Area 224 Ltd.

Content + Communications Consulting

You are here: Home / Archives for Dave

Dave

Three Recent Vandy Program Interviews

Back in December 2025, I decided to post content each day; between this blog, my Substack, LinkedIn, YouTube, and X, the plan was something every day. It was a fun experiment and…I figured June 2026 was a good enough time to do that again. So here goes; it’s June 1 and time to take a look at some recent videos.

One of the fun things about my podcast, The Vandy Program, is the variety of people I get to interview.

So let’s take this opportunity to look back at three completely different discussions — one sports, one business, and one a discussion of current events that I’m calling The News Of The Day — that you can find on YouTube.

Lauren Beasley, Sportswriter

One of my claims on my various channels is that I’m a “Recovering Sportscaster.” It’s true; but most of my sportscasting experience is from days of yesteryear, specifically in college athletics, where the players were unpaid and the coaches didn’t jump from one program to another THAT often.

USA Today writer Lauren Beasley is much more plugged in, covering the SEC — and specifically South Carolina — from her perch in the Palmetto State. She also grew up in Augusta, Georgia; so she knows a thing or 72 about golf, and she covers that sport, too.

This interview checked all the boxes: fun conversation, engaging subject matter expert, and a couple semi-controversial pieces (if you consider Lane Kiffin to be controversial; see above about coaches jumping from one program to another).

Jeannie Walters, Author of ‘Experience Is Everything’

This interview fell into the “Throwback” category, in that Jeannie Walters and I both realized we went back a long way. (How long? Chicago folks may remember Techweek; Jeannie and I were part of the team that created Techweek’s original iteration, in 2004, SEVEN YEARS before the officially branded Techweek.)

Jeannie has built quite a career as an expert in Customer Experience; and her work as CEO of Experience Investigators led her to share her findings in a book called Experience Is Everything.

This discussion is really pertinent in the modern world where you can have any and everything you want at the touch of a button; but sometimes that button-click moment ain’t everything it’s cracked up to be, and everything leading up to the moment is kinda meh, too.

Here’s the link.

Andrew Donaldson, Podcaster and Host of ‘Heard Tell’

Andrew and I go back several years and, in addition to his work behind the microphone, he is also part of the editorial team at Ordinary-Times, a rather cool website that yours truly has contributed to in the past.

This interview was part of an occasional feature I’m calling The News Of The Day, where we riff on…get this…the news of the day. But I capitalize every first letter, even the “O” in “Of” and both “T’s” in “The” because I am a rebel. (But not enough of a rebel to just say “Ts” because that looks weird.)

In any event, this dropped on Wednesday, May 27 and…most of what we talked about is still in the news. This may be a testament to the vagaries of modern warfare AND modern political campaigns.

Here’s the link to that one:

What’s Ahead in June?

Well, we’re aiming for content daily, so check back often. We’re also doubling-down on video interviews.

Thanks, as always, for your support.

Requiem For A Show

It’s official: The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is off the air. It wrapped its final show on Thursday, May 21, 2026.

And, in keeping with tradition, I didn’t watch.

I first wrote about the show’s demise on my Substack last year. It was then, is now, and ever shall be…a business decision.

Don’t cry for Stephen, he’ll be fine. He’ll be on Substack soon. He’ll launch a podcast. Probably sell rights to Netflix — he is part of the Democratic Industrial Complex, after all; see Letterman, David, or Obama, Barack and Michelle — and, again, the facts won’t matter because the narrative does.

First, The Money

Last year I wrote the following:

If you don’t see the changes to the modern media world, you are likely completely lost.

Ignore your thoughts about Colbert as a person; Ignore his politics, too — even though they contributed to his demise at the network — and think about this as a business decision.

No operational executive worth his salt in the modern business world would lose $40 million on a product year over year (over year, since Colbert started in 2015) and not find himself shown the door. In fact, the plug should have been pulled years ago.

Part of the reason for that quote was because of this tweet, which underscored how crazy the finances were for the show (and for network TV writ large):

Pore over numbers all you want, but, as an executive, you cannot keep losing $40 million EACH YEAR on a product without deciding to shut the product down.

So enough about the finances. Let’s talk about two other things that kept me away from the program, and will keep me away from crying of its death.

‘Republicans Buy Sneakers, Too’

You cannot hate an audience repeatedly, then expect the very audience you hate to watch your program. Especially…on CBS; sure, the news division has always been Left-leaning, but it’s not known as “The Old People’s Network” for nothing. Shows like Blue Bloods could not have found an audience on any other mainstream network.

Yet, there was Colbert continuing to thumb his nose — “SPEAK TRUTH TO POWER!” — at 50% of his potential viewers.

Continuing to have only guests that appeared to be pre-approved by the Democratic National Committe cemented his fate not as an entertainer or a comedian — meh at the first, not passable as the second — but as a champion of The Narrative. And that he excelled at. Less about speaking truth to power, and more about shouting with a megaphone in an echo chamber.

In fact, he so alienated half of the potential audience that he opened the door for Fox News to put its muscle behind Gutfeld! — which first launched on weekends in 2015, then made the leap to 11 p.m. Eastern in 2021 — and that muscle led to Gutfeld! doubling The Late Show‘s ratings on some weeks (3.3-3.5 million vs. 1.5 to 2.3 million).

It’s an own goal.

The Other Thing: LARPing as a Catholic

The above tweet and video is rather illuminating. Stephen’s religious views are between he and God, but I find it incredibly odd that, given an opportunity to share his faith, he…didn’t.

This is someone who met with Pope Francis at the Vatican last year, and has often professed to be a Catholic. Fine, but…well, not fine.

He probably didn’t want, again, to do anything that was counter to The Narrative.

Fare Thee Well, Late Show

Unlike David Letterman, whose CBS run was great until it, too, went too-far-Left for half of its potential audience, Colbert never had any of the irony or the sensibility — or the music: let’s face it, Paul Shaffer’s work as Music Director won’t be matched, and Paul was the reason Dave had the best musical guests in history — and was actually gravitas-negative.

It’s like the startup that built the cool offices, kept raising money, didn’t focus on the product, and now must shut down.

Understand Your Personality and Activate Growth Mode

Three new Moleskine knock-offs arrived on Sunday. One’s teal, one’s a dark blueish-green, one’s magenta. (At least that’s my argument; you may disagree based on your interpretation of the below photo.)

Alas, they’re here and I plan on using them.

Much has been said about the benefits of writing things down; I’ve talked about it on my Substack before — December 6, 2025 edition of The Saturday List — and I even shared a screengrab from a Scientific American article on the same subject.

(Yes, I’ve wondered if I’m related to either of the authors; No, I’m not sure how two folks with Low Country last names ended in in Norway.)

It used to be easier to be “the guy with the notebook” because you didn’t stand out. Now, you bring a notebook to a meeting or you have one at the coffee shop and people wonder about you.

Turns out, I’m somewhat high in Conscientiousness, one of the Big Five Personality Traits.

The Big Five

Psychologists use the Big Five Personality Traits to help figure people out. You can use the word “OCEAN” to remember them:

  • Openness
  • Conscientiousness
  • Extroversion
  • Agreeableness
  • Neuroticism

We’re all somewhere from 1 to 100 on each and that’s part of what makes each of us unique. And once you understand where you are on each, you can have a better idea of where you might be able to grow.

I mentioned above that I’m somewhat high in Conscientiousness, so a using those notebooks with a plan (more on that below) is something I do pretty often; I’m also somewhat high in Neuroticism. (I need paper and pen sitting nearby to write lists down.) Note that both can explain the fact that I am almost never late for meetings. (Unless my gallbladder is being removed; even though I sent a note and asked to move that particular job interview, I ended up being removed from consideration. Oh well.)

And, I’m pretty high in Openness, so I’m — get this! — open to new experiences. I’m (allegedly) imaginative, and adventurous, and creative!

Understanding WHAT makes you tick and HOW you tick are both pretty important. Here’s more…

Taking Notes? Journaling? Writing An Actual Book?

A couple months ago, I sat down with Megy Karydes for my Podcast, The Vandy Program. The full interview is below and Megy actually wrote a book that helps you minimize stress in your life, called 50 Ways to More Calm, Less Stress.

ONE of those 50 ways — and one that she religiously follows — is daily journaling. That’s right, setting aside time in the morning with your coffee (or tea) and making it a ritual.

It doesn’t have to be formal; it could be venting, or it could be making lists of things that are on your mind. Or poetry. Anything. But make it a ritual and, behold, you’re in Growth Mode.

One reason I ordered three notebooks of my own is that I’ve got one for Personal and one for Business. And the extra one is in case I come up with another Big Idea (for a book or something else). (Or if I exhaust the Personal or Business one and find myself needing to rip one open because I can’t wait.) But I’m the type of person who can benefit from daily journaling, and from taking notes when I watch videos or am reading an interesting book or article.

All Five Traits and Your Learning Style

So if I’m open to new experiences, and I’m conscientious and a little neurotic — in a good way, I promise! — what does that say about Activating Growth Mode?

Well, you can’t be High in all five traits, so there’s got to be a little give and take.

Take a gander at the photo below of the books that are on my nightstand.

I’m definitely open to new things, and like to read and make a habit of it AND take lots of notes, so High in Openness and Medium-to-High in both Conscientiousness and Neuroticism.

That means that I might be…less agreeable about points of view. (Honestly, I’m probably right in the middle on Agreeableness. Depends on the situation.) So that’s a place where I need to grow. AND I’m definitely an introvert, so Extraversion would be a low score for me. Assignments: get out of my shell and challenge my assumptions.

Is ‘Growth Mode’ Just ‘Learning Mode’ In Disguise?

One advantage of hosting a podcast is the ability to learn from a variety of people. About a variety of topics. (I know, I know…”Pick a Lane!”) Reaching out to people and then having them say “yes, I’ll go on your show” is actually a bit of a thrill…THEN doing more research on who they are and what they do and what makes them tick is quite fun. (Working on increasing the Extroversion score and moderating my Agreeableness so that it’s situationally appropriate.)

FINALLY, once I’m sitting down with the guest, the discussion can open up a whole host of possibilities. (I guess my job as the interviewer is to help guide the discussion in the right direction; and if *I* learn something new about the topic, then, hopefully, the viewer or listener will, too.)

A Couple Examples

My friend Jennifer Brown is a two-time guest on the pod; I find I always learn something about people when I speak with her. “Canadian Steve” teaches me something about Canada and how they view Americans each time I speak with him. (Links to recent episodes with both are below.)

So This Post Is About…What?

No, I’m not just here to post about my podcast or my “High in Openness” personality.

I’m here to, hopefully, ask you to figure out how to maximize Growth Mode for yourself.

Are you open to new experiences? If not, you are possibly higher in another personality trait; your conscientiousness might mean you’re the type of person who could sit down with a guitar, fire up some online lessons, and become kinda self-taught in an afternoon.

OR you might have the “High in Neuroticism” trait — again, Neuroticism is not *necessarily* a bad thing — that could make you the type of person who could get the temperature conditions exactly right in your home kitchen to make a perfect loaf of fresh bread.

In any event, keep at it. Whatever “it” is…

Sharing Some Recent Interviews on The Vandy Program

Hello there!

I recently read that, of the estimated 4.5 million podcasts in the world, only 300,000 have released a new episode in the past 30 days.

Since I’ve aimed for Systems Over Goals, especially here in 2026, I thought I’d point to not 1, not 2, but 3 recent podcast interviews. So I’m in the good category, I guess; All three videos I’m sharing here are ones that have been conducted in the past 30 days.

The channel link is here: The Vandy Program.

Vandy Talks with Marc Moschetto (Jan. 29)

Marc is a long-time friend (who I met on X, of course; his handle is Boston Writer) and a consultant. Kickmotor is his company, and he has the bona fides to talk about where HR and tech intersect with common sense. Fun interview.

Vandy Talks with Liam Gallegos (Feb. 5)

Liam is the self-proclaimed “King of LinkedIn Live” and has amazing energy; and a heck of a studio setup, too. We had a fun conversation.

Vandy Talks with Stephen Barrigar (Feb. 18)

Finally, my most-recent discussion — and a long-time friend, former colleague, and resident Canadian — was with Stephen Barrigar. It was the fourth time chatting with Stephen on camera.

Take a look, be sure to subscribe. Thanks, and be on the lookout for more!

31 Days of Content: Here’s What I Learned

On December 1, I vowed to share content every day for a month. Here, on Day 31, I look back at what I’ve learned.

First Up: ‘The What’

The content I shared — for the first 30 days, not counting today — fell into three categories:

  • Business and Advice: 11 posts
  • Music: 8 posts
  • The Saturday List: 4
  • Podcast Interviews/Summaries of Shows: 4
  • Inspirational: 2
  • Creativity: 2

Next: ‘The Where’

25 of the 30 posts were on the Area 224 blog (that’s where you are right now!) and the other 5 were posted on my Substack.

In most cases, the content was re-shared by me on LinkedIn; and some of the posts were also reshared on X, which I’m still calling “Twitter.”

Best-Performing Posts?

Six of my posts stand out as performing better than the others, at least when it comes to views; Four on Substack and two on the blog:

To be fair to myself: I had spent a year or so curating my Substack much more than my blog, so, the combination of a built-in audience and the consistency of The Saturday List would both be factors leading to its (relative) success.

It’s also been suggested — fairly, I might add — that I should add a Subscribe Button to the blog. So here’s one.

The LinkedIn Factor

I will be completely direct here: LinkedIn is not my favorite tool. Sure, everyone thinks that “Followers” and “Connections” and the like are great. But it’s clunky, its newsletter publisher is pretty bad and doesn’t allow links, and views don’t lead to any real activities.

LinkedIn has a REAL algorithm problem: posts are still being delivered to the feed that are 2-plus weeks old, so the jury may be out on whether some of the above posts might still move up or down my rankings.

Finally, and this is big, even with Premium, the analytics are…poor. I can’t tell you which of my posts on LinkedIn performed well, or not well, if they are more than seven days old. Each passing month leads me to question why I pay for Premium.

Big Winner: The Daily Habit of Writing

If you watch enough cooking videos or you talk to those in some sort of performance industry — sportscasters, professional speakers, actors — you know how big it is to get “reps.” Your first four ribeyes cooked on the steel pan will be okay, the next four will get better, and, by the ninth ribeye, you are finally able to cook for others.

Writing is similar; and, given the combination of work priorities and life priorities taking over, I had not really flexed any writing muscles of note in a long, long time.

But I did write every single day.

There were days I was able to pull together a couple blog posts, and there were other days where I felt like all I got was a neat little paragraph that shaped blog post or the next week’s Saturday List.

And, The Next Steps For Me (There Are Two)

A December goal was to do as much of this content creation as I could WITHOUT any AI tools. In fact, other than my post on GEO vs SEO, or my piece on AI-driven “creativity,” I stayed away from AI. (So yes, I wrote all the words myself.)

I don’t plan on issuing another 31-day content challenge to myself for January; however, I do plan on doing a few deeper-dive looks at AI tools and how to use them. Look for more of that in January.

The other January goal: MORE INTERVIEWS. Yes, that’s right, I plan on ramping up discussions on The Vandy Program. I only did ONE of them in December; the only gauntlet I’ll throw down for a busy January is to do…THREE.

(Here’s the one that I did in December.)

So yeah, that’s actually a blatant pitch for interesting podcast guests. If there’s someone YOU want to hear from, let me know in the comments…even if that person is you.

Finally, My Thanks

Back in journalism school, they would tell you to imagine that you’re talking to a friend or family member before you went on air. Trite? Maybe. But that’s been the thing that kept me going during December. And it’ll keep me going through 2026, come what may.

My sincere thanks for coming along for the ride.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...