#1795 Had Enough - Part 2

Summary

Juicebox Podcast: Type 1 Diabetes

Episode 1795 – “Had Enough” (Part 2)

Date: March 11, 2026
Host: Scott Benner
Guest: Justin

---

Episode Overview

This episode continues the candid conversation between Scott Benner and longtime type 1 diabetic Justin. Building on Part 1, the discussion dives into the real-world challenges of diabetes management, the hidden knowledge gaps within the diabetes care ecosystem, and the unique role the Juicebox Podcast fills for type 1s. The interaction blends humor, frank frustration, and gratitude as Justin explains his evolving experience with devices, finances, community, and content—while Scott reflects on the driving philosophy, impact, and honest motivations behind the podcast.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Realities of Diabetes Complications and Management (02:52)

• Justin talks about his mild diabetic retinopathy, how better control has resulted in some improvement, and the impact of hardware costs.
• Quote:
  "I would say the only other complication is financial and with hardware stuff costs more now." – Justin [03:48]
• Justin recounts switching from outdated insulin pumps (Medtronic) to Omnipod, and CGM sensors from Medtronic to Dexcom—pointing out significant cost savings.
  • Switching supply channels (pharmacy vs. DME) cut his out-of-pocket expenses by $1,000–$2,000/year.
• Quote:
  "Where is somebody to say, hey, maybe you should check that out?” – Justin [08:06]

Information Gaps & The Role of Patient Advocacy (06:51)

• Both express frustration that vital, cost-saving knowledge isn’t proactively shared by healthcare providers or the system.
• Justin credits the Juicebox Podcast for filling these information gaps and empowering listeners.
• Quote:
  "There are roughly 10,000 people who are listening to you every day because they are scared. We are scared. We are let down. We are lost. And we need you, the guy from Jersey, to basically tell us and show us what we're not being told." – Justin [11:08]

Podcast Impact & Philosophy (08:48, 12:21)

• Scott shares metrics: 21 million downloads, top 1% among 800,000+ podcasts, reaching a global audience (12th in Apple Medicine, top 200 in 42 countries).
• He positions the podcast as a “megaphone” for type 1 voices, focusing on real stories rather than influencers or pre-packaged answers.
• Quote:
  "I just take my megaphone every day and I hold it up and I find somebody with type 1 diabetes who's impacted by diabetes somehow. And I say, here's my megaphone. You go ahead and use it." – Scott [12:21]

Balancing Education & Entertainment (15:21)

• Scott highlights the blend of anecdote, real talk, and educational guests (Jenny, Erica, Dr. Blevins) to make learning about diabetes less intimidating and more accessible.
• Quote:
  "I think I trick you into taking care of your diabetes by entertaining you." – Scott [15:33]

Accessibility & Language — Innovation in Sharing Information (18:01)

• Discussion of podcast transcripts, ASL translations, and technology enabling real-time translation and accessibility.
• Scott notes investing in resources out of pocket (e.g., ASL Bold Beginnings), with the hope that AI/tech will soon make universal language access seamless.
• Quote:
  "For the person who needs that, my gosh, that's going to be big for them, right?" – Scott [19:07]

Community, Social Platforms, and Managing Growth (20:03, 23:05)

• Scott debates the merits of Facebook groups vs. custom/focused communities (Circle), noting challenges in changing user habits despite valuable, curated content.
• Mentions 80,000-member Facebook group: mostly self-sustaining positivity, but requires daily moderation and time investment.

Podcast Business Model & Integrity (28:12)

• Scott outlines sponsorship model, ensures editorial independence.
• Declines to promote high-fee coaching or products/services he doesn’t genuinely believe in.
• Quote:
  "There are things that I have, like, personal discomfort with. I don't begrudge anybody a living. But I am not going to drive you towards a coaching service that's basically just going to tell you you can do it. And here's how you pre bolus. I don't think you should have to pay for that." – Scott [28:12]
• Scott openly discusses the production effort involved (60+ hours/week), recognizing the need to sustain the work, but frames the ad content and financials as serving the core mission—making expert, peer-driven diabetes info free to listeners.

The Emotional Impact of the Podcast (34:44)

• Justin highlights the deep, emotional resonance the podcast has for listeners: support for newly diagnosed families, making people feel understood, and normalizing vulnerability.
• Quote:
  "You just gotta scroll through, like, three screens worth of your Facebook group to see the people that you've helped and touched and made cry. And that means something." – Justin [34:24]

Radical Honesty, Inclusivity, and Vulnerability (36:22, 37:09)

• Scott discusses his willingness to share personal and sometimes sensitive stories, setting the tone so guests can be honest and vulnerable.
• Quote:
  "I don't know how to expect you guys to come on here and open up if I'm not willing to do it as well." – Scott [36:22]
• Critiques shallow, formulaic diabetes content and insists that only unfiltered, honest, longform conversations cultivate genuine insight and connection.

Personal Motivation – Legacy and Family (41:32)

• Scott emphasizes his primary motivation: creating a living library of knowledge and support for his daughter as she grows into adulthood.
• Quote:
  "If you guys are enjoying the podcast or it's helping you, I'm glad for you, but I'm making this thing for my daughter, like, that's it." – Scott [41:32]

On Criticism and Authenticity in Media (38:34, 40:00)

• Scott remains transparent about his lack of ulterior motives, aiming only to help, support, and provide sustainable free resources.
• He addresses both the praise and criticism he receives, underscoring that universal approval isn't the goal—helping people is.

---

Notable Quotes & Moments with Timestamps

• “It pisses me off that I went... probably 5 years paying the rates for DME through my insurance for the Medtronic supplies... and I could have saved so much.” – Justin [05:04]
• “If you don’t think to look up and ask a ton of questions, you’re never going to find out. It does stink, man, the way it works.” – Scott [08:09]
• “I provide the wants of the stories alongside the needs of the curriculum.” – Justin [15:53]
• “The ADA has a podcast... but to get a million downloads took them like 10 years... That’s insignificant as far as a podcast goes.” – Scott [16:03]
• “It’s the embarrassing, the sensitive, the vulnerable stuff that you pull out of us and that you add... at a dinner party, you probably wouldn’t tell to somebody else.” – Justin [35:34]
• “We need people being really clear and honest about what’s happening to them so that you can say ‘Oh, wow, that happened to me too’... then actually have that leveling up of your life.” – Scott [37:10]
• "If you like this podcast, you've got Howard Stern to thank. And if you like that it's a podcast, you also have Kevin Smith to thank." – Scott [32:45]
• "I am trying to put together a spot where [my daughter] can go as an adult when I'm gone. And get answers that she might need." – Scott [41:32]
• “Annoyed me. But lower my A1C.” – Justin [45:19]
• “I don’t like that guy. But you should see my A1C. That makes me so happy.” – Scott [45:22]

---

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:52] Justin discusses eye health & retinopathy experience
• [06:50–08:09] Medical supply financials, system failures, and the importance of information sharing
• [10:19–12:21] Podcast reach, global audience, and Scott’s “megaphone” metaphor
• [15:21–16:03] Blending stories and education, contrasting with other diabetes media
• [18:01–19:07] Accessibility efforts: transcripts, ASL, future of live translation
• [23:05] Managing online community growth
• [28:12–29:06] Business model, editorial integrity, ads vs. information access
• [34:24–36:22] Building safe spaces for emotional honesty and community support
• [40:00–41:32] Reflections on authenticity, motives, and legacy for his daughter
• [45:22] Look back at impact and Scott’s favorite “rave reviews”

---

Conclusion

Episode 1795 is a heartfelt, humorous, and at times raw look at the lived experience of type 1 diabetes and the importance of honest, accessible patient-driven content. Justin’s journey reflects the frustrations and triumphs of navigating the medical system, while Scott’s openness about the podcast’s mission, business, and community-building efforts reveal what makes the Juicebox Podcast a unique pillar in the diabetes world: a place where being “annoyed, but lowering your A1C” means true success.

---

For more resources, support, series, and upcoming events like the Juice Cruise 2026, visit juiceboxpodcast.com.

Transcript

[Scott]

Friends, we're all back together for the next episode of the Juice Box Podcast. Welcome.

[Justin]

I'm Justin. I'm a type 1 diabetic. I've had diabetes since I was just shy of three years old and I'm pissed off.

[Scott]

This is part two of a two part episode. Go look at the title. If you don't recognize it, you haven't heard part one yet. It's probably the episode right before this. In your podcast player, check out my Algorithm Pumping series to help you make sense of automated insulin delivery systems like Omnipod 5 Loop, Medtronic 780G Twist, Tandem Control IQ and much more. Each episode will dive into the setup, features and real world usage tips that can transform your daily type 1 diabetes management. We cut through the jargon, share personal experiences and show you how these algorithms can simplify and streamline your care. If you're curious about automated insulin pumping, go find the Algorithm Pumping series in the Juicebox podcast. Easiest way juiceboxpodcast.com and go up into the menu. Click on series and it'll be right there. Nothing you hear on the Juice Box Podcast should be considered advice, medical or otherwise. Always consult a physician before making any changes to your healthcare plan or becoming bold with insulin. I'm having an On Body Vibe alert. This episode of the Juice Box Podcast is sponsored by Eversense365. The only one year wear CGM. That's one insertion and one CGM a year. One CGM one year, not every 10 or 14 days. Eversensecgm.com Juicebox Today's episode is also sponsored by the Tandem MOBI system, which is powered by Tandem's newest algorithm, Control IQ Technology. Tandemoby has a predictive algorithm that helps prevent highs and lows and is now available for ages 2 and up. Learn more and get started today at tandomdiabetes.com Juicebox the podcast is also sponsored today by Touched by Type 1. Please take a moment to learn more about [e-mail] on Facebook and Instagram touchedbytype1.org check out their many programs, their annual conference awareness campaign, their D Box program, Dancing for Diabetes. They have a dance program for local kids, a golf night, and so much more. Tonight. Touchedbytype1.org you're looking to help or you want to see people helping people? With type 1 you want touchedbytype1.org do you have any complications right now?

[Justin]

No major ones. My eyes seemed to be struggling a little bit. I had corrective eye surgery back in I think 2004. I had glasses for a while as a kid and I went with corrective eye surgery to fix that. And then maybe like two years ago, I started needing cheaters a lot more often for reading. I can drive without glasses. They say I have mild diabetic retinopathy. But it's. I think I had it in both eyes and I want to say the one I. I don't know if it's receded or gone away or whatever, but it, at least in the one eye it's improved. And the other one, the current eye that it is noticed in, she's had a harder time finding it.

[Scott]

I've interviewed people that say that they've had pretty significant issues, that once they got their A1C down and they've got nice stable blood sugars, that they've experienced a lot of progress and positivity in their eyes. So yeah, that's awesome.

[Justin]

I would say the only other complication is financial and with hardware stuff costs more now. Well, it costs more, but maybe two years ago it was nice. I. At the one Endo office, I said I was looping, but I need the old pumps. My NP went into a drawer, pulled out about eight of them from patients who would surrender them to the office once their four year warranty was up. And she just gave me six of them. I thought, this is great, but I think in a matter of a year, two broke and one died. So I thought, oh, that doesn't make me feel very good. And then I thought back to I had been on Mini Med since the early 2000s. I was on Decitronic before that when I first went on the pump. So Medtronic's all I knew. But then I said, well, that girl at the ADA Tour de Cure event, she had the Omnipod and dashes are still being made, so that's new current hardware. And oh my gosh, it comes through the pharmacy.

[Scott]

I was going to say you're not still looping with an old Medtronic pump, right?

[Justin]

I think I have two of them upstairs.

[Scott]

Okay, but you're doing it with Omnipod right now.

[Justin]

I am, yeah. I am for a couple of reasons. First one's financial. I don't ask me why. Okay, back to the anger. It pisses me off that I went, oh boy. Probably 5 years paying the rates for DME through my insurance for the Medtronic supplies or the minimal supplies, which were separately reservoirs, tubings with the infusion sets and oh, at one time the end light sensors.

[Scott]

Right.

[Justin]

Because the CGM went through them too. So eventually the first thing I switched off of was the end light and I went to Dexcom because lo and behold, Loupe would let you use freestyle Dexcom or the inline sensor if you had the Medtronic. And I thought, well, if I'm going to switch off, let me try the Medtronic pump with the Dexcom sensor to get on more current hardware. And Dexcom has always been in my mind, from what I've heard, the gold standard for CGM in that day, certainly. Starting off, I migrate to Dexcom. Then eventually, I think after I broke the third pump, I said, boy, I got to get this other pump. So I go to Omnipod. Now that had to go through the pharmacy. So that was a single copay. I got to easily drop the co pays or move away from DME for the Medtronic supplies. And then I said, yeah, Omnipod only goes to the pharmacy. And for some stupid reason, I looked up on the formulary list for, for, I think Mini Med. And sure enough, all the supplies all that time are in the pharmacy.

[Scott]

Yeah.

[Justin]

And I'm saying, where are people to tell me that?

[Scott]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Justin]

Who's going to stand up and say DME may work? Because I guess it worked. I asked my mom recently, how much did you pay for my supplies as a kid? And she goes, gosh, I really don't remember. Which to me says, not that much. I doubt it was free or covered, but it couldn't have been much. So now I'm like, how much am I paying? And so I added everything up, doing the like four circuits of it a year for the 90 day supplies, switching all the Mini Med supplies. If I changed nothing, switching the Mini Med supplies would save me $1,000 a year out of pocket.

[Scott]

That's awesome.

[Justin]

Then switch that around. And with the change to Omnipod, which is a single copay every 90 days, plus doing G7 instead of G6, because G6 was two scripts. Transmitter and sensor going to the G7, since it's all one unit, that's one copay and one script. And then moving from GME to pharmacy out of pocket, I saved $2,000 a year.

[Scott]

That's a significant amount of money. Geez.

[Justin]

And where is somebody to say, hey, maybe you should check that out?

[Scott]

Yeah, that's not how the system works. Once you're into it, you just roll and do what you do. And if you don't think to look up and ask a ton of questions, you're never going to find out. It does stink man, the way it works.

[Justin]

Or think to search through the Apple podcast app and say, oh, who's got podcasts about diabetes Loop.

[Scott]

Yeah.

[Justin]

Oh, this dummy banner has it.

[Scott]

I'm uncomfortable with you calling me dumb.

[Justin]

Well, I can't call you wacky. I have to call you something, man.

[Scott]

I'm happy the podcast is valuable for you. I really am. It's. It makes me feel great.

[Justin]

And it's, it's not just me. I mean, clearly. What are your downloads like each day?

[Scott]

Well, I don't share that, but okay, I could tell you that I have. This is January 2026. I've just started producing my 12th solid year. We did 320 episodes last year. We'll probably do somewhere similar, you know, maybe a fewer this year. I woke up this morning, the podcast was number 12 in the Apple US medicine category. It was top 200 in 42 other countries. Australia, Canada, England. There were like in the top 20, top 30 in those countries.

[Justin]

Are you just buying time to try to get a number or are you going to answer the question?

[Scott]

I've done close to 21 million downloads the time I've been making the podcast. The podcast is in the top 1% of all podcasts that exist. Let me be honest. Not that I'm not being. But let me be further honest. I am in the top 1% of all podcasts. Having said that, there are about four and a half million registered podcasts, only about 800,000 of them actually produce an episode. Of those 800,000, something like 86% of them don't do enough downloads to get an ad. So you're basically talking about 14% of about 800,000 podcasts that are like, viable actually get more than about 130 downloads per episode. But of those 800,000, I'm in the top 1%. If you take the top 1% and break it down into 100 parts, like the top 40% of the top 1%, meaning that, you know, the big. The famous people.

[Justin]

Yeah, you're. You're no Joe Rogan, you're no Jason Kelsey.

[Scott]

Those people are probably doing my daily downloads in an hour.

[Justin]

Right. If I did some rough math here correctly, I would. This is my opinion. You're in the four figures probably a day.

[Scott]

We do millions of downloads a year,

[Justin]

so the rough math would suggest that you're around maybe 10,000 a day. So that's 10,000 downloads a day from people like me. Hopefully not too many people like me because I'm a jerk.

[Scott]

So angry and mean.

[Justin]

Justin, I'm also looking out the window. It just started to snow. So I'm going to get angrier.

[Scott]

Where are you at?

[Justin]

Saratoga, New York.

[Scott]

That would piss me off. I don't want it to snow here. I just want to say that right now. Go ahead. I'm sorry. People like you.

[Justin]

There are roughly 10, 10,000 people who are listening to you every day because they are scared. We are scared. I'm going to let myself in. We are scared. We are let down. We are lost. And we need you, the guy from Jersey, to basically tell us and show us what we're not being told. That's more valuable than the blessed safe thing. Because what happens if and when. Let me run a crazy theoretical what happens if somebody comes out with research that says GLP1s don't work? You've been banging that drum for a while for good reason. Let me be clear. But if you were a medical professional and that blew up in your face, you would lose your license or you would have a reputation that would hurt your well being. What happens to you if that comes out? Probably nothing. You pivot because you're just a guy sharing people's stories.

[Scott]

That's really it.

[Justin]

And guiding us.

[Scott]

I mean, that's where the value is. Justin, listen, I've come to think of it more like this. I'm sure I have some skills that make this listenable. That's all well and good, but what I've done, if somebody with type 1 diabetes wants to say thank you to me, I think that what I've done is I've built this thing up to be large enough that it attracts people to come in and tell their story so that you can hear their story. I just think of this more as like, I don't know, I own the megaphone is kind of how it feels. I could be doing all kinds of cool stuff with my megaphone if I wanted to, but instead of going to a football game and using it and picking something that I'm could make a bunch of money off of or whatever, I just take my megaphone every day and I hold it up and I find somebody with type 1 diabetes who's impacted by diabetes somehow. And I say, here's my megaphone. You go ahead and use it. Today, let's talk about the Tandem Moby insulin pump from today's sponsor, Tandem Diabetes Care. Their newest algorithm, Control IQ plus technology and the new Tandem Moby pump offer you unique opportunities to have better control. It's the only system with autobolus that helps with missed meals and preventing Hyperglycemia. The only system with a dedicated sleep setting and the only system with off or on body wear options. Tandem Moby gives you more discretion, freedom and options for how to manage your diabetes. This is their best algorithm ever and they'd like you to check it [e-mail] juicebox when you get to my link, you're going to see integrations with Dexcom sensors and a ton of other information that's going to help you learn about Tandem's tiny pump that's big on control. Tandemdiabetes.com juicebox the Tandem mobi system is available for people ages 2 and up who want an automated delivery system to help them sleep better, wake up in range and address high blood sugars with Autobolus. Why would you settle for changing your CGM every few weeks when you can have 365 days of reliable glucose data? Today's episode is sponsored by the Eversense365. It is the only CGM with a tiny sensor that lasts a full year. Sitting comfortably under your skin with no more frequent sensor changes and essentially no compression lows for one year, you'll get your CGM data in real time on your phone, smartwatch, Android or iOS, even an Apple watch. Predictive high and low alerts let you know where your glucose is headed before it gets there. So there's no surprises, just confidence. And you can instantly share that data with your healthcare provider or your family. You're going to get one year of reliable data without all those sensor changes. That's the Eversense 365. Gentle on your skin, strong for your life. One sensor a year. That gives you one less thing to worry about. Head now to eversensecgm.com juicebox to get started.

[Justin]

But you balance it with Jenny And Erica and Dr. Blevins, folks who are adding more curriculum, more structured.

[Scott]

Yeah, I mean, listen, put another way, I think I trick you into taking care of your diabetes by entertaining you. That's what I'm trying to do. Like I make the podcast something you want to come back to so that you'll listen to the stuff that helps you. Because I think if you just made a very cold podcast about diabetes, I don't think anybody would listen to it. Actually, I think other people have proven that out.

[Justin]

You provide the wants of the stories alongside the needs of the curriculum.

[Scott]

Listen, I can tell you this. The ADA has a podcast.

[Justin]

They do.

[Scott]

Yeah. Well, listen, the ADA has a podcast that there's been blog talk radio shows before Mine. But I think I had the first type 1 diabetes podcast January 2015. And when I really went back and looked, I think the ADA might have had one a couple of months before me. And I just didn't realize it, but in their social media somewhere, I saw them celebrate a million downloads, but it took them like 10 years. And. And I thought. I mean, because the information in the ADA podcast must be pretty rock solid, you would imagine, you know what I mean? Listen, getting 100,000 downloads on a podcast in a year, and I don't know what they are, but I'm kind of saying 10 years, 1 million, kind of breaking it down that way. That's just. It's insignificant as far as a podcast goes. You know, if you're just trying to reach a small group of people and you're using it for a business or something, that might be amazing. But if you're trying to cast a net that reaches the whole world and brings back in. You know, I hate to say it, but if you're doing $100,000 a year on a podcast, you're not reaching very many people. It's about making it something that is listenable, that you leave with something actionable. And that could be your mental health feels better, you feel heard, you feel like somebody understands you, you understand how to pre bolus now, whatever that might be for you that day, and you leave with that improved, so much so that you think to go tell someone else about it. And that's how it grows, and it's why I get as many downloads as I do and why the podcast continue. Actually, this year is starting off great. Like, it's growing like crazy right now again. And so that's why that stuff is happening. And was that my intention when I started? Like, I don't know. Like, I really don't know. I just didn't want to lose. My blog was popular and it helped people, and I didn't want to lose it. People stopped reading, so I made a podcast. This thing has clearly grown since then.

[Justin]

I like audio better myself, personally.

[Scott]

None of us read anymore. That's pretty much over.

[Justin]

Well, that's true, yeah.

[Scott]

But it also sticks to you better. And by the way, then there's people who, like, came to me years ago and they're like, well, listen, it's nice to hear that this protein tip series is helping people, but I don't learn that way. And I'm like, oh, okay, well, here's transcripts. Do you know there's a person. I just learned this in the last Year, there's a person who helps me online. Like, I have these group of people who help in the Facebook group. Lovely, lovely, wonderful people. And I learned recently one of them doesn't even listen to the podcast and never listens to it. And I was like, wait, what? And they go, no, I read it every day. I'm like, you read the podcast every day? Has never once heard it.

[Justin]

Wow.

[Scott]

Isn't that fascinating? Because when people came and said, I need transcripts, I was like, why? Because I would never read it. But then I realized some people did, so we added transcripts, and that helped immensely for another group of people. I don't know if 50 people will ever see it, but I, out of my pocket, paid for an ASL translation of the Bold Beginning series.

[Justin]

And I watched one of those videos. I don't know sign language, but I watched it because you had put in that effort and expense. And that lady does a terrific job.

[Scott]

She's awesome. The way I thought of it was, for the person who needs that, my gosh, that's going to be big for them, right? And I only knew that because I hear from so many people who are like. A woman just contacted me recently and said, would you mind if I took all your transcripts and translated them to another language? And I was like, they're on the Internet. You can do whatever the hell you want with them. Go ahead. But she's got a whole population of people, I don't want to say exactly where, but like, on a small island somewhere who need this content. And she's like, they just don't have any context for English at all. I do. I'm going to translate it all and give it to them. And I said, you should do that. But at the same time, Justin, what I'm going to tell you is Facebook is doing it now. They're picking a few videos that they're running, and you can live click on the video and choose a different language, and it just translates it right there.

[Justin]

Oh, see, I know you talked about. I think it's your AI agent in circle.

[Scott]

It does that too. Yeah, you can go into that circle group, and basically there's like a couple of hundred transcripts of the podcast in there. You can type a question in a different language and it'll query everything and answer you in your own language. But the problem with that circle group is is that it's hard to build up. I think I have like a thousand people in there, which is lovely. But people use Facebook because Facebook's on their phone. It's in their face. And what I'm learning after a year of running that circle group is that it just isn't drawing people in. And it costs me 400amonth. And so I'm thinking I have to shut it off. And it breaks my heart. I wish you would all just go use it and talk to each other there and get the benefits of what else it does. But I just don't think it's going to work. People who are on Facebook are programmed to be on Facebook and to ask them to open up a different app. It just doesn't translate. But I also don't know that that's going to matter in another year or so, because my point is that Apple just updated their podcast app again. If you have iOS 26, your podcast app looks a little different now. And I actually think you can update it without going to iOS 26, but update your podcast app in Apple because now it breaks it down into chapters. Already as you're listening, it says like, this part's about this, this part's about that. The live translation to text is pretty seamless. I think the Apple podcast app makes better transcripts than whatever the services I'm using online. And my expectation is if I pull back and see the big picture, if you can type into something in one language, it can query a different language, come back to you in your language. If Facebook is starting to mess with videos that you can click on and change it into German or Spanish, like right there, like an English speaking video, then my expectation is that we are not far away from going into Apple podcasts or Spotify and listening to an English language podcast and just pushing a button saying, I want to hear it in this language. I think that's probably pretty close. So once that happens, most of the things I've been trying to get to are going to happen automatically. Which is good because I, along the way, I didn't have the resources to do half the things I wanted to do anyway. It looks like AI is going to take care of that for us.

[Justin]

That's pretty wild.

[Scott]

Yeah.

[Justin]

For the different languages, the spoken and written languages, that's wild. I mean, I already knew about the written translations that you could do out of the AI agent, but if they're doing that live.

[Scott]

Yeah, it's happening live in front of

[Justin]

you in audio or video. That's incredible.

[Scott]

I'm listening to an episode today because I tried a different editing thing today and I was trying to listen to the audio. So I'm listening to my own podcast this morning. To hear it. But I'm in the player right here. If you click on it, it drops down and it breaks it into chapters. The $15,000 dog, a frustrating diagnosis journey, early medical trauma, Compounding health crisis, Finding answers through listening, Redefining diabetes management, Advocating for better care. Broke it down into those chapters. I didn't do that. I didn't tell it that. I just uploaded my podcast, and when it comes out on the app, it's got those chapters on it now. Everything's gonna speed up really quickly.

[Justin]

I've never noticed your episodes that have the chapters, and I've seen now, Apple did it.

[Scott]

It just started happening, huh? Yeah. Like, Everybody, go download iOS 26. If you want to help me. That would be a big deal. Get the new podcast app. Anyway, the Circle group is. It's $5,000 a year, which was great

[Justin]

for when you had one of the sponsors.

[Scott]

Yeah, I got a sponsor to cover it last. I'm paying for it now this year. So, like, I just go in there and it. Sometimes it feels like there's, like, 20 people using it.

[Justin]

I do see the same people. I see Monica and Domino and Jen, which Jen, by the way, very sheepish and concerned about what she said in her interview with you. So she's not real keen on how it's going to come out.

[Scott]

Really.

[Justin]

She's scared. You scared her, Scott.

[Scott]

Well, listen, what I can tell you is that most people leave this thinking like, they did a bad job. And what I always say is, I might be getting close to 1800 episodes, and everybody does a good job. You're not doing a good job or a bad job. You are telling your story the way you know how to tell it, and it helps people. I think that one of the great things about the podcast is that it's me talking to people who have never been on a podcast before. Mostly, yeah. It's not somebody who's out there. Like, it's podcasting is. It used to be that if you got together and you. You'd interview a blogger, but bloggers became rehearsed, and so it didn't matter what you asked them, they had pat answers. And so no matter how many times they did an interview, it just all looked the same. And now with people trying to be influencers, they've all made the same mistake. Like, I could get thoughtful about why I think my podcast is popular, but I try not to fall into that. Like, well, I shouldn't say that. Or I just definitely don't say this. Don't talk about that. Like, you know, just say these things. But it all works the same way now, too. So there's the same group of people, they're running around doing diabetes media, basically, and they all just say the same damn thing over and over again. And so there's no value in that at all. Or they're trying to get out the word about their thing. Oh, you know, I have a coaching service or I have this, or, like, they tell their story so they can get to the thing they want you to click on or whatever. I don't have any of that. Although I would like you to come on the cruise. The cruise is awesome. If you don't come, I'm okay with it. You know what I mean?

[Justin]

And you've had, you know, some people, clearly, Jenny's from IDS to get more treatment and consultation with her. You gotta go to ids. You've had Erica, who I imagine has her own practice.

[Scott]

She does, yeah. But those people aren't picked by me for that reason. Jenny is picked from me. Because Jenny just came on the podcast, like, in the first year or so of it, and I just left that conversation thinking, oh, I love the way she talks about this. And then it was maybe a couple of hundred episodes later when I decided to make the Pro Tip series, but I thought it would sound ridiculous if it was just me talking.

[Justin]

It would.

[Scott]

Yeah. And so I said, like, why don't I see if Jenny will do it with me? And then she was really tickled by it because she said, for as many people as I help in my profession, I still don't feel like I help enough people. And she likes the way I talk about it. I mean, Jenny's probably been on this podcast hundreds of times, and it added something to it. There's no doubt the Pro Tip series is better because Jenny's there. There's no doubt, right?

[Justin]

For sure.

[Scott]

Yeah. And then we go on and we make other stuff. But Erica, no disrespect to other people. Erica's like the fifth, maybe the. I mean, I tried so many different psychologists, and I never vibed with them until I got to Erica. And I was like, I like the way this feels when I'm recording with her. So now I have somebody who can come on and entertain my. My silliness or my ideas about the world or mental health or whatever like that and try to keep it, you know, together. We just finished a series that's going to start running in a week about body grief, which is an idea. I didn't understand that she brought the light which is awesome. The next series we're going to do is the opposite of the Aces. So that Aces list of life traumas that lead to difficulty later. We're going to do a list of things that parents can do that lead to successes later. That kind of stuff is with her. And yeah. Ericafoursyth.com if you need a therapist, you should go check her out. But we don't push it. Like she comes on and does the thing Jenny. I don't think I ever mentioned what Jenny does for a business. Something people figure out for themselves. And I have no business relationship with the company that Jenny works for.

[Justin]

Sure.

[Scott]

Yeah. Jenny. Just. Yeah, yeah. By the way, I don't have a business relationship with Erica. Like, I'm not getting a piece of anybody. If I did, I would tell you, but I'm not. Right.

[Justin]

You have your sponsors that you do your ads for in the show, but then you're happy to have on people who have value to add for all of us. Like Kenny Fox.

[Scott]

Kenny. Yeah.

[Justin]

Who brought me to you. His original the Fox.

[Scott]

Yeah.

[Justin]

Episodes. And then there was John Fawcett with.

[Scott]

Yeah. Sugar Pixel. John and I are doing a whole thing this year together. John and I are going to be at ADA adcs Friends for Life. We're going to do a booth together at all those events this year.

[Justin]

You're not shy about highlighting something that will help the audience in their daily lives. But you're not shilling either.

[Scott]

No, I'm definitely not. There are things that I have, like, personal discomfort with. I don't begrudge anybody a living. But I am not going to drive you towards a coaching service that's basically just going to tell you you can do it. And here's how you pre bolus. I don't think you should have to pay for that. Right. So there are plenty of coaches that try to come on and I'm like, I'm not doing that with you. Like, you're not charging somebody a few hundred dollars to tell them how to like do a sit up, you know, or something like that. And there are people who need that.

[Justin]

You're going to hound us to pre bolus, but you're going to do it for free.

[Scott]

Yeah. I don't think you should have to pay to understand the bare bones ideas about diabetes.

[Justin]

Right.

[Scott]

Which is why I set the thing up the way I did. And I tell people anybody who buys an ad on this podcast has sat through a meeting with me when I've said to them, I am going to take your money and use it to make that podcast so that these people don't have to pay for this stuff. I say it to everybody. And don't get me wrong, like, I make a reasonable living. I'm not, like, I'm not over here telling you, like, I'm barely getting by or anything like that.

[Justin]

And for the people who don't like the ads, tough.

[Scott]

Yeah. And honestly, even as the years go on, that becomes less of a complaint. People understand how the Internet works now. You know what I mean? Like, they know if they want something for free, someone's paying for it. And if it's not them, then why should you care who it is, right? Also, maybe you'll enjoy a Medtronic pump or an Omnipod or a Dexcom or. You know what? Try US Med. I really love getting ardent supplies through US Med. I'm not making that up. I was using them before they came on as an advertiser, and that's awesome. I think the Contour next gen is the best blood glucose meter you could get. That even makes that easier for me because I am not out in front talking about anything that I don't feel really comfortable about. I'll tell you right Now, I drink AG1, but I didn't enjoy my business relationship with them, so I told them to go away last year. You know, I was like, eh. And it's a significant loss. You know, I pay an editor, I have bills. You know what I mean? Like, it wasn't easy just to say, I'm not doing this with you anymore. It was a financial loss for me.

[Justin]

Oh, no doubt. Yeah, I see AG ads often. And plus. Hi, Rob.

[Scott]

Yeah, somebody's editing your podcast, right? Like, that person makes a living too. Like, there's. Trust me, the thing I'm doing on this topic, in this niche, the thing I'm delivering at, the consistency and the quality that I'm delivering at it is nothing short of a miracle that it's happening. There are plenty of other people out there trying to make it happen. I'm the only one who scaled it. So, like, I don't know why that is. I don't even care. It doesn't matter to me. Like, it just worked out, you know,

[Justin]

you were doing the right thing at the right time, starting with the blogging stuff. And then it morphed, it changed. You've described that you were a first mover, so you were in the right place at the right time. That podcast became more popular. You have the dedicated app right on your phone. So you. You're in everyone's pocket.

[Scott]

It just works. And there's a little mix of me and the people. And I mean, the truth is, is that I probably don't cover every topic that people want, but I listen to them when they speak up and say, you know, hey, how come we're not talking about this? I mean, the Bold Beginning series is because Isabelle told me the pro tips are great, but what if we had it one for people who are a little more newly diagnosed so it wouldn't seem as scary? And I was like, all right, that Bold Beginning series is great. Then Small Sips comes from people saying, like, I can't get my kids to listen to a 45 minute podcast episode. Is there something you could do? And, you know, then all the effort that goes into that. That Small Sip series might seem like a throwaway and easy, but it took like a year and a half to put together. That's why my content isn't. Here's a great cake you can bring to a fourth of July party that won't make your blood sugar spike. Like, that's why you're getting actual thoughtful stuff that it seems like it's off the cuff, but a lot of effort goes into it in the background. This is a business. It is a ton of effort to make this podcast. Like, I'm not kidding you, I didn't realize it was going to be this much work or I might not have started. That's the first thing. And secondly, I'm even finding it hard to believe that I'm good at doing it, but I am. Nothing's written down, Justin. I don't have any plans. I have a whiteboard and that's it. Everything you're hearing is just my interpretation of what you guys need. Based on what I think, what I'm watching with my daughter and what I'm witnessing and experiencing with people online. It's pretty much it.

[Justin]

Plus, you have the pedigree or wisdom from listening to radio hosts for the better part of, I think, your childhood and young adulthood. So it comes naturally. You see how they conduct their interviews, their shows, and you apply it to this.

[Scott]

Yeah, some of you might not like it, but if you like this podcast, you've got Howard Stern to thank. And if you like that it's a podcast, you also have Kevin Smith to thank. He's a movie director who was making a podcast long before podcasts were a thing.

[Justin]

Silent Bob.

[Scott]

Yeah, I loved his podcast. So actually, his mom just passed away and it made me feel sad. I met Kevin a few times but, yeah, I mean, I just. Based on listening to Howard Stern since I was in high school, I know to keep things moving, if I get bored, I move on. I don't let people drive the conversation. I believe that I know what people want to hear, and I do my best to, like, keep things moving in that direction. I must be right. It's working out pretty well because it would be easy to let somebody come on and prattle on and just go, well, it's their story. Let them talk. And I'm like, but you can hear. In my mind, this is probably a quote from Howard Stern, but I can hear the radios turning off if people get boring. And not only that, but, like, even this thing here you and I are doing right now, we don't know each other. We've been talking for an hour and a half. I've just, like, articulated some fairly deep ideas off the top of my head. A hundred miles an hour. If you go back and listen to it, it makes sense. I am good at talking. I know people who aren't good at talking. They know their story. But to get it out of their mouth is a struggle. And plenty of those people come on here as guests, and I help them get their story out. And I'm proud of that. Like, I'm proud of helping somebody who can't just sit down and talk 100 miles an hour like I can, to sit down and feel like when they're done, I was able to express myself. I think this podcast is awesome. I'm trying to keep it going for a decade.

[Justin]

You should be proud of what you've built.

[Scott]

Thank you.

[Justin]

You clearly reach 10,000 people a day, roughly. You. You just gotta scroll through, like, three screens worth of your Facebook group to see the people that you've helped and touched and made cry. And that means something.

[Scott]

Yeah.

[Justin]

Whether they cried because they are so scared because their 4 year old was just diagnosed in DKA, which I don't even think I was in DKA when I was diagnosed. My parents, even back then, saw that I was being irritable with my grandparents. And that probably mixed with frequent urination and thirst were the big signs I didn't have some catastrophic event. Yeah, but you beating that drum of here's the signs and symptoms, here's the tools and techniques to get through your day, to do the best for your blood sugar and for your life, your family members, loved one's life. That means a lot, and you should be proud of what you built. Yes. I said I'm angry with you, but I Truly am incredibly thankful for what you've built, what you give to all of us for having these intimate conversations. I was reading through the Circle group, and I think Jen was saying that Monica said that she hasn't even listened to her episode. It's too bad, because good episode, you should listen to them all. But Jen was worried about what she had said in her episode with you. And I replied and said that it's the embarrassing, the sensitive, the vulnerable stuff that you pull out of us and that you add, you know, you add very intimate stuff about you, your health situation, your, you know, Arden's, Cole's, Kelly's situation that, you know, at a dinner party, you probably wouldn't tell to somebody else.

[Scott]

Justin, you don't know me. I probably would. Most of us. Most of you wouldn't. Yeah, I would. Listen, I just interviewed a doctor that I had something done with the other day, and his episode will be up. I don't know when, but I talked about something in detail where I was like, oh, God, like, why am I even doing this? But the real reason is because I don't know how to expect you guys to come on here and open up if I'm not willing to do it as well. And, you know, if we want this thing to be valuable for people, then it has to be. It has to be like this. It can't just be pleasant or, you know, it can't be two people going like, does your blood sugar get low when you work out? Yeah, diabetes. Like, I. I can't stand all that. It's just such a waste of your time.

[Justin]

Yeah, I just cringed.

[Scott]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. But you know what I'm talking about. There's a ton of it out there. It just doesn't help anybody. I mean, it's nice and all, but it doesn't get to the core of the issue. I get done interviewing somebody and sometimes the recording stops and they'll be like, my God, I feel so much better. You know, or people will joke that they're going to send me their co pay and not go to therapy this week. Or, you know, they leave and send me an email five minutes later and they're like, oh, you know, I'm going to try that thing I just called my endo. Like that kind of stuff. Like, that's what we need. We need people being really clear and honest about what's happening to them so that you can say, oh, wow, that happened to me too. What did you say worked for you? Then actually have that leveling up of your life. Whether it's how you feel or where your health is or maybe a lessening of the burden, whatever it ends up being, this is how I think it has to happen. It has to happen in long form conversations where people are being really honest. And I know there are people tell me I can't listen that long. I feel bad for you. I don't know how else to do this.

[Justin]

Well, I was just looking it up. The Harry Potter audiobooks are like. Like on average, near 20 hours apiece. And people go crazy for Harry Potter.

[Scott]

Well, listen, that's why I said must have felt magical to you. See, I'm trying to get the Harry Potter group in there, man. Justin, I don't know. Like, it's not for everybody. Also, if people hate my guts, you should check out some of the reviews.

[Justin]

Oh, it's true.

[Scott]

Yeah, yeah. Oh, yeah, yeah. But it just is what it is. If it works for you, that's awesome. And if it doesn't, let me kind of leave you with this. When I hear other people who make podcasts, like, really popular podcasts, and they talk about how I can't worry about what other people think of me, and then you hear about how, like, some of the people dislike them, you realize it's all bullshit. From me to somebody who's got five people listening to them, to somebody who has 5 million people a day listening to them. There are some people out there being performative and saying what they think you want them to say. I get that. But for the ones who are just talking the bottom of their heart or the back of their head, like, I am not prepared for this at all. Every day when I make this for people who are just talking, I don't have a deeper. You know what I mean? Like, if this was a political podcast, this would just be me talking. It wouldn't be me trying to affect politics. If this was like a lifestyle podcast, this would be how I feel about things. Not me trying to get you to eat a certain way or do a certain thing. Like, I am just sharing how this occurs to me. I am not trying to make you do something. I'm not trying to make something happen. And I think that the average listener to Content always is looking for, like, what's this person's ulterior motive? Like, why did this guy just say this about the senator in my state? Why did he just say that about the food pyramid? Why did he like. Or whatever it is that people think think I have no ulterior motive at this point. I make this podcast because I know it helps people and I enjoy doing it and it pays my bills. Those are the three reasons I make it. And I have never once gotten on here and thought, well, let me say this because it will make X happen. I do deliver content that I think you guys need, but it's not some Machiavellian thing. I say it out loud. I say I'm trying to trick you into listening to podcast content about diabetes because I think it's boring and you wouldn't listen otherwise. It is just really me being myself. And if you're out there listening to somebody else's podcast or watching someone's YouTube channel and they're just talking the way I am, you should stop wondering what it is that they're doing, because they're probably just doing what it appears to be like, on face value. Because at face value, I am just doing what it appears that I'm doing. I don't have another. And I don't know, that bothers me when I see people break apart. Like, I'm not on the level of some of these people that take it all day long in the media and everything like that. People are like, oh, this is what he meant. This is what he's trying to say. And I'm like, you don't know that. You don't know that person. You know, I got anyway. And sometimes I don't know what the hell I'm saying too. But that's part of making this thing. It is what it is, man. It works the way it works.

[Justin]

You know, it does work the way. I mean, you want to see people have their A1Cs down. So you, you bang your drum of pre bolusing and you get stories all the time that the A1Cs are good for people.

[Scott]

Yeah, it's nice. It's nice to see. Like, my day, I just told somebody three days ago, they were asking about what I did for a living. And I said the part about this that I could have never expected is that it just. It fills me up every day. I feel like I sound like a douchebag saying that. Right? But, like, it really does. Like, seeing you all out there doing well makes me feel lighter. I say this all the time, and I'm happy to say it here too. If you guys are enjoying the podcast or it's helping you, I'm glad for you, But I'm making this thing for my daughter, like, that's it. Like, I am trying to put together a spot where she can go as an adult when I'm gone. And get answers that she might need. I started writing the blog for her. Yes, it starts to help people. And it does become about that at some part, because I've had times in my life I have felt like I'm not helping enough people. I've been able to give that away. But there are years where I felt bad about the number of people I was reaching, and now I just. This is what it is. It works the way it works. And every day I'm having a conversation that maybe one day when I'm dead, my daughter will listen to. And maybe she's listening right now, 15 years from now, and saying to herself, like, yeah, I got to get back to pre bolusing. You know what I mean? Like, who knows? That's it. I'm trying to make money. I'm trying to help you. And I like this. That's it. That's my triangle of why I make the podcast.

[Justin]

You're trying to make money to sustain the production of the podcast. You're not trying to make money so that you retire in Cabo or on the shore.

[Scott]

You know, listen, if that happens, I'm not going to say no. But, no, like, you're right. I'm trying to make a living. I'm trying to get through my life. And for all of you that think, like, oh, it's, you know, whatever you might think about how this is, there's an editor and people help me with Facebook. But other than that, this is me. I get up in the morning, I come into this room, I sit my ass down here, and last night I stopped working at 9:30 at night. So, God, I easily put 60 hours just into the podcast. And there's other countless hours about Facebook that like, happened 15 minutes, 30 minutes at a time. Like, I was in the middle of working yesterday and I had to stop and go online and stop a problem, you know, because one person was saying something insane and another person was chiding them. And I'm like, I wish I could just have both of them in front of me right now and just say, like, look, I'm happy for you to like, share your experiences, but we're going to have to put a caveat on this here because what you're saying is a little weird. And the other person, leave her alone. Just stop. Because I'm trying to make the podcast. And now I've stopped to do this, but that happens all the time. It's 45 minutes just shot in the middle of the day to manage something like that. But it's also really important because yes, that happened. But at the same time, that Facebook group is overwhelmingly positive and runs overwhelmingly smooth for what is just about to be 80,000 members. And so it's very important to keep it moving smoothly like that. I'm not like, oh, I got to stop to do this. I'm just saying it takes up. My only fear is that I'm going to get done doing all this and look back and think, oh, wow, I spent 20 years talking into a microphone and keeping people on track and a lot of my life is gone now because I really don't have a lot of downtime and I've been trying to fix that over the last couple of years on starting to get there. But anyway, as I said that I'm getting a text right now about something that needs to be managed online. So to go do that now, your

[Justin]

20 year investment is going to lead to thousands of years collectively for us listeners to have our lives extended and in be better health.

[Scott]

So that's lovely. Thank you.

[Justin]

On behalf of everybody, I will thank you for that.

[Scott]

Thank you. A few of you come to my funeral, please. Just a couple, hold some signs up in the back. Anything that that man brought my A1C down, anything like that, just so my family will see because I don't think they think I'm doing anything in here.

[Justin]

Annoyed me. But lower my A1C.

[Scott]

By the way, I still, I'm always gonna say my favorite reviews are the ones that are like, I don't like that guy. But you should see my A1C. That makes me so happy. I have no idea how to explain it to you.

[Justin]

That says something.

[Scott]

Yeah, no kidding. All right, Justin, thank you so much, man. I appreciate you spending the time with me.

[Justin]

Thanks, Scott.

[Scott]

Yep. Hold on one second.

[Justin]

Okay, holding.

[Scott]

This episode was sponsored by Touched by Type one. I want you to go find them on Facebook, Instagram and give them a follow and then head to touchedbytype1.org where you're going to learn all about their programs and resources for people with type 1 diabetes. Today's episode is also sponsored by Tandem Diabetes Care. Learn more about Tandem's newest automated insulin delivery system, Tandem Moby with Control IQ [e-mail] Juicebox There are links in the show notes and [e-mail] Are you tired of getting a rash from your CGM adhesive? Give the Eversense 365 a try. Eversensecgm.com Juicebox beautiful silicone that they use. It changes every day, keeps it fresh not only that, you only have to change the sensor once a year. So I mean, that's better. Okay, well, here we are at the end of the episode. You're still with me. Thank you. I really do appreciate that. What else could you do for me? Why don't you tell a friend about the show or leave a five star review? Maybe you could make sure you're following or subscribed in your podcast app. Go to YouTube and follow me. Or Instagram TikTok. Oh gosh, here's one. Make sure you're following the podcast in the private Facebook group as well as the public Facebook page. You don't want to miss, please do you not know about the private group? You have to join the private group. As of this recording, it has 74,000 members. They're active, talking about diabetes, whatever you need to know. There's a conversation happening in there right now and I'm there all the time. Tag me. I'll say hi. How would you like to share a type 1 diabetes getaway like no other? Join me on Juice Cruise 2026. You may be asking, what is Juice Cruise? It's a week long cruise designed specifically for people and families living with type 1 diabetes. It's not just a vacation, it's a chance to relax, connect and feel understood in a way that is hard to find elsewhere. We're going to sail out of Miami and the cruise includes stops in Cococay, San Juan, St. Kitts and Nevis aboard the stunning Celebrity Beyond. This ship is chosen for its comfort, accessibility and exceptional amenities. You're going to enjoy a welcoming environment surrounded by others who get life with type 1 diabetes. I'm going to host diabetes focused conversations and meetups on the days at sea. There's thoughtfully designed spaces, incredible dining and modern amenities all throughout the Celebrity Beyond. Your kids can be supervised and there's teen programs so everyone gets time to recharge, not just the kids going on vacation, but maybe you get to kick back a little bit too. There's going to be zero judgment, real connections and a whole lot of sun and fun on Juice Cruise 2026. Please come with me. You're going to have a terrific time. You can learn more or set up your [e-mail] juice juice cruise get ahold of Suzanne at Cruise Planners. She will take care of everything. Links in the show notes links@juicebox podcast.com My Grand Rounds series was designed by listeners to tell doctors what they need and it also helps you to understand what to ask for. There's a mental wellness series that addresses the emotional side of diabetes and practical ways to stay balanced. And when we talk about GLP medications, well, we'll break down what they are, how they may help you, and if they fit into your diabetes management plan. What do these three things have in common? They're all available at juiceboxpodcast. Com up in the menu. I know it can be hard to find these things in a podcast app, so we've collected them all for you at Juicebox Podcast. Com. Have a podcast? Want it to sound fantastic? Wrongwayrecording. Com.