Jul 3, 20251h 12mS1
<p>Dan here! If you have ever heard the expression that the road to hell is paved with good intentions, you will understand what happened with our first-ever live episode of the Unexpected Mentor. What you are about to...
arts
The Unexpected Mentor
Hosted by Dan Vado & Emily Parent · arts · EN
About this Podcast:
Dan Vado is a glass-half-empty sixty-something San Jose music venue owner and the founder of SLG Publishing, a comic book publishing company that achieved notoriety in the 90s for publishing popular alternative comics such as Johnny the Homicidal Maniac and Lenore, the Cute Little Dead Girl. Emily Parent is a twenty-something social media content girl and self-published author whose ambitions to be a creative professional are clouded by dreams of being famous. Though Dan is best known for publishing creator-owned comics and providing a platform to new and untried artists, he never intended to be anyone’s mentor. However, when Emily came crashing through the front door of his venue, unwaveringly insistent that she was special, Dan thought it might be satisfying to bring her back to reality. They may have gotten more than they bargained for in this series of weekly conversations that attempt to scale the intergenerational barrier between the way things once were for creative people an
Pitch Analysis
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Contact path
Verified email
Booking probability
18%
Guest openness
Selective
80/100
Required Score
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Signup to Generate a PitchQuestions about The Unexpected Mentor
What is The Unexpected Mentor about?
Dan Vado is a glass-half-empty sixty-something San Jose music venue owner and the founder of SLG Publishing, a comic book publishing company that achieved notoriety in the 90s for publishing popular alternative comics such as Johnny the Homicidal Maniac and Lenore, the Cute Little Dead Girl.
Who hosts The Unexpected Mentor?
The Unexpected Mentor is hosted by Dan Vado & Emily Parent. The show has published 10 episodes to date.
What has The Unexpected Mentor covered recently?
Recent episodes include "[LIVE EPISODE] Making Something Out of Nothing" (3 July 2025, 72 minutes), "[#8] You're Giving Away Your Power" (19 June 2025, 22 minutes), and "[#7] Will Having a Child be the End of my Creative Career?" (12 June 2025, 29 minutes).
How often does The Unexpected Mentor publish?
The Unexpected Mentor publishes roughly weekly, with episodes averaging 30 minutes across 10 episodes.
How hard is it to get booked on The Unexpected Mentor?
Booking probability for The Unexpected Mentor is 18%, and the host is rated Selective on guests. The Unexpected Mentor requires a Pod Score of 80 or higher. The Unexpected Mentor's contact route on record: verified email.
Who should pitch The Unexpected Mentor?
The strongest fits for The Unexpected Mentor are News, Magazine & Book Publishing and Artists, Writers & Performers. The Unexpected Mentor has an arts audience.
About the host
Dan Vado & Emily Parent hosts The Unexpected Mentor, an arts podcast with 10 episodes published.
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Recent episodes
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Episode #8
[#8] You're Giving Away Your Power
Jun 19, 202522 minS1<p>Dan and Emily together here! (Emily typing) We just took this Thursday morning to eat a load of bread raccoon-style and listen to this episode on the big speakers in the Art Boutiki. We set out at the beginning of...
- Jun 12, 202529 minS1
<p>From Dan: While it was not part of the plan, this episode about having a family while working in the creative world is coming out a few days before Father’s Day (in 2025, or whatever stardate equivalent if you are...
Episode #6
[#6] Making Money as an Artist
Jun 5, 202541 minS1<p>Hi! Emily here! A few months after this episode was recorded, tax season came around and I had to file my taxes for the first time as a person who had made real money from her creative business. I was so freaked out...
Episode #5
[#5] Lessons from SLG Publishing
May 29, 202528 minS1<p>Hi from Dan Vado... Listening to this episode the night before its release, what stands out to me is that I was surprised by how much Emily had remembered from the previous weeks of work. It gave me the feeling that...
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Episode #4
[#4] Telling a Genuine Story
May 22, 202530 minS1<p>Em here! I called Dan this morning to tell him how nervous I was about this episode because we attempt to tackle so much in this short 30 minutes. We move from the idea of having a creative process to applying that...
Episode #3
[#3] Fear of Screwing Up
May 15, 202523 minS1<p>Hiya! Emily again. Episode three. Fear of screwing up.</p><p>Back in November when we recorded these first few episodes, I was so excited about the vision for this project that I would often go home and edit our long...
- May 8, 202528 minS1
<p>Dan Vado here, welcome to the second episode of The Unexpected Mentor. I’m assuming you are here because you listened to and found something interesting in the first episode. As Emily mentioned in the previous...
Episode #1
[#1] You Will Get Better
May 1, 202526 minS1<p>Emily here. Truly, honestly, thanks for tuning in. This podcast means a lot to us.</p><p>This episode was our proof of concept. Neither of us were convinced at the time of recording this that the other party would...
The Unexpected Mentor
The Unexpected Mentor | An SLG Publishing Podcast
Apr 17, 20253 minS1<p>On The Unexpected Mentor, unlikely friends Dan Vado and Emily Parent attempt to sort out the truth of what it means to live – and attempt to make a living – as an authentic, independent artist.</p>
Recent guests
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