#81: Zack Telander: We Don’t Need More Content, We Need More Humans.

This one hit different.

Zack Telander is a musician, father, and seasoned weightlifter, he’s also a man who calls out the fluff on social media. Especially in a world that rewards curated personas over real connection.

In this episode, we dove deep into the dark side of content, the addiction to documenting everything, the manipulation of the algorithm, and the pressure to always perform. 

Zack opened up about fatherhood, anxiety, chasing authenticity, and why we’re more drawn to flaw than perfection.

We spoke about content, but we really spoke about life. It was a good one fam!

Follow Zack:

https://www.instagram.com/zack_telander/

Listen to Zacks music:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/6Pe957QMENAWMZF7ityC81?si=Yte3OKPTRDy_XIOzoGSPJw

Follow Chris:

https://www.instagram.com/morechrisgriffin/

Check out our sponsor of the podcast: Dream Recovery. Use code GRIFFIN for 15% off your entire order:

https://dreamrecovery.io/

Key Discussion Points:

• Why documenting everything ruins the moment
• The danger of highlight reels and fake personas
• Content before craft — and the cost of playing the game
• Zack’s poem on burnout and modern life
• Why we crave real human connection, not more content

00:00 - 03:45 Why content is cannibalizing itself

03:45 - 07:10 If everything is content, nothing is

07:10 - 11:00 Algorithms vs authenticity

11:00 - 15:25 Charlatans, fake personas, and funnels

15:25 - 19:40 Fatherhood and breaking OCD cycles

19:40 - 25:05 Why being broke taught him resilience

25:05 - 30:10 Zack’s poem “The Millennial”

30:10 - 35:40 Content before craft and the myth of potential

35:40 - 40:00 Outsourcing your voice and losing the soul

40:00 - 44:30 When content is systemized, humans disappear

44:30 - 48:20 Doomscrolling, manipulation, and influencer ethics

48:20 - 53:00 The culture of lines

53:00 - 58:00 Transaction vs transformation in coaching

58:00 - 60:45 Why connection matters more than content

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices