From their bold ideas to their dedication to the craft, each of these individuals brings something truly special to the table. Join me as I highlight who they are, why I admire what they do, and the creative spark their work brings to anyone chasing their passion.

Calvin gets into what it actually looks like to lead with intention instead of just managing whatever comes up. He talks through preparing versus repairing, a real moment leading worship where he had to stop and read the room instead of just powering through, and the honest, sometimes uncomfortable line between being intentional and just people-pleasing.

This one goes deeper into faith than usual — Calvin unpacks how Jesus led with more intentionality than anyone who ever lived, including the story of the woman at the well in John 4, and ties it to a modern moment that wrecked him this past week watching a stranger's random act of kindness change someone's life.

If you lead anything — a team, a stage, a room, a family — this episode will change how you walk into it.

In this episode:

• Why most leadership is reactive, not intentional
• The John Maxwell line that reframes preparing vs. repairing
• A real story from leading worship on Isaiah 6
• Telling the difference between intentionality and people-pleasing
• How Jesus led with intention — the woman at the well, John 4
• A modern-day echo of that same heart, caught on camera

🎙️ New episodes of Make Belief drop weekly.
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#MakeBelief #LeadingWithIntention #IntentionalLeadership #Podcast

I'm walking through the whole arc: the grief that made me hide, the inner work that turned pain into purpose, why I believe every artist needs to think like a media company, a true story about a billion-dollar Powerball jackpot that taught me something bigger than money — and why I started the Make Belief Mastermind to help other people unlock what's already in them.

If you've been sitting on your gift, waiting for permission — this one's for you.

In this episode, Danny sits down with Calvin Nowell to talk about what nobody tells you about staying in this industry long-term — the years after the spotlight fades, the genre pivots that weren't always planned, and why betting on yourself again is harder the second time than the first.

If you've ever felt boxed in by what people expect you to be, this conversation is for you.

🎙️ Watch, listen, and subscribe for new episodes of Make Belief every week.

#MakeBeliefPodcast #TommeeProfitt #CreativeEntrepreneur #MusicProduction #FaithAndCreativity

For a long time, I haven’t talked publicly about my weight, what it’s been like to live in a body that’s been judged before anyone knew my work, my heart, or my story. Today I’m changing that.

In this episode, I’m opening up about weight discrimination, what it’s looked like in my life, what it’s cost me, and why I’ve stayed quiet about it for so long. This isn’t about calling anyone out. It’s about finally telling the truth about something I’ve carried for years.

If you’ve ever been judged for how you look before anyone gave you a chance to show who you are, this episode is for you.

In this episode: - What weight discrimination has actually looked like in my life - Why I stayed silent about it for so long - What it’s taken to finally talk about it out loud - What I want you to know if you’re carrying something similar

You’re not alone in this. And you’re gonna make it.

In this episode of Make Belief, I sit down with Sal Oliveri — Nashville-based producer, songwriter, and artist development specialist who helped shape me early in my own career. His credits span pop, rock, R&B, country, Christian, and film, with a Grammy nomination and work connected to artists like Pink, Jack Antonoff, and Billy Joel.

We get into: - What artist development actually looked like before streaming changed everything - Why labels shifted from developing talent to demanding artists arrive “fully formed” - What gets lost — for the artist and the music itself — when that development never happens - What real self-development looks like when there’s no label footing the bill - What Sal saw in me early on that needed developing, and how he approached it

If you’re building something right now without a system behind you, this episode is for you. You’re not behind. The system changed — quietly — and you deserve to know what actually happened.

In this episode, I sit down with Nicholas to unpack how he walked away from a career as an actor, model, and songwriter in Nashville (he opened for Mac Miller in college) to build one of the fastest-growing faith-rooted encouragement brands on social media — shot almost entirely on an iPhone, with a bedsheet over a window standing in for a lighting rig.

My biggest takeaway from this conversation: Nicholas isn’t guessing. He studies his audience — reads constantly, absorbs everything he can — and then strategically serves them the best of what he’s learned. That’s the real engine behind the growth.

We get into:

• Why he built anonymously before ever telling anyone what he was doing • How studying his audience deeply shapes every piece of content he makes • Why encouragement content is outperforming outrage content at scale • The “give value for free for years” approach that let him skip sponsorships entirely • How he turned trust into three self-owned products — a journal, a card game, and a course • His advice for anyone sitting on an audience but hasn’t built anything to sell yet

This is Make Belief — where we turn passive dreaming into intentional action. If you’re a creative entrepreneur trying to build something real instead of chasing a moment, this conversation is for you.

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 Follow Nicholas: @nicholasjohn__

#MakeBeliefPodcast #NicholasJohn #ContentCreator #FaithAndBusiness #CreativeEntrepreneur #SocialMediaGrowth #NashvilleCreators

Dr. Nia Allen is a three-time #1 Billboard Gospel artist, worship leader, songwriter, author, and speaker — and a close friend of mine for years. She came up leading worship (including for CeCe Winans) long before the charts knew her name. In this conversation we get into how she built a movement song by song, how she topped the chart three times as an independent artist, and how she’s done it all without ever leaving the altar.

This one’s for every dreamer who feels overlooked and is wondering if the work will ever break. It will. That’s Make Belief — you don’t dream your way there, you build your way there.

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FOLLOW NIA ALLEN:

Instagram: [@niaallenmusic] 

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Instagram: @makebeliefpodcast

Calvin: @calvinnowell

Make Belief is where dreamers become doers. New episodes drop every Monday at 8 am CT. Subscribe so you don’t miss what’s next.

In this episode of Make Belief, Jordan takes us behind the scenes of American Idol — the doubt, the breakthrough, and the mindset that changed everything. As he puts it: now that he knows he can believe, all things are possible. That’s not a slogan. It’s the line between dreaming and doing. 

This is what Make Belief is all about — turning passive dreaming into intentional action. Jordan lived it. And his story is proof that belief isn’t the reward at the finish line. It’s the first move. 

Jordan McCullough is also our Make Belief Artist of the Month. Keep up with him and don’t miss what’s next. 

Subscribe for new episodes and join a community of dreamers turned doers. 

In Episode 4 of Make Belief, I’m breaking down what a label actually offers, what it costs you, and why “everybody wins” isn’t always true in those deals. As someone who built AXIA Records and managed artists on both sides of this conversation, I’m giving you the real picture — not the hype.

In this episode you’ll discover:

→ What a label actually does for an artist in 2026 — and what they don’t

→ The real cost of signing a deal (it’s not just percentages)

→ When a label makes sense and when independence is the smarter move

→ How I built AXIA Records and what that taught me about ownership

→ The “everybody wins” myth — and who actually wins in most deals

This is the Artist Series — Make Belief’s deep dive into building a creative career on your own terms. If you’ve ever wondered whether you need a label to make it, this episode gives you the clarity to decide for yourself.

You don’t need permission to build. You need information. This episode gives you both.

 SUBSCRIBE to Make Belief Podcast so you never miss an episode.

 FOLLOW on Instagram:

Make Belief Podcast → @makebeliefpodcast

Calvin Nowell → @calvinnowell

LISTEN on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms — Search “Make Belief with Calvin Nowell”

#MakeBelief #MakeBeliefPodcast #CalvinNowell #RecordLabel #IndependentArtist #AXIARecords #CreativeEntrepreneur #MusicIndustry #WorshipMusic #ArtistSeries #MakeBeliefHappen

That’s the mistake most creative entrepreneurs make. They chase the viral moment but never build the infrastructure to capitalize on it.

In Episode 3 of Make Belief, I’m pulling back the curtain on four real viral moments from my own career — what actually caused them, what I did right, what I did wrong, and the strategy most artists miss when their content blows up.

In this episode you’ll discover:

→ Why going viral without a plan is actually worse than not going viral at all

→ The four viral moments that changed my career (and what each one taught me)

→ How YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok work DIFFERENTLY — and why posting the same content everywhere is costing you

→ What to do in the 48 hours after your content explodes

→ The business infrastructure every independent artist needs BEFORE they go viral

This is the Artist Series — Make Belief’s deep dive into building a creative career on your own terms. If you’ve ever had a moment of traction and watched it disappear, this episode will change how you think about momentum forever.

Going viral isn’t the destination. It’s the confirmation that you’re creating something real. Now learn what to do with it.

SUBSCRIBE to Make Belief Podcast so you never miss an episode.
FOLLOW on Instagram:

Make Belief Podcast → @makebeliefpodcast
Calvin Nowell → @calvinnowell

In Episode 2 of Make Belief, I’m breaking down why the audience you already have is your greatest untapped asset — and sharing the real story of how serving my existing audience took my content from zero to nearly 90 million views. Independently. No label. No radio campaign. Just authentic content that met people where they were. 

In this episode you’ll discover: 

→ Why chasing a bigger audience while ignoring your current one is the biggest mistake creators make 

→ The watch time secret that took my YouTube channel from unknown to 169K subscribers 

→ How social media became interest media — and what that means for your content strategy 

→ The difference between an audience and a movement — and how to turn one into the other 

→ How studying your audience like a marketer changes everything about how you create 

This is the Artist Series — Make Belief’s deep dive into building a creative career on your own terms. If you’ve been creating content and wondering why it’s not growing the way you want, this episode will change how you think about your audience forever. 

Stop chasing growth. Start serving who you have. Build your empire from there. 

🔔 SUBSCRIBE to Make Belief Podcast so you never miss an episode.  

FOLLOW on Instagram: 

Make Belief Podcast → @makebeliefpodcast 
Calvin Nowell → @calvinnowell

That wait is costing you your career. 

In Episode 1 of Make Belief, I’m breaking down why strategy always beats waiting for permission — and sharing the real lessons from 25 years in the Christian music industry that taught me how to build something meaningful without waiting for anyone’s approval. 

In this episode you’ll learn:
 → Why perception determines reception — and how to use that to your advantage 

→ The marketing principle that opened doors for my music career before anyone knew my name 

→ What eight years of artist management taught me about building real careers → How authenticity and strategy work together in a saturated market
 → Why excellence is your greatest differentiator right now 

This is the Artist Series — Make Belief’s deep dive into building a music career on your own terms. Whether you’re an independent artist, a worship leader, or a creative entrepreneur of any kind — this episode is for you. 

You don’t get what you want in life just because you want it. You get what you believe is possible. Let’s make belief happen. 

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📲 FOLLOW on Instagram: 

Make Belief Podcast → @makebeliefpodcast 
Calvin Nowell → @calvinnowell

You get Make Belief. 

I’m Calvin Nowell — singer, songwriter, former artist manager, marketing agency owner, and creative entrepreneur. I’ve spent over two decades behind the scenes of the Christian music industry. I’ve managed artists, directed music videos, built brands, and helped create viral moments for some of the biggest names in the game. 

And now? I’m done being quiet. 

Make Belief is a podcast for creative entrepreneurs who are done waiting for permission. Who are tired of being overlooked. Who know they have something real to offer the world but can’t figure out how to break through. 

This is the Artist Series — where we start right here in the music space, because this is what I know best. Over ten episodes, we’re going to break down exactly how to build a creative career on your own terms. Strategy. Branding. Audience building. Team building. Going viral. The real stuff nobody talks about. 

I don’t have all the answers. But I have 25 years of experience, a clear vision, and unwavering belief in what’s possible. I’m making belief happen in real time. And I’m inviting you to come with me. 

This is Make Belief. Let’s go.