Join Kosta and his guest: Logan Taylor, Founder and Creative Director of Dream Reality Group, Producer and Founder of DRG Films, Photographer, Artist and Psychic Medium.
In This Episode: How Logan discovered and developed his psychic abilities, dealing with skeptics and criticism, what it's like to grow up as a medium in the bible-belt, and his upcoming tour.
Better Together with Kosta Yepifantsev is a product of Morgan Franklin Media and recorded in Cookeville, TN.
Find out more about Logan Taylor and Dream Reality Group:
http://www.intuitivelogan.com
https://drgmcminnville.com/
Find out more about Kosta and all the ways we're better together:
http://kostayepifantsev.com/
Join Kosta and his guest: Logan Taylor, Founder and Creative Director of Dream Reality Group, Producer and Founder of DRG Films, Photographer, Artist and Psychic Medium.
In This Episode: How Logan discovered and developed his psychic abilities, dealing with skeptics and criticism, what it's like to grow up as a medium in the bible-belt, and his upcoming tour.
Better Together with Kosta Yepifantsev is a product of Morgan Franklin Media and recorded in Cookeville, TN.
Find out more about Logan Taylor and Dream Reality Group:
http://www.intuitivelogan.com
https://drgmcminnville.com/
Find out more about Kosta and all the ways we're better together:
http://kostayepifantsev.com/
I know it sounds wackadoodle I know that gimmicks but to me, I am a skeptic. It is not something I do really by choice. I just know it to I'm destined to be because of the impact. It makes others it's not easy, but it's worth it.
Morgan Franklin:Welcome to Better Together with Kosta Yepifantsev, a podcast on parenting business and living life intentionally. We're here every week to bring you thoughtful conversation on making your own path to success, challenging the status quo, and finding all the ways we're better together. Here's your host, Kosta Yepifantsev
Kosta Yepifantsev:Hey y'all, this is Kosta and today I'm here with my guest Logan Taylor, founder and creative director of dream reality group, producer and founder of DRG Films, photographer, artist and psychic medium. Today we're taking a trip to the other side or at least a peek behind the curtain logon. The only place we can start is from the beginning right? Tell us about how you made it to McMinnville your career thus far in theater and how you landed the medium roadshow tour.
Logan Taylor:How long do we have to talk about
Kosta Yepifantsev:I mean we can talk we can talk for four hours
Logan Taylor:well first of all, thank you so much for having me. Absolutely. I'm really excited to be here. To start off I didn't plan on moving to McMinnville because I grew up here in Cookeville I always said growing up my dad my parents are originally from McMinnville my dad still lives there but he would say just move down here because high school was kind of a trip for me and I I was like I'm not moving to McMinnville. No. Why are you going to catch me in that sort of you know, small town but never say never. I've always learned never say never. But my stepmom got sick so I moved to McMinnville to help my dad. Okay. Honestly, it's funny because I believe everything happens for a reason. I'm a firm believer in that. And I moved down there with no expectation, no plan whatsoever. I remember stumbling into this little coffee shop and this woman was standing there. She had this beautiful red hair and she just started talking to me and she said, You're special. She said I need to talk to you. She said we were supposed to meet today for a reason. Oh wow. And she took me across the street to her office. Turned out she was a spiritual guru. She was a master metaphysician of over 20 years, there's truly nothing this woman had done. And I was just kind of talking about my life what I had been through a lot about my journey in mental health. And she was saying, you know, this is probably spirits trying to get in touch with you because I had seen spirits on and off my whole life. But I didn't really have a pinpoint as to what they needed for me. Yeah. So from that point, I started listening more and I would start trusting my intuition more. And it didn't matter where I was, I was getting pulled over if I was in a Taco Bell drive thru, if I felt that message, they were gonna get it, you know, and it made me feel better. Yeah. And it made a difference. So that's really where I started. I didn't have any friends in McMinnville at that time. But my cousin would be like, hey, come over here to this party I'm at, I want you to read everybody. And then I'd go drive my little self over and I'd start reading all his friends. And it was just a lot of fun.
Kosta Yepifantsev:What was it like though in high school? I mean, I'm assuming you're like sitting in class and all these things are happening to you. I mean, yes, in terms of spirits and stuff like that, like, how do you stay grounded,
Logan Taylor:I didn't learn. I learned I learned over a lot of trial and error. I spent a lot of my time I think in high school. The biggest advice I could give to younger me would be just be yourself. Yeah, I spent so much time trying to run from who I really was because of a lot of structural norms that I had grown up with, I think in running from everything that I am it just kind of I made it worse. You know, I didn't cope. I have a lot of horror stories from high school. I showed my patootie several times I'm sure you know, I remember getting my first job and realizing oh, there are people from all over that I have a lot of different life paths. It's not just people that think I'm weird from high school you know, so it starts to feel like oh, I matter who I am matters. So that kind of developed and then after I'd moved to McMinnville, I got bored one winter, I like to keep myself busy and it was it was snowing. It was an ice storm. And I'm like you know what, I'm gonna buy the rights for a show. I'm just gonna look it up online gonna buy some playwrights and just have auditions. Incredible. And I did that and McMinnville had never had a theater program before. I remember I called the lady at the Civic Center. It was just like a municipal building and I said hey, can I rent out a room at the Civic Center to do a show? She said well, why don't you do it at the park theatre and I never heard or thought about the park theatre. It had been closed since the 80s. So anyway, we were the first show in the theater after it had been reopened in 2015. I remember we held auditions we had like 50 kids show up and now was seven years ago and we've done 21 shows since then, they've just gotten bigger and bigger and bigger. And, you know, it's funny because I was talking to a friend the other day. I love what I do. I love all the aspects of my career, because I know it makes an impact on others. But it just so happens that I have a lot of fun doing it.
Kosta Yepifantsev:Kind of makes sense. In high school. Did you do theater?
Logan Taylor:I did. I actually in the fourth grade, I started doing goodwill Children's Theater. Okay. And, and then I did shows throughout high school, I will say, for me, I never truly never saw myself directing theater. I mean, I remember, in our front yard, we all would always put on plays. And these weren't just your typical household plays. Okay, we would get the red curtains strung up, we would have my siblings ziplining from a tree, it was a production. And so I guess looking back, it's like fate that it was meant to be you know, but I never saw it. I've always tried even in my worst days to trust my intuition. trust my gut. So far, it's led me in the right direction.
Kosta Yepifantsev:Is there a specific genre of plays that you do?
Logan Taylor:Um, I will tell you the reason I think I have had such a good time with it. And what I think makes our group stand out from other groups. There are so so so much passion involved, for myself, from the staff from every single actor, it just feels like they're truly a part of something bigger than themselves. And so my personal style of directing is fun, colorful, vibrant, you will see whimsy, I love to have fun, I love visual stimulation, my shows, it's more than just a musical. It's a visual spectacle. And I know that sounds corny, and I have a sound like that. But that's how I like everything I do to be larger than life. So even when we go on tour, even if it's 20 people in the room, I'm still gonna, you know, I'm still gonna wear my suit. I'm gonna wear my fancy shoes, because it is an event. And I think I treat everything in my life like that. And so it just serves me well.
Kosta Yepifantsev:Yeah. So you said in high school, you're trying to kind of run away from who you truly are. And so I assume, and this may be a bit of a complicated question, but I assume that you have been essentially acting almost your entire childhood. Right? So we're getting deep here. I mean, I'm just curious, because obviously, like, as an actor, or as a director, specifically, as a director, you have to try to get people to believe in themselves, right? How do you convince people or essentially project kind of your childhood and your upbringing and the challenges that you faced and the times that you've had to be maybe somebody that you're not? How do you then reiterate that and encourage other people that you direct to do the same thing
Logan Taylor:I grew up. Luckily, having a firm Family Foundation, who really, for the most part supported every single thing I did always showed up on the polar opposite end of the spectrum. At school, I don't know it's kind of hard to talk about because I'm at this 10 year mark in my life, it's about to be my 10 year reunion.
Kosta Yepifantsev:Congratulations, by the way, I usually don't know about that. But
Logan Taylor:I am at this point where I'm like, okay, 10 years has snuck up on me. And I'm realizing that I'm still addressing and letting go of things that affected me in school. And looking back, I realized so much of it was spiritual. And I didn't even realize it. I think I was running from my identity. I was trying to be fit a mold of the person, I thought others would want me to be right. Looking back, I treat my kids as I would have wanted to be treated. And I think they relate to me on such a level because I'm still really childlike in a lot of ways. I think my superpower is I'm able to see potential in people long before they see it in themselves through nurturing a tough love. Now, I want us to say that my mama always gave me tough love. And at the time, I really didn't understand it. But looking back, it has been the best thing that ever happened to me. Because that tough love is how I cuz you can ask my actors. I love them deeply. And they know that but I'm gonna make them work. Our rehearsal schedule, they all have school, but then we rehearse four to five days a week, four to eight hours each day. It's not to be messed around with but I think that work ethic instills in them that they're, that they're good enough that they can do it. And a lot of these kids are amateurs, they have no training, but we present a caliber of a production to them and a quality and says you can do it. It's going to be really hard. It's not going to be easy. Yeah, it's not gonna be easy, but you can do it. You know,
Kosta Yepifantsev:and believe me, this is not a podcast about high school. Yes, yeah, it's just I reflect back on my time in high school. I mean, if you would have told me that I'd be here 10 years from the time that I graduated, I would have said, You're crazy. Because at the moment that nine through 12th grade was everything in your life, you know what I mean? But you didn't peak in high school. So that's essentially the most important thing. God, yeah. Right. So I want to talk about being a medium, like, when did you realize that you could do this? And what was kind of that first aha moment, like, wow, this is a big deal
Logan Taylor:that comes to me immediately, actually, like I said, I saw spirits growing up, I have so many memories and encounters, interacting with souls that I now realize we're not here in the physical. It does run in my family. It's not something my family likes to talk about, but the gift, it runs, generations of generations down. I remember after I'd met my guru, that's the only thing I know to call her. She said, Okay, I want you to read somebody, I'm gonna line up some clients for you. And I remember, months after I had kind of been reading and it was going fabulously. There was one reading that stuck out to me. And still, I still think about every day, not every day, but often. There was this gentleman who came from Memphis, somebody had got him a gift card, I guess to get a reading. He came from Memphis and he sits there. He came in and first thing he says, I don't believe in this. I'm just here to appease my friend. But I'm open to whatever you have sight. I'm like, okay, great Challenge accepted. So we start the reading. And I say, I felt the woman the mother energy. And she brought forward the little girl. I said, I don't know if this is your wife and daughter. And he started tearing up. And I said, I feel like it didn't hurt at all, you know, and he started tearing up more. I'll never forget, they had been in a car wreck and passed tragically. But I said to him, I said, your little girl stepping forward, and her little outfit turned right into a Cinderella dress and she spun around. And he let out a whale. This grown military man let out this like pitiful little whale. And he said we buried her in a Cinderella dress. It's little things like that. I mean, this past weekend on tour, one powerful moving moment. I mean, there were so many but one moving moment, I felt the younger woman that got the hit in the head. And I said, you know, she, she's she was like, she fell asleep. She didn't hurt, you know, and I was talking to this lady. And all of a sudden, as we're doing the reading, she says, it was my friend Eliza, who got abducted in Memphis. And the whole room was just stunned. But the healing that she got from that, and the healing that just being in one of these group sessions, that's why I do it. Because let me tell you, I've gotten so much hate for being a medium over the years. I know it sounds Wackadoodle. I know the gimmicks I know this the tricks. But to me, I am a skeptic. It is not something I do really by choice. I just know it to I'm destined to be because of the impact it makes to others. It's not easy, but it's worth it.
Kosta Yepifantsev:Are there spirits in here today? Oh, my goodness coming. I don't know. We might not have talked long enough for you to come in. But you can be honest. Yeah. There's a spirit looming right here, guys right on top of my head.
Logan Taylor:Because it's funny, like as I look at you right now, I do see kind of the angelic figures behind you a lot of times in this life, things are so uncertain. I feel like so many times we get lost in our own minds, and they want us to know that they're with us. They're behind us. I do feel oh, no, I do kind of feel like this grandmotherly or motherly figure that I don't know if this is somebody who was really important to you. I see kind of some water around you, but I just feel like she's saying, okay. So a lot of times they'll walk me through like a tunnel, and they'll show me different things from your life. Okay. Do you have a little girl? I do. Yeah, I just they she shows me this specific moment. I don't know if this is your grandmother. I don't know who this is. But it is the female. She shows me that moment when your daughter was born. And I don't know if things really changed for you. But she says you've gone through a lot and you've overcome. I don't know what the number 20 means for you. I don't know if 20 was a significant age, but she's just showing me a lot of growth, a lot of mental clarity and you're a lot stronger.
Kosta Yepifantsev:So I met my wife when I was 20. And that was a pretty significant moment. Not to say that I wasn't here we go guys reading on the podcast. It changed you. Yeah, it did. It did. And I credit pretty much everything in my life to my wife. I'm not you know, I'm not a very like religious person. I don't really prescribe to any type of organized religion. But I do understand that it would be naive for us to think that you know, we're just here all by chance. All alone, right. And I also grew up with kind of like I was telling you earlier, like the whole horoscope spiritual realm, being a part of our lives. My mom, I don't know if she'd liked me saying this, but she always says that we are at some point from a line of gypsies. From Russia, I love Oh, yeah. And I always feel my grandparents. My grandmother, my mom's mom, who passed away in 2012. And my dad's parents who passed away in oh three, and then 2010, they were very important because when we came to America, the only people who weren't working, you know, three jobs were my grandparents. And so they were the only people that I really spent time with. And so they were the ones that kind of raised me when they passed, is is going to sound strange, but I almost feel like I became more. I feel like I have their protection. And I feel like they've kept me on the right path. And they've supported me. And they've shielded me from a lot of things. That could have been terrible,
Logan Taylor:Though, it's so funny when you just raised your head and you said it. Like I said, Is there something over me? These are your guardian angels kind of always standing behind you to say, we're right here protecting you. Because listen, life is hard. Yeah, for sure. I mean, having that support in times where you feel alone, because it it doesn't matter who we are, there are times where we feel like nobody understands what we're trying to say or do. And that's why a lot of sessions, the overall underlying message is, you're not alone in this, you've got that support. And it's funny what you said about your grandparents, because I say to a lot of clients, because so many people don't understand why people are taken from them. Death is such a strange thing. And people grieve differently. But I do tell people, and I think I find comfort in it sometimes as odd and as strange as it is to hear. We have to lose something to get something else. And that is a hard pill to swallow. But sometimes even the loss of someone we love so dearly, opens doors to things we didn't know were possible. Yeah. So that's something to think about.
Kosta Yepifantsev:I probably would have never left home at 15 to play hockey if my grandma hadn't passed in 2003. Because when she passed, she was kind of like the glue of our family. And so everything became a little bit less connected. And so I moved, you know, moved away, played hockey, but all right, move movie. Thank you very much for that for that. For that. Call it a reading, if that's okay. Sure. I mean, like, I want to know, though, how does somebody seek your services out? Like, I know you're doing your roadshow tour now. But before you did the tour, like how did people find you? Or did you seek people out Jad advertisement? What do you do? Did you have like a storefront?
Logan Taylor:Right? Well, okay, when I first started, I didn't really think it was gonna be a big deal at all, I just started reading people. And I didn't really advertise at all it just more and more people. I would post like little clips or just little things, and you would not believe how many people seek help from the other side. It's just, it became a whirlwind at one point. So I started reading in 2013, or 14. And by the time I was 23, okay, okay, I'm gonna give you this tape because I can talk about it. Now. I had a year long waiting list at one point. So people were waiting a really long time for a reading. And I never would have thought that would even be a thing. I was reading three people a day, four days a week, I was just overdoing it. And then I was in a series of TV deals, development deals, I should say. And in 2015 I went on a TV show. I'm not gonna say the name of the TV show, but I went on a TV a dating show, actually. Oh, wow. And the whole premise. They kind of set us up and the whole premise was I was a medium Barbara do go on the day with this person. They're wanting to meet and this guy just shuts me down. I mean, it was just the worst experience ever. And it happened on national TV. So that book on this thing, my my book, I'm like, okay, but bah bah, bah. So this aired in air baby under that point. I had been on fire. I mean, there wasn't a thing in this world that can stop me but that kind of traumatize me. I thought, oh my god, this is gonna ruin my life or my business, blah, blah. Well, nobody cared. Nobody saw it. So through that show. I got another TV deal with one of the biggest reality TV companies in the country. And I was in development with them for a year. They flew me out to LA three or four times I read for a bunch People, they were basically going to develop a show around my life with a really major television network. I got signed with the network, they shot some stuff, they develop some stuff. They're like, Hey, this is happening. You're getting a show, you got one more interview, you're gonna read the exact, I'm filling my fantasy like, Okay, let's do this. So I get on the interview, it was this was a zoom, I get on the Zoom, my grandma's in the room for moral support. And this was years after the TV show aired, but it was in my head, I went back to that moment, and I'm in my brain and I'm like, Oh, my God, I'm gonna mess this up. Is this this self doubt this inner monologue of you can't do it. You know,
Kosta Yepifantsev:I don't mean to interrupt. But what happened on this other TV show that was so dramatic.
Logan Taylor:So we go on this day and the guy. Now mind you, I was only 20. At this point. He was several years older, and there was a blind date. They like cast us and it happened in Chicago. They flew us to Chicago. Okay. He was drinking. And I, like I said, couldn't drink yet. Yeah. Because he was drinking. And so he was feeling kind of spicy, I guess. And he was like, Do you feel anything with me? Of course, I was waiting for that question. You know, yeah, that's the question of the ages isn't a caster. But I told him when I was feeling totally shut me down. And then he was like, just to be honest, I feel like you just say something really general and build from there. And I just feel like you're grasping at nothing. I feel like this is a cold reading type deal. And of course, me sitting there thinking, okay, my mama does not know, I'm on national TV with a guy. Not only that, I'm giving this reading. It was just so dramatic. And he was just, I don't even say anything bad.
Kosta Yepifantsev:Are you scared that you were going to come out on national TV before anybody knew anything? Or was that?
Logan Taylor:Well, here's the deal. When I came out, it wasn't like, I'm gay. It was just kind of like, this is this guy I'm talking to No, it wasn't a big thing for me. But my family really struggled. And still kind of does. But my mom said something the other day. And now growing up. It was our biggest fear to have a gay kid. I mean, biggest fear your family? Yes. My mom specifically. But yes, my family. It was just it was a big fear for them. Because I mean, first of all, me as a little boy, I mean, if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, the duck, you know what I mean? I'm sure my mom was like, Oh, my God, this kid cannot be gay. Yeah, but I remember a few months ago, I also have a trans brother. Oh, okay. My mama. She cried and cried. But she said a few weeks ago, she said, You know, I never realized how much our family needed you and Reagan, we've learned so much. And I think it makes me feel like it's okay to be born different. You know what
Kosta Yepifantsev:I mean? Right? So your mom's come to terms with it. She sure has.
Logan Taylor:She doesn't love it. But she loves her children. And I'm trying to tell people because I know so many people who are deathly afraid to be who they are openly, even afraid to acknowledge it. Some people and it just kind of ended up snowballing for that. But it's never as bad as you think.
Kosta Yepifantsev:Do you think that that's what contributed to a lot of your struggles in high school?
Logan Taylor:Without a doubt, one of my first memories in kindergarten, I went to a pool party. I remember I was swimming in nice kids. I'm sure I grew up with them. But they said to me, why do you talk like a girl. And that has never left my brain? You know, and it wasn't a big deal. And for so many years, I look back at videos, I used to make YouTube videos, I would talk with a deeper voice, you know, type deal. And I think that's really sad. Because I think if I would have just been who I was all those years, or probably would have saved me a lot of heartache. I remember people would say, Are you gay? No. And it just, who cares? Yeah, isn't a big deal. You
Kosta Yepifantsev:know, I talked to a lot of people on this podcast, who know people who struggle with their sexuality with their identity, and it's so sad. All you want is for them to just be themselves. Like if you could just shake and give them the platform that everything is okay. And just, you know, be honest with yourself. But then, you know, you realize, like we've just now seen, there's a large segment of the population in our area that doesn't like homosexuality, we look at, we see the drag show and attack and stuff. So growing up, and I didn't mean to derail you from the I have a squirrel Brian, let's, I'm ready to when you're growing up. And obviously your mom's coming to terms with this. You're coming to terms with this. You're in this high profile family, your dad. Your stepdad is a city council member celebrity is right. I mean, you know, he's got he's a city council member. He's he becomes mayor of Cookeville. He's got a son who's gay and Regan, who is trans. I mean, what was it like?
Logan Taylor:Here's the deal, and the only reason I'm filming comfortable even talking about it is I'm so open with them now, I'm at such a point where I can talk to them freely about my views, their views, how they're different. And I like to think that having me and Reagan always joke help turkeys campaign, but maybe appeal to a more broad, broader base or base. But I know my views are different from theirs. And we are able to just kind of neutralize I mean, growing up, it was hard for me to acknowledge Ricky as a step for, you know,
Kosta Yepifantsev:step parents in general.
Logan Taylor:And through school, I just felt like anything I did, they were gonna find out. And so I would make friends who I knew, like, Mama, this sounds so bad, my mom would always be like, I just wish you would hang out with different people and the people mom wanted me to hang out with and never appealed to me. And I was like, you know, the oddballs, the weirdos. I was never really drawn to the popular crowd. But I remember one night, I had a breakdown, and I went off somewhere and mom and Ricky came and found me. And Ricky said, I am so tired of this shit. And I never heard him cuss because they just didn't cuss in front of me. So I was like, Oh my gosh, he's so mad. And they were like, we're not getting out of this car until you tell us what's going on? Because buddy, I put them through it.
Kosta Yepifantsev:Your school? Had no idea that you were gay.
Logan Taylor:Well, no. And I remember mom tells me she would say to Ricky, I think he hasn't even said no, no, he's on. And they still joke with me a lot about now. You know, there's a pretty girl down here. I think it would be perfect with but I remember after that point, I gained so much more love and respect for him. Yeah, him on both because they were willing to put those things aside. Yeah, to be who we needed to be. And Ricky, this makes me this is gonna sound kind of corny. But he's so proud of me. And he always brags army to his people. And I mean, you know, I think Ricky Shelton is the biggest Still, despite our differences, but he he's so proud of me and always brags on me to people and always tries to like, book me, you know, his little game. Yeah. And it just means a lot because he is so high profile that I feel like I could be at the bottom of his list of people to use. And it's just like getting to that point of your parents being proud of you. I remember mom would always be like, if you don't get a college degree, you're not gonna get me inheritance, money type deal. And I'm like, Oh, my God, I do school is not for me. And then once I, you know, built dream reality group built myself as an entrepreneur, and as a business owner, of course, that all went out the window, and the will was amended hallelujah. But you know,
Kosta Yepifantsev:you know, I tell you, Ricky is he's a great guy. He's an interesting guy. And he's overcome. I mean, he's had a lot of adversity, especially in these last few years. Right now, things are just, they're visceral. You can't be just a regular person, you can't just be like, Okay, I think, you know, a little bit about this way. And then I think a little this way, and yeah, we'll meet somewhere in the middle, then, you know, you're you're not in a tribe. And Ricky has really been open to change that. And I hope that the new leadership will also have that same type of Outlook. But were you ever worried like that you would lose the connection to your family when you were coming out?
Logan Taylor:Yes, I was. That was one of my biggest fears probably was that I was going to be estranged, I was going to be cut off, because family is important to me. So it was a big fear. And looking back, you know, family loves you nine times out of 10. If a family's worth a flip, they love you, you know, I want to say about Reiki, there were so many things that were brought to him when we were kids that he did not understand or agree with, I gotta go in a little Ricky, right? Because I just do love him. I just remember him as kids. He always worked so, so so hard, he would be in his office all the time in the house. But he always made time for us. And my dad is an amazing dad. He's very active in my life now, but he was out of it for a long time. And Ricky was the best example of a hard worker, an honest person, Ricky really is an honest person. And he's a good guy. And like I said, we view a lot of things differently. And he knows that we both know it. Yeah. But he was such a good example a father figure to say, you know, if you work really hard, despite anybody who's standing against you, you can do it. I always tell people, anytime I go into schools, and we'll let on career days and talk to the kids, I always say if you do these two things, if you work really hard, and you're kind, you can do anything.
Kosta Yepifantsev:And that's the truth. How often do you talk to children though, because like you've had that criticism, that societal judgment firsthand, not just your identity, but also the type of work that you do. I mean, you're getting it from all different facets. So when you talk to kids that may feel like they're out. of place or that may feel like they're misunderstood. I mean, I have an eight year old and some of the things that I'm starting to deal with, it's just like, What do I do? What do I say? How do I talk about this? I mean, I'm so ill prepared,
Logan Taylor:Well, kids, hey, they make them different these days, I'll just tell you, I really do make them different. But I think that a lot of the kids that we talk to, these things are never on their radar. I'll just say this. I have just accepted that I'm going to be a person probably for the rest of my life that is judged by others. I remember when I first started reading, there were several preachers in McMinnville, who preached sermons that I was a Satanist, that I was going to hell that I was a devil or all this crazy stuff. And I would go to restaurants. And I mean, people still dodge me in the grocery store. Sometimes, you know, I mean, it's just like, I feel that so you've got that. And then as a director, my job is hard. There have been shows where I've had to turn away 50 or 60 kids. And one thing that I've learned in my career, especially with the medium stuff, and the theater stuff, I try really hard not to mix the two worlds, and never talk about my psychic stuff in front of the kids at rehearsal, I just trying to keep those things separate, because I'm all about anybody speaking their truth being themselves. But I've never been one to just be really in your face about much of anything. I'm kind of low key about stuff Contrary to popular belief. But I don't know, I think that a lot of these kids are just looking for somewhere to feel like they matter. Because it's I know, I was blessed, growing up with a family that really cared. But I've talked to a lot of people who didn't feel that way, who didn't feel like they had that love at home. So to come into our group and build that. And also, you know, we've had so many kids that came to us couldn't even look up from the ground couldn't even make eye contact with you couldn't speak. And over the years with us, we build these kids up and it's a genuine feeling. I'm going to be tough on you, but I love you. And I'm tough because I want to make you better, right? And they know that it's not just, this is my job, they feel that connection. And so it motivates them. It's funny because I like to drill sergeant yell at a scout say all that stuff. Some people have given me like about it, but you're gonna ask any of those kids it works. They're just looking for somebody to believe in them. Yeah.
Kosta Yepifantsev:Right. Do you mentor them a lot and talk through their problems? Yes, stuff
Logan Taylor:all the time. And you know, I think I can relate to them. And so many of them Hey, baby, they keep me young, these teenagers and these kids, they keep me on my toes, you know, so I'm able to offer insight in the way that I think doesn't seem like a parent. I'm able to be versus their 60 year old drama teacher I'm just I'm a few years older than them and I'm kind of vibe and just like they are I'm not really conforming to any structural norms and I think they love that
Kosta Yepifantsev:well and especially in a place like McMinnville, where they need an outlet like that. And I mean cookbook is not that much different. It's a maybe a little bit larger. So let's talk about the creation of dream reality group, your role and what you feel like it does in terms of contributing to community.
Logan Taylor:I am the founder and director of dream reality group. I love it. Okay, and we started in 2014 dream reality group is a production company, we started to create quality theater experiences in small town, Tennessee. Nice. We started with the musicals, and then we advanced to doing some short films. We did some reality TV stuff, but our bread and butter is our stage shows. I remember our first show we did I raised all the money myself, I think we may have spent $8,000 Nice. Oh yeah, it was beautiful, but I don't know it was just we just finished Newsies which was our 21st or second show. And my friend who has known me since I was really young. She looked over at me and she said Did you ever think all those years ago that this is what this would be? Because for a long time I thought you know we do cute little shows I've always felt underestimated because we're in McMinnville. I think people naturally think well, I'm ever but I'm telling you, I'm telling you cost a mark my words on this, our productions rival even the best in this area specifically because I'm telling you, it goes back what makes us special. And like I said, I've been asked this question a lot. What makes your group different? It is the true passion. I believe it's important. My crew believes it's important. So the kids believe it. And so their parents do so to our community. It's a big deal. It's not just a play. These people think it's a concert. You've never seen a more hot audience than at a dream reality group show. I'm so serious. I love it, you know, and it's just because they eat it up. I think that's maybe why I've had such a recipe for success in McMinnville specifically because they were so hungry for everything I had to offer not to toot my own horn but I'm fit Talking about it now. That's how it seems, you know.
Kosta Yepifantsev:So what does your tour look like in conjunction with creative direction? Dream reality group and D G, our films like what can fans expect from the live events,
Logan Taylor:I will say I love doing the tours, because I feel like I still kind of get to be a performer. I haven't been on stage for many years. But I feel like when I'm doing the tour, I can still get that little performance edge, I get to get cute wear my cute stuff. And it really makes an impact. There are still logistics involved. It's still a show, we have a time schedule. I feel like it's a good time for me to practice my stand up comedy. I'm very funny. I like that you laugh. So. But one thing I love about theater. One thing I love about these group sessions, it's the energy when you get a bunch of people in a room, kind of set on the same intention or the same goal. Okay, we're getting a little woowoo here. But you know, you've got everybody in a room celebrating the show, or even in these readings. I don't read everybody, I probably just end up reading five or six people in the group. But everybody's crying. Everybody's failing. So to me, I think that's what keeps me going is the community element of what I do.
Kosta Yepifantsev:Yeah, I mean, do these people seek you out? Like, how do you pick the city? I mean, when you said logistics like we're all Do you travel? So I
Logan Taylor:have an amazing, Assistant. She's in the room. So what we do is, she reaches out, she finds places and just kind of troubleshoots and just calls and says, Hey, I've got this guy. Here's what he does. Are you interested or not? Most times they are and we go in these people. It's interesting because they have their own little fan bases. And then, like, on Sunday, we did a venue that we had done last year, the audience is getting bigger and bigger. Right? And so I feel like word of mouth, baby. That's all I gotta say. When it comes to these things. You would be surprised how much people taught and that's the thing is talking about spiritual stuff. My church is being barefoot in my backyard. You know, I'm saying my my church is deep breathe and under the sun hollow. I feel like spirituality is so, so needed and like, this will sound kind of silly, but I don't know if you've ever heard of Reiki. Do you know what that is? Yeah, what do they do the tapping know, Reiki is just like energy work with your hands. Okay, so basically, it's, you go to a Reiki healer and they just kind of put their hands kind of hover over certain spots, have their mantras in their meditations, whatever. I don't know the details. But all I know is I myself am a skeptic, you're not going to find me believe in every fortune cookie I find. So whenever I do these things, like just a Reiki session if I have pain or stress or whatever, the noticeable differences, my body feels just in the transfer. And the movement of my energy is something that everybody needs. But mainstream rats, a lot of this office just new agey, whatever bullcrap. But really, there are so many therapeutic uses for all of this stuff that people are really missing out on.
Kosta Yepifantsev:Did you go to church when you're again? No,
Logan Taylor:I did. Every Sunday and Wednesday.
Kosta Yepifantsev:So did my wife too. She went to the Catholic Church. It's same thing mom
Logan Taylor:and Ricky love the early morning service Sunday, baby 8am. We were there hunting bright eyed and bushy
Kosta Yepifantsev:tailed out. How many siblings? Did you have grown up? Okay, so
Logan Taylor:There's six of us all together. So there's me and my brother, which were my mom's kids originally, Ricky had two kids, Ben and Sarbat. And then the twins man severe that are between mom and richer. So there's six of us.
Kosta Yepifantsev:I mean, the reason why I feel like we don't get up on Sundays and go to church is because man, it's just such a hassle getting everybody ready. Oh my god. You know, I mean, people are probably going to be like, it's church. Suck it up.
Logan Taylor:I mean, mom had us on the structure. You know, she did you know, she had that drill sergeant modelling.
Kosta Yepifantsev:We did it one time. We went to church on the Hill one time with the kids. And you know, we got up at Sunday. All I want to do is just, you know, drink some coffee and watch Meet the Press. And I mean, getting these kids go in and but anyway, I don't want to get out on a tangent.
Logan Taylor:Did you get there in time? We did. I
Kosta Yepifantsev:got there in time. We actually got there early, I think. Thank you. So I want to talk about your future. You've got the theater. You've got the road show. Obviously, I think in a lot of ways after having this conversation, I think you've come to terms and I think that you've moved past anything that may have been holding you up. I think as human beings we're always going to have to carry some baggage that's unfortunately our our life but I think you've moved past and you're on the next chapter of your life. So I want you to talk about what's next for you.
Logan Taylor:And so funny when you just said that my brain automatically went to people saying he's a psychic, he should know what's next. So I want to say something. Or somebody that's listening says that very famous, I will answer that question. But a very famous psychic once said, Well, we're on this earth, we don't get to cheat. There are no gimmicks, we don't get to challenge the spirit world. So my life is meant for me to live just like the rest of us not knowing what the heck's going on here. But I think the readings, I don't know that I'll ever be able to stop. And I think somehow I'll always be pulled back to theater. But I feel like I've dedicated really my life since I was a little kid to show business, I use more quotes performing using my voice. And I don't know, I want to continue to make an impact. I want to continue having fun. I also feel like this is a point in my life to refocus on myself, really, at this time for everybody. It's important to be a little selfish. It's frowned upon. But I think everybody needs to be a little more selfish self
Kosta Yepifantsev:care. I mean, if I didn't have self care every week, you know, whether it's a massage or something, you know, just to sort of unplug. I don't know if I could exist.
Logan Taylor:Yeah, here's the deal, I'll probably be in a TV deal for the rest of my life until one sticks test. That's all I can say on that.
Kosta Yepifantsev:You do know that there was a show in the 90s that I used to watch. When I will convince my parents that I was sick. And I'd watch daytime TV, there was a show that had a psychic and an audience and he would do readings, I would
Logan Taylor:Google it if your name's John Edward, I think I know what you're talking.
Kosta Yepifantsev:So I mean, maybe 2.0 version with you.
Logan Taylor:I wouldn't have so much. I would love it right now. Like I said, I am certain that one day I will be reading for audiences all over the world. But until then catch me on the medium merch.
Kosta Yepifantsev:Deal. Well, this was fun. Now we need to do this again. Because there's so many other things that I wanted to talk to you about. We just don't have time. But listen, we always like to end the show on a high note. Okay, who is someone that makes you better when you're together?
Logan Taylor:Okay, after our talk today, I feel like somebody who makes me feel better when we're together is my mom. Because there have been so many times where I have felt like I didn't measure up to somebody's expectation, or I wasn't good enough, or I couldn't do it. And my mom always, always has believed in me, she's a mirror of the best version of myself. And so when I'm around her, I feel like I'm capable of anything, and I'm worthy of everything. So I would have to be my mama bear.
Morgan Franklin:Thank you for joining us on this episode of Better Together with Kosta Yepifantsev. If you've enjoyed listening and you want to hear more, make sure you subscribe on Apple Podcast, Spotify or wherever you find your podcasts leave us a review or better yet, share this episode with a friend. Better Together with Kosta Yepifantsev is a Kosta Yepifantsev Production. Today's episode was written and produced by Morgan Franklin post production mixing and editing by Mike Franklin. Want to know more about Kosta visit us at kostayepifantsev.com. We're better together!