Tricia Rose Burt spent nearly fifteen years doing everything right — director of corporate communications, a career built inside Fidelity Investments and Harvard Business School, the whole stable, predictable life she was raised to want. Then a career counselor told her she needed freedom and art, and within a year she'd quit the job, sold the car, ended the marriage, and moved to an artist's studio in Ireland for what was supposed to be six months. She stayed four. Now she's a Moth storyteller, a TEDx speaker, and the host of No Time to Be Timid — a podcast built entirely around one idea: the riskiest thing you can do is play it safe.

In this conversation, Tricia and Bill dig into what it actually costs to become someone else on purpose — and why fear, boredom, and failure aren't obstacles to the creative life, they're the price of admission.

Three reasons to listen:

• The week she blew up her old life. Job, car, marriage — gone in seven days, on the strength of one priest's line: "Everyone will tell you the cost of going. No one will tell you the cost of staying."
• Even the pros get scared. Why a 22-time Grammy winner joining the Eagles and a Nashville hitmaker turned wheelchair-tech founder both told Tricia, on record, that fear never actually goes away — you just get better at using it.
• A 10-point manifesto for getting unstuck. From "practicality is overrated" to "constraints are opportunities" — the field-tested rules Tricia now hands to everyone from artists to executives.

Notable Mentions

No Time to Be Timid — Tricia Rose Burt

People

Tricia Rose Burt — Speaker, storyteller, and podcast host who left a corporate career at Fidelity Investments and Harvard Business School to become an artist; host of No Time to Be Timid and a longtime storyteller and instructor for The Moth.

Vince Gill — Grammy-winning country musician who joined the Eagles in 2017 following Glenn Frey's death; discussed on No Time to Be Timid the fear he still feels performing, including tackling the Beach Boys' notoriously difficult "Surf's Up."

Barry Dean — Nashville hit songwriter ("Heartache Medication," "Pontoon") who co-founded the smart wheelchair technology company LUCI with his brother Jered after his daughter Katherine was born with cerebral palsy.

Devin Finigan — Self-taught chef-owner of Aragosta at Goose Cove in Deer Isle, Maine, trained through stints at Per Se, Blue Hill at Stone Barns, and The French Laundry; her restaurant was named among Food & Wine's top U.S. dining destinations in 2024 and 2025.

Laura Wilson — American documentary photographer inducted into the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame in 2019, known for her decade-plus access to photograph Montana's Hutterite communities; mother of actors Owen, Luke, and Andrew Wilson.

Nell Painter — Princeton historian who, in her mid-60s, left academia to earn a BFA and MFA in painting, chronicled in her memoir Old in Art School; she is a past guest on Tricia's own podcast.

The War and Treaty (Michael & Tanya Trotter) — Husband-and-wife Americana duo; Michael, an Army veteran who served in Iraq, found his voice singing at the funerals of fellow soldiers before he and Tanya began performing together.

Amy Grant — Six-time Grammy-winning singer-songwriter and friend of Tricia's; discussed anticipating the excitement rather than the anxiety of returning to the stage after a decade away from releasing new music.

Organizations & Institutions

The Moth — Global nonprofit dedicated to live, unscripted personal storytelling; Tricia is a longtime storyteller and instructor for the organization.

Fidelity Investments — Boston-based financial services firm where Tricia worked in corporate communications before her career pivot into the arts.

Harvard Business School — Part of Tricia's original corporate career track before she left the business world for art school in Ireland.

Aragosta at Goose Cove — Devin Finigan's destination restaurant and inn on Deer Isle, Maine, ranked among Food & Wine's top U.S. culinary destinations.

LUCI Mobility — Smart technology company founded by songwriter Barry Dean and his brother Jered, building collision- and tip-prevention sensors for power wheelchairs.

Books, Talks & Media

No Time to Be Timid — Tricia's award-winning podcast (a Signal Award winner in Arts & Culture) featuring artists, entrepreneurs, and everyday people who made a bold creative leap.

The No Time to Be Timid Manifesto — Tricia's 10-point guide to living more creatively, including principles like "the riskiest thing you can do is play it safe" and "constraints are opportunities."

Old in Art School: A Memoir of Starting Over — Nell Painter's memoir of leaving a celebrated academic career to earn a BFA and MFA in her 60s; a National Book Critics Circle Award finalist.

"How I Redeemed 35 Years of Regret" — Tricia's TEDxPortsmouth talk built around the idea that the biggest risk in life is playing it safe.

Acknowledgements

(FreeSound.org)

Sounds from the forest by GirlWithSoundRecorder -- https://freesound.org/s/636921/ -- License: Attribution NonCommercial 4.0

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Through compelling conversations with artist activists, artivists, and cultural organizers, the podcast explores how art and activism intersect to fuel cultural transformation and drive meaningful change. Guests discuss the challenges and triumphs of community arts, socially engaged art, and creative placemaking, offering insights into artist mentorship, building credibility, and communicating impact.

Episodes delve into the realities of artist isolation, burnout, and funding for artists, while celebrating the role of artists in residence and creative leadership in shaping a more just and inclusive world. Whether you’re an emerging or established artist for social justice, this podcast offers inspiration, practical advice, and a sense of solidarity in the journey toward art and social change.