hi, i'm angela.

The True Stories Project was conceived, created, and published in November and December 2019.

That year, my partner and I were unable to travel for Christmas. Since we'd have to work, I set myself a goal of interviewing friends near and far who'd had great success in a variety of industries: entrepreneurship, art, health, and so on, with a goal of publishing stories about their lives that might not have been told before.

I chose people who I knew would have killer stories, and whose success I admired and wanted to learn from.

I knew their stories would be inspiring, but what I learned surpassed all my expectations on that front. Everyone I spoke to, accomplished as they are in their fields, spoke of moments of self-doubt, hesitation, or times when all was lost.

Yet they overcame whatever odds were against them to create something beautiful or meaningful or good for the world.

I was inspired by them before. I was even more inspired after.

I now believe that self-doubt is nothing to worry about or be concerned by. In fact, it might be a driving creative force for some of the most powerful, talented, vibrantly creative among us.
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Got a story I should hear? Get in touch.

Here are some questions you can expect to have answered, sorted by topic:
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PERFORMANCE
‍Is Tom Hanks actually as nice on set as he seems? (Kelley Davis-Johnson)
‍Does Christina Aguilera enjoy Puppetry of the Penis? (Rich Binning)
‍What's it like to perform in 42nd Street at the Hollywood Pantages theatre? (Patrick Ryan Heffernan)
‍Do Parisians enjoy Scottish highland dancing? (Erin Robertson)
Are the stars of Will and Grace happy to work with rescue dogs? (Brian Hampton)
‍What's the fastest way to start a riot at Mall of America? (Jeremy Essig)
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ENTREPRENEURSHIP
‍Are Chuck Taylors appropriate for a business meeting? (Dean Browell)
Is starting a bakery with someone basically like being married? (Shira McDermott)
‍Are there any life hacks for entrepreneurial founders who have three kids to get stuff done? (Merideth Schutter)
Is there a solid business model in a sexy-carpenter-for-hire business?  (Ryan Brewer)
‍Why is it best to avoid golf courses entirely? (Jonathan Rhone)
‍What the hell are you supposed to do after your law firm unceremoniously fires you for being "unreliable" after your parents' death? (Ashley Syer)

WORLD
‍‍Is working for Planned Parenthood in Africa rewarding? How about the U.N.? (Natalie Cartwright)
How can we ensure bleeding-edge technologies are available in African cities? (Riad Hartani)
What's it like to work in Malaysia as the only woman on an executive team? (Jill Earthy)
How come Vancouver's tasting rooms are so small when the beer industry is massive? (Mauricio Lozano)

HEALTH
‍What is erotomania? (Jessica Stephens)
‍What's the best thing to yell after getting a kidney transplant? (Joel Solomon)
‍What is the journey like from conservative evangelical Christian to queer, polyamorous, pansexual sexpert and therapist? (Adam Maurer)
Why is it important to keep talking about HIV and sexual health? (Gwenn Barringer)

ADVENTURE
‍Is learning to scuba dive when you have a lifelong fear of swimming a good call? (Abhi T.)
‍What happens when a Broadway actor gets stuck halfway down a mountain in mid-New Jersey? (Freddy Arsenault)
‍Should you marry a man who sweeps you off your feet and move with him to Colorado? (Samia Mounts)
How would I stack up in a midnight duel against a raccoon during a cross-country bike ride? (Cait Giddings)
What are the warning signs of a heart attack if you are young, healthy, and a non-smoker? (Im Lynde)

WRITING+JOURNALISM
‍‍Is unionizing at a large legacy news organization like the Los Angeles Times in any way similar to Dungeons and Dragons?(Matt Pearce)
‍Exactly how great is Shaquem Griffin of the Seattle Seahawks? (Brian Pluta)
How does a molecular biologist become a supervising video producer at NPR? (Mito Habe-Evans)
What's it like to dance around Rockefeller Center dressed as a giant tomato? (Sarah D. Bunting)
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