This is it. The last episode. This show debuted on March 18, 2014 with three episodes – Mike Gaughan, Cindy Sovine, and Jason “Bird” Calloway were my guests – which means that this show has been active for a week shy of 11 years. 372 numbered episodes, 421 total episodes, and 444 blog posts later, it’s time to call it quits and move on to something else.

In this episode, here’s what you’ll find:

I promise you, I go out with a bang, in a way only a Jon Eks Solo Episode can. Hear me at my most unfiltered, most raw, most honest, and filled with energy, cultural pissiness, and ultimate optimism.

I adore you for letting me be a part of your life. I hope this show has cheered you up when you’ve been down, given you new insights, taught you about what makes so many of us tick professionally, and just generally made you feel like time spent with me is time well spent.

So long, Jon of All Trades. This show has been a literal dream come true – seriously, listen to the episode and you’ll see – and the reason is you. Thank you for spending time with me. See you at the new place.

Say goodnight, Gracie.

– Jon Eks, Jon of All Trades

Tacos! We’re talking about tacos! And tequila! What else do you need me to write here to get you to listen to this?

Ok, fine. Uno Mas Taqueria has been on South Pearl Street in Denver and on Olive Street in Fort Collins for the last 11 years, and Brian has been with them the entire time. Kris has been there for more than 8, and that’s emblematic of the culture they’ve created where they have low staff turnover and loyal customers. You can attribute that to them wanting to be “the bosses we never had” and thinking of a successful staff as a band where you need everyone playing in tune and listening to each other.

We also talk about their Tequila Club, how small businesses are analog spaces that help create community, the challenges of operating a restaurant in Denver in 2024, and a ton more. The biggest takeaway from this is that these are a couple of really good-hearted dudes, who run their business with thought, care and success, and they’re an absolute joy to feature. I think you’ll love it too.

Check out Uno Mas Taqueria on the web, on Instagram or at their two locations:

Denver: 1585 S. Pearl St.

Fort Collins: 120 W. Olive

Available on iTunes, streaming on Spotify, on podcatchers everywhere, and at the Jon of All Trades homepage.

Rob Rover Rushing is on the road more than 300 days a year, so it was with some effort and luck that I caught him while he was home in Denver and that we were able to meet at East Fax Tap and chat for an hour. He’s the Co-Founder of Punk Rock Saves Lives.

We talk about the organization’s origins, their upcoming festival, the challenges of running an event-based nonprofit organization and a ton more. What is punk? What isn’t punk? What are the ethics of the mosh pit and how do they apply to life? Who’s playing the Punk Rock Saves Lives Festival? (Rob actually answers this question over the course of the last 10 minutes of this episode) He’s a thoughtful, caring, hardworking dude and someone I feel blessed to be in a similar orbit with.

Check out the Punk Rock Saves Lives website, the Ratio Beerworks website, and then join me for the Punk Rock Saves Lives Festival July 5-7.

Available on iTunes, streaming on Spotify, on podcatchers everywhere, and at the Jon of All Trades homepage.

Jason zumBrunnen is Co-Founder and Head Brewer Emeritus of Ratio Beerworks, a Denver craft brewery with roots in the punk rock scene and a DIY spirit. I’ve visited Ratio more times than I can count whether I’m taking people from out of town there, seeing a concert, or just plain old enjoying a pint because I happen to be in the neighborhood. I also used to host my nonprofit Mile High 100 events there. I love so much about Ratio, it’s a thrill to get to highlight them here.

I ask Jason about his punk rock roots, how to apply that to his brewery without being overbearing about it, how to differentiate yourself now that (perhaps) craft beer’s moment has peaked, where the brewery goes from here, and that terrible era of craft where every beer name was a bad pun or some vaguely offensive nonsense. I hit it off immediately with Jason, and this chat is easygoing while covering a lot of interesting ground about entrepreneurship, managing smart growth, and having to prove yourself over and over again (and why that isn’t a bad thing).

Be sure to check out all things Ratio Beerworks at their website. And join me for the Punk Rock Saves Lives Festival July 5-7.

Available on iTunes, streaming on Spotify, on podcatchers everywhere, and at the Jon of All Trades homepage.

James Hilovsky is the Creator of The Fran Dream, a franchise consulting company that matches up existing and aspiring entrepreneurs with successful franchise business opportunities. Notably, he works with a lot of retired professional athletes to match them up with opportunities as their playing career winds down. We discuss how he got into this line of work, shares with me an absolute ton about the world of franchise business, and what makes him successful.

You can find out more about James at his website. You can email him at James [at] TheFranDream [dot] com. You can even call or text him at 951-491-5983.

Available on iTunes, streaming on Spotify, on podcatchers everywhere, and at the Jon of All Trades homepage.

Jean Eddy is the President and CEO of American Student Assistance (ASA) and the author of the book Crisis-Proofing Today’s Learners: Reimagining Career Education to Prepare Kids for Tomorrow’s World. During Jean’s tenure, ASA has pivoted from a 65-year history of helping students with college financing and repayment options to a new focus of helping students discover potential career paths earlier in their education journey, before financing or repayment need occur. In collaboration with the Board and her senior management team, she has successfully shifted ASA’s focus and direction to help kids – as early as middle school to – know themselves, know their options, and make informed choices about their education and career goals.

She discusses how how we help kids know themselves better and earlier, which will help set them on the path to career fulfillment. We talk about this from a number of angles. We discuss helicopter parents, how schools are funded, the need for systemic change to adapt to an evolving sensibility from both learners and businesses looking to the future for their impending workforce needs. We even spend a brief moment talking about the NBA playoffs. Jean is an incredible professional whose body of work speaks for itself, and it’s my privilege to feature her on the show. If you’d like to hear Jean on another show I produce and host, you can hear our conversation that’s largely focused on the skilled trades on Tradeswork: The Rocky Mountain Mechanical Contractors Association Podcast.

For more information about ASA and Jean Eddy, including where to find her book, please visit ASA.org.

Available on iTunes, streaming on Spotify, on podcatchers everywhere, and at the Jon of All Trades homepage.

Shawn Drotar is the co-host of Sandy and Shawn on Mile High Sports as well as its Senior Editor. He has an incredible resume having done turns at ESPN and USA Today nationally, and a couple of tours of The Fan and Mile High Sports here in Denver. He has incredible intellect, insight and a warm, friendly demeanor. We met just a couple of weeks ago and hit it off immediately, and since we’re in the thick of a primo slice of the sports calendar – NBA and NHL playoffs, start of baseball season, NFL draft right around the corner – I thought it prudent to sit down and chop it up with him.

On this week’s show we discuss many of the stops in his career, how the Colorado Rockies are testing his love of baseball, the rule changes implemented by Commissioner Manfred (which, it bears mention, is the clearest and most compelling defense of them I’ve ever heard), his thoughts on sports gambling, predictions for the Nuggets and Avalanche, how he’s maintained this longevity, and whatever else. Terrific conversation with a genuinely good dude who knows his stuff from top to bottom.

You can find Shawn at Mile High Sports, or on Instagram and Twitter.

Available on iTunes, streaming on Spotify, on podcatchers everywhere, and at the Jon of All Trades homepage.

Jeopardy! Superchamp Christopher Short returns to the show after first appearing 9 years ago in Episode 44 as part of #GeekMonth when he was but the Head Editor. I’ve always adored the whole vibe of Geeks Who Drink and used to play a ton. Then we had some damn wiener kids, go out a lot less than we used to, and I don’t visit nearly as much as I used to. But this has got me itching to get back to quizzing since the aforementioned wiener kids are now a bit more self-sufficient. That, and their daily quiz game Thrice is diabolically addictive, and I’m enjoying the hell out of that.

We talk about the development of that, the evolution of moving away from paper and pencil quizzes to an app-based scoring system, how the company navigated the pandemic – which, oh god, you’re a company where 90% of your revenue is dependent upon people showing up to bars??? – and a ton more. Christopher, as he was when I first met him 9 years ago, is thoughtful, unbelievably smart, and someone who cares deeply about preserving the unique editorial voice of Geeks Who Drink and helping the company continue to grow and evolve positively.

There are an absolute ton of ways to interact with Geeks Who Drink including on Twitch, on social media, the daily game Thrice, in bars all across the country, and a bunch of other stuff I’m forgetting. Probably the best place to start is by visiting GeeksWhoDrink.com.

Available on iTunes, streaming on Spotify, on podcatchers everywhere, and at the Jon of All Trades homepage.

Jeremiah Ludemann is the guitarist for The Frickashinas, one of my favorite bands which is obvious since I’ve also interviewed their lead singer Justin Duran and featured them in the JOAT 50 Song Countdown. He’s also the mastermind behind 420 Punk Fest Denver, which is right around the corner. This dude and I hit it off right away – we’re both girl dads of daughters of similar ages, we’re both entrepreneurs who own our own companies, and we have what feels like the exact same music taste – so to say we had plenty to talk about would be an understatement.

We cover everything in this episode from our favorite Taylor Swift songs to how he navigates whatever scene drama exists in Denver punk to how the 420 Punk Fest came about to how irritated we are with past versions of ourselves. On an existential note, sometimes as a middle-aged man it can be hard to make new friends. I adore what Jeremiah and The Frickashinas create, but even more than that, I’m proud to call him my friend. And I’m thrilled that I get to promote his band, his festival, and just connect with a great dude who I could probably spend all day talking to about any number of topics. You get a good sense of that during this chat, I think.

Please check out The Frickashinas at their website.

More info about the 420 Punk Fest can be found here. And you can buy your tickets here.

Available on iTunes, streaming on Spotify, on podcatchers everywhere, and at the Jon of All Trades homepage.

Gabriel Francis Paz Goodenough is the Director of The Body Politic, which airs as part of the ACT Human Rights Film Festival, presented by the Colorado State University Department of Communication Studies. Here’s a synopsis of the film:

Like many areas in the United States, the City of Baltimore has been plagued by gun violence. Amid the George Floyd uprising, Brandon Scott, a young reform-minded leader, is elected mayor. His hope is to lower violence in the city with a new public health-focused approach rather than relying only on policing as he feels others have done. With unfettered access, cameras follow him and his team of young leaders throughout their first year in city hall, unveiling an ambitious plan to lower the city’s murder rate. When opposition mounts, his commitment to his principles puts his political future in jeopardy. Will his holistic approach lead to healing and serve as a
blueprint for the rest of the nation?

Gabriel joins me to discuss the making of the film, the epidemic of violence in this country, fighting against moneyed interests at every turn, and much more. I’m proud to feature this film and its director Gabriel Francis Paz Goodenough to discuss so many of the issues that plague this country.

You can see The Body Politic at The Lyric on Sunday, April 7th at 5:30 pm. More information about the film, it’s showings, and how to view it virtually can be found here. You can keep up with it on social via Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

This episode is available on iTunes, streaming on Spotify, on podcatchers everywhere or at the Jon of All Trades homepage.