6 - Zach Hopkins, Denver/Montana Comedian

Owen is joined by Denver comic Zach Hopkins for a Summer Shandy-fueled journey from the cosmos to the weirdest corners of history. The episode kicks off with a riff on Carl Sagan and the inevitability of Elon Musk’s brain chips, debating whether we’ll all eventually be forced to become "wrinkle-brains."

The guys pivot into a global tour, questioning why modern Europe feels like a "tourism museum" and why Japanese bathhouses are still scared of tattoos. They break down the "bread vs. rice" health debate and why Americans are stuck eating preservatives while Europeans take three-month naps.

The episode then goes in the deep end with the bizarre true story of John C. Lilly—the scientist who used NASA money to give dolphins LSD and (accidentally) started the world’s most uncomfortable interspecies romance.

Finally, the episode ends with the guys giving bad advice to some of the top posts on Reddit’s advice subreddit.

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5 - How the Chili’s Triple Dipper Is Going to Save American Politics

Welcome back to The Owen Gifford Show. In episode five, Owen goes solo for a wild, free-flowing ride that starts with NHL playoff chaos and somehow ends in the UFO conspiracies of the 11 missing scientists.

The episode opens with a breakdown of a viral NHL moment—two captains dropping the gloves just seconds into a playoff game—and uses it as a jumping-off point to explore a bigger idea: attention. Owen riffs on how sports effortlessly capture energy and excitement, then flips that into a comedic (and satirical) take on politics, questioning why voting and civic engagement feel so disconnected—and what it would take to actually get people to care: a free Chili’s triple dipper for everyone who votes at the polls. 

From there, things escalate. He dives into the strange ways public figures try to win people back—touching on everything from approval ratings to viral moments and media influence. Along the way, Owen blends humor with real questions about power, incentives, and whether the system is actually built to serve people.

Then things get stranger.

The episode closes with a deep dive into a series of mysterious deaths and disappearances involving scientists connected to UFO and advanced propulsion research. Owen walks through multiple theories—from mental health struggles to conspiracy-level speculation—while acknowledging the uncertainty and absurdity of it all.

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4 - Ryan Ergo, Denver Comedian and Producer

Welcome back to The Owen Gifford Show. In episode four, Owen brings on his first guest—Denver-based comedian and producer Ryan Ergo—for a wide-ranging conversation on comedy, creativity, and figuring things out in real time.

The conversation dives into the realities of stand-up comedy—from bombing at open mics to chasing stage time and learning that success often comes down to simply asking for opportunities. Ryan shares his journey producing shows and doing stand-up, while both talk through the differences between smaller scenes and bigger cities like Denver, where competition is higher but opportunities are everywhere.

From trippy experiences at Red Rocks to the addictive nature of live comedy, the episode blends humor with honest insight into what it takes to improve at something creative. They also explore the challenges of social media, the pressure of constant content creation, and how the algorithm shapes what gets seen—and what doesn’t.

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3 - Space Travel, The Inevitability of the Moon Boys Podcast

Welcome back to The Owen Gifford Show. In episode three, Owen breaks down a simple but powerful idea: you don’t need to be great to start—you just need to keep showing up. With the statical fact that only 1% of podcasts make it to 20 episodes, this journey is about consistency and pushing through the early stages when nobody is watching.

The conversation then shifts to the Artemis II mission and humanity’s return to the Moon for the first time since Apollo 17. While space exploration is undeniably impressive, Owen questions whether we’re prioritizing the wrong things—chasing Mars and the Moon while ignoring the problems here on Earth.

From housing and healthcare to culture, human nature, and the way money is spent, this episode blends humor, satire, and honest commentary. Including a not-so-serious (but maybe not impossible) future where content creators turn the Moon into a content creation hype house, Owen explores where our current trajectory might actually lead.

At its core, this episode is about asking the bigger question: are we trying to escape our problems instead of solving them?

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2 - Moab, Our Dopamine is Cooked, and Bill Nye the Science Guy is the GOAT

"Doing is better than thinking." Host Owen Gifford is back for episode two, reporting from Denver, Colorado. In this episode, Owen reflects on the steep learning curve of starting a podcast—from discovering he’s an "extremely loud breather" (he edits it out of the pod don’t worry) to the realization that the only way to become a podcaster is to actually post the damn episodes.

In this episode, Owen explores the "slop" of modern culture—from the dopamine-fried world of Pokemon card gambling and prediction markets to the strange reality of kids using AI as a best friend. Drawing from a camping trip in the Moab desert, he dives into why the middle class being the “backbone” of America has it’s downsides, how to choose your own brand of productive pain before the world chooses a much more unpleasant version, and his deep appreciation for the Idaho public school savior, Bill Nye the Science Guy.

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1 - The Importance of Taking Risk. You'll Probably Fail, but It'll Be Awesome, and That's Actually Success.

Welcome to the very first episode of The Owen Gifford Show. At 26 years old, Owen is done pretending he has it all figured out, but he’s learned enough to know one thing: the universe rewards bravery, even when that bravery ends in failure from the original goal. 

In this debut episode, Owen traces his journey from the mountains of Montana to the comedy basements of Denver, exploring why the most terrifying risks—the "leaps of faith"—are the only things that actually lead to an authentic fulfilling life. Drawing inspiration from Zeno of Citium, the founder of Stoicism who found his true calling only after losing all of his wealth and power in a shipwreck, Owen discusses how hitting rock bottom is often the best place to build a foundation.

From the humbling experience of back surgeries and "bombing" on stage in front of hundreds of silent strangers, this episode is a raw look at how success stems from the ability to keep moving forward when your "ship" sinks. 

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