Welcome to age, where four people from four different decades throw topics in a trash can and see what happens. This week: Social Media.

Reggie, Tim, Dylan, and guest host Lauren Moody pull the topic from the can and immediately the energy shifts. Lauren does social media for Cultivate Climbing, so naturally the trash can delivers exactly what's needed. She admits social media scares her even though it's her job. Tim gets heated about being forced to create content just to survive in business. Dylan talks about photo dumps as digital archives and how her generation gets their news from feeds. And Reggie reflects on the echo chambers we're all trapped in, reinforcing beliefs instead of challenging them.

They dig into the algorithm as overlord, whether small businesses should have to perform to exist, the death of word of mouth, and why COVID pushed everyone so deep into their devices that we forgot how to connect. There's talk of voyeurism as the new normal, Black Mirror coming true with robotic dogs and social credit scores, the industrial revolution versus the AI revolution, and whether quantum computing will break everything we thought was secure. Dylan admits she had too much access to information as a kid. Tim confesses he's been avoiding Instagram his whole life and has no regrets. Lauren tries to find hope in using social media to build real community. And Reggie wonders if billionaires are even human or just hiding behind money while the rest of us suffer.

They get into the barter system, rebuilding the village, why inconvenience is the price of community, and whether we've monetized every single thing that used to be free. There's the realization that capitalism has trained us to value what we do instead of who we are. That AI might take 80 to 90 percent of jobs in the next few years. That data centers are sucking up fresh water while people can't water their lawns. And that maybe, just maybe, the suffering we're experiencing is pushing us toward something more true.

It's sprawling, it's dark, it's hopeful, and it doesn't resolve cleanly. But what if that's the point?

Follow Reggie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reggietidwell/

Follow Tim: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timscroggs/

Follow Mary: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-greene/

Follow Dylan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dylanngarciaa/

Follow Lauren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenleighmoody/

Produced by Mary Greene.

age the podcast is edited and engineered by Will Canady.

All episodes are filmed at the 40 Hearts Studio in Asheville, NC.

• 00:00:00 Introduction: Pulling the Topic - Social Media
• 00:05:38 First Reactions: The Double-Edged Sword of Social Media
• 00:07:33 The Forced Nature of Content Creation
• 00:12:54 Echo Chambers and Political Division
• 00:14:29 Social Media for Small Businesses: Finding the Middle Ground
• 00:25:44 Information Overload and the Dark Side of Access
• 00:27:07 News, Trust, and the Algorithm Problem
• 00:34:27 Money, Politics, and the Root of the Problem
• 00:52:37 AI, Data Centers, and the Future of Work
• 01:00:28 Closing Thoughts: Rebuilding the Village and Finding Hope

Welcome to age, where four people from four different decades throw topics in a trash can and see what happens. This week:same cloth, different font.

Reggie, Tim, Mary, and Dylan pull the phrase from the can and immediately the room gets philosophical. Mary starts thinking about self expression and calibration. Dylan wonders if it's about independence or just a new way to say we're all different. Tim tries to figure out if it's about the remix culture we're all living in. And Reggie reflects on a lifetime of choosing cars nobody else had, from a British Sterling to a lime green sedan.

They dig into what it means to be seen versus understood, the pressure to conform in small towns, why Ferrari owners can't customize their cars, and whether brands are trying to reach micro niches or just chasing the biggest audience possible. There's talk of David Carson destroying fonts in Raygun magazine, the heroin chic comeback, GLP1s and the skinny trend, and whether capitalism benefits from keeping women insecure about their bodies. Dylan admits she judges people at Walmart for all wearing the same thing. Reggie confesses he's been chasing different his whole life. Mary spirals about septum piercings and looking too Karen. And Tim reveals he has a Hebrew guitar tattoo that he ignored for years (and sometimes even forget he has) but is now coming back around to.

They get into tattoos as ritual, marble countertops as life markers, the difference between being special and being unique, and why Tom Hanks is more relatable than Brad Pitt. There's the realization that fonts are functional, not just decorative. That delusion might be the thing that sets you apart. That we're all trying to hit an archetype, and if you have enough money, you can get closer. And that sometimes the best thing you can do is stop trying to be different and just be excited about what you share.

It's sprawling, personal, and doesn't resolve cleanly. But what if that's the point?

Follow Reggie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reggietidwell/

Follow Tim: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timscroggs/

Follow Mary: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-greene/

Follow Dylan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dylanngarciaa/

Produced by Mary Greene.

age the podcast is edited and engineered by Will Canady.

All episodes are filmed at the 40 Hearts Studio in Asheville, NC.

• 00:00:00 Introduction: Pulling the Topic - Same Cloth, Different Font
• 00:02:10 First Reactions: Interpreting the Phrase
• 00:05:25 The Age of the Remix: Fonts, Brands, and Micro-Communities
• 00:08:45 Cars, Identity, and Standing Out
• 00:15:50 Ferrari, Scarcity, and the Power of Exclusivity
• 00:21:30 Fashion, Conformity, and the Walmart Effect
• 00:28:05 Tattoos, Belonging, and Body Autonomy
• 00:47:00 Beauty Standards, Power Dynamics, and the Heroin Chic Comeback
• 01:01:20 Marble Countertops, Wabi-Sabi, and Embracing Imperfection
• 01:07:45 Closing Thoughts: Lumbar Labels and Rebranding the Tramp Stamp

Welcome to age, where four people from four different decades throw topics in a trash can and see what happens. This week: Vlog.

Reggie, Tim, Mary, and Dylan pull the topic from the can and immediately things get uncomfortable. Dylan admits she's a product of the vlog, consuming them like oxygen. Tim recoils at the word itself, harboring a resentment that runs deeper than anyone expected. Mary tries to find middle ground between art and marketing. And Reggie just wants to know if TikTok videos count.

They dig into what vlogs actually are, whether they're different from podcasts, and why the word makes everyone cringe. There's talk of GoPros and surfboard wipeouts, the democratization myth of social media, Casey Neistat and the people who started early, and whether anyone actually stumbles upon content anymore or if the algorithm is just feeding us what it wants us to see. Dylan confesses that 25% of her media diet is vlogs. Tim's percentage might be higher but he's in denial about it.

They get into the pressure to perform, the difference between a portfolio and a vlog, why COVID forced everyone online and destroyed Tim's business in the process, and whether you can even have a career anymore without making content. There's the realization that social media promised democratization but delivered manipulation. The algorithm as overlord. The exhaustion of having to do three jobs just to make one job work. And whether any of this is actually art or just another layer of bullshit we've been sold.

Tim gets heated. Dylan walks off camera. Mary tries to hold it all together. And Reggie celebrates his birthday in a clanky chain while everyone processes what it means to be forced into visibility in an over edited, monetized world.

It's messy, it's heated, and it doesn't resolve cleanly. But what if that's the point?

Follow Reggie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reggietidwell/

Follow Tim: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timscroggs/

Follow Mary: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-greene/

Follow Dylan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dylanngarciaa/

Produced by Mary Greene.

age the podcast is edited and engineered by Will Canady.

All episodes are filmed at the 40 Hearts Studio in Asheville, NC.

• 00:00:00 Introduction: Pulling the Topic - Vlog
• 00:03:27 What Is a Vlog? Defining the Medium
• 00:11:51 Dylan's Vlog Confession: A Product of the Algorithm
• 00:16:30 The Democratization Myth: Social Media's Broken Promise
• 00:21:04 The Pressure to Perform: Portfolios vs. Vlogs
• 00:54:03 COVID's Impact: When Everyone Was Forced Online
• 01:03:58 The Algorithm Problem: Control, Manipulation & Lost Connections
• 01:09:15 Finding the Middle Ground: Art, Marketing, or Both?
• 01:11:54 Closing Thoughts: Tim Gets Snarky & Everyone Processes

Welcome to age, where four people from four different decades throw topics in a trash can and see what happens. This week: Roots.

Reggie, Tim, Mary, and Dylan pull the topic from the can and immediately the conversation goes deep. Mary starts thinking about family lineage and the stories we inherit. Dylan talks about the Boller gene and generational DNA passed down through eggs. Tim reflects on a childhood moment of grief, realizing he'd never be that little baby again. And Reggie shares his grandpa's story, written by his grandma, and wonders why he never knew these people when they were alive.

They dig into photos and memory, whether pictures steal your soul or replace your experiences, the quantum field that connects us all underground, and why deleting your Facebook archive might actually be an act of self preservation. There's talk of trees and branches, oral tradition versus digital documentation, the original wound of men who couldn't bear children, and whether businesses can have roots or if they're just performing origin stories for the market.

There's the realization that roots aren't just about where you came from, they're about what feeds you now. The question of whether we've traded depth for clothing, myth for metadata, connection for documentation. Dylan's dad in a Carhartt video. Tim's projector nights at family reunions. Mary deleting her Facebook and sobbing on a bed. Reggie meditating on trees and realizing we're all connected in the darkness below the soil.

It's sprawling, emotional, and doesn't resolve cleanly. But what if that's the point?

Follow Reggie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reggietidwell/

Follow Tim: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timscroggs/

Follow Mary: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-greene/

Follow Dylan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dylanngarciaa/

Produced by Mary Greene.

age the podcast is edited and engineered by Will Canady.

All episodes are filmed at the 40 Hearts Studio in Asheville, NC.

• 00:00:00 Introduction: Pulling the Topic - Roots
• 00:04:54 The Boller Gene: Family Lineage and DNA
• 00:07:01 The Original Wound: Gender, Creation, and Envy
• 00:10:44 Photos and Memory: Capturing vs. Experiencing Life
• 00:14:01 Discovering Your Ancestors: The Power of Images
• 00:28:43 Oral Tradition vs. Documentation
• 00:46:52 The Tree Metaphor: Roots, Trunk, and Branches
• 00:57:34 Business Roots and Brand Stories
• 01:10:30 Coming Home: Place, Connection, and Belonging
• 01:12:23 Closing Thoughts: Roots Equal Connection

Welcome to age, where four people from four different decades throw topics in a trash can and see what happens. This week: Obesity.

Reggie, Tim, Mary, and Dylan pull the topic from the can and immediately the air gets heavy. Dylan clamps up. Mary starts sweating. Reggie admits he's been struggling with his own body in ways he never thought he would. And Tim tries to figure out where health ends and marketing begins.

They dig into GLP-1s and Ozempic face, the fat free movement that lied to us all, why Serena Williams' body became a national conversation, and whether the word obesity even means what we think it does anymore. There's talk of intuitive eating, dad bods as reclamation, the pressure to stay small or get smaller, and why Dylan's generation is recovering from eating disorders. They wrestle with genetics versus willpower, whether beauty standards are just capitalism in a meat suit, and why it's so hard to talk about bodies without accidentally talking about value.

It's uncomfortable, vulnerable, and doesn't resolve cleanly. But what if that's the point?

Follow Reggie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reggietidwell/

Follow Tim: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timscroggs/

Follow Mary: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-greene/

Follow Dylan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dylanngarciaa/

Produced by Mary Greene.

age the podcast is edited and engineered by Will Canady.

All episodes are filmed at the 40 Hearts Studio in Asheville, NC.

• 00:00:00 Introduction: Pulling the Topic - Obesity
• 00:03:23 First Reactions and the Ozempic Era
• 00:09:13 Marketing, Fat-Free Movements, and Capitalism
• 00:14:19 Personal Stories: Body Image Across Generations
• 00:24:17 The Label Debate: BMI, Genetics, and Health
• 00:29:14 Cultural Differences and Food Systems
• 00:42:25 Dylan's Perspective: Athletes and Eating Disorders
• 00:52:33 Gender, Beauty Standards, and the Male Gaze
• 01:00:38 Language, Reclamation, and Political Correctness
• 01:14:16 Connection Over Judgment: Finding the Middle Ground

Welcome to age, where four people from four different decades throw topics in a trash can and see what happens. This week: Homeschool.

Reggie, Tim, Mary, and Dylan pull the topic from the can and immediately things get personal. Reggie drops a bomb from his past that he completely forgot about. Dylan admits she probably would've been a degenerate if she'd gone that route. Tim wrestles with what connection really means when you're learning through a screen. And Mary tries to figure out if homeschooling is a quiet luxury or just another broken system.

They dig into what it means to learn without a classroom, how isolation shapes identity, and whether technology is actually helping kids or just replacing human connection. There's talk of chemistry teachers who actually care, the death of regional culture, billionaires who should be funding teachers instead of rockets, and whether the whole education pipeline is just a scam designed to keep us compliant.

They get into caregiving as invisible labor, why social capital matters more than test scores, the weirdness of kids watching other kids play video games, and whether we've all been homeschooled by the internet without realizing it. It's vulnerable, sprawling, and doesn't resolve cleanly. But what if that's the point?

Follow Reggie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reggietidwell/

Follow Tim: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timscroggs/

Follow Mary: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-greene/

Follow Dylan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dylanngarciaa/

Produced by Mary Greene.

age the podcast is edited and engineered by Will Canady.

All episodes are filmed at the 40 Hearts Studio in Asheville, NC.

• 00:00:00 Introduction: Pulling the Topic - Homeschool
• 00:03:10 Reggie's Homeschool Revelation
• 00:04:30 The Social Dynamics of Middle School
• 00:05:30 The Unique Nature of Homeschooled Kids
• 00:11:50 School Systems and Social Connections
• 00:19:00 Transparency vs. Connection
• 00:21:48 The Homeschool Experience: Free Play and Family Time
• 00:24:48 Technology in Education: The Great Debate
• 00:35:52 The Value of Teachers and Human Connection
• 00:45:34 The Pipeline Problem: School, College, and Career
• 00:50:38 AI, Isolation, and the Future of Learning
• 00:37:54 Billionaires, Teachers, and Caring for Caregivers
• 01:02:52 Protecting Children: A New Political Framework
• 01:05:12 The Resolution: Well-Gotten Success

Welcome to age, where four people from four different decades throw topics in a trash can and see what happens. This week: Improv.

Reggie, Tim, Mary, and Dylan pull the topic from the can and immediately the room shifts. Dylan admits she's intimidated by people who are good at improv. Tim flashes back to improv nights at actual game night and realizes he's been improvising his whole life. Mary talks about the golden rule of “yes, and”, and how it changed the way she works with clients. And Reggie shares a story about being the guest on an improv show where they acted out his entire childhood.

They dig into what improv actually is, whether your 20s are just one long improv session, the difference between going upstream and downstream, and why the best improvisers lean into discomfort instead of away from it. There's talk of fashion crises, Indiana Jones meets James Bond, the perception of wealth versus the reality of debt, and whether acting rich is just another form of survival. Dylan reveals she's delusional and loves it. Tim confesses he's been improvising wealth his whole life. Mary explains why treating clients like friends changes everything. And Reggie strips down the illusion in a LinkedIn video that made everyone uncomfortable.

They get into tree climbing as a metaphor for freedom, the line between improv and delusion, whether capitalism requires dissatisfaction to function, and why the most innovative ideas start as someone's delusional dream. There's the realization that improv isn't just a theater tool, it's a life skill. That delusion might be the precursor to success. That yes, and is harder than it sounds. And that sometimes you have to let go of what you want in order to discover what's possible.

It's sprawling, vulnerable, and doesn't resolve cleanly. But what if that's the point?

Follow Reggie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reggietidwell/

Follow Tim: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timscroggs/

Follow Mary: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-greene/

Follow Dylan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dylanngarciaa/

Produced by Mary Greene.

age the podcast is edited and engineered by Will Canady.

All episodes are filmed at the 40 Hearts Studio in Asheville, NC.

• 00:00:00 Introduction: Pulling the Topic - Improv
• 00:05:36 First Reactions: Fear and Intimidation
• 00:06:09 The Hometown Show: Improv in Action
• 00:08:33 Life as Improv: The 20s and Beyond
• 00:10:58 The Golden Rule: Yes, And...
• 00:28:43 Improv Meets Business: Client Relationships
• 00:41:03 Perception, Money, and Playing Rich
• 00:49:15 Fashion Crisis: Indiana Jones Meets James Bond
• 01:02:20 Delusion as Innovation: The Power of Big Ideas
• 01:04:54 Closing Thoughts: Delusions of Grandeur

Welcome to age, where four people from four different decades throw topics in a trash can and see what happens. This week: Remote.

Tim, Mary, and Dylan pull the topic from the can while Reggie's on vacation, and they bring in special guest Adrienne Muken to hold down the fourth chair. Dylan flashes back to high school COVID lockdowns. Tim thinks about literal remote controls piling up on his couch. Mary reflects on the freedom and isolation of working from anywhere. And Adrienne shares how remote work brought her from New York City to Asheville and changed everything.

They dig into what remote actually means now, whether it's killed regional culture or just redistributed it, the exhaustion of managing fifteen communication channels at once, and why Slack feels like social media for your job. There's talk of Wi-Fi deserts and kids trying to learn on iPads with no internet, the myth that remote workers aren't really working, the difference between introverts and extroverts and the newly discovered "omnivert," and whether corporate real estate is the real reason everyone's being dragged back to the office.

They get into Hannah Montana as a social experiment, Michael Jackson's contested legacy, the death of third spaces, and why old people have been left behind by a society that evolved without them. There's the realization that growth culture might be collapsing, that capitalism requires dissatisfaction to function, and that we have enough food to feed the world but choose not to distribute it. Tim gets heated about intrinsic versus extrinsic value. Mary talks about building a virtual office and why behavior matters more than tech. Adrienne brings up the quiet luxury of niche Reddit communities. And Dylan admits she's tired of every app trying to become the all in one solution.

It's sprawling, vulnerable, and doesn't resolve cleanly. But what if that's the point?

Follow Reggie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reggietidwell/

Follow Tim: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timscroggs/

Follow Mary: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-greene/

Follow Dylan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dylanngarciaa/

Follow Adrienne: https://www.east12studio.com/

Produced by Mary Greene.

age the podcast is edited and engineered by Will Canady.

All episodes are filmed at the 40 Hearts Studio in Asheville, NC.

• 00:00:00 Introduction: Pulling the Topic - Remote
• 00:03:35 Remote Work and the COVID Experience
• 00:06:27 Adrian's Remote Journey: From NYC to Asheville
• 00:11:11 The Remote Renaissance and Virtual Office Culture
• 00:16:40 Corporate Pushback: Real Estate and Control
• 00:21:25 Introvert vs Extrovert: Working Styles and Energy
• 00:24:33 Communication Overload and Multiple Channels
• 00:30:05 Remote Ideas: The Internet and Cultural Homogenization
• 00:40:57 Finding Your Process: Wasting Time as Research
• 00:46:42 High School, Identity, and Finding Your People
• 00:51:07 Hannah Montana and the Social Experiment
• 01:04:11 Elders, Stories, and Oral History
• 01:13:45 Capitalism, Growth, and the Scarcity Mindset
• 01:18:12 AI, Creativity, and the Future of Work
• 01:22:25 Time Capsules: Recording Yourself for the Future
• 01:25:55 Closing Thoughts: Remote Connections and Authenticity

Welcome to age, where four people from four different decades throw topics in a trash can and see what happens. This week: Theatre.

Mary, Tim, Dylan, and Reggie pull "theatre" from the can, and things get real fast. Mary shares her background as a stage manager who thought she'd spend her life in production. Dylan admits everything she knows about theatre comes from Shrek the musical. Reggie talks about his cousin on Broadway and how he's always been a performer at heart. And Tim? Tim tries to find the line where play feels effortful vs effortless.

They explore masks and authenticity, what it means to perform for survival versus perform for play, and whether theatre is becoming a dying art in the age of AI. How do you reclaim playfulness when you've spent your whole life performing for others? And how do you balance achievement with being truly present?

It's sprawling, it's honest, it doesn't resolve cleanly. But what if that's the point?

Follow Reggie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reggietidwell/

Follow Tim: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timscroggs/

Follow Mary: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-greene/

Follow Dylan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dylanngarciaa/

Produced by Mary Greene.

age the podcast is edited and engineered by Will Canady.

All episodes are filmed at the 40 Hearts Studio in Asheville, NC.

• 00:00:00 Introduction and Topic Pull
• 00:00:43 Mary's Theatre Background
• 00:01:51 First Impressions: Theatre Through Different Lenses
• 00:02:25 The Mask and Authenticity in Performance
• 00:02:49 Shakespeare and Real Life
• 00:05:45 Safe Space to Play
• 00:06:30 The Return of Live Performance in the AI Era
• 00:15:24 SNL, Mr. Rogers, and What Makes Theatre 'Theatre'
• 00:19:04 The Facade: Social Media, Beauty Standards, and Performance
• 00:18:12 The Real Cost of Performance
• 00:36:53 Performance in Agency Life
• 00:32:57 The Stage of Sports
• 00:21:29 Mukbang and Performance
• 00:42:10 Breaking Free from Formulas
• 00:45:42 Reggie aka Big Goodness
• 00:57:35 Death, Play, and the Circle of Life
• 01:01:00 Finding Personal Play
• 01:06:25 The Magic Sauce: Balancing Achievement and Play
• 01:06:59 Closing Thoughts and Credits

Welcome to age, where four people from four different decades throw topics in a trash can and see what happens. This week: Labels.

Reggie, Tim, Mary, and Dylan start with the obvious stuff—branding, logos, North Face knockoffs made with Sharpies—but it doesn't stay surface level for long. They get into identity, the pressure to scale, what it means to be ruthlessly authentic, and whether entrepreneurship is even the dream we think it is.

There's talk of quiet luxury, YA dystopias, cancel culture, and why sometimes loving people at work feels like a radical act. They wrestle with whether labels trap us or help us find our people, and if brands could actually be the new form of protest.

It's messy. It's honest. It doesn't land anywhere clean. But what if that's the point?

Follow Reggie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reggietidwell/

Follow Tim: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timscroggs/

Follow Mary: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-greene/

Follow Dylan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dylanngarciaa/

Produced by Mary Greene.

age the podcast is edited and engineered by Will Canady.

All episodes are filmed at the 40 Hearts Studio in Asheville, NC.

• 00:00:00 Introduction: What Is Age?
• 00:02:53 Pulling the Topic - Labels!
• 00:03:22 The Double-Edged Nature of Labels
• 00:06:34 Sharpies and Brand Dupes
• 00:08:22 Fashion, Branding, and Free Advertising
• 00:11:58 When Brands Lose Their Way
• 00:14:56 The Agency Model and Entrepreneurship
• 00:24:12 Corporate vs. Self-Employed: Finding the Middle Ground
• 00:44:09 YA Fiction and Manipulation
• 00:50:20 Ruthless Authenticity
• 00:53:31 What If?
• 01:00:52 Closing Thoughts and Credits