Unpacked In Santa Cruz
"Unpacked in Santa Cruz" is a homegrown podcast hosted by Michael Howard that dives into the lives, stories, and salty moments of people who call this coastal community home—or have been shaped by it in some way. Whether it's a deep conversation with local surfers opening up about mental health, or a peek behind the curtain of someone who started a one-of-a-kind food spot right here in town, every episode brings something real.
You’ll hear from folks who found healing behind the lens, built businesses from scratch, or chased massive waves thanks to a lifetime spent around our local waters. These aren’t just interviews—they’re conversations that reflect the heart and soul of Santa Cruz. Raw, reflective, and rooted in community, Unpacked in Santa Cruz brings local voices to the surface.
Unpacked In Santa Cruz
Latest Episodes
Episode 95: Joe Schirmer: Where Politics Meets Policy Around The Dinner Table, And How A “Pulling Up Your Bootstraps” Mentality Says Nothing To Our Realities Around The Food We Eat
Dead seals on the beach. Algae blooms in the bay. Nitrates in wells. A heat wave that can ruin a tomato crop before you even see the damage. We record a raw, grounded conversation with Santa Cruz farmer Joe Schirmer about the real cost of feedi...
Episode 94: Chapter XVII: Our Tower of Babel: Politics, AI, Algorithms, and The Separation That Only Common Language Can Bring
We have a shared language, so why does it feel like we cannot talk anymore? I step into a solo, personal soliloquy about the post-COVID shift I see everywhere: families avoiding hard topics, friends splitting into factions, and everyday convers...
Episode 93: Shari: Santa Cruz Feels Like Home When The World Feels Loud; Math, Microchips, and What If The Antidote To Fear of AI Is Being Human
Santa Cruz has a way of changing your breathing. When Shari talks about coming home and catching the first smell of the ocean, you can hear what she means: peace isn’t a concept, it’s a physical shift. From there we go deep fast. Shari is a mat...
Episode 92: Benjamin Pink: Water, Home, And The Future Of Santa Cruz-What Happens When There's No More Fat On The Bone
Water debates get loud fast, but the real story is quieter and more practical: who plans the supply, who forecasts demand, and what a community does when the next drought hits. We’re back in Santa Cruz talking with Ben Pink, a longtime water re...
Episode 91: Coaches Corner With Coach Stephan: A Conversation About Learning to Adapt to New Dynamics and Demands For Coaching Resilience in Our Young Men
Your team is down a few runs and you can feel the dugout quitting, not loudly, but quietly. That moment is where youth baseball stops being a game and starts being a mirror, and it’s where Stephan and I spend most of our time in this conversati...