explore what it means to lead with encouragement, create an inclusive workplace, embrace vulnerability and find the courage to get off the sidelines and become an active participant in your own life.Whether you're interested in sports media, television production, career changes or simply the stories that connect us, Evan's perspective offers a compelling reminder that everyone has a story worth telling.Follow Evan: @ProducingSmoke on Instagram and TikTok.

Nepalese artist Tsherin Sherpa trained as a traditional Tibetan Thangka painter from age 13, learning from his father in a lineage three generations deep, and now uses that sacred visual language to make contemporary art about migration and identity. He represented Nepal at the Venice Biennale in 2022, in the country's first-ever pavilion.Tsherin talks about the five years of repetition that made the forms second nature, escaping to Taiwan on a computer science scholarship, and moving to California in 1998, where a residency at the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco led to an unlikely Jamba Juice ad campaign built on a Thangka composition. He explains what changed when he found Harvard, Yale and Oxford catalogs about his own tradition, why butterflies run through his paintings, and why he now collaborates with bronze artists and carpet weavers in Kathmandu to keep those crafts from disappearing.So Many Questions is a podcast about curiosity, with long-form conversations about what people notice and why it matters.

Catherine Whitney, Director of Curatorial Affairs at the Honolulu Museum of Art, talks with Kendall Guillemette about curating David Hockney's final major retrospective, David Hockney: Works from the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and his Family Foundation, on view at the Portland Art Museum through July 26.Catherine walks through her path from art dealer, representing Georgia O'Keeffe's estate at the Gerald Peters Gallery in Santa Fe, to museum curator and director, and explains what a curator actually does: building a narrative and using artworks and exhibition space to tell it. She and Kendall talk about Hockney's decades of experimenting with new technology, from Xerox copiers to iPads, and about Catherine's next project, Vital Connections: Art in the Brain, an exhibition exploring the neuroscience behind why making and experiencing art is good for your brain and body. She also talks about her work with the Vilcek Foundation, which supports immigrant artists and scientists.So Many Questions is a podcast about curiosity, creativity, and the people behind the work.

Join us as we dive into the world of sports and LGBTQ+ representation with Ken Schultz from Outsports! 🌈 In this episode, we discuss the recent San Francisco Giants Pride Night and the importance of inclusivity in sports. Ken shares his journey as a queer sports writer and the challenges faced by LGBTQ+ fans in the baseball community.Key takeaways:The significance of Pride Night in baseball and its impact on the LGBTQ+ community.Ken's personal experiences as a queer sports fan and writer.The response from the Giants organization and its implications for fans.What's your biggest challenge with LGBTQ+ representation in sports? Drop it in the comments!Subscribe for weekly insights on sports and inclusivity!#PrideMonth #LGBTQ #Sports

Jonny Hoffner turned a philosophy degree into a 17-year wedding photography career and then, during COVID, started a golf apparel brand built around a single idea: good doesn't have to mean safe.Jonny is the co-founder of Paper Antler Photography and Good Lion Golf. He and his wife Michelle have been full-time photographers since 2007, working exclusively from natural light and word-of-mouth referrals. Good Lion Golf launched four years ago after a single sentence on a golf course sparked an idea he couldn't shake.In this conversation: how he accidentally fell into wedding photography, what 42 weddings in one year taught him about sustainability, why Good Lion exists in the narrow space between bland country club culture and loud fratty golf aesthetics, and what therapy and a very simple question from a counselor changed for him. 🔗 Paper Antler Photography: https://www.paperantler.com/🔗 Good Lion Golf: https://www.goodliongolf.com/

Craig Calcaterra is the author of Cup of Coffee, a daily newsletter about baseball and pretty much everything else. In this episode, Craig traces the unlikely path from litigation attorney to sports blogger to NBC Sports writer to newsletter creator—and talks honestly about the luck, timing, and self-sabotage that shaped all of it.They talk about writing authentically when the world feels overwhelming, how sabermetrics changed baseball and then started to ruin it, his book Rethinking Fandom, and the strange feeling of being genuinely content with your work.

A brief episode wrapping up 2025 with huge amounts of gratitude to you, our listeners. So so grateful that you've come along on this ride, and very excited about 2026 and all the great conversations we'll get to have, and share with you all. Thank you!

This week on So Many Questions..., Kendall talks with author and designer Joshua Graves about why tough conversations are so hard, how kindness differs from “niceness,” and the tools we all need to navigate conflict with more clarity, compassion, and confidence.Joshua shares stories from his upbringing in the South, how workplace dynamics and power structures shaped his communication style, and what he learned while researching and writing his book. They explore generational shifts in communication, boundaries vs. requests, and how to listen without losing yourself.They also talk about mindfulness, trauma-informed approaches, why younger generations communicate so directly with leaders, and why giving yourself grace might be the most revolutionary practice you can adopt.In this episode:• Joshua’s path from jukebox-obsessed kid to designer and author• How culture and power dynamics shape how we handle conflict• “Nice” vs. “kind” — and why the difference matters• Why difficult conversations feel so scary• How to listen with presence (without disappearing)• Setting boundaries that protect you• Generational shifts in workplace communication• Why many people fear talking to people in power• How to prepare for a tough conversation• What gives Joshua hope right now• Joshua’s powerful question of the weekAbout the book:We Need to Talk: A Survival Guide for Tough Conversations offers practical, human-centered tools to help anyone approach high-stakes conversations without scripts, gimmicks, or forcing yourself into “fake” authenticity. A quick, accessible read packed with real stories and flexible frameworks.

Marketing executive and Contentful CMO Elizabeth “EMax” Maxson joins Kendall to talk about the pivotal career moves, personal risks, and honest moments that shaped her leadership journey. From a life-changing cross-country internship, to navigating male-dominated industries, to building a mothers’ community that now supports nearly 1,000 women, EMax shares what it means to lead with vulnerability, courage, and clarity.She opens up about advocating for women and caregivers, the mental load of parenting, redefining boundaries, and why she rejects “work-life balance” in favor of harmony. EMax also talks self-care routines, slowing down, improv’s “yes and” mindset, and how to build a career grounded in humanity.Whether you're a parent, leader, woman in tech, or someone trying to find stability in a chaotic world, this conversation is full of wisdom, humor, and heart.#Leadership #WomenInTech #WorkingMoms #Caregivers #MarketingLeadership #CMO #CareerGrowth #WorkLifeHarmony #BoundarySetting #Vulnerability #CommunityBuilding #Contentful #SoManyQuestionsPodcast

Director of Photography Ken Seng (Deadpool, Terminator: Dark Fate) joins Kendall to talk about his journey from business school to shooting massive IMAX action films, including the upcoming Street Fighter movie now filming in Australia.Ken shares how he fell in love with cinematography through the French New Wave, how his time with the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) shaped his leadership on set, and what it takes to create stunning visuals on blockbuster productions.From Deadpool's gritty tone to Terminator: Dark Fate's high-speed intensity to building the visual world of Street Fighter, Ken breaks down the art and craft of lighting, camera movement, and collaboration between the director of photography, director, and production team.Topics include:- How DPs develop visual language and style- What makes great IMAX cinematography- Collaboration with directors, VFX, and stunt teams- Balancing art, craft, and pressure on big-budget films- Why Ken believes "long live cinema"Listen to the full conversation and subscribe for more interviews with filmmakers, artists, and storytellers.#StreetFighter #Deadpool #TerminatorDarkFate #Cinematography #DirectorOfPhotography #IMAX #Filmmaking #KenSeng #SoManyQuestionsPodcast