Lost in the Groove

We break down what’s gone wrong in Hollywood, of course the clutter, the soullessness, and obsession with trends. Why indie creators have become the new heartbeat. Jake opens up about filmmaking as a team sport. The danger of chasing comfort, and the pressure of working in a world. That expects instant perfection. The conversation swings from Wes Anderson to The Matrix sequels. From South Park’s cultural power to the future of AI in film. It’s blunt, it’s funny, and it’s everything filmmaking conversations are supposed to be. Honest and a little uncomfortable.

We also, got personal the fear of missing your moment. The frustration of bad writing sinking good movies. The optimism needed to keep creating, and the reality that humans everywhere want; the same things. Which boils down to purpose, connection, and something real to hold onto. Jake brings that rare mix of grounded filmmaker insight. The "don’t-bullshit-me", honesty that’s impossible to fake.

🌐 Website: https://peacefulsea.network/

📚 Work: 🎙️ podcaster host of Liberty Libations & Peaceful Sea Network projects

https://peacefulsea.network/liberty-libations

📲 Social: @peacefulseaproductions

@libertylibations

Elias Martin lives at the crossroads of politics, tech, and human behavior. The stuff everyone argues about, but almost nobody understands. As the creator of Political High Tech, Elias breaks down the systems running our world. Without the doom-scroll panic or influencer theatrics. In our conversation, we get into the machinery behind policy, big tech overreach. The ways regular people get swept up in systems they never signed up for.

We go deep into surveillance culture, digital dependence, and misinformation fatigue. The weird reality of living in a world where everything is connected; but nobody feels grounded. Elias doesn’t sugarcoat it he calls out the nonsense. Highlights the overlooked truths. Talks through what it takes to stay informed without losing yourself. It’s blunt, sharp, and exactly the kind of conversation that hits home for anyone tired of the noise.

Where to Find Elias Martin?

🌐 Website: politicallyhightech.buzzsprout.com

📚 Work: 🎙️ Political High Tech (Podcast)

📲 Social: @politicallyhightech

Cody Johnston, better known as "The Weird Canadian", doesn’t just talk tech; he lives it. From quitting a cushy government job to building custom AI-driven business tools. Cody’s mission is clear: take technology out of the corporations’ hands and give it back to creators. We go deep into the truth behind AI, censorship, and the digital future no one’s ready for. Where small creators, not big media, will drive the next wave of innovation.

This conversation stretches from nuclear power to 9/11 conspiracies, and religion. Also, the rise of neurodivergent thinkers shaping our new reality. It’s a full-on dive into philosophy, code, and culture. Where art, science, and rebellion meet. Cody reminds us that conformity kills creativity. Seeing now, that our future belongs to the weird ones.

Where to Find Cody Johnston?

🌐 Website: theweirdcanadian.ca

📚 Work: ⚙️ Custom AI & Business Solutions

📲 Social: @the_weird_canadian

Allen Halas is the kind of creator who doesn’t wait for permission. As the founder of Breaking and Entering Milwaukee and host of Hustling Sideways. He’s been documenting the local music scene while building a platform. That lifts new artists out of the noise. We talk about the Midwest’s overlooked creative heartbeat. From Milwaukee’s DIY grind to the quiet evolution happening in hip hop, punk, and indie rock.

This conversation hits everything from the collapse of industrial America. To AI’s role in the next era of art. Allen breaks down how to build something real when algorithms reward the fake. Why failure, community, and imperfection matter more than chasing trends. It’s a love letter to the working-class artist, and the Midwest creative. Anyone trying to make something that lasts longer than a click.

Where to Find Allen Halas?

🌐 Website: breakingandentering.net

📚 Work: 🎧 Breaking and Entering Milwaukee / Hustling Sideways

https://linktr.ee/HustlingSideways

📲 Social: @AllenHalas

Jood Lanette isn’t just an author, there a survivor of reinvention. Raised in a world that demanded conformity, Jood walked away from religion. Rediscovered there identity as a queer creative, and learned to live by there own rhythm. There writing, including The Timeless Pendant, carries the echoes of that journey. A fusion of pain, hope, and self-acceptance.

We get into the messiness of life, family, faith, queerness, and mental health. The hard truth about starting over. Jood speaks about learning to accept help. Embracing imperfection, and building a life that finally feels thier own. It’s not sanitized or sugar-coated, just raw honesty from someone who’s done the work. To reclaim themselves as an artist.

Where to Find Jood Lanette?

🌐 Website: https://www.amazon.com/Timeless-Pendant-Book-1/dp/B0FTZZDBM8/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&sr=1-3&text=Jood+Lannette

📚 Work: The Timeless Pendant (Book Series)

📲 Social: @jood_barnett

Sasha Mereu has lived more lives than most artists dream of. Broadway performer, magician, visual artist, and guitarist for the punk band United Defiance. From working FedEx night shifts to conjuring illusions on stage. Sasha’s story is about the balance between creative drive, and real-world grind.

We get into everything: the collapse of ticket prices and concert culture. The difference between East Coast honesty and West Coast polish. Why art feels more alive when it’s imperfect? Sasha and I dive deep on AI, authenticity, capitalism. Possibly why live music might be the last true rebellion left. It’s a conversation about sound, struggle, and staying human. When everything’s becoming automated.

Where to Find Sasha Mereu?

🌐 Website: https://nightmaresandnonsense.bigcartel.com/products

📚 Work: 🎩 Fairview — a new platform connecting musicians and fans directly.

📲 Social: @sasha_mereu

J.F. Monroe writes fantasy that cuts through the noise,sharp dialogue, tight pacing. When characters that actually feel human; even when they’re not. We talked about The Legendary Guardians, her fast-moving fantasy series. Built on character depth over endless world-building. She opens up about writing from New York grit, balancing motherhood and authorship. Learning how to publish on her own terms.

The conversation moves from Lord of the Rings, and Stephen King. To nostalgia, film, and how simplicity can make a story timeless. J.F. shares why she skips a hundred pages of lore to focus on what matters, how her characters feel. It’s raw, honest, and full of that underground creative energy. That makes storytelling feel alive again!

Where to Find J.F. Monroe?

🌐 Website: jfmonroebookshelf.com

📚 Work: The Legendary Guardians (Fantasy Series)

https://www.amazon.com/stores/J.F.-Monroe/author/B0DCGCNRTH?isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true&ccs_id=b6ae214e-9941-489a-913f-26d472b82f60

📲 Social: @jf.monroe

Chancellor Jackson’s story starts with a dream and takes a hard left turn. A former athlete who found himself locked up in China after a random drug test. Chancellor turned one of the darkest moments of his life into a global bestseller, 14 Days in Beijing. What began as survival became storytelling, and what began as trauma became therapy.

We talk about redefining identity after sports, writing as a form of healing. How self-publishing cracked open doors the traditional industry refused to. Chancellor breaks down how he built Korleh Publications, helps new authors hit #1. Why independent publishing isn’t just a movement; it’s freedom. His story reminds us that rock bottom isn’t the end. It’s the foundation.

Where to Find Chancellor Jackson?

🌐 Website: korlehpublicationsllc.com

📚 Work: 14 Days in Beijing + The Power of Becoming

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Chancellor-K.-Jackson/author/B086YGY4BM?isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true&ccs_id=c3781ac0-9cb0-4960-8030-3eeee786fe1c

📲 Social: @korlehj

New York grit meets artistic flow. Ama Agyemang opens up about leaving behind civil engineering. Finding tattooing through sheer persistence. What it really takes to survive as an artist in Brooklyn. From drawing at a Blink Fitness front desk to tattooing on fake skin. Even their own body, Ama built a portfolio the hard way and that grit is what got them through the door.

We dive deep into hustle culture, what it means to stand out as a New Yorker in Texas. Why tattooing is more than ink it’s ritual, connection, and energy. Exchanged between artist and client. Ama doesn’t just talk about technique, but about smell, sound, and spirit art. As something lived, not just practiced. Their story is proof that passion pulls you forward even when the pay check doesn’t.

Where to Find Ama Agyemang?

🌐 Website: Check out Ama's website:

https://www.amaagyemang.com/

📲 Social: Instagram @zzz_brab

Danielle Orsino didn’t set out to become a fantasy author it started in a hospital room. Telling stories to distract a patient during IV therapy. Those small tales grew into The Birth of the Fae. A series that now has her dubbed the “New Fabio of Fantasy,” gracing her own covers in full cosplay. Danielle is one of the few authors to embody her characters not just on the page. But in real life, bringing readers into her world. Through performance, martial arts precision, and fearless creativity.

In this conversation, Danielle pulls back the curtain on the underbelly of publishing. The mistakes and lessons she’s collected as an untrained writer, and the joy of building a fandom around the Fae. We talk comic book influences, martial arts discipline, and the bold decision. To blur the line between author and character. For anyone who’s wrestled with self-doubt or been told you “don’t belong.” Danielle proves that imagination, resilience. A bit of cosplay can rewrite the rules of fantasy.

Where to Find Danielle Orsino?

🌐 Website: Danielle Orsino's book series in on her website:

https://www.dmorsino.com/

📚 Work: Danielle's latest series Legacies of light and Dark a mythic fantasy:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/locked-out-of-heaven-book-1-danielle-m-orsino/1146363634?ean=9781734764574

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/thine-eyes-of-mercy-book-2-danielle-m-orsino/1146647998?ean=9781734764536

📲 Social: You can find Danielle on social @dmorsinoauthor

And of course, you can find all the links for L.I.T.G, and where to listen at:

👉 www.linktr.ee/lostinthegroove