305. Thirty Minute Thursday: Maks Recap, Jason’s 20-Day Europe Adventure & This Week’s Pop Culture Buzz

Summary

Trading Secrets – Episode 305

“Thirty Minute Thursday: Maks Recap, Jason’s 20-Day Europe Adventure & This Week’s Pop Culture Buzz”
June 4, 2026 | Host: Jason Tartick | Guest/Co-host: David Ardoin

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Episode Overview

In this engaging edition of “Thirty Minute Thursday,” Jason Tartick and co-host David Ardoin serve up their trademark mix of personal updates, career insights, financial frankness, and a rapid-fire pop culture roundup. Jason preps for a 20-day European adventure while feeling the pressure to unplug, and David returns to form after reprioritizing life, with candid discussions on overworking, gratitude, and the eternal struggle with financial stress. They also deliver a thorough recap of Maks Chmerkovskiy’s recent appearance, dive into the economics of hit TV shows, and reflect on what truly drives consistency and motivation.

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1. Personal States & Life Priorities

[00:00–04:55]

• David’s “Comeback” Mindset:

  • David shares his renewed commitment to health, family, and life priorities after a period of stagnation.
  • He credits a family weight-loss competition (Memorial Day to July 3rd) as his motivation and draws parallels between fitness and other areas of life and career.
    • “The key to life is consistency. Whether it’s health, whether it’s career, whether it’s relationships, whether it’s family, whether it’s investing, whether it’s anything, it’s just consistency.” (David, 02:18)

• Jason’s Overwhelm & Routine:

  • Jason admits to feeling overwhelmed, caught in an intense pre-European work sprint.
  • He describes his structured routine with Catherine and the tension between productivity and enjoying upcoming travel.

• On Consistency & Motivation:

  • The duo explores what drives discipline: for David, competition against others; for Jason, the need to “feed your machine.”
    • Jason: “What actually drives your consistency…You gotta figure out, how do you feed your machine?” (02:51)

• Therapy Insights:

  • Jason recounts advice from therapy: Be skeptical when someone tries to persuade you using “everyone says.”
    • “The second anyone is trying to convince you of something and then go to a place of ‘everybody says it,’ instantly you should start thinking, why do they have to bring others in to make a point?” (Jason, 03:55)

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2. Work-Life Balance & the Pressures of Overworking

[04:55–13:48]

• Work Versus Priorities:

  • Jason and David speak candidly about the temptation—and often illusion—of overworking “for something” and how it can crowd out what matters most (family, health).
  • Jason wonders: Are we compelled to overdo it because of the relentless pace set by tech, AI, and the economy?
    • "With AI and the cost of things…the speed at which things are moving…do you feel that you have to be overdoing it?" (Jason, 07:39)

• The Trap of “The Thing”:

  • They question the payoff of overworking, noting that without boundaries, “the thing” people chase often never materializes.
    • “I just don’t think overworking has ever gotten me the…the feeling that I think I’m striving for.” (David, 06:58)

• Gratitude & Perspective:

  • Both acknowledge their privilege and recommend pausing for gratitude. Jason reflects:
    • “We have so much to be thankful for. We have so much. It doesn’t end.” (Jason, 12:55)

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3. Reflections on Therapy & Internal Voices

[10:32–12:15]

• Jason on Intrusive Thoughts:
  • Jason candidly shares a therapy moment about fleeting, irrational fears (e.g., shouting out during a live TV broadcast). He learns it's a common human experience and not a personal flaw.
    • “I had these fears, like, my little voices in my head, of like, 'What if I did this…what if I just blurted out a cuss word?’…My therapist said almost every session someone brings this up.” (Jason, 10:33)

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4. Maks Chmerkovskiy Episode Recap

[13:48–20:41]

• Maks’ Work Ethic:

  • Recaps Maks’s “trading secret”: work ethic instilled from his parents, emphasis on outworking everyone.
    • “You can outwork me…he doesn’t take credit, gives credit to his parents, and then he’ll take credit for his kids…and instill it in them.” (David, 13:48)

• Opinionated Firebrand:

  • Jason recounts Maks’s reputation: fearless, fiery, not afraid to challenge “Dancing with the Stars” judges publicly, and highly critical of the show’s direction post-personal departure.
    • “There is no PC with Max…he would yell right back…then go on media, be like, ‘My toe wasn’t–she was just wrong.’” (Jason, 15:18)

• Industry Insight & Spin-Offs:

  • Maks calls “Dancing with the Stars” the pinnacle of dance careers and praises its industry-defining longevity. Jason connects this to the new spin-off, “Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro.”
    • “Dancing with the Stars pro is the best job you can get in dance…it’s pretty crazy.” (David, 18:16)

• Jason’s Reflections as Interviewer:

  • Maks praises Jason’s interviewing skills. Jason feels affirmed and contemplates elevating his craft, maybe pursuing new journalism avenues.

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5. Pop Culture and Streaming Show Economics

[20:42–26:09]

• TV Highlights & Paychecks:

  • “Off Campus” (Amazon) is the hot topic show in their social circles. Jason shares fun money facts:
    • Justin Cole: $25,000/episode, Garrett Graham: $30,000/episode.
      • “So…a couple dollars and cents behind that.” (Jason, 24:24)

• Love Island & Summer House Critique:

  • Love Island’s latest season failing to impress, with OG fans complaining online.
  • “Summer House” maintains its hold, but “Off Campus” is the new Gen Z favorite.

• Relatable College Connections:

  • “Off Campus” mirrors Jason and David’s real college experiences at Geneseo: small school, tight-knit drama, campus legends.

• NHL Playoffs & Heated Rivalry:

  • Touches on the hockey playoff excitement and “Heated Rivalry,” another trending show.

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6. Money, Markets, and Real-Life Financial Woes

[25:09–29:20]

• Rising Costs:

  • Gasoline and energy prices pinch pool-owners (Jason and David trade pool heater horror stories).
  • They mention the dramatic rise in homeowners’ insurance costs (42% report increases).

• Financial Stress, Paycheck-to-Paycheck Real Talk:

  • David opens up about living paycheck-to-paycheck, appreciating podcast side hustle income, and the necessity of hustling, promotions, and family planning.
    • "I am the definition of paycheck to paycheck…there’s like a couple…deposits that I’ve had in my account over the last year…I’d be broke without that." (David, 27:44)
    • “Does money stress you out?” – “Honestly, it should a lot more than it does…But we’re making more money year over year…Our future is a little more finite.” (David, 27:44–29:20)
  • Jason points out honesty and vulnerability are powerful, reassuring listeners they're not alone.

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7. Closing Highlights & Upcoming Guests

[30:31–end]

• Notable Quotes & Final Thoughts:
  • David’s rallying words:
    • “Find what drives you, find what motivates you. And let’s, let’s go here. Come on now.” (David, 29:39)
  • Podcast growth: Jason teases multiple offers on the table and more future earnings ("more cash flow to come").
  • Upcoming guest: Olivia Levin, “Swifties for Eternity” account operator and NYT best-selling author, with a scoop about Taylor Swift’s forthcoming Toy Story 5 song.
    • “If you’re a Taylor Swift fan, you have to tune in…if you’re not…I promise you, you will be shocked by this episode.” (Jason, 30:41)

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Key Takeaways & Memorable Quotes

• “The key to life is consistency…You just have to be consistent in it and you’ll continue to get results.” —David (02:18)
• “What actually drives your consistency?…You gotta figure out, how do you feed your machine?” —Jason (02:51)
• “The second anyone is trying to convince you of something...and then go to a place of ‘everybody says it,’ instantly you should start thinking, why do they have to bring others in to make a point?” —Jason (03:55)
• “With AI and the cost of things…the speed at which things are moving…do you feel that you have to be overdoing it?” —Jason (07:39)
• “My therapist said almost every session someone brings this up.” —Jason, on intrusive thoughts (10:33)
• “Dancing with the Stars pro is the best job you can dance…It’s just, it’s pretty crazy.” —David (18:16)
• “I am the definition of paycheck to paycheck…But we’re making more money year over year…Our future is a little more finite.” —David (27:44–29:20)
• “Find what drives you, find what motivates you. And let’s, let’s go here. Come on now.” —David (29:39)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• David’s Comeback & Consistency: 00:00–03:26
• Therapy Insights & “Everybody Says” Manipulation: 03:30–04:55
• Jason’s Overwhelm & Pre-Europe Routine: 05:04–06:52
• Overworking & Technology’s Effect: 07:39–08:17
• Gratitude Check: 12:20–13:04
• Maks Chmerkovskiy Recap: 13:48–20:41
• Pop Culture Buzz (“Off Campus,” Love Island, Summer House): 21:28–24:55
• Showbiz Money (Off Campus Salaries): 24:24
• Money Stress & Paycheck Realities: 27:44–29:20
• Motivational Send-off & Next Week’s Guest: 30:31–end

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In Summary:

This “Thirty Minute Thursday” is a lively blend of hustle, honesty, pop culture, and financial insight—a must-listen for fans of Trading Secrets looking for motivation, relatability, and the inside story on work, wealth, and what’s trending.

Transcript

[A]

Foreign. Thursdays. I'm here with the one, the only, David Ardoin. We're talking all things of course, we're gonna recap the Max episode. A lot of action happening in both of our lives and out there in the markets and pop culture and maybe with your money and certainly last week's trading secrets episod. David, before we dive into it in general in life, how are you? Where are you at right now? Where's your mental state? Where's your happiness? Give me one word to describe how you're feeling right now. Go.

[B]

Come back.

[A]

Two words. I like it. Come back.

[B]

No, it's one word.

[A]

Okay, I'll come back. You're right. Oh, okay. Okay. You're right. Yeah, you're right.

[B]

Yeah, I'm back.

[A]

I stand corrected.

[B]

Yeah, I'm back.

[A]

What are you coming back from?

[B]

I'm, I'm prioritizing my life, all the good things in life. I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm on a, I'm on a nice little kick here where I'm, I'm stopped making excuses for myself and I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm back. I'm, I'm taking care of all the important things in life.

[A]

Give me an example. Everyone's going to want to know.

[B]

Health, sleep, being present, being with my kids, taking a little opportunity in the off season to start just doing things that I've been putting off. Like it's just been. I'm not laying on the couch doom scrolling because I'm tired. I mean healthy. I'm back in the gym, saunaing, I'm doing yard work and getting the house ready. Summer vibes are good.

[A]

What kicked you in into action here?

[B]

Same thing that always does, which is my clothes not fitting. No, I, listen, I talked about the Memorial Day weekend that was raining here and we did golf with Carter and then we did bowling and then we took him to hockey. Bro, I was like exhausted. I was like, I like had no energy. I'm like this, dude, you are a joke. And then I was like healthy for a few days. I entered a weight loss competition with my brother in law. We were at Memorial Day Monday. And so we're going holiday to holiday. We're going Memorial Day Tuesday, so the day after to July 3rd and we're in a weight loss competition. And it's just so funny, man, because when you're in it and you want to see like progress after three or four days or five days and you get mad when you don't have it, dude. I was in a competition last year. I ended up weighing myself every single day for 189 days in a row. And I lost a crazy amount of weight. I was in great shape. And I was like, that's consistency. The key to life is consistency. Whether it's health, whether it's career, whether it's relationships, whether it's family, whether it's investing, whether it's anything, it's just consistency. You just, you don't have to be great at anything. You just have to be consistent in it and you'll continue to get results.

[A]

Yeah, I think it's discipline and consistency, but the big thing with consistency is there's going to be tons of people listening to this, and what will drive their consistency is different than what will drive yours. So I think the question you then have to ask yourself is what actually drives your consistency? Right? And so I think for you, you're starting to nail it. It's. I think, I don't think it's bad. It's competition. Competition, big time drives your. Right. Like you're a competitive guy, you know, but you're not the guy that competes against himself. You're the guy that competes against others. And like, I think you have to, like, we're all these, I've said this a million times, our own machines, and you got to figure out, like, how do you feed your machine?

[B]

Yeah, no, that's good. It's good synopsis. How much I owe you for that?

[A]

You know, I'm here all day, I'll tell you that much. Here all day. Oh, I got a good one. I don't even think I've shared this on. On Instagram, which I usually do when I go to therapy sessions. But I had a therapy session and I said something to my therapist and she stopped me. And it was along the lines of a moment with someone that I had. And this person was saying, well, everybody's saying it, right? And so I was like, well, who's everybody? And this person went on to name a bunch of people that had said it. And I would say this person is a little bit like on the outer of my circle, my target circle, we talk about. And she said, the second anyone is trying to convince you of something or like inform you on something and then go to a place of everybody says it, instantly you should start thinking, why do they have to bring others in to make a point? And are they moving people to help manipulate and things to. Just ask yourself. And the second you're in a conversation with someone and they say, this person said that or this person said that. The second they do that, you have the right to. That person's just given you permission to ask that person. Because if not, people could be moving humans or triangulating humans to manipulate. And so I just found that very fascinating.

[B]

I was like, wow, it's fascinating. What's your one word? How's your light? What's. What's going on for you right now?

[A]

My one word is overwhelmed.

[B]

I was gonna say that literally. I wish. I just wish, because now it doesn't. I. I was gonna say that for you. You were your aura as I'm looking into your eyes.

[A]

Oh, yeah.

[B]

And I feel like you asked me that question at the start of this because you were overwhelmed. So you wanted me to kick it off maybe and like talk a little bit. Because you're just, you're digesting your life right now. You're collecting.

[A]

I mean, I asked you four questions to get off, so I. So, yeah, pretty much. I was saying take the mic and talk. I need a second to sit and actually think where the I am right now.

[B]

Okay, so exactly break down. Overwhelmed. Why are you overwhelmed?

[A]

Overwhelmed because I today, like, I've been working, dude, I'm. I'm in this mode right now lately where I've just been working non stop. Like I've just been going, going, but it hasn't been like I'm leaving the house and going everywhere. It's like office time. And so this. Let's think about the last week and a half. The last week and a half is the first time in a really long time I've had a very consistent routine, like not drinking, waking up early. Catherine and I usually get a workout together, go work, we have dinner together, we walk the dogs together, we go to bed together. Right? Like it's this routine that I'm in and I'm, I'm. The reason I'm overwhelmed is because I have so much to get done before I leave for Europe. Leaving for Europe, going for 20 days, six hours ahead of everyone here. Eight hours ahead of those on the west coast, who. A lot of people. Nine hours is. Is it?

[B]

I guess, yeah.

[A]

Nine hours from you. It's. It's the mo. Like, I'm so overwhelmed with all the things that I have to get done in such a short period of time. Because I want to go over there and enjoy it. I want to, for the first time in my life in a long time, just unplug a little bit. And I don't want to have to be doing. So I'm moving full speed to get it done, if that makes sense.

[B]

Yeah, I'll be pissed at you if you're like heavy work mode over there.

[A]

I don't want to be. I just like, I. I just want plug.

[B]

Yeah, I know, I know, I know I'm guilty of. And I have been extremely guilty, especially in the last six months since I took over leadership position of like overworking my priorities is the way I would say it. I'm working a ton, but I'm overworking. Work is becoming more than what my priorities should be. I gotta. Had an infant of a newborn at home. I got a wife, I got my health, I got. And I'm overworking above the things that are actually important in my life. I just don't think overworking is ever gotten me the. The feeling that I think I'm striving for while I'm overworking. Because we all know when we're overworking, we think it's for like this thing. And I don't think that thing ever really materializes. Maybe it does over time.

[A]

The question is, what is the thing? Like I, I know I'll be. I will be able to go to bed tonight and be like, I know I did check a lot of those things off the box. But I guess the point is like what does that actually mean? And I, I want to real quick. I'm gonna kick it back to you in a second, but I wanna, I want people right now that are listening to think about this. Like, do you. Is this a theme that you're feeling too? Like I like with AI and the cost of things and of course the surge now, even just this last 24 hours since recording in oil prices. I'm wondering if that's a common theme that people feel that they have to be overdoing it. And if they don't feel that they are overdoing it, they feel as though they're not doing enough. Because the speed at which things are

[B]

moving just to back that up. Yes. Like I think people will feel that because the ease of technology and the access technology allows us to do so many things at the same time that I don't think we actually feel like we're doing anything. And it's just going so fast. And I would say to you, what is that thing? Well, I hope you're overworking to the extent that you are so that you can unplug. You just said it. So if you go there and don't unplug, then all that was for. It's also a good opportunity for you. You have a great staff and a great team. Like, let's see how great. Like let's see how good. Like let's, let's all just do 10%, 5%, 1% more because we have to. Because I'm sure you give flexibility for people to go unplug when it's their turn to unplug. I know that you're the boss and so sometimes you bear that responsibility that you don't get to. But let's see, like you just put the. You, you've done it. So like it's important. And again, I said it a couple weeks ago on 30 Minute Thursdays. If you go over there and you don't enjoy this European three week vacation with weddings and love and celebration with your love and the person that you want eventually I think are on the path to, to maybe experience those moments for yourselves long term, man, you are missing out on what's the priority and what's in front of your face because you feel overwhelmed. Now all I can say, and anyone who's listening is going to agree because they probably feel you, but they're probably laughing like I'm laughing in the back. When you have kids, the word overwhelmed won't even be in the dictionary. Just becomes like, like a mode. It's like I'm in drive, reverse park overwhelmed. Like that's. I'm just there and like there's no. He even said it. Max even said in this. Like there's no stopping. Like you just got to go.

[A]

You just go. You don't turn it off, but you just deal with. Okay, I'm overwhelmed now. Last week I was, I was energized, you know, whatever it was. Like, I feel like you just continue to go and go.

[B]

I don't know.

[A]

Part. There's part of me. I've never thought about this more in my life than I've thought about it lately. Is this idea of really trying to ramp up work and net cash flow so that, you know, if I'm lucky enough to have kids that when I do I don't really have to work as much. But I, I just don't know if that. You say that, but I just don't know if you can take the.

[B]

It's a good thought to have.

[A]

I don't know if you could take that out of someone, you know. Another thing on therapy as I found interesting. I don't think I've ever talked about this on therapy. And I said, hey, I got a question for you. I was In a situation the other day, and I was like. I had these fears, like, my voice, little. Little voices in my head of like, what if I did this? Like, I was on live. Like, it was. We were ready to go to, like, a live TV segment. I was, like, ready to go. It's live. I'm like, what if I just, like, like, blurted out a cuss word or, like, said something wildly inappropriate like. Like, it, like, caught, like, went through my brain. Like, what if I did that right now? Like, holy shit. I went down this rabbit hole for, like, literally three seconds of a thousand thoughts like, what if I did this on live TV right now? And then, like, boom, it vanished. And she started laughing. I go, why are you laughing? And she goes, I got to tell you, I don't know what. What is going on, but almost every therapy session, someone's bringing this up, like, these, like, fears. Are these rumination of fears or these, like. And she's like, a lot of the times, like, especially if it just comes and goes, it's funny. That's just, like, what. That's literally what, like, people do. That's, like, those things happen. And I was wondering if anyone out there listening has maybe felt that lately where you're in a situation and, like, everything you know, you shouldn't or couldn't do you think, like, oh, my God, what if I did do that right now? I don't know.

[B]

Could come from just, I guess maybe over stimulation. Access to information. We're processing so many things, and our brains processing these thoughts and ideas so fast, and then eventually you just got to put the phone down and stop doing scrolling. And for those thoughts you get, you got to check out of them a little bit. But, yeah, dude, it's. Life is. Life is. I mean, it's summer, it's sunny, it's good. But it's. But life is great. Life is hard, man. Life is hard.

[A]

Yeah. Yeah. Life is.

[B]

When do you leave?

[A]

Yeah, life is. Life is life, though. It's life.

[B]

It's.

[A]

It's great. I mean, also, let's take a pause. Let's say how privileged we are, right? I mean, we're sitting here.

[B]

Oh, yeah.

[A]

Oh, I'm complaining because I have to work hard for a company and work hard for myself to go to Europe for 20 days. Like, boo. Who? Like, I mean, little. I think a little perspective and being grateful in times like this is so important. You're. You have a. You have a great marriage. You have two healthy kids. I saw your son the other day hit a hockey puck like, literally, Happy Gilmore, like, clearly gonna be a pro athlete. Like, let's have a little grace here, and maybe if there's anyone listening, take a pause.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

We have so much to be thankful for. We have so much. It doesn't end. You know what I mean? The thankfulness and the gratefulness that we should have should be endless.

[B]

Yeah. It's just getting back to your priorities. Isn't making sure that whatever's overwhelming you, whatever's stressing you out, whatever you're. Whatever you're beating yourself up for, like, is it one of your priorities? And. And if not, it's important that we have our priorities, that we get down to the core of that, and we understand where that is, because you need a little equilibrium, too, A little balance, little foundation.

[A]

Well, it goes back to where we started this. It's the. We're both very competitive people. I think we compete in different ways. I think different type of competition fires us up. And when you're a competitive person, like, you want to push yourself to be the best version of yourself. Right? And so 100. I think sometimes turning that switch off to be like, hey, you don't have to. It's not like. Not everything is. Is full speed ahead, like you said. Sometimes it's like, sit, enjoy it.

[B]

Sit and enjoy it. Love that. One person who doesn't sit and enjoy it is our boy Max. I mean, this guy. Let's start. Let's start at the end. His trading secret. You asked for his trading secret. He goes, you can outwork me. That was like the. He talked about his work ethic, that he learned it from his parents, that he doesn't take credit. He gives credit to his parents, and then he'll take credit for his kids, and they have great work ethic because he's going to instill it in them. Talk about a workaholic, this guy. He goes. I didn't.

[A]

I. I was gonna say. Are you. Were you familiar at all with him before dance, before this interview?

[B]

I couldn't. I thought for sure he was still on Dancing with the Stars. I knew exactly when you said who we were podcasting with and what episode was going on, I knew exactly who he was. I assumed. Does he have a brother who's still on?

[A]

Yeah, Val. So, Val, Right. If you guys haven't listened. Val and Jenna have both been on the podcast individually. He's Val's brother. They both come from an insanely long, legendary background and resume in. In the dance space. And his big thing, David, he was known on the show. I Mean is one of the most talented, one of the most precise, but one of the most fiery guys out there. Like, there is no PC with Max. Like, when a judge would critique him, like, he' be there, you know, as this is the star. Or, sorry, pro dancer with a star. He would yell right back, right then and there when they're giving it, like, no, you're actually wrong. And then he would go on in media, be like, my toe wasn't, you know, I don't know these vernaculars, but like, my toe wasn't pointed that, you know, she was just wrong. And now he's on the show anymore and he's very, very, very critical of the show. So, like, a lot of people will tune into the show and then they'll go listen to his podcast or YouTube or wherever he's giving his feedback at that time because he is so precise and he's very, very, very critical. And the past season, he went off pretty much saying Jan was Britney Spears dancer. And he said that Jan has absolutely no business being a pro and dance with the star. There's zero foundation, technique, quality understanding of the partnership. It's absurd. This is unreal. How blind we have to be to not say what's obvious here. It's. And he said, he went on to say, it's not Jan's fault. Jan. I'm saying Jan, I apologize, guys. It's not Jan's fault. He's doing what he was hired to do. I have zero against him whatsoever. Or his partner. It's not his fault. So this took headlines everywhere because he was the new dancer they brought on. That was the backup. I'm sorry, to Taylor Swift. I'm screwing all things up. Jan was a backup dancer to Taylor Swift and then came Dance with Stars. And people had an uproar about that. They're like, there's absolutely no way that's true. Now, Derek Hough, I remember after that happened, it went everywhere. He made sure at the next judge table to say, Jan, first of all, I want to tell you, my man, you're doing a fantastic for your first season. So. But every. You heard it in this interview. I said it every season when Max isn't on the season. He's still one of the most talked about people from the season because of his participation, his commentary and his opinions.

[B]

That makes sense because I definitely thought he was on when he. I have in my notes right here, I said, 2019. I said, this guy's been on since 2019. I was sure that he had been on, but that no, that makes sense. He's fiery, that's for sure. And listen, when you get a mid interview pause for him to just pump your tires with how good you are of an interviewer because of the types of questions that you're asking with a guy who's clearly like deep, detail oriented, like, does like, how good does that feel?

[A]

It feels good. Honestly, it feels really good. And it makes me feel like, I'll be honest, I'll tell you when I hear that because I, I not trying to like pump my tires, but I've been hearing that a lot before and after interviews and during interviews and I don't know, it makes me want to like do something at maybe a higher level with these questions. Like, yeah, I think like, like this is great, this is fun. But where could I take that inquisitiveness and bring it to like the next level, you know? Like, I don't, I don't know, is it, is it somehow and possibly into journalism? Is it, is it interviewing different scenarios? I don't know, but I really, really enjoy it. It's been fun. And to hear that feedback from him was great and. Yeah, so, but what would you say? Anything about the interview that either confused you or things you want to talk through or were big takeaways for you?

[B]

No, I mean just the, he had, he spoke with such passion, you know, just to hear about how highly regarded Dancing with the Stars has gotten. Not just as a TV show, but someone in that industry where it is the premier job. I mean, how. He was just saying how, you know, Dancing with the Stars has been casted so right for so long that it's going to survive all the ages and eras of media and technology. And just the fact that he just said how many times like Dancing with the Stars is not going anywhere. And he just said dancing with the Stars pro is the best job you can dance. You can get in dance. It's just, it's pretty, it's pretty crazy. And I think, I don't think the people at home will ever understand or take for granted just how hard these pros and these celebrities grind when it's their turn. 247 for three months, no talking to family and friends. Like, I don't know, I just, I, I was just, I was really intrigued by it, really intrigued by him, the episode and, and everything. What about you? Any takeaways from, from. Because we've had a bunch of Dancing with the Stars people on. So some of them, some elements may feel like a little like. No, I don't say redundant because you're talking about the same show. So how many ways can you speak about it? But each and every person has their own perspective or experiences. So I thought his was unique.

[A]

I like his tenacity. I like how open and honest he is. I love his statements. Like he just drives statements. He's very opinionated, which I love. And I just, I truly believe when he's like, this is the best job in the industry. There's no discussion. The show's a machine. It's going to keep growing. It's flawless. The casting is unbelievable. I believe every single part of it. What I also find is really cool is in those words, it's also backed up for the first time ever in a way that we haven't seen before where they're now launching Dancing the Stars spin off show. Right. He think about Max words. Max is saying that being a pro dancer on Dance with the Stars is the pinnacle right now. So much that they're launching the spin off show Dancing with the Stars, the next pro, where you have Robert Irwin, the former Mirrorball champion and they have the three time Mirrorball champion Mark Ballas and his mother who's an extreme renowned ballroom expert, Shirley Ballas. Which you guys should go check out the Mark Ballis episode. He's been on the show. They're doing a show to find the next pro. That's how incredible this has become. That's how big the platform is. The tour was a monster success. It's huge.

[B]

I love it. I love the idea of that. People listen, people want it, got to give it to them. It's just like in the rest of pop culture. People want it, but eventually some everything comes to an end. Love island season premiere two nights ago. I'm hearing horrific things. Social media not taking well to it. People saying they can't even get through the trailer, they can't even get through the intro. They can't even get through the 15 minutes. It's, it's losing its lure a little bit and I og Love island fans are really upset by it because they've been around for a long time. So there's that there's some controversies. People not even making it past the premiere before their social media gets scrubbed and people finding out. So that's a little bit of a concern. When do you think we'll stop talking about Summer Summer house on these 30 minute Thursdays?

[A]

I mean I, I, it's still consuming my social media but I'll tell you the new one that is starting to consume just conversations amongst The Gen Z's on at my office off campus. Have you heard about it?

[B]

Ashley watched off campus. She binged the entire season. We were in Miami and we had no kids, so she finally got to like binge it. She washed on her phone. So we got back from Miami and she was on the couch. It was a day after we got back from Miami and she had her AirPods in list on her phone on the couch while Carter was watching his shows or whatever. I go, what are you watching? She goes, off campus. I said, I thought you finished it. She goes, oh, no, I know. I started it over again. I was like, excuse me, you started it over? You just finished. You just watched in a week. I'm like, what is it about this show, Jason? It's a hockey show.

[A]

I was gonna say, how do you not know about this?

[B]

I know about it. My wife's obsessed with it. I'm concerned. I'm a little concerned.

[A]

And what was, what did she say?

[B]

She loves it. She can't get enough of it. She's obsessed with it.

[A]

Yeah, I mean, it's, it's. It's blowing up. Everyone's talking about it between.

[B]

What was the other show?

[A]

So it's on Amazon prime, right?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And it's this college romance drama. It's based on a best selling book series. It's a fictional. I know. It's the story sets. All fictional, of course, following the members of the school's hockey team and women in their lives. And then the thing is, I guess they enter. This is reading the synopsis here. They enter into fake arrangements that gradually turns into real relationships while navigating college life, friendships, personal trauma and romance. Show mixes hockey culture, friendships, coming of age themes, college drama, romance. I will tell you this, I actually don't know who the person was. Maybe because I'm forgetting or because when I looked I was like, wait, who is this? But I put something on Instagram about it and someone responded to me and said, it's pretty much Geneseo for anyone that. For anyone that doesn't know, as we went to small School Division 3, David and I went to school together. It's like in the middle of freaking nowhere. 5,000 people. And as you can imagine, in a world like that, we didn't have a football team. So the hockey team was like the team. And then like soccer team and lacrosse team were pretty cool. Like we didn't have football players to compete against. And it was small. We were out there. There were no Ubers because there was nowhere to drive to. Everywhere was walking distance. So our, our college life was a lot of, like, a lot of what this show says. Romance, drama, hockey, culture, friendship dynamics, coming of the age theme. So, I mean, I haven't seen it, but everyone's talking about this show.

[B]

Everyone's talking about it. The one of the lead girls on it just broke. Called off her engagement. Got called off.

[A]

Oh yeah. Wow.

[B]

In real life, not on the show. So who knows how the. This show blowing up is impacting that aspects of it. But there was off campus and there was the other one. What was the other one?

[A]

Well, real quick. Justin Cole is making $25,000 an episode. If we talk a little bit money wise, he, you know, he's, he's, he's a big one. And then Belmont, Garrett Graham in the. In the show is actually making 30k per episode. So a couple dollars and cents behind that.

[B]

Can we get someone on the pod off campus?

[A]

We can fire away. We sure can try. We can sure try. I'll be curious for everyone listening this. Let us know if you're watching off campus. Just give us five stars in the comments. Just say, I'm watching off campus. I'm not. That would be very helpful.

[B]

Yeah, that would be helpful to see if we're. We're hitting all the right spots here.

[A]

And what were you saying? Have I another.

[B]

Well, there's another hockey show that was on that was really big for a little bit there. All the girls were getting hot and bothered.

[A]

Heated rivalry.

[B]

Heated rivalry. Hockey.

[A]

Just.

[B]

It's NHL playoffs. Stanley cup playoffs. Game two tonight. Game one on Tuesday was absolutely electric at the NBA finals going on. Yeah, I mean, you mentioned what you, you said something about the gas earlier. Price of oil.

[A]

Oh, yeah. It's getting out of control out here.

[B]

My pool guy finally got my pool up and running. I'm about to turn the heater on. He basically looked me in the eye and he's like, just so you're aware, like, you're.

[A]

Why.

[B]

He's like, you're. You're. You're rg. You're a gas. Gas and electric bill. He's like, with the pool heater, he's like, you're done. He's like, just enjoy it. But he's like, you're. You're. Your bills are going to be outrageous. So he's kind of just like prepping me. I'm like, oh, that's great. That's why.

[A]

But why are.

[B]

Because.

[A]

He's saying because of the cost of.

[B]

Because the cost to heat the pool. The pool heaters are done through gas. So I'm using the gas to heat up the water. And that's great to know. I just. My pool heater crapped out last year and 4, 500 later, I got a new pool heater. Now I'm getting told I'm just getting whacked. Like, I'm just.

[A]

Well, someone else who got whacked. Well, we got three minutes left here. New article. It's how Keanu Reeves urges mercy for director. His buddy Carl Rinsch was convicted of swindling Netflix out of $11 million. It's a good buddy of his, 48 was convicted in December of federal charges, money laundering, illegal transactions, and wire fought. Prosecutors said the director took the Netflix money for a project that never materialized, then spent it on a Ferrari and Multiple Rolls Royces, plus 6, $652,000 on watches and $.8 million on furniture and antiques. In December, prosecutors said the streaming Giant paid WRENCH $44 million to complete the sci fi series White Horse later giving him an additional $11 million after wrench claimed he needed the funds to finish the production. Oh, man, that's messy. That is messy.

[B]

You can't do that.

[A]

You can't. I mean, you just can't do that. Another thing you can do, and we're both doing. 42% of homeowners, David, are saying that their insurance costs have gone up a lot. That's what a recent survey says. Do you feel like your insurance costs have gone up a lot?

[B]

Wouldn't know.

[A]

What do you mean?

[B]

I just wouldn't know.

[A]

Do you. Do you deal with the finances, or is that something Ashley does?

[B]

No, I do, but it's all escrowed into my mortgage, so I'd have to look into my mortgage. My mortgage is my monthly payment that comes out from my mortgage statement is my mortgage, my insurance, and my taxes all in one lump. So it's. I don't. I don't look at it. It just comes out and I get sad, and then I move on with my life.

[A]

Does money stress you out?

[B]

Honestly, it should. It should a lot more than it does. I get my moments. Or I'm like, hey, I'm gonna buckle in today and really, like, check some things and open some accounts up and see how we're doing. But yeah, man, you know what stresses me out? Like, I am the death. The reason why I think I've lasted 300 episodes is I am very much the voice of the viewer. I am very much, you guys. Like, I am the definition of paycheck to paycheck there's some, like, I have sixteen hundred dollars in my checking account right now, and I was scrolling back over the last year. I was doing this the other night. I was, like, scrolling back to see, like, some purchase that I've made to try and make sure I don't make repeats or whatever. There's like, a couple, like, deposits that I've had in my account over the last year. I'm like, where would I be without that? What if I didn't get that? What? I'd be broke. So, like, little things in the podcast, like, when you. When I get my. My every couple months, when you send me money for the podcast, I'm like, I'd be broke without that. If I didn't get that. Like, I just wouldn't have any money in my bank account. So I just think, like, you keep your head down. It stresses me out. Yeah, but, like, you can't stop. What, are you gonna stop and cry about it? I've gotten a promotion every year at work. I got. I got side hustles. Ashley's going back to work. Her kids now are stopped. We've stopped having kids. We're done having kids. We got two kids. Like, we're gonna start planning and moving on with our life, man. We're just growing. We're growing the. We always. Ash and I always say. We always say that this is. It'll never be worse than what it is today, right? In the sense of, like, we've. We're making more money year over year. We're getting our. Our future is a little more, like, finite. There's a lot less, like, wondering what it's going to look like, what it's going to be. So, yeah, that's my long answer. Does it stress me out? Like, it probably. It does, yeah. But it probably should a lot more given, like, how scarce maybe it is.

[A]

I love it. I mean, I love your honesty. I love your vulnerability. I also think that there are a lot of people that connect to that. You know what I mean? And. And there's a lot of people that really don't have the composure that you have in the position you have. And I think that'll put a lot of people at ease.

[B]

You know, I'd rather just go do something about it. Still got a 825 credit score. I can still shake and move if I wanted to. But we're. We're doing it, guys. We're. Listen, we're out here. We're grateful. We're living, we're breathing, we're Doing it. If you're listening to this podcast and you've made it with us 31 minutes into 30 minute Thursday, you are privileged to, you have the ability to, you know, you're listening to us. You're choosing to do that, your time. We're so lucky, we're so blessed that you're on this wild journey with us. We are connecting with you whether you think we are or not. We are there for you guys. You guys are there for us. Let's just keep putting our head down. Jason's overwhelmed. I'm making a comeback. He's going to Europe. If you're listening to this, I know even though you do think it, you're doing great things with your life. You have things to look forward to. Find what drives you, find what motivates you. And let's, let's go here. Come on now.

[A]

Let's go. And just so you know, David, we are getting, we have three or four, maybe five offers for the podcast on the table. About to ink a deal. So more cash flow to come.

[B]

Need it.

[A]

And before that, guys, next Monday, make sure you tune in. We have a lot. Olivia Levin coming on. She operates Swifties for Eternity account. It is the largest fan account, one that Taylor Swift herself endorses. She just wrote a New York Times best selling book and has done quite the business off of pursuing her passion. Very sharp, very smart. It's an episode that if you're a Taylor Swift fan, you have to tune in. If you're not a Taylor Swift fan fan, I promise you, you will be shocked by this episode. Also, we didn't cover it, but Taylor just announced this week that she will have an original song in the upcoming Toy Story 5. That song is. I knew it. I knew you. So a lot of news in pop culture, money in markets, a lot of vulnerability from both David and I. And we will be back next Thursday. I will be coming in from Europe. David will be in Rochester, New York and we will see you next Thursday. Hopefully. This was a 30 minutes Thursday. You couldn't afford to miss.