Best Bits: Listener Q&A With Morgan and Mike D

Summary

The Bobby Bones Show: Best Bits – Listener Q&A With Morgan and Mike D

Release Date: March 1, 2025
Host: Morgan
Guest: Mike D

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1. Shoutouts and Listener Appreciation (02:08 - 03:01)

Morgan kicks off the Q&A session by expressing gratitude towards listeners who sent in shoutouts. She highlights Mike D’s infectious laugh, mentioning, “Mike D's laugh in the background of the show is my absolute favorite” (02:18). Listeners like Samantha, Jenna from Maryland, Erica, and Danielle from Indiana are acknowledged for their kind words and support. Mike D humbly responds, “I do feel good. It's hard for me to get compliments, so thank you” (02:50).

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2. Marathon Running Goals and Experiences (03:01 - 08:00)

Running Ambitions:
Katie from Maryland inquires about Mike D’s marathon plans, to which he replies he’s considering the Rock and Roll Marathon in Nashville scheduled for April (03:01). Mike shares his personal best time of 3 hours and 28 minutes and discusses his reluctance to run more marathons, stating, “I kind of just want to end on the best one because I'm not really running to prove anything at this point” (03:52).

Challenges and Strategies:
Mike delves into his racing mentality, admitting, “I get competitive with myself... my legs stop working and things happen” around mile 22 (04:44). He suggests that staying with a pacer might enhance his marathon experience without overexerting himself.

Family Influence:
Expressing a desire to bond, Mike mentions wanting to run a half marathon with his father, who is an avid runner (05:16). However, logistical challenges like race scheduling and his parents’ reluctance to fly complicate these plans.

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3. Favorite Games and Show Segments (08:15 - 09:23)

Music-Based Trivia:
When asked about his favorite games to create for the show, Mike D reminisces about the fun of incorporating music clips: “I loved anything with any kind of music clip... it's been a struggle... we can't do them like we could play them on the air” (08:15). He misses the interactive element that allowed listeners to engage with familiar tunes and jazz versions of popular songs.

Easy Trivia Evolution:
Mike D also highlights his passion for developing more obscure trivia categories, saying, “I've been doing it so long that I like finding really obscure categories” (09:19). This approach keeps the trivia segments fresh and challenging for long-time listeners.

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4. Life as a Morning Person and Sleep Habits (09:58 - 12:32)

Morning Routine Transformation:
Mike D reflects on how being part of The Bobby Bones Show has transformed him into a morning person: “The least favorite part is probably the fact that it's made me a morning person” (09:58). He shares the difficulty of waking up early, even on weekends, and the challenge of shifting away from his natural night owl tendencies.

Adaptation and Health:
Discussing his ability to manage reduced sleep during high-stress periods, Mike attributes his resilience to better sleep habits and overall health: “I have been on sleeping medication now for probably a couple years. I feel like that helps... drinking a lot of water” (12:32). Morgan praises his commitment, noting, “You are the picture of health” (12:24).

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5. Vacation Plans and Travel Preferences (12:41 - 16:27)

Anniversary Trip:
Mike D and his partner are planning their five-year wedding anniversary trip to Hawaii. Although neither has been before, Mike shares his fond memories: “I loved it. Like Hawaii is awesome... feels like leaving the country” (13:09).

Travel Challenges:
He discusses the complexities of encouraging his parents to visit, given their aversion to flying: “My parents have never flown... my mom could be convinced if she came with my sister” (05:55). The conversation underscores the logistical hurdles in family travel plans.

Future Travel Goals:
Mike D aspires to run a half marathon in every state, currently boasting over 20 completed half marathons across various states since the pandemic (15:35). He expresses enthusiasm for future trips, including potential visits to Alaska during summertime for an added challenge (16:27).

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6. Personal Interests and Upcoming Projects (16:38 - 16:42)

Before transitioning to advertisements, Mike D shares his excitement for an upcoming interview with an author who has written a Simpsons book since childhood: “I just think that would be interesting” (33:13). He highlights his love for both The Simpsons and movies, anticipating a lively discussion on his podcast.

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Notable Quotes

• “Mike D's laugh in the background of the show is my absolute favorite.” – Morgan (02:18)
• “I kind of just want to end on the best one because I'm not really running to prove anything at this point.” – Mike D (03:52)
• “I loved anything with any kind of music clip... it's been a struggle...” – Mike D (08:15)
• “The least favorite part is probably the fact that it's made me a morning person.” – Mike D (09:58)
• “I think my dad would love just the food. Like he loves anything. Like he would love hot chicken.” – Mike D (07:52)
• “I feel like I've maybe like built up from like having better sleeping habits...” – Mike D (12:32)

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Conclusion

In this engaging Listener Q&A session, Morgan and Mike D delve into personal anecdotes, sharing insights on marathon running, the challenges of maintaining a morning routine, favorite show segments, and future travel aspirations. Mike D’s candidness about his experiences and aspirations provides listeners with an authentic glimpse into his life beyond the microphone. Notable moments include his reflections on transforming into a morning person and his passion for creating unique trivia content, making this episode a must-listen for fans eager to connect more deeply with one of their favorite show contributors.

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Timestamp Key:

• 02:18 – [Shoutouts Start]
• 03:01 – [Marathon Running Begins]
• 08:15 – [Favorite Games]
• 09:58 – [Morning Person]
• 12:32 – [Sleep Habits]
• 13:09 – [Vacation Plans]
• 15:35 – [Half Marathon Goal]
• 16:42 – [Transition to Ads]

Transcript

[Morgan]

Are you hungry?

[Colleen Witt]

Colleen Witt here. And Eating While Broke is back for season four every Thursday on the Black Effect Podcast Network. This season we've got a legendary lineup serving up broke dishes and even better stories. On the menu. We have Tony Baker, Nick Cannon, Melissa Ford, October London and Carrie Harper Howey turning Big Macs into big moves. Catch Eating While Broke every Thursday on the Black Effect Podcast Network, iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts. Wherever you get your favorite shows, come hungry for season.

[Mark Seal]

I'm Mark Seale. And I'm Nathan King. This is Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli.

[Morgan]

The five families did not want us to shoot that picture.

[Mark Seal]

This podcast is based on my co host Mark Seals best selling book of the same title. Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli features new and archival interviews with Francis Ford Coppola, Robert Evans, James Caan, Talia Shire and many others.

[Morgan]

Yes, that was a real horse's head.

[Mark Seal]

Listen and subscribe to Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Jess Hilarious]

Yo, what up? It's your girl, Jess. Hilarious. And I think it's time to acknowledge that I'm not just a comedian. It's time to add uncertified therapists to my credentials. Because each and every Wednesday I'm fixing your mess on carefully Reckless on the Black Effect Podcast Network. Got problems in your relationship? Come to me. Your best friend acting shady? Come to me. Thought you was the father but you not come to me. I can't promise I won't judge you, but I can guarantee that I will help you. Listen to carefully Reckless on the Black Effect Podcast Network, iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.

[Cheekies]

Hey y'all, it's your girl, Cheekies. And I'm back with a brand new season of your favorite podcast, Cheekies and Chill. I'll be sharing even more personal stories with you guys and as always, you'll get my exclusive take on topics like love, personal growth, health, family ties and more. And don't forget, I'll also be dishing out my best advice to you on episodes of Dear Cheekies. It's going to be an exciting year and I hope that you can join me, listen to Cheekies and chill season four on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast or wherever you get your podcasts. Best bits of the Week with Morgan.

[Mike D]

Part 3 listener Q& A.

[Cheekies]

We are.

[Morgan]

Here it is. Part three time. Mike D. Is joining me. Hello, Mike.

[Mike D]

Hello.

[Morgan]

Like we didn't just Have a full blown conversation over in part one. But got here we are. We are just here. We're gonna start with some shout outs. Mike D's laugh in the background of the show is my absolute favorite. It's from Samantha.

[Mike D]

Yeah, it takes a lot to get me to laugh. Really good. But yeah, it gets in there sometimes.

[Morgan]

Little chuckle. You two are amazing. Jenna in Maryland. Mike and his wife are the cutest. Love when you have him on Best Bits. That's from Erica.

[Mike D]

Thank you.

[Morgan]

And then we also have Mike D. Is killing it behind the scenes with games and segment ideas. Danielle from Indiana.

[Mike D]

Hey, appreciate it.

[Morgan]

So you feel good?

[Mike D]

I do feel good. It's hard for me to get compliments, so thank you.

[Morgan]

This is why we do shout outs. It's important. Are you running any marathons anytime soon? Katie in Maryland.

[Mike D]

I thought about running the one here in Nashville that's coming up, I believe in April.

[Morgan]

Is that. That's not the rock and roll one, is it? Yeah, it is.

[Mike D]

Yeah, that's that one. That's the only one I've run here. Mainly because I've just continued to like run and not really trained for anything specifically. And the last time I did it was a couple years ago and I told myself that was the last time ever.

[Morgan]

Why was it the last time ever?

[Mike D]

Cause I don't think I'm gonna get a better time than I did that time. I ran it in three hours and 28 minutes.

[Morgan]

What do you run? A marathon? I mean, you run a marathon on a Saturday now. What do you run that in?

[Mike D]

I can run 20 miles in under three hours, so that's another six miles. I don't know that I could do it. That would probably be like a 3:45. Closer to like 350, I think.

[Morgan]

So you want to stay ending on your best one?

[Mike D]

I kind of just want to end on the best one because I'm not really running to prove anything at this point. So it is hard for me to do a race because I get competitive with myself. And that is the problem I have. Like, I can run it, no problem. Like, if I ran, I could run a marathon on my own on a Sunday and I'd be fine. It's whenever I get into race mentality that I overwork myself. Like, my problem is I start out really strong because I'm like, I gotta crush it. I gotta beat all these people. I gotta get this past time. I would do so much better after running too if I stayed with like the pacer where they had the people running with like the sticks of the times. Like, if I just stayed with that group, I would have a. Probably a much better experience because I wouldn't exhaust myself as much. Because I get to a point where I'm like, I have a great time, but around like mile 22, my body just like shutting down and things happen. Like my legs stop working and I overwork myself. So I think there's this mental hurdle of me not wanting to hit that again and knowing that I can't keep myself from doing it because I know how I am, that it makes me not want to run another one.

[Morgan]

That's fair. And it's also fair that you want to end on a high note too. I'd get it. I mean, that's your, like, that's kind of your trophy, if you will. So that makes sense.

[Mike D]

Yeah, I think. I think if anything, I would like to run a half with my dad because he continues to run.

[Morgan]

I remember you saying that. And the last one you did, you didn't.

[Mike D]

No. Because it's always on a Sunday where they do it in San Antonio and it's always on a Sunday. So it's hard to run in the morning and get back in time.

[Morgan]

Yeah. Like, you just ran a marathon. You have to be on a flight that night.

[Mike D]

Yeah, it's always hard. Like, I wish they did it on a Saturday. I would do that in a heartbeat. Cause I think that would be a cool moment. That's really like the whole reason I started running. Because I would see him running half marathons in his 50s, and I'm like, I need to be doing something.

[Morgan]

Would he come here to do the one with you?

[Mike D]

That is a great question. My dad's never been here.

[Morgan]

Really?

[Mike D]

My parents have never been here.

[Morgan]

Really?

[Mike D]

Yeah.

[Morgan]

Is it because they're not, like, fond of road trips or flying?

[Mike D]

My parents have never flown. My dad is probably more freaked out to fly than my mom. Like, my mom would do it. My sister has been trying to convince my mom to fly to Mexico because whenever they go, they take an eight hour bus ride into Mexico and then another eight hours in Mexico. So it's like 16 hours because they don't want to fly. So I feel like my mom could be convinced if she came with my sister. Because I have an older brother, older sister who are eight and seven years older than me.

[Morgan]

And they've both been here.

[Mike D]

Yeah, they come all the time. They come like maybe twice a year. But my parents haven't been here. They would road trip. Cause we used to road trip from Texas to see my family in Memphis. But they haven't done that in a long time. I was like, you could come see your sister and then you could come see me.

[Morgan]

See, maybe you need to convince him to do it for this rock and roll one.

[Mike D]

But I feel like he could because he could come here. The one here is always on a Saturday. He could knock it out and they could stay for the weekend. It'd be easier for them to get home on a Sunday.

[Morgan]

See? Hey, just an idea, but that's crazy. I can't believe your parents haven't been here yet.

[Mike D]

Yeah. I think we were trying to go back home sometime in the spring and I was like, man, I wish they could just come here because it would be so much easier. I think it's always like whenever you're the one who moves away, you're kind of more expected to go back home. And I do get that there's more of my family there than us. Like it's easier for two single people. Are we two single people?

[Morgan]

You're a dual income household but you are without children. So it's easier for the. Whatever the dual income household thing is.

[Mike D]

These are for two dinks to go there. It is travel there than it is for like my family of five to come here.

[Morgan]

Yeah, I understand that. But it's also a cool place to visit.

[Mike D]

Yeah. I feel like I think my dad would love just the food. Like he loves anything. Like he would love hot chicken.

[Morgan]

He would be thriving. He could have hot chicken. He get to run a marathon. I'm all on team them visiting for the marathon.

[Mike D]

Yeah, I think the city would blow their minds a little bit.

[Morgan]

I love that. I think we should make this happen for you. I mean, obviously it's up to them. We can't do anything but you know, I think it should happen. What are your favorite games to write? Kristen from Minnesota?

[Mike D]

My favorite to write, I would say before we could not be able to play music clips was always the music games. Like I used to love the isolated vocal games.

[Morgan]

Oh, those were always so fun.

[Mike D]

I loved anything with any kind of music clip. Or we would find like jazz versions of songs and you'd have to guess em like those are my favorite. Cause I love just scouring the Internet finding those clips and finding those random things but we can't do those anymore. And it's been a struggle of trying to write games when we can't use music things anymore. Cause it's so fun and I feel like listeners love those but we can't do them like we could play them on the air, but we can't put them on the podcast.

[Morgan]

Yeah. And most people are listening at this point. Podcast version. But I'm surprised too, that we're still able to do like movie clips and stuff. I'm surprised that also hasn't been taken away.

[Mike D]

Yeah.

[Morgan]

But yeah, cross our fingers. That doesn't happen.

[Mike D]

I would say, though, like, as long as we've been doing it, I still love writing Easy Trivia because we're at a point that we have been doing it so long that I like finding really obscure categories.

[Morgan]

Find obscure ones. I'm like, I don't have anything in this category.

[Mike D]

I think that's my favorite thing to do. Because it's like we've done planets. We've done all, like, the things that we've all kind of learned through Easy Trivia. It's finding the more obscure things. And a lot of times I'll just be sitting in a room here and I'll look around at things. I'm like, what is around me? What could I make a category out of?

[Morgan]

Is that how you came up with Bible trivia? For one of them, there was a Bible tense.

[Mike D]

I'm like, what is around here? Okay, that could be a trivia category.

[Morgan]

Oh, man. Yeah. You got us. I have spells where I do really well and then who knows? It's a crapshoot for me. What is your favorite and least favorite part of being on the Bobby Bones Show, Lacey?

[Mike D]

Least favorite part is probably the fact that it's made me a morning person.

[Morgan]

Morning person is hard.

[Mike D]

I was never a morning person, but now it's like built into my DNA that I wake up early. Even on the weekends, I'm waking up early. If I could sleep until 7:30, that's a big win for me.

[Morgan]

Yeah. And I used to be a night owl. I still am trying to be a morning person. And night out doesn't really work out very well.

[Mike D]

Yeah, it's tough. Like, I. I used to love the challenge of staying up for 24 hours.

[Morgan]

Not anymore. Have you tried to pull an all nighter?

[Mike D]

I've gotten close. I think the longest I've stayed up in recent history was probably 21 hours. But I haven't done the 24 hours in a while.

[Morgan]

Mike. When I pulled an all nighter for like the cma, stuff happened. I remember that all nighter. I think we did a best. We did put it around there. I. My body was not well. I used to pull all nighters all the time when I was in high school. When I was in college, like, no big deal. And I just like bounce right back. No, my bad. My body, I'm pretty sure took a week to bounce back from that all nighter. Like, it destroyed me. So it is, it is so true that as you get older you need more sleep. I'm pretty sure you like go from needing a lot of sleep as a child in the middle, you're fine with a couple hours and then you get older and you're like, I need like 12 hours now.

[Mike D]

I did find that I could kind of run on less sleep lately. Like whenever we were at the super bowl and that week was pretty chaotic. I was going to sleep later and still waking up early. I could get by in like three hours. Like when we got back super late, I went to sleep at like midnight and then woke up like three hours later and I was good.

[Morgan]

Do you think you were going on adrenaline though? Because that week was such a high.

[Mike D]

It never caught up to me though. Like, I was like, okay, Monday I'm going to be fine because I'm running off the adrenaline. By Tuesday it's going to hit me. Tuesday came around, it didn't hit me. And then the rest of the week was fine. Like by Friday I was like the normal amount of tired that I usually am at the end of the week. But I didn't feel that overwhelming exhaustion. Like I even. I got home that Monday and I was like, I'm going to probably go to sleep for like two or three hours. And I slept for like 30 minutes. I was like, that was it. And I was good. I was recharged.

[Morgan]

You've cracked the code. Maybe it's because you're healthy. You're so healthy in other, every other way, like it's helping your body when you don't get a lot of sleep.

[Mike D]

I feel like I've maybe like built up from like having better sleeping habits because I have been on sleeping medication now for probably a couple years. I feel like that helps when I do sleep. I do get quality sleep now, I think is an improvement. And then also like, yeah, drinking a lot of water.

[Morgan]

You are, you are the picture of health. Honestly. Mike D. Where is the next vacation? Jenna in Marilyn, she needs some ideas.

[Mike D]

We've been talking about this right now because our five year wedding anniversary is not this year but next year. So we were initially thinking about going out of the country this year and we're like, I think we should save that for our fifth anniversary to make like a big thing, spend more on it and not feel as like, oh, should we be spending this much on a vacation? Because it feels more like a celebration. So I think for that one, we're thinking about going to Hawaii.

[Morgan]

Oh, that'll be so much fun. Do you know which part of Hawaii?

[Mike D]

No, because I don't. Kelsey hasn't been. And I went once, like, a long time ago now, like back when Bobby was doing American Idol, and I loved it. Like, Hawaii is awesome. Like, I know it's not leaving the country, but it feels like leaving the country because it is a whole different country.

[Morgan]

It truly is. It looks so much different. And it's. You're flying over waters to get to it. It's a different experience.

[Mike D]

It's just wild. Like, how much time you're flying over water and then you just land on this little piece of land out there. And it's like just looking at it on a map, you're like, this is crazy.

[Morgan]

It is. And then you also are there. And it also looks crazy that just the landscape of Hawaii is insane. Okay. Hawaii is a good one. And out of the country is cool. I mean, we have, depending on when it, like, falls or whatever, we do have five now nonstop international flights from Nashville, London, Iceland, Dublin, and I think Paris now might be one. I can't remember all five of them, but one of those I want to go to on a vacation now that we have the nonstop flight, because I've done the other flights and they are not fun. So I would love to do one of those. I'd love to go to London or Dublin or Iceland. One of those three for like a full vacation. But I also really want to go to Minnesota and Chicago. Those are on my list. I'm trying to finish my states, and currently I have such random ones that it's hard. Like, I have Indiana and Ohio and Iowa and then I have Minnesota and Illinois. Like, it's these states that are like right here, and you never really have a reason to go. You kind of have to force yourself to go. So I'm trying to figure out what I can do for whether just they're like quick weekend trips. Drive up.

[Mike D]

You can knock that one out this weekend.

[Morgan]

I know. Well, I really want to go to. I think it's Cleveland that kind of sits on the little coastline. But I think that's an eight hour drive, which I have done. I did do New Orleans in a weekend one time, and that was an eight hour drive, and I loved it. I just haven't had that quite, you know, life's been kind of kicking me in the face. Lately, I haven't had the ability to just take off and drive for a quick weekend trip. And like I said, my body doesn't bounce back quite as much as well anymore. So I need to. That might be one that I do is like just go. Pop off to Cleveland, go to Kentucky for a weekend. I'm trying to cross some of those off this year, like random weekend trips. So I'm trying to piece together road trips.

[Mike D]

Yeah. My other life goal is to run a half marathon in every state.

[Morgan]

Have you started that?

[Mike D]

Oh, yeah, I'm pretty far into that.

[Morgan]

Really?

[Mike D]

Yeah, I've done probably.

[Morgan]

Oh, wait, you're saying, like, just you run?

[Mike D]

Oh, yeah, just me. Like, not like an official race.

[Morgan]

Did you miss something?

[Mike D]

No, like, I did. What? That was just in Louisiana.

[Morgan]

I was like, wait, so, okay, I'm now following.

[Mike D]

Yeah. I don't get a medal at the end. I just have a mental checklist of all the states I've run it.

[Morgan]

I'm following now. Sorry.

[Mike D]

I was like, official race, that would take a long time.

[Morgan]

I know. I was like, dang, did you do this? And I just like, missed pieces of that. Okay, so you've done a bunch of them because you've traveled to them.

[Mike D]

Anytime I travel, I'll try to get one in if there's time.

[Morgan]

Okay, how many do you have so far?

[Mike D]

I think I'm in the 20s because I've been doing it now for the last. I think I started once we started traveling again after the pandemic. So every city I've gone to, I've run a half marathon in.

[Morgan]

Okay, well, if you ever go and do one in Alaska, make sure you do it like their summertime, not their wintertime.

[Mike D]

That's a tough one. I don't know about that one.

[Morgan]

That's your. That's gonna be your 50th day. That'll be like the final completion. Okay, we're gonna take a quick break. We'll be right back.

[Tomer Cohen]

I'm Tomer Cohen, LinkedIn's chief product officer. If you're just as curious as I am about the way things are built, the insights behind what it takes to create a world renowned product, then tune into my podcast, Building one. There's so much to learn, like how Patagonia innovates with its supply chain.

[Morgan]

We had to go out to farmers and convince them it was really damn hard.

[Tomer Cohen]

Or the way Adobe thinks about the first interaction somebody has with Photoshop.

[Mike D]

I was always so fascinated by how people navigate and find their way.

[Tomer Cohen]

Ever wanted to know how Nike builds emotion into the Jordan brand? You have to be obsessed with the.

[Mike D]

Current state of the human condition.

[Tomer Cohen]

And it doesn't stop there. What about how Glean reinvented knowledge? Search with AI you can learn about how a Michelin star chef is redesigning seeds for flavor and how Pixar is nurturing a creative culture.

[Mark Seal]

Listen to Building One on the iHeartRadio app, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Colleen Witt]

Dr. Joy here you may know me from Therapy for Black Girls where we're celebrating 400 episodes of the podcast. That's a Whole Lot of Girl Me Too moments. For years we've had deep, thoughtful and inspiring conversations about Black women's mental health. And now we're celebrating this milestone in a big way. In this special episode, Peloton Yogi Chelsea Jackson Roberts shares how yoga has taught her to stay grounded and present while balancing motherhood and self care.

[Jess Hilarious]

I can't control my partner.

[Morgan]

I can't control my child.

[Jess Hilarious]

I can't control anyone outside the way that I govern myself in this world.

[Colleen Witt]

And the celebration doesn't stop there. We'll continue this milestone with Dr. Lauren Mims, who joins me to discuss the powerful yet sometimes challenging transition from girlhood to womanhood for Black Femmes. Together we explore how we navigate this transformative journey with strength and grace.

[Morgan]

Black girlhood is giggling.

[Mike D]

It's sisterhood, but it is also, I.

[Morgan]

Think, focusing on learning how to cope with really difficult things that are happening.

[Colleen Witt]

With insights like these, this 400th episode celebration is one for the books. Listen to Therapy for Black Girls on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

[Morgan]

I'm so sick of hearing men talk about women's basketball. If only there were a professional WNBA player with her own podcast I could listen to. Hey, this is Lexi Brown, WNBA player and professional yapper. And this is Mariah Rose. You may know me from spilling the tea on Hoops for hotties on TikTok, and we've got a new podcast, Full Circle every Wednesday. We're catching you up on what's going on in women's basketball and not just in the wnba, but with Athletes Unlimited unrivaled and college basketball. We've got you with analysis, inside stories and a little bit of tea.

[Cheekies]

I know you guys have seen a.

[Morgan]

Lot of former and current basketball players.

[Cheekies]

Telling their stories from their point of.

[Morgan]

View, and I just think it's time.

[Cheekies]

For the girlies to tap in.

[Morgan]

We want to share all of the women's basketball stories that you won't see anywhere else, tune into Full Circle, an iHeart women's sports production in partnership with.

[Cheekies]

Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment.

[Morgan]

You can find us on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts presented by Elf Beauty, founding partner of iHeart Women's Sports.

[Mark Seal]

Hi, I'm Bob Pittman, chairman and CEO of iHeartMedia. I'm excited to introduce a brand new season of my podcast Math and Stories from the Frontiers of Marketing. I'm having conversations with some interesting folks across across a wide range of industries to hear how they reach the top of their fields and the lessons they learned along the way that everyone can use. I'll be joined by innovative leaders like chairman and CEO of Health Beauty, Tarang Amin.

[Mike D]

The way I approach risk is constantly.

[Morgan]

Try things and actually make it okay to fail.

[Mark Seal]

I'm sitting down with legendary singer, songwriter and philanthropist Jewel.

[Mike D]

I wanted a way to do something.

[Morgan]

That I loved for the rest of my life.

[Mark Seal]

We're also hearing how leaders brought their businesses out of unprecedented times, like Stefan Bonsell, CEO of Moderna.

[Mike D]

It becomes a human decision to decide.

[Mark Seal]

To throw by the window your business.

[Mike D]

Strategy and to do what you think.

[Mark Seal]

Is the right thing for the world. Join me as we uncover innovations in data and analytics, the math, and the ever important creative spark, the magic. Listen to math and magic stories from the frontiers of marketing starting March 6 on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

[Morgan]

Morgan from Mississippi. Not me, Different Morgan. She is the one who would like us to debate the new Captain America movie since we kind of had some conflicting opinions on this one.

[Mike D]

Yeah, I thought it was pretty mid. Like, I didn't even. I was even thinking about it today, oddly, because I was like, it just wasn't memorable to me. And I think when I go to a Marvel movie, I always want like that big heroic cheer moment. And I never got that. And Captain America as a whole hasn't been my favorite character. So I think it depends on the type of Marvel fan you are. You kind of like follow the journey of your favorite character. And throughout the course of all the Avengers movies, he just hasn't been my storyline. That's been like my go to.

[Morgan]

Yeah. And your favorite Spider man always been your favorite. And you even have a tattoo of Spider Man. But I think for me, and I also looked at it, it's differently, I think for both of us too, because you're a major comic book fan and you're gonna have a different experience than I am. Who's Never read a comic book in my life, and I just know them as the movies. I don't have any, like, backstory. Mine's just like the movie. That's all I got. So I think that's also where our difference seen in some of the Marvel stuff comes from, is you just have a different experience. You're more like the lifelong fans that tend to be a little bit more critical of this stuff because you have more. You have higher expectations of it then you have me, who's just like, a fan of superheroes. You know what I mean? I don't have as high of standards for them. As long as it's good and I enjoyed myself, I'm happy. So I think that's kind of where some of that comes from would be my guess, and I could totally be wrong. But I also. Captain America is one of my favorite characters, and I think that's also playing a role in it because Loved. I mean, I'll go back and watch the First Avenger a lot, and Captain Winter Soldier is one of my favorite, like, standalone Marvel movies. So I've loved watching the evolution of what they've been doing. And Anthony Mackie as a person, too. Like, I followed him outside of that, and I love him as, like, a human being. I think that also impacts my opinion, but I think why I love the particular movie so much was because of the. The suit got me. I was obsessed with that suit. Like, him being able to fly and be Captain America, I just thought was the coolest combination of things happening. And it. The action of, like, how they filmed that movie gave me Top Gun Maverick vibes. And some of the ways how he'd fly and they'd dive with him and all of that, that I loved, that, like, really made me love the movie itself. And I don't know if that's a spoiler, but, I mean, I'm pretty sure that's in some of the trailers I saw. But I think that was, like, the big moments I was disappointed in just the red Hulk and how it just kind of transpired. That wasn't a whole lot there than what you kind of seen in the trailers.

[Mike D]

I mean, the trailer was the whole action of the red Hulk.

[Morgan]

Yeah. So that part was disappointing. But, like, the Captain America storyline, I liked. And I also like Isaiah, the old, old, old Captain America coming in there. I don't know if he was the Captain America or if he's just like an old superhero. He's the old Captain America. Right. My memory's also foggy, but those were the pieces that I really liked. And again, to your point, he is one of my favorite characters. So I've just liked watching the evolution of him and seeing what they do with it. And I don't have high expectations of him. I'm happy he's still around. He's part of it now. We got a flying Captain America. Cool. Cool with me. So, any other thoughts for you?

[Mike D]

I think when I look back at the other Captain America movies, the action was always top tier. Out of all the Marvel movies, it was very fast paced fight scenes, car chases, explosions. The sets were bigger and bolder. And I thought this one didn't have that. Like, I thought even the fight sequences, I felt like Anthony Mackie as Captain America fought slow. And I was like, this isn't the same, like high paced, like high adrenaline fight scenes that I'm used to. And I don't know if like the choreography was off or they like wanted a different approach for him. And I get he's not supposed to be Steve Rogers, but I just felt like it lacked that grit that the other Captain America movies have. When it just came to being like these action thrillers and mysterious where you have to kind of figure out what's going on. I felt like all the pieces were kind of just like laid out and nothing was exciting as it unfolded. I was like, oh, I kind of know everything that's gonna happen.

[Morgan]

Yeah, I do feel like a little bit too because I have moments of where I feel jaded in watching a lot because there's so much of the Marvel stuff. I feel like when I watched, especially watching that first, those first four phases of Marvel, up until Avengers Endgame, there wasn't. There was a lot for me to consume in that moment because I was watching them all at the same time. But I don't feel like there was as much to consume. So it was more exciting. And they had this second part of it. I don't feel like they've had as much of a grasp on what their storyline is. And I think that's made it hard because that was such the appeal of Marvel was they made it all connect. And that was so cool to me because nobody had ever done that, like, in my experience as far as like multiple different types of storylines. And that's what's missing from this whole new phase for me because they've had so many, like with everything that happened with Kane the Conqueror and now he doesn't really exist because of what happened with the real life guy.

[Mike D]

Yeah.

[Morgan]

And then I don't know where they're headed in that direction or whatever. And they've created so much content with all the TV shows and everything, which, listen, I've. I've been. I've watched them all. Like, I am that person. I watched them all. But I do feel like there's a lot. So it kind of makes everything just seem subpar versus being, like, really exciting. This is the first one to come out in four years. We're gonna watch it, and then you don't get another one for a couple years, and you're gonna be excited again. You know what I mean?

[Mike D]

Yeah.

[Morgan]

I do think that the way of consuming has also changed the way that we like them at the same time. Do you feel that way at all?

[Mike D]

Yeah, I think it's hard to replicate what they did before. And Marvel has always banked on, like, their less popular characters. Like, whenever they launched the first Marvel movies, those weren't their most popular characters. They were the only characters they had the rights to. And now they're making movies with kind of the remnants of that, because we all love those people who've all moved on now. So they haven't done a great job of building up the new people yet. Like, who is going to be the new Avengers team when they have this new one coming out and they have two coming out back to back? Like, what team is that even going to look like? Is that even going to feel like those movies before? So I think it's them having to pull the pieces of, like, okay, we want to keep these people that audiences kind of know, like Anthony Mackie, because he has connection to the old Avengers. But we also are trying to introduce these new characters that haven't really resonated or impacted as much. So it's like they don't have the same pieces they were working with. And then everybody keeps comparing everything to Endgame, which was such a crazy accomplishment that can't be replicated anymore. It's never going to be replicated again. So therefore, in comparison, everything seems kind of mid. Because they're not going to be able to live up to that ever again. And that's probably why they brought back Robert Downey Jr. Because they need some bankability.

[Morgan]

Yeah.

[Mike D]

So I'm curious how that plays out. We have Fantastic Four coming this summer, which they might cue them up in that movie. I think it's a little too soon, but.

[Morgan]

And Thunderbolts, I think, too, where.

[Mike D]

Yeah, I think thunderbolts will be all right. I just think we've kind of seen that iteration of a superhero Team again. And even, like, in the comics, it's like, why are we doing the Thunderbolts?

[Morgan]

Yeah.

[Mike D]

And I feel like seeing a movie like that, people are like, what is this? Like, I don't.

[Morgan]

It is you. Okay. Controversial. And then we're moving. We're moving away from this. Do you think they should have just stopped at Endgame? Called it.

[Mike D]

Oh, no, I think they. I don't think they should have stopped at Endgame. I think it was probably the Disney plus situation that created the fatigue because there was so many shows and they all connected back to the movies. And I think that was my other kind of problem with this Captain America is we had the Disney plus show where they did so much, but this movie, I felt like, had to kind of restate a lot of things that they're like, okay, we can't bank on the fact that everybody watched that, so let's make a movie that appeals to everybody. And I was like, I don't want to see this version of him. I want to see him two steps ahead of this.

[Morgan]

Yeah. It is true.

[Mike D]

I think it was that. That they tried to create so much and build this entire world that it was a little bit too much. But I don't think. I mean, superhero movies aren't going to go away. People keep saying that, like, the MCU is dead. I don't think that's going to happen. I just think, like, what we've been saying, like, they're going to put out fewer movies.

[Morgan]

Yeah. And hopefully go back to their kind of original structure versus inundating us with so much content, which, again, I can't hate because I watched them. I was the consumer. But I also wouldn't mind if it was just the movies again. And it kind of goes back to a streamlined process, and it is working. I mean, they keep hitting number one at the box office, so it's not like it's not getting people out to see them.

[Mike D]

And it's not like everything before this was all great. Like, there was bad movies in between there. Like Thor, the Dark World, Ant man and the Wasp. Like, there were some bombers. Yeah. There were some movies in that are, like, now we view as everything before Endgame, like, oh, that was the golden age. Like, no, there were some bad movies in there. Yeah.

[Morgan]

That's true, too. Okay, moving on from our Marvel debate, thank you, Mike D. For indulging myself and the other Morgan from Mississippi, Stacy from South Florida loves you. She's a runner whose son is a movie lover. And she feels so connected to you. So I'm going to kind of create a question for her out of her shout out she wants or I want to know what's your favorite running inspired movie?

[Mike D]

There aren't really a whole lot of running movies. I cannot think of one. I know because I think I just don't love sports movies in general, which I know people are like, you don't like sports movies?

[Morgan]

That's wild, Mike. And you love sports.

[Mike D]

Yeah, but I think when it comes to sports movies, they're a little bit over glamorized in every situation. And a lot of sports movies just have a lot of inaccuracies of like, that's not exactly how it happened. I think the sports genre in general, they take a lot of liberties in making it feel more Hollywood esque of like we got to create this big dramatic story. We got to make this kid seem like he's come from nothing or she comes from nothing and then paint him up in this biggest way possible. And when you look at the real life, like that's not exactly how it happened. They had help around them. This wasn't as dramatic. This didn't happen. It's like the biggest scene out of that movie didn't actually happen in real life.

[Morgan]

Dang, Mike, this is a hot take.

[Mike D]

Yeah, I think it's more so sports movies based on real life. And I think they're very formulaic, much like how Christmas movies are very formulaic. And I think there's a time and place for them. I just think sports movies in general rank pretty low for me.

[Morgan]

I'm gonna disagree with you again, but that's okay. I will say I did watch a really good running movie and it probably did take some liberties. You're not wrong. But it was so good. It was with Mark Wahlberg and it was Arthur the King.

[Mike D]

Oh, yeah.

[Morgan]

Did you watch that one with the dog? Yeah, yeah, I. And again, probably because I have. I just love animals so much. I sobbed that that movie. I sobbed so many times and it was so good. I loved it. Did you like that one or was.

[Mike D]

It too problem with that one too? If you watch the trailer, you watch the whole movie.

[Morgan]

Yeah, they did that a lot with the trailer.

[Mike D]

The whole trailer.

[Morgan]

Away from watching trailers.

[Mike D]

If you watch a trailer in its beginning, middle, and like I watched the whole movie before I even watched the movie because I saw the trailer and sports movies do that a lot. Like, hey, we're going to sell you this movie. We just showed it to you all in two and a half minutes.

[Morgan]

It is true. I do. I Do avoid watching trailers for the most part, if I can, because I just feel like you're taking. And they're doing it on purpose. They're taking the best parts of the movie to get you to go in and see it, but then it spoils stuff for you in a way. The way that they've started to create trailers. I feel like maybe that's me. Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but. Okay, and last one. Any upcoming interviews for the podcast you're excited about?

[Mike D]

I am working on one right now. This is. There's this guy who wrote a Simpsons book, and he's been working on it since he was, like, 10 years old.

[Morgan]

Wow.

[Mike D]

And I am a huge Simpsons fan, and I want to talk to somebody about, like, the influence that I had from the Simpsons just when it comes to movies, because there were a lot of movies that they did parodies of or homages to that I didn't even realize at the time when I watched them as a kid. And that was how I was exposed to a lot of movies. Like, a lot of Alfred Hitchcock movies they would do in, like, their Halloween episodes. And I was like, oh, that's funny. The Simpsons did it. And I'm like, oh, no. They're actually referencing a movie from, like, the 40s and 50s. So I think he would be the perfect person to kind of take my love of the Simpsons and combine it with a love of movies. And it's not like it's a famous person, but for me, it's cool to talk to people who have the same interests as me, and I just think that would be, like, interesting.

[Morgan]

No, that'd be a cool. It'd be a cool moment for you to be able to truly nerd out about things that you really care about with somebody else who sounds like they also nerd out over the same things. There's so Something so fun about having a nerd out conversation.

[Mike D]

Yeah, truly.

[Morgan]

And you're like, I don't care if anybody else does it like this. Like, this is amazing. So I'm excited for you. Okay. We'll go listen to Mike D's podcast.

[Mike D]

Movie Mike's movie podcast. Wherever you listen to podcasts, spoiler. Free movie reviews. Upcoming conversations about nerd things.

[Morgan]

See, I love it. Hey, we're two nerds over here. We both are. So we just have different variations of it. And you're just gonna. I'm a Disney adult. You are. Would you call yourself a Disney adult?

[Mike D]

No, I wouldn't think so. I don't lean too hard into the Disney. I love Disney and Pixar movies. Like, I'll go watch a Pixar movie by myself if I have to, but I feel like I've never been to Disney. I don't know that I would go as an adult unless we have kids.

[Morgan]

You don't think you would? Oh, Mike. What about Universal?

[Mike D]

I would go to Universal. I feel like more of my interests are probably there.

[Morgan]

Yeah.

[Mike D]

Disney's also expensive.

[Morgan]

It is. But honestly, Mike D. I had kind of the same thought. I was like, I'm older. I shouldn't go. Then I went, and now I'm obsessed.

[Mike D]

Yeah. I'm not above it. It just doesn't scream to me that I need to go.

[Morgan]

That's what I thought too. And then I went and I was like, my life has been changed forever. I think it's because once you see a lot of just real life things that you love that you've watched for years or you fel love with on the screen, and then you get to have like, this real life experience. So there's something about that nostalgia where you're just like, yeah, this is pretty cool. And it's just surrounds you and you're just engulfed in it for days and nobody's taking you out of it. All right, we're gonna get out of here. I've held Mike T. Hostage long enough. Follow him. Listen to his podcast ikedistro. You can follow the show at Bobby boneshow. I'm@webgirlmorgan. All right, anything else, Mike?

[Mike D]

That's it.

[Morgan]

Okay, bye, everybody.

[Mike D]

Later. That's the best bits of the week with Morgan. Thanks for listening. Be sure to check out the other two parts this weekend. Go. Follow the show on all social platforms and follow at webgirl Morgan to submit your listener questions for next week's episode.

[Jess Hilarious]

Yo, what up? It's your girl Jess. Hilarious. And I think it's time to acknowledge that I'm not just a comedian. It's time to add uncertified therapists to my credentials. Because each and every Wednesday I'm fixing your mess on carefully Reckless on the Black Effect podcast network. Got problems in your relationship? Come to me. Your best friend acting shady? Come to me. Thought you was the father but you not come to me. I can't promise I won't judge you, but I can guarantee that I will help you. Listen to carefully Reckless on the Black Effect Podcast Network, iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

[Mark Seal]

I'm Mark Seale. And I'm Nathan King. This is Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli.

[Morgan]

The five families did not want us to shoot that picture.

[Mark Seal]

This podcast is based on my co host Mark Seal's best selling book of the same title. Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli features new and archival interviews with Francis Ford Coppola, Robert Evans, James Caan, Talia Shire, and many others.

[Morgan]

Yes, that was a real horse's head.

[Mark Seal]

Listen and subscribe to Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Morgan]

Welcome. My name is Paola Pedrosa, a medium and the host of the Ghost Therapy podcast where it's not just about connecting with deceased loved ones, it's about learning through them and their new perspective. I think God sent me this gift so I can show it to the world. And most of all, I help people every single day. Listen to the Ghost Therapy podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Cheekies]

Hey y'all, it's your girl, Cheekies. And I'm back with a brand new season of your favorite podcast, Cheekies and Chill. I'll be sharing even more personal stories with you guys and as always, you'll get my exclusive take on topics like love, personal growth, health, family ties, and more. And don't forget, I'll also be dishing out my best advice to you on episodes of Dear Cheekies. It's going to be an exciting year and I hope that you can join me. Listen to cheekies and chill season four on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast or wherever you get your podcasts.