Friends, it’s an emotional day today. It is my two-year anniversary since I created the Mind of the Messiah platform. I can honestly say that podcasting has changed my life! My show has been an amazing source of self-clarity and provides me with a mental outlet amid this chaotic existence. I’ve learned so much about myself during this entire process, and it’s only been two years! So, I wanted to sit down today and reflect on where this road started, how the platform has evolved over time, and ponder how beautiful this experience has been as I approach my 200th episode—right behind my two-year anniversary. Thank you to all who have tuned in over the past few years! Your love and support continue to mean the world to me. ❤️

Welcome back to Footprints and Photographs! To celebrate our 3 1/2-year anniversary, Tonkie and I cleared the calendar to hike at Hayman Falls County Park. We had never been to Hayman before, but everything we saw online made it look promising. It was! We had a blast during our hike! Between having the whole place to ourselves, hiking through a wide variety of terrain, and relaxing along the Embarrass River—we picked the best spot possible to have a great time together. We even ended the day with a brief (very brief) walk at Jung Hemlock Beech State Forest. I’d like to thank Tonkie for making this anniversary trip and celebration weekend fantastic! I couldn’t have been happier with how we spent our time together. Now that it is getting warmer out, I hope we can get back on the road more often. Thanks for stopping by 🙂

velvetmessiah.exposure.co

Welcome back to Top of Mind. On today’s episode, I address the negative stigma behind people using government aid—social programs such as healthcare coverage, food stamps, energy assistance, etc. The government has taken a dollar from every paycheck you’ve gotten and every dollar you’ve ever spent; in times of need there is no reason you shouldn’t be able to take some of that money back to aid yourself. We forget that THEY took our money from us in the first place. Why would you feel guilty about taking it back when you’re experiencing hard times? The only people there should be a negative stigma for government aid usage is towards those who do not work, those who do not contribute THEIR dollars. Instead, they rely off of the dollars that working people struggle for.

Today’s episode is a reflection on my latest interview with my good friend, Justin “Hillbilly” Fisher. He recently started his own YouTube channel, so I wanted to get him on the show to talk about his experiences with the new platform and pick his brain on a wide variety of topics ranging from guns, ammunition, hunting, and archery. It turned out to be a fantastic interview! He did a great job behind the mic, the topics flowed nicely, and the interview felt calm and informal. He even brought a fancy bottle of scotch that we cracked open together. We had an absolute blast; it was by far my favorite interview to date. I want to thank Justin for taking the time to come over for the interview and dinner; we can’t wait to have him back at the house again! I have the link to his YouTube platform below—check it out, and don’t be afraid to subscribe.

TEASER… I was the guest on his most recent episode!

www.youtube.com/@BubbaScreaminSizzlers

Friends, pull up a chair and grab a mug—it's time for Coffee and Convos! Today, I sat down with Justin "Hillbilly" Fisher. He's been a great friend and coworker of mine for the past 5-6 months. I was very excited for the opportunity to get him on the show; we've been trying to set up this interview for a few months. Recently, he's started his own YouTube channel - "Bubbas PH Handloads." Through his channel, he covers content revolving around guns, ammunition, archery, hunting, and theory. He's one of the most knowledgeable people I've ever met when it comes to those topics; I have no idea how he knows so much shit about each one of them. I have the link below to his YouTube channel; check it out! I was featured in a recent video of his where he taught me how to make my own hunting bullets. I'd like to thank him for taking the time to sit down for an interview; it truly was an honor.

www.youtube.com/@BubbaScreaminSizzlers

It’s the end of the month, which means it’s time to recap with another segment of Footprints and Photographs. Our February began with a big change - Kristin started a new job working for the Covenant United Methodist Church. I couldn’t be prouder of her for taking the initiative to improve her circumstances by capitalizing on a great opportunity. She’s happy with it; I’m happy for her. Aside from that, we had plenty of events lined up to keep us busy. Between going for a hike in the Horicon Marsh, visiting Ozzy’s farm, trying out Sunday church, watching the Broadway production of Les Miserables, and going to a Pantera concert—our weekend schedules were spoken for. I’d say that overall, this month was absolutely terrific. I’m eager to see what our days will look like as Kristin continues her new job; I’m excited to have weekends together again. Thank you for tuning in!

velvetmessiah.exposure.co

Friends, thank you for tuning in for today’s episode. I’m happy to announce that my buddy, Justin “Hillbilly” Fisher, has recent started his own YouTube channel - “Bubbas PH Handloads”. His channel revolves weaponry, reloading ammunition, hunting, archery, and a wide variety of related topics. In these realms, he is the most knowledgeable person I’ve ever met. I’m glad I know a man like him; he’s been an amazing friend since day one. Check out his channel when you get a chance! Feel free to like and subscribe.

YouTube - "Bubbas PH Handloads"

www.youtube.com/@BubbaScreaminSizzlers

Well, here we go with another segment of Footprints and Photographs. Today's podcast and Exposure page was a big release for us; it was by far the most important set of photographs we've assembled together as Red Velvet Photography. In November, my step-grandpa, Oswald, suffered a heart attack. After a triple bypass surgery, his recovery looked promising. A few months went by; we received the unfortunate news that he was experiencing complications, as well as a few new issues. Because of that, we made it a point to clear the calendar so we could go visit him. Oswald has been a farmer for the past 60 years; his farm was where I learned how to hunt, how to stomach black coffee, where I developed a love for the smell of pipe tobacco, as well as a laundry list of life lessons. It is safe to say that his dairy farm holds immense sentimental value in my and my family's hearts. With that said, due to his weening health, we wanted to bring the cameras with us during our visit. Our task was to photograph everything we've ever loved about the farm; we had the opportunity to preserve a lifetime's worth of memories, not only for ourselves but for Oswald and his entire family. We have been eternally grateful for everything they have done for us. In a way, this was our attempt at giving back. We wish Oswald and his family the very best! He's the toughest son-of-a-bitch I know, so if anyone will pull through, it'd be him.

velvetmessiah.exposure.co

Thoughts on our first day of going to church!

Hello, friends! Today's episode of Top of Mind comes from a trend I've noticed on Spotify for Podcasters. For a while, my platform homepage has been getting an increasingly high number of published articles (none of which I've asked for) that always seem to revolve around the same themes: how to increase your audience reach, how to gain popularity via social media platforms, catering to your audience, financial incentives and advertisements. It is interesting to me how much they push this kind of informative content, but there is one thing I never see articles on - topics relevant to podcasting itself. I do not see articles that attempt to create better podcasts and podcasters, which would include topics such as focusing on breathwork, maintaining thought and composure during an interview, proper microphone placement, equipment suggestions, overcoming technical hurdles, how to generate topics or ideas better, and anything else that would remotely help people become better at the craft. Instead, it is unfortunate that platforms only care about popularity or things that lead to financial gain. Where's the suggestive/informative content for people who do the craft because they enjoy it and want to become better at it--those who do not care about popularity or exploiting their own platform to make money? What about them?