Digital Social Hour – Episode Summary

Episode: "The Crazy Story Behind Hornblasters' Rise"

Host: Sean Kelly
Guest: Matthew Heller (Founder, HornBlasters)
Date: April 23, 2025

Main Theme / Purpose

In this episode, Sean Kelly interviews Matthew Heller, the colorful founder of HornBlasters, about his unique journey from a wild tech-infused childhood, through brushes with law enforcement (both as a target and a collaborator), to building and clownishly marketing an enduringly successful company. The conversation dives into hacking exploits, government surveillance, wild stories from Tampa, and the raw realities of being a disruptive entrepreneur in America.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Unconventional Upbringing (00:41–02:33)

• Raised by a Professional Clown: Heller’s parents split when he was three. His mother, Rosie the Clown, ran “A Clown’s World,” performing at events that, humorously and darkly, often included parents using drugs in the background.

  • “A lot of her customers were essentially in the cocaine business. And these parents would hire clown to come entertain the kids while the parents would all do drugs essentially at the party. That's crazy.” (02:12, Matthew Heller)

• Early Experiences with Tech: As an only child in restricted settings, Heller cobbled together computers by swapping out components before returning them within the refund window—an early sign of technical curiosity and hustler instincts.

  • “I was kind of gutting the computers on the inside, taking components out before she would return them. And I was eventually able to Frankenstein together a computer.” (03:12, Matthew Heller)

2. Early Online Misadventures: Hacking and FBI Involvement (03:28–08:15)

• Script Kiddie Years: Heller discusses how he dabbled with basic hacking, including website defacements for “clout” and activism.
  • “We would try to take stuff down and then put up our own names and give ourselves like shout outs… We were just putting free Kevin Mitnick up everywhere.” (03:53, Matthew Heller)
• Brush with the Law: A friend turns Heller in to the cops. The FBI investigates, but instead offers him a job as a cooperating witness, leading to work on cybercrime (mainly credit card fraud) through his high school years.
  • “I got expelled from high school over that. Super low point in my life… about a week later the FBI came back...offered me a job.” (06:42, Matthew Heller)
  • “I worked with them from Florida for a bit and then they eventually transferred me to Baton Rouge, Louisiana where the district attorney there had a little more capacity.” (07:23, Matthew Heller)
• Secret Work, No Résumé: He worked for the FBI for years, paid cash, then post-9/11 everything stopped abruptly. For years, he couldn’t explain his gap in employment or discuss his unique skills.

3. Scrappy Entrepreneurship: The Birth of HornBlasters (09:11–12:17)

• Unlikely Inspiration: While working at Home Depot, Heller (a fan of air suspension and car culture) installed a train horn to his pickup for self-defense and fun, sparking public interest.
  • “I found a train horn and I put it on my vehicle using some of the hardware from Home Depot and wired it all up. And then I was just… had this train horn on this little tiny pickup truck.” (09:10, Matthew Heller)
• First-Mover Online: Built a website in 2002 and shared prank horn videos before YouTube existed. HornBlasters became an early viral brand, eventually leading Heller to run the company full-time.
  • “We'd use these videos of us using the train horn…to help market the product. I was paying a ton for… hosting… then with the advent of YouTube, it was big blessing.” (11:47, Matthew Heller)

4. Marketing, Networking, and Podcasting Connections (12:27–13:47)

• Early Podcast Sponsorships: HornBlasters was the first sponsor of Kill Tony, helping to propel Heller’s network across the comedy and podcast scenes.
  • “We were the first Hornblasters was the first sponsor of the Kill Tony podcast.” (12:30, Matthew Heller)
• Community & Media Connections: Tampa radio host Mike Calta boosted his visibility locally, and industry relationships have had a lasting impact.

5. The Infamous Truck Search Incident (13:54–17:44)

• Police Damage, Media Erasure: After a company promotion event, Heller’s custom truck was ransacked by police for suspected drugs (none found). The search caused significant personal loss, and media about the incident was later scrubbed from the internet.
  • “There was nothing found in the vehicle. There was nothing in the vehicle, but they really did a lot of damage, ripping my whole vehicle apart. And… all there was a ton of press about that at the time, and it all got pulled off the Internet for the most part.” (16:32, Matthew Heller)
• On Civil Liberties: The ease of government searches post-Patriot Act shocked both guests.
  • “There really is no protection. It's fully constitutional. There's no privacy. And, you know, folks, you know, your vehicle, your cell phones, everything could be intercepted at all times. Pretty much.” (17:44, Matthew Heller)

6. Surveillance State Realities (18:22–20:16)

• Carnivore & NSA: Heller describes work on government programs intercepting Internet data, mass surveillance, and lasting impacts on privacy.
  • “The program was called Carnivore that I was working on, and it would just gather all the data…” (18:32, Matthew Heller)
  • “All digital pocket litter receipts, traffic cameras, everything's all aggregated, I guess, in Utah.” (19:20, Matthew Heller)
• Modern Tech Dangers: Snowden’s leaks and today’s total phone compromise are discussed.
  • “You could turn the microphones on. There's six or seven microphones on an iPhone. You could turn that on and hot mic everything.” (19:31, Matthew Heller)

7. Cybercrime and Digital Vulnerability (20:25–22:44)

• Selling Credit Cards, Internet Crime: Buying and selling credit cards, the prevalence of illicit online content, and the risks of social engineering hacks are reviewed.
  • “People are just selling credit cards on chat rooms…by thousands at a time.” (20:51, Podcast Host)
• Modern Hacking: Heller is no longer active in hacking but remarks on the persistence of vulnerabilities.

8. Business Challenges Today (23:28–24:45)

• Tariffs and Supply Chain Shocks: Heller laments the impact of recent US-China tariffs on his electronics sourcing.
  • “These tariffs are really messing my business up personally. The past couple of weeks, a lot of our stuff is made here in the USA… some of our more complex electronics regrettably come from China.” (23:28, Matthew Heller)
  • “I'm hearing 245% now and stuff like that.” (23:51, Matthew Heller)

9. Streaming & Culture (24:47–27:37)

• Embracing New Media: Heller is experimenting with live streaming on Kick and discusses his VR gaming addiction.
• Colorful Friends: The "Sausage Castle," a wild adult party mansion owned by his friend Mike Busey, is described.
  • “Mike owns the wildest house in America. It's called the Sausage Castle… It's an 88 acre adult playground…an adult Disney World, essentially.” (26:24, Matthew Heller)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “I was just raised by her, essentially. A clown's world is what her. Her company was called, and she was Rosie the Clown. I was a little kid clown.” (01:42, Matthew Heller)
• “If you want all the cool toys, you know, there just is no privacy, you know?” (20:16, Matthew Heller)
• “No one's going after the air horn guys. All right.” (23:08, Matthew Heller, on being targeted by hackers)
• “He had one on New Year's. It was kind of hard to talk the girlfriend into, hey, we're doing this on New Year's, you know… but, yeah, it's incredible what they've grown that into. And. Yeah, it's just a monster now.” (13:32, Matthew Heller, on Kill Tony at Madison Square Garden)

Important Segment Timestamps

• 00:41 – Matthew Heller recounts his clown-filled childhood
• 03:53–05:39 – Early hacking, getting caught, and the FBI's offer
• 06:42–08:47 – Secret life as a cybercrime cooperating witness
• 09:10–12:17 – Inspiration and viral beginnings of HornBlasters
• 12:27–13:47 – Early ties to Kill Tony and building a network
• 13:54–17:44 – Tampa police truck search, government overreach, erased press
• 18:22–20:16 – Inside government surveillance (Carnivore, NSA)
• 20:25–22:44 – Cybercrime mechanics and hacking landscape
• 23:28–24:45 – Economic threats: tariffs and supply chain
• 24:47–27:37 – Streaming, VR gaming, and Sausage Castle stories
• 28:06–28:23 – Where to find Matthew and HornBlasters

Guest Socials

• HornBlasters: hornblasters.com | @hornblasters on all platforms
• Matthew Heller: Matt from HornBlasters (social handles)

Tone and Vibe

The episode is filled with raw, humorous, and sometimes jaw-dropping storytelling, blending nostalgia for the early internet with a knowing cynicism about government overreach. Heller is candid, self-deprecating, and clearly enjoys both the chaos and the lessons from his adventures. Sean Kelly matches Heller’s curiosity with friendly, fascinated energy, keeping the conversation moving through wild anecdotes and sobering realities.

Final Thoughts

Listeners hear a true “only in America” entrepreneurial journey: equal parts comic, cautionary, and inspirational. Whether recounting hacker days, building a brand with viral “train horn pranks,” or navigating modern geopolitics and digital privacy, Heller delivers memorable stories and practical warnings for anyone interested in technology, business, or just plain weird Americana.