PODCAST · business
The Orbit
by Connor Miller
An interview series with creative online entrepreneurs. Utilizing the tools available to them, these artists, musicians, videographers, and more aim to make a living for themselves on the internet. At "The Orbit", we sit down and get the scoop on their process, history, and goals in order to better understand the ever changing small business economy.
Episodes
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Building the Bridge 002 | Email, Texting, and Charging Your Phone
My dad wrote a list of computer questions on a piece of printer paper, and we worked through them together. I may not have all the answers, but at the very least I think I can help my dad get his footing when it comes to technology. In this episode of "Building the Bridge", Dad asks questions…
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Building the Bridge 001 | Mice & Keyboards w/ Chris Miller
The generational knowledge gap is vast when it comes to the internet and tech. So, I'm sitting down with my father Chris Miller and answering his questions about computers. Today, he asked me a great question: why is there a click and a double click on the mouse? From here, we discuss the…
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How to Create Positive Systemic Change Online In 2021
2020 was a doozy, but it clearly exposed some of the most important problems that we face in 2021. Using the tools immediately available to us on our computers and phones, I believe we can make lasting systemic change. My friends stream on Twitch, make TikToks, and podcasts, and this blisteringly...
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Interview 033 | Pirijan Ketheswaran, Creator of Kinopio & Co-creator of Glitch
Pirijan is a designer and engineer whose favorite tools are the hammer and the sandwich. He co-creator Glitch, an online IDE for folks who want to learn how to code, and now he's working on his own creation called Kinopio, a mind-mapping tool that gels with how our brains operate. In this...
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Interview 032 | Aaron Rasmussen, Founder & CEO of Outlier.org
Aaron Rasmussen is interested in everything, which helps in his work as an entrepreneur, inventor, and content creator. From California to Boston and beyond, Aaaron has dabbled in robotics, virtual reality, energy drinks, and now education. He co-founded Masterclass, an online teaching platform...
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Interview 031 | Jonathan Van Belle, author of "Zenithism"
Jonathan Van Belle is a philosopher and writer who explores the big questions about life, the universe, and everything in his upcoming book "Zenithism" (to be released February 14th, 2021). After studying philosophy at UC Berkeley, Jonathan combined his academic inclinations with his playful...
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What is the Future of Work?
I study the future of work - that is, creative folks who run their own small businesses online. When I asked my friends what they wanted in a job, the answers surprised me, and let me to a three-year-long investigation as to what careers young folks are making for themselves. This video is a bit…
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Interview 030 | carla bergman, co-author of "Joyful Militancy"
carla bergman isn't an anarchist, communist "or any -ist, really." Instead, she is interested in prioritizing people over projects. Her book "Joyful Militancy", written with Nick Montgomery, explores the idea of dismantling oppressive forces by creating joy on the interpersonal level. Whether she...
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Quarantine Diaries, Part 2
It's been five months since my last "Quarantine Diaries" entry, and boy oh boy a lot has happened. I'm playing video games, streaming, and reading. But most of all, I've been resting and taking care of myself. The weight of the world gets heavier almost every week, and in this episode I reflect…
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Book Report: "Joyful Militancy"
In response to unchecked police brutality, my friends in Portland and beyond have taken to the streets to organize and protest. One book that has proven helpful in this is "Joyful Militancy" by Nick Montgomery & carla bergman, a guide to fighting fascism without creating more fascism. In this...
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Interview 029 | Mer Joyce
Mer Joyce is the founder of Do Big Good, a Seattle-based redesign studio that aims to tackle systemic problems with a strategic and innovative mindset. She has consulted and collaborated with non-profits and firms around the globe, with a focus on digital activism and social impact measurement.…
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Data Points & Schemas (Tools for Better Learning)
I'm always trying to think of ways to improve my information diet - one strategy is to classify my input as data points and schemas. This simply means differentiating between the various flavors of information that we encounter in books, movies, articles, and podcasts. If we see how information...
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Emergent Social Systems in Response to COVID-19
People have been socializing on the internet for a long time - but how has it changed since we've been on lockdown? In this conversational vlog, I discuss the ways I connect with friends, and how others have found similar solutions organically. We'll touch on systems thinking, emergent phenomena,...
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How I Learned to Code for Fun
I'm a hobby programmer - I like making tiny little web apps, cobbling together IoT devices, and investigating CTF challenges. I'm by no means a professional, but I do manage to find joy in learning new things. Code is everywhere, and I think that more people might give it a try if they knew where...
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How Do I Build an Audience Online?
Finding your audience doesn't happen overnight - it takes sustained effort. In this video, we will discuss content consistency and its role in bringing in new fans and followers. Together, we'll find a process and pace that works for you and your online presence, so that people are motivated to…
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What is Ambient Proximity?
Ambient proximity is a fancy way of saying "hanging out but not interacting." It's what you're doing when you study in a cafe. However, in the midst of COVID-19, is there a way for us to create this environment online? In this video, I talk about the benefits of ambient proximity and provide...
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How Do I Pick Which Project to Pursue?
Sarah emailed me a question: "How do you balance being a multi-interested person?" Sarah wants to pursue music as a career, but also has business aspirations and a couple of other projects. How do you pick just one? In this video, I discuss choice paralysis, along with strategies for how to make…
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Interview 028 | Alyssum Quaglia
Alyssum brings the weird to the corporate world. As an industrial designer, she often has to communicate a feeling to a team, which is where her Pinterest boards come into play. They're an accumulation of images that Alyssum has collected for years, organized by various themes so that when she...
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The Quarantine Diaries
In which I share what I've been doing whilst at home.
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Interview 027 | Melissa Blount
In quarantine, the problem isn't just teaching kids remotely - it's getting them access to a computer with internet. Melissa Blount works at a Title 1 middle school, and her job has shifted from being a librarian to being a social support hub for her students. COVID-19 swept the nation quickly,...
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Interview 026 | Salmonberry Goods
In the months before COVID-19 swept the United States, Salmonberry Goods supplied farm-fresh baked goods to cafes and markets across Seattle. Now their business looks a lot different - they've lost 90% of their wholesale market, had to close their cafes, and now are focused on delivering organic...
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Interview 025 | Elliott Cost
Elliott Cost makes unique, online experiences that foster a sense of community. Based in New York City, he recently launched a site called "special.fish", a slower-paced social media platform that feels like a collection of rich-text files masquerading as people. Each of his many projects have a...
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Interview 024 | Marisa Dodd
Marisa loves Russian literature, so much that she is making her way towards becoming an expert. In this interview, we discuss which books to start with, how to make time to read, and what makes Russian literature so darn good. Marisa is also working on a podcast on the subject, so be sure to stay...
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Interview 023 | Megan Saxelby
Megan Saxelby has taught middle school for thirteen years and loved it. In this interview, she tells us that there is something wrong with how we think about teenagers, especially when it comes to offering them dignity. This concept, dignity, it what drives her own work as an advocate for people...
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Finds 005 | CultureBucket 2019
Everyone is a curator, which is why I ask my friends to send me their "Best of" lists every year for a blog called "CultureBucket". In this episode of Finds, Amira and I walk through our top media picks from 2019, thus to clarify our own processes for finding, gathering, and sharing our favorite...
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Finds 004 | Weird Internet
The internet is a lot less weird than it used to be... or is it? In this episode, Amira and I investigate the past, present, and future of apps and websites that exist seemingly for small-scale personal enjoyment. Including mini-games, alternate realities, directories and more, we try to gather...
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Finds 003 | Sewing Communities Online
Amira loves to sew, and draws inspiration for various YouTube and Instagram channels. Connor, on the other hand, has no experience in this field whatsoever. So, in this episode of "Finds", Amira shares with us quality content from small businesses and bloggers who have a knack for making their…
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Interview 022 | Lillian Karabaic
Lillian Karabaic seems to do it all, but assures us that once we get to know her, it will all make sense. Mainly, she hosts a radio show about personal finance for millennials. Drawing from her background in data, statistics, taxes, and more, "Anomalily" makes sorting out your bank account more...
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Finds 002 | Cannabis on the Internet
In this episode, Amira and I gathered a sampling of cannabis tools and media on the internet. With legalization steadily making its way across the United States, along with the continuous growth of the internet, we found that there are many opportunities to reshape the way we think about…
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Interview 021 | Elliot Murphy
Elliot Murphy is interested in systems, group cognition, and statistics - all of which tie into his security work at Kindly Ops. In this interview, we discuss what the layperson needs to know about staying safe online, with an emphasis on what to do /when/ you get compromised, as opposed to...
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Interview 003 | Aaron Whitlatch
Conversationalist and playlist curator Aaron Whitlatch shares his thoughts on music, joining Twitter, and how in general technology's effects on social situations. As a co-host of the podcast "Talking About Talking About It", Connor and Aaron thought it best to try and cover as many topics as…
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Finds 001 | No Code
Crafter/coder Amira Hailemariam (@amirahaile) and I launch this season tackling no-code platforms, or tools that do the work of programming without looking like your typical programming language.
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Interview 020 | Sondre Rasch
Sondre Rasch is a digital nomad - originally from Oslo, Norway, he travels the world as he runs his company, SafetyWing, which provides travel medical insurance for folks who make a living on the internet. He is fascinated by the problems remote workers face, like the way they pick countries like...
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Interview 019 | Sahil Lavingia
Sahil Lavingia is the CEO and founder of an online selling platform called Gumroad. Sahil was 19 when he left Pinterest to start his own venture, and today his business allows creators to sell their products quickly and easily. Like many of Gumroad's users, Sahil is an artist (he writes and...
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Interview 018 | Joann Miller
Joann Miller teaches Microsoft Office and other computer skills at an Adult School in the Bay Area. She also happens to be my mother. We talked about the challenges she faces as she tries to provide an affordable service to folks who need certification in order to do their job better. Sometimes…
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Interview 017 | Emily Griffin aka Daybrighten
Emily Griffin is an illustrator that does most of her networking on Twitter. Her secret? Being herself. Her art has been featured by Hellogiggles, Tumblr, Glitch, Marie Kondo, and more. With her knack for drawing cute digital comics that have the feel of watercolor, Emily doesn't know where her...
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interview 016 | Moji Igun
Moji runs Blule Daisi Consulting, which helps small businesses become more environmentally sustainable. Her venture has been live for six months, and she tells us that a lot of her work is education since some folks don't really know what it means to be "sustainable". Through networking, trash...
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Interview 015 | Thomas Marnin & Skye Saylor (aka MarninSaylor)
MarninSaylor sell their handmade line of toys, Pastry Pets, in Seattle's famed Pike Place Market. Known for their impeccable retail theater, their rich brand identity, and of course the cutest toy you've ever seen, it is sometimes hard to picture how much work Thomas Marnin and Skye Saylor put…
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Interview 014 | Cordero Core
Cordero Core is a jack of all trades. By day he's a computational chemist, and by night he's a baker, an MMA fighter, and an aspiring congressperson. In this interview, we ask him how he pursues his interests and why, in order to figure out how to market and manage ourselves as we navigate our…
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Interview 013 | Emily Lakehomer
Based in Portland, Oregon, Emily Lakehomer works a tech job by day and runs an Instagram vintage shop by night. Under the handle @shopfruitstand, Emily curates 60s & 70s styles with Western flair and ships them across the United States to paying customers. She manages to make her hobby profitable...
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Interview 012 | Elias Higham
Elias Higham set out to pursue his dream of becoming a screenwriter in Los Angeles, and it hasn't been easy. However, through persistence and staying true to himself, he managed to work his way into the writer's room of an upcoming animated series. In this interview, we talk about the…
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Interview 011 | Abbey St. John
Abbey St. John (also known as "oatmeat" on Instagram) is an illustrator that is finishing up her degree at the Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland, Oregon. Her drawing style is a bit cubist, really whimsical, and always changing. In this interview, we discuss what goes on at art school,...
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Interview 010 | Lito Nicolai
This week, we're talking design, art, and reason with Lito Nicolai. As a programmer by day and an art boy by night, Lito often puzzles over what makes things beautiful. This led him to become interested in the architect Christopher Alexander, who wrote several books that attempt to capture what...
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Interview 009 | Marshall Steeves
Following his fascination with architecture, inside and out, Marshall Steeves specializes in design photography. Specifically, he is drawn to cafes in Portland, Oregon, which all have a unique pattern language that overlaps with web development trends. Garnering a following of over 7k on…
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Interview 008 | Kevin Wright
Kevin Wright is the founder and captain of Wright Hand Twill, an online storefront with a focus on specialty denim. Kevin has a ton of experience in indigo dying, fabric production, and old-school jeans, and today he talked about what it is like retailing products from small, independent...
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Interview 007 | mis0happy aka Nina Nguyen
Nina is an illustrator (under the moniker "mis0happy") that has a knack for product design. Through her online store, she sells t-shirts, enamel pins, prints, washi-tape, and more featuring her own artwork. Though she features some art theft from time to time, she manages to travel North America…
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Interview 006 | Pikarar aka Angela Nguyen
Pikarar draws doggos in hoodies, remixed Pikachus, and more. Currently she balances her side hustle and her day job, yet manages to travel across the country to various festivals to pop up shop and sell her merchandise. In this interview, she shares her history, challenges, and advice for folks...
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Interview 005 | Jordan Clark
Jordan makes art tutorial videos on YouTube, a hobby that turned into a business that spans Instagram, Shopify, and Patreon. We talk about her challenges, what she enjoys about her work, and what others in her field can do to optimize their creativity.
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Interview 001 | Trevor Ford
An interview with Trevor Ford on the various subjects of shoes, startups, social media and vision. Herein lie some contradictory (and highly useful) viewpoints on staying positive, ‘making it’ in the world of New Media, and escaping the life of a Barista.
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Interview 004 | Cheyenne Barton
Now that they have published their book "Sustainable Loops", Connor and Cheyenne talk creativity, the internet, and entrepreneurship. Cheyenne gained a following through Tumblr and YouTube which allowed her to pursue illustration full time in 2017. Together, they discuss the challenge of running…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
An interview series with creative online entrepreneurs. Utilizing the tools available to them, these artists, musicians, videographers, and more aim to make a living for themselves on the internet. At "The Orbit", we sit down and get the scoop on their process, history, and goals in order to better understand the ever changing small business economy.
HOSTED BY
Connor Miller
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Orbit have?
The Orbit currently has 51 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Orbit about?
An interview series with creative online entrepreneurs. Utilizing the tools available to them, these artists, musicians, videographers, and more aim to make a living for themselves on the internet. At "The Orbit", we sit down and get the scoop on their process, history, and goals in order to better...
How often does The Orbit release new episodes?
The Orbit has 51 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to The Orbit?
You can listen to The Orbit on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The Orbit?
The Orbit is created and hosted by Connor Miller.
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