Call Sheet Confessions cover art

Call Sheet Confessions

Call Sheet Confessions

By: Mia LePage
Listen for free

Call Sheet Confessions was built from early call times, long days, career pivots, and the candid conversations that happen off-camera. The podcast creates space for entertainment industry professionals to share real advice with aspiring creatives—offering honest insight into how to break into the business, navigate the industry, and build a sustainable career.Hosted by Los Angeles–based entertainment professional Mia LePage, the show pulls back the curtain on what truly happens behind the scenes, demystifying the paths, challenges, and wins that often go unseen.

© 2026 Call Sheet Confessions Career Success Economics
Episodes
  • Take #21 | Life’s a Hike: How Dave Silver Built REC Philly, Failed Fast, and Rewrote His Life

    Take #21 | Life’s a Hike: How Dave Silver Built REC Philly, Failed Fast, and Rewrote His Life
    Jun 5 2026
    Dave Silver didn’t grow up with a roadmap for building a creative empire. He was a goofy kid from Warminster, Bucks County, who loved sports, found his first real sense of leadership in his Jewish youth community, and discovered his creative side almost by accident through high school media classes. He met his future co‑founder Will Toms because their last names — Silver and Toms — sat them next to each other in class. Before long, they were “the video guys” at school, taking over afternoon announcements, with Dave as the weatherman, and quietly laying the foundation for what would become REC Philly.In this episode of Call Sheet Confessions, Dave and I dive into how a kid who picked advertising at Temple University mostly because he liked Mad Men and wanted an “easy major” ended up co‑founding one of Philly’s most important creative hubs. We walk through his journey from frat basement concerts and the Broad Street Music Group, to launching and losing a record label, to building a 10,000 sq. ft. state‑of‑the‑art creative facility… and then making the agonizing decision to close it. Dave opens up about what it really looks like to build something from scratch, scale too fast, survive a pandemic, confront burnout, and then completely redesign your life on your own terms.We get into:• Growing up outside Philly as a goofy, sports‑loving kid who only really found direction in high school through leadership in his Jewish youth organization• Meeting his future business partner Will Toms in high school, becoming “the video guys,” and taking over their school’s afternoon announcements• Choosing advertising at Temple almost at random, not loving school, and pouring his energy into extracurriculars: a Jewish fraternity, media and advertising clubs, and student leadership• The capstone project at Temple (Diamond Edge Communication) that became his first real event — booking a band, raising sponsorships, creating graphics — and realizing how much he loved event planning• Treating frat parties like a business: staffing, logistics, booking DJs, and turning his basement into a full‑on venue called the Broad Street Music Lounge• Getting kicked out of that basement over a “$2M insurance policy,” and how that forced him to level up from house shows to real venues across Philadelphia• Building Broad Street Music Group into an event production company, throwing concerts Monday–Thursday at multiple venues while still in college• Acting as a de facto manager/opportunity‑maker for a close friend and using every show to put local artists on stage and in front of media• Trying to evolve into a community record label, running a Kickstarter that ultimately failed, and how that “failure” became the catalyst for the birth of REC Philly• Turning a rough North Philly warehouse into a scrappy creative hub with DIY studios and stages, and then evolving that into a 10,000 sq. ft. Center City facility with 12 production studios, concert spaces, and a full membership model• The explosive growth from 100 to 900 members almost overnight, and what it felt like to see their long‑imagined space finally become real• The brutal timing of opening in December 2019, then immediately getting hit by the COVID‑19 pandemic — shutting down, laying off team members, and scrambling to reinvent the business• Pivoting REC Philly into a virtual production hub, working with corporate partners, and distributing relief funds to local creators during the pandemic• Why REC never fully regained its original momentum post‑lockdown, how investor pressure and impatience led to expanding too quickly, and the hard lessons that came with that• Making the decision to close REC Philly (final closure in December 2025), what it meant emotionally to walk away after a decade, and why that choice was ultimately about protecting his well‑being• Going from 30 employees, big leases, and constant debt to “just Dave” — and what his life and “call sheet” look like now: slow mornings, long walks in the park, cooking for himself, and hand‑selecting a small roster of partner clients• How a solo journey on the Camino de Santiago in Spain — hiking 70 miles mostly alone — helped him process 15 years of entrepreneurship and sparked the idea for his book “Life’s a Hike”• Talking to a handheld camera on the trail, pouring out stories and lessons, then writing at night without editing or overthinking — and why he refused to let perfectionism stop him from publishing• Why he believes you don’t need to “identify” as an author to write a book, or as any one thing to create something meaningful and share it• Busting big myths: that creative careers aren’t sustainable, that you “need” outside funding, that bigger always means more successful, and that closing a business equals failure• What he’s learned about entitlement in creative communities, companies ...
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 2 mins
  • Take #20 | Matt Sonnack’s Route from DVD Bonus Features to Big‑Time Reality TV Sets

    Take #20 | Matt Sonnack’s Route from DVD Bonus Features to Big‑Time Reality TV Sets
    May 29 2026

    Matt Sonic didn’t grow up on a Hollywood backlot or with industry parents paving the way. He was a shy, movie‑obsessed kid in Minnesota in a no‑video‑games household who found his escape — and his education — in films and TV. While other kids were just watching Pixar, Matt was rewatching DVDs with commentary tracks, studying behind‑the‑scenes features, and quietly deciding he’d move to LA and work in film and television — with no plan B.

    In this episode of Call Sheet Confessions, Matt and I talk about how a quiet, nerdy kid from the Midwest became a working filmmaker across some of the biggest shows in pop culture — from The Bachelor franchise and The Kardashians, to the Hannah Montana 20th anniversary special and the Euphoria promo, plus our time together on Let’s Marry Harry. We get into what it really looks like to come from “outside” the industry, build a career from scratch, and keep going when your dream feels huge and your path is anything but guaranteed.

    We get into:
    • Growing up in Minnesota as a shy, nerdy kid who used movies and TV as an escape and a way to learn social skills
    • Being in a no‑video‑games household — and how that pushed him deeper into storytelling, film language, and characters
    • Rewatching movies with commentary tracks, obsessing over behind‑the‑scenes features, and realizing he cared about how stories were made as much as the stories themselves
    • Knowing from a young age that there was no “Plan B” — he was going to move to LA and work in film and TV, period
    • Having parents outside the industry who were initially unsure, then became fully supportive once they saw his seriousness and commitment
    • Why that parental support mattered, and what it looks like when your family doesn’t quite “get” your dream but still chooses to back you
    • Coming into Hollywood as an outsider and slowly finding his place on sets and in production
    • Working on major projects like The Bachelor franchise, The Kardashians, the Hannah Montana 20th anniversary special, and the Euphoria promo — and what those experiences taught him
    • Our time working together on Let’s Marry Harry, what that show was really like, and why we’re still waiting for it to finally drop
    • The importance of proof of concept — showing, not just telling, the people around you that this is serious and you’re all in

    Matt also opens up about the inner work behind his journey — pushing through shyness, using movies as both comfort and a blueprint for human behavior, learning to operate without a safety‑net “real job” plan, and appreciating the people who believed in him before the credits ever rolled with his name on them.

    This episode is for anyone who’s ever dreamed of moving to LA, breaking into film and TV from far outside the system, turning a childhood obsession with movies into a real career, or just understanding what it actually takes to build a life in entertainment when you don’t start with connections or industry parents.

    Follow the podcast on Instagram:
    https://www.instagram.com/callsheetconfesspod?igsh=MXM4ZGtlOHhyYXljaw==

    Follow Matt:
    (Insert Matt’s Instagram or social links here)

    🔔 Subscribe for more honest conversations about film & TV, creative careers, LA life, and what really happens behind the scenes of the industry.
    Show More Show Less
    58 mins
  • Take #19 | Christian Crosby’s Journey from Shy Church Kid to NBA Host & Media Mogul in the Making

    Take #19 | Christian Crosby’s Journey from Shy Church Kid to NBA Host & Media Mogul in the Making
    May 22 2026

    Christian Crosby didn’t grow up with a spotlight on him or a straight path into entertainment. He was a shy kid in Philly who hid behind his mom’s leg, hated public speaking, and secretly doubted himself — until his parents put him in church theater, handed him a Panasonic camcorder, and quietly changed the entire trajectory of his life.

    In this episode of Call Sheet Confessions, Christian and I talk about how a quiet, self‑doubting kid from Philadelphia became a multi‑hyphenate media personality — from directing toy “movies” in his bedroom and rapping in church, to dancing, acting, and eventually building his own media brand, working NBA games, and landing on hit shows like Abbott Elementary, Hustle, and Wild ’N Out.

    We get into: • Growing up in Philly as a shy kid who hid behind his mom and avoided the spotlight
    • How his parents used church theater to pull him out of his shell and build real confidence
    • Getting his first camcorder and shooting full scenes and “music videos” with his action figures at age seven
    • Performing hip hop and rap in church, directing choir, and playing drums as a young “church boy ready to rock and roll”
    • The importance of having a supportive family — and what to do if your own family doesn’t understand your dream
    • Training at Freedom Theatre in Philadelphia and realizing entertainment wasn’t just a hobby
    • Working retail at Foot Locker while chasing acting gigs and auditioning nonstop
    • Landing his first Target commercial as a teenager, getting that $5K check, and realizing, “Oh, it’s over — this is what I’m gonna do”
    • The mindset of fearlessness: trying things before you feel “ready” and letting experience build belief
    • Moving from Philly to LA after years of dreaming about it — and why he finally stopped pushing that move off
    • The reality of LA life: brutal traffic, long drives, and still choosing to show up anyway
    • Why he thinks LA gets a bad rap — and why he loves the food, the people, and the creative energy
    • How coming to LA with a specific mission, not a vague dream, changes everything
    • Wanting to build a bigger team, deeper relationships, and a real media empire — not just chase clout

    Christian also opens up about the inner work that fueled his journey — battling early self‑doubt, letting his parents’ belief carry him until he could believe in himself, learning to try new things without guarantees, and intentionally surrounding himself with people who pour into his vision.

    This episode is for anyone who’s ever wanted to move to LA, break into entertainment from outside the system, turn childhood creativity into a real career, or just understand what it takes to build a media life from scratch when you don’t start with money or connections.

    Follow the podcast on Instagram:
    https://www.instagram.com/callsheetconfesspod?igsh=MXM4ZGtlOHhyYXljaw==

    🔔 Subscribe for more honest conversations about entertainment, dance, creativity, LA life, and what really happens behind the scenes of the industry.
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 16 mins
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_t1
No reviews yet