To wrap up the year, Ana, Mike, and Andrew take a look at what it really costs to make Past Due. From programmatic ads and Patreon, to personal finances and more, this is a full accounting of both the numbers and the “why.”

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TV writer and performer Eliot Glazer joins us to talk about what happens when you’ve done everything right—and still find yourself scrambling. We unpack how the writers’ and actors’ strikes cracked open long-buried conversations about financial anxiety, class disparity, the invisible middle class of Hollywood, and the emotional cost of staying relevant in an industry that keeps changing the rules.

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Writer, comedian, and director Joey Clift joins us to talk about making the work that matters, especially when the world doesn’t make it easy. From Paw Patrol to Peabody nominations to his new animated short POW, Joey opens up about the long road to representation, what it means to build a career without a “big break,” and why doing it the right way isn’t always the fastest—or easiest—path.

Watch POW: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOTuVqdwu8Y

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Award-winning author Mary Robinette Kowal joins us to talk about building a creative ecosystem that actually fits your brain. From viral cat videos to Patreon-powered writing sessions, she shares exactly how she budgets, hires, monetizes, and prioritizes joy across multiple income streams, and how being honest about what you don’t want might be the key to building the career you do want.

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Healthcare analyst and ACA expert Charles Gaba joins us to explain what freelancers, artists, and anyone with unpredictable income really need to know about this year’s open enrollment. We cover rising premiums, the danger of auto-renewals, and how to avoid surprise tax bills or lost subsidies. Whether you're switching plans or signing up for the first time, this episode breaks down what the ACA does—and doesn’t—offer the creative class.

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Bestselling sci-fi author John Scalzi joins us for a conversation about creative longevity, pragmatic optimism, and why the goal isn’t to stay hot, it’s to keep going. We talk about building a sustainable career with your partner, the myth of the one big break, and how generosity, structure, and a little chaos can power a life in the arts. Plus: what journalism teaches you about rejection and why it’s okay to not be the next big thing.

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Journalist and 404 Media co-founder Jason Koebler joins us to talk about what it takes to build an independent newsroom. From the cost of defamation insurance to the weight of mailing your own merch, we get into the invisible math of staying scrappy without burning out—and the true cost of reader-supported journalism.

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Broadcaster and podcast pioneer Jesse Thorn joins us to talk about building something sustainable without selling out. From his early days of mailing CD-Rs to NPR stations to running Maximum Fun as a listener-supported network, Jesse shares the emotional and economic math behind 20 years of independent success. We get into what it means to build trust with an audience, how community gets harder in a platform-driven world, and why “working for the people” still feels like the best job he’s ever had.

Support the show at patreon.com/pastdue

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