Just Press Record

In this episode of Just Press Record, Matt brings together two strangers with very different backgrounds and a shared obsession with human connection.Carly Valancy and Spencer Kier explore how creativity, repetition, gratitude, and authenticity shape careers, relationships, and opportunities.What starts as a conversation about networking quickly becomes a deeper discussion about practice, compounding effort, breaking rules, and finding the kind of work that pulls you forward instead of burning you out.Topics covered• Why creative people often follow rules that hold them back• The idea of practice as repetition, not optimization• Reaching out to people without asking for anything• Gratitude as a powerful and underrated networking tool• Building relationships for your future self, not immediate payoff• Creating artifacts instead of transactional asks• Authenticity, strangeness, and resisting social normalization• Compounding habits versus compounding burnout• Finding your edge through curiosity and compulsion• Applying artistic training to business and professional life• Long-term relationship building versus short-term outcomesTimestamps00:00 Introduction and why these two needed to meet03:00 The Just Press Record format and guest introductions06:20 Carly’s meet-a-person-a-day challenge09:00 Spencer on podcasting as a tool for connection13:00 Creating artifacts instead of asking for calls15:00 Repetition, practice, and the power of doing simple things daily18:30 Art, training, and learning through repetition22:00 Breaking rules in networking and communication25:00 Finding your uniqueness and resisting normalization28:30 Searching for your edge and living in multiple worlds31:00 Losing an old identity and redefining what it means to be an artist34:00 Bringing artistic training into networking and business38:00 Empathy, awareness, and engaging the other person44:00 Asking better questions and creating meaningful conversations47:00 Authenticity, strangeness, and standing out52:00 Saying the risky thing and embracing vulnerability57:00 Gratitude as the starting point for connection01:02:00 Playing the long game in relationships01:05:00 Deciding when to follow up and when to wait01:08:00 Closing reflections on connection, curiosity, and practice

In this episode of Just Press Record, Matt Zeigler brings together Allison Wolfe and Brianna Collins for a wide-ranging conversation about music scenes, creative identity, and what it really means to realize you were there while something special was happening.From Olympia and the Riot Grrrl era to northeast Pennsylvania DIY basements, the conversation explores how community, distance, adulthood, and urgency shape creative lives over time.What starts as a blind introduction turns into a deeply human discussion about art, memory, responsibility, and how musicians navigate creative work alongside real-world obligations.Topics covered• Realizing the significance of music scenes only in hindsight• Allison Wolfe on seeing Nirvana before they were Nirvana• Northeast Pennsylvania DIY culture and Bri Collins’ early show experiences• Punk, new wave, and gender dynamics inside local music scenes• Making art without knowing where it will lead• Adult creative life, multiple jobs, and sustaining a band long term• DIY ethics versus management and delegation• Teaching, touring, and balancing creative energy• Creative urgency, imperfection, and resisting overproduction• Music, activism, and processing the current cultural momentTimestamps00:00 Introduction and why this meeting matters02:00 Identity, humility, and not realizing your impact05:30 Introducing Allison Wolfe and Bri Collins08:00 Album art, merch, and early DIY creativity12:00 First shows and finding community15:00 Seeing Nirvana before the breakthrough20:00 Gender, scenes, and learning music pre-internet29:00 Developing a distinct sound without trying to35:00 Adult musicianship and multiple careers41:00 Teaching, touring, and sustaining creative work48:00 DIY values, management, and control53:00 Art, activism, and the weight of the present moment01:37 Closing reflections and future pathsAnd you already know we’ve got Bratmobile and Tigers Jaw stories all the way through.With some Nirvana, Bikini Kill, Title Fight, and Menzingers thrown in for good measure, but of course.@TigersJawMusic@killrockstarsWatch every Just Press Record episode here:https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvtu0hHezwZzURO5c2pHenPnwm30j2fnX&si=EzonzSvd8QxOxQmHIs your attention span too short for full episodes? Try some shorts here:https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvtu0hHezwZwyApHEc6J2P04ChhzJQrcZ&si=bwC-LWp5Jxr1nbCPAnd if the written word is more your thing, sign up for my mailing list and grow your network of ideas and people alongside me:https://cultishcreative.com/

In this episode of Just Press Record, host Matt Zeigler brings together two writers from very different worlds who discover how much they actually share. Author and musician Michael Perry and writer and professor Aaron Gwynn connect over farm life, physical labor, creative discipline, and the unlikely paths that led them to writing books. What begins with stories of rural upbringing and lost fingers turns into a deep conversation about mentorship, gratitude, art, politics, and staying grounded in a world driven by abstractions and online outrage.Main topics coveredGrowing up on farms and ranches and how physical labor shapes perspectiveStories of injury, toughness, and humor in working-class communitiesHow mentors and teachers recognize talent before you doThe discipline of practice in athletics, music, and writingFinding confidence through critique rather than praiseImposter syndrome as a source of gratitude and motivationCreativity, literature, and making art without losing touch with real peopleThe danger of parasocial relationships and losing community to politicsWhy staying human matters more than choosing sidesTimestamps00:00 Introduction and why these two writers needed to meet01:00 Farm life, injuries, and the humor of hard work06:00 Rural upbringing, cattle, and growing up working-class18:00 Toughness, storytelling, and blue-collar humor25:00 Lost fingers, accidents, and adapting through skill35:00 Music, guitar, and physical limitations as creative fuel39:00 Aaron Gwynn’s path from ranch life to writing books46:00 Michael Perry’s path from nursing to writing and storytelling52:00 Positive imposter syndrome and gratitude for unlikely success59:00 Politics, parasocial relationships, and real human connection01:01:00 Art, community, and staying grounded in a divided world

In this episode of Just Press Record, Matt Zeigler sits down with Phil Pearlman for a wide-ranging conversation about consistency, identity, and the quiet power of how we show up in the world. Using a short clip featuring Nancy Berger and Julia Duthie as a jumping-off point, the discussion explores how behavior shapes character, why role modeling matters more than advice, and how small, repeated actions compound into meaning over time. The conversation weaves together psychology, leadership, parenting, music, intuition, and personal growth, all grounded in lived experience rather than theory.Main topics coveredWhat consistency really means and why it is about behavior, not imageHow acting eventually becomes identity and shapes legacyRole modeling as one of the most powerful forces in families, workplaces, and communitiesWhy being yourself consistently is easier than maintaining a maskLeadership through example versus “do as I say, not as I do” authorityReinvention, aging, and the idea that growth does not stop in midlifeIntuition, hunger, and learning to recalibrate internal signals in a distorted environmentWhy comparison to others is a losing game and progress should be measured against yourselfThe connection between rhythm, music, and living with intentionLetting gravity work by focusing on direction, not perfectionTimestamps00:00 Introduction and the idea of consistency02:00 Phil Pearlman joins and the role of rhythm and music06:40 Consistency, authenticity, and being yourself everywhere11:00 Reinvention, choice, and behaving your way into being15:00 Masks, identity, and when actions become who you are20:45 Role modeling and its impact on children and culture25:00 Leadership, authenticity, and workplace behavior30:00 Intuition, hunger, and recalibrating internal cues38:20 Direction, progress, and why comparison fails44:10 Consistency as rhythm and living with intention50:30 Joy, imperfection, and showing up anyway53:00 Where to find Phil Pearlman and closing thoughts

In this special year-end clip show, Matt Zeigler and Jack Forehand reflect on some of the most meaningful conversations from Just Press Record in 2025. Rather than a traditional recap, this episode explores the deeper themes that emerged across very different guests, from connection and creativity to fear, identity, and long-term thinking. Along the way, Matt and Jack discuss why these moments mattered to them personally, how the show itself reflects Matt’s approach to life, and what these stories reveal about how people grow, change, and find meaning over time.Main topics coveredThe philosophy behind Just Press Record and why unscripted, unexpected conversations matterThe power of reaching out to people and the lasting impact of human connectionHow major life transitions often emerge around key ages and career inflection pointsLosing sight of purpose by focusing on the wrong metrics and how to recalibrateOvercoming fear, stage anxiety, and the courage to live more authenticallyCreativity as recombination, sampling, and reinterpretation across music, art, and businessLong-term thinking, journaling, and reflecting on how beliefs and priorities evolve over timeWhy community, curiosity, and experimentation matter more than optimizationTimestamps00:00 Introduction and year-end clip show setup01:30 The idea behind Just Press Record and pairing unlikely people06:50 Anna Goldfarb on connection, regret, and reaching out13:15 Tom Morgan on age 36, identity shifts, and life phases20:45 Bobby Keller on purpose, metrics, and the Horror Fest30:00 Julia Duthie and Nancy Berger on fear, authenticity, and self-expression42:00 Bill Stephney and Lawrence Yeo on hip hop, creativity, and sampling51:45 Chris Mayer and Anne-Laure Le Cunff on journaling and changing your mind

This episode of Just Press Record brings together Tyrone Ross and Neils Ribeiro-Yemofio explore how early experiences, belief, and community shape who we become. What begins with comic books, video games, and childhood stories unfolds into a powerful conversation about identity, hope, economic mobility, and the systems that determine who gets access to opportunity. From superheroes and supervillains to first-generation college journeys, financial education, and breaking cycles of poverty, this is a deeply human conversation about what it means to see someone, invest in them, and change the trajectory of a life.Topics covered• The shared origins of superheroes and supervillains and how adversity shapes identity• How the labels adults give children can define their futures• The role of teachers, mentors, and small acts of belief in changing life paths• First-generation college experiences and navigating systems not built for you• Athletic talent, opportunity arriving too early, and unprepared success• Hunger, hope, and discipline as lifelong motivators• Financial education versus financial literacy and why language matters• Economic mobility, community investment, and breaking cycles of poverty• Why access, proximity, and support matter more than motivation alone• The moral and practical case for building systems where everyone can eatTimestamps00:00 Introduction and why these two needed to meet01:00 Superheroes, supervillains, and shared origin stories03:00 Childhood identity and being told who you are06:00 Comic books, video games, and learning how the world works12:00 Growing up, moving often, and discovering education18:00 First-generation college journeys and culture shock23:00 Athletics as opportunity and arriving unprepared28:00 Teachers who change lives with belief34:00 Hunger, survival, and early lessons in humanity41:00 Discipline, responsibility, and turning pain into purpose48:00 Economic mobility, financial education, and community investment56:00 Systems, access, and why poverty is not a personal failure01:03:00 Hope, responsibility, and why everyone can eat

In this episode of Just Press Record, Matt sits down again with Eric Pachman to explore the idea of serendipity, the role of accident in shaping a life, and what it really takes for opportunity to become meaningful. Using a clip from a prior conversation with Eric Markowitz and Elie Jacobs as the jumping-off point, this conversation turns into a deep examination of privilege, poverty, the three Cs needed for upward mobility, why so many people never reach the threshold where serendipity can help them, and how Eric is channeling his skills into Data for the People to push society toward a better path.Topics covered:• The difference between serendipity and pure accident• How random events shape an entire life trajectory• Privilege, perspective, and why some people never get access to opportunity• The three Cs needed for meaningful upward mobility• Why data can expose the true state of poverty and public programs• Eric’s new project, Data for the People• The emotional cost of working on large societal problems• The dangers of aspirational culture and financial nihilism• What it means to find enough in a world built on more• How to contribute to raising the threshold so serendipity can help more people• Why helping even one person changes everythingTimestamps:00:00 Opening and setup00:37 Eric on accidents and the fragility of life paths02:18 Why random circumstances determine opportunity03:35 Eric returns to the show and discusses major life changes05:00 Introducing Data for the People and the SNAP deep dive07:00 The emotional weight of analyzing poverty data09:03 Setting up the clip from Eric Markowitz and Elie Jacobs10:28 The serendipity clip12:43 Eric’s first reflections on serendipity13:54 The role of privilege in who benefits from randomness15:00 Life as a series of accidents17:00 Who actually gets access to positive serendipity18:00 The three Cs that enable upward mobility20:00 Why connection and consistency matter for kids in struggling communities22:00 Raising the threshold for crappiness24:00 How accidents land differently depending on where you start25:00 The motorcycle accident story that made Eric possible27:00 How understanding accident changes self-importance28:00 Helping more people reach the serendipity threshold30:00 How data can shift voting and policy behavior31:17 What most people really want: stability, not wealth32:40 The dangers of aspirational culture33:53 Breaking out of the matrix of materialism35:00 Why awareness is the only thing we can control37:00 The real teachers in society38:00 Supervillain logic and endless accumulation39:11 Life on the balance beam of enough41:00 The impossibility of perfect balance43:00 What individuals can actually do to push the ball forward45:00 Setting goals you won’t achieve in a single lifetime46:12 Why Matt chose this clip for Eric47:51 Raising opportunity as a societal responsibility49:00 Why Eric’s current path is not a mad chance but the only rational one50:27 Where to find Eric and follow Data for the People52:29 Closing and sign-off

In this episode of Just Press Record, Matt Zeigler brings together motivational comedian and storytelling coach Chris Grimes and structural scalability expert Brad Fisher for a spontaneous, free-flowing conversation about story, leadership, presence, improvisation, personal growth, and the bridges between creativity and organizational transformation. What begins as a playful meeting between two strangers quickly evolves into a deep exploration of how stories shape who we are, how we lead, and how we help others make meaningful transitions in business and in life.Topics Covered• Why asking tell me your story creates instant connection and trust• How deep listening unlocks meaningful conversations• The role of presence and improvisation in leadership and communication• Chris Grimes on The Good Listening To Show and his story framework• Brad Fisher on structural scalability, the second leap, and transforming businesses• How to find your island B and define what you really want next• The power of letting go, delegation, and moving from how to who• Legacy, purpose, creativity, and finding your flow state• Storytelling as a tool for coaching, leadership, and personal transformation• Balancing business growth with authenticity and well-beingTimestamps00:00 Introduction00:56 Why Tell Me Your Story Works01:33 Deep Listening and The Good Listening To Show02:00 Purpose, Flow, and Alchemy02:47 Story as the Golden Thread03:21 Introducing Chris Grimes and Brad Fisher06:10 The Art of Skip Diving08:00 Dog Psychology and Early Notes09:55 First Impressions: Guessing Each Other’s Work12:09 What Is a Motivational Comedian14:01 How Improv Changes Communication16:29 Eyes on Springs and Presence18:00 Teaching Spontaneity and the Clock of Now20:00 Tell Me Your Story as a Leadership Tool22:23 Legacy Life Reflections and Capturing Stories24:09 StoryCorps and Shared Human Stories26:34 How the Legacy Framework Works28:00 Brand Stories, Founder Stories, Leadership Stories30:24 Story Structures and 5 4 3 2 133:00 Alchemy, Gold, and the Cake34:09 How Brad Builds Stories With Clients37:01 Brad’s Framework and the Second Leap39:00 Stage One Companies vs Stage Two Companies41:00 The Six Scalability42:53 Second Curves and Reinventing Yourself44:56 Courage, Change, and Revealing What’s Already There46:12 Leading With Presence and Letting the Team Step Up48:00 Island A vs Island B50:17 Who Not How and Shifting Your Mindset51:00 Chris’s Podcast Growth and Distribution53:00 Becoming a Digital Nomad Broadcaster55:00 What to Stop Doing: Busyness vs Flow57:00 Building Support Around the Creative Work59:00 Self-Compassion and Reducing Pressure01:01:00 Following the Soul Chime01:02:00 Building vs Extracting Stories01:03:00 Creativity in the Known and Unknown

In this episode, we showcase some of the most powerful clips from The Intentional Investor. These conversations explore how strategic thinkers, founders, investors, and creatives navigate risk, build vision, overcome adversity, and retain their humanity along the way. This highlight reel offers a taste of the depth, honesty, and storytelling that define the series.Main topics covered• How goals differ from visions and why committing to a vision changes everything• Why entrepreneurs are actually risk mitigators, not risk takers• The power of mentorship and the people who fill the gaps in our lives• What freedom means in global markets and why incentives matter• Family stories, grit, and how small acts of kindness shape entire lives• What true creativity is and why inventors matter more than we realize• How to stop caring about external approval and shed status games• How humility guides both earnestness and cynicism• Why saying yes expands your world and how impact becomes central later in life• The lifelong bond of sports, tradition, and shared experiencesTimestamps00:00 Intro01:30 Justin Castelli on goals vs visions03:00 Jason Buck on entrepreneurship as risk mitigation04:00 Jenny Rozelle on Susan Hunter and mentorship07:00 Perth Tolle on freedom and incentives08:00 Tyrone Ross on grit, family, and gap fillers10:00 Pablos Holman on inventors vs craft12:10 Kris Abdelmessih on not caring what others think14:02 Rusty Guinn on earnestness, cynicism, and humility16:41 Jared Dillian on saying yes and creative impact17:43 Grant Williams on family, football, and legacy20:00 Closing reflections

On this episode of Just Press Record, Matt Zeigler sits down with music critic Kevin Alexander of On Repeat Records ( https://thekevinalexander.substack.com/ ) for a conversation about creativity, measuring success, and the craft of writing with authenticity. The two explore what it means to build something meaningful in an age driven by metrics, using a clip from musician Ned Russin (Glitterer, Title Fight -  @glitterererer ) as a jumping-off point. Together, they unpack how artists can find fulfillment in smaller, more intentional audiences, how to recognize when a piece of art “completes itself,” and why genuine connection beats scale every time.Main topics covered:Reviewing Ned Russin’s new Glitterer track “Stainless Steel”How to measure success as a creator without chasing metricsThe balance between audience growth and artistic integrityThe skill of eliciting deep responses from readers and listenersWhy great art doesn’t scale—it spreadsWriting when inspiration strikes versus grinding through editsThe importance of authenticity over polish in creative workHow to know when to stop editing and ship your workBuilding community through shared taste and genuine engagementTimestamps:00:00 Introduction and show setup03:00 The Scranton game and Kevin Malone parallels04:45 Reviewing Glitterer’s “Stainless Steel”08:25 Drawing influence lines from Weezer to post-hardcore12:00 Audience growth and how artists measure success15:00 Picking the right ruler to measure creative progress17:00 How Kevin thinks about engagement and reader connection21:00 When creativity flows versus when it takes work23:00 Collaboration, feedback, and knowing when a piece is done27:00 The role of authenticity in modern criticism32:00 Why great art doesn’t scale—it spreads33:30 Closing reflections and where to find Kevin’s work