September 25, 2025 • 27 mins
From HGTV star to Hollywood actress to theater producer, Wanda Colon's creative journey has come full circle as she returns to her Reading roots with an exciting new project. After conquering television as a design expert and even sharing an on-screen kiss with Jean-Claude Van Damme (which she hilariously describes as "the worst kiss of my life"), Wanda is now channeling her passion into "LoveNotes Berks," a powerful storytelling experience premiering October 11th at the Miller Center.
The show features twelve brave performers sharing deeply personal stories about love in all its forms—the heartwarming, the heartbreaking, and everything in between. During her conversation with Brad Weisman, Wanda reveals how the project came together through her connection with Heather Christie, who originated the LoveNotes concept with successful performances in New York. What makes this production unique is that each storyteller not only performs but has written their own authentic narrative, creating an intimate evening that moved even Wanda's husband to tears during rehearsals.
Having spent nearly two decades away from Reading pursuing her entertainment career and co-founding the Academy of Home Staging and Design, Wanda speaks candidly about the unexpected joy of returning home. "I have such an appreciation for home," she reflects, touched by how warmly the community has embraced her vision. The production represents more than entertainment—it's a celebration of vulnerability, connection, and the universal experiences that bind us together.
Whether you're a theater enthusiast or simply looking for a meaningful date night, "LoveNotes Berks" promises an evening of emotional storytelling complemented by musical performances from talented vocalists. The night continues with a special afterparty at the Peanut Bar featuring dinner specials created for the occasion. Secure your tickets at lovenotesberks.com and be part of this extraordinary homecoming celebration that might just inspire you to share your own story.
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Welcome to The Brad Weisman Show, where we dive into the world of real estate, real life, and everything in between with your host, Brad Weisman! 🎙️ Join us for candid conversations, laughter, and a fresh take on the real world. Get ready to explore the ups and downs of life with a side of humor. From property to personality, we've got it all covered. Tune in, laugh along, and let's get real! 🏡🌟 #TheBradWeismanShow #RealEstateRealLife
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
There we go.
From real estate to the marketas a whole, which then sometimes
will affect the 10% Right, thereal life.
We all learn in different ways.
If you think about it, wayneDyer might not attract everybody
and everything in between.
Mission was really to helppeople just to reach their full
(00:20):
potential.
The Brad Wiseman Show and nowyour host, brad Wiseman.
All right, hugo.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Hello.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
We're back.
You know what I'm so messed uptoday?
Because we're not streaming.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Yes, it throws you off, huh.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
It really throws me off.
I'm like amazed, Like I'm likeokay, we actually have somebody
in the studio today.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
We're in the studio today, baby.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
This is wonderful and actually it makes me happy.
It makes me happy we have asomebody I've been trying to get
on here.
Actually, I shouldn't say thatI had thought about having her
on here, and then it would goout of my mind and then it would
come back in my mind and then Iwould.
Just now, all of a sudden,Heather Christie calls me and
says you need to have thisperson on your show, and she
said Wanda Cologne, which is whoour guest is said Wanda Cologne
(01:02):
, which is who?
our guest is yeah, but she saidWanda Cologne.
I'm like, well, yeah, I saidI've always wanted to have her
on here.
So, wanda, how you doing?
Speaker 2 (01:09):
I'm so good, I'm so happy to be here, yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
It's awesome Finally have you here.
I know it took like a village.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
I mean and years, I mean.
I feel like we have run throughthe same circles, but for some
reason we're not in the samearea.
Speaker 1 (01:25):
Unbelievable.
It is weird, because there'scertain people that we know.
We know different people thatare the same, and I know your
husband yes, for years.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
You know a couple of my husbands.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
I know a couple of your husbands.
Hey, I wasn't going to say that, but if you want to say that,
you can.
It's funny.
Third time's a charm.
That's what you said.
Yes, third time's a charm.
Before we started recording,you said third time's a charm.
Yeah, I do know a couple ofheroes.
So the reason you're here todayis, like I said, heather
Christie, who has been on theshow before, and this is her.
(01:55):
This is her.
Oh, excuse me, this is her book, and we talked about love notes
and we're going to talk aboutthat a little bit again, but she
was on the show and she's, shedid a whole thing up in Broadway
or up in New York City, like abig deal I performed.
You were there, yes, okay, sonow she had said to me, she said
you know, I want to spread thisthing out throughout the whole
United States.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
This is what I want to do.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
This is what I want to do.
I'm like, all right, cool.
And she actually had saidsomething to me at one point
about doing something herelocally.
I'm like, yeah, no, that's,that's not going to happen.
I don't have that kind ofbandwidth at all and that's not
my thing.
I mean, you know, you needsomebody that's been in an
entertainment producing and allthat stuff.
So she said that that you weregoing to be doing the local love
(02:35):
notes production.
Love notes Burks.
Love notes Burks.
Yes, now who would have thoughtBurks?
would be in the love notecategory.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
You know, I think it's because we're both from
this area.
So how I heard of Heather wasactually a friend of mine said
she's writing a book and I loveyour story, you should write in
your story.
So I reached out to her andshe's like well, the deadline is
like in a couple of days.
So I was like, oh wow, that'scrazy.
And so I just started typingand I did third times a charm
(03:07):
and I sent it into her and she'slike I'd like to use it in my
book.
Oh, that's fantastic.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
You're in this book.
She's in the book.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
Yeah, so I'm in the book right.
Speaker 1 (03:17):
And so I was like, hey, I'm published, that's great
, that's right, that's cool,though, and what a great start
of being published.
Speaker 2 (03:24):
It's really super cool.
And so then, a year later, shesaid you know she's doing the
show on Broadway and would Ilike to perform, right?
And so I said yes.
And so I live in Florida Mostof the time.
I live there half the year, umand so you have it rough, I can
tell.
Oh, you know.
Speaker 1 (03:45):
I'm going to guess the time of the year.
The half that you don't livehere is coming up soon.
Yeah, Okay.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
So after I did the show it was funny during the
show she's like you shouldproduce and I said you know,
let's just see how it is.
So she's really smart.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
Right.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
So of course, the adrenaline is pumping the night
of the show.
And we did three shows and itwent so well.
And she's like so how aboutproducing?
I'm like, yes, we need to dothis.
Speaker 1 (04:08):
She got you at the right time.
She knew you.
She knew you.
It is.
It's so much easier to get acommitment when, when
everybody's pumped up.
You know that's great.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
But well, look where you are now.
You're doing it's so excitingand you know it's in my
wheelhouse for sure absolutelybut I haven't done theater in a
long time, and I I mean when Ihad to do this show in new york.
I was like you're nervous itwas in my bucket list because I
had performed in england, Iperformed in philadelphia, I
performed in los angeles, but Ihad never done a show in new
york wow.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
So you know, yeah, every thespian I mean you got
that, got that right.
That's the number one.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
Exactly so.
It's definitely in mywheelhouse, but I was a little
rusty.
You know I started theater hereat Genesius Theater.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
There's a plug for Genesius.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
There you go, there you go.
That's where I started, isn'tthat?
Speaker 1 (04:53):
funny.
My daughter did a show withGenesius.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
Yeah, she was.
It was just so amazing.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
That's so cool, and so you come all the way back
from and you were in LA, solet's dive into that.
And then when we get throughyour past here, which is an
amazing career, we can get backinto the show and talk about how
that works, because we need arefresher on it.
I know that Heather had told uswhat the show is about and how
it works and all that stuff, butI'd love to have that kind of
(05:19):
back in my mind again.
Yeah, absolutely Since there's ashow coming up, yeah, so let's
talk about.
You were on HGTV, yes, and TLC.
The HGTV show was 24 hour.
Home design, is that?
Speaker 2 (05:30):
right 24 hour.
Speaker 1 (05:31):
design 24 hour design Really crazy.
Speaker 2 (05:33):
So I started doing interior design as soon as I
went to Los Angeles.
I was painting murals, doingwhatever I had to do so that I
wasn't a waitress.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
Right.
And you know not that there'sanything wrong with waitressing
but I had been there, done thatyou know, and.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
I was like I don't want to do that.
So I was doing interior design,I was doing murals, I was
pretty much doing anything Um,and then going to different
auditions and this audition cameup for HGTV and it was like it
was crazy because there were Iauditioned a thousand people
Like no, no, a thousand peoplethere were at least a thousand
(06:12):
people that were auditioning andI just literally was like a
girl from Reading you know, andI was psyching myself out.
Speaker 1 (06:20):
Like, you know, like, oh, my God she's cuter than I
am.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
Why?
Speaker 1 (06:23):
did I wear that.
Oh my god, her shoes are socute and here I am with my
little portfolio of muralsunbelievable you know, so that's
what you took in there, and toshow that you're an artist that
you do this.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
This is what you do, and so, because it's not just
about the acting of that show.
Speaker 1 (06:37):
You got to know your stuff a little bit.
Speaker 2 (06:39):
I'm saying, saying like you, there's a village
there's a village, of course.
Speaker 1 (06:42):
Of course there's a lot of people that help.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (06:45):
Yeah, so what we see on TV on these things is
definitely it's TV.
Speaker 2 (06:48):
Yes, but what was cool about the show was it
wasn't 24 hours.
So we showed up and we had tofinish our design in 24 hours
and some days.
This, you know.
We were there for a good 20, 22hours.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
It was crazy.
So when you say that you didthat in 24 hours, so you were
actually designing, redesigningor redecorating a house in 24
hours In 24 hours.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
Wow, that's a lot.
It was a lot, that's a lot,yeah, and somebody's there like
this, like looking at the watchticking.
The clock is ticking and youknow um, you know, and so it was
.
It was like the greatestexperience, you know.
I have to say like be careful,what you wish for, you know.
So I had like four callbacks.
Oh wow, I had to keep comingback and keep coming back, and
(07:30):
it was between then me and thisother girl Did you beat her up.
No, they picked the other girl.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
I was hoping.
She said she saw her in a darkalley and kicked the crap out of
her, but they did.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
They picked the other girl, so I was they did.
Yes, initially they picked theother girl.
I was devastated.
Then you beat her up.
No, I totally did so.
Then, um, she had a fewskeletons in her closet.
Speaker 1 (07:52):
You gotta be kidding me.
I'm not kidding, so they didthe whole research thing.
Speaker 2 (08:03):
She was on set for one episode and somebody looked
her up.
Speaker 1 (08:04):
Oh yeah, and this was before social media, right, so
somebody had to dig right.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
So how much research did you do on her?
Speaker 1 (08:07):
okay, that's between us she sent a little envelope
with with pictures in it, andthat was it all over, and so
then, they called me.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
They called me like a week later and said can you be
on set tomorrow?
And so then I was like that's,that was the start of my hosting
career Did you ask for moremoney now that they were in a
pitch.
Seriously, I should have.
Speaker 1 (08:26):
You should have.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
Hugo, where were you back then?
Speaker 1 (08:29):
Yeah, Hugo, he's the negotiator.
He's the negotiator.
That's crazy.
What a great story.
Speaker 2 (08:35):
Yeah, it was cool, it was cool.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
I love it that there was some, but that's just.
That's just like being at theright place right time.
Speaker 2 (08:40):
You know what it really was and I feel like, but
you were prepared for it, yourlife prepared you for it.
Listen, it was.
It was the hardest thing.
And going through all thoseauditions and, you know,
psyching myself out and thenfinally getting to a place where
I'm like, why not me, you're?
Speaker 1 (08:57):
exactly right.
Why not me Exactly right?
Speaker 2 (09:04):
me.
You're exactly right.
Why not me?
Speaker 1 (09:05):
I deserve this as much as anybody here, and so I
kind of went in with thatmindset Good for you, yeah, why
not me?
That's so true.
No, because a lot of timespeople go why me?
Why would it be me?
Why, why should I get it?
But, it is interesting how youbut you, you were really the
perfect person for that, becausethe way you you were theater,
so you went from theater todesign, there you go.
I mean that because the way youyou were theater, so you went
from theater to design there yougo.
I mean that's the perfect match.
Speaker 2 (09:24):
They were really looking for diversity, like they
wanted somebody of color, whichwas really cool puerto rican,
so it was.
Speaker 1 (09:31):
That was really cool and it's awesome, um, you could
go for italian, though a littlebit too I think, yeah, I could
do a lot I could see if it waslike an italian show, you could
have totally got that too.
Now you do, you have that look,yeah, so it was kind of cool.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
It was a cool time in .
La, because I did get to play alot of different things.
I got to do a lot, that'sawesome.
It was, you know, the hardestand funnest time of my life.
Yeah, for sure.
Meet a lot of cool people, verycool people, cool people, very
cool people, yeah, yeah, that'sawesome yeah.
Speaker 1 (10:00):
That's really neat.
And then, so then TLC.
Then was after that, right, yes, did you do the whole go
through the whole audition?
No, or did you now have clout?
Now, all of a sudden, I'msomebody.
That's cool.
That was really cool.
That's really cool.
Speaker 2 (10:13):
That only happened that one time.
Everything else to audition for, but that was.
I got a call from my agent andthey were like TLC would like to
meet you, and it was like Iwent thinking it was going to be
an audition and it was just aformality.
Speaker 1 (10:27):
Let's talk about contracts.
That's awesome.
And then you're so then, yeah,so now they well, the thing is,
they know you can do it.
Yeah, that was really cool,because on HGTV I was the
assistant interior designer, onTLC I was you were the thingv.
Speaker 2 (10:38):
I was the assistant interior designer on tlc.
Speaker 1 (10:41):
I was you were the thing that was a big team.
Wow the main role now, whatshow?
Which one did you have more fun?
So I think homemade simple onlybecause I did make more money
yeah, right, okay, and also itwas your thing, it was my thing,
I had I was able to reallydecide what the designs were
going to look like.
You know it was, it was my, itwas my thing, so I love that a
(11:04):
lot.
Yeah, very cool Any theater outthere.
Did you do any other acting outthere?
I?
Speaker 2 (11:08):
did do.
Yes, um, I actually did a moviewith, uh, jean-claude Van Damme
.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
Oh my gosh, jean-claude.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
Now you're fancy.
Speaker 1 (11:16):
Whoa, was he the second husband he?
Speaker 2 (11:18):
wasn't, but you know what's funny?
I had a kissing scene with him,oh.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
Yes, let's see it.
Let's see it, we're going toplay it.
Speaker 2 (11:29):
The movie is called Swelter, swelter.
Yes, and so it's really kind offunny because you know
everybody was like so excited.
It was the worst kiss of mylife.
Oh no, I don't doubt that yeah,because sometimes those guys
are just, they're not really.
I just wasn't expecting likeyeah, he went in for it, oh he
(11:50):
went for it oh yeah, so noholding back.
Speaker 1 (11:52):
Oh no, no, yeah, that's a little crazy, maybe he
liked it, he went right in.
He went right in he wanted tobe be second husband.
Speaker 2 (11:59):
I did like this, whoa .
Speaker 1 (12:00):
Like what is going on .
So then after like I am notkidding 10 takes I was like oh
my gosh, 10 takes of the samething, 10 takes of the same
thing I said to the director doyou have a minute?
Do you have anybody else thatcould be like a kiss double?
I kind of think that we've gotthis to think that we've got
(12:23):
this.
I think we got this.
He's terrible.
I was like he's literally likeoh my gosh, now I'm gonna have
to look that movie up swelteryeah, you're not supposed to
really kiss, kiss, no, but it'ssupposed to be like more like a
fake kiss, right?
Speaker 2 (12:29):
yes, that's why the first time, I mean, he went all
in and I was like whoa, likeyeah, because it's supposed to
be.
Speaker 1 (12:34):
I mean sometimes you'll see on tv, on movies,
that that it's a real yeah and Ithink that's probably when
there's serious chemistry withthem.
Swelter, you were sweltering,huh, holy crap.
I'm going to look that up.
What's his name again?
Speaker 2 (12:53):
Jean-Claude Van Damme .
Speaker 1 (12:55):
What else was he in?
Speaker 2 (12:57):
He's that karate.
Speaker 1 (12:59):
Yeah, that's right.
I grew up watching those moviesoh my gosh, in Guatemala you
were watching those.
Speaker 2 (13:05):
Oh my gosh, I always thought I always wanted to be
him.
Speaker 1 (13:08):
Oh boy, I think you'd have to get a little taller,
buddy, a little bit taller.
Oh man, that's right.
You guys can speak Spanish'retalking about so yeah.
So let's go back into actuallyone of the other things first,
before we get back into this.
You also have the Academy ofHome Staging and Design.
Speaker 2 (13:27):
I do yeah.
Speaker 1 (13:28):
You're the founder or co-founder?
Yeah, I'm the co-founder.
Speaker 2 (13:31):
I have a partner in Los Angeles.
Speaker 1 (13:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (13:33):
So it's so great because-.
Speaker 1 (13:35):
And that's a teaching school like a school.
Speaker 2 (13:38):
It is so.
We certify home stagers and wealso have interior design
classes.
Speaker 1 (13:44):
And so.
Speaker 2 (13:44):
I was going back to LA, like every other month, to
teach.
So it was kind of a lot, and soI just opened up a branch in
Florida.
So I'm teaching in Tampa andI'm doing virtual and my
no-transcript and LA does all ofthe.
Speaker 1 (14:00):
Los Angeles classes.
That's a whole different thingtoo, it is.
Speaker 2 (14:04):
It was kind of nice Because you have to get
certified and stuff, right yeahit was really kind of nice
because I went from having, likea lot of interior design
clients.
I still have some, like I havea dentist office that I'm
designing right now in.
Speaker 1 (14:15):
Florida.
Speaker 2 (14:17):
So I have to stay in it right to keep current and
stuff, yeah, but it's reallykind of cool, you know, just to
be able to teach and and Iactually found that as to like
one of my passions.
Yeah, I really enjoy it.
Speaker 1 (14:31):
Yeah, it's different.
Teaching is different than thanactually knowing it.
Yeah, actually you learn thingsyourself when you teach well.
Speaker 2 (14:37):
So this is what I always say, like they're
learning from leaders in theindustry.
My partner has been a homestager.
I mean since, like the early90s.
Speaker 1 (14:47):
Like she's been home staging, seen all this stuff.
Speaker 2 (14:50):
You know, and she's got a warehouse of like 10,000
square feet.
She can stage up to 40 homes atone time.
Speaker 1 (14:57):
So it's no joke.
And these aren't little homes.
I'm thinking, no, they're not.
Speaker 2 (15:01):
Yeah, I didn't think so, and so I mean, and so and
you know, and I and my you knowbackground on television and
doing interior design for over20 years now.
Yeah.
So, it's really cool becausethey're learning from people
who've done it.
Speaker 1 (15:16):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (15:16):
Who've been successful in it?
Speaker 1 (15:17):
Yeah, so yeah, very cool.
Yeah, I saw that and I was like, well, this is kind of fun.
Speaker 2 (15:21):
Yeah, so you know, I was so bored, I needed one more
thing.
Speaker 1 (15:23):
Yeah, just put something else on the plate.
That's right.
Let's add something else to theplate.
Speaker 2 (15:40):
That's cool, though, but it keeps you grounded in
that, in that business.
I love it.
Yeah, it does.
Yeah, I mean, you know,stephanie Taramina.
Speaker 1 (15:45):
I don't, you don't, or from have Some Fun Today.
Speaker 2 (15:49):
No, I don't.
Oh my gosh, that's unbelievable.
It's funny, right?
Yeah, I got to connect themhere.
Another local.
Speaker 1 (15:54):
She started out as a.
She's a decorator.
Speaker 2 (16:06):
She's a home the place.
But yeah, we'll have to get youguys in touch.
She's local.
I love you know.
Coming back home, you knownothing's like home right.
And then just reconnecting withpeople and seeing how far, like
people have gone.
Yeah, I mean, it's pretty cool.
Speaker 1 (16:20):
It is cool, and I'll tell you what.
We have a very, veryentrepreneurial area here.
There's a lot of entrepreneurs,there's a lot of people that
are just doing doing their thing, you know, and it's really cool
to watch.
It really is.
Well, a lot of the stuff in our, in our studio here we got
Pilsudski mustard that's local.
You know we have a lot of oh,that's good stuff.
(16:45):
So no, it's just funny how wesee these people that are doing
great things.
Absolutely.
Well, let's get into love notes, I know, yeah, let's get into
this We'll save the best forlast right, Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (16:53):
Yeah, I mean your.
Speaker 1 (16:54):
Your career has been pretty cool, though, I gotta say
.
Speaker 2 (16:56):
I've had some fun yeah you did, so there's.
Speaker 1 (16:59):
there's different actors in this show.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
Yeah, you know it was .
So I think that was going to bethe hardest.
I thought it was going to bethe hardest thing is reaching
out to the community because youknow, once again I haven't been
here in a long time.
I'm just getting settled backin and asking my theater
community like audition for this, and not only do you have to
audition, you have to write yourown story.
Yeah, do you have to audition,you have to write your own story
(17:22):
.
So I think that's what's reallycool about this.
It's a storyteller thing, andso it's people sharing some of
their like heartaches and it'sgoing to be like it's the good,
the bad, the messy.
You know, it's everything inbetween, and I thought it was
going to be really difficult andI have a full cast of 12 people
.
Speaker 1 (17:42):
You have 12 people, I have 12 people sharing their
stories.
Speaker 2 (17:46):
It's going to be about an hour and a half show,
Um, and it's storytelling, butit's.
I mean, we had rehearsal theother day and I literally like
was so emotional and like sochoked up because I thought
these people are trusting mewith their story.
First of all, like I'm not, youknow, I'm not very vulnerable.
Yes and so and my husband wassitting in the background and he
(18:09):
was like I kept seeing him getup and he was getting tissues,
like he literally was crying youknow, and I was like this is
going to be such a great show,and then I also have two singers
.
So do we know the singers?
Kim callback, uh, rudin.
Rudin doll is her married name.
(18:29):
She is a pink marmalade.
Speaker 1 (18:30):
So she performs?
I just saw that somewhere.
Speaker 2 (18:31):
Yeah, she performs here locally, so she has an
amazing voice, so she's singing,and then, um, I have a male
vocalist from Connecticut, ohcool.
And so he's singing.
Very cool so it's going to bereally entertaining.
And then storytelling.
There's some really funnystories, some heartwarming
stories.
You know there's some tragicstories.
Speaker 1 (18:54):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (18:55):
But it's all about love, and I love when Heather
says you know, we're justspreading love you know, one
love note at a time.
Speaker 1 (19:03):
Yeah, it's cool.
Speaker 2 (19:03):
And it's really cool.
Speaker 1 (19:05):
It's a very unique concept.
It is, it really is, and that'swhy, when she first talked
about it, it really caught myinterest of like.
This is something I haven'tseen anybody do.
Speaker 2 (19:14):
And I'm having her close the show.
Oh good, so I'm having her comein and she's actually going to
close the show, cause.
I think it's really importantto show that, first of all, two
home girls are likecollaborating together, so I
think that's really special.
Speaker 1 (19:29):
That's cool, yeah, and I have some of the names
here and you can probably sotell me who you can.
I know Jennifer DiNatale.
I knew her.
She's a realtor.
She's amazing.
Yes, I know her very well.
Speaker 2 (19:38):
So you know, and so I met her a long time ago, when I
was in college and I wasworking at Berks County Bank,
and she came in and she was oh,my gosh Berks County Bank, yeah.
And so I was a teller and she Idon't know if she was an intern
, but she came in and I hadn'tseen her since then.
Speaker 1 (19:55):
Oh, that's funny.
30 years ago.
Berks County Bank that's a nameI haven't heard for a while.
Yeah, unbelievable, I haven'theard for a while.
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (20:02):
So she's in it.
Um, heather is going to beperforming.
We have Lewis Cintron.
Who is he?
He has a business called uh,two guys construction something
like that.
Go to guys.
Speaker 1 (20:13):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (20:14):
And he is just being um recognized um as entrepreneur
of the year for the like the.
Hispanics, you know some latinothing that's happening, so I
think it's really cool that iscool um, so I have him.
I have um.
Oh, now, I didn't, I didn'twrite down.
Speaker 1 (20:29):
I have some of the other names.
Okay, I don't have them all,but that's just some.
You don't have to go throughall of them.
Speaker 2 (20:34):
I mean 12 is a lot.
Yeah, debbie bollinger, soshe's amazing, suzanne I know
that's her mom right she isfabulous, is fabulous, she
really she's, she's isn't she anactress for a long time?
She is and her story is justbeautiful and she just tells it
beautifully.
Um uh, deanna Whalen isactually a friend of mine from
(20:56):
Florida, oh wow.
Speaker 1 (20:58):
And so she's coming here.
Speaker 2 (21:00):
So we have yeah, we have some local people, we have
people from Florida coming in,so I'm just really excited.
Speaker 1 (21:08):
Are you going to tell you're not telling your story.
Again I am.
Speaker 2 (21:11):
I'm going to open it up and tell my story and then
introduce everyone, so I'mbasically the emcee and then
Heather will close the show.
Speaker 1 (21:20):
So give me a little structure on this Cause.
It's still like very much likeI don't understand how it flows.
So so you come out, you startthe show, so give me a little
structure on this because it'sstill like very much like I
don't understand how it flows.
Speaker 2 (21:28):
Yeah, so so you come out, you start the show, so the
whole cast will be on stage.
Speaker 1 (21:30):
OK.
Speaker 2 (21:31):
And we're all sitting there, and so we have a podium
and they go up and individuallythey'll come and tell their
story.
Speaker 1 (21:37):
So the whole they're on stage.
Speaker 2 (21:38):
The whole time, that is interesting, right, and then
you.
Speaker 1 (21:43):
So you say okay, next do you say who's coming up next
?
Speaker 2 (21:46):
I introduce the next person and they come in and then
they tell their story and theyjust tell it there at the podium
, they just tell their story andit's so powerful.
It's when I did it in, like Ithought the same thing like
how's this going to work?
Yeah, and we were we wererehearsing via zoom and you know
how do you rehearse them,because I guess you're just
rehearsing the order and allthis is rehearsing your story.
Speaker 1 (22:08):
Yeah, yeah, now do you read your story.
Speaker 2 (22:11):
You can, or you could , have it memorized.
It's going to be in a podium.
Your story is going to bewritten there so that you can
look up and yeah, you know butit's it just feels really
intimate, really cool, it's itactually cool.
When we performed it in NewYork I was like this is awesome.
Speaker 1 (22:26):
Yeah, yeah, that's really cool, and she got really
great reviews.
Oh, I know I saw some of them.
I saw them on social media andwhatnot.
Yeah, so do you think, now,being the producer of it, are
you thinking you'll enjoy it asmuch as you did before?
So I have to tell you.
Speaker 2 (22:40):
I'm way more impressed with Heather than ever
before, and I did say to her.
Speaker 1 (22:45):
Should we cut that part out of the podcast?
I?
Speaker 2 (22:46):
literally said to her like wow, you did not, let us
see you sweat girl, it's a lot,it's a lot, it's a lot, it is.
But you know it's in mywheelhouse, it is, of course it
is.
It's also kind of like justreawakening this theater thing
you know and I'm really enjoyingthis a lot.
Speaker 1 (23:04):
Do you think you'll do more of this stuff?
I?
Speaker 2 (23:05):
kind of do.
Do you know she's going to askyou the day of?
You know the day of?
Oh, absolutely, she's going tobe like what do you think?
Speaker 1 (23:11):
Actually, she asked us to ask you on the podcast.
Speaker 2 (23:13):
Right, hugo, make sure you ask her this question,
wait it's just a little contractyou have to sign.
Speaker 1 (23:18):
It's right here, all of over, here and go.
Hey, you got to commit today.
Speaker 2 (23:25):
Would you do it in Florida?
Speaker 1 (23:26):
So that's kind of what I'm thinking yeah, I mean,
since you're half there, I'mthinking that it might be really
fun to do in Florida.
Speaker 2 (23:33):
And there's a really cool theater community out there
.
That's cool.
Yeah, I think it's going to bea really great date night for
people Like, even if you're notreally into theater.
Speaker 1 (23:44):
Is it a friday, saturday?
What is it saturday?
Speaker 2 (23:46):
saturday, october 11th at eight o'clock, at eight
o'clock, at the miller centerwhich is a great theater
beautiful like I had never beenin there before, um, and so
someone suggested it and I gavethem a call, because I was in
florida at the time.
I gave them a call, looked atthe website and just kind of
made a decision.
Speaker 1 (24:03):
Wow uh, and that's a commitment too?
Yeah, because you're spendingwhether you want to or not.
Speaker 2 (24:08):
They were like make sure you send that deposit yeah
exactly, that's exactly right.
Speaker 1 (24:13):
So, how do we, since you have the paperwork there?
How do we?
Well, you can just tell.
How do you get tickets and Okay, so lovenotesburkscom.
Okay.
Speaker 2 (24:29):
So I so I have a website and it'll share all of
the people that are in it.
There's some really cool localpeople that are in it, also the
Miller Center.
I'll share my QR code with youas well, that would be great.
Speaker 1 (24:35):
You can give that to us so that we can post it on our
socials that would be awesomeabsolutely yeah.
So it's October 11th at 8pm atthe Miller Center.
I'm collaborating with thepeanut bar as well so we're
going to do an after party there.
Yes, a little plug for thepeanut bar.
Yeah, a little plug for thepeanut bar.
Speaker 2 (24:53):
So he and I met the other day and he's going to do
some dinner specials Cool andwe're going to have an after
party there Very cool.
Speaker 1 (25:03):
Is there anything else that you want to share
about the show coming up?
Speaker 2 (25:06):
You know, I'm just I.
I just have to say that I feelso like super blessed to be from
here.
You know you leave home and youthink I'm never going to come
back.
Speaker 1 (25:16):
Well, everybody, everybody always says that and
they all come back, cause I knowI sell houses.
They all come back, I selltheir house and they leave and
then later on, they come back.
Speaker 2 (25:31):
Yeah, I have such an appreciation for I think,
because I was gone for almost 20years, I have such an
appreciation for home, yeah, andI just have to say like
everybody has like opened uptheir arms and like said, yeah,
we're in with you, that's coolyou know like it's just been
really cool.
Speaker 1 (25:42):
That's awesome.
Speaker 2 (25:43):
So I just want to say I'm super grateful.
I'm grateful to be here on thisshow to reconnect with you.
We're glad you're here.
Yeah, it's awesome.
Speaker 1 (25:50):
Very cool.
Well, we wish you the best ofluck.
I do have to check my schedulebecause I would like to come see
it.
Speaker 2 (25:54):
I would love that I couldn't make it to New York.
Maybe you can go see it.
That'd be great.
That'd be a lot of fun.
Speaker 1 (26:05):
Awesome, awesome, awesome.
Thank you, I really appreciateit.
Well, there you have it.
So the show is Love Notes right, love Notes, and it is October
11th at 8 pm at the MillerCenter.
You can get tickets bylovenotesburkscom.
Is that right?
That's correct.
There we go, okay.
There we go.
From real estate to the marketas a whole, which then sometimes
will affect the 10% Right, thereal life.
We all learn in different ways.
If you think about it, wayneDyer might not attract everybody
and everything in between.
Mission was really to helppeople just to reach their full
(00:20):
potential.
The Brad Wiseman Show and nowyour host, brad Wiseman.
All right, hugo.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Hello.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
We're back.
You know what I'm so messed uptoday?
Because we're not streaming.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Yes, it throws you off, huh.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
It really throws me off.
I'm like amazed, Like I'm likeokay, we actually have somebody
in the studio today.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
We're in the studio today, baby.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
This is wonderful and actually it makes me happy.
It makes me happy we have asomebody I've been trying to get
on here.
Actually, I shouldn't say thatI had thought about having her
on here, and then it would goout of my mind and then it would
come back in my mind and then Iwould.
Just now, all of a sudden,Heather Christie calls me and
says you need to have thisperson on your show, and she
said Wanda Cologne, which is whoour guest is said Wanda Cologne
(01:02):
, which is who?
our guest is yeah, but she saidWanda Cologne.
I'm like, well, yeah, I saidI've always wanted to have her
on here.
So, wanda, how you doing?
Speaker 2 (01:09):
I'm so good, I'm so happy to be here, yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
It's awesome Finally have you here.
I know it took like a village.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
I mean and years, I mean.
I feel like we have run throughthe same circles, but for some
reason we're not in the samearea.
Speaker 1 (01:25):
Unbelievable.
It is weird, because there'scertain people that we know.
We know different people thatare the same, and I know your
husband yes, for years.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
You know a couple of my husbands.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
I know a couple of your husbands.
Hey, I wasn't going to say that, but if you want to say that,
you can.
It's funny.
Third time's a charm.
That's what you said.
Yes, third time's a charm.
Before we started recording,you said third time's a charm.
Yeah, I do know a couple ofheroes.
So the reason you're here todayis, like I said, heather
Christie, who has been on theshow before, and this is her.
(01:55):
This is her.
Oh, excuse me, this is her book, and we talked about love notes
and we're going to talk aboutthat a little bit again, but she
was on the show and she's, shedid a whole thing up in Broadway
or up in New York City, like abig deal I performed.
You were there, yes, okay, sonow she had said to me, she said
you know, I want to spread thisthing out throughout the whole
United States.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
This is what I want to do.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
This is what I want to do.
I'm like, all right, cool.
And she actually had saidsomething to me at one point
about doing something herelocally.
I'm like, yeah, no, that's,that's not going to happen.
I don't have that kind ofbandwidth at all and that's not
my thing.
I mean, you know, you needsomebody that's been in an
entertainment producing and allthat stuff.
So she said that that you weregoing to be doing the local love
(02:35):
notes production.
Love notes Burks.
Love notes Burks.
Yes, now who would have thoughtBurks?
would be in the love notecategory.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
You know, I think it's because we're both from
this area.
So how I heard of Heather wasactually a friend of mine said
she's writing a book and I loveyour story, you should write in
your story.
So I reached out to her andshe's like well, the deadline is
like in a couple of days.
So I was like, oh wow, that'scrazy.
And so I just started typingand I did third times a charm
(03:07):
and I sent it into her and she'slike I'd like to use it in my
book.
Oh, that's fantastic.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
You're in this book.
She's in the book.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
Yeah, so I'm in the book right.
Speaker 1 (03:17):
And so I was like, hey, I'm published, that's great
, that's right, that's cool,though, and what a great start
of being published.
Speaker 2 (03:24):
It's really super cool.
And so then, a year later, shesaid you know she's doing the
show on Broadway and would Ilike to perform, right?
And so I said yes.
And so I live in Florida Mostof the time.
I live there half the year, umand so you have it rough, I can
tell.
Oh, you know.
Speaker 1 (03:45):
I'm going to guess the time of the year.
The half that you don't livehere is coming up soon.
Yeah, Okay.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
So after I did the show it was funny during the
show she's like you shouldproduce and I said you know,
let's just see how it is.
So she's really smart.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
Right.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
So of course, the adrenaline is pumping the night
of the show.
And we did three shows and itwent so well.
And she's like so how aboutproducing?
I'm like, yes, we need to dothis.
Speaker 1 (04:08):
She got you at the right time.
She knew you.
She knew you.
It is.
It's so much easier to get acommitment when, when
everybody's pumped up.
You know that's great.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
But well, look where you are now.
You're doing it's so excitingand you know it's in my
wheelhouse for sure absolutelybut I haven't done theater in a
long time, and I I mean when Ihad to do this show in new york.
I was like you're nervous itwas in my bucket list because I
had performed in england, Iperformed in philadelphia, I
performed in los angeles, but Ihad never done a show in new
york wow.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
So you know, yeah, every thespian I mean you got
that, got that right.
That's the number one.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
Exactly so.
It's definitely in mywheelhouse, but I was a little
rusty.
You know I started theater hereat Genesius Theater.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
There's a plug for Genesius.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
There you go, there you go.
That's where I started, isn'tthat?
Speaker 1 (04:53):
funny.
My daughter did a show withGenesius.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
Yeah, she was.
It was just so amazing.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
That's so cool, and so you come all the way back
from and you were in LA, solet's dive into that.
And then when we get throughyour past here, which is an
amazing career, we can get backinto the show and talk about how
that works, because we need arefresher on it.
I know that Heather had told uswhat the show is about and how
it works and all that stuff, butI'd love to have that kind of
(05:19):
back in my mind again.
Yeah, absolutely Since there's ashow coming up, yeah, so let's
talk about.
You were on HGTV, yes, and TLC.
The HGTV show was 24 hour.
Home design, is that?
Speaker 2 (05:30):
right 24 hour.
Speaker 1 (05:31):
design 24 hour design Really crazy.
Speaker 2 (05:33):
So I started doing interior design as soon as I
went to Los Angeles.
I was painting murals, doingwhatever I had to do so that I
wasn't a waitress.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
Right.
And you know not that there'sanything wrong with waitressing
but I had been there, done thatyou know, and.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
I was like I don't want to do that.
So I was doing interior design,I was doing murals, I was
pretty much doing anything Um,and then going to different
auditions and this audition cameup for HGTV and it was like it
was crazy because there were Iauditioned a thousand people
Like no, no, a thousand peoplethere were at least a thousand
(06:12):
people that were auditioning andI just literally was like a
girl from Reading you know, andI was psyching myself out.
Speaker 1 (06:20):
Like, you know, like, oh, my God she's cuter than I
am.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
Why?
Speaker 1 (06:23):
did I wear that.
Oh my god, her shoes are socute and here I am with my
little portfolio of muralsunbelievable you know, so that's
what you took in there, and toshow that you're an artist that
you do this.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
This is what you do, and so, because it's not just
about the acting of that show.
Speaker 1 (06:37):
You got to know your stuff a little bit.
Speaker 2 (06:39):
I'm saying, saying like you, there's a village
there's a village, of course.
Speaker 1 (06:42):
Of course there's a lot of people that help.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (06:45):
Yeah, so what we see on TV on these things is
definitely it's TV.
Speaker 2 (06:48):
Yes, but what was cool about the show was it
wasn't 24 hours.
So we showed up and we had tofinish our design in 24 hours
and some days.
This, you know.
We were there for a good 20, 22hours.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
It was crazy.
So when you say that you didthat in 24 hours, so you were
actually designing, redesigningor redecorating a house in 24
hours In 24 hours.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
Wow, that's a lot.
It was a lot, that's a lot,yeah, and somebody's there like
this, like looking at the watchticking.
The clock is ticking and youknow um, you know, and so it was
.
It was like the greatestexperience, you know.
I have to say like be careful,what you wish for, you know.
So I had like four callbacks.
Oh wow, I had to keep comingback and keep coming back, and
(07:30):
it was between then me and thisother girl Did you beat her up.
No, they picked the other girl.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
I was hoping.
She said she saw her in a darkalley and kicked the crap out of
her, but they did.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
They picked the other girl, so I was they did.
Yes, initially they picked theother girl.
I was devastated.
Then you beat her up.
No, I totally did so.
Then, um, she had a fewskeletons in her closet.
Speaker 1 (07:52):
You gotta be kidding me.
I'm not kidding, so they didthe whole research thing.
Speaker 2 (08:03):
She was on set for one episode and somebody looked
her up.
Speaker 1 (08:04):
Oh yeah, and this was before social media, right, so
somebody had to dig right.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
So how much research did you do on her?
Speaker 1 (08:07):
okay, that's between us she sent a little envelope
with with pictures in it, andthat was it all over, and so
then, they called me.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
They called me like a week later and said can you be
on set tomorrow?
And so then I was like that's,that was the start of my hosting
career Did you ask for moremoney now that they were in a
pitch.
Seriously, I should have.
Speaker 1 (08:26):
You should have.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
Hugo, where were you back then?
Speaker 1 (08:29):
Yeah, Hugo, he's the negotiator.
He's the negotiator.
That's crazy.
What a great story.
Speaker 2 (08:35):
Yeah, it was cool, it was cool.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
I love it that there was some, but that's just.
That's just like being at theright place right time.
Speaker 2 (08:40):
You know what it really was and I feel like, but
you were prepared for it, yourlife prepared you for it.
Listen, it was.
It was the hardest thing.
And going through all thoseauditions and, you know,
psyching myself out and thenfinally getting to a place where
I'm like, why not me, you're?
Speaker 1 (08:57):
exactly right.
Why not me Exactly right?
Speaker 2 (09:04):
me.
You're exactly right.
Why not me?
Speaker 1 (09:05):
I deserve this as much as anybody here, and so I
kind of went in with thatmindset Good for you, yeah, why
not me?
That's so true.
No, because a lot of timespeople go why me?
Why would it be me?
Why, why should I get it?
But, it is interesting how youbut you, you were really the
perfect person for that, becausethe way you you were theater,
so you went from theater todesign, there you go.
I mean that because the way youyou were theater, so you went
from theater to design there yougo.
I mean that's the perfect match.
Speaker 2 (09:24):
They were really looking for diversity, like they
wanted somebody of color, whichwas really cool puerto rican,
so it was.
Speaker 1 (09:31):
That was really cool and it's awesome, um, you could
go for italian, though a littlebit too I think, yeah, I could
do a lot I could see if it waslike an italian show, you could
have totally got that too.
Now you do, you have that look,yeah, so it was kind of cool.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
It was a cool time in .
La, because I did get to play alot of different things.
I got to do a lot, that'sawesome.
It was, you know, the hardestand funnest time of my life.
Yeah, for sure.
Meet a lot of cool people, verycool people, cool people, very
cool people, yeah, yeah, that'sawesome yeah.
Speaker 1 (10:00):
That's really neat.
And then, so then TLC.
Then was after that, right, yes, did you do the whole go
through the whole audition?
No, or did you now have clout?
Now, all of a sudden, I'msomebody.
That's cool.
That was really cool.
That's really cool.
Speaker 2 (10:13):
That only happened that one time.
Everything else to audition for, but that was.
I got a call from my agent andthey were like TLC would like to
meet you, and it was like Iwent thinking it was going to be
an audition and it was just aformality.
Speaker 1 (10:27):
Let's talk about contracts.
That's awesome.
And then you're so then, yeah,so now they well, the thing is,
they know you can do it.
Yeah, that was really cool,because on HGTV I was the
assistant interior designer, onTLC I was you were the thingv.
Speaker 2 (10:38):
I was the assistant interior designer on tlc.
Speaker 1 (10:41):
I was you were the thing that was a big team.
Wow the main role now, whatshow?
Which one did you have more fun?
So I think homemade simple onlybecause I did make more money
yeah, right, okay, and also itwas your thing, it was my thing,
I had I was able to reallydecide what the designs were
going to look like.
You know it was, it was my, itwas my thing, so I love that a
(11:04):
lot.
Yeah, very cool Any theater outthere.
Did you do any other acting outthere?
I?
Speaker 2 (11:08):
did do.
Yes, um, I actually did a moviewith, uh, jean-claude Van Damme
.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
Oh my gosh, jean-claude.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
Now you're fancy.
Speaker 1 (11:16):
Whoa, was he the second husband he?
Speaker 2 (11:18):
wasn't, but you know what's funny?
I had a kissing scene with him,oh.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
Yes, let's see it.
Let's see it, we're going toplay it.
Speaker 2 (11:29):
The movie is called Swelter, swelter.
Yes, and so it's really kind offunny because you know
everybody was like so excited.
It was the worst kiss of mylife.
Oh no, I don't doubt that yeah,because sometimes those guys
are just, they're not really.
I just wasn't expecting likeyeah, he went in for it, oh he
(11:50):
went for it oh yeah, so noholding back.
Speaker 1 (11:52):
Oh no, no, yeah, that's a little crazy, maybe he
liked it, he went right in.
He went right in he wanted tobe be second husband.
Speaker 2 (11:59):
I did like this, whoa .
Speaker 1 (12:00):
Like what is going on .
So then after like I am notkidding 10 takes I was like oh
my gosh, 10 takes of the samething, 10 takes of the same
thing I said to the director doyou have a minute?
Do you have anybody else thatcould be like a kiss double?
I kind of think that we've gotthis to think that we've got
(12:23):
this.
I think we got this.
He's terrible.
I was like he's literally likeoh my gosh, now I'm gonna have
to look that movie up swelteryeah, you're not supposed to
really kiss, kiss, no, but it'ssupposed to be like more like a
fake kiss, right?
Speaker 2 (12:29):
yes, that's why the first time, I mean, he went all
in and I was like whoa, likeyeah, because it's supposed to
be.
Speaker 1 (12:34):
I mean sometimes you'll see on tv, on movies,
that that it's a real yeah and Ithink that's probably when
there's serious chemistry withthem.
Swelter, you were sweltering,huh, holy crap.
I'm going to look that up.
What's his name again?
Speaker 2 (12:53):
Jean-Claude Van Damme .
Speaker 1 (12:55):
What else was he in?
Speaker 2 (12:57):
He's that karate.
Speaker 1 (12:59):
Yeah, that's right.
I grew up watching those moviesoh my gosh, in Guatemala you
were watching those.
Speaker 2 (13:05):
Oh my gosh, I always thought I always wanted to be
him.
Speaker 1 (13:08):
Oh boy, I think you'd have to get a little taller,
buddy, a little bit taller.
Oh man, that's right.
You guys can speak Spanish'retalking about so yeah.
So let's go back into actuallyone of the other things first,
before we get back into this.
You also have the Academy ofHome Staging and Design.
Speaker 2 (13:27):
I do yeah.
Speaker 1 (13:28):
You're the founder or co-founder?
Yeah, I'm the co-founder.
Speaker 2 (13:31):
I have a partner in Los Angeles.
Speaker 1 (13:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (13:33):
So it's so great because-.
Speaker 1 (13:35):
And that's a teaching school like a school.
Speaker 2 (13:38):
It is so.
We certify home stagers and wealso have interior design
classes.
Speaker 1 (13:44):
And so.
Speaker 2 (13:44):
I was going back to LA, like every other month, to
teach.
So it was kind of a lot, and soI just opened up a branch in
Florida.
So I'm teaching in Tampa andI'm doing virtual and my
no-transcript and LA does all ofthe.
Speaker 1 (14:00):
Los Angeles classes.
That's a whole different thingtoo, it is.
Speaker 2 (14:04):
It was kind of nice Because you have to get
certified and stuff, right yeahit was really kind of nice
because I went from having, likea lot of interior design
clients.
I still have some, like I havea dentist office that I'm
designing right now in.
Speaker 1 (14:15):
Florida.
Speaker 2 (14:17):
So I have to stay in it right to keep current and
stuff, yeah, but it's reallykind of cool, you know, just to
be able to teach and and Iactually found that as to like
one of my passions.
Yeah, I really enjoy it.
Speaker 1 (14:31):
Yeah, it's different.
Teaching is different than thanactually knowing it.
Yeah, actually you learn thingsyourself when you teach well.
Speaker 2 (14:37):
So this is what I always say, like they're
learning from leaders in theindustry.
My partner has been a homestager.
I mean since, like the early90s.
Speaker 1 (14:47):
Like she's been home staging, seen all this stuff.
Speaker 2 (14:50):
You know, and she's got a warehouse of like 10,000
square feet.
She can stage up to 40 homes atone time.
Speaker 1 (14:57):
So it's no joke.
And these aren't little homes.
I'm thinking, no, they're not.
Speaker 2 (15:01):
Yeah, I didn't think so, and so I mean, and so and
you know, and I and my you knowbackground on television and
doing interior design for over20 years now.
Yeah.
So, it's really cool becausethey're learning from people
who've done it.
Speaker 1 (15:16):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (15:16):
Who've been successful in it?
Speaker 1 (15:17):
Yeah, so yeah, very cool.
Yeah, I saw that and I was like, well, this is kind of fun.
Speaker 2 (15:21):
Yeah, so you know, I was so bored, I needed one more
thing.
Speaker 1 (15:23):
Yeah, just put something else on the plate.
That's right.
Let's add something else to theplate.
Speaker 2 (15:40):
That's cool, though, but it keeps you grounded in
that, in that business.
I love it.
Yeah, it does.
Yeah, I mean, you know,stephanie Taramina.
Speaker 1 (15:45):
I don't, you don't, or from have Some Fun Today.
Speaker 2 (15:49):
No, I don't.
Oh my gosh, that's unbelievable.
It's funny, right?
Yeah, I got to connect themhere.
Another local.
Speaker 1 (15:54):
She started out as a.
She's a decorator.
Speaker 2 (16:06):
She's a home the place.
But yeah, we'll have to get youguys in touch.
She's local.
I love you know.
Coming back home, you knownothing's like home right.
And then just reconnecting withpeople and seeing how far, like
people have gone.
Yeah, I mean, it's pretty cool.
Speaker 1 (16:20):
It is cool, and I'll tell you what.
We have a very, veryentrepreneurial area here.
There's a lot of entrepreneurs,there's a lot of people that
are just doing doing their thing, you know, and it's really cool
to watch.
It really is.
Well, a lot of the stuff in our, in our studio here we got
Pilsudski mustard that's local.
You know we have a lot of oh,that's good stuff.
(16:45):
So no, it's just funny how wesee these people that are doing
great things.
Absolutely.
Well, let's get into love notes, I know, yeah, let's get into
this We'll save the best forlast right, Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (16:53):
Yeah, I mean your.
Speaker 1 (16:54):
Your career has been pretty cool, though, I gotta say
.
Speaker 2 (16:56):
I've had some fun yeah you did, so there's.
Speaker 1 (16:59):
there's different actors in this show.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
Yeah, you know it was .
So I think that was going to bethe hardest.
I thought it was going to bethe hardest thing is reaching
out to the community because youknow, once again I haven't been
here in a long time.
I'm just getting settled backin and asking my theater
community like audition for this, and not only do you have to
audition, you have to write yourown story.
Yeah, do you have to audition,you have to write your own story
(17:22):
.
So I think that's what's reallycool about this.
It's a storyteller thing, andso it's people sharing some of
their like heartaches and it'sgoing to be like it's the good,
the bad, the messy.
You know, it's everything inbetween, and I thought it was
going to be really difficult andI have a full cast of 12 people
.
Speaker 1 (17:42):
You have 12 people, I have 12 people sharing their
stories.
Speaker 2 (17:46):
It's going to be about an hour and a half show,
Um, and it's storytelling, butit's.
I mean, we had rehearsal theother day and I literally like
was so emotional and like sochoked up because I thought
these people are trusting mewith their story.
First of all, like I'm not, youknow, I'm not very vulnerable.
Yes and so and my husband wassitting in the background and he
(18:09):
was like I kept seeing him getup and he was getting tissues,
like he literally was crying youknow, and I was like this is
going to be such a great show,and then I also have two singers
.
So do we know the singers?
Kim callback, uh, rudin.
Rudin doll is her married name.
(18:29):
She is a pink marmalade.
Speaker 1 (18:30):
So she performs?
I just saw that somewhere.
Speaker 2 (18:31):
Yeah, she performs here locally, so she has an
amazing voice, so she's singing,and then, um, I have a male
vocalist from Connecticut, ohcool.
And so he's singing.
Very cool so it's going to bereally entertaining.
And then storytelling.
There's some really funnystories, some heartwarming
stories.
You know there's some tragicstories.
Speaker 1 (18:54):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (18:55):
But it's all about love, and I love when Heather
says you know, we're justspreading love you know, one
love note at a time.
Speaker 1 (19:03):
Yeah, it's cool.
Speaker 2 (19:03):
And it's really cool.
Speaker 1 (19:05):
It's a very unique concept.
It is, it really is, and that'swhy, when she first talked
about it, it really caught myinterest of like.
This is something I haven'tseen anybody do.
Speaker 2 (19:14):
And I'm having her close the show.
Oh good, so I'm having her comein and she's actually going to
close the show, cause.
I think it's really importantto show that, first of all, two
home girls are likecollaborating together, so I
think that's really special.
Speaker 1 (19:29):
That's cool, yeah, and I have some of the names
here and you can probably sotell me who you can.
I know Jennifer DiNatale.
I knew her.
She's a realtor.
She's amazing.
Yes, I know her very well.
Speaker 2 (19:38):
So you know, and so I met her a long time ago, when I
was in college and I wasworking at Berks County Bank,
and she came in and she was oh,my gosh Berks County Bank, yeah.
And so I was a teller and she Idon't know if she was an intern
, but she came in and I hadn'tseen her since then.
Speaker 1 (19:55):
Oh, that's funny.
30 years ago.
Berks County Bank that's a nameI haven't heard for a while.
Yeah, unbelievable, I haven'theard for a while.
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (20:02):
So she's in it.
Um, heather is going to beperforming.
We have Lewis Cintron.
Who is he?
He has a business called uh,two guys construction something
like that.
Go to guys.
Speaker 1 (20:13):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (20:14):
And he is just being um recognized um as entrepreneur
of the year for the like the.
Hispanics, you know some latinothing that's happening, so I
think it's really cool that iscool um, so I have him.
I have um.
Oh, now, I didn't, I didn'twrite down.
Speaker 1 (20:29):
I have some of the other names.
Okay, I don't have them all,but that's just some.
You don't have to go throughall of them.
Speaker 2 (20:34):
I mean 12 is a lot.
Yeah, debbie bollinger, soshe's amazing, suzanne I know
that's her mom right she isfabulous, is fabulous, she
really she's, she's isn't she anactress for a long time?
She is and her story is justbeautiful and she just tells it
beautifully.
Um uh, deanna Whalen isactually a friend of mine from
(20:56):
Florida, oh wow.
Speaker 1 (20:58):
And so she's coming here.
Speaker 2 (21:00):
So we have yeah, we have some local people, we have
people from Florida coming in,so I'm just really excited.
Speaker 1 (21:08):
Are you going to tell you're not telling your story.
Again I am.
Speaker 2 (21:11):
I'm going to open it up and tell my story and then
introduce everyone, so I'mbasically the emcee and then
Heather will close the show.
Speaker 1 (21:20):
So give me a little structure on this Cause.
It's still like very much likeI don't understand how it flows.
So so you come out, you startthe show, so give me a little
structure on this because it'sstill like very much like I
don't understand how it flows.
Speaker 2 (21:28):
Yeah, so so you come out, you start the show, so the
whole cast will be on stage.
Speaker 1 (21:30):
OK.
Speaker 2 (21:31):
And we're all sitting there, and so we have a podium
and they go up and individuallythey'll come and tell their
story.
Speaker 1 (21:37):
So the whole they're on stage.
Speaker 2 (21:38):
The whole time, that is interesting, right, and then
you.
Speaker 1 (21:43):
So you say okay, next do you say who's coming up next
?
Speaker 2 (21:46):
I introduce the next person and they come in and then
they tell their story and theyjust tell it there at the podium
, they just tell their story andit's so powerful.
It's when I did it in, like Ithought the same thing like
how's this going to work?
Yeah, and we were we wererehearsing via zoom and you know
how do you rehearse them,because I guess you're just
rehearsing the order and allthis is rehearsing your story.
Speaker 1 (22:08):
Yeah, yeah, now do you read your story.
Speaker 2 (22:11):
You can, or you could , have it memorized.
It's going to be in a podium.
Your story is going to bewritten there so that you can
look up and yeah, you know butit's it just feels really
intimate, really cool, it's itactually cool.
When we performed it in NewYork I was like this is awesome.
Speaker 1 (22:26):
Yeah, yeah, that's really cool, and she got really
great reviews.
Oh, I know I saw some of them.
I saw them on social media andwhatnot.
Yeah, so do you think, now,being the producer of it, are
you thinking you'll enjoy it asmuch as you did before?
So I have to tell you.
Speaker 2 (22:40):
I'm way more impressed with Heather than ever
before, and I did say to her.
Speaker 1 (22:45):
Should we cut that part out of the podcast?
I?
Speaker 2 (22:46):
literally said to her like wow, you did not, let us
see you sweat girl, it's a lot,it's a lot, it's a lot, it is.
But you know it's in mywheelhouse, it is, of course it
is.
It's also kind of like justreawakening this theater thing
you know and I'm really enjoyingthis a lot.
Speaker 1 (23:04):
Do you think you'll do more of this stuff?
I?
Speaker 2 (23:05):
kind of do.
Do you know she's going to askyou the day of?
You know the day of?
Oh, absolutely, she's going tobe like what do you think?
Speaker 1 (23:11):
Actually, she asked us to ask you on the podcast.
Speaker 2 (23:13):
Right, hugo, make sure you ask her this question,
wait it's just a little contractyou have to sign.
Speaker 1 (23:18):
It's right here, all of over, here and go.
Hey, you got to commit today.
Speaker 2 (23:25):
Would you do it in Florida?
Speaker 1 (23:26):
So that's kind of what I'm thinking yeah, I mean,
since you're half there, I'mthinking that it might be really
fun to do in Florida.
Speaker 2 (23:33):
And there's a really cool theater community out there
.
That's cool.
Yeah, I think it's going to bea really great date night for
people Like, even if you're notreally into theater.
Speaker 1 (23:44):
Is it a friday, saturday?
What is it saturday?
Speaker 2 (23:46):
saturday, october 11th at eight o'clock, at eight
o'clock, at the miller centerwhich is a great theater
beautiful like I had never beenin there before, um, and so
someone suggested it and I gavethem a call, because I was in
florida at the time.
I gave them a call, looked atthe website and just kind of
made a decision.
Speaker 1 (24:03):
Wow uh, and that's a commitment too?
Yeah, because you're spendingwhether you want to or not.
Speaker 2 (24:08):
They were like make sure you send that deposit yeah
exactly, that's exactly right.
Speaker 1 (24:13):
So, how do we, since you have the paperwork there?
How do we?
Well, you can just tell.
How do you get tickets and Okay, so lovenotesburkscom.
Okay.
Speaker 2 (24:29):
So I so I have a website and it'll share all of
the people that are in it.
There's some really cool localpeople that are in it, also the
Miller Center.
I'll share my QR code with youas well, that would be great.
Speaker 1 (24:35):
You can give that to us so that we can post it on our
socials that would be awesomeabsolutely yeah.
So it's October 11th at 8pm atthe Miller Center.
I'm collaborating with thepeanut bar as well so we're
going to do an after party there.
Yes, a little plug for thepeanut bar.
Yeah, a little plug for thepeanut bar.
Speaker 2 (24:53):
So he and I met the other day and he's going to do
some dinner specials Cool andwe're going to have an after
party there Very cool.
Speaker 1 (25:03):
Is there anything else that you want to share
about the show coming up?
Speaker 2 (25:06):
You know, I'm just I.
I just have to say that I feelso like super blessed to be from
here.
You know you leave home and youthink I'm never going to come
back.
Speaker 1 (25:16):
Well, everybody, everybody always says that and
they all come back, cause I knowI sell houses.
They all come back, I selltheir house and they leave and
then later on, they come back.
Speaker 2 (25:31):
Yeah, I have such an appreciation for I think,
because I was gone for almost 20years, I have such an
appreciation for home, yeah, andI just have to say like
everybody has like opened uptheir arms and like said, yeah,
we're in with you, that's coolyou know like it's just been
really cool.
Speaker 1 (25:42):
That's awesome.
Speaker 2 (25:43):
So I just want to say I'm super grateful.
I'm grateful to be here on thisshow to reconnect with you.
We're glad you're here.
Yeah, it's awesome.
Speaker 1 (25:50):
Very cool.
Well, we wish you the best ofluck.
I do have to check my schedulebecause I would like to come see
it.
Speaker 2 (25:54):
I would love that I couldn't make it to New York.
Maybe you can go see it.
That'd be great.
That'd be a lot of fun.
Speaker 1 (26:05):
Awesome, awesome, awesome.
Thank you, I really appreciateit.
Well, there you have it.
So the show is Love Notes right, love Notes, and it is October
11th at 8 pm at the MillerCenter.
You can get tickets bylovenotesburkscom.
Is that right?
That's correct.
There we go, okay.
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