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The Episode That Started it All
28 Plays1 month ago
The first episode of our original podcast called, Seniors 94. Man oh man, we haven't made any progress since 2023!
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Transcript
Introduction and Humor in Podcasting
00:00:02
Speaker
Welcome to Seniors 94, everyone. name is Lance. I'm with my longtime high school buddy, Matt. I wanna say at the outset, working with Matt can be difficult. He is not disciplined. He thinks he's working a stage mic, so he's really close to the mic, really far from the mic. He's licking the mic. He's bobbing up and down over the top of his mic. It's a real problem. It makes it hard for me to edit. Oh, did I say that I do all the editing? And Matt just shows up and makes a few jokes. a lot of them are throwaway jokes. But it is what it is. And it's good to be back with high school friends. And this is Seniors 94.
00:00:39
Speaker
Yeah, i I appreciate the opportunity, Lance. I appreciate you calling me up and asking me to bring some credibility to the show. This is interesting, kind of groundbreaking being the first person that's not allowed to move, breathe or change volumes when I speak. It's very challenging and I and i respect that.
00:00:55
Speaker
So I appreciate the opportunity you're giving me to be monotone, but then also put emotion into essentially a self-help show. And I mean self-help show, like I'm literally on here to help myself, not for like someone else to come cry about their their problems. That's pretty much how you roll, Matt. But I would say, folks, all kidding aside, Matt is a former comedian. I'm a former musician. We're hoping to bring some of that creativity to the show. You should laugh a little bit.
00:01:24
Speaker
And we do want to normalize behaviors for middle-aged men. and normal emotions that men have that I often don't talk about. This is what this show is about. And i ultimately want to make my family as uncomfortable as possible.
Podcast Goals and Creativity
00:01:38
Speaker
i want to push it so far that they want to get a name change.
00:01:42
Speaker
I hope you feel the same, Matt. Yeah. I mean, I'm looking for like plastic surgery where they're literally changing their appearances to escape the reality of their dad and their husband and their sons and their brother's podcast.
00:01:56
Speaker
that That will be a day where you and I look at each other and go, win, we just won. One of our kids or one of our so of you know a parent walks in the house and they literally have a different nose because they couldn't deal with Seniors 94 and the in the press that was brought to their family. I agree with you on that.
00:02:14
Speaker
Yeah, that'd that'd be a fricking
Sponsor Introduction: 'Shame On You Financial'
00:02:16
Speaker
win. That's a goal. Yeah, that's a win. So welcome to Seniors 94, everyone. Matt, do you need to get the last word in like usual? I would get my balls cut off for ah for moving. So I'm going to just leave it at that.
00:02:30
Speaker
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00:02:41
Speaker
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00:02:52
Speaker
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00:03:10
Speaker
Really dickhead? Eating out again? Tubby? Okay, get the hair highlights, but you're still a four at best. Don't book that flight.
Health Issues in Middle Age
00:03:22
Speaker
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00:03:50
Speaker
Hey, SOI Financial seems like a pretty good idea to me. On this week's show, the middle-aged man news and trends, we talk about erectile dysfunction, male life expectancy, and weight loss drugs.
00:04:07
Speaker
And then join us in the men's room where Matt and I explore our own personal career malaise And then stick around our open mic segment.
00:04:18
Speaker
You don't want to miss it. It's the middle-aged man, news and trends. Our top story comes from US News via Health Day reporter Denise Mann.
00:04:29
Speaker
Erection problems are bad for your memory. ED has been tied to a higher risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. If that wasn't enough, new research suggests your erection problems in middle age increase your chances of having memory problems later in life.
Societal Shifts and Male Health
00:04:46
Speaker
ED can be an early warning sign of more serious health issues. Men are encouraged to see their doctor when they first notice issues, achieving or maintaining an erection. Matt, how do you feel about your erection these days? ah Dude, it is... ah When I get an erection, it's a sad, lonely situation right now, my friend. Very lonely. It's like those old Western films where there's like tumbleweed blowing around.
00:05:12
Speaker
it's ah It's like a ghost town down there. Just... One man army by himself with with nowhere to hide, I would say. Here's my take on on this ED, because last time I was in the US, you were inundated with commercials for solving ED.
00:05:28
Speaker
And maybe there's physical problems related to that. But I think there's just been a general attack on horniness and being attracted to somebody and that it's okay to be horny. I look at old movies and like, and you look at what the workplace was, they always hired a hot secretary. And I don't think it's because necessarily the boss used to be a chauvinistic asshole.
00:05:51
Speaker
I think it's because they're doing some sort of service for their male employees so that when they went home, they could get hard and deliver the goods. I think keeping attractive women around you probably leads to to better erections. I think just ah society, there is definitely a shift that's happening right now. There is definitely something under attack. And that is horniness.
Longevity Gap Between Genders
00:06:14
Speaker
Interesting perspective, Matt. I wonder what the Me Too movement would have to say about that. Just sprinkle hot chicks around the workplace to solve ED. I think that might fly.
00:06:26
Speaker
I hear the cries now. Me too. Me too. I also... Think you're a pig. Moving on. Our next story comes from the Washington Post, Tara Parker Pope and Caitlin Gilbert. Men are at higher risk for premature death. Across our lifespan, the risk of death is higher for boys and men than girls and women.
00:06:47
Speaker
The longevity gap between men and women is growing. It is now 5.9 years. Men have a higher risk of death from diabetes, cancer, suicide, and motor vehicle crash.
00:06:59
Speaker
92% of motorcycle deaths are men. Explaining the growing longevity gap is not fully understood. A few compelling hypotheses include male mammals have a higher levels of testosterone, which weaken immune response.
00:07:13
Speaker
cultural biases across the world lead men to hide their feelings and avoid doctor visits, and research for men's health issues isn't exactly front and center. Health systems and legislators don't want to be seen stealing money from women's and gender minority research.
00:07:29
Speaker
Matt, everywhere you look these days, men are in decline. Are you worried about premature death? actually think when you look at all the the morbid information about our lives, we have jobs that we don't like and we can't get hard. and We don't have erections. It might be a higher powers way of just saying, all right, buddy, you gave it your all.
00:07:48
Speaker
Come with me now. I'm giving you an early release because your life sucks. Maybe that's that's the way it is. And our next story comes from CNBC, Barbara Collins. GLP-1 drugs are in the house.
00:08:03
Speaker
GLP-1 drugs, glucagon-like peptides, activate GLP-1 receptors in the pancreas to produce more insulin in the body. A side benefit of these drugs is they also make people feel fuller for longer.
00:08:15
Speaker
And now celebrities and wealthy people are taking branded GLP-1s with Govi and Ozempic to shed pounds quick. As these drugs
Trends in Weight Loss and Health Management
00:08:24
Speaker
get marketed for weight management, it's no surprise there's a nationwide shortage for both.
00:08:29
Speaker
Who else uses GLP-1s? Yes, sir, people with type 2 diabetes. But some optimistic medical scientists hope we can use these drugs preventively to lower America's 42% obesity rate, thereby reducing cases of type 2 diabetes. Matt, what do you think about this trend for weight loss?
00:08:51
Speaker
I think it's great. I think we've all lost hope. We've lost hope that the old, old easy formula of move and eat less, that's not coming back, right? Like that will never come back. who am It's not 1985. Unless I had a DeLorean, I could go back to a time when eating less and movement were all part of everyday life. It ain't happening. So bring on the drugs.
00:09:19
Speaker
News and trends. Moon-age man. News. All right, Matt. Thanks for joining me in the men's room.
00:09:34
Speaker
It's time to relieve ourselves. What do you think of that tagline? I think we probably need to change the tagline. I'm not sure. Dude, I was just thinking im I'm down with the men's room.
00:09:46
Speaker
like I kind of like it. But the relieving yourself, I mean, that part is a little... If you're gonna do relieve yourself, then we then we shouldn't do all this shit
Career Dissatisfaction and Material Success
00:09:55
Speaker
about showing our dicks in the stalls. I just think saying relieve yourself is good enough, right? But you can't pile on with it after that.
00:10:02
Speaker
Well, you just did. When? You just said the word dick. in the in this ma In this thing? You just said dick. No, I'm saying in the episode. So when you when you first did it and you were you had your grandpa thing about seeing each other's dicks and I was talking about the stall.
00:10:20
Speaker
If you keep doing stuff like that, then the relieve yourself gets a little redundant. Right. But if it's just the idea to say, come relieve yourself is in the men's room is is really funny and not too, it's very subtle.
00:10:33
Speaker
So I think it's okay. All right. But I can't, when you would go Matt, go whatever, let's go relieve ourselves. I just need to shut up. That's all it is. I can't be like, take a fucking shit dump.
00:10:46
Speaker
Creative. Well, it's possible I'll leave this whole banter in it. I might leave it all in.
00:10:55
Speaker
Folks, we want to have a conversation about our own career malaise. ah Again, Seniors94, we want to normalize middle-aged man feelings, not because we're pussies, but just because it feels good.
00:11:09
Speaker
And Matt, talk to me about this culture of work and what leads to such dissatisfaction at work. Dude, I'm so sorry. I wasn't really paying attention there. On my work computer, I just got an email that I missed the training for record keeping SOP SPC 0008. I missed the deadline. That's actually pay affecting.
00:11:32
Speaker
ah So if you could queue that up for me again, Lance, that would be very appreciative. You're asking what I don't like about corporate America or... Folks, if I have to deal with these throwaway jokes anymore, my God. All right, seriously, culture of work.
00:11:50
Speaker
Tell me why are you so chronically dissatisfied, Matt? The more I think about it, I definitely think most of the blame should be placed on myself. It's not corporate America. It's not all career pressure and all this stuff. It's just me.
00:12:06
Speaker
not having the courage to be so worried about money and at the same time, not valuing material things and having that conflict has has just frozen me and kept me in the in the rat race of corporate America.
00:12:23
Speaker
I'm not getting how that keeps you in the rat race. Well, As I grow older, I just, I realized I get almost no value out of material things, better car, better house. I value stuff like being able to travel, going to see my parents, which takes money.
00:12:38
Speaker
But I guess when I sit there and go, why am I working? and And the answer might be, well, to improve my life, to have a better house or better car, all this stuff. It only makes me less passionate about what I'm doing at work. And so I don't even have that reason. I'm sure some people can justify being on this corporate corporate trajectory by saying, well, my life is better for my family because we have this and that, we're able to do this and that.
00:13:03
Speaker
i don't i don' I can't even justify that right now. Okay, so I think I think i get it. I think i get it. So you're disillusioned with this pathway that's created for accumulating material goods. It's it's no longer worthwhile to you. So we all we all sort of set ourselves up in a career to achieve a few basic things, right? We wanna get the house,
00:13:25
Speaker
We wanna get a relationship that works, have some kids that get all the stuff, that have the privilege that perhaps we didn't have, or at least maybe we're matching the privilege that we grew up with. And that all seems to make sense.
00:13:38
Speaker
I think it's interesting, because I honestly feel a little bit the same way. You get to a certain age and that just doesn't seem to make sense anymore. It seems like you're suffering in a job to maintain a lifestyle you no longer want.
00:13:53
Speaker
Yeah, it's hard to communicate that to people, your kids or your wife, because you you sound like you're depriving them of opportunity. But when we say opportunity, what we mean is financial success. You're going to down the road deprive them of financial success or some sort of comfort. The financial stuff, maybe it's not just I'm going to buy my kid a Ferrari one day, but if I don't have the money to get them through university, I'm failing them.
00:14:19
Speaker
Like, how do you feel about that? That's my issue. It's endless pressure. It's ah at
Materialism vs. Personal Values
00:14:25
Speaker
times suffocating. And it becomes a way I think that a lot of guys define themselves. Like how much money did I make and as as a measure of of success?
00:14:36
Speaker
And obviously we see so many mental health issues surrounding men these days that it's clear that that alone as a definition of success is not working.
00:14:47
Speaker
But yeah, i feel that pressure and I have. I voluntarily left my job here in June to pursue some creative stuff, do some more coaching and almost immediately was confronted with some financial issues and stuff related to kids making mistakes with cars and things like that and and was questioning whether I should just run back to work, even though I planned. I mean, I planned really well.
00:15:15
Speaker
So you you you planned on essentially leaving a, I don't know if it's called a corporate job, let's say like a white collar job. And you when you say you planned, you mean you saved up money, literally, right? that's That's like what we're talking about here.
00:15:28
Speaker
So do you feel like you became like more of a slave to money to to get away from money? Is is that like the the process? Yeah, just a little background. I got into this FIRE movement, Financial Independence Retire Early sometime in 2012.
00:15:45
Speaker
two thousand twelve And yeah, that maybe it was 2014. I'm not sure. But essentially, we just socked away a lot more money than most people in America.
00:15:56
Speaker
And that allowed us to to take care of retirement in the future and consider leaving work early. But I will say, and I think this is where you're going, it did create some chronic dissatisfaction because I started to view the corporate world as just a paycheck and it created some serious misery probably the last five years before I left here in June. It was just me in my head,
00:16:26
Speaker
counting money. On a mission, right? On a mission, not connecting with anything that was positive in the workplace, but just losing it about every dime. ah And yeah, it was total misery.
00:16:37
Speaker
You think it was misery for people around you or more like internally? No, I don't think so. I mean, I i would consider myself somewhat savvy in in terms of emotional intelligence, but I certainly wasn't engaged, but it was internal misery.
00:16:53
Speaker
Because what happens when you begin to maintain or get too maniacal about any one goal, you take all the spontaneity out of life, which is fun, and you disengage to a degree.
00:17:06
Speaker
And don't try things because you're just wanting to reach this one specific goal. It's a terrible way to live. I'm not saying I wouldn't recommend this financial independence movement. I would recommend it, but I'd recommend ah there being a balance to how you pursue it.
00:17:24
Speaker
i like the I like the fact that it sounds like you joined the cult. It's actually how how ridiculous it is for someone in our society to leave to want to leave work early. You're like,
00:17:35
Speaker
Well, Lance joined the Colt. He joined the fire movement. David Koresh is his leader. And now he's going to retire when he's 50. It's great. It's pretty mainstream now, though. It was. No, I know. and I'd say in 2012. But yeah, it's mainstream as ah a pipe dream for a lot of people. But I think people now are I mean, there's a trend, right? It's like we're going to two paths because you see.
00:17:57
Speaker
all the hyper competitiveness of how you raise your family and how you get them into colleges and and all that is is financial success. But then you see this thing with like tiny houses and people starting to live less materialistic. It's like we're going in two directions.
Parental Pressures and Financial Stress
00:18:11
Speaker
You're actually saying that you're straddling both sides almost. right like Mentally, yes. um But it it it does often go back. your Your relationship to work goes back to your relationship to money.
00:18:24
Speaker
And so what what is it for you? i mean, when you think of money, why are you why are you working? Yeah, I have to say, like i because i know this segment is so important to millions of people, I wish I had like a formulated answer of why I'm working.
00:18:43
Speaker
like I'm literally... I don't know, right? I mean, I definitely have a fear, like i have a daughter who's 12, that she's gonna have a wedding, she's gonna go to school, and her school's going to France in like three years, I need to pay for it, and I don't wanna deprive her of any of that stuff.
00:18:59
Speaker
So I could use the same old cliche answer while I'm working for my kids, right? And I think for a lot of people that that can justify it that way, it's probably very relieving and great, because then then anything you do is,
00:19:13
Speaker
It's okay. Cause you can, you can actually be a criminal. I mean, people say that like you can be a narco and yeah it's for my family. I'm trying to pull my family out of poverty. It's like you could justify anything by saying i'm doing it for my kids. but I think that's where I'm at.
00:19:27
Speaker
You probably and legitimately we all say, yeah I'm doing it for my family. I'm working for my family. But it goes back to that disillusionment of what a good life is these days. It has gotten out of control what privilege we'll give our kids.
00:19:43
Speaker
And you see it everywhere. I mean, this idea that, oh my gosh, I don't want my daughter to not go to France. That would be heartbreaking. She she didn't get to go to France. Poor thing. I know.
00:19:55
Speaker
And the houses we all have, like and not everybody, folks that have corporate jobs often pursue these four bedroom homes, these ridiculous things that have the built-in barbecue in the back and just absurd stuff that nobody really ultimately needs. But yet here we are. bedroom You're referring to tiny tiny houses again.
00:20:17
Speaker
Another throwaway joke, folks. Sorry, I spoke again, audience. Oh, gosh. No, no. Yeah, I know. But like, well, here's the thing, though.
00:20:31
Speaker
I have family members have done very well for themselves. And i much as I don't really care, like like my brother has has a place in Vail. It's nice to go to his condo in Vail.
00:20:42
Speaker
and And that only came through financial gain and work. But if I didn't have the opportunity to go stay at his place for free and bail, would my life suck? I don't know. Support for this week's men's room segment comes from DSDH Systems.
00:21:00
Speaker
Come on, Shannon. Let's stop at that gas station. I need to poop. Okay, but I don't need to go. I've already pooped in my car. What, Shannon?
00:21:11
Speaker
It's not what you think, Tina. I've got a driver's seat dump hole. You have what? A driver's seat dump hole. My DSDH system has a retractable driver's seat cushion that I can automatically open when I need to poop.
00:21:27
Speaker
There are even privacy screens that extend from the sides of my seat to protect my privacy. I'm a busy mom, Tina. Why should I hassle with gas station and grocery store bathrooms? They're never clean.
00:21:39
Speaker
My driver's side dump hole is convenient and sanitary. But what about the smell, Shannon? Won't your car stink? That's what I wondered, and my husband was very skeptical.
00:21:52
Speaker
But he put his nose right up to the retractable seat cushion after our sales rep pooped in it. And my husband couldn't smell a thing. He was sold right then and there. And you can choose from two EPA-approved waste management models to dispose of the waste.
Integrity in Careers
00:22:08
Speaker
The Maggot Biome model uses live maggots to fester in and consume your feces. Once the maggots turn into flies, they're released into the environment from a small sensor door at the bottom of your DSDH system.
00:22:22
Speaker
If the flies don't mate quickly enough and lay enough eggs, you may need to add more maggots each month. The second model, the accelerator dehydration model, rapidly dehydrates your poop into dust and releases the dust into the air in time-sequenced micro doses while adhering to strict EPA regulations.
00:22:44
Speaker
Both systems can handle up to seven bowel movements per week. Wow, Shannon, that's crazy. And get this, Tina. DSDH systems are not expensive custom installs.
00:22:58
Speaker
All the major car brands are installing the DSDH across their dealership networks at the time of vehicle purchase. The driver's seat dump hole. Now you can do your business on the go.
00:23:17
Speaker
I think for some people, it just comes down to integrity because you just go, why are you doing Why do you care? like I've asked co-workers, why do you care? Why are you doing this? And it's like, what's our job?
00:23:28
Speaker
It's a matter of integrity. so that And i don't I don't know if I if i went back to and talked to all my former former co-workers that ever go, well, Matt, you act without integrity.
00:23:39
Speaker
But I think it probably shows a little bit. like Like if you can look at it that way, I think that's a good viewpoint. And so I think I got to a point where that was the only thing that got me by, the integrity of supporting my teammates, right? The the integrity of like, well, I am getting paid to do this and trying to balance, because everyone gets into like, well, I'm not getting paid enough to do this, so screw this. Like i hear you hear that all the time. I don't get paid enough for this, right?
00:24:06
Speaker
That's in the Western world. because I don't think the people that are mining ah the elements that go into car batteries in Africa or people mining diamonds for a dollar a year, whatever it is, are like, I don't get paid enough to mine these diamonds. I don't think that's that's happening. Our people here in Costa Rica across the street is a coffee plantation. People are starting to pick coffee.
00:24:27
Speaker
you know We have the freedom to say these stupid things and feel feel bad about our lot and For a lot of people, the good people out there that they look past that and they just do it strictly because of integrity.
00:24:41
Speaker
And that's
Job Over-optimization and Income Inequality
00:24:42
Speaker
a good place to be. I wish I could do it I just questioned so much. And i worked for an outstanding company, to be honest, probably one of the better places to work in all of healthcare with brilliant people,
00:24:54
Speaker
physicians who are passionate about their work, a lot of smart folks in tech. and That's not what you told me at the bar last night, Lance. That's not what you said. Another throw away. Yeah, I worked with ah smart folks and I still found a way to complain. I still found a way to say, this this sucks, this doesn't make sense. And so it's clearly me, you know I'm the dickhead here.
00:25:22
Speaker
Although i did, I don't know if it was me who pulled this out of a lot of people, but I think there is a chronic dissatisfaction across the workplace. Something is clearly missing. My theory is we're over-optimizing a lot of what humans do.
00:25:38
Speaker
Like I feel like there's like people don't have passion for their jobs because it's compartmentalized the point where you don't even know what you're doing because you're you're doing a very specific thing. So you don't see how it fits the overall benefit of society.
00:25:51
Speaker
Is that when you say optimizing jobs, is that what you're talking about? or That's exactly what I mean. it's It's the overly defining roles that human beings do. And because as humans, we crave a certain level of variability, of spontaneity. And now you've whittled me down into this, to your point, of a very compartmentalized role with very specific tasks, that that need to be done. and and only these C-suite folks get experience, this variable experience, and they're overpaid.
00:26:22
Speaker
but i don't know if you've seen the CEO salaries these days, the multiples of the working plebs. They're making like 3000 times in some companies. So, I mean, that that creates some frustration for the over-optimized employee. I do disagree a little bit about just throwing all CEOs under the bus, especially now, because if the company takes a hit now, that that person person is taking a hit.
00:26:50
Speaker
But putting their name on on on things that they probably don't even have time to fully review is at the risk for them is why they get paid. The corporate world is why most people in the U.S. are having comfortable lives, right? It's just that we didn't fit into it well. So to have, if you're going to have the corporate structure, you have to have somebody at the top. That's just the way leadership works. So, and then if you're going somebody at the top, going to make more than the second person who makes more than the third person who makes, uh, makes more than receiving clerk specialist three, who is ready to slit his wrist because he has no passion for receiving boxes every day on the dock, whatever like that.
00:27:29
Speaker
So are you enamored with the American CEO that makes 3,000, 4,000 times the average person? Do you respect that role?
00:27:39
Speaker
And um this isn't, I'm not trying to throw an arrow at capitalism here. There's such a movement now is all CEOs suck. And you know I don't agree with that. Now, i i this is a cop-out, but you have to take it on a case-by-case basis.
00:27:55
Speaker
I mean, I came from a startup environment where where ah smaller company, where a CEO, I saw good good leadership, I saw really bad leadership, and they they were able to influence the company.
00:28:05
Speaker
Now, if you're the CEO of Apple, ah you know Now you're basically just a public figurehead. So your job is like as a celebrity. I'm not enamored with the CEO of Apple, but i don't I don't think that it's right to just discount what they do and they should get paid less money because somebody else at Apple makes less money. Well, folks, you heard it here first. I am gonna say CEOs should make a heck of a lot less. but why why they play a role you got But why do you say that? Well, I think they play a role. And in large part, some of these folks at the C-suite, their only advantage is the information in asymmetry.
00:28:40
Speaker
So they've got more information than the folks underneath them. So it creates a power dynamic. Some of them sure are fantastically talented, brilliant leaders,
00:28:51
Speaker
I respect ah many of them, but they still shouldn't get paid that much. I would, and i don't want to sound overly liberal, but like income equality is going to be a problem.
00:29:03
Speaker
It already is, but it's going to be a significant problem in every country in the world. Okay, Fidel, let's light up the cigars. Okay. but No, I think I agree with you. Like the, the pay desperation might be kind of ridiculous, but I, I do think there should be somewhat of a ladder, like,
00:29:22
Speaker
But don't you think it leads to cynicism? I think ah among the employee base, it's like, oh God, look at this prick. And and here I am doing this. ah I've got a suite of managers who are making up jobs.
00:29:36
Speaker
They're filling their vertical, to use a bullshit corporate term, of people because the more people that report to them, the the more prestigious their role is. it There is a game. We are playing a game in those large organization structures that I think a lot of people are dissatisfied with.
00:29:55
Speaker
And so CEO pay is a component.
Personal Career Reflections
00:29:58
Speaker
It's probably not the biggest component, um but it's not something I appreciated and enjoyed and was one of the reasons I wanted to get out of that environment and do a podcast and talk about it. heyh So, all right. Our first sponsors are companies that want to nationalize all all resources.
00:30:17
Speaker
Brought to you by Lance, left wing Lance. No, I, but the problem is you're like, what'd you would you say? There's some guy who's a, ah whatever you call this CEO. The problem is some of those dudes are just annoying.
00:30:33
Speaker
arrogant assholes, right? So sure a lot of a lot of, I think what were what we're kind of saying is the person that does that a lot of times, they're encouraged to be these unlikable pricks. And so this the system is set up to to to advance these people. I mean, I'm being hypocritical because I've sat in jobs being like,
00:30:52
Speaker
this that This person at this VP or C level is useless, you know, and just so, and why are they getting paid? I sat there and bitched about the same thing, but I'm usually, i i don't know if this is good or bad, but i put I'm putting the blame on that individual.
00:31:06
Speaker
Why are they in that position? Because usually they deserved it, you know? I'm really getting tired of these guys. I don't like their points of view. I don't like their voices. I hope this is the end.
00:31:18
Speaker
ah Why didn't you climb? Oh, fuck. I mean, I have reasons why I decided not to climb.
00:31:24
Speaker
i made it clear that I was doing other stuff. I let the world know that I was very passionate about stand-up comedy. And then at some point in time, i might let the world know that I was passionate about getting to Costa Rica.
00:31:37
Speaker
and and finding a way to work here. And when you start to make those decisions, like my outside life is more important than my inside life, it becomes apparent that you're probably not the man for the job.
00:31:48
Speaker
ah Yeah, I couldn't put on, I just knew I couldn't put on the face or what do what was required. I probably couldn't have lived up to my own standards in terms of how you had to show up, how you had to treat people.
00:32:00
Speaker
And so I was just like, eh, this isn't going to be for me, which I think is bit of a pussy's way out. And I probably did lead me to like clamor for this financial independence stuff because I was like, no, I'm not going to be able to handle this.
00:32:17
Speaker
did you ever have the Did you ever have the opportunity or the the hard decision to make like Lance, we want you for this position? Or did you was it so clear that you weren't into that, you never really had to make that that decision or turn down something that seemed to be financially lucrative or career wise lucrative?
00:32:36
Speaker
lucative Yeah, earlier on I did in IT t and my leader at the time was like, are you sure you wanna go this direction? You seem to care about people more than,
00:32:50
Speaker
you know, hammering down to get all the work done. And IT t is really deadline deliverable focused as I'm sure everybody knows. And I just, I questioned it and I was like, I don't think I do.
00:33:02
Speaker
So I tried to move more as ah a consultant who could come into a room and sound funny and cool and say a few things and make a couple of good recommendations and get out of there.
00:33:13
Speaker
So it made sense for me. But yeah, no, there was a time. And I think anybody who sticks around in the corporate world will ultimately get some opportunity for management or leadership. People die. It's a fact. yes There you go. People die. But it is ah it is a playing the game and I didn't enjoy it and and I don't...
00:33:35
Speaker
it's not like I praise myself for this. I used to think I was like unique, like a special person. Look at me opting out of this BS. Look at me. i this I don't buy
Cultural Reflections and Work-Life Balance
00:33:45
Speaker
into this. Look at you fools.
00:33:47
Speaker
And I no longer think that way because I did make myself miserable in the workplace for a long time. It made my wife a little miserable coming home like, oh, what when am I going to leave this job? This is enough of this.
00:34:01
Speaker
oh and she's like, why don't you look for a new job? Oh, nothing will ever satisfy. There's nothing in this world of corporate world that will ever satisfy. I got lost in myself, in my head. And ah in my defense, there is a lack of creativity in a lot of corporate settings, but nevertheless, I am the idiot.
00:34:23
Speaker
And I know you're the idiot too. Tell me more about how you're the idiot. Yeah, I would like to get into that a little bit if we have time. Lord knows we have time because we are unemployed. Here's the thing, i like you just said, we're the idiots. um I mean, I have to say I had so much support from so many good people that allowed me to travel to do stand up or allowed me to actually move to Costa Rica. I have essentially an American salary, more or less.
00:34:50
Speaker
I could finish a project and go surf like any day of the week. I might not even finish the damn project. I could go surf and then finish the thing. And everyone was so supportive. and so And there I was like, oh, why me? Why I'm in this corporate hell where people were like in you know St. Louis or our other friends were like, what are you crying about?
00:35:12
Speaker
And it's so and it's even more intense for me now because I live in Central America and you're you're very close to poverty all the time. And you see these people that are so happy that have nothing. And here I am.
00:35:26
Speaker
Crying that that I'm not being fulfilled and I have and I have it all and and I don't have it all, but i you know I have such flexibility and I have encouragement from people and people allowing me to do what I want and not I didn't have to play a game where like, oh, Matt's not going up. So we're going to fire him. was like, yeah, Matt is what he is. He's a valuable asset to the team. Let's let him be Matt.
00:35:48
Speaker
Like everybody let me be Matt and I still cried. And so it's not that I'm better than anyone. Like the guy that can get through work and sit there and like do his spreadsheets and and have his advice and be happy about and go home.
00:36:01
Speaker
God bless that guy. You know, good for him for being able to do it and not being such a pathetic loser like me.
Open Mic Segment
00:36:10
Speaker
I'm not sure what you're doing.
00:36:15
Speaker
yeah awesome Alright, hello everyone. Welcome to Open Mic, where each week one lucky listener might mildly find the jokes entertaining and funny.
00:36:28
Speaker
Here we go. This one's called job posting. So as you may or may not know, I found out that I will need to be looking for a new job at the end of the year. So I've been perusing the job posting sites and I came across one That actually said, do you want to work in a fast-paced and exciting environment where no two days are alike?
00:36:51
Speaker
First of all, that actually sounds like an advertisement for dating someone with bipolar disorder. It's like, do you want to fear for your life one day? Then get swept up into the romantic idea of everlasting love the next.
00:37:06
Speaker
Then become a member of Bipolar Russian Brides and start your roller coaster ride today. And if that's not enough, check out our exclusive datingmathaddicts.com site where we can guarantee you that no two days will be the same. Mouthful of teeth one day, no teeth, and all your shit gone the next. Thrive in your new fast-paced and fun environment.
00:37:35
Speaker
But, you know, job posting site. This is, after all, most likely being read by people...
00:37:44
Speaker
lazily looking for work for one reason or another in my opinion this is the classic case of know your audience people do you want to work in a fast-paced and exciting environment where no two days are alike uh no not really if i did i probably wouldn't be in a position where i needed to look for a job now whatever Look, I lost my keys six times today and I haven't left my house yet. 30 for 30, you've heard of it, right?
00:38:19
Speaker
I'm not talking about the ESPN show, I'm talking about how many days in a row I've worn sweatpants. The Top Ramen company just sent me a thank you card for heaven's sakes.
00:38:30
Speaker
At night, when I'm reading the results of my scratch-off tickets, or as I like to call them, my Hail Mary cards, I'm reading them by the glow of the check engine light in my car, people.
00:38:42
Speaker
So in summary, let's do this. Let's hire the kid already. And can we go ahead and bump me up to four weeks vacay right out the get-go? Boo. I said, can we get a bump to four weeks vacay?
00:38:59
Speaker
Boo. Y'all got Pringles up in that snack room. All right.
00:39:07
Speaker
Appreciate you listening to that. If you are interested in either helping me punch up some of the jokes that you've heard in the open mic or you have your own creative outlet that you'd like to offer us and actually do the segment yourself, please contact us. I just want to say, by the way, we are having a hard time. And actually, it could be anything, right? You don't just have to stand-up comedy. We are having a hard time figuring out how juggling will play on the podcast uh we have not figured that out yet also just want to say to all the mimes that have actually reached out to us again thank you so much but again the creative outlet has to play as an audio segment thank you
00:40:00
Speaker
Seniors 94 is written and produced by Matt and Lance. Jingles, commercials, and editing by Lance. Offensive comedy written by Matt. Shame on You Financial Commercial Music.
00:40:11
Speaker
Seth Makes Sound. DSDH Commercial Car Sounds. Knox Sound and Priest Jensen. Open Mic Laugh Tracks. Salone Gracie, Howard V, and UNFA.
00:40:25
Speaker
Thank you for listening.