Behind The Hook And Bridge: Fan Q&A

Plans changed fast after a storm rolled through, our co-host got called into work, and the “Pokemon live play” turned into something more revealing. We open the mics and go all-in on the real stuff: how this show started, what we’ve learned from wild guests and early missteps, and how it feels to build a community when the industry worships follower counts over actual listeners.

We swap nostalgia—VHS Pokemon marathons, Yu-Gi-Oh binges, and the new Pokemon LEGO sets that look incredible and cost a small fortune—and sketch our dream: a true “Pokemon Classic” anthology on Switch that respects fans and preserves the games’ history. From there, we get practical about production: why some early episodes came down, how latency and live tech checks influence the flow, and the difference between a tight interview and a warm hang. Expect shoutouts to underrated conversations (Men Without Hats, Ohio Weather Band, Just Happy To Be Here) and a few candid notes on episodes we’d love to redo with the skills we have now.

The heart of the episode lands on music, mental health, and purpose. We share the songs that carried us through rough seasons, morning rituals that keep us grounded, and “parallel play” routines that make ordinary days feel gentle again. We also face the creative math: follower growth drives bookings, and that reality can sting when posts get silence. Still, a single message from a listener on a health journey or a guest who felt truly seen is enough to keep going. If you’ve ever wondered what keeps an indie podcast alive, it’s this mix of honesty, small joys, and a stubborn belief in connection over clout.

If you’re new, welcome—hit follow, share this with a friend who loves Pokemon, music stories, and real talk, and leave a quick review. Your note might be the reason we can book the next dream guest and keep these deep dives coming.

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Chapters

• 0:00 Storms, Intros, And A Pivot
• 2:20 Taylor’s Job Update And TJ Maxx Saga
• 11:45 Nostalgia: Yu-Gi-Oh, Pokemon, And Cartoons
• 18:50 Pokemon At 30 And LEGO Hype
• 23:14 How The Podcast Started And Early Chaos
• 28:29 Guests Who Shocked Us, Good And Bad
• 33:44 Comments, Critique, And Running A Show
• 41:54 Off-Mic Laughs And Sibling Dynamics
• 47:04 Music That Got Us Through Hard Times
• 55:14 Routines, Podcasts We Love, And Daily Life
• 1:02:04 Purpose, Burnout, And Finding Small Joys
• 1:12:49 Failure, Growth, And Redefining Success
• 1:21:04 Why Follows Matter And Support Helps
• 1:28:54 Merch, Links, And Closing Thanks

Transcript

SPEAKER_03: 0:07

I fucking love it. I'm the worst person to have a podcast.

SPEAKER_04: 0:17

I feel very what is up, everybody.

SPEAKER_03: 0:32

Welcome back to the Hook and Bridge podcast. I am your host, joined today by my co-host and little sister Taylor. And unfortunately, we got hit with a torrential storm. I'm sure most of the country is going through this right now, too. So uh I hope you understand that Chris was not able to join us. He Benjamin got it. He had to go to work. Um he is he is doing his job and keeping people safe out there on the streets. Um, so he's not able to join us today. And we had something very special planned for this episode. So what we're going to do is we're going to call this episode 181 and a half.

SPEAKER_04: 1:18

Yes.

SPEAKER_03: 1:18

Right. So next week, or maybe even later this week, depending on when we record it, will be episode 182. And we are doing a full Blink 182 themed episode.

SPEAKER_00: 1:31

So we need to give it away.

SPEAKER_03: 1:33

That's alright. Um, but this is gonna be a fun one. Uh Taylor and I are going to celebrate Pokemon's 30th anniversary by playing some Pokemon here live on the show. Uh, we are going to form a team of six, and we are gonna name them after musicians. It's gonna be Taylor's job to pick those musicians.

SPEAKER_00: 1:57

Fun. Are you excited?

SPEAKER_03: 2:01

On top of that, we have some questions that we had the fans come up with. Uh, just some general like questions about the show and questions about us, just a little QA that we're gonna do while we do all of this. Uh, but before we dive into all of that, Taylor.

SPEAKER_00: 2:20

Yes.

SPEAKER_03: 2:22

There's no way you don't have some sort of a story.

SPEAKER_00: 2:26

I do. I actually was just thinking about it today. Okay, so first of all, do we just want an update on Taylor's life?

SPEAKER_02: 2:33

It looks like it.

SPEAKER_00: 2:34

New job is going well. I'm a big fan. Um, I will find I I did find out some unfortunate things. I don't get PTO, which is unfortunate. Um, it's okay though. You know, it is what it is.

SPEAKER_03: 2:45

You don't get you don't get any pay time off at all.

SPEAKER_00: 2:48

Nope.

SPEAKER_03: 2:49

Zero.

SPEAKER_00: 2:51

That's because that's so because it's a small company, um, that's how they afford the position that I'm in. Is by like not giving my position pay time off. Which is fine. I don't miss work often. Do you know what I mean? It sucks for like weddings that we have coming up this summer that I have a week off. But luckily, I am not the breadwinner in the relationship. So like it'll it'll be okay.

SPEAKER_03: 3:19

So they will let you take time off. Yeah, I can take it. I just want to get paid.

SPEAKER_00: 3:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 3:24

At least they have that. Because some people would be like, no, you don't get any time off.

SPEAKER_00: 3:28

Which is crazy because I'm just like not gonna be there for a week. I don't know what to tell you. Yeah, and and luckily, the one wedding, like I'm only gonna be taking off Friday. You know what I mean? Like, it's just a weekend thing. I don't work the weekend. This is my first weekend free in six months.

SPEAKER_01: 3:42

Oh, nice.

SPEAKER_00: 3:43

That's really fun. Um, anywho, okay. So here's my story. I have a story and a haul if you would like it, if we have time.

SPEAKER_02: 3:49

Uh, sure.

SPEAKER_00: 3:50

Went to TJ Maxx today. Let me I can you hear them?

SPEAKER_03: 3:57

Uh I can hear that, but it's fine. Dogs are dogs, it's not a big deal. Our fans know.

SPEAKER_00: 4:03

These dogs are the worst. I love them though. So I have I can only wear like athletic wear to work. And this is not a problem. I'm not complaining about this, but my athletic wear has to look professional. So like I have leggings, but they're more like lounging leggings. They've been through the ringer. I've been wearing them for four years, you know what I mean? So I have um one nice pair of leggings and I bought a couple pairs of joggers from Amazon. But I was like, okay, well, I that I'm the type of person that like, if I'm gonna do something, I'm gonna do it. Like when I got my job at Starbucks, I bought like four pairs of pants. I got a bunch of black t-shirts. I mean, I also was like, Starbucks, you you can't rewear clothes. Like that it's gotta go in the washer that night. Like it gets nasty. But for here, I was like, okay, well, let me get a couple of nice athletic black shirts because I don't have all the gear yet, right? And then, you know, let me get a couple nice pairs of leggings so that then I'm set for the week. But and I'm good, I don't have to worry about it. And like we have a dress code. So Tuesdays and Thursdays, I had to wear my polo that was given to me. And then Monday, Wednesday, Friday, I have to wear some sort of shirt with like the company logo. I only have one of those shirts because I'm new. So I was told that I can wear instead of that, like an all-black outfit, uh, which also is fine. So I go to TJ Maxx. I'm like, okay, well, today is like, let me go to TJ Maxx, let me get my leggings, let me get a couple black pairs of shirts. So I'm ready to go. Awful experience, awful, terrible. I have decided that I don't I don't like shopping when it feels like a chore. It felt like a chore, so there was that. Hello? Can you hear that? Oh, okay, good, good, good.

SPEAKER_03: 5:47

Um Dylan's mom screaming, she does that a little bit.

SPEAKER_00: 5:50

No, Dylan's dad is screaming. Yeah. Anywho, so I get my shirts, I get my leggings. I only well, I only got one pair of leggings, none of them have pockets. What's up with that? Why can't I get leggings with pockets? What's going on with that, guys? Okay, I'm a girl, I get it, but like our leggings should have pockets. Also, try to find black shirts. Tell me why. In all of TJ Maxx, the only black shirts are like paired with another shirt. I don't want two shirts. I don't want two of them. I don't. I only need the one, I only need the one black shirt. Like, I kept finding black shirts. I'm like, oh, this would be great. It's paired with like a beige shirt. It's paired with a brown shirt. I'm like, first of all, if I want to buy two of it, I want to buy it on my own. I don't need them paired. I don't need this other shirt. That is a waste to me, right? I finally found a pair that had a white shirt and a black shirt. And I was like, okay, I guess I can wear the white shirt. So that's that's my big complaint. Why are we doing that to women? I know that people think that women love overconsumption. I don't need two shirts. I only needed the one. Like I'm so mad about it. So then I um I'm also perusing, you know what I mean? I found something for mom for her birthday. I found these like glass porcelain book decor pieces that have been on my pinch list for a long time for when Dylan and I move out. Like, I would love to have these as like decor pieces. And I found like they had some at Five Low, and I do want to grab those ones too, because they're like flower bases. Um, but I found them at TJ Maxx. I found big ones that are like a bajillion dollars anywhere else, ten dollars a piece.

SPEAKER_03: 7:36

There you go.

SPEAKER_00: 7:37

I snagged both. I got two of them. Um, I get to check out. I had a couple other things. This woman who was checking me out, she was from Armenia.

SPEAKER_03: 7:47

Okay, Armin Armenia.

SPEAKER_00: 7:49

Armenia, Armenia, same difference. Anywho.

SPEAKER_03: 7:52

Shout out uh system of a down, Armenians, the Kardashians.

SPEAKER_00: 7:56

The Kardashians. So she gets this book and she goes, Oh my gosh, she gets she's getting my porcelain thing, and she goes, I read this book as a little girl. And like she's telling me all about this book and like her life growing up. Sorry, go ahead.

SPEAKER_03: 8:13

Okay, no, I was just I was confused. I I thought these were like clear glasses.

SPEAKER_00: 8:19

No, let me let me show you. Let me show you what I'm talking about.

SPEAKER_03: 8:25

I didn't know there was gonna be a title on on these vases.

SPEAKER_00: 8:30

So so these ones aren't vases, unfortunately. I wish they were. Oh, perfect. This is the one that she had read as a little girl. So this is what they look like.

SPEAKER_03: 8:43

Okay, and they're like they're for the listeners out there. So this is a a porcelain, uh, literally a book made out of porcelain. Yes, um, it's big. It says Jane Eyre on the front of it.

SPEAKER_00: 8:59

Jane Eyre, I think. I think it's ayre, maybe. Um, but this is an actual book, and then I got another one that's just like this, but it's little women, so these are actual like classic books. Yes, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 9:12

So so it's also it's white, and the accents are green.

SPEAKER_00: 9:17

It's like a sage green.

SPEAKER_03: 9:18

There's uh a price tag on the side of it there. From TJ Maxx.

SPEAKER_00: 9:28

From TJ Maxx, and then I got the other one is little women, and it's pink, so it's white, but it has pink accents. But anyway, so she she's looking at the Jane one and she's wicked coated, very wicked coated. Oh, I also I'll get to that in a minute. Um, anywho, so she was like, Oh my gosh, like I read these, I read this as a little girl, and I watched her, like, she relived her childhood with me. And I I have moments in life, actually, I have them all the time because I do love people. You know what I mean? I love good people, I love human interaction. But like it was one of those things where I'm like, I like this moment, I was like, I am here for a reason. Do you know what I mean? Do you ever have those moments when you're talking with someone and you're like, this is my reason?

SPEAKER_03: 10:08

I'm just gonna lie and say yeah.

SPEAKER_00: 10:11

Well, it's it's like, what if I wasn't there and then she didn't get to relive that? Like, she was so happy reliving that. And I know that she's gonna think about just like growing up the rest of her day. She's gonna be like, oh my gosh, like I got to do all of these things because just because of this book, just because of this purchase, seeing that and just like the light in her eyes of being like, Oh my gosh, I read this as a kid, like it's such a beautiful story. And she was like, You have to read it. And then I said, Well, I haven't read that one, but I've read Little Women. She said, I've never read it. I said, You read little women, I'll read that one, right? Like, anywho, so then I had gotten mom this really pretty, like, crystal cross.

SPEAKER_03: 10:47

Okay.

SPEAKER_00: 10:48

And she goes, Oh my gosh, is this for you? And I and I said, No, it's for my mom, you know, her birthday's coming up, and I know that she'll love it. And she said, Are you like, are you a believer? And I said, I am, you know, it's a very important part of me. And then she was like, you know, me too, obviously, where she grew up. So then we started talking about that. And she said, if you ever get the chance, you know, if you ever have the chance to go visit, she said, the churches are gorgeous. She said, Go to Jerusalem, go to Bethlehem. She was like, You'll feel like she said, I've never felt closer to God than than being in those places, like going through this whole thing, and again, just watching her like relive everything. It was a really great experience.

SPEAKER_03: 11:28

That that sounds wonderful. Can I also just say, uh, currently, in in the current state of things, maybe not? I have not got setup plans.

SPEAKER_00: 11:39

No, no, I'm not going. But but I'm like, no, like a wild thing to say in 2026. She, I mean, she that's where she grew up. Like, she she has no problems with it. Like, it was just, I don't know.

SPEAKER_03: 11:53

Yeah, it was um she's just out there like, oh, if you ever get a chance, the Gaza Strip, especially this time of year.

SPEAKER_00: 12:00

Um no, it it was. It was a it was a really sweet interaction, and it truly made my day. I will say I spent too long in that store. I didn't get I still had to go to Aldi. Um, but I actually didn't go to Aldi because I had to come here and do this podcast. You're welcome.

SPEAKER_03: 12:15

There you go.

SPEAKER_00: 12:16

Um, so I'll go to Aldi later. Commitments. Anywho, that's my story.

SPEAKER_03: 12:22

I also have been having some nostalgia moments recently. Really? Yeah, I I recently um with with the current issues of Pokemon cards and and trying to find them in any capacity being damn near impossible, um, started getting back into Yu-Gi-Oh! and I started watching um the show from the beginning a couple weeks ago. Just turned it on when you know, at because Adam is at a point where like we're trying to limit his TV time.

SPEAKER_00: 12:58

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 12:58

So I try to put on cartoons, but not cartoons that are his age, so he doesn't care. Well, he just doesn't really care about them, but they're still cartoons.

SPEAKER_00: 13:08

Well, yeah, because cut cartoons his age are are screaming at him and have the bright colors, and they're they're meant to trap your kids. Well, uh die on that hill.

SPEAKER_03: 13:18

So what I did was I started doing uh Yu-Gi-Oh and got through season one and just finished up season two, and then yesterday I watched the movie, and then this morning I watched another movie. Um, so I've just been getting super into it, man. I I've really been enjoying myself. Started playing it on the Switch again.

SPEAKER_00: 13:39

Yeah. I feel that way whenever Dylan and I like watch Pokemon. I know, because it's like I get I get really emotional with Pokemon. Like, I I don't know, something about Pikachu jumping off the side of a building that like makes me cry. Anywho, um, I I do I get that way whenever I'm showing Dylan, you know things with Pokemon. I'm like, ah, I remember the good old days. Like, I remember watching it on VHS, right?

SPEAKER_03: 14:07

Yeah, no, that's understandable.

SPEAKER_00: 14:09

Yeah, we um we started watching. I don't know if if you've ever seen it, I didn't see it because we didn't have cable. Um, but Total Drama Island. Have you ever seen that?

SPEAKER_03: 14:19

I've seen bits and pieces of it like throughout my life. I've always thought it was kind of crazy that that was a children's show. I just remember seeing like naked people, and I'm like, yo, this is this is on Cartoon Network right now.

SPEAKER_00: 14:35

It's crazy. Dylan, it's there's only two seasons, okay? Probably for a reason, but there's only two seasons. Dylan put it on the other night. He went to go get a shower, and I was like, Oh, I've never seen this. And he goes, That's crazy. He said, You have you have to see it. So he puts it on the TV. I'm I'm three episodes in. I text him, I said, dude, what is this? Like the commentary, the commentary is in yeah, yeah. Um, I'm like, this literally could not air today.

SPEAKER_03: 15:03

Also, like it's wild. I didn't watch that, but as an adult, um like within the last five years, we had cable. They had like uh they revamped it, but they're all like kids, like little kids. And then there's like the sergeant guy, and he like runs the daycare. Uh, what's it called? I think it's called like total drama rama or something like that. Exactly. It's actually it's great, so funny. It's so funny. It's so good.

SPEAKER_00: 15:31

It's so funny.

SPEAKER_03: 15:32

It's like the Teen Titans Go, but the Yeah, it's so good. I just I did like that.

SPEAKER_00: 15:37

I love Teen Titans Go. And Dylan and I were trying to figure out what to watch yesterday or not yesterday, the other day.

SPEAKER_03: 15:42

Teen Titans Go is a great option.

SPEAKER_00: 15:43

Teen Titan Teen Titans Go is a great option, but I told Dylan I was like, like in the mood to watch Family Guy. I said, I just want to watch like a brain rot TV show. Like, I just want to laugh with you. I want to, I just want to watch it like we're on the couch watching it. And he goes, Well, if you're just gonna put on Family Guy, I'm just gonna sit over here and watch basketball. Like, I thought you wanted to watch a movie. I said, That's a crazy choice. I hope it was worth it. That's wild. Anywho, then I turned off the TV.

SPEAKER_03: 16:07

I turned on Jurassic, uh, Jurassic World Rebirth last night. I have it on DVD now, so threw that in the old Xbox and played it while I was cleaning. Yeah, it's a great movie. I love that movie. Um so do we want to first off? Did you see the Pokemon Lego announcement?

SPEAKER_00: 16:31

Yes, question mark.

SPEAKER_03: 16:34

These Lego sets look so good. I'm sure they're sold out everywhere. Oh, I'm sure they're also way out of my price budget, but they have the starters um evolutions. So Blastoise, Venusaur, Charizard, and they they go, they come on this setup and they they're like on a stand. Yeah, I'm sorry.

SPEAKER_00: 17:00

I just looked at eBay, someone bought it and is reselling it for eight hundred dollars.

SPEAKER_03: 17:05

That's not even that bad. Do you know how much it costs?$700. They're only making a hundred bucks. Dude, what? Um, so I mean it looks awesome. It does, it looks incredible, but it's again, it's way out of my price budget. I am I'm not a Lego collector per se. Yeah, I have a lot of hobbies and I have Legos, but I have like five sets of Legos still in the box. I still have the the Pokedex that you got me still in my Pokedex, yeah. I think for my birthday, but it's it's still in the box. And then like Lindsay got me a Jurassic World Lego set that is like a little tiny dinosaur still in the box. Um, yeah, I just I don't have anywhere to display them. As you can see behind me, I have literally like look at that. It's literally insane how many Paw Fungos that I have. Um, so I yeah, I just do not have the uh the space per se.

SPEAKER_00: 18:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 18:19

So they're sitting in boxes. Um, and I mean they look really cool. I really like the Eevee one. I think that one's the Eeve ones are really cute. Yeah, it's the most affordable, it's like 50 bucks. Yeah, uh, but hopefully they have some new sets coming out that'll be a little more priced in my life.

SPEAKER_00: 18:38

Yeah, even like mini set, like why aren't they like little sets? Like they're crazy looking sets.

SPEAKER_03: 18:44

Well, so the those ones are for adults, says right on 18 plus. Um, but I think they're gonna have some for kids that are small that'll be smaller and more affordable. Yeah, like 25, 30 bucks.

SPEAKER_00: 18:57

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 18:58

Um, so anyways, Pokemon is celebrating 30 years this year, Taylor. On February 27th, I believe. That's crazy. I believe. Hold on, let me faster.

SPEAKER_00: 19:14

Are you 31 or something?

SPEAKER_03: 19:15

I am 31.

SPEAKER_00: 19:17

That's crazy.

SPEAKER_03: 19:19

February 27th, yep. How does that mean out in 1996 in Japan?

SPEAKER_00: 19:26

How does it look like I feel to be older than Pokemon?

SPEAKER_03: 19:31

Just barely.

SPEAKER_00: 19:32

Yeah, but you still are. I think about that with Google. Like, I'm older than Google.

SPEAKER_03: 19:39

Yeah, I'm a lot older than Google.

SPEAKER_00: 19:42

But like sometimes I think about that and I'm like, I'm gonna have to tell my kids that like I'm I'm older than the internet.

SPEAKER_03: 19:49

How's that?

SPEAKER_00: 19:55

How are those fossil fuels for ya? That's crazy, dude.

SPEAKER_03: 20:00

But yeah, nineteen ninety-six red and green came out in Japan, and then I believe in nineteen ninety-eight they came out in the US. And it was red and blue. Uh I played red, I played gold, silver, crystal, um, and then every other game moving forward. I've never played blue, if if you can believe it. Yep. Um, but we're we're very, very excited to celebrate 30 years. If is there anything that have we already talked about this? Is there anything that you're like looking forward to as far as like what they could release this year?

SPEAKER_00: 20:45

Well, not this year, but just the one for the Switch, the new one.

SPEAKER_03: 20:50

The Pocopia, yeah, the Animal Crossing.

SPEAKER_00: 20:54

Yeah. Or like I would love an update on Scarlet or like even an update on ZA. I just want more Pokemon.

SPEAKER_03: 21:30

Yeah, I don't see that happening, honestly. Um, what what I would like to see happen this year. Everyone has said this, but I'm gonna say it because I do. I would like to see this happen. What I would like to see happen this year is Pokey. They they're the fans call it Pokemon Classic. I think that that's a great idea. I think they should do this. Basically, the idea of like they would have Pokemon Classic red and then Pokemon Classic Blue, and it would be$60. And if you bought red, it would come with like red, silver, um, ruby, uh, diamond, heart gold, you know, like all of the one version of all those classics, and then you would buy the blue version, you'd get the opposite of all of those classics. And then they could do another version, and it'd be the yellow version, and it would have like emerald and yellow and uh what was the other one? Platinum, you know, all of those classics. I would like to see something like that, but I don't know, I don't know if it's gonna happen. I really don't. If it doesn't happen this year, it's never gonna happen.

SPEAKER_00: 22:45

Yeah, but they should listen to fans more.

SPEAKER_03: 22:49

Speaking of fans, let's jump into some of these great segues. Uh first fan question: how did the hook and bridge podcast actually start and who had the original idea?

SPEAKER_00: 23:06

Um, do you want me to answer?

SPEAKER_03: 23:08

Yeah, you go ahead.

SPEAKER_00: 23:10

So I don't remember how it first like came about, but I know that you had the idea. Obviously, it's your show. You had the idea. I helped come up with a name. If anyone cares, um anywho, so you came up with the idea, I came up with a name, and then our whole our whole brand was to get AJR on. Like, and that still is. Once they're on the show, we're done, guys.

SPEAKER_04: 23:32

Shows it, shows that is true.

SPEAKER_00: 23:34

That's our end goal. This this whole thing, and we've had a so much fun, but the whole thing is to get to meet AJR on this camera. Honestly, we already got Scott Lacey on it, so we can be done.

SPEAKER_03: 23:48

Um that is true, though. That that is the rule. If AJR ever comes on this show, yeah, not if when yeah, yeah, that is the final episode of this show. We will be done from that'll be our sign-off. Literally now, granted, we may record that show and then I save it, you know, for a year or so.

SPEAKER_00: 24:10

That's crazy. No, I think you should go live.

SPEAKER_03: 24:13

Just do it live, just end the show right then.

SPEAKER_00: 24:16

See ya. It was nice knowing you.

SPEAKER_03: 24:19

Um, you actually weren't the original co-host.

SPEAKER_00: 24:22

I was not.

SPEAKER_03: 24:24

Yeah, it was Chris Yurabi. Urabi.

SPEAKER_00: 24:27

I forgot about that.

SPEAKER_03: 24:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00: 24:29

I'm a sad dude. No, he's burying the storm well.

SPEAKER_03: 24:32

I think so. I think he's doing well.

SPEAKER_00: 24:35

Good.

SPEAKER_03: 24:35

Um, what was the very first episode like behind the scenes that listeners never got to hear?

SPEAKER_00: 24:43

I can't even remember the episode we did last week. Don't ask me anything about episodes. I don't know. I know it was a mess. I know when you go back to like our earlier things, like I mean, granted, it took us two years to actually get a structure down because we both have ADHD.

SPEAKER_03: 24:58

Um we still don't really have a structure.

SPEAKER_00: 25:00

We still know, but we're better at it now. Do you know what I mean? Like, some sometimes if I've used my brain all day and then I come on the show, like I can feel myself being annoying, and I'm like, oh, this is everywhere. Um, which my bad, maybe I should be medicated or something. Uh, but I do remember it being a hot mess, not in a bad way, like we were learning. It was really short too, wasn't it?

SPEAKER_03: 25:23

It was uh with your band director, Matthew Newman. I was thinking yeah, I don't think that that episode is available anymore. I I did pull that one down. Um, I pulled down a handful of episodes. And honestly, if you're listening to this, I'm probably gonna be doing that again here soon.

SPEAKER_00: 25:41

You should. I was I was thinking about that earlier. Yeah, because I'm a different person now. I don't like what I said in some of those, so I think we should just pull them.

SPEAKER_03: 25:48

Well, and the show is just a different show, like the structure, the format, everything completely different.

SPEAKER_00: 25:53

I agree.

SPEAKER_03: 25:53

And I I feel it's a disservice to the fans if somebody's brand new. Shout out to all of our new listeners, by the way. I I see all of you. Um think thank you for the support. And uh yeah, it's one of those things where like it just doesn't, it's not a good representation of what the show is. So that'll probably be happening soon. Um, yeah, have you ever had a guest totally surprise you in a good or bad way?

SPEAKER_00: 26:23

Yeah, yeah. Mine is um, I can't remember his name, but he showed us his nipples.

SPEAKER_03: 26:31

Oh, Jason Page.

SPEAKER_00: 26:32

Jason Page, I knew it was Page.

SPEAKER_03: 26:34

Speaking of Pokemon, Jason Page, the original lead singer for the uh the original singer and uh recording artist of the first Pokemon.

SPEAKER_00: 26:43

Crazy that they did him dirty on that. He could have made so much more money. That's wild. Anywho, we won't get into that. Um, yeah, he showed us his nipples, so it's a great interview though.

SPEAKER_03: 26:53

If you're listening, go check it out. It really is. It really is. It was so good that his mom, this man's mother, commented and thanked us for truly interviewing him and outlining his life and career, yeah, rather than focusing on his experience with Pokemon.

SPEAKER_00: 27:14

Yeah, because he he's an interesting guy.

SPEAKER_03: 27:16

Yeah, like if you're thinking that episode's just about Pokemon, it is not. This guy is a walking living legend.

SPEAKER_00: 27:23

Literally, he's crazy. And he does some impressions, he does some of his jingles, like it's really good.

SPEAKER_03: 27:28

Um there are definitely a handful of artists that have not only surprised me but disappointed me.

SPEAKER_00: 27:35

I don't know.

SPEAKER_03: 27:36

I don't know.

SPEAKER_00: 27:37

We're not gonna get into that.

SPEAKER_03: 27:38

I was gonna say, are we at a point in our career where we can get that out there?

SPEAKER_00: 27:42

No, we are not.

SPEAKER_03: 27:43

No, okay, no, we are not.

SPEAKER_00: 27:45

Um, especially not if we want AJR on, but I agree. I agree.

SPEAKER_03: 27:49

If you know me personally, feel free to ask. I will tell you in.

SPEAKER_00: 27:54

Yeah, feel free for a phone call. Um, no, I agree. We've had some where we have gotten off, and I've been like they were jerks, like they were awful. Um, it felt like they were doing us a service. Do you know what I mean? And I'm like, I truly couldn't care less if you were on the show or not. Um, because I'm also the type of person I don't know what musicians look like. I mean the big ones, obviously, but like if you're in a band, I'm not gonna pick you out of a crowd.

SPEAKER_03: 28:24

This has actually come up recently on our YouTube page. Okay, shout out to all of the people who comment on our YouTube videos. Yeah, even you negative ones. I I also see you and I comment back to each and every one of you. Uh yeah, Taylor does not look at any of that stuff. Literally, if you are talking to someone from this show, it is me.

SPEAKER_00: 28:47

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 28:49

I recently got called um self-centered. Um, I also got told that I do the bare minimum research. Um, that uh I come up with very generic questions that I don't know much about music, and most of these things are true.

SPEAKER_00: 29:10

But hang on the self-centered thing that's crazy.

SPEAKER_03: 29:14

I I am I am quite literally the opposite of self-centered. I will go out of my way to help others.

SPEAKER_00: 29:22

I feel like no, it's not even like you're putting on front, like neither of us are putting on a front on this show. I will say you try to be more funny, but not in a bad way. But that's wild that they would say that. That's crazy. Also, the research part in the beginning, I will say you researched hard, but since then you have a different job, more hours, you have moved, you have an entire nother human being that you're taking care of. Like, yeah, if you're doing the bare minimum, it's because you have a life outside of this.

SPEAKER_03: 29:56

Yeah, yeah. Well, this is like that's not even fair. This was into response uh with our interview um from earlier in our in our earlier days. Um, people still listen to it. Uh the person that we had on was an incredible guest. Um I don't want to bring too much light to it, but uh he was he was an incredible guest. And part of part of my comment to these people uh was you can say all of this at the end of the day, it is my show. I do direct the conversation, so that's where the self-centered part I think is coming from. Kind of controlling the situation, but like sometimes sometimes a guest will kind of just ramble on, or even you can just ramble on sometimes and have to gear it back in all the time. But the biggest thing that sucks in this one in particular is the guest is an avid listener of this show now, and has several times emailed us to just to ask how we're doing, check in, comment on episodes. Um, he's a fantastic guy, and he wants to come back on the show. And like comments like that, you you think for one minute I didn't send that to him immediately? Like, I get it, you're a super fan of the band, but like you have to understand that we are real people, and so is we are real people, yeah. He had a great time on that show, so I don't know what to tell you to all of those negative comments.

SPEAKER_00: 31:31

I'm trying to think of who it is.

SPEAKER_03: 31:34

I'll tell I'll tell you after the show.

SPEAKER_00: 31:36

That's fine. Well, you can tell me. I'm still not gonna know.

SPEAKER_03: 31:39

You will, you will, you'll remember him. Okay, you'll definitely remember him.

SPEAKER_00: 31:43

Well, I have like a handful of people in mind of who it could be, but um oh wait, no, I think I know who it is. You don't have to tell me.

SPEAKER_03: 31:51

Um, anywho. What's one episode you think didn't get enough love that fans should go back and listen to? That's a good question.

SPEAKER_00: 32:00

Todd Pipes.

SPEAKER_03: 32:01

Todd Pipes, Todd Pipes. Honestly, uh I have a I have a handful. Like there are a handful of incredible interviews that we've had.

SPEAKER_00: 32:12

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 32:13

That because of us interviewing bands that are starting their careers, they don't get the appreciation that they deserve. Um, just happy to be here is obviously a big one for me. Uh, I think that interview went absolutely incredible. It was a group of friends having a conversation. Um, another big one that stands out to me is uh the Ohio Weather Band. That's a band that I just truly love, and I think more people should hear their songs.

SPEAKER_00: 32:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 32:48

Um another big one though, like as far as like an artist that we've had on and and went a complete deep dive on, Men Without Hats. Ivan. Yes, that's one of those shows that like he's a legend in the industry, yeah. And I feel like that's one that people should definitely go back and check out.

SPEAKER_00: 33:12

Do you do you remember? I don't know if you pulled it or not. Do you remember our friend from Ireland?

SPEAKER_03: 33:17

Oh, Sonny Greenwich. Scotland, yeah, Sonny Greenwich.

SPEAKER_00: 33:21

I was thinking about him the other day. I hope he's doing well.

SPEAKER_03: 33:23

Oh, he is, he's living a great life. Um I haven't pulled that episode, but that is one that I probably will pull because it just it's not the same structure as the rest of the show.

SPEAKER_00: 33:33

No, I agree.

SPEAKER_03: 33:34

Um yeah, no, I can go on and on with yeah, there's so many.

SPEAKER_00: 33:40

So many.

SPEAKER_03: 33:41

Honestly, I can even tell you there are a handful that uh are overrated. I think that our interview with TX2 gets too much love.

SPEAKER_00: 33:53

Yeah. Like well, it's also like like that fan base, you know what I mean? Because they are doing their own deep dive for people they're obsessed with.

SPEAKER_03: 34:03

Our episode with Drowning Pool that me and Lindsay interviewed Drowning Pool, that one is our most popular episode ever. Um that makes sense. If I could, I would like to redo that. Uh, I would definitely like to interview Drowning Pool again, uh, just because that was one of our first ever interviews. And I know far more and and I do a lot better job at interviewing people now compared to then. So I would like to redo that at some point.

SPEAKER_00: 34:35

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 34:36

Yeah. Uh let's see here. Hmm. Number five, we already kind of went over who is your ultimate dream guest. We kind of already did that.

SPEAKER_00: 34:47

We did yours.

SPEAKER_03: 34:49

Oh, okay. Sorry. Do you have a different one?

SPEAKER_00: 34:56

Yes. I have two.

SPEAKER_04: 35:03

Kanye.

SPEAKER_00: 35:04

That's crazy. I have two. Um one, Sabrina Carpenter, Ovi. Obi. The other one, Khaled.

SPEAKER_03: 35:17

Oh, you know, I think I think those are two great interviews. I think that would be an absolute blast. I really do. Especially Khaled.

SPEAKER_00: 35:26

Khaled would be great. I haven't seen many interviews with him, but any interview with Sabrina, like, say what you want about her. She's funny. If you watch her interviews, she cracks me up. She's so unserious.

SPEAKER_03: 35:39

I have been very vocal about how I feel about Sabrina Carpenter.

SPEAKER_04: 35:44

And it's not bad.

SPEAKER_03: 35:45

I was gonna say it's not negative at all. I mean, no, I guess you could technically say it's negative. No, I don't think so. I've I've been heavily cr uh uh uh I want to say criticized critiquing. Critiquing, but there's a word uh I've had heavy criticism of her music.

SPEAKER_00: 36:05

Well, but but that's because you know she can do more.

SPEAKER_03: 36:07

It's not that you think it comes from a place of encouragement.

SPEAKER_00: 36:10

Yeah, you just know her potential. Anywho, no, I think she'd be great. I think she'd be a lot of fun.

SPEAKER_03: 36:16

Um, what is the funniest moment that happened off mic? Ah, we have a lot of.

SPEAKER_00: 36:24

Justin Bleeber.

SPEAKER_03: 36:26

Ooh, that's a good one.

SPEAKER_00: 36:27

When it like this and the story behind that, we gotta bring him back. The story behind that is it was late at night and we were delirious, delirious, and we're we're trying to like pump out a show, and I had on sweatpants, and I don't know who said it. I had on my sweatpants and my sweatshirt, but someone said you look like Justin Bieber, and I said, Let's run with it. I could start going like this. I said, Let's run with it, let's run with it.

SPEAKER_02: 36:54

Yeah, I remember that.

SPEAKER_00: 36:56

That was really funny. Um, I'm trying to think of another one. Um, honestly, I can't think of it like names, but a lot of times what you guys don't see is when we stop recording, guests are still on. Yeah, and like we will that happens all the time, and we will just chat and laugh and have like, you know, because there's no stakes. Like, like we're not out here to out anybody on like what they say if it's not being recorded, because that's messed up. Like, we're not those types of people.

SPEAKER_04: 37:25

Oh, yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_00: 37:27

Um, but like it's just so funny, like they're so funny. Um so I think that's a good one. Do you have one?

SPEAKER_03: 37:35

Uh, I was just thinking about like even with the Justin Bleber thing, we used to make in the early days some funny like short content.

SPEAKER_04: 37:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 37:45

That that like would be like normal stuff you'd see on like a TikTok or whatever. Yeah, like I I did uh I did the Eddie Vetter uh impression with with uh pizza. Yeah. Um, where you know what I might even be able to just pull it up real quick. Should we just watch it?

SPEAKER_00: 38:00

Let's just watch it.

SPEAKER_03: 38:04

Uh while I'm looking that up, Taylor. Um, do you ever argue about music opinions off of the show and who usually wins?

SPEAKER_00: 38:14

No, only about Helen Keller.

SPEAKER_03: 38:17

No, I think we really do argue about Helen Keller.

SPEAKER_00: 38:25

We no, listen, guys, Harley thinks it's so serious, and I don't. I think that's what's really funny. Like, Harley is so so bent on me believing in what I believe that it's hilarious off camera to what like like there was a time where he just called me randomly and was like, I was just thinking about your beliefs on Helen Keller, and we have to talk about it.

unknown: 38:48

I'm like, that's crazy.

SPEAKER_00: 38:50

I didn't think it was so serious. Um, but arguing, no, we don't really argue.

SPEAKER_03: 38:55

No, we don't ever argue. I I think like we have discussions, but they're never we slightly argued recently about some money stuff, about our differences of opinions on on money.

SPEAKER_00: 39:07

Yeah, we did, but you were wrong, and it's crazy. I also asked Dylan, and Dylan agreed that you were wrong. No, anywho, we're not gonna air that though. That is that's personal. No, no, no, no, no, definitely not. Um, but no, very seldom, and even then it's like not ever that deep. Do you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_04: 39:24

No, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00: 39:25

Like, um, but we do get like we do have in-depth discussions, but honestly, it's either like I don't want to say either of us are set in our ways, you know what I mean? We can both be like, oh no, like I see where you're coming from, and and I even if if you don't necessarily agree with it, you're like, I can see where you're coming from with that, and like that's fine.

SPEAKER_03: 39:47

Um specifically, music too. Like, I yeah, I am not one to argue with somebody over music because like uh who am I to tell you what you should and shouldn't like? I have my opinions. I I think some songs suck, but like that's okay. If that's your favorite song in the world, you that's yours and like yeah, yeah. I don't want anyone to ever feel like I'm judging you on your music ever. No, I would never do that. Um maybe your beliefs, but not your beliefs.

SPEAKER_00: 40:14

Your beliefs on Hell and Keller, absolutely, but like your music choices, nah. Um, no, so I don't I don't think so. Very like I said, very seldom.

SPEAKER_03: 40:24

I actually go out of my way to defend music a lot of times. Like anybody that like says like all this this sucks, like nickelback specifically, like yeah, I don't I'll never not defend nickelback.

SPEAKER_00: 40:36

Um, that's because people who hate nickelback are fake, they're only doing it to to hop on a trend.

SPEAKER_03: 40:41

All right, so this is an old YouTube short. This is from like 2020, I think, close to uh 2021, maybe. Um, this was my attempt at comedy. This is so bad. It says when your wife goes on vacation without you.

SPEAKER_01: 41:07

That's it.

SPEAKER_00: 41:08

No, dude, that's hilarious. That's so why is that not on TikTok? Throw that puppy on TikTok.

SPEAKER_03: 41:14

That's should I just should I re-upload it?

SPEAKER_00: 41:17

Yeah, dude, that's so funny. Are you kidding me?

SPEAKER_01: 41:24

Oh man, that was a good time.

SPEAKER_00: 41:26

That's so funny.

SPEAKER_03: 41:28

That was my attempt at being a funny content creator.

SPEAKER_00: 41:32

That was that's really funny.

SPEAKER_03: 41:37

All right. Uh number. Sorry, I numbered all of these questions. I should have put people's names, but I didn't. Do you ever argue that what artist do you secretly love that would shock your audience?

SPEAKER_00: 41:57

No, I'm really open about everything that I like, to be honest with you.

SPEAKER_03: 42:02

So are you. I am, but like I think Chapel Rone is one that would shock people. Like, I don't talk about it very often. I don't talk about it very often.

SPEAKER_00: 42:15

Let's get into one of those heated discussions. Um, yeah, but you only like like three songs. You just really like Pink Pony Club.

SPEAKER_03: 42:24

I love that song. I love that. Let's see here. What's one question you're tired of being asked?

SPEAKER_00: 42:35

I love to beat a dead horse.

SPEAKER_03: 42:37

So that was a crazy thing to say.

SPEAKER_00: 42:42

Well, you've never heard that? Beating a dead horse.

SPEAKER_03: 42:46

I I have, but like I no one ever says I love doing it. They usually say you're beating a dead horse.

SPEAKER_00: 42:53

No, I love beating a dead horse.

SPEAKER_03: 42:56

It seems a little bit like a crime when you say it.

SPEAKER_00: 42:58

I I you could ask me a thousand and one times. I'm going to tell you the same answer and we're going to talk about it.

SPEAKER_03: 43:05

Um I can't think of anything like people. I get asked like from people who don't know music if we're a fishing podcast. That gets that gets asked a lot.

SPEAKER_00: 43:23

That's really funny.

SPEAKER_03: 43:25

Yes, that gets asked far more than you think in person.

SPEAKER_00: 43:28

Um oh, sorry, go ahead.

SPEAKER_03: 43:30

Uh, I was just gonna say like that question, or uh, I've been asked a million times who the biggest guest is that we've had on the show. And I'm like, that's impossible to answer.

SPEAKER_00: 43:45

I in the beginning when we started it, I got asked a lot, can I get on your podcast? Can I be on your podcast? How do I get how do I get on your podcast? And I'm like, Are you a musician? No. Oh, well, then you're not getting on the podcast. Yeah, right. Actually, the only two non-musicians are Chris and I. Okay, like that's crazy. Um, anyways, yeah, no, I think that's the only one where I'm like, in the beginning. Oh, I do have to tell, I have to tell my Miss Janet, the one who fired me. I have to tell her that we interviewed the Clarks.

SPEAKER_03: 44:21

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_00: 44:22

I don't know, I gotta text her and tell her.

SPEAKER_03: 44:24

Anywho, also looking back now, we probably should have had them on the podcast. We'd probably be a little bit further along. Just saying, you don't think?

SPEAKER_00: 44:33

No, because I didn't like those people. Uh they weren't coming, they weren't coming here. Okay, we're not doing that. Or safe place. They can't tarnish that. Um, I, sorry, this is not a question, but at my job, my he's not a boss, but he's like in charge of some things, and and I was, you know, training with him. And he, I was he was making these little videos for me to listen to, and he was like, Hey, this is my first time doing this, so you let me know. You know what I mean? Like how it works and everything. And I'm like, it's great. And they were only like two minutes, so like perfect for I feel like that's a perfect training section of a video. Don't give me a 10-minute long training video, two minutes perfect. So I'm like, Yeah, it's great. Like everything was really explained. Like you you did really well. He goes, Yeah, I did them all in like one take. Like, I did it 15 minutes before you got here. And like, that's great. And he goes, Yeah, it's because my podcast. And I said, Whoa, I'm getting there, I'm getting there. I said, Podcast, tell me more. I and I do tell people about our podcast. I don't want anything, I don't want this to get twisted. I do like I I am proud of our podcast, I do tell people about our podcast. However, his podcast was very Christian focused.

SPEAKER_03: 45:49

Holy general, we're a good Christian show.

SPEAKER_00: 45:52

Truly, truly. I was like, right now's a great time, and I went to say it. And then his is really cool. His is for for his grandson. So like his grandson will have something to look back on whenever he inevitably passes, you know what I mean? And and anyway, it was a beautiful story. But he does, it's called Letters to Isaiah. His his grandson's name is Isaiah.

SPEAKER_03: 46:12

Hey, shout out letters to Isaiah.

SPEAKER_00: 46:13

Go well, that's that's not that's not the name of the podcast. Well, it might be, but like that's what he calls it. Like, there's a name, and then it's like letters to Isaiah, but I can't remember the name. Anywho, he's telling me about it, and I'm like, dude, this is so cool. Like, I would listen. I I love the Bible. I went to go say it, and then I instantly thought back of all the crazy things that we have said, and I'm like, I just started working here. I'm sorry, buddy. I didn't I didn't tell him about it. I didn't, I was like, I just don't know. I just don't know.

SPEAKER_03: 46:46

I understand. I didn't tell anybody at work about the podcast until I had been there like two or three months.

SPEAKER_00: 46:53

Yeah. Um, yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 46:54

And the first person I told was Chris.

SPEAKER_00: 46:57

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 46:58

And then I didn't really tell anybody for a while.

SPEAKER_00: 47:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 47:01

And then like people started to just find out.

SPEAKER_00: 47:05

Well, well, and it was like I was going to tell him until I thought about it. And I was like, We have two different podcasts, my guy.

SPEAKER_03: 47:16

I mean, he probably wouldn't be a well, he might be a fan of ours. You never know.

SPEAKER_00: 47:20

Maybe I you're right. I I never know. But I think that's regardless.

SPEAKER_03: 47:24

We should absolutely you should absolutely find out the name of his show, and we should absolutely shout it out.

SPEAKER_00: 47:28

Shout out, yeah. And he's a really sweet guy. Um anywho, I also didn't tell the people at Starbucks about it because I complained about them a lot. Not them, but like Starbucks as a company.

SPEAKER_03: 47:38

Yeah, probably a smart move. That's that one, probably a smart move.

SPEAKER_00: 47:41

Well, it was a smart move. Anywho, more questions, these are fun.

SPEAKER_03: 47:44

Um, so now we're moving into some more personal ones.

SPEAKER_00: 47:48

Oh, I thought you were gonna say the the game thing.

SPEAKER_03: 47:50

No, I think we're not gonna do that.

SPEAKER_00: 47:52

Okay, sorry. This is great.

SPEAKER_03: 47:54

That's all right. This is good.

SPEAKER_00: 47:55

I like feeling interviewed. Can we do a podcast where you interview me?

SPEAKER_03: 47:58

I would love to.

SPEAKER_00: 47:59

Okay.

SPEAKER_03: 48:00

Um, we should absolutely do that. We should do, oh, we should do that. You do one where you interview me, I do one where I interview you, and then we both interview Chris, and then we both interview Chris, but like an interrogation. But we come in and we both wear suits and we do it like a job interview.

SPEAKER_04: 48:18

Yes.

SPEAKER_03: 48:18

Oh, I like this. Okay, okay. Uh, which host is most likely to derail the show? Absolutely you.

SPEAKER_00: 48:28

Absolutely me. I love a derailment, honestly.

unknown: 48:31

I do.

SPEAKER_00: 48:32

And it's just, and it's not even just for the show, it's me. I was a big fan. Um, no, so so I um just in personal life too. My brain, this is McKenna and I were actually talking about this. Here, here we go with derailing. Um also, McKenna.

SPEAKER_03: 48:51

If you actually are a fan of this show and listen like you claim that you are, it's pretty crazy that you were like, Yeah, I'll do this thing for the show and be a person.

SPEAKER_00: 49:03

Leave my girl alone. Leave her alone right now. You just didn't bully her. She is just a girl and she's having a hard time. Leave her alone right now.

SPEAKER_03: 49:14

Let's see if she listens. Anywho, I don't believe it anymore.

SPEAKER_00: 49:19

You know who does listen weekly?

SPEAKER_03: 49:22

Who?

SPEAKER_00: 49:23

Prima loan weekly, all the time. She's she literally texted me the other day about the show.

SPEAKER_03: 49:29

I love that.

SPEAKER_00: 49:30

Yeah, um, I do have to send her a link. I honestly I might just send her a beanie. I think I'm just gonna send her a beanie. Um, anywho, so McKenna and I, when we talk, it's boom boom boom boom boom boom boom. Like I FaceTimed her yesterday, we had seven different conversations and none of them were finished. That's how I like to be. So I am one to derail this derail the show.

SPEAKER_03: 49:54

Um, who takes the podcast prep more seriously?

SPEAKER_00: 49:58

I feel like this is just a hate crime against me. Not me.

SPEAKER_03: 50:02

Obviously, me.

SPEAKER_00: 50:03

Obviously, Harley. But this is also not a secret. I've been very open about this from the beginning.

SPEAKER_03: 50:09

I think it's pretty open on this show.

SPEAKER_00: 50:11

You're not gonna catch me researching, and it's nothing against the show or the people. I don't do that anyways. I didn't do that in school.

SPEAKER_03: 50:18

No, at the end of the day, like this is our show, but at the end of the day, but it's Harley's show. It's my show.

SPEAKER_00: 50:24

I'm here for a good time. That's how it should be.

SPEAKER_03: 50:27

What's one habit or trait about you or the other hosts that drive you crazy?

SPEAKER_00: 50:37

Wait, can I go back to the other thing?

SPEAKER_03: 50:39

Sure.

SPEAKER_00: 50:40

I make a gosh darn good PowerPoint.

SPEAKER_03: 50:44

Oh, absolutely. I you do when you do work, when you do work, your work's good.

SPEAKER_00: 50:51

It's good. That's all.

SPEAKER_03: 50:52

Okay, you're you're like Noah. You're like Noah. Yeah, that arc is built. It's hard to just get you to work.

SPEAKER_00: 51:00

Oh, you meant that Noah. I thought you meant Bible.

SPEAKER_03: 51:03

Yeah, no, I mean I mean the Noah that I know. You're like him, he does great work. It's getting him there. That's the hard part.

SPEAKER_00: 51:13

Anyway, let's go back to the other thing.

SPEAKER_03: 51:16

Uh okay. When you do work, you do great work.

SPEAKER_00: 51:26

I got one. I got one. Sometimes, sometimes you cut me off, and then I feel like I don't matter, and you and then you don't actually want to hear my stories.

SPEAKER_03: 51:42

You're absolutely right, and that is something that I am actually working on.

SPEAKER_00: 51:46

It has been brought up a lot, truly, and it's and I know that's how your brain works. Like, I know you don't mean anything by it, because I used to do the same thing, and I caught myself doing it with Dylan, and I was like, I don't want him to feel belittled in any way, like I want him to finish his thought. So the past five, and I'm happy you're starting this now, but it's a long journey. Okay, it took me five years to be able to just like listen.

SPEAKER_03: 52:10

Um, the biggest complaints that I get about me on the show are that I constantly cut people off or I talk over people. Yes, those are the the two biggest ones. And for everybody listening, I I truly am I hear you, I listened, and I am trying. I will say, oh go ahead.

SPEAKER_00: 52:35

No, go ahead. I insist.

SPEAKER_03: 52:37

I will say there was some comments uh made to me about me cutting guests off or commenting as they're talking, saying only one that got brought up was like, you don't have to constantly say, Oh, yeah, during an interview. And though that is true, I agree. Uh that is a thing that I'm doing on purpose. What you don't see behind the scenes is there's a lot of technology at work, yeah, and I have to make sure that the audios are coming through and correct.

SPEAKER_00: 53:14

And yes, that's what I'm doing.

SPEAKER_03: 53:16

That it's just a test.

SPEAKER_00: 53:18

I was honestly just about to say, too, because there are times where like I come in and obviously like everything's working smoothly now. There's only two of us on here. Even when we add Chris, sometimes like things get jumbled. I know since I've moved my internet's not the best, but like the more guests that are on, the more like things like lag on my end. So I also talk when people are talking, cut them off. Not on purpose. On my end, they have stopped talking. So so like there is that. Um no, anywho, that's it. And even then, it's not like not a big thing because I I remind myself it's actually not that deep. And you do love me and you do love my stories.

SPEAKER_03: 53:56

So no, absolutely. Um, but yeah, you're right, like that is part of it, and and that is why I do say like little random things when people are talking, just to make sure that the like if you're talking and there's a delay, I can see it if I talk while you're talking.

SPEAKER_04: 54:16

Yes.

SPEAKER_03: 54:18

You being the guest can't see those things. I can see them on my end because I am the admin. I see all of the little things, I see the drops. Like, that's what people don't understand. Is like you just see my face. I'm looking at two different screens and running multiple calculations and stuff.

SPEAKER_00: 54:37

I also, and here's my thing is like we're on Spotify, right? So if it's on YouTube, you can kind of see, like you'll you, you see everything, but being on Spotify, especially with me, I don't ask the questions, right? Like I I like to hear people talk and I shine more on the game side of things. Um, but if I am not going, yeah, for sure, I will daydream. And it is nothing against the guest, it is nothing against anybody. That literally is how my brain works. I have to keep myself engaged, and that means making the commentary. So my brain can say we are still listening to them, and that's where we're gonna stay. Because if not, I'm thinking about XYZ.

SPEAKER_03: 55:22

No, that's understandable. Yeah, yeah, that's just the nature of doing this virtually. Like if we always had it in person in the studio here, oh yeah, you'll notice the difference between this show and off the record with me and Chris because like everything is simultaneous because we're in person. Yes, but on here, doing it virtually, you have people all over the country, different internet connections. It's just it's a lot of technology at work.

SPEAKER_00: 55:45

It's a lot.

SPEAKER_03: 55:47

Um, this is a good one. Good if the podcast ended tomorrow. What would you both miss most?

SPEAKER_00: 55:56

Got it. I'm hoping it's the same thing. It'd be crazy if it wasn't.

SPEAKER_03: 56:02

I would miss talking to you every week.

SPEAKER_00: 56:04

Me too. That's what I was gonna say. The guests are great, but it's really nice to to have time that's fully carved out, like to spend just for us to chat. Yeah, yeah. No, I would, I would miss that a lot. Not that we we're siblings, so we talk outside of this show.

unknown: 56:22

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00: 56:24

And it's nice to have just like we're talking on the phone, like we're not FaceTiming each other. And when I'm FaceTiming you, I love you is to see your baby. I'm be real. Yeah, um, but like this is a really nice face-to-face, especially since I live so far away.

SPEAKER_03: 56:40

It's also just uninterrupted, like you we both have families, there's there's a lot in the background, like yeah, an uninterrupted focused conversation. Yeah, uh again, you don't see what we do prior to clicking the record button or after. There's a lot of conversation leading up to and after.

SPEAKER_00: 56:58

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 56:58

Um okay. Now we're diving into more personal questions.

SPEAKER_01: 57:06

Okay.

SPEAKER_03: 57:08

What's a moment in your life when music genuinely helped you get through something difficult?

SPEAKER_00: 57:14

Um, this is so sad. Do you want to go first?

SPEAKER_04: 57:22

Mine is so recent.

SPEAKER_03: 57:25

It's so recent. Dang, okay. Um, well, see, I was thinking of one for you. Um the song, the song Miss You by Blink 182. Yeah. Because I was doing the research for the Blink 182 stuff.

SPEAKER_00: 57:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 57:40

Uh, it reminded me that you used to have a really rough time with that song.

SPEAKER_00: 57:46

Yes, I did. Not anymore. We love healing. Um, but unfortunately, boys were not nice to me in high school. So anytime I heard that song, it would bring up awful emotions for me. So, but now I love it.

SPEAKER_03: 58:02

Uh, I'm trying to think, like, I'm very emotional with music.

SPEAKER_00: 58:06

Well, that's my thing, too, is like you get me on the right song, I'm gonna cry anyways. Like, there are certain songs where I know that if I listen to it, I'm gonna cry. So I only listen to it when I'm okay with crying.

SPEAKER_03: 58:18

I the biggest example for me is honestly, we just talked about it with Scott, um, but I didn't really get to dive into it too much. But like that album, their compilation album between now and then, volume one.

SPEAKER_00: 58:35

Um, like been on repeat in my car. I I can't escape it, it's crazy since that interview.

SPEAKER_03: 58:42

But like I was I was bullied in high school, I was very much alone a lot, and like, dude, I would leave the house. I mean, you remember, I would leave the house and I would go on these walks, and I would walk to it, it was called Anne Superet. It was a store in our town. Yeah, it was a four-mile walk. I was 14, 15 on the side of a country, just a country road. I would walk there and I would listen to music, and like that album was one of the few albums that I had because we were poor. It's not like I just had access to music. So, like I had an MP3 player, it was a shitty MP3 player that I had to download the CDs that we had accessible in the house to a computer, put them onto this MP3 player, and I would walk to the store. And that's what I would do. I'd listen to that, I'd listen to some Papa Roach, um, Meatloaf, Pink Floyd, like all of these really influential parts of my life stem from taking those walks, and I would take those walks because of the the rough things going on at home that I didn't want to deal with.

SPEAKER_00: 59:53

I um it's crazy to think that like you had just the DVDs, and for those listening, I'm sure we said it before Harley and I are seven years apart. Like, I'm seven years younger than him. So by the time that I was I don't want to say old enough to listen to music, because obviously like I listened to music as a child, but like old enough to have my own device to listen to music, Harley at that point had um Apple music or what iTunes. So it's it's so crazy because obviously you still love those bands that you named, and like I'm sure it had like on your developmental brain a heavy influence of being like, Oh, this is the music I like, and this is like the nostalgia things I like, but then I was able to be on your iTunes, and by that point you had had a wide range of music. So I think that's why I like so many things because I was able to have all of that music because you paved the way for that, and I think that's so crazy. Like, I guess I I never really thought about it. I think that's so crazy. Um, it's kind of like how the only movies in our house were horror movies. I feel like we had on DVD for some reason. Have you did you ever realize that? Or they were like really serious horror movies, and I now love horror movies, like that's my favorite because we didn't have cable. I mean, we did we had antenna cable, but we didn't have like cable. Um, so I would just watch Silent Hill at six.

SPEAKER_03: 1:01:23

That's just well so we we had um I had iTunes, but at that time the technology came out where you could take um I had a CD player in my car that had a USB drive slot, and you could take all of your music and put it on a USB drive, plug it into your car. Now I had my entire music library without needing an MP3 player or any device just in my car. It was crazy.

SPEAKER_00: 1:01:54

Crazy times. We gotta bring that back.

SPEAKER_03: 1:01:55

Oh, I still do it.

SPEAKER_00: 1:01:57

Yeah. Mine, mine would be this is recently. Um, I don't think you guys understand how much I really hated my job at Starbucks. I would cry every morning going to Starbucks. Wild. Um, but I would listen, not not gospel music, because it wasn't gospel music, but it would be like Christian rock, like Chris Tom Templeton, Tom Tom Tom Chris something. Anywho Stapleton? Stapleton, thank you.

SPEAKER_03: 1:02:26

Chris Stapleton? Is that Christian rock? I thought that was just country.

SPEAKER_00: 1:02:31

I might be thinking of someone else. I'm not gonna deep dive into that because I don't care that much.

SPEAKER_03: 1:02:35

Fair enough.

SPEAKER_00: 1:02:36

Um, but I would listen to more like Christian rock type of things, um, just to like get me through. Like it was crazy because I literally was crying, or it would be like some Jason Darullo. I'd be blasting that out.

SPEAKER_03: 1:02:54

What a wild transition to just be like well Jason.

SPEAKER_00: 1:03:00

No, there's like there's a handful of them that I would like could be crying through it.

SPEAKER_01: 1:03:07

It's just like in the arms of the angel, Mr. Worldwide, or or wiggle, wiggle, wiggle.

SPEAKER_00: 1:03:23

Um, anywho, yeah, that was a time. I literally like I could give you because going to Starbucks, I I could only listen to two songs. It was only eight minutes away. Right. So I had to choose wisely before I left the house of what I was gonna listen to. And it was like usually one sort of like Christian rock, like in my feels, trying to ground myself. Um, because even with like the Jesus aspect out of it, like that, just like that type of music, I feel like grounds me. Um, or like RB, like even with Khaled, like if it was like Christian rock, it would be some sort of RB, just kind of like ground me into my space, and then it would be like something I'm I'm bumping, right? Drying up get ready. Um, so a lot of papa roach, too.

SPEAKER_01: 1:04:10

Oh, nice.

SPEAKER_00: 1:04:11

I'm not like cut my life into literally blaring into tearing my heart open so myself, shut.

SPEAKER_03: 1:04:23

Uh so I don't know if I've ever actually talked about this on this show or not, but like my music routine for the mornings, I listen to classical.

SPEAKER_00: 1:04:36

Yeah, you're supposed to.

SPEAKER_03: 1:04:37

So when I when I get in the car in the morning, I turn it on. I listen to classical music my entire trip to work, and then when I go into the office, I usually turn on my podcasts. See, that's the thing with like doing a podcast now. I didn't used to listen to podcasts near as much. Now I listen to like four or five shows a day.

SPEAKER_00: 1:05:01

That's crazy.

SPEAKER_03: 1:05:02

Yeah, literally. Like, I'll give you I'll give you the rundown of what I listen to. So um the Luke Beasley show, Luke Beasley, which say what you want about me, I don't care, but like I listen to that show. Um the uh uh uh Tim Butterly show, uh Super Effective, which is the Pokemon podcast that I listen to. The non-Tendo podcast, I listen to that every week.

SPEAKER_00: 1:05:34

Love that. Okay.

SPEAKER_03: 1:05:35

Um what else do I listen to? I listen to all of the music podcasts that I've been a part of, so drums and rums, pick a disc. Uh Annette stopped doing her show, so I don't listen to that anymore. But I used to listen to music junkies every week. So, like to be supportive of all the people who are supportive of me. Um, and then I also listen to the Zack Sang show every week.

SPEAKER_00: 1:06:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 1:06:03

So there you go.

SPEAKER_00: 1:06:04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 1:06:05

Oh, oh, and the SDR show. I forgot. I also used to listen to the SDR show.

SPEAKER_00: 1:06:09

I love a good audiobook. Especially when I when I found um what it was like hard to read, like hard to find time to read, like with working at Starbucks. Like I would love a good when I was getting ready for something, throwing my headphones with a good audiobook. Um I tried listening to podcasts on I there's only one podcast or two podcasts I actually watch, but they're on YouTube. It's not ours. Don't even get your hopes up. Um I'll buy more stuff off the website. I'll support that way. I just I cannot stand the sound of my own voice. I think I am the same.

SPEAKER_01: 1:06:50

You didn't listen to off the record.

SPEAKER_00: 1:06:52

No, but that one, that one I am planning on listening to. I will I'll give you that one. Um, but anything with this, I love doing it. I don't want to listen to it.

SPEAKER_01: 1:07:02

That's understandable.

SPEAKER_00: 1:07:04

Um off the record, I do want to listen to. That was another thing Lauren was talking about. Um, I had to get her the I was supposed to ask you. I guess we could do this off the show. Um, the other podcasts that you mentioned, off the record, and then the dark side of music. She is very interested in those.

SPEAKER_01: 1:07:21

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_00: 1:07:22

I she listens weekly. She's our biggest fan. I love her so much. Anywho.

SPEAKER_03: 1:07:27

Uh post uh uh pre-malone, don't worry. I'm going to make a shirt just for you. It'll be adding up this week.

SPEAKER_00: 1:07:38

Vove.

SPEAKER_03: 1:07:40

Uh the next one. What does a perfect day look like for us when we're not doing the show?

SPEAKER_01: 1:07:49

Ooh.

SPEAKER_03: 1:07:51

Spending time with my fam, hanging out with my boy, my boy and my wife. Playing video games, watching TV. That's pretty much it.

SPEAKER_00: 1:08:06

Mine is mine is a Saturday with Dylan. Every Saturday we sleep in, we get up and we go and get coffee, whether it be from like a new place, um Duncan, obviously, and then we find somewhere to go and get lunch. And then we come home and we do do you and Lindsay do parallel play? Do you know what that is?

SPEAKER_01: 1:08:30

I don't know what that is. What's that?

SPEAKER_00: 1:08:32

So Dylan's on his computer, like either watching sports or like talking to his friends, and then I have my switch or like I'm doing on TikTok and like we're in the same room, but we're doing separate things.

SPEAKER_03: 1:08:43

Oh, like we're still like I didn't know there was a name for that.

SPEAKER_00: 1:08:46

Yeah, it's called parallel play. Kids are supposed to do it at a young age where they can play in the same room together, but not play with each other.

SPEAKER_03: 1:08:53

If we do that every day, pretty much all day.

SPEAKER_00: 1:08:58

Um, but it's like we have like that connection. Like Saturday is really our our connection day. Actually, with that aside. Oh, sorry, go ahead.

SPEAKER_03: 1:09:08

I was just gonna say she'll be on her phone like watching Smosh or like murder stuff or paranormal stuff, and I'll be either watching like Yu-Gi-Oh! or playing um Xbox.

SPEAKER_04: 1:09:21

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 1:09:23

And then Adam will be sitting there in his little kitchen.

SPEAKER_00: 1:09:26

Making making making food for the family because no one else is doing it. Everyone's on their technology, their iPad babies.

SPEAKER_03: 1:09:32

Sitting in his kitchen or he's got his vacuum. He's like, I'm it's every day with these people. I'm always everything or cleaning.

SPEAKER_00: 1:09:40

Um, or or my perfect day is whenever I get to be just a girl with Dylan. Um, honestly, or with his mom too, with anyone to be opposite. Anyone could be in place of this, but I like it to be two people. I like me and somebody else. We get coffee, we hit a thrift store, we hit a Target, we hit a TJ Maxx or a Coles or a Marshall's shopping, shopping all day long, and then there's lunch involved.

SPEAKER_03: 1:10:10

I might be a girl.

SPEAKER_00: 1:10:12

You are a girl. Dylan is also a girl. I isn't that that sounds so lovely. Doesn't that sound so lovely?

SPEAKER_03: 1:10:18

You almost had me though. I don't want to go to a clothing store.

SPEAKER_00: 1:10:21

No, but like we can go to a game store. We can go to we can go to a mall. Take me to a mall with all of the options and a buddy and a crisp coffee in our hand. Yeah, we are just girls, we're just girls.

SPEAKER_03: 1:10:37

Yeah, you're just I think I take I can't take it everything back. No, you can.

SPEAKER_00: 1:10:42

Yeah, you can with your family, forget your family, get a coffee with me and go shop. It's my day, and I don't even have to buy anything. Like, I mean, I told you yesterday about how we ended up over in Timbuktu. Um, but we where we ended up was like a giant outdoor mall. And I told Dylan, I was like, like I love and we had only ever been there once when him and I started dating. His mom worked at Jockey, and she worked in that like giant it's buddy, it's huge, it's a giant outlet mall.

SPEAKER_03: 1:11:14

I can't tell you how fun I find getting in my car. Like how many times I have been driving to somewhere. I have a plan. I'm going to a place.

unknown: 1:11:25

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 1:11:26

And I notice a plaza that I've not seen before. You think for one minute I'm not stopping wherever I was going? I'm going to that plaza. I'm just gonna go drive and see what's there. If I see something that looks interesting, parking. I'm driving.

SPEAKER_00: 1:11:43

His mom and I do that all the time. We'll be driving. She'll be like, I'll be like, what is that? And she'll go, I don't know, let's go see and hit a Yui. And we go like C.

SPEAKER_03: 1:11:50

My gym uh that I'm going to is in a place called Newtown. And I went there, I parked, and I walked towards the gym. And it's like that. It's this giant, like, outdoor, there's just store after store after store. I'm like, oh, maybe I skip my workout and I just walk through all these stores.

SPEAKER_00: 1:12:10

Hey, it's exercise. That's how I get my daily exercise. Like, I miss the days when I would come to Florida just visiting, and Dylan and I would like, we would go shopping, but again, I don't have to buy anything. I just want to walk around. I just want to walk around and see what's up. Like, I want to, I haven't been to a fibolo in so long. I'm gonna go to a fibo. I want to hang out, I want to see what they got popping. Anywho, that's my buddy. Coffee and shop and maybe some lunch.

SPEAKER_03: 1:12:38

Uh, let's see here. Outside of music, what are you most passionate about fans might not know?

SPEAKER_00: 1:12:45

They know about that.

SPEAKER_03: 1:12:47

Outside of music, I mean I'm passionate about a lot of things.

SPEAKER_00: 1:12:54

I am passionate about my love for other people to the point that it stresses me out.

SPEAKER_03: 1:13:04

I was thinking Pokemon or like something of that nature.

SPEAKER_00: 1:13:08

I also like just don't have any hobbies anymore. So, like, all I can think about is other people and how much I love them.

SPEAKER_03: 1:13:14

I also feel like we're pretty open with our other passions. Like, I we talk about Pokemon on here all the time.

SPEAKER_04: 1:13:20

All the time.

SPEAKER_03: 1:13:22

Um but like I don't know, I'm really passionate about songwriting as well, but that's still within music.

SPEAKER_00: 1:13:28

Um I've been passionate about storytelling lately.

SPEAKER_01: 1:13:34

Nice.

SPEAKER_00: 1:13:34

I I've been back on my writing books thing. I kind of want to write a book.

SPEAKER_01: 1:13:39

You should.

SPEAKER_00: 1:13:40

Dylan says so too. I think I'd be really a great author.

SPEAKER_03: 1:13:44

I have been trying to find like an idea of um, I guess you would call it passive income. But like I don't I don't wanna I don't want it to be put on here that that's why I'm doing it. I was just looking for like how can I utilize my love for talking to a group of people um in a way that can be beneficial to those people other than this show because like this show is beneficial to people, but like it's not we make no money. Well, no, it's not even that. It's just like it's not something that like it's beneficial in a learning aspect. Yeah, like I'm not changing lives. Like, how can I make an impact on people's lives for the better? Yeah, and um I've been contemplating getting into motivational speaking.

SPEAKER_00: 1:14:35

I think you should. Oh, that would be so fun.

SPEAKER_03: 1:14:37

You should have been thinking about like the things that I've done, things that I've overcome, things that I've accomplished. Yeah, and wanting to show the lower side of the world that there's a route out, yeah. Yeah, so I I I'm thinking about I'm thinking about doing that. Or coaching is another thing I thought about doing, um, podcast coaching specifically. Like we're not the most successful show in the world. I'm not gonna lie to you guys. We're not the most successful.

SPEAKER_00: 1:15:08

You know the ins and outs though.

SPEAKER_03: 1:15:10

I I feel like I do, and I feel like I could get somebody started to follow something they wanted to do, you know. Like not maybe not necessarily make them the next Joe Rogan, because I'm not, but but like we're at a level where it would make sense for me to take somebody that just is like, I don't even know how to start and how yeah, and just help them through their first 10 episodes or whatever. Uh so I'm I'm thinking about doing something like that. Yeah, I mean I I unfortunately will not be doing it for free. Um I already do this show for free and it cost me a lot.

SPEAKER_00: 1:15:49

Um another sorry, I don't mean to cut you off. No, that's all right. I think that's great. I think you should. It just that jogged my like something else I'm passionate about and made me think about is human connection. Like even today at TJ Maxx, I don't know what it is with I don't know if it's just because I moved down here. I mean, obviously I've I love talking, duh, but being more present. So like before in Ohio, and it's not the most safe thing because I'm a small female, like a relatively small female, you know, but I would like be on my phone or I would feel awkward if it's just me, you know what I mean, or like something along those lines. Um, but even when like thrifting or today when I was talking to the checkout lady, and I'm like, yeah, like human connection to me now is so important because I see like I don't know, just how it can brighten someone's day because we're always so engrossed in our phones all the time. Like it drives me up a wall that like when I'm out and about, like if I'm at a restaurant or if I'm at um, like I said, just shopping. Like I try not to be on my phone now unless there's a reason to be on my phone. Um, and just having that connection. Like I bumped into a lady today and I was like, I'm so sorry. I have no like sense of spatial awareness, like my bad. And she was like, girl, me either. And we just sat and talked about it. Human connection. I don't know. I've been that's something the past few months. I don't know if it's working at Starbucks or what, but I've been like very Yeah. I want to be like present in life and like get to know people from all walks of life because we only get to live this life once.

SPEAKER_03: 1:17:31

So um, speaking of human connections, I did want to bring this up. Uh-huh. They didn't ask me to, but uh it's as somebody that's currently struggling with weight issues and doing my best. Um, I think encouragement is important.

SPEAKER_04: 1:17:47

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 1:17:48

So we recently put up a YouTube short uh discussing Lizzo's transformation, and somebody commented on that. Her name, uh, her name is Maribel Gonzalez. Um she said, type two diabetic here in my third month of Ozympic. Now I'm down 11 pounds. That plus or that puts me at 239, and it's great because I have an autoimmune disease that causes me chronic debilitating pain and limits my ability to move, clean, cook, exercise, etc. I was actually 180 about 10 years ago, so definitely trying to get back to that. So um, Maribel, keep up the incredible work. Like we're here for you, we're supporting you. Um and and keep us updated on your journey. And uh, you know, just wanted to throw that out there. Um, let's see here. We got one more. You ready?

SPEAKER_00: 1:18:46

One more. I'm ready. This is so fun. Let's do this more often.

SPEAKER_03: 1:18:50

What's one personal goal you're working toward right now that has nothing to do with the podcast? I think we kind of already went through those actually. Um, yeah. For me, it's definitely the weight loss. I'm yeah, if if you're listening and you have any advice, please feel free to reach out. I I'm always open to uh advice and open to criticism about my lifestyle and how I'm uh living it. If you uh you know, even even for me, when it comes to my health, even negativity can fuel motivation. So, like if you just want to jump on there and be like, stop fucking eating, fat ass, like it's better than nothing. Yeah, yeah. So um, but I mean, I I'm trying. That's that's the best I can do.

SPEAKER_00: 1:19:46

You just gotta try your best. My at where I work, they say one percent better a day. That means by the end of the year, you are 37 better than where you started, and that might not look like a lot, but that what if you can do one percent a day, whether whether that be one less meal, one more 10 minutes on the treadmill, you did one percent better than what you did the day before.

SPEAKER_01: 1:20:10

That's true. That's true.

SPEAKER_00: 1:20:12

Yeah, um, I I have a couple. Mine mine is also health focused, but it's not necessarily weight loss. Like that would be pretty cool. Um, mine is more in like strength. Like, I feel like working at strong. Starbucks with all the bending down and everything and like the squatting that my knee for those listening I have like crazy knee problems. Um but I feel like that helped strengthen my knee a lot and I've become more like limber and like and like flexible and and better on my feet because I just had to be. Um so I definitely I think strength and like mental health I really want to work on because I was really sad. Not gonna get into it, but like I was unwell there for a minute. So I really want to focus on like the things that make me happy. Um, and maybe try not pouring as much energy, not into things that don't make me happy because you have to do that, right? I hate when people are like, oh, only only do things that make you happy. That's not how life works. That is not how life works. Um but like, you know, people who aren't filling up my cup. And I know we've talked a lot about this. I'm not gonna go into it because that's crazy. This goes online. Um, but like just slowly cutting those people kind of out of my life and only reaching out if I have to. You know what I mean? Like, like doing things along those lines. Um, but just focusing on eating more at home. You know, things that are gonna make my mind and body feel better. And then like the happiness, I want to find like little things in life every day that make life worth living. Not that this sounds crazy. I was not suicidal. I feel like I need to put that like life is worth living, but like sometimes, for example, I whenever I'm driving to work, I go over a bridge where I literally just look over the ocean. So, like when I'm in standstill traffic, I can be like, This sucks, but look at my view, you know, like yeah, yeah, yeah. Like I it's things like that. Um what's the other thing?

SPEAKER_03: 1:22:12

It's not it's not necessarily a suicidal thought that you're having. It's yeah, uh, I dealt with this too, and I I feel that I still deal with it on occasion or sometimes often of like not being able to find not necessarily purpose, but sometimes purpose is definitely a big part of it, but also just like feeling like you're no, just feeling like you're wasting.

SPEAKER_02: 1:22:38

Yeah, you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_03: 1:22:39

Yes, like like you look at like your day and you're like I didn't I didn't do anything I'm proud of today.

SPEAKER_00: 1:22:49

Yeah. Or like, did I even contribute to society at all?

SPEAKER_03: 1:22:54

Right, right. Yeah, feeling like you're wasting or finding or having issues finding your purpose.

SPEAKER_00: 1:22:59

And just like yes, and just going through a routine, like I think that was my problem with being at Starbucks, is I was just like every day, I'm like, I literally, I mean, and I tell Dylan this all the time. I have been living here for six months now. And it's crazy that like it doesn't feel like six months because I I felt like I it was groundhog day every day, like, and I didn't like that. And I felt like like at the place that I'm working now, I get to meet so many people, I get to impact so many lives. Like it's fantastic. And my brain, my brain yearns for knowledge, and I wasn't getting that at Starbucks. Like, I literally was just on empty all the time. Um, but no, you're right, because I I dealt with that. I mean, I feel like I've been dealing with that the past couple years, it got really bad. Where like Matina, like it was it was awful. I couldn't find even like I'm the person, I'm sure you could probably attest to this, that like I try to bring the happiness, I try to bring the good vibe, I try to always have a smile on my face, but like the past couple years, it's been harder and harder to do that. And I and I hate that, you know.

SPEAKER_03: 1:24:08

Think of your body. I've told this to several people. Think of your body and your your mental health as a gas tank. Yeah, so if you come into this conversation right now with a full tank, yeah, you're using up that tank, right? So when you leave here, you're no longer at full. Yeah, you might be at 50 percent. Yeah, and there's not always a way to re that you're not next to the gas station. You know what I mean? Like, yeah, there's not always a chance to fill up. So, like, that's that helped me deal with those thoughts. Um also not encouraging this as an avenue for mental health, but like I still struggle with finding purpose, but I struggle much less now with my wasting mindset because of having Adam. Because like I'm still trying to find my purpose, my legacy, what what I want to be, right? Yeah, and and like success. I I'm trying to find success. Yeah, and that is something that I still struggle with, but every day I get to spend any moment with him, it's not a waste, yeah.

SPEAKER_00: 1:25:29

I I will say too, and I because I feel like this year too, there's been so much change, and like my mind hasn't. I was actually telling Lauren about this. I I went through like when I first started my job. Sorry, this is gonna be a long, I know we're we're we're going on.

SPEAKER_03: 1:25:45

Um this is important, honestly.

SPEAKER_00: 1:25:48

When I started my job, I remember like I was sending her a Snapchat video and like because I was terrified. I was like, this is a whole like for the first time in my life, scared to start something new. And like I was like, I was just crying on the Snapchat video, and because she is she has seen me at my worst. Bless her, she is amazing. Um, but I was like, I've just had so much change the past year, and it has just been my mind hasn't like caught up to it. Do you know what I mean? Like I graduated honestly, the next the past two years, I graduated college. I did some of the hardest four years of my life. I graduated college, I graduated with a decently high GPA. I then started like working at Bath and Body Works. I know people are like, oh my God, that wasn't, but it was my like my first like job job. Like I started at Bath and Body Works. I I moved from Ohio being with our mom, where I had been, you know, my whole life with her. I moved in with you guys to help with Adam and set went running with that. And I did that for a while. And then I came back. And when I came back to Ohio, I was only there for about three weeks. And then I moved to Florida. Like I feel like I have done so much that, like, so many scary things. Like to me, all of those things are like they're scary.

SPEAKER_02: 1:27:05

That's a lie. It's a lie.

SPEAKER_00: 1:27:07

And then when I when I got here and Dylan was like, you don't need a job. Like, he was very much against me getting a job right away. He was like, I want you to hang out, you know, find your ground, like just find you and have a good time. Like I can take care of us right now. Don't worry about it. I didn't like that answer. I don't like feeling broke. I wanted to be able to spend my money how I want to spend it. So I got my job at Starbucks. Um, and again, I didn't have time to think about it. Like I never had time to think about it. And then I started this job. And just instantly, like my first day, it felt like everything came crashing at once. And I'm like, this because I had quit at Starbucks. And this is a job, like this is a career type job, right? Like this is something that's going to be a stepping stone for whatever I want to do. And I'm like, this, I could, this can go one of two ways, literally. And either way, it'll be fine, right? I had to keep reminding myself that like nothing worthwhile in life comes easy ever. Like it's something you have to work towards. But I was like, well, this is so scary. And like, even with driving, like I had like when I started at Starbucks, Dylan drove me the first couple of times so that I could get comfortable with the roads and watching him do it. I didn't have that. I didn't know where I was going. I was, I don't do well in traffic. Like, like I had to just go. I had to just go and do it. Um, but yeah, no, it was it was really hard. And all that to say, like moving to Florida, I am the happiest I've ever been. I think that that has really helped fill my cup up because I not that I wasn't surrounded by people that loved me before, like obviously you guys love me, but like Dylan is incredible in the sense of like making sure that I'm taken care of. Whatever, whatever it may be, whatever it needs, like he will go to the ends of the earth to make sure that I have what I need so that I can be the best person that I can be. And then finding like I have found friends that just pour into my cup all the time, and and they are so supportive of everything all the time. Like I get to experience girlhood. And I tell Makenna this too. Like, whenever I was in Virginia, like I got to really experience girlhood, I feel like for the first time. Cause she was the same way, and even now she is. Like we call all the time, we talk all the time. And it's like she was always like always there, like always there to support me.

SPEAKER_04: 1:29:22

Right, right.

SPEAKER_00: 1:29:22

Um, but anyways, yeah, I don't want to like drag on this feels crazy. I now forget the point. Oh, the point of like still being able to find some sort of happiness and not getting into that mindset because that's a mindset I I don't like being in that mindset. And even Dilla noticed it. He was like, I I can notice that like I'm just not as happy. You know what I mean? Like it was it was really, really hard for a while just to find happiness, which sucks. And like, because I I like I said I like being the person who I'm always trying to, you know, have a smile on my face and like lift everybody up because I want that positivity. But then once that like all the positivity was sucked away from my body, I was like, I don't, I can't radiate it. Like, and I could feel it like in my spirit, in my mind, like in my motivation and everything. So and this year I really want to focus on not losing that spark. It might dim, but not because it was it was blown out in the water, not relit for a while. So I do I do want to focus on just having that and making sure that I'm nurturing that so that it can go from a little spark to a big bonfire.

SPEAKER_03: 1:30:36

There you go.

SPEAKER_00: 1:30:37

Anywho, sorry, that was so long.

SPEAKER_03: 1:30:39

Uh no, uh mental health is important, and again, like this is something that could actually help somebody that's listening, you know. Somebody out there might be feeling the same way that you are. Yeah, I mean, I I went through that exact scenario, like I felt that exact same way. Yeah, um, my my biggest one that I struggle with is the failure. Like, yeah, um, and we'll talk about it much, uh, especially on here, but like I'm a failed musician. I am a failed salesperson, like I've had a lot of failure, and um and the show wasn't doing super well, like like we had this peak where we were doing pretty good, and then it started to just plummet out of nowhere. So, like that was just another chalk up on the failure, and then like things just kind of started to change a little bit this past year.

SPEAKER_00: 1:31:41

So But do you think um I don't like the word failure. We're we're gonna switch that because I think you only fail if you give up on it. And never once would did you give up on it, right? Like even if you weren't seeing the outcome you wanted, that sucks. Like, I'll give that to you. That's it.

SPEAKER_03: 1:31:57

I mean, the the music thing has kind of the life that I've kind of moved past.

SPEAKER_00: 1:32:02

But you still you were teaching guitar, you still play your guitar for Adam, you still listen to music and love music. Like being a musician, you're always a musician. I have not picked up a trumpet in two years. I'm still a musician.

SPEAKER_01: 1:32:17

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_00: 1:32:18

Like it's one of those things that like I don't like not a failed musician.

SPEAKER_03: 1:32:24

I've I had a career. A career, yeah. Yeah, and that's my yeah, my actual career that I do on a day-to-day basis. Like, dude, what crushed me is not getting that promotion. Like, truly, when that happened, that was that was it for me. I was like, fuck, everything is going down hard fast. Um, and then unfortunately, I worked with somebody who set their goals on making me feel bad about myself, and and like that was a scary place to be. So yeah, um I understand, like, yeah, yeah, it's tough.

SPEAKER_00: 1:33:10

No, it's it's hard. Are you doing better now though?

SPEAKER_03: 1:33:13

Yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutely. Yeah, I've I mean, I still feel that way. I still feel that I failed at a music career, but I look at the things that I got to do in the short time that I had doing it, and and honestly, I I know Chris listens to the show, and I know a handful of other people from work too, but like, dude, doing what I do now and having because I didn't tell people that I was a musician. Yeah, I did that open mic, and that one guy happened to be there, and that's how I got out. And like, since then, talking to people about what I've done musically, and you know, them saying how incredible it is, and and being excited about like the things that I've done. Yes, like that makes me feel better about what I did accomplish and not so bad about what I didn't.

SPEAKER_00: 1:34:11

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 1:34:12

Um, wish that my day-to-day job had the same outcome.

SPEAKER_00: 1:34:16

Ain't that the truth?

SPEAKER_03: 1:34:18

But yeah, nothing I can do about that one. Unfortunately, the the company just doesn't identify hard work.

SPEAKER_00: 1:34:24

I will say, um, like with Starbucks, even though I absolutely despised being there, I loved the people there. Like that, it was really hard to leave because of the people. Um, but like I got a text the other day from a girl who just started, like, literally started. I worked four times with her before I left. Like, she just started. And she texted me, she said, Hey, I wanted to reach out. I wanted to see like how the job is, like how everything's going for you. And I'm like, that is so sweet. So like I told her, and she was like, Yeah, she said I was thinking of you, like everyone was talking about you today, like your presence is really missed. She was like, she said that there's just like a shift and everything in it, and that made me feel better. I was like, all the pain and torture I went through and like the spiritual battle, because the way I was like, I could quit this right now and just forget my bills.

SPEAKER_03: 1:35:10

Now, I I will say, as far as like my feelings towards this show, just yes, you know, for everybody that's listening, and again, thank you so much for everybody that listens. I see every single one of you. Um, thank you so much for all of our new listeners. I I know there are new listeners because I see all that information. But the downside to me seeing all of the information on everything is like seeing the numbers. Well, there the numbers are fine, but there's nothing more defeating than thinking you're building a fan base and a community of people that enjoy what you're doing, and you put something out there for them to respond to and let you know they exist, yeah, and getting nothing, dude. Like it's stuff like that that can just really, really impact my day. Like, recently put up something offering um 30 free Patreon subscriptions, just 30 of them for free. Yeah, all you had to do was respond yes to the post. No one did. No one no one did it.

SPEAKER_00: 1:36:22

Like, well, you also have to think too, like, I know that I look at those, I don't ever respond to them because people also think like this is an awful mindset, but they're like, What's the point? It's probably not gonna be me. Do you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_03: 1:36:39

I mean, that's fair, I guess. It's just it, those those types of things can be as somebody that puts so much work into this specifically. I mean, hell, we've been on here for an hour and 30 minutes, and like I put so much time and effort into it every single week. I I'm doing three shows a week now.

SPEAKER_00: 1:36:56

Three shows. That's crazy.

SPEAKER_03: 1:36:58

Yeah, yeah, dude. I put a lot of work and effort into this, yeah. And money and to to offer, you know, 30 people the chance to enjoy more than I I do here for free, and then nobody takes it up. It just makes you feel like, yeah, all right, well then why am I doing this?

SPEAKER_00: 1:37:20

Do you think that might be a sign though to be like, hey, slow down, you're not ready for that step yet? Like that's a lot, like you're already doing a lot. Like, take a step back.

unknown: 1:37:28

Do you not?

SPEAKER_00: 1:37:29

Maybe, maybe, yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 1:37:32

Yeah, sorry. You know, no, it's all right. It that's just one of those things, though, that like having that happen can be extremely defeating on your mental health.

SPEAKER_00: 1:37:41

Oh, for sure.

SPEAKER_03: 1:37:42

We're doing well, things are moving, things are growing. Yeah, let me put this out there, yeah, and then getting zero support. Yeah, you know, that's just it's tough. It's tough. It is, but that's also the the that's on me. Like that's I've put myself in this space, and I have to be able to deal with the consequences with the with the disappointment. Yeah, yeah. I'm not trying to be famous, I'm just trying to make sure that there's somebody out there that listens that's like hey, I do listen every week. Like, like knowing that Prima Lone listens every week.

SPEAKER_00: 1:38:21

She does she literally texts me about it all the time.

SPEAKER_03: 1:38:24

Literally having one person say, like, no, I listen to you guys every week.

SPEAKER_00: 1:38:28

Every week, she does.

SPEAKER_03: 1:38:29

Because because that means that she does it and I do it. Yeah, you know what I mean? And I know Chris does.

SPEAKER_00: 1:38:35

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 1:38:36

So yeah.

SPEAKER_00: 1:38:39

Anywho, wow, that got deep so quick. Okay, cut all of that.

SPEAKER_03: 1:38:43

So Pokemon had his 30th year anniversary.

SPEAKER_00: 1:38:45

So happy anniversary, Pokemon. Um, that is so fun. Sorry we did not get to the gaming part.

SPEAKER_03: 1:38:51

No, that's okay. We'll do that another time. There's plenty of time.

SPEAKER_00: 1:38:55

There's all there's time. There's yeah, we're we're living on time.

SPEAKER_03: 1:38:58

Yeah. Um, but all of all of that being said, if you could, if you're listening, if you could please, if you're not already, uh if you could please follow the Instagram.

SPEAKER_00: 1:39:10

Yeah, follow the gram.

SPEAKER_03: 1:39:12

Because uh I will be completely honest with everybody here. I say that a long, a lot. That should be a t-shirt.

SPEAKER_00: 1:39:18

I'm gonna be completely honest.

SPEAKER_03: 1:39:21

Uh I will be making that shirt this afternoon. But but for real though, like I don't think people understand how much the number of Instagram followers matter for what we do.

SPEAKER_00: 1:39:34

Yes, to get it.

SPEAKER_03: 1:39:35

If you have been listening, if you've been listening and you've been like, man, they're having a bit of a slow uh 2026, uh, it's because we haven't had a growth. Like 2025 got us to 450 and now we're at 480, which is growth. But like when a PR company looks at that and they say, Okay, well, you grew, you know, 12%. Yeah, we're we're we're gonna keep getting the and there's nothing wrong with any of these artists. I love every single artist that comes on this show, but we're going to keep getting the hey, we have you know, this new band out of Tennessee or whatever, when we've sent you a request for. Somebody else. Like I send requests for specific artists, and sometimes we get responses where they're like, Yes, absolutely. Other times they look at it and say, Well, we don't see the benefit, so we're gonna give you this artist instead. Yeah, and that number unfortunately just matters a lot in this industry. Yeah, that's that's what society has done to this industry. That number matters a lot.

SPEAKER_00: 1:40:56

Crazy.

SPEAKER_03: 1:40:58

I can give them the statistics from the show all day long, they don't care. So, anyways, crazy.

SPEAKER_00: 1:41:05

Anywho guys, we do love everyone who listens, though. We really all of our guests, and all of our guests, you guys are fantastic, and it really makes like I love the guests that we get on the small ones, big ones. I don't care. They honestly, I know to you it makes a difference. I cannot tell one from another. I just want to hear your life story. Like to me, you are just another person, and that's just kind of unless your name is Scott Belisi. With that being said, um, yeah, no, I get it. It's hard.

unknown: 1:41:35

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 1:41:36

All right. Well, this was a good therapy session.

SPEAKER_00: 1:41:39

This was um crazy. This was going on on the internet. I think we should redo everything. You busy tomorrow? No, it's fine, it's fine. Everything's fine.

SPEAKER_03: 1:41:48

Super good. I I'm actually excited about this one. We really dove deep into this. This might be our longest episode, actually.

SPEAKER_00: 1:41:56

I think we should make them two hours all the time.

SPEAKER_03: 1:41:59

I don't think an hour is an hour. Lindsay would kill me, dude.

SPEAKER_00: 1:42:02

You'd be a goner. Well, tell Lindsay I'm sorry.

SPEAKER_03: 1:42:07

No, it's okay.

SPEAKER_00: 1:42:09

Well, go uh go go follow the Instagram. You just heard everything of why that's so important. Um, we have our new the websites up. Um, it's not, I mean it's it's new, but like we have our store up, so go purchase some from the store.

SPEAKER_01: 1:42:25

Everything's merch store is awesome.

SPEAKER_00: 1:42:27

Yeah, the quality is great. They're great. I my t-shirt's great. Um, my hat is great.

SPEAKER_02: 1:42:34

If you have ideas for merch, if you've got ideas for merch, let us know. Like gladly.

SPEAKER_00: 1:42:39

Yeah. Um, what else? Go ahead and give it a big thumbs up, subscribe, and I guess hit that bell notification so you can notify every time we post a new two hour video.

SPEAKER_03: 1:42:50

All right, everybody. It's been real. Uh, where are we at here? Peace.