Passion Pod Episode 140

@imjarons is a Wisconsin based viral content creator known for his character he portrays when he wears his insta360 camera. Not many people know the actual Jaron so he agreed to come do an exclusive interview on the Passion Pod. The only other interview that Jaron has done in the past was also on the Passion Pod, but he first time around we had just met that day and Jaron admitted to being super nervous and wanted to record another. Recently his following on Instagram more than doubled to over 950,000 followers. Since our last interview we added 2 more camera angles, started taking YouTube more seriously, and so it just felt right for Jaron to tell his story again to his new audience.

In this interview he shares his internet origin story, why he still works a HVAC job full time, getting engaged, growing 100k+ followers per month, building a career on Instagram, learning from Wyatt Eiden, challenges of not having proof of income, why so many people fail, and we even do a rapid fire of questions. Tune in and help us blow up!

Bill Doucette aka "Billy Deuce" is a comedian, content creator, and musician based in Milwaukee, WI. A lot of people know Bill as the "Boston Guy" in a bunch of the Charlie Berens videos, but he does a whole lot more than that. Bill is a modest dude and hasn't done very many interviews over the years so we were stoked to be able to share his story.

In this episode we discuss his relationship with Charlie Berens, being a career musician, stand up comedy, making viral youtube videos, his VHS tape obsession, imposter syndrome, and much more.

Sam Miller is a stand up comedian based in Olympia, Washington known for his large stature and incredible life story. Sam struggled with drug addiction and homelessness for many years until he hit rock bottom in 2008 and chose to make a change. 15+ years of sobriety later and Sam's life looks a whole lot different. He's found a loving wife, fathered 2 children, and built a name for himself in the world of stand up comedy. Sam now tours all over the country headlining shows and was gracious enough to come on the show during his first trip to Wisconsin. Tune in for a heavy dose of inspiration with plenty of laughter to go along with it.

K00bs is a content creator based in Eau Claire, WI who not only creates motorcycle and luxury car content for his own platforms, but also owns a creative agency that creates content and helps with social media strategy for massive companies like John Deere and dozens of others. K00bs is grew up in the Milwaukee, WI area with a car obsession and started shooting photos at the young age of 10 years old. By the time he was in high school he was attending car shows all over his area shooting pictures and honing his skills. During his junior year he got hired to shoot of photos a Lamborghini and never looked back. This episode of the Passion Pod is his first ever long form interview he's ever done. Tune in and hear his incredible story.

Tom Higgenson is the lead singer and songwriter for the iconic band the Plain White T's. Everyone knows him as the guy who wrote and sang the mega hit song "Hey There Delilah". Tom and the rest of the band put out a self titled album at the end of 2023 and hit the road on their first tour together since before the pandemic. Their show at the Fine Line in Minneapolis, Minnesota was near the end of tour and Tom was kind enough to sit down for this interview backstage before the show. In this interview we discuss the new album, his side project Million Miler, his most irrational fear, his experience with Cindi Lauper, his never ending search for the world's best coffee, and much more.

Tom Thakkar is a Los Angeles based stand up comedian that consistently performs all over the United States. Tom has appeared on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, CONAN, Comedy Central and more. We sat down with Tom before his recent performance for Clear Water Comedy in Eau Claire, WI and recorded this podcast interview. In this episode we discuss the benefit's of living in Los Angeles, never wanting to leave NYC, hosting a podcast for Comedy Central, his biggest pet peeves, why he's a cat person, and much more.

Riley Smithson aka Shrimpnose is a Los Angeles based artist and producer mainly known for his instrumental music on both his own albums alongside many other artists on their music. Shrimpnose grew up in a small Minnesota town in a musical family. He got his first drumset at 4 years old and music never left him. After high school he moved to the Minneapolis area and built a name for himself in the music scene before eventually pursuing bigger and better opportunities in Los Angeles. His latest album "As It Seems" marks a new chapter in his career and we sat down and recorded this interview before his show on December 30th at Abraxas Wax record shop in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. After releasing his album Shrimpnose went on a headlining tour around every corner of the country and thankfully Eau Claire was on his list. Fresh off his first ever sold out headlining show at First Ave's 7th St Entry just a couple days earlier this was the first ever podcast interview of his career. Tune in and finally hear the story of the man behind the beats.

Mandy Tietz is a Wisconsin based women's rights advocate and influencer. Over the last few years Mandy has grown a following of over 85K on Instagram and 435K on TikTok. After the passing of her father during the pandemic Mandy realized that her calling in life no longer aligned with her day job. She started speaking up about inequality and the ongoing problems within politics, particularly regarding abortion rights. As she got louder, her audience grew larger. She now takes it upon herself to share news regarding women's rights with her followers and break down what is happening to simple terms that everyone can understand. Laws can be confusing and so can having so many conflicting news stories from different angles. Knowledge is power and Mandy is doing what she can to empower women and allies around the country.

Sean Patton is a stand up comedian and actor based in Brooklyn, New York. Sean grew up in New Orleans, but didn't find his calling in life until his early twenties. Fast forward 20 years and his accolades are seemingly endless. Just this past year he released his long awaited debut comedy special "Number One" on the streaming service  @peacock  and spent 6 months touring the country performing with his childhood idol  @OfficialDavidCross  . He's appeared on  @ComedyCentral   @fallontonight   @conanobrien  and countless others. Sean performed at The Plus in Eau Claire, WI on January 4th 2024 and was kind enough to sit down as the featured guest for this episode of the Passion Pod. In this episode we discuss common mistakes comedians make early in their careers, phonies, why his comedy special took so long, skateboarding, touring with David Cross after meeting him 21 years earlier, how he built his career, and why it all matters.

xChris Kroeze is a country music star born and raised in Barron, Wisconsin. After being the runner up on the hit tv show The Voice his career has never been the same. He used to play 250 shows a year at bars and other small venues, now he headlines festivals and fills large theaters like The Pablo Center. Chris was first a guest on the show back in April of 2022, but we figured it would be fun to record a part 2.

In this episode we talk about recent life, performing for the troops overseas, dad life, living in Wisconsin, his list of favorites, crushin cans, recording new music, social media struggles, and much more.