This time, we’re talking about the mess of being online. From LiveJournal drama to influencer marketing and the existential weight of Instagram captions, we dig into what makes social media feel necessary, fake, addictive, useful, and totally exhausting. We ask big questions about authenticity, attention, and the line between art and content. When the algorithm is hungry, we keep feeding it pieces of ourselves.

Writer/Producer/Editor/Host:
Aaron McCall
aaronmccall.net
Instagram: @aaron_mccall
LinkedIn: Aaron McCall

Co-Host/Sidekick/Photographer:
Joe Matteson
themattesons.co
Instagram: @joe_dustin

Co-Host/Sidekick/Manager:
Amber Gray
Instagram: @bad_ambellina
LinkedIn: Amber Gray

Music:
"Noises" by Mike Mains & The Branches

Help Support the Podcast:
Buy Merch
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Follow Bad Idea Social Club:
badideasocialclub.com
Instagram: @badideasocialclub
LinkedIn: Bad Idea Social Club

This time, it’s just the three of us—Aaron, Joe, and Amber. No guest, no plan, just vibes and a theme: starting over. From lost files and ruined shoots to quitting jobs and creative resets, we get into the mess and momentum of starting fresh—when it’s your choice, and when it’s not. Technically, a bonus episode. Structurally, unsound—a freefall.

Writer/Producer/Editor/Host:
Aaron McCall
aaronmccall.net
Instagram: @aaron_mccall
LinkedIn: Aaron McCall

Co-Host/Sidekick/Photographer:
Joe Matteson
themattesons.co
Instagram: @joe_dustin

Co-Host/Sidekick/Manager:
Amber Gray
Instagram: @bad_ambellina
LinkedIn: Amber Gray

Music:
"Noises" by Mike Mains & The Branches

Help Support the Podcast:
Buy Merch
Make a Donation

Follow Bad Idea Social Club:
badideasocialclub.com
Instagram: @badideasocialclub
LinkedIn: Bad Idea Social Club

Jenny Hearns (artist, graphic designer) talks with Aaron McCall about creative identity, chronic illness, and what happens when your body hits pause before your mind is ready. They get into creepy-cute aesthetics, the pressure to stay visible, and how she’s learned to make space for rest without losing her spark. It's the classic tale of a ghost, an onion and a perfectly reasonable emotional spiral.

Keep up with Jenny Hearns:
jennyhearns.com
IG: @jennyhearns

Writer/Producer/Editor/Host:
Aaron McCall
aaronmccall.net
Instagram: @aaron_mccall
LinkedIn: Aaron McCall

Co-Host/Sidekick/Photographer:
Joe Matteson
themattesons.co
Instagram: @joe_dustin

Co-Host/Sidekick/Manager:
Amber Gray
Instagram: @bad_ambellina
LinkedIn: Amber Gray

Music:
"Noises" by Mike Mains & The Branches

Help Support the Podcast:
Buy Merch
Make a Donation

Follow Bad Idea Social Club:
badideasocialclub.com
Instagram: @badideasocialclub
LinkedIn: Bad Idea Social Club

Craig Horky (illustrator, graphic designer) shares his story with Aaron McCall and talks about analog habits, unexpected upheaval, and the tension between making a living and making something that lasts. They cover brush pens, weird gigs, creative grit, and the strange freedom that comes with getting fired. Also, he really loves his cats.

Keep up with Craig Horky:
craighorky.storenvy.com
IG: @craighorky

Writer/Producer/Editor/Host:
Aaron McCall
aaronmccall.net
Instagram: @aaron_mccall
LinkedIn: Aaron McCall

Co-Host/Sidekick/Photographer:
Joe Matteson
themattesons.co
Instagram: @joe_dustin

Co-Host/Sidekick/Manager:
Amber Gray
Instagram: @bad_ambellina
LinkedIn: Amber Gray

Music:
"Noises" by Mike Mains & The Branches

Help Support the Podcast:
Buy Merch
Make a Donation

Follow Bad Idea Social Club:
badideasocialclub.com
Instagram: @badideasocialclub
LinkedIn: Bad Idea Social Club

Mitch Ermatinger (brewer/founder, Speciation Artisan Ales) talks with Aaron McCall about building a life around wild beer—then no longer being able to drink it. They get into the art and science behind fermentation, the gut-punch of a celiac diagnosis, designing what he can’t taste, and staying creative inside sharp limitations. It’s about constraint, reinvention, and what it means to keep making things—even when the rules change.

Keep up with Mitch Ermatinger:
speciationartisanales.com
IG: @speciationales

Writer/Producer/Editor/Host:
Aaron McCall
aaronmccall.net
Instagram: @aaron_mccall
LinkedIn: Aaron McCall

Co-Host/Sidekick/Photographer:
Joe Matteson
themattesons.co
Instagram: @joe_dustin

Co-Host/Sidekick/Manager:
Amber Gray
Instagram: @bad_ambellina
LinkedIn: Amber Gray

Music:
"Noises" by Mike Mains & The Branches

Help Support the Podcast:
Buy Merch
Make a Donation

Follow Bad Idea Social Club:
badideasocialclub.com
Instagram: @badideasocialclub
LinkedIn: Bad Idea Social Club

Rae Lang (artist, Woosah Outfitters & Outside Coffee Co.) talks with Aaron McCall about carving a life that’s slower, wilder, and closer to the woods. They get into Rae’s evolution as an artist and business owner, the decision to close her Grand Rapids shop, raising kids with muddy feet, and how success looks different than it used to. It’s about art, identity, and what it really means to stop outrunning yourself.

Keep up with Rae Lang:
spreadingthewoosah.com
IG: @woosahoutfitters
outsidecoffeeco.com
IG: @outsidecoffeeco

Writer/Producer/Editor/Host:
Aaron McCall
aaronmccall.net
Instagram: @aaron_mccall
LinkedIn: Aaron McCall

Co-Host/Sidekick/Photographer:
Joe Matteson
themattesons.co
Instagram: @joe_dustin

Co-Host/Sidekick/Manager:
Amber Gray
Instagram: @bad_ambellina
LinkedIn: Amber Gray

Music:
"Noises" by Mike Mains & The Branches

Help Support the Podcast:
Buy Merch
Make a Donation

Follow Bad Idea Social Club:
badideasocialclub.com
Instagram: @badideasocialclub
LinkedIn: Bad Idea Social Club

Scott Millington (photographer) has always had an eye for real-life moments—and in photography, he found the language to document them. Scott sits down with Aaron McCall to talk about how the camera gave him purpose, community, and a way to show the world as he sees it. From indie wrestling shows to coffee shops and protests, Scott shares what it means to document real life, connect with people, and stay grounded in your perspective.

Keep up with Scott Millington:
millingtonmedia.com
IG: @sapmillington

Writer/Producer/Editor/Host:
Aaron McCall
aaronmccall.net
Instagram: @aaron_mccall
LinkedIn: Aaron McCall

Co-Host/Sidekick/Photographer:
Joe Matteson
themattesons.co
Instagram: @joe_dustin

Co-Host/Sidekick/Manager:
Amber Gray
Instagram: @bad_ambellina
LinkedIn: Amber Gray

Music:
"Noises" by Mike Mains & The Branches

Help Support the Podcast:
Buy Merch
Make a Donation

Follow Bad Idea Social Club:
badideasocialclub.com
Instagram: @badideasocialclub
LinkedIn: Bad Idea Social Club

Courtney Romero (graphic designer, co-founder of Class) didn’t set out to co-found a tech company, but when the opportunity came, she ran with it. Courtney shares her story with Aaron McCall about growing up fast, chasing stability, and refusing to play the starving artist game. From agency life to ed tech, she’s made her own rules, learned how to rest, and found unexpected freedom in pole dancing, puzzles, and houseplants. 

Keep up with Courtney Romero:
IG: @thecourtneyromero

Writer/Producer/Editor/Host:
Aaron McCall
aaronmccall.net
Instagram: @aaron_mccall
LinkedIn: Aaron McCall

Co-Host/Sidekick/Photographer:
Joe Matteson
themattesons.co
Instagram: @joe_dustin

Co-Host/Sidekick/Manager:
Amber Gray
Instagram: @bad_ambellina
LinkedIn: Amber Gray

Music:
"Noises" by Mike Mains & The Branches

Help Support the Podcast:
Buy Merch
Make a Donation

Follow Bad Idea Social Club:
badideasocialclub.com
Instagram: @badideasocialclub
LinkedIn: Bad Idea Social Club

Jon Bailey—photographer, videographer, and co-owner of Lantern Coffee Bar & Lounge—joins Aaron McCall for a conversation about reinvention, embracing uncertainty, and the realities of running an independent coffee shop. His path hasn’t been a straight line—from filming skate videos to shooting weddings to finding his place in coffee—but with grit, determination, and a willingness to bet on himself, he’s learned what it means to build something with intention. They discuss the challenges of leadership, the weight of responsibility, and creating a space where people feel like they belong.

Keep up with Jon Bailey:
lanterncoffee.com
IG: @thereal.joncoffee
IG: @lanterncoffeebar

Writer/Producer/Editor/Host:
Aaron McCall
aaronmccall.net
Instagram: @aaron_mccall
LinkedIn: Aaron McCall

Co-Host/Sidekick/Photographer:
Joe Matteson
themattesons.co
Instagram: @joe_dustin

Co-Host/Sidekick/Manager:
Amber Gray
Instagram: @bad_ambellina
LinkedIn: Amber Gray

Music:
"Noises" by Mike Mains & The Branches

Help Support the Podcast:
Buy Merch
Make a Donation

Follow Bad Idea Social Club:
badideasocialclub.com
Instagram: @badideasocialclub
LinkedIn: Bad Idea Social Club

Artist Mike Egan joins Aaron McCall for a conversation about art, death, and building a life on his own terms. Known for his bold, macabre paintings of skeletons, coffins, and religious iconography, his work is unmistakable—equal parts haunting and approachable. Before becoming a full-time artist, Mike worked as an embalmer and funeral director, experiences that shaped his perspective on life and mortality.

Keep up with Mike Egan:
mikeeganart.com
IG: @mikeeganart

Writer/Producer/Editor/Host:
Aaron McCall
aaronmccall.net
Instagram: @aaron_mccall
LinkedIn: Aaron McCall

Co-Host/Sidekick/Photographer:
Joe Matteson
themattesons.co
Instagram: @joe_dustin

Co-Host/Sidekick/Manager:
Amber Gray
Instagram: @bad_ambellina
LinkedIn: Amber Gray

Music:
"Noises" by Mike Mains & The Branches

Help Support the Podcast:
Buy Merch
Make a Donation

Follow Bad Idea Social Club:
badideasocialclub.com
Instagram: @badideasocialclub
LinkedIn: Bad Idea Social Club