Episode 310 - Getting REAL About Being Seen with Josh Madson

In this episode of Circle Up and Get REAL, Jodee sits down with photographer, filmmaker, and creative visionary Josh Madson to explore an extraordinary journey of reinvention, purpose, and human connection. Josh shares how a broken-up band and a leap of faith led him from Minnesota to Los Angeles, where he built a successful career working alongside some of the biggest names in photography, including Annie Leibovitz and major commercial brands. Along the way, he learned that great photography is less about technical perfection and more about helping people feel comfortable, valued, and authentically themselves. But success didn't follow a straight line. During the pandemic, Josh found himself back in Minnesota, living with his mother, questioning his future, and searching for meaning after losing both income and direction. Out of that difficult season emerged an unexpected idea: a community portrait project that would eventually grow into Community Collage, a large-scale public art movement celebrating the people who make communities unique. Today, Community Collage has engaged thousands of people across multiple cities, including more than 1,200 participants in the Fargo-Moorhead area alone. Through free portrait sessions and massive public murals, Josh creates experiences that help people feel seen, appreciated, and connected to something larger than themselves. Together, Jodee and Josh explore themes of manifestation, personal responsibility, authenticity, belonging, and the power of creative work to bring people together. The conversation is a reminder that sometimes our greatest contributions emerge not from our highest moments of success, but from the seasons that force us to rediscover who we are and what truly matters. Josh will be one of the speakers at Fargo's TEDx in July. Find more about Josh at his website: www.communitycollage.org.