Let's Talk Media with Vedant Akhauri

Welcome back to Let's Talk Media! In this episode of the media deep-dive podcast, host Vedant Akhauri sits down with Bobbo Byrnes, an award-winning Americana singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and author based in Southern California.

Known as a true "road warrior," Bobbo has spent over two decades in the music industry, releasing more than 20 albums and playing up to 150 shows a year across the globe. From his rootsy acoustic storytelling to his unexpected comedy writing, Bobbo shares the gritty realities of the indie touring circuit and his multi-hyphenated career.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The Firefly Connection: Bobbo shares how he and his wife Tracy formed the band The Fallen Stars and ended up writing an entire concept album based on every episode of the sci-fi TV show Firefly. This unexpected sci-fi pivot led them to perform at massive conventions like Comic-Con, WonderCon, and other fan events.
• The "Goodwill Ambassador": We unpack the subtitle of Bobbo's book, Too Many Miles. Bobbo explains how his 2016 European tours turned him into an unofficial "Goodwill Ambassador" trying to spread positivity and combat the "ugly American" stereotype.
• European Audiences vs. US Sports Bars: Bobbo contrasts how Europeans and Americans treat performances differently.
• The Two-Day October Album: The incredible story of Bobbo recording his solo October album in just two days while out on tour. He split the recording between the legendary Hansa Studios in Berlin (where David Bowie recorded) and Windmill Lane Studios in Dublin, carrying the entire unbacked-up album home on a single thumb drive.
• Catching Lucinda Williams: Bobbo shares the funny encounter of physically catching rock legend Lucinda Williams when she lost her footing at an LA bar. This encounter inspired his song "Queen of the Party," and the accompanying music video features 17 different female musicians from his network.
• Writing for Funny or Die: In a fun pivot into comedy, Bobbo reveals how he wrote a script that was produced by Funny or Die, albeit changed.

If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a rating to be notified of future episodes. You can subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and follow the show on Instagram @letstalkmediava.

You can find Bobbo's music, including his ambient Music for Train Stations albums, and his book Too Many Miles on Amazon, Bandcamp, Spotify, or his website.

Thank you for listening!

Welcome back to Let's Talk Media! In this episode of the media analysis podcast, host Vedant Akhauri sits down with Sarah Grave.

Sarah is a theatre artist and ADHD Coach, passionate about helping fellow creatives (especially women, queer, and neurodivergent artists) clarify their goals, release shame and perfectionism, and build support systems that help them take action with more joy and ease. Her training includes courses with ADD Coach Academy, MentorCoach, Academy for Coaching Excellence, and more.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The Perfectionism Trap: We break down how perfectionism secretly stifles creativity in ADHD artists, stemming from rejection sensitivity and hyper-fixation on flaws.
• The Candle Wick of Burnout: What does ADHD burnout actually look like? Sarah uses a brilliant "candle wick" analogy to explain how ADHD brains start with a shorter capacity that gets burned down rapidly.
• Building Support Systems & Body Doubling: We discuss why flexible blocks of time are essential. Sarah also introduces "body doubling" - a virtual or in-person co-working strategy that provides gentle accountability.
• AI Tools for Executive Function: A look at how AI can reduce the friction of planning.

Listeners can find her at sarahdegravecoaching.com or on Instagram @sarahdegravecoaching. Her CTA link will take you to her free Build an ADHD-Friendly Creative Practice Workbook download. This PDF guides you through assessing the who, what, where, when, why, and how of your artistic work so that you can start building a creative practice that works best for you.

If you enjoyed this episode, you can support the show by leaving a comment or a rating. You can subscribe wherever you're listening so you don't miss future episodes, and follow the show on Instagram @letstalkmediava for updates and behind-the-scenes moments.

Thank you for listening!

Imagine being the voice of a massive 1978 hit song and getting no credit... until fans asked the label put your name on the record. In this episode of Let's Talk Media, host Vedant Akhauri sits down with music industry veteran Denise Marsa. Over a 50-year career, she has gone from performing in the gritty 1970s New York rock scene to currently charting multiple dance hits in the UK. If you want a masterclass in longevity, reclaiming your voice, and true artistic independence, you will not want to miss her story.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The Original "Mystery Lady": The story behind her initially uncredited vocals on Dean Friedman's 1978 hit Lucky Stars and how fan letters compelled the label to properly feature her name on the vinyl. Plus, she sets the record straight on providing the lead vocals for The Flirts' track Helpless (You Took My Love).
• Surviving the '70s Rock Scene: Navigating the 1970s New York music scene as a fish out of water, avoiding the heavy drug culture, and playing theatrical rock on the same bills as Blondie and the Ramones. She also shares a memorable encounter with Elton John in London.
• Complete Creative Control: Why she launched her own independent label, Key Media Group, in the late 90s. Denise explains why the greatest freedom as an artist is not needing anyone's permission to release music or to direct and edit her own music videos.
• The Pass: Breaking down her one-woman show in London, The Pass, and keeping it honest with audiences about why she isn't a household name - proving that success is a mix of timing, luck, and personal choices.
• A Modern Resurgence: How she is currently racking up eight Top 10 hits on the UK Music Week dance charts with ethereal remixes of Kiss Me in the Rain, Company of Women, and Hole from her recent albums Pivotal and Risk and Heal.

You can stream Denise's music everywhere and find her online at denisemarsamusic.com, on Instagram @denisemarsa, or on YouTube at @denisemarsamusic.

If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a rating to be notified of future episodes. You can subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and follow the show on Instagram @letstalkmediava.

New episodes drop on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Are the giant monster worms in Tremors actually realistic? 🪱🎬

Welcome back to the media analysis show, Let's Talk Media! This week, host Vedant Akhauri sits down with Sam Baker, CEO of Wrigglebrew, a worm fertilizer company based in Lake Mary, Florida. They deconstruct the campy 1990 cult classic Tremors starring Kevin Bacon, Fred Ward, and Finn Carter, through the lens of actual worm science.

In this episode, we’re spilling the tea on:

• Hollywood vs. Reality: Why the 20-foot Graboids in Tremors taking down cars and eating pipe bombs make literally zero sense IRL. Plus, why real earthworms are squishy vegetarians that absolutely hate piña coladas (aka pineapples).
• The Ultimate Ick: Meet the "Bobbit Worm" - the terrifying real-life ocean ambush predator that pulls fish underground and literally has to be unalived with fire.
• Worm Castings = The Savior of Ecosystems: How Sam's company, Wrigglebrew, is using tens of thousands of earthworms to produce organic fertilizer, stop the toxic synthetic runoff that's killing off aquatic life, and heal the Earth's topsoil.
• Eating Microplastics: We discuss the insane National Science Foundation research into selectively breeding worms to literally digest and destroy the microplastics hanging out in our soil.
• The Final Verdict: Sam rates the scientific accuracy of Tremors out of 10.

If you're trying to grow sustainable and eco-friendly plants, grab some worm fertilizer at wrigglebrew.com.

Make sure to follow us on Instagram @letstalkmediava for all the BTS moments, and hit that subscribe button so you never miss an episode.

New episodes on Tuesdays and Thursday!

Fair Warning: We discuss the science of worms' ingestion, digestion, and castings in detail for educational purposes.

Has the fantasy genre become too tame? In this episode of the media interview series, Let's Talk Media, host Vedant Akhauri sits down with medically retired 82nd Airborne Division veteran and author Richard Spegal. Richard discusses his mission to rescue the fantasy genre from the shadow of young adult tropes and return it to its dark, honest, and brutal roots.

He breaks down how he uses his military background to inject genuine realism, complex infrastructure, and psychological suffering back into adult fiction.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Life After Twilight: As much as we love Twilight, its massive success changed the publishing industry's target audience to children and young adults, leaving older audiences behind in a sea of repetitive tropes and predictable love triangles.
• Redefining "Adult" Fantasy: Why "adult-oriented" doesn't just mean adding sex or romance, but rather exploring the deeply psychological arenas where characters endure brutal stress, trauma, and psychotic breaks.
• The Science of Vampires: How Richard applies strict scientific logistics - like circulatory systems and oxygen requirements - to ground the immortal characters of his Eternal Knights series in reality.
• Creating Original Lore: Why Richard refuses to rely on overused fantasy tropes like elves and dwarves, opting instead to create completely original races that must uncover the dark truths of their own world.

You can find Richard Spiegel's books, including the Eternal Knights series (Redemption and Origins) and the Wolves and Ravens trilogy (The First Law, Choice, and Broken Angel) on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or by visiting his website at richardspegal.com. You can also follow his brand on Instagram at @richardspegelbooks.

If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a rating to be notified of future episodes. You can subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and follow the show on Instagram @letstalkmediava.

New episodes drop on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Are students losing their ability to think critically in the age of Generative AI tools like ChatGPT? In this episode of the media interview series, Let's Talk Media, host Vedant Akhauri dives into one of the most hotly debated topics in academia today: The intersection of generative AI and education.

Joining the show is Dr. Megan Waldron, an educator with a background in English and journalism, and the founder of Smart Solutions Tutoring. With 20 years of experience teaching writing to everyone from third-graders to university pre-med students, Dr. Waldron breaks down the good, the bad, and the ugly of AI in the classroom.

She explores how outsourcing the writing process to AI can cause "muscle atrophy" in critical thinking, while also acknowledging how the technology can be used as a legitimate organizational tool.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The Learning Space & Muscle Atrophy: Dr. Waldron references a Duke professor's concept of the "learning space" - the necessary valley of struggle where real learning happens - and explains how skipping the tedious drafting process robs students of vital cognitive development.
• The Revealing MIT Study: A breakdown of a fascinating MIT study showing that students who used ChatGPT to complete writing prompts couldn't remember what they had written because they bypassed the physical act of learning.
• How to Spot AI-Generated Writing: Dr. Waldron reveals her top three telltale signs of AI use in student essays.
• Echo Chambers and Hallucinations: Why younger K-12 students lack the healthy skepticism needed to catch AI's false information (hallucinations), and how AI platforms can trap students in a feedback loop that prevents true improvement.
• K-12 vs. Higher Education Policies: The stark contrast between high schools reverting to pen-and-paper assignments to prevent cheating, and universities adopting progressive syllabus clauses that ask students to transparently cite their AI use.
• When a Tool Becomes a Crutch: How AI can be brilliant for helping students who struggle with executive functioning organize their thoughts, but crosses into a crutch when it takes over the actual creation of the text.

Ultimately, Dr. Waldron reminds us that writing is critical thinking on paper and an essential human outlet for processing stress and anxiety.

If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a rating to be notified of future episodes. You can subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and follow the show on Instagram @letstalkmediava.

New episodes drop on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Ever wonder what it actually takes to get into a Saturday Night Live dress rehearsal? In this episode of the media interview series, Let's Talk Media, host Vedant Akhauri reunites with returning guest Clayton "Clay" Davis for a massive deep dive into 50 years of SNL history!

They explore the magic, mechanics, and staying power of America's most iconic sketch comedy show. Drawing on his recent experiences taking improv classes, Clay breaks down the intense pressure of live television and the deep trust required between scene partners.

He also shares his firsthand account of attending the November 2025 SNL dress rehearsal hosted by Glen Powell (with musical guest Olivia Dean), revealing surprising behind-the-scenes secrets about the production.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Discovering SNL & 50 Years of Eras: Clay shares how he first fell in love with the show during the Bill Hader era, kicking off a chronological breakdown of the show's evolution - starting from the gritty 1970s and the pop-culture-heavy 1990s, to the 2000s powerhouse era led by Tina Fey.
• Remembering Chris Farley & Comedy Legends: A heartfelt tribute to the larger-than-life physical comedy of John Belushi and Chris Farley. They discuss Farley's legendary characters, his tragic passing, and Adam Sandler's emotional tribute to him at the SNL 50 celebration.
• Improv Insights & The Mechanics of Live TV: Drawing on his recent improv classes, Clay explains why live sketch comedy is like group therapy with laughter. He breaks down the immense pressure of live performances, the absolute necessity of being quick on your feet, and the deep trust required between scene partners.
• The 30 Rock Standby Experience: Clay shares his firsthand account of attending the November SNL dress rehearsal hosted by Glen Powell (with musical guest Olivia Dean). He explains what it's really like to wait 6 hours in a folding chair outside 30 Rock, and his biggest surprise about Studio 8H.
• Favorite Skits, Hosts, and The "Straight Man": An appreciation for the underrated "straight men" of SNL who hold scenes together (like Phil Hartman and Mikey Day) and our favorite hosts.

If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a rating to be notified of future episodes. You can subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and follow the show on Instagram @letstalkmediava.

New episodes drop on Tuesdays and Thursdays!

You can also check out our January 2021 episode about Lost Media from Season 2.

CONTENT WARNING for discussions of toxic relationships and abuse. Listener discretion is advised.

Why are we so captivated by toxic relationships on reality dating shows? In this episode of the media analysis podcast, Let's Talk Media, host Vedant Akhauri sits down with licensed therapist, trauma-informed coach, and best-selling author Kate Mageau.

After leaving a toxic marriage herself, Kate turned her personal story and clinical expertise into a mission to help people spot red flags, break harmful patterns, and build safe relationships.

Kate breaks down how she uses pop culture - specifically hit shows like The Bachelor, Love Island, and Love is Blind - to help viewers identify emotional abuse and toxic dynamics in real time.

Host Vedant Akhauri also shares his own behind-the-scenes perspective from his time working on TLC shows like 90 Day Fiance and Match Me Abroad.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The Power and Control Wheel: How Kate uses this common domestic violence framework to accurately identify and label toxic behaviors as they happen on screen.
• Spotting "Love Bombing": Why fast-moving reality TV relationships often disguise manipulative behaviors, such as making grandiose promises on day two or monopolizing a partner's time.
• Escaping the "Shame Spiral": Actionable advice for survivors of toxic relationships to avoid blaming themselves, emphasizing why abuse is never the victim's fault.
• Behind the Scenes at TLC: Vedant's firsthand experience working near the nucleus of dating drama on reality shows.

You can find Kate's real-time reality TV breakdowns on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, at @kate.therapist.author. You can also find about her best-selling book Rose Colored Glasses on Amazon as well as The Toxic Relationships Workbook and her online courses at katemageau.com.

If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a rating to be notified of future episodes. You can subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and follow the show on Instagram @letstalkmediava.

New episodes drop on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Are your WIPs (works in progress) stuck in the drafts forever? In this podcast about the careers and chaos in media, host Vedant Akhauri sits down with book coach Elyse Seal to unpack exactly why your novel is stalling and how to finally cross the finish line. Her insights are actionable to other fields as well, like screenwriting. If you're a writer trapped in the "messy middle" or stressing over story structure, this episode is your ultimate guide.

This episode explores:

• Who is Elyse Seal?: Elise spills on her background, going from Christian radio and copy editing to becoming a certified book coach trained by Author Accelerator. She realized writers needed way more help with deep-level story problems than just basic grammar checks.
• NPC Characters in God-Tier Worlds: Elise calls out sci-fi and fantasy writers for doing the absolute most on world-building but leaving their characters completely flat.
• Fixing the "Sagging Middle": If your plot is dragging, your protagonist is probably acting way too passive.
• The "Procrastraining" Epidemic: Elise drops the term "procrastraining" - when you refuse to start writing until you know literally everything about your world, characters, and the publishing industry.
• The Story Clarity Hack: Still stuck? Elise’s biggest life hack is boiling your entire story down to a single "story clarity" page to easily expose the plot holes you're missing.

A friendly reminder that your first draft is literally supposed to be "an absolute piece of trash," so stop stressing and just get it on paper.

Contact Elyse on Instagram (@elyse.j.seal) to grab her one-page template.

If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a rating to be notified of future episodes. You can subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and follow the show on Instagram @letstalkmediava

In this episode of Let's Talk Media, the creator-focused interview podcast, host Vedant Akhauri welcomes back engineer, entrepreneur, and author Bob Labbe for a definitive update of his groundbreaking book, Putting by the Numbers.

For decades, golfers have relied on intuition for lag putting. Bob shares how his 50-year engineering background and Edward Stimson's historic 1935 Stimpmeter inspired a highly reproducible, quantitative alternative. By calculating your Individual Power Factor (IPF) and measuring friction, Bob explains how simple arithmetic can reliably shave 4 to 5 strokes off your round.

But Bob hasn't just been revolutionizing the green. He’s been busy engineering household solutions too. Following a recent four-network television tour in Las Vegas, Bob shares the relatable origin story of his newest invention: The Ultimate Coaster, which captures and contains condensation using micro-capillaries. We discuss the surprising business synergy between his two ventures, and why golf pro shops are now stocking his putting book alongside his customizable coasters for club tournaments.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The Quantitative Putt: How to replace "touch and feel" with a concrete plan using force and friction.
• Finding Your IPF: Why practicing just 30 minutes a day, three days a week can transform your game in six weeks.
• The Las Vegas Tour: Bob's recent media appearances on ABC, CBS, NBC, and CWTV.
• The Ultimate Coaster: How a ruined silk tie led to the invention of his coasters that stop condensation in its tracks.

To learn more about Bob’s putting methodology, watch his free training videos, or buy the book, visit boblabbe.com or puttingbythenumbers.com. To check out his new invention, visit ultimatecoasterco.com

If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a rating to be notified of future episodes. You can subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and follow the show on Instagram @letstalkmediava