DB Media

Life takes us on many twists and turns. Some, we control, some, we have zero input on whatsoever. Some turns are full of hope, opportunities, moments that turn into memories.

Some are full of desperation, and a reminder of the unfairness that life can throw at us any time. Like the friends I have that are impacted by cancer at the minute, and may be fighting a losing battle, no matter how hard they push back.

These twists and turns make us question the validity of living life well. After all, if we live life to the best we can, and be the best we can, yet still be struck down by something as devastating as cancer… Why bother? Why live life well at all, if that’s our reward?

Except… that’s not our reward. Our reward is continuing to live, and enjoy, and be happy, and bring happiness to others. Because that’s what defines us. That’s what makes us who we are, as I discuss on this week's show.

Topics on the menu include

• How not to pronounce Glenmorangie :)
• How small decisions can make big changes
• How leaps of faith can change lives
• Why we should look at our life as a reward

Settle back for a chat about fate, destiny, what we can and can't control, and why we shouldn't worry about the stuff outside our control.

Support Life Through a Dram

• Leave a review
• Listen on your favourite app
• Support with a donation - it helps keep the whisky topped up! :)

Contact me: [email protected]

My equipment

• Samson Q2U Dynamic Mic
• RockJam MS050 Adjustable Mic Suspension Boom
• Dragonpad Pop Filter

Mentioned on today's show

• Dashboard Confessional
• Sliding Doors movie
• Glenmorangie: The Original

With the Super Bowl weekend just gone, it seems more people are talking about the halftime show with Shakira and JLo than the actual winners of the game. And, to be honest, it's kind of ridiculous.

Across multiple social media channels, posts were shared - and continue to be - from people appalled by the outfits the two Latina superstars wore, the dance moves they performed, and the apparently suggestive nature of the performance as a whole.

Many NFL fans berated the organization for allowing such a show to take place, complaining that it had ruined what used to be a family-friendly event. Here's the thing, though - the NFL is hardly the beacon of family-friendliness, nor has it been for a while, as I talk about in this week's show.

Topics on the menu include

• The hypocrisy of many NFL fans
• The numerous examples of where the NFL has shown their lack of family-friendly ethics
• The irony of the complaints about Shakira's and JLo's outfits
• Why we need more strong, culturally proud performers doing their thing

Settle back for a chat about all that's wrong with those who'll quickly condemn the two artists at this year's Super Bowl halftime show, while happily supporting an organization that consistently shows how morally corrupt it is.

Support Life Through a Dram

• Leave a review
• Support with a donation - it helps keep the whisky topped up! :)

Contact me: [email protected]

My equipment

• Samson Q2U Dynamic Mic
• RockJam MS050 Adjustable Mic Suspension Boom
• Dragonpad Pop Filter

Mentioned on today's show

• Social media backlash about the Super bowl halftime show
• My blog post about the NFL's lack of morals
• Colin Kaepernick ostracization
• Ardbeg 10 year old

Almost seven years ago, I wrote a short story entitled The Cautionary Tale of Balderdash and Hogwash, which was a chapter in my book, The Parables of Business.

I was reminded of this by one of the readers of my newsletter, who emailed me with a note that stated, “More relevant than ever, with today’s climate of fake news, political divisiveness, and groupthink mentality when it comes to critical thought.”

I re-read the chapter again and, while I’d like to think that the world in general isn’t as gullible as the followers of the two main characters, current events would suggest otherwise. I thought I’d share it here with you in this week's episode, and add some new thoughts, seven years later..

Topics on the menu include

• How the gullible will always have someone ready to take advantage
• Why we need to heed the lessons of history if we're to avoid making the same mistakes
• Why we need to keep fighting for those who have no voice of their own
• How sometimes the silliest of stories have the biggest ring of truth

Settle back for a chat about not taking anything for granted, and why this time, this place, is where we need to take a stand.

Support Life Through a Dram

• Listen or leave a review on iTunes
• Listen on Google Podcasts
• Listen on Spotify
• Listen on RadioPublic
• Listen on Pocket Casts
• Listen on Overcast
• Support with a donation - it helps keep the whisky topped up! :)

Contact me: [email protected]

My equipment

• Samson Q2U Dynamic Mic
• RockJam MS050 Adjustable Mic Suspension Boom
• Dragonpad Pop Filter

Mentioned on today's show

• The Parables of Business
• My newsletter
• Canada and the rise of populism
• Macallan 18 year old sherry cask

This week saw the death of Rush drummer Neil Peart. A Canadian icon, his death saw many people on social media share what he and the band he drummed for meant to them, as well as personal stories and examples of how he specifically had made a difference in their lives.

One of these examples was from my good friend Bob LeDrew who, when speaking about Peart's death on Facebook, made a comment that really stuck with me, and is the title of this week's show: life owes you no more time.

It's a statement that is really timely, as it comes at a time when another good friend is detailing his battle with cancer. In the Facebook group he set up to chart this journey, John Haydon posted a video that talks about how he feels at "this stage of his life", and why he believes the terminology about this being any kind of stage of life is incorrect.

In this week's episode, I dive deeper into both these poignant statements, as well as how other cultures look at life, and why it's only a borrowed amount of time - eventually, we have to give it all back.

Topics on the menu include

• The fallacy of life being in stages
• Why we should stop talking about middle-aged as if it were a quantifiable number
• Why we should heed the wisdom of those nearing the end of their lives
• The beliefs of the Ufaina tribe, and what vital force is

Settle back for a discussion on the finite time we have on this planet, and the mindsets that are holding us back in the short calendar we call life.

Support Life Through a Dram

• Listen for free or leave a review on iTunes
• Listen for free on Google Podcasts
• Listen for free on RadioPublic
• Listen for free on Overcast
• Support with a donation - it helps keep the whisky topped up! :)

Contact me: [email protected]

My equipment

• Samson Q2U Dynamic Mic
• RockJam MS050 Adjustable Mic Suspension Boom
• Dragonpad Pop Filter

Mentioned on today's show

• Remembering Neil Peart
• Bob LeDrew on Neil Peart
• John Haydon on "this stage of life"
• This Borrowed Life
• Life owes us nothing
• Ardbeg 10 year old

After two months of making the move from a large Canadian City to a small village three hours north, we're discovering little things that we may not have expected.

Our original goals, for example, included less clutter, less stress, and a happier lifestyle overall. While that's definitely still the case, and we haven't really been disappointed so far, not everything is quite working out as planned, so far.

In episode one of A Downsized Life, I talk about:

• How the less clutter goal isn't quite being met
• What this means for our stress levels
• Unexpected purchases, and what that means with regards our plans
• The longer winter, and its impact on us
• The challenges of keeping two young kids entertained while still needing to work

Listen in as Danny shares his thoughts on these challenges, and what comes next in our journey to downsize our lives.

Note: these contain affiliate links, so I may get a small percentage of any product you buy/use when using my link.

My equipment:

• Shure SM7B dynamic mic
• Rodecaster Pro II audio production studio
• Sony MDR-7506 Studio Monitor Headphones
• Elgato Wave Mic Arm Low Profile

Recommended resources:

• Captivate.fm
• Substack
• Boomcaster remote interviewing

• Instagram
• Twitter

A Downsized Life shares our journey as we look to live a simpler life, away from the everyday stresses of living in a big city, and all that entails.

Join us as we share lessons learned, successes earned, and everything in-between. You'll hear from myself and my wife Jaclyn, as we take the plunge and move three hours north of our old home, friends, and more, and how we adapt (or don't).

You'll also hear from our two young kids occasionally, and what the move and new life means to them - the ups, the downs, the somewhere in the middle.

While we may not have all the answers, we promise we'll give our honest feedback and thoughts about making this move yourself, and hopefully help you along the way.

Note: these contain affiliate links, so I may get a small percentage of any product you buy/use when using my link.

My equipment:

• Shure SM7B dynamic mic
• Rodecaster Pro II audio production studio
• Sony MDR-7506 Studio Monitor Headphones
• Elgato Wave Mic Arm Low Profile

Recommended resources:

• Captivate.fm
• Substack
• Boomcaster remote interviewing

• Instagram
• Twitter

So it's been a while since the last episode. A bunch of stuff got in the way - life, health, home, and more. All the things that usually throw you off track when you let them.

But at the same time, I could have controlled how much I let these things impacted the other parts of my life, and the frequency I shipped them - this podcast, my newsletter, ideas I let slip, etc.

In this week's episode, I talk about why we need to control the narrative, and ship only when we're ready to.

Topics on the menu include

• Why we should control the way we ship, and when
• Why quality os always more important than quality
• How you can take control of your own paths (goals, plans, etc)
• A new project I've launched with my wife

Settle back for a discussion on realizing how we're defined by our choices and the mechanics behind them.

Support Life Through a Dram

• Listen for free or leave a review on iTunes
• Listen for free on Google Podcasts
• Listen for free on RadioPublic
• Listen for free on Overcast
• Support with a donation - it helps keep the whisky topped up! :)

Contact me: [email protected]

My equipment

• Samson Q2U Dynamic Mic
• RockJam MS050 Adjustable Mic Suspension Boom
• Dragonpad Pop Filter

Mentioned on today's show

• Moving three hours north
• My newsletter
• Marketing on Tap podcast
• Mental Health podcast
• The Gearhead Project
• Lagavulin 16 year old

Recently, I posted an update on Facebook about school picture days, and how they encourage false narratives when it comes to our kids.

The thinking was, we push back online when it comes to fake influencers and buying likes on social media, who try and sell us the perfect life that they lead, even when it's anything but.

Yet for our kids, when it comes to the annual picture day at school, we prettify our kids, and tell them they need to be their "best self", so to speak, otherwise the pictures will be ruined.

Is that truly the message and lesson we want to be giving?

In this week's episode, I talk about why we need to be better, and more consistent, when it comes to being authentic in life.

Topics on the menu include

• How we're adding unnecessary pressure on our kids
• How our disappointment over something little can be huge for our kids
• Why we need to realize that smarter does not mean better
• How strangers at a Gay Pride parade made kids feel loved again

Settle back for a discussion on whether the happiness we're seeking for our kids is actually for them or more about ourselves, and why we need to make sure it's for the right reasons.

Support Life Through a Dram

• Listen for free or leave a review on iTunes
• Listen for free on Google Podcasts
• Listen for free on RadioPublic
• Listen for free on Overcast
• Support with a donation - it helps keep the whisky topped up! :)

Contact me: [email protected]

My equipment

• Samson Q2U Dynamic Mic
• RockJam MS050 Adjustable Mic Suspension Boom
• Dragonpad Pop Filter

Mentioned on today's show

• Social media addiction - marketing's downfall?
• The consequences of authenticity
• Instagram keeps deleting pictures of long-haired boys
• Warning signs of serious mental illness in children
• Bowmore 12 year old

As parents, we can add pressure to the lives of our kids without realizing it. Instead of enjoying life as a kid, they're worrying about approval from us instead, and it's harming their growth.

By adding this pressure, we're setting them up to fail, and potentially leading to deeper issues in later life, including mental health and behavioral problems. In short, we're failing our kids, and we need to start asking why this is the case, and how can we fix it.

In this week's show, I chat about why we need to recognize the signs of our kids feeling pressure, and how we can redress this before it's too late.

Topics on the menu include

Settle back for a discussion on whether the happiness we're seeking for our kids is actually for them or more about ourselves, and why we need to make sure it's for the right reasons.

Support Life Through a Dram

Contact me: [email protected]

My equipment

Mentioned on today's show

Over the years, Uber and the NFL have come under scrutiny for their unethical practices. From misogynistic and threatening behaviour to women, to abusing employees and more, both companies have suffered major PR scandals.

And yet we continue to support them. Why? In this week's show, I dig into this mindset of convenience over ethics.

Topics on the menu include

Settle back for a discussion on why we seem vociferous in our condemnation of these acts, and yet also quick to forgive, either through convenience or because it's game time.

Support Life Through a Dram

Contact me: [email protected]

My equipment

Mentioned on today's show