Summary4 min read

Podcast Summary: Who Smarted? – "An Important Message From Trusty" (May 21, 2026)

Episode Overview

In this brief but heartfelt episode, Trusty—the familiar voice from "Who Smarted?"—delivers a direct, authentic message to the podcast’s loyal community of families and kids. The main purpose is twofold: to reveal the hard work and small team behind the show, and to ask for support for an exciting new project, the Modern Family Encyclopedia, via Kickstarter. The episode balances transparency about the challenges of making high-quality free educational content with an enthusiastic invitation to help ensure the podcast’s future and growth.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Behind the Curtain: The Reality of Making Who Smarted?

[01:04]

Trusty pulls back the curtain to reveal how much effort, time, and money goes into each episode.
- “We pour our blood, sweat and tears into this show. Every episode costs. Real money takes lots of time and those costs keep going up.”
The small, passionate team left jobs in television to create Who Smarted? full-time because they believe in its mission.
- “Adam TexDavis and I left our jobs making television to do this full time because we believed in it.”

2. How Listeners Help Keep the Show Alive

[01:49]

Trusty candidly shares that listener actions—whether listening to ads, subscribing, or buying products—make the show possible.
- “Whether you listen through the ads or whether you subscribe, whether you grab one of the products, that is what keeps the lights on. That's what keeps us showing up in your car, your kitchen, your classroom, your homeschool day.”

3. The New Project: Modern Family Encyclopedia on Kickstarter

[02:12]

Trusty excites listeners with an announcement: the launch of a Kickstarter for a series of three hardcover books, the Modern Family Encyclopedia.
- “This Sunday at 2pm we launch the Modern Family Encyclopedia in Kickstarter. Three big beautiful hardcover books that we've been building for months. The Who Smarted encyclopedia of smarting: Volume 1 Explosions, Volume 2 Dinosaurs, Volume 3 Food.”
The books aim to extend Who Smarted?’s mission of fun, screen-free learning.
Trusty describes how critical the first 48 hours of the Kickstarter campaign will be for its visibility and success.
- “The first 48 hours decide everything. If a bunch of us show up, the moment it goes live, these books take off. And if we don't, they quietly disappear.”

4. A Simple, No-Purchase Request: Help by Signing Up

[03:00]

Rather than pushing listeners to buy, Trusty asks for something easier: signing up to be notified on Kickstarter, which helps boost the campaign’s reach.
- “I'm not going to ask you to buy anything. And you don't even need to pull out a credit card. Just go to whosmarted.com, click the books button, sign up to get notified on Kickstarter. … The more people who sign up to be notified, the more visibility we get on Kickstarter and the more books we sell.”

5. A Special Call to Action for Both Parents and Kids

[04:00]

Trusty acknowledges that signing up for Kickstarter takes a minute but emphasizes how much it matters.
Gives practical tips, especially for kids (the “smarty pants”):
- Set a reminder for parents to sign up.
- Leave a note or send an email.

6. Heartfelt Gratitude and Closing

[05:00]

Trusty closes by sincerely thanking listeners, acknowledging that the show truly cannot continue without their help.
- “Thank you, smarty friends. We cannot do this without you.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On the team’s commitment:
“Adam TexDavis and I left our jobs making television to do this full time because we believed in it.” (01:13, Trusty)
On the importance of listener support:
“That's what keeps us showing up in your car, your kitchen, your classroom, your homeschool day.” (01:52, Trusty)
On the Kickstarter campaign stakes:
“The first 48 hours decide everything. If a bunch of us show up, the moment it goes live, these books take off. And if we don't, they quietly disappear.” (02:45, Trusty)
On what listeners can do:
“I'm not going to ask you to buy anything. … Just go to whosmarted.com, click the books button, sign up to get notified on Kickstarter.” (03:10, Trusty)
On involving kids:
“I know you're good at reminding your parents to do stuff … So all you need to do is get them to go to WhoSmarter.com, click Books, and then sign up to be notified on launch once they're on Kickstarter.” (04:24, Trusty)
A note of gratitude:
“Thank you, smarty friends. We cannot do this without you.” (05:10, Trusty)

Timestamps for Important Segments

01:04 – Personal message begins: Inside look at the creation and costs of Who Smarted?
01:49 – How listeners and parents keep the show afloat
02:12 – Details about the Modern Family Encyclopedia Kickstarter project
02:45 – Why the first 48 hours of Kickstarter are critical
03:00 – Clear call to action: Sign up to be notified on Kickstarter
04:00 – Encouragement and practical tips for both adults and kids to help
05:10 – Sincere closing and appreciation

Summary

In this episode, Trusty sets aside fun facts and trivia to speak from the heart, offering a transparent look at how much goes into each Who Smarted? episode. Listeners are invited to help the team’s latest passion project—a set of encyclopedia-style books—take flight, not by spending money, but simply by signing up for the Kickstarter notification. The tone is warm, personal, and earnest, ending with a moving message of gratitude that reinforces just how much the audience means to the show.

Perfect for parents, teachers, and, of course, “smarty pants” everywhere, this episode is a rallying call to support the podcast’s future adventures in fun, curiosity-driven learning.

Loading summary

Transcript2 lines

[00:01]
A
Hey parents Trusty here. You know what I hear constantly from homeschool parents in the whosmarted community? Thank you for introducing us to ixl. I get it. My cousin homeschools her kids and raves about how much IXL helps. We're heading into that stretch where families are finishing the year strong and then summer hits with travel camps and shifting routines and that's where IXL shines. IXL is an award winning online learning platform that fits seamlessly into homeschooling with interactive practice across math, language arts, science and social studies from Pre K through 12th grade. Everything's organized by grade and subject, so you quickly find what each kid needs. Kids get instant explanations and parents, you get clear Progress reports. Over 15 million students use IXL and it's proven to improve achievement in all 50 states. So make an impact on your child's learning. Who Smarted Listeners get an exclusive 20% off when they sign up today at www.ixl.com smarted. That's ixl.com
[01:05]
B
hey smarty friends. It's trusty. I have a serious message. Grown ups, lean in smarty pants. Stick around. This is about something we're making for you. Here's the deal. We pour our blood, sweat and tears into this show. Every episode costs. Real money takes lots of time and those costs keep going up. Now we want to keep making more and keep growing. Who smarted into even more of the place that your family comes for curiosity and learning and a whole lot of of fun. That's why you've heard us launching podcast camp and other new stuff every few months. But let me give you a reality check. We are a tiny team. Really tiny. Adam TexDavis and I left our jobs making television to do this full time because we believed in it. And we've got a few other amazing folks working with us to make it happen. Now, whether you listen through the ads or whether you subscribe, whether you grab one of the products, that is what keeps the lights on. That's what keeps us showing up in your car, your kitchen, your classroom, your homeschool day. Now, this Sunday at 2pm we launch the Modern Family Encyclopedia in Kickstarter. Three big beautiful hardcover books that we've been building for months. The who Smarted encyclopedia of smarting Volume 1 explosions. Volume 2 dinosaurs. Volume 3 food. We're doing this because it's another way to give you the awesome fun screen free educational experience that we're famous for and that we love doing for you. And it's a way for us to generate income While continuing to have positive impact. So here's how Kickstarter works. The first 48 hours, decide everything. If a bunch of us show up, the moment it goes live, these books take off. And if we don't, they quietly disappear. So I'm asking one thing. I'm not going to ask you to buy anything. And you don't even need to pull out a credit card. Just go to whosmarted.com, click the books button, sign up to get notified on Kickstarter. Do it in the car when you park. Do it the second you walk in the door. I don't care how, just please do it. I don't even care if you don't buy the books. But the more people who sign up to be notified, the more. The more visibility we get on Kickstarter and the more books we sell. Now, look, I know if you don't have a Kickstarter account yet, you're going to have to take a minute to set one up. It's another thing to do. I get it. It's a hassle. And honestly, I would love it if I didn't have to spend so much time on administration and logistics to keep whosmarted going. But that's the price we pay to give you this gift. So if you could take two minutes and help us out by going to WhoSmarted.com and clicking Books and signing up to be notified on Kickstarter, you would be doing me and Adam TexDavis and our little team and everybody who listens to WhoSmarted, a huge favor. Now, Smartypants, this is for you. If your adult is driving right now or doing something else or isn't with you right now, set an alarm to remind them to sign up to be notified or send an email to yourself or them or stick a note somewhere. I know you're good at reminding your parents to do stuff that they might forget otherwise that you want them to do. So all you need to do is get them to go to WhoSmarter.com, click Books, and then sign up to be notified on launch once they're on Kickstarter. Thank you, smarty friends. We cannot do this without you.