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Heather Perry Episode 7: "Be open. Be authentic."
Photographer Heather Perry’s passion for places surrounded by water led to a specialization in underwater and surface images, lifestyle, and environmental portraits.
Heather started swimming competitively as a child in pools and in Long Island Sound, and knew from early on that she was most comfortable in the water. She went on to study marine biology and began her career as a photographer in tropical seas just a few years later. Perry’s projects have taken her to marine ecosystems around the globe, including the Galápagos, Micronesia, California’s kelp forest, and the Caribbean, and her images have been published in National Geographic’s magazines, books, and online content, as well as in the New York Times and Smithsonian, among other outlets. She has also been a featured photographer with National Geographic Creative, where her imagery is represented, and has done commercial work for a variety of clients, including the National Geographic Channel, South African Tourism, and Sony.
Heather’s work always comes back to people on and in water, and the transformative power of immersion in a marine environment over the course of time. She’s photographed stories on immigration issues, fishing communities, ship builders, and refugee populations in her home state of Maine, and has worked with swimmers in pools and oceans around the world. Perry regularly guides open water swimming adventures in the Caribbean and Hawaii, and enjoys sharing her photographic knowledge with travelers. https://www.swimvacation.com
Maria Scrivan Episode 8: "The Doubt Gremlins"
Maria Scrivan is a New York Times bestselling author and award-winning syndicated cartoonist.
The first book in her graphic novel series, Nat Enough (Scholastic/Graphix), launched on April 7th, 2020, became an instant New York Times bestseller. It was followed by: Forget Me Nat, Absolutely Nat, Definitely Nat, and Nat for Nothing. The fifth book in the series, All is Nat Lost, will be available in Spring 2024. She is also a contributor to Marvel’s Super Stories which will release in October 2023.
Maria's comic, Half Full, is syndicated by Andrews McMeel and available on GoComics.com/half-full. It appeared daily in newspapers nationwide including the LA Times for the last ten years.
Her cartoons have appeared in many publications including MAD Magazine, Highlights, American Bystander, Prospect Magazine, Parade Magazine, and Wired. She also licenses her work for hundreds of greeting cards. When she is not writing or drawing, she loves running in the woods, cycling, yoga, and cuddling her dog.
Maria lives in Connecticut, close to New York City.
Missy Jones Episode 9: "My Store is a Beast"
Melissa "Missy" Jones is the new owner of Wicked Thrift on Cape Cod, an award-winning resale shop that she bought from the original owner, Tammy Venneri.
Missy had been a key employee of the shop for 10 years, starting as a sophomore in high school. After earning her college degree in Communications, Missy went on to work in local radio, all the while continueing to manage the shop, while the owner transitioning.
Missy got her chance to buy the shop in 2023 at the young age of 25. Carrying the torch and putting her spin on it, Missy is a newbie and keeper of wisdom, at the same time.
Bethany Boucher Episode 10: "You've Got the Best Job!" (coming Feb.1)
Bethany Boucher started working with animals when she was just 16 years old at a small local zoo. From volunteering at Roger Williams Zoo to achieving her Bachelor of Science in Captive Wildlife Care and Education at Unity College in Maine, she continued to be immersed in the zoo community. Interning in Maine, she traveled with the Natural History Company working with birds of prey, native wildlife, exotic reptiles and more, and began honing her skill as a wildlife educator, teaching others about the animals. Finding her niche, Bethany continued her journey of bringing educational shows and presentations to the masses with the Rainforest Reptile Shows in Beverly, MA.
Continuing to invest in herself as an educator and professional, Bethany also studied Wildlife Management through the University of Pretoria in South Africa in 2010, spending three weeks there. In 2016, she joined the crocodile research team from the Australia Zoo to research saltwater crocodiles and other Australian wildlife. As a wildlife volunteer, Bethany also worked with the MA Audubon Society, studying spadefoot toads on Cape Cod.
In 2013, Bethany launched her business, Amazing Animal Ambassadors (woo!) and by February 2014 she was booking and presenting at her first solo shows, bringing joy and understanding to all generations who love and respect wildlife.
Learn more about Amazing Animal Ambassadors on their website: amazinganimalambassadors.com
Follow Bethany on instagram: @amazinganimalambassadors and @bethanandheranimals
Leslie Conner Episode 11: "Life is a Mystery" (coming Feb.8)
Leslie Conner is a mystery and thriller writer. She is currently working on the last book of the Lexie Garner trilogy.
Her novel, As Long as They Lived, was a finalist in the 2022 Killer Nashville Claymore Award for Best Mystery, and she is a member of the Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime.
Leslie Conner says she became a writer because, honestly, she couldn’t do anything else. She tried her hand at many different careers–starting a pet sitting business, being an English professor, and in her younger days, bartending. “Even if my career path seems schizophrenic, at least my life isn’t boring,” she quips.
The one thing that has remained a constant in her life is her interest in telling stories. A self-professed lover of “all things macabre,” she turned her attention to writing murder mysteries. And with her affinity for the supernatural, she couldn’t help throwing in a monster or two.