Off the Clock w/Jon Eks

On this episode of Off the Clock, I’m joined by my friend Shepard, who was a guest on the old show, and who called me out of the blue for the first time in years a few weeks ago. Here’s some of what we talk about:

First Question: How did you expect me to react when you called me?

the importance of production design in movies

the Fight Club concept of “single serving friends” as a metaphor for podcasting and how if we’re not helping each other, then what’s the point?

how did Shepard start producing independent films (it involves Cuba!) and how does he make time for whimsy and creative pursuits

“interested is interesting” returns to the show as a concept (shoutout Nate Lundy) with talk about Quentin Tarantino, Roger Ebert, Roland Barthes, the Colorado Avalanche & more

a shoutout to Band Name Bureau by Kyle Ryan and sharing your compliments with creators

we spend some time talking about Governor Jared Polis and how most Colorado politicians are “high in content” which is an interesting way of putting it

Shepard turns the tables on me and starts asking me questions

how have I intentionally curated my career?

we reminisce about These Things Matter and I get into my origin story for the first time in a while

why I’m a better entrepreneur than I am a salaried employee (spoiler: I’m a pain in the ass)

“are you the type of person who plans 5 or 10 years ahead, or are you the person who focuses on the work and people immediately around you?” I LOVE this question

how do I manage my time? weirdly, I don’t have a good answer for this even though I’m pretty effective at it!

Theme song by Sorry Sweetheart

Logo by Nebulus Visions.

Produced by Deft Communications.

Engage with the show on Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky. 

Recorded at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science.

#OTCQuickies are mini solo episodes where I address a question or a topic in service of trying to be a good dude in the world. Today's topic is:

Where the Hell Have I Been?

It's been a month since I did a show. I haven't kept up with TTROC and the reason for both is that I've been sick as hell off and on for the last 4 weeks. There have been a handful of bright spots here and there, but any energy I have has gone to my professional life and my family, and then I mostly just want to lie down. I provide more explanation -- along with my thoughts on this weird ass fucking winter, weather-wise -- in this mini-episode.

Secondly, there are too many podcasts anymore. I've been doing this for 12 years and there are more now than ever, which makes finding your own motivation and how to add value to a bloated cultural discourse daunting at best, dispiriting at worst. Because a fucking podcaster is currently heading up the FBI and using our money to party with the USA hockey team like he's some Make-a-Wish kid. More on that type of thing in here too.

I'm feeling better and I'll be back soon. But here's like 6 minutes of audio if you're interested. Cheers!

Theme song by Sorry Sweetheart.

Logo by Nebulus Visions.

Produced by Deft Communications.

Engage with the show on Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky. 

On this episode of Off the Clock, I’m joined by my friend Nate, who I’ve hung out with primarily in mosh pits before this get together. Here’s some of what we talk about:

First Question: What was the first concert you ever attended?

favorite Weird Al Yankovic songs

how did Nate end up in Colorado, and why did he almost not tell his wife about the opportunity to do so?

how did Nate get into the local scene?

how many siblings and family members does Nate actually have? and what does “Lake County Brady Bunch” mean? and how his mom had more kids at the age of 50 (!!!)

we talk about the absolute monster size of some of these dudes we run into in the pit and they’re like the Monstars from Space Jam

the joys and challenges of being a cover band 

we once again talk about the cure to the Male Loneliness Epidemic and it’s just as f*cking simple as you think it is

we explore the old cliché of “punks and metalheads are nice people who pretend to be mean; hippies are mean people who pretend to be nice”

the concept of a “concrete rose” and sometimes the lessons we get are in what not to do

the synesthesia that happens when you’re moved by live music

a hypothetical: a band he’s playing in gets to open for any 3 bands. what is that ultimate bill?

Find Nate at The Back Spams and Dammit Jim.

Theme song by Sorry Sweetheart – WHO RECENTLY GOT SIGNED TO BAD TIME RECORDS! CONGRATS TO MY HOMIES WHO MADE ME A DOPE ASS THEME SONG!

Logo by Nebulus Visions.

Produced by Deft Communications.

Engage with the show on Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky. 

Recorded at Windfall Brewing.

On this episode of Off the Clock, I’m joined by my new pal Dave – thanks for the intro Paul! – a fellow dad, content creator, and the man I’d trust most to give me restaurant recommendations. Here’s some of what we talk about:

First Question: You get offered money to produce videos of the best food in the city of your choice. What city are you choosing?

• why transplants make any city’s dining scene better
• \the bizarre ambitions of little kids before they understand the world
• having lived in Los Angeles, Boston and Seattle, how does he rate the Denver food scene?
• how does Dave approach and review legacy places that Denverites are going to have outsized fondness for?
• how mean can people be to him in YouTube comments?
• the difficulty of doing a “hidden gem” video and do people get pissed for driving traffic to their favorite spaces and making them more crowded?
• indulging in barbecue, pizza, burgers… how does he keep himself in shape?
• how does he avoid side eye from other patrons if he’s coming in filming and generally avoid being a d-bag?
• how does he handle sponsored content?
• Dave is from Los Angeles. he’s a huge Nuggets fan. how does that happen?
• we spend a good deal of time talking ball and doing some of my favorite sh*t on earth: remembering some guys!
• let’s say I meet with Dave in the future and his YouTube channel has become wildly successful. what will have happened? 

Find Dave on his YouTube channel.

Theme song by Sorry Sweetheart.

Logo by Nebulus Visions.

Produced by Deft Communications.

Engage with the show on Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky. 

Recorded at MoodSwing (which is why you can hear the clickety-clack of pickleball in the background).

On this episode of Off the Clock, I’m joined by my pal Jason, a fellow girl dad, and one who was goodly enough to coach my younger daughter’s soccer team and who is one of the most genuine dudes I have had the pleasure of knowing recently. Here’s some of what we talk about:

First Question: What is a memory from his soccer playing days that really stands out?

• how cool it feels as a kid when an adult coach cheers you on, calls out your good effort and good plays
• how do you, as a coach, find the correct level of intensity in dealing with developing young girls as athletes and people?
• we share a sort of unhinged story about something an opposing coach said to Jason within earshot about an upcoming game that my daughter’s team played
• the competitiveness of modern youth sports from the point of view of players, coaches, and particularly parents
• which statement does Jason identify with more: “I love winning.” or “I hate losing.”?
• we take a quick digression in talking about the weird Coach Beard standalone episode of Ted Lasso
• why he picks one or two players per practice and focuses on coaching them up in a positive way
• when does he know it’s time to stop coaching his daughters’ teams?
• we share why we love being Girl Dads
• why Jason believes team sports are the most important thing in developing strong women

Find Jason on LinkedIn.

Theme song by Sorry Sweetheart.

Logo by Nebulus Visions.

Produced by Deft Communications.

Engage with the show on Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky. 

Recorded at Postino 9CO.

#OTCQuickies are mini solo episodes where I address a question or a topic in service of trying to be a good dude in the world. Today's topic is:

The Ugliness of Ultrawealth

Fueled by two things I read this morning, and in stark contrast to a "Great Guys Lunch" I recently attended, I weigh in on why I find ultrawealth (a.k.a. billionaires) so distasteful and detrimental to society. 

1. Today's New York Times Morning Newsletter has a small capsule article a little more than halfway down about how venture capitalists are squeezing volunteer fire departments for more money after acquiring the software they use to track incidents. You can find that newsletter here.

2. On Hamilton Nolan's Substack "How Things Work," he has a piece called "Abominations of Capital: Forcing a price on priceless things." It is ostensibly about a piece of art by Jean-Michel Basquiat that is owned by a billionaire named Ken Griffin, but cuts at extreme wealth in an interesting way. 

Ultrawealth, in my opinion, should not be viewed aspirationally, but as a malignant mental disorder that deserves to be ridiculed, scorned, and legislated out of existence. Find out why in this edition of the #OTCQuickie.

Theme song by Sorry Sweetheart.

Logo by Nebulus Visions.

Produced by Deft Communications.

Engage with the show on Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky. 

On this episode of Off the Clock, I’m joined by my pal Mikey, perhaps the most talented audio producer and sound designer I’ve ever known, one of my best pals, and now Australian citizen. Here’s some of what we talk about:

First Question: Since it’s Saturday as we record this, what is the ideal way to spend a weekend in Australia?

• what is the process for becoming an Australian citizen?
• is there anything about living in Australia all this time that still flummoxes him?
• what is it about jiu-jitsu that keeps Mikey coming back and pushing hard to recently earn his black belt?
• where does his incredible drive and work ethic come from?
• Mikey describes for me The Misogi Challenge and why he always seeks out tough challenges
• the books Atomic Habits and Chop Wood Carry Water and finding joy in the process
• how do we find fulfillment in the aggregate, contextualizing setbacks, and success curves
• why Australia was his ultimate destination and how did he go about manifesting getting there
• what happens when your professional dreams come true? what comes next?
• what does he miss most about Colorado, and when do I get to see him again?

Find Mikey on Instagram.

Theme song by Sorry Sweetheart.

Logo by Nebulus Visions.

Produced by Deft Communications.

Engage with the show on Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky. 

Recorded via Google Meet.

On this episode of Off the Clock, I’m joined by my pal Eric who taught both my kids in their ECE-4 classes and someone who is one of the fiercest beer pong players I’ve ever played against. Here’s some of what we talk about:

First Question: When parents find out he’s their kid’s preschool teacher, what is the most common reaction he gets?

• the unusual position of being a rare male preschool teacher and some of the stigma associated with that
• Eric shares how he developed his incredible calm, controlled, and warm demeanor in the way he runs his classroom
• how does he get through the tough days of dealing with 20 unreasonable 4 year-olds?
• Eric shares with me that he always wanted to be a grandfather, which I’ve never heard before from anyone
• we talk about punk rock including Green Day, Fall Out Boy, blink-182, The Linda Lindas, Story of the Year, The Starting Line, New Found Glory, and more! 
• the risk of a band playing through an entire album for their live set
• what are the biggest differences between kids now and kids from when he started 16 years ago? and what about parents?
• as he looks at the landscape of early education, is Eric more optimistic or pessimistic?
• how has the perspective of parents shifted when it comes to disciplinary incidents with students?
• I ask him how his sports teams are doing and give a shout to Donato’s pizza
• and we conclude the show with one of the finest compliments I have ever received

Theme song by Sorry Sweetheart.

Logo by Nebulus Visions.

Produced by Deft Communications.

Engage with the show on Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky. 

Recorded at Walter’s 303 in Lowry.

On this episode of Off the Clock, I’m joined by my best friend Jason who also happens to be my muse, my co-creator in so many endeavors, my confidant, and someone who makes me laugh probably harder than anyone else. Here’s some of what we talk about:

First Question: When we say “we take our whimsy seriously” what does that mean?

• why it frequently looks like we’re doing an ad for gay marriage by the way we hang out and why that’s a great way of sniffing out liberal poseurs
• our shared annoyance about this current culture of snitches and hall monitors
• Jason works with kids for a living. what gives him hope for the future? what worries him most?
• why we’re – as the movie The Menu helpfully articulates – shit shovelers in the grand scheme of things and ultimately members of the service industry
• how does Jason re-fill his cup during a difficult year of kids?
• what keeps us coming back to local punk shows again and again and again? and why don’t we hang out with many of these people in real life?
• what it’s like running into his students in the wild
• I ask Jason to spin the roulette wheel of memories and grab a random one of us (fun! do this with your friends!)
• we remember some guys! and the old internet!
• we discuss the weird Elliott / E.T. connection we seem to have 
• why did Jason buy me business cards for my birthday?
• who are some grown men who make each other mix CDs with liner notes? THESE GUYS!
• why people tend to hate or resent their own art and why that’s what makes it good
• where should we go on vacation together next?

Theme song by Sorry Sweetheart.

Logo by Nebulus Visions.

Produced by Deft Communications.

Engage with the show on Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky. 

Recorded at Jason’s house.

On this episode of Off the Clock, I’m joined by my friend Lisa, a world traveler, current resident of Shanghai, and one of my class’s valedictorians. Here’s some of what we talk about:

First Question: What has surprised you most about living in China?

• what life in Shanghai is actually like, and how that stacks up to the American experience
• where has Lisa lived? (it’s an incredibly impressive list of notable places)
• what was her college path (journalism at Northwestern) and how did that lead to her living abroad?
• why does Lisa self-identify as a “huge f*cking nerd?” what contributed to that? and how is she different?
• what it’s like living in a country where elements of who you are are illegal and persecuted
• why teaching is a “full brain” occupation and how she works with teachers to help them grow, evolve, improve and transform
• having lived abroad for so long, what is the general impression of Americans outside of our borders? and has living abroad recontextualized her own American-ness?
• what are Lisa’s overall impressions of me from high school? and how was our particular class so chill and able to move between cliques?
• why it’s ok to have a hobby that you enjoy, but suck at
• how do we find fulfillment? and how do we have “enough?”
• what does she look forward to most about returning to Colorado?

Theme song by Sorry Sweetheart.

Logo by Nebulus Visions.

Produced by Deft Communications.

Engage with the show on Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky. 

Recorded over Google Meet.