Heavyweight Check In: What’s to Come

Summary

Heavyweight Episode Summary: "Check In: What’s to Come"

Release Date: May 15, 2025 | Host: Jonathan Goldstein | Produced by Pushkin Industries

In the episode titled "Check In: What’s to Come," Jonathan Goldstein reconnects with his team members, Stevie and Kayleigh, to discuss the hiatus they've experienced, the challenges faced during this period, and the exciting plans for the future of the podcast. This reflective and candid conversation offers listeners an inside look into the personal and professional lives of the Heavyweight team, highlighting resilience, creativity, and anticipation for upcoming projects.

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1. Navigating Layoffs and Industry Challenges

The episode opens with Jonathan addressing the team about the uncertainties they've faced, particularly being laid off—a significant event that has impacted their podcasting journey.

Stevie: "We were all laid off." [02:22]

Kayleigh: "I was talking to other people, you know, who have taken their shows to new places or had their shows canceled. And everyone told me, like, it's gonna take longer than you think." [02:35]

Stevie elaborates on the tumultuous year, describing the arduous process of finding a new platform for Heavyweight. The team shares their frustrations with the prolonged search and the variety of meetings—some productive, others not.

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2. Personal Reflections and Coping Mechanisms

Jonathan opens up about the emotional toll the hiatus took on him after two decades of continuous production. He describes feeling "at sea" and struggling to find a new routine outside of his established deadlines and responsibilities.

Jonathan: "I realized that I had been kind of on the carousel of deadlines and production for almost 20 years. So, stopping affected me in a way that I didn't anticipate." [02:40]

To cope, Jonathan engaged in personal activities such as taking his son to school, going on runs, and attempting to learn piano—though he humorously admits his skills remain rudimentary.

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3. Team Members' Personal Endeavors

Kayleigh shares her approach to the year off, emphasizing a complete disconnect from structured work. She reflects on her activities, which include traveling, reading multiple books, and indulging in her passion for jewelry making and blacksmithing.

Kayleigh: "I keep calling it my year off. And everyone's like, off of work, and I'm like, off of everything." [05:34]

Her creative pursuits provided a sense of fulfillment despite the unstructured nature of her time.

Stevie discusses her personal projects, including participating in the Brooklyn Public Library's "Browse the Branches" initiative. This involved visiting all 62 library branches, earning a tote bag as a reward.

Stevie: "It was a little embarrassing always to walk up to them and be like, hey, can I have the sticker? But I did it. So that was probably my biggest accomplishment of the year." [06:41]

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4. Creative Projects During the Hiatus

The team reveals how they kept their creative juices flowing by creating audio stories for each other, initially as a means to entertain and maintain their skills.

Jonathan: "We weren't making Heavyweight. We were trying to entertain each other and keep those gears from rusting." [07:33]

These stories evolved into a fun project, leading them to share these creations with their audience as a bridge until the new season launched.

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5. Upcoming Season and Special Releases

Looking ahead, Jonathan, Stevie, and Kayleigh tease the return of Heavyweight with a new season later in the year. In the meantime, they plan to release a series of special content:

• Revisiting Favorite Episodes: They'll bring back beloved episodes with fresh updates, providing listeners with new perspectives and developments.

• New Audio Stories: Each member has crafted personal narratives reflecting their experiences during the hiatus.

Kayleigh: "I made a story about something I found myself doing a lot of in this time off, which was solving long standing customer service issues." [08:11]

Stevie: "I spent some time trying to do things that freaked me out, but that I felt that I needed to try at some point in my life." [08:22]

Jonathan: "I made a story about one of the things that I did during our year off was I stopped drinking..." [08:49]

These stories aim to entertain and engage listeners, providing a personal touch to the upcoming season's anticipation.

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6. Closing Remarks and Music Performance

As the episode concludes, Jonathan humorously showcases his ongoing attempt to learn piano, adding a light-hearted end to the heartfelt discussion.

Jonathan: "You know, conveniently, I've been sitting behind the piano this whole time." [10:17]

The episode wraps up with a preview of what's to come, leaving listeners excited for the new content and the return of Heavyweight's signature storytelling.

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Notable Quotes:

• "We were all laid off." – Stevie [02:22]
• "I realized that I had been kind of on the carousel of deadlines and production for almost 20 years." – Jonathan [02:40]
• "I keep calling it my year off. And everyone's like, off of work, and I'm like, off of everything." – Kayleigh [05:34]
• "We were trying to entertain each other and keep those gears from rusting." – Jonathan [07:33]
• "I made a story about one of the things that I did during our year off was I stopped drinking." – Jonathan [08:49]

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Conclusion

"Check In: What’s to Come" serves as a heartfelt update from the Heavyweight team, showcasing their resilience in the face of industry challenges and personal growth during their hiatus. Through honest reflections and creative endeavors, Jonathan, Stevie, and Kayleigh set the stage for a promising new season, reinforcing their commitment to storytelling and connection with their audience.

Transcript

[Kayleigh]

Foreign.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

You're listening to an iHeart podcast.

[Khalilah Holt]

ChatGPT plus is free for college students now through May. That means you have no limits on how many ways you can prompt ChatGPT to help you through the worst part of the school year. I spoke with producer and college graduate Khalilah Holt. Yeah, you can create any image you can think of in any style. Quick, give me an image.

[Stevie]

Sylvia Plath doing stand up comedy.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

Ding.

[Khalilah Holt]

Sylvia Plath happy at last. Thanks to ChatGPT. ChatGPT plus free for college students through May. Restrictions apply.

[Unknown]

Hey, friend. I know how this feels. Waking up exhausted after multiple trips to the bathroom and feeling embarrassed by sudden leaks. I used to be constantly on edge, searching for a restroom whenever I was out. Then I discovered Better Woman. I was skeptical at first, but two months in, everything changed. I experienced improved bladder control. No more heart stopping moments when I laugh or sneeze, less urge to go deeper, and more restful sleep. I finally felt like myself again, confident and in control. Better Woman is natural, effective, clinically tested and trusted by Women for over 25 years. Ready to take back your control? Head over to bebetternow.com to order your supply today. That's bebetternow.com. these statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Use as directed. Individual results may vary.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

Hello? Hello?

[Stevie]

Hi. Hold on. I'm not so bad.

[Kayleigh]

Okay.

[Stevie]

Okay. Hello? Can you hear me?

[Jonathan Goldstein]

Hello? Yes, Khalilah, Hi.

[Stevie]

Hello, Jonathan.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

Hello, Stevie. Hello.

[Kayleigh]

Hi.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

Wow, that's some real, like, Citizen Kane lighting in that studio. Yeah, very expressionistic shadows.

[Stevie]

I'm not big on overhead lights.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

So how are we? It's been a while.

[Kayleigh]

It's been a year.

[Stevie]

It's been over a year.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

So what's new? What's happening?

[Stevie]

Well, we were all laid off.

[Kayleigh]

Yep.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

Yes. Your point being?

[Stevie]

Well, you said what? I was just answering about what we've been up to.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

I guess I get a little defensive about it.

[Stevie]

No, we had, like, kind of a crazy year of trying to find a new home for the show.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

Yeah, a lot of meetings.

[Stevie]

Some good meetings, some bad meetings. I could not believe how long it took. I will say.

[Kayleigh]

I know. And everyone told me. I was talking to other people, you know, who have taken their shows to new places or had their shows canceled. And everyone told me, like, it's gonna take longer than you think.

[Stevie]

And I was like, but I already think kind of a long time, so I'm gonna be getting ahead of this.

[Kayleigh]

And still it Took a long time.

[Stevie]

Yeah. So what everyone get up to with all your unstructured time?

[Jonathan Goldstein]

Well, for me, I realized that I had been kind of on the carousel of deadlines and production for almost 20 years. So, you know, stopping affected me in a way that I didn't anticipate. But I did kind of go through a period of feeling very at sea. And took me a while to get used to, like, not doing anything in a way. Like, except for, you know, taking my son to school, picking him up and going on runs, and trying to teach myself, not very successfully, how to play the piano.

[Stevie]

Can you play any basic songs?

[Jonathan Goldstein]

Um, not even. I mean, it's very. It's very jazzy. You know, it's very, like, avant garde. The way that I play the piano. She's playing random notes, kind of. So, yeah. So those are the major things. What have you guys been up to? Stevie, I know that you've probably been up to all kinds of. You're a very productive person.

[Stevie]

What about me? What kind of person am I?

[Kayleigh]

Kayleigh, this isn't about you.

[Stevie]

Fine. I'll hold my question.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

I don't know. I could see you didn't. I don't know, maybe you joined a cult or something. I'm not sure I would be easily.

[Stevie]

Sucked into a cult.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

You think so?

[Stevie]

Yeah, it's a fear of mine.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

What would be the thing that would suck you in?

[Stevie]

I think if they just caught me on a bad day where I was feeling really isolated and they were like, come on. And I didn't want to disappoint them. I'd be like, okay. And I'd be like, these people are so nice.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

And you'd be like, I always have plans. Now my calendar is so full with events.

[Kayleigh]

Yeah. Cause, you know, cults are really using Google Calendar.

[Stevie]

Every day is just blocked off within. It just says cult stuff.

[Kayleigh]

But to answer your question, Jonathan, I also did a whole bunch of nothing this year.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

Really?

[Kayleigh]

Yeah. I.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

You're not just saying that to make me feel better?

[Kayleigh]

No, no, no. I keep calling it my year off. And everyone's like, off of work, and I'm like, off of everything.

[Stevie]

Yeah, Pure.

[Kayleigh]

Yeah, exactly. Let's see. I traveled a lot. I visited friends, I read, like, multiple books. Like. Like multiple books.

[Stevie]

Like three books, maybe.

[Khalilah Holt]

Yeah.

[Kayleigh]

And as. And as you guys know, I do a lot of jewelry making and blacksmithing.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

Like, you make horseshoes? I'm so.

[Stevie]

That.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

That's not nothing. So you were. You were working and you were making jewelry and things?

[Kayleigh]

Yeah, yeah, I was being Creative, I guess, but very unstructured.

[Stevie]

Yeah.

[Kayleigh]

What about you, Kayleigh? What did you do?

[Stevie]

I also traveled some. The other thing I did, which was very fun. I'm a big fan of the Brooklyn Public Library, and they did something this last year called Browse the Branches, where you got a little booklet, like a little passport, and you tried to go to every Brooklyn Public Library branch and they would give you a little sticker at each one. And if you got all the stickers, you got a tote bag, which I did.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

How many branches are there?

[Stevie]

62.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

Okay.

[Stevie]

It was a little embarrassing always to walk up to them and be like, hey, can I have the sticker? But I did it. So that was probably my biggest accomplishment of the year.

[Kayleigh]

Well, should we talk about what we've got coming up?

[Stevie]

Yeah. So we've got a new season later this year. Um, but before then, we have some.

[Kayleigh]

Other little treats just to tide our listeners over and to say hello again after all this time.

[Stevie]

Yeah. So we're gonna revisit some favorite episodes and have some little updates at the end of what's happened since. But before that.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

Yeah. So one thing that we did this year was that we would occasionally check in and we would let each other know what we were up to in the form of audio stories.

[Stevie]

Yeah. We weren't making heavyweight. We were trying to entertain each other and keep those gears from rusting. Is that how machinery works?

[Jonathan Goldstein]

Yeah, I think gears can get rusty if they're not oiled with the juices of creativity.

[Stevie]

Yeah. Didn't want that.

[Kayleigh]

But then what happened was, you know, we kind of made them just as, like a silly thing. And then we played them for each other and we were like, oh, these are kind of great. And we thought that they could be fun in this time while we're making the new season to share with our audience for fun. Yeah.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

So should we say what our stories are about?

[Kayleigh]

I made a story about something I found myself doing a lot of in this time off, which was solving long standing customer service issues.

[Stevie]

That's one of your passions.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

It is.

[Kayleigh]

I would also call it a passion. Thank you, Kayleigh.

[Stevie]

I spent some time trying to do things that freaked me out, but that I felt that I needed to try at some point in my life. So I wrote a little essay about one of the things that I tried. Jonathan, what's yours?

[Jonathan Goldstein]

Yeah. So I made a story about one of the things that I did during our year off was I stopped drinking, which is something that I had been doing on a daily basis for at Least the past, you know, couple of decades. I mean, to be clear, I should say it wasn't like I hit rock bottom or anything. I didn't bottom out, but.

[Stevie]

But you stopped. But bottom zing up.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

I bottomed. I bottomed up. Is that an expression? Bottoming up, as in, like, tilting the bottom of the.

[Stevie]

Yes.

[Khalilah Holt]

Right.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

Cause that is true. I did.

[Khalilah Holt]

Yes.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

I also feel like I did this. You know, when it was announced that the show was coming back, I did this interview with the New York Times, and they asked me what I've been up to in the past year, and I was like, well, you know, I quit drinking. So I feel like if I start drinking again, it'll be like, I've lied to the New York Times.

[Stevie]

They're gonna have to do a correction.

[Kayleigh]

And the italic print at the bottom, that's like, Mr. Goldstein has since started drinking again.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

Yeah, I don't need that.

[Stevie]

Okay, so we are gonna release these three little stories, and then we'll have these old favorites with updates for you over the summer. Going to take a little break, and we'll be back with a new season.

[Kayleigh]

Jonathan, do you want to play us out?

[Jonathan Goldstein]

You know, conveniently, I've been sitting behind the piano this whole time.

[Kayleigh]

SA.

[Khalilah Holt]

ChatGPT plus is free for college students now through May. That means you have no limits on how many ways you can prompt ChatGPT to help you through the worst part of the school year. I spoke with producer and college graduate Khalilah Holt. Yeah, you can create any image you can think of in any style. Quick, give me an image.

[Stevie]

Sylvia Plath Jinks. Stand up. Comedy ding.

[Khalilah Holt]

Sylvia Plath Happy at last. Thanks to ChatGPT. ChatGPT free for college students through May. Restrictions apply.

[Unknown]

Hey, friend. I know how this feels. Waking up exhausted after multiple trips to the bathroom and feeling embarrassed by sudden leaks. I used to be constantly on edge, searching for a restroom whenever I was out. Then I discovered Better Woman. I was skeptical at first, but two months in, everything changed. I experienced improved bladder control. No more heart stopping moments when I laugh or sneeze, less urge to go deeper, and more restful sleep. I finally felt like myself again. Confident and in control. Better Woman is natural, effective, clinically tested and trusted by Women for over 25 years. Ready to take back your control? Head over to bebetternow.com to order your supply today. That's be betternow.com these statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Use as directed. Individual results may vary.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

You're listening to an iHeart podcast.