Good People, Cool Things

Well, we've arrived to the final episode of Good People, Cool Things. Since this show has always been about featuring good people doing cool things (you know, like the name implies), I wanted to celebrate this milestone of 200 episodes and a successful podcast experience with clips from ten of my favorite conversations across the past four-plus years.

You can always catch episodes and see other updates at goodpeoplecoolthings.com. Thank you to all of the guests who have taken the time to chat, to Sounder.fm and RSS.com for hosting the show over the years. Most importantly, thanks to you for listening, sharing kind comments, and making this one heck of a ride. We'll talk again soon.

Ashley Nickelsen experienced a dearth of healthy options while spending frequent time in the hospital with both her parents. She set out to do something about it, creating B.T.R. Nation to deliver good-for-you and good-tasting snacks.

We’re chatting about a failed flavor, the marketing channels B.T.R. Nation has found most successful, and the best artists to throw on during a run.

Mariana Barbuceanu decided to give the digital nomad life a try a few years ago and soon realized she could make a living as a travel blogger while exploring all the world has to offer. And after jetsetting around Europe, she’s decided to settle in a European country for the next year.

We’re chatting all about that new phase of her life, how she’s managed to travel on a comfortable budget without wildly altering her lifestyle, and the top karaoke songs to perform.

Being in a band is among the coolest experiences one can have in life. This episode's guest knows all about that — Todd Tucker is getting the hair metal band back together as the director and writer of Rockbottom, a new movie featuring SO MANY impressive musicians. We’re chatting about the inspiration for Rockbottom, his career as a makeup and special effects artist, and how he got hurt doing a very unathletic move during the making of The Passion of the Christ.

Back in my YouTube Z-list celebrity days, I had an ongoing series called 20 Pretty Bad Impressions in 1 Minute. Friends and I would go back and forth, quickly doing impressions. As the name suggests, the quality of said impressions was not good.

Luckily, my guest today is significantly better at impressions. Lauren LoGiudice is the author of Inside Melania: What I Know About Melania Trump By Impersonating Her. Beyond her spot-on impression, she’s done a ton of cool stuff in the sketch comedy world and also hosts the Misfits Makin’ It Podcast, which is just an absolute delight to listen to.

We’re chatting about what makes for a good character to perform, why asking for audience feedback is so helpful, and the best ways to get better sleep.

Marc Hartzman has an innate interest in the strange, unique stories from around the world. He’s written about ghosts, Mars, Oliver Cromwell's embalmed head, and weird things on eBay, just to name a few. His latest book, We Are Not Alone: The Extraordinary History of UFOs and Aliens Invading Our Hopes, Fears, and Fantasies, looks into the vast universe of aliens, extraterrestrials, and outer space.

We're chatting about where the term “flying saucer” came from, a few lesser-known stories, and his top alien movies and TV shows.

Did you know the average attention span is nine seconds? That’s less than the attention span of a goldfish! It can be super frustrating to read a lengthy article and feel like you haven’t gotten anything out of it or you’re more confused than when you started. It’s especially upsetting when we’ve already got busy days and our time to consume content is limited.

Priyanka Vazirani understands that frustration and is setting out to do something about it. She’s the co-founder of Volv, a platform that takes all the content out there on the internet and gives you the scoop in nine-second overviews. Volv is also working with creators to help them share their work with more people.

We’re chatting about how Volv got started, what surprised Priyanka after talking with her users, and her favorite adventurous activities.

Alysia Silberg is perhaps the biggest fan of AI out there — it's even in the name of her company, Unemployable AI. And she shares how AI has played a major impact for her in her book, "Unemployable: How AI Transformed My Work and Life."

Joey and Alysia are chatting about how a pair of rollerblades led to an entrepreneurial career, common mistakes companies make, and the three weird things she does every day.

Cori Myka is the founder of Calm Within Adult Swim, teaching adults not only how to swim but also how to develop habits and mindsets to overcome fear and build confidence. Those are great skills to have in any walk of life.

We’re discussing where the idea for an online swim instruction business came from, what Cori has learned from helping people transform their lives, and whether it’s better to jump into a body of water or walk in slowly and steadily.

Carlos Baker moved to Northern Germany without much of a plan. He just knew he and his family needed a change. Since then, he’s released multiple albums with his C.K. Baker Band, written a book, and had a lot of fun along the way.

We’re chatting about the albums that have most impacted Carlos’s songwriting, his worst gig, and why discipline is crucial for his mental health.