Episode 185 Q & A with ATBpodcast host THADDEUS PARK

Five years and nearly 200 episodes later, I’m still recording Above the Bridge the same way I started: showing up, hitting record, and trying to have real conversations that leave me feeling something. This annual Q and A is me answering the questions you sent in, from what made me nervous early on to the one episode that gave me confidence to do the show in front of people, and the honest truth about what it takes to stay consistent week after week.

We get into the behind-the-scenes work most people don’t see when they search “start a podcast” or “grow a podcast” including booking guests, planning ahead, editing, and staying current. I also share why some interviews feel easy while others are tough, what constructive criticism actually helped me improve, and why most podcasts quit before they ever find their rhythm.

I also talk about why local podcasts matter right now, especially in Hawaii. Giving local people a voice, keeping island connections strong for listeners who moved away, and sharing the way we talk and the aloha we try to live by is a big part of why I keep doing this. And I’ll tell you straight up what motivates me most: my daughter, and the idea that one day she can look back on these conversations and get to know her dad in a different way.

If you’ve ever needed a reason to keep creating, press play, then subscribe, share the show with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find it.

Transcript

Welcome And Community Updates

SPEAKER_02 0:08

Okay, welcome to another edition of the Above the Bridge Podcast. I'm your host, Thaddeus. Whatever podcast platform you're listening to, please like, subscribe, tell your friends. I appreciate you taking time out to tune into our show. First thing I want to do on this podcast is thank everybody for coming out to our laid back RB party. DJ Hoppable and myself put it on this past weekend and it was amazing. I had a lot of fun and I hope you guys had as much fun as we did. And looking forward to putting on some more of these events. If you have any questions or if you're interested in it, go check out our Instagram, LaybackRB, also our website, laybackrmb.com. You'll see videos, pictures, and links to our next one all on our website. Thank you again. It's been a super cool project we've been working on, and I appreciate every one of you guys for coming out. So Layback RB. Just to let you know, I'll be taking a few weeks off. Uh, my daughter will be in California for a volleyball tournament, a national volleyball tournament, and we'll be going there to watch and support her. We're really excited, but we'll be taking a few weeks off of the podcast. Now's a great chance to catch up with whatever episodes you miss. Uh, you can always find us at atvpod.com or whatever platform you get your podcasts on. So catch up with whatever episodes you miss. There's a lot of cool guests that we have, and a lot of these guests have some cool stories. So go look at whatever episodes you didn't have, and we'll be back in a few weeks. And I'll see you above the bridge. Aloha.

Annual Q And A Kickoff

SPEAKER_02 1:58

Okay, this week we're gonna do something we do every year, and that's a QA. I put uh I put it out there on social media to ask me a question. I got a bunch of questions ready for me to answer. I will try and knock these out one at a time. I appreciate everybody for tuning in and asking these questions, gives me something to talk about on this episode, but we'll get into it right now. We'll do these uh one at a time. Let's see. Did you think you'd still be going after five years? Or says, Do you think you still be going five years later? So I've been doing this for five years, and yeah, I didn't think it would stop. I kind of been enjoying every single episode. Uh yeah, I I did think I still would be going five years later. I'm hoping to go another five more, and I don't see myself stopping. I enjoy I enjoy doing this, and I enjoy the feedback and connections I'm making, and I honestly love being inspired by the guests that I have on my show. And for me, it's been it's been a blessing. Okay, let's see. What were you most nervous for when you started your podcast? Uh I think the most nervous thing I was was probably putting myself out there in front of everybody by myself. And yeah, I think I was nervous about that. But as the the episodes went by, I kind of lost that nervousness. Um, sometimes I do feel insecure about some things that I put out, but for the most part, yeah, I'm not nervous anymore, or not at all. This is what was your first studio like? Uh obviously, I'm not in a studio, this is my bedroom, and I mean I've showed it many times. I'm in between my bed and my desk, and like this is my room, and I'm really just there's no setup here that's any kind of intricate podcasting space. It's uh my laptop, I have my shelf full of cool stuff, and my mic, and have a light in front of me, and pretty much nothing's changed. I lit maybe upgraded some equipment along the way, but for the most part, everything's been the same. What

Nerves, Setup, And Breakthrough Moments

SPEAKER_02 4:40

episode changed everything for you? Um, I don't think it changed everything for me, but the episode I did with the Damien coaches, and I think that one was something that really mattered to me a lot, and it was my first show in front of people, and that yeah, I guess it did change a lot. It gave me the confidence to know I could do that again, and also it it the outcome of that podcast made a difference through those coaches and for my old school and and the football team, my old team, and it it um yeah, it that one mattered to me the most, I think. And I guess that means changed everything. I don't know if it changed everything, but that one meant a lot to me, and it it changed. I don't know, yeah, it was super cool. Let's see. Was there ever a moment you ever stopped? Um I don't think I I was gonna stop. Sometimes I felt like I needed a break, and most times the uh breaks I take come at the right time. Not that I'm getting burnt out, but at some sometimes when I uh have a lot going on in life, then I I wouldn't mind not doing an episode sometimes, but usually it's always because I'm on vacation or my daughter has a volleyball tournament, and those are the times that I need the break at that moment, so it usually comes at a perfect time. What kept you going at low motivation? I don't know. I guess one point I was I had low motivation, or I was not contemplating stopping, but just thinking, is it worth it or whatever? And to be honest, one of my former guests called me out of the blue, and it was King Eddie, and he was a contact uh comic designer, and he lives in the mainland, but he used to do um the MMA magazine here in Hawaii, and he called me out of the blue and and just started talking to me about my podcast and how much he listens to it and and how much it meant to him. And I think that got me super like made me realize like to keep doing what I'm doing. And I think him and DJ Hoppeboy, for some reason, I was having this rough week, and both of them for some reason motivated me out of the blue, and I felt like that was God kind of telling me to keep doing this, so I guess that was the one. Has podcast changed your confidence? Um yeah, I guess it has. I definitely feel a lot more comfortable talking, and I think confidence-wise, I don't think I had lack of confidence, but I feel like because of this show, I'm not afraid to be in moments where all eyes are on me, or I gotta be the one speaking in front of people. I guess that changed a little bit, I guess. What did consistency teach me? Uh consistency taught me that I gotta keep I don't know. If I don't know how to answer that one. Um, for one thing, I never read all these questions yet. I just pretty much pulled it on, put it on Excel and just printed it out. So I'm reading these for the first time. What did consistency teach you? I guess consistency taught me that I gotta plan out things because I want to drop an episode every week. I gotta plan out my guests, plan out my week, make sure I'm able to edit. But I do know being consistent is very important, especially in this industry, and um being current is is also important, but yeah, I do know that consistency. I was always consistent at what I did, and I it didn't really teach me anything, it just kept me moving forward, I guess. I guess that's the answer. What have you learned through about people through interviewing them? I've learned that everybody's story is amazing, and everybody has a has a cool story, and it's cool to share and give them a platform to share it. I think for me, this biggest blessing for this podcast has been being inspired by my guest. And um, I guess I learn a lot about my guests, but I I learn about I learn a lot that especially here in Hawaii, that aloha is still here and it's still growing. There's people who believe in it, and there's people that are advocates and help grow it. And I think that's something that I didn't I thought was diminishing a little bit, but that's what that's what I guess I've learned through interviewing people. Let's see.

Stories, Aloha, And Why Local Matters

SPEAKER_02 10:30

Do you think people do you think local people should why do you think local podcasts matter right now? I think it gives a voice to local people, and for me, I think people that has left the islands and want to be connected have opportunity through these local branded podcasts, and I think that's cool. And I think us spread spreading the way we talk, how we think, and the aloha we bring to to whoever listens or watches these things is is awesome. I think it's important a lot. I wish more local people would do podcasts and be consistent because everybody can put one out and then you never hear or see of them again. But yeah, consistency.

Sponsor Shoutout And Discounts

SPEAKER_02 11:25

Okay, I want to take this short moment to shout out our sponsor Defenhawaii. They've been my first sponsor ever, they've been sponsoring my nightclub events, they've been sponsoring everything I've done for years, and of course, they sponsor my podcast. They always have some new stuff. They just sent me this hat and it's super cool. It's Defenhawai Black on Black. And I don't know, I'm loving this thing right now. I just got it in the mail today, and I'm already rocking it. But if you go to their website, defendhawaii.com, use promo code ATBPodapon. Check out, you'll get 15% off your first purchase order. And you can also check them out at Winward Mall. They have a store called No One, but definitely look at their website, defendhawaii.com. Aloha. Since

Marriage, Emotions, And Helpful Critique

SPEAKER_02 12:14

you've been married, how has your life changed? This was asked last year, I guess, or I don't know. It hasn't, it hasn't changed. I'll get I get to wear one of these. That's about it. I've been with my wife for years, and it's been amazing. And being married to her, just put a signature and a documentation for for the love we already had, so nothing's really changed. It's it's been amazing for her. It changed because she had to change all her um banking statements and her ID and everything because she took my last name. So for her, that was more of a headache. For me, I didn't have to do anything. I think what changed for me, especially over this past year, is I don't have to stress out about the wedding anymore. I not that I was majorly stressed out, but I had a little bit of anxiety. I mean, I don't like being the front of entertainment, and I don't know, I just didn't don't like being in those situations, but our wedding was amazing. I would definitely have done it again. It went by too quick, but I think yeah, that was um, yeah, nothing's really changed. Let's see. What moments made you emotional on the podcast? Honestly, this last episode I had with Aaron Seeger got me emotional at the end when he opened up. That got me emotional. Um, the conversation I had with Chad Star got me emotional when he talked about his losing his daughter. I got emotional. Uh when else I got emotional at a Damien episode. I'm almost crying in front of in front of everybody there, but yeah. Uh I definitely get my heart touched on most of these episodes, but emotionally, where I'm crying and stuff, yeah, that'll those would probably be the ones I guess. Um, what criticism helped you? Honestly, the only person that really gives me constructive criticism is DJ Hoppeboy, and a lot of his criticism obviously is out of love, and and for him to share with his ideas to help make this show better, and a lot of it I've implemented and it's been working out, and yeah, for for that, I think he would be the one who gave me the most criticism, and it was definitely something that I I used and changed up, and I think yeah, it was a blessing to have he's been in front of the camera with his dad show for since he was a little kid, and the things his dad taught him and what he's learned through the years in being in front of the media or being a um spokesperson for things, he definitely had great insight to share with me. And yeah, his his constructive criticism uh definitely helped me in this show grow. Who are some of the guests you all will never forget? All of them, I'll never forget any of them. And to have a one-on-one conversation with somebody and to get in depth with a lot of the conversations we have, there's no way I could forget them. Uh sometimes I forget that if I had that conversation with them in person or on the podcast, I think that would be it. Let's see what episodes meant the most to me. Um, like I said, the Damien one was pretty good. Honestly, this last one I had and could be recency bias, but the one I just had with uh Hammer built Aaron Sega, that one hit different, and I think it was because of how he opened up and also what he had to say, and and because I knew of him and knew him from his past, and to see where he is now just hit different. And I think because also he's he's on local kanio boy, and and yeah, that that hit hits different.

SPEAKER_00 17:03

Let's see.

Why Podcasts Quit And Defining Success

SPEAKER_02 17:14

Why do you think most people quit doing podcasts? Consistency is hard to do, and honestly, doing these episodes isn't easy, and to do it consistently takes a lot of time and dedication and work. And when everybody's like, Oh, let's go make a podcast, and you can record yourself, and that's cool, and that's kind of fun, but then you gotta edit it, cut it up, and then you gotta put it out there, and it takes time, and it's to do that every single week is rough, and if unless you have a producer or somebody doing it for you, and I think being consistent, having guests and booking them, and making sure they're on time and figuring out a a schedule, it's work, and if you're not down for it, if it's something you just want to try, then it usually falls off before the fifth episode. But yep, I guess that would be the answer if why I think most people quit is they can't be consistent, it's hard. Says, what does success mean to you now? Well, I don't necessarily think I'm successful, I'm not making millions off of this, and that would be success in my eyes, but I do feel like the success I have with this episode is the feeling I get after pretty much every single one of these talking to these amazing guests. I think my success comes with the gratification of feeling something after or connecting with these people and also giving them a platform to share their story. I think that would be the success that I have from doing this. Where do you want above the bridge to be in the next five years? I don't know. That's a great question. I I would love to be I would love to be a brand where this is all I could do or needed to do. I didn't have to go to work, I could just do this. I would also would love to have my own studio where I could help produce other people's podcasts. And I would love for this to grow bigger nationally and get maybe a title sponsor that can help me financially to be able to not do my job anymore and just do this full time. That would be that would be my my ultimate goal. We'll see. What are things what new things do you want to try? I want to do more uh live in-person episodes. It's just super convenient how I do it now with Zoom. It's super convenient for my guests where they can just jump on from anywhere, and even uh nationally I can have guests on, and I think that's been super cool. Um I think something new I would want to try is to do in front like a live show where we could it would be like a uh brunch, and I would have like brunch, a buffet, and then have multiple guests come and just talk story for a little bit, and I I think that would be super cool.

SPEAKER_00 21:12

Let's see.

SPEAKER_02 21:17

What are you you the most grateful for after these five years? Uh I'm grateful that people are tuning in. I'm grateful for my family support. I'm grateful for the guests being down to come on my show and opening up. And yeah, it's I can't I've I still trip out. It's been five years. It seems like it was it wasn't that long I've been doing this, but I guess five years. Okay,

Future Plans Plus Sponsor Break

SPEAKER_02 21:52

let's take a short break from this QA to shout out our sponsor, Medicinal Mushrooms Hawaii. They are a medicinal mushrooms. Mushroom company based out of Hawaii. They're local. And right now they have five tintures of extracted mushrooms. And these mushrooms have incredible medicinal properties. If you go to their website, medmushroomhigh.com, they'll explain to you exactly what each one of these mushrooms do. They have lion's mane, chaga turkey tail, red reishi, and the newest one cordyceps. I take all five religiously. My boy Clint just made me a tinture of all of them mixed up into one so I can take with me on my trip. And it's been beneficial health-wise. I've been getting great sleep and a lot more energy at the gym. But if you go to their website, medmushroomhigh.com, promo code ATBPod Upon, check out all capital letters, you'll get 45% off your first tinture of extracted mushrooms. MedmushroomHigh.com. Aloha.

Promoting Events, Family, And Gratitude

SPEAKER_02 22:59

Do you miss promoting? Well, I actually haven't stopped. I'm pretty much stopped the nightclub stuff. Uh I don't I don't feel like I want to be in the nightclub. Shoot, I don't even hardly ever go now. Like now that we're not promoting it. Uh, I think I've gone a few times just to visit my wife while she's bartending. But promoting-wise, right now, doing this laid-back event with DJ Hoppeboy has been amazing. And I think it's right up the alley of where I need to be as a promoter, and it's definitely what I want to do. I think that's uh that's pretty much it. I'm not missing it. Definitely not the nightclubs. Uh, what was your favorite event that you promoted? I really cannot say, I can't answer that. Uh I've had so many amazing moments at multiple events that it's hard to pinpoint just one event. Uh, this laid back event, I really do think that this is one of my favorites, is definitely something I enjoy and get excited for. Uh, but I felt that way for a lot of our events. So, a lot of our club nights, I would get butterflies knowing it's Friday and we're gonna be working that night. And yeah, I really couldn't pinpoint uh what's my favorite event. Let's see. This one, everybody's asking me, Are you gonna have kids? I think I probably will have more, and I'm putting it out there. I know my wife wants some kids, and um yeah, let's say yes. Yes, I will have more kids. What is my favorite thing to do? Oh well, first off, my favorite thing to do recently in the last what five, four or five years was is watching my daughter play volleyball and now football, watching her compete. I think for me, it's been the most gratifying thing ever, and watching her live out her passion and watching her compete has been my favorite thing to do. I get excited, I know when it's tournament time and we're going to the convention center and waking up early, and uh watching my dad watch her has been super cool. And I think as a former athlete, I've never felt that way about my competitions, and uh I would get excited, but I I have way more gratification watching her compete than when I would win something or or do something. Could be recency bias, but I think for me watching her um be successful in her sports has been way more fun than when I used to compete. That would yeah, that would be my favorite thing to do.

Rapid Fire Favorites And Dream Guests

SPEAKER_02 26:27

Well, I think that was all the questions. I I did go on chat GBT to put out some rapid fire questions. I did this with Aria when she came on the show and it was pretty fun. So I'm gonna I'm gonna go through these rapid fire questions and answer them as quickly as possible. Let's see, coffee or energy drink? Coffee all day. I drink one cup every morning, and I don't like the the chemicals that are in energy drinks. So coffee, favorite guest ever. Let's see. Uh I it's hard for me to pick a favorite guest. Uh I like the recurring podcast guest that with Becky Mitts is always fun, but I I can't pick a favorite. I have a lot of favorites, and um yeah, I I can't answer that. Hardest interview. Uh, I think the hardest interview, I can't really pinpoint a person, but anyone that's come on my show and had a hard time talking or just gave me cookie cutter answers or yes or no answers. I think those are the hardest uh for me to get them to open up or kind of just be themselves. Those have been the hardest. I'm not gonna name names though. My dream guest. Uh, I have a bunch, and I don't know if it'll ever happen, but I'll put it out there. I wouldn't mind interviewing or having any member of Metallica. I would wanna also have on my show. Um Israel Arasanya, the last style bender, MMA fighter, um The Rock, and probably George Kittle of the 49ers. There's probably other ones that I'll probably wish that I said, but yeah, I those are the ones off the top of my head. One word for the last five years of podcasting. Fun. This been super fun. Let's see. Do you like doing podcasting in the morning or night? Night, because that's when I normally do it because I'm at work in the morning. Let's see. Funniest podcast moment. Um I don't know. There's so many of them. I can't I can't remember. I know with with Tamua and uh James Money, those are kind of funny. I'll probably think of it when I when I'm off camera, but yeah, there's way too many. The best advice you received. Um, do things with aloha and be consistent. That's the best. That's the best I advise I receive, and the best advice I would give to people. Favorite local food. What is your favorite local food? Um I like Hawaiian food, so I guess squid luau. Squid luau is my favorite local food. That would be it right now. And uh, if you go to Ono Eats by Casey, her squid luau, she caters and she has a food truck, and they mostly do garlic shrimp, and her garlic lilicoy, spicy garlic lily koy shrimp is the best, best on the

Sponsor Break And Quick Hits

SPEAKER_02 30:14

island. Okay, let's take this short break to shout out our sponsor, iRip Detail Supply. They're your one-stop shop superstore for everything you need to detail your vehicle. They have a store in Temple Valley Shopping Center, Las Vegas, and the newest one in Waipeo. But if you go on their website, iRepdetailsupply.com, you can look what they have, use promo code ATBPod upon checkout, and you'll get 15% off your purchase. But if you have questions, go down to the store and ask somebody because their staff is super friendly and knowledgeable and they will guarantee answer whatever questions you have and uh tell you about all the products they have for their supplies. iRepdetailsupply.com. Aloha.

Skills Learned, Authenticity, And Next Level

SPEAKER_02 31:03

Worst technical fail. I forgot to hit record while I'm doing this. That would be my worst technical fail. Or uh for some reason the audio didn't match up. And yeah, that was a technical fail. Favorite thing about Hawaii, uh the people and the people and aloha, that aloha vibe.

SPEAKER_01 31:28

That would be the best my favorite thing about Hawaii.

SPEAKER_02 31:38

What keeps you motivated? My daughter. Um, being productive for her has been my biggest motivation, and that'd that'd be it right there. Favorite type of music? Rock. Anybody knows me, rock is my favorite, it will always be my favorite. Metal, rock, like that's my all-time favorite. I like all kinds of music except country, but rock would be my favorite. Let's see. My biggest compliment, what has been the biggest compliment you got? Honestly, the biggest compliment I get or I have gotten has been always about my daughter. Like she did something cool while in one of her sports, she's a good student. So I any compliment given to my daughter for me is the biggest compliment I get, and uh I get that that makes me happy. The biggest flex after five years that I'm still here doing it. I guess that's a flex, right? Most I read that most podcasts die before the fifth episode. So being that I've been here for five years and have almost 200 episodes out there, um, that's my biggest flex. Uh, what was the most difficult year doing this show? Oh, the first year, because I didn't know what to expect. And then um at the time I was taking care of my mom, and it was hard finding my feet for this show and finding finding getting myself grounded. And fortunately, I had a producer, Boy Ban John, and it helped, but I think the first year was probably the most difficult. What was the first thing you upgraded? Uh the mic. I got a better mic. I had this piece of crap Amazon one, and yeah, this mic is like legit. Uh what makes a guest great? Um, if they're able to talk and have a good conversation, they have a good story. That though for me, those are always great, great guests. What was the most inspiring conversation? Uh I don't know. Like it could be just because this was the last episode I did, but Aaron Siegel was definitely very inspirational and definitely inspired me. I think most of my guests inspire me, so I think I would say all of them. One habit that changed your life. Uh I don't know what a habit. I think I don't know. I stopped doing some things once I had my daughter that changed my life. Well, my daughter being born made me stop a bunch of habits that weren't productive, or I think that would be that would be my answer to that question. My biggest distraction. Uh I don't get distracted easily. I get annoyed when I'm not doing what I wanna do, but I usually am on point with what I wanna do and I don't get distracted. Who believed in me first for this show? Honestly, uh DJ Hoppable, he believed in me before this show even started, and yeah, definitely he's the first. What does Above the Bridge mean to you now? Um, I don't know. Uh pride, I am proud. I guess what it means that I have something to be proud of that is just entirely mine where I'm doing it by myself. So I this show gives me a lot of pride, and that's what it means to me. Uh what are you chasing now? Um chasing to level this thing up a little bit, and I'm trying to figure out how to do it. So let's let's um hopefully you'll see a different level in the next couple months. Most valuable skill you have learned by doing this podcast, I've learned to listen, and it's been helpful in my everyday life. So, listening, I would say, is what I've learned. Um is your mic on personality the same as your mic off personality? I would say a million percent yes. If uh you come and talk to me in person outside of this podcasting platform, I am the exact same person. There's nothing fake about anything I do on this show. What you see is what you get, like it or not, like it or leave it. Um, are you ready for five more years? Yes, I'm ready for five more years. I really want to do this for as long as I can, and hopefully I'll be able to. And I tell everybody these these episodes mean a lot to me. And one day my daughter can look back and and watch these things and hear her dad talk and have conversations with people and get to know her dad outside of being a dad. So that's the biggest blessing for this show. Is is my daughter will have a um a whole bunch of tape to watch of me talking story if she wants to. Hopefully, she does. Well, that's

Wrap Up, Where To Follow, Break Notice

SPEAKER_02 38:10

all the questions I have. Uh, thank you for anybody who send in these questions and for chat gb chat gbt giving me these fire fire reaction questions. Uh, I appreciate all you guys for tuning in and listening to this show. I hope you get something out of it as much as I get something out of uh putting these things on. I get truly inspired by the guests that I have on, and I'm grateful that people feel it's important to come on my show and tell their story and and share and open up. And it's been it's been really fun. These past five years have been amazing. I think going forward, I like to continue to have these organic conversations. I would love to have a little bit more mainstream guests and more popular guests, but these people that have businesses and influencers and people that are doing cool stuff has been amazing to talk to. And I feel like a lot of times they don't get opportunity to be on a platform like this to share, and I think it's important. Um, thank you for tuning in and supporting and giving me feedback. As always, you can find us on Above the Bridge Podcast on Instagram, our YouTube channel, our website is atbpod.com. My personal Instagram is Thaddy Daddy High. Uh yeah, I hope you guys tune in longer. Uh, we'll be we'll be taking a little break, like I said at the beginning of the show. We'll take a break for a few weeks and then we'll be back with some new episodes with some new guests. And uh catch up if you have time now to catch up, go find some episodes you might want to see that we did previously. And it's it's been it's been a lot, so you got a lot to pick from, but go check out some of those previous episodes, catch up to ones you might have missed, and then I will see you above the bridge. Shout out to the other screen next. Aloha, you can't do it.