Latest / Caught on the Mike... / "Pushing New Limits" with Omaha's Sweet 98.5 host Jason Spicoli

Transcript

"Pushing New Limits" with Omaha's Sweet 98.5 host Jason Spicoli · Caught on the Mike...

• 0:04
  SPEAKER_01: Warning due to some language and subject matter, listener discretion is advised.
• 0:22
  SPEAKER_00: It's terribly understated how much a positive community can be built around the right communicator.
• 0:28
  SPEAKER_00: Whether it be a fighter, a coach, a comedian, or a radio broadcaster, recently on my show there has been a recurring theme about people taking huge bets on themselves.
• 0:39
  SPEAKER_00: This episode and guest fall right in line with that.
• 0:43
  SPEAKER_00: I met my next guest a long, long time ago in a galaxy far, far away when he was a student in a local radio broadcasting program on the college radio station.
• 0:53
  SPEAKER_00: 18 years later, he is a well-known morning show host who has just made a huge leap to one of Omaha, Nebraska's largest and most well-known radio stations.
• 1:04
  SPEAKER_00: Joining me on the show today is my old friend, Jason Spicoli, and he answers any questions you might have about what led to his big decision.
• 1:13
  SPEAKER_00: Ladies and gentlemen, this is Caught on the Mic.
• 1:18
  SPEAKER_00: Ladies and gentlemen, I am talking to an old friend of mine, Spicoli.
• 1:24
  SPEAKER_00: How the hell are you, man?
• 1:26
  SPEAKER_00: Dude, I haven't seen you since the early 2000s.
• 1:29
  SPEAKER_00: And we're we're old men now, but we we don't look it.
• 1:32
  SPEAKER_01: No, we have nice hair.
• 1:33
  SPEAKER_01: We can thank, we can thank our significant others for that.
• 1:37
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it's been a long time.
• 1:39
  SPEAKER_00: Life paths kind of take you on your own little journeys.
• 1:42
  SPEAKER_00: It's kind of like a why, a little fork in the road.
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_00: And uh man, it's been exciting to watch you from afar.
• 1:48
  SPEAKER_01: Thanks, man.
• 1:48
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it's been a heck of a heck of a journey.
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_01: You know, it all started at Iowa Western Community College.
• 1:53
  SPEAKER_01: I went there to pursue a career in radio.
• 1:57
  SPEAKER_01: And, you know, I started there in 2001, uh, was a student, learned the ins and outs of radio, and then I was set and ready to graduate in 2003, right?
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_01: So um I was ready to go.
• 2:10
  SPEAKER_01: I was ready to go out.
• 2:11
  SPEAKER_01: I was interning with Todd and Tyler at the time uh with them on Z92.
• 2:18
  SPEAKER_01: So that was an experience.
• 2:19
  SPEAKER_01: And then all of a sudden, the afternoon position came open at 89.7 the river, and I applied for it.
• 2:24
  SPEAKER_01: And after I applied for it, uh I sent a thank you note.
• 2:27
  SPEAKER_01: Of course, I was going through the program and everything.
• 2:29
  SPEAKER_01: And uh before you know it, they uh they're like, hey, what separated you from everybody else was a thank you note.
• 2:35
  SPEAKER_01: So uh you're hired, you're doing afternoons, and let the journey begin.
• 2:39
  SPEAKER_01: So 2003 afternoon on the river, afternoon fiasco.
• 2:44
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, and then all of a sudden, the morning guy who you know, Capone, uh, you know him really well.
• 2:49
  SPEAKER_01: You were at his wedding, I was at his wedding.
• 2:51
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, you know, he ended up he ended up leaving.
• 2:54
  SPEAKER_01: And so they were they were like, yo, uh, let's test you out in the morning.
• 2:59
  SPEAKER_01: And they're like, it's just a two-week trial run.
• 3:01
  SPEAKER_01: I'm like, all right, two-week trial run, good, because I don't like waking up early.
• 3:05
  SPEAKER_01: And 18 years later, hosting Spicoli's morning fiasco, still on a trial run.
• 3:10
  SPEAKER_01: So I got hired my last day.
• 3:13
  SPEAKER_01: That was the joke.
• 3:14
  SPEAKER_01: I you got hired your last day.
• 3:15
  SPEAKER_01: You're officially hired, you can stay now.
• 3:17
  SPEAKER_01: But by that, it was too late.
• 3:18
  SPEAKER_01: It's too late.
• 3:18
  SPEAKER_01: I'm gone.
• 3:19
  SPEAKER_01: I'm out of there.
• 3:20
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
• 3:21
  SPEAKER_00: And what a journey it's been, because you know, the audience is probably going to be listening to this a few days after we record it, but it's the night before Thanksgiving.
• 3:31
  SPEAKER_00: I think probably for close to 18 years, you had plans the night before Thanksgiving every year, didn't you?
• 3:37
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, concerts, tons of concerts.
• 3:39
  SPEAKER_01: We did uh concerts like local feast supporting local music out at uh uh what was then Sokal Underground, uh, you know, but the name has changed.
• 3:48
  SPEAKER_01: They have started their new journey.
• 3:50
  SPEAKER_01: But yeah, we did a bunch of concerts there, man.
• 3:52
  SPEAKER_01: Local feast supporting local music.
• 3:53
  SPEAKER_01: That was uh a big thing that we were into at 897 the River.
• 3:56
  SPEAKER_01: And in fact, you were on my show one time.
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I I was on your show several times.
• 4:01
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, and I think there were some some different shows that you guys were experimenting with, like on Friday nights and Saturday nights, and we even dropped in and did that back in the day.
• 4:11
  SPEAKER_00: I used to run around with Flum and I used to run around with Capone quite a bit.
• 4:15
  SPEAKER_00: So gosh, man, gosh, those memories it kind of churning up the nostalgia a little bit.
• 4:21
  SPEAKER_00: 18 years over that period of time, when do you think that you found your voice as a morning show host?
• 4:30
  SPEAKER_00: And when did you think the show itself found its voice?
• 4:34
  SPEAKER_00: And which happened first?
• 4:35
  SPEAKER_01: Ooh, those are that's a load of question.
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_01: There's a lot to unpack there.
• 4:39
  SPEAKER_01: Um, you know, like like I said, I kind of just got thrown into mornings.
• 4:43
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, I really didn't know what to do, and so I had a lot of fails, a lot of fails.
• 4:48
  SPEAKER_01: And the main thing I was taught was whenever you tell a story, beginning, middle, and end, and know how to get out.
• 4:54
  SPEAKER_01: So I once I learned that, I started with the basics and I started working my way, and everything just kind of snowballed from there in a positive way because I was just so hungry to learn the craft of radio and telling a good story and getting involved with the community.
• 5:09
  SPEAKER_01: And it just kind of uh, you know, it just kind of kept growing and growing and it became this big hit, you know.
• 5:16
  SPEAKER_01: It took a couple years, I got a lot of hate mail, uh, but but I learned quick.
• 5:20
  SPEAKER_01: And I think that's you know, something if you're open to it when you're in radio, you got to come in with an open mind, you gotta have a thick skin because people are coming after you.
• 5:27
  SPEAKER_01: I I dubbed my audience the world's most dangerous audience because man, they they came after me.
• 5:32
  SPEAKER_01: They knew when I sucked and they knew when I was hot.
• 5:35
  SPEAKER_01: So uh it was it was wild, man.
• 5:37
  SPEAKER_01: It was it was fun, you know.
• 5:38
  SPEAKER_01: It was there was there were some times when I thought I would give up on radio because people are coming after me, but um, overall it was it was a good learning experience and how to how to do the craft and get really good at becoming a storyteller and a communicator and being involved in your community and doing exciting things and you know creating magic.
• 5:56
  SPEAKER_00: Do you know the exact moment when you had that turning point in your career when you kind of like, okay, this is the rhythm, this is where this is how I should be doing it.
• 6:07
  SPEAKER_01: You know, it reminds me of starting to do interviews with like rock stars.
• 6:11
  SPEAKER_01: My first big one was Andrew WK.
• 6:14
  SPEAKER_01: Dude comes in, party hard.
• 6:15
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, he stunk though so bad.
• 6:17
  SPEAKER_01: And I was trying to interview him, and MTV, MTV was in there, man.
• 6:22
  SPEAKER_01: They're recording us, and part of that made MTV.
• 6:25
  SPEAKER_01: And uh, I was just like, Man, like you might be the stinkiest dude I have ever met.
• 6:29
  SPEAKER_01: And he's like, you know what I do?
• 6:31
  SPEAKER_01: He's like, uh, after I play a show, I put my clothes in the freezer and then take them out right before I hit the stage, and then when I'm done, put them back in the freezer, and I'm like, You never wash them?
• 6:40
  SPEAKER_01: He's like, nah, no, I don't wash them.
• 6:43
  SPEAKER_00: My goodness.
• 6:44
  SPEAKER_01: Uh and and then, like, and then a couple weeks later, I had the Australian band Jet.
• 6:49
  SPEAKER_01: You know, they come in studio and they're they're cranking the guitars, they're tuning up, they're ready to play.
• 6:54
  SPEAKER_01: And I was like, Oh, you guys ready to crank one out?
• 6:56
  SPEAKER_01: And they said, What kind of radio show is this where we're from to crank one out means, you know, crank one out.
• 7:04
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 7:04
  SPEAKER_01: So uh yeah, I was like, Wow, man, what a what a time.
• 7:08
  SPEAKER_01: So everything just kind of I was just being myself, you know, and I was having fun and I was just kind of learning my rhythm.
• 7:15
  SPEAKER_01: So it was just those kind of moments that I was like, wow, I can just get in my vibe, have fun with these guys, and just kind of open them up.
• 7:23
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 7:24
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and you did interview tons and tons of people.
• 7:28
  SPEAKER_00: Did you ever feel intimidated?
• 7:30
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, all the time, man, all the time, especially if I really love the artist.
• 7:34
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, Chester Bennington, rest in peace.
• 7:37
  SPEAKER_01: Like when he came on my radio show, like it was like talking to a big brother.
• 7:40
  SPEAKER_01: Like, he was just so open and so honest and so authentic and just loved his fans and talking about the energy that he wants to put out on the stage.
• 7:48
  SPEAKER_01: And it was funny because his little kids are horsing around in the background.
• 7:51
  SPEAKER_01: He's telling them, Be quiet, I'm on the radio with Spokoli in Omaha, Nebraska.
• 7:55
  SPEAKER_01: You know, so it was those things where it was like, man, like for him to just take time out of his day and come on the radio show and talk about an upcoming concert.
• 8:03
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, that was just, I mean, an interview I will never forget and an experience that I got with 897 the River, you know, being there forever and you know, my boss trusting me to be able to make a good interview because that was that was important to me.
• 8:16
  SPEAKER_01: And, you know, I listened to some of the best interviewers out there, and I was like, you know, I gotta craft my own style.
• 8:21
  SPEAKER_01: And it's something that I really thrived on was you know, interviewing all of these artists and hearing their story.
• 8:26
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah.
• 8:27
  SPEAKER_00: I can totally relate to that.
• 8:29
  SPEAKER_00: Coming off of a year like we've had, actually, it's almost two years at this point, reconnecting with people, I think is so important.
• 8:37
  SPEAKER_00: Making connections new again, old connections new again, like you and I, right here, right now.
• 8:42
  SPEAKER_00: Awesome.
• 8:43
  SPEAKER_00: Plus meeting up with new people, everybody's got a story.
• 8:47
  SPEAKER_00: I tell a lot of the people that I mentor is you are an individual, but so is everybody else.
• 8:52
  SPEAKER_00: And you have to recognize that.
• 8:54
  SPEAKER_00: And I think that's one of the most rewarding things that guys like yourself and me now as a podcaster that we get to experience.
• 9:03
  SPEAKER_00: So, what would you say is probably your most rewarding experience in interviewing somebody?
• 9:09
  SPEAKER_01: Just sitting down and talking to them and and then getting to know their story, like hearing about you know having Corey Taylor of Slipknot Stone Sour on, and like how he worked at a love shop, you know, he worked at a love shop before making it big and slipknot and hearing that story.
• 9:24
  SPEAKER_01: It's like the humble beginnings where you have to start and the grind you have to put in.
• 9:30
  SPEAKER_01: And then once you get in, and then you have to maintain that and just learning about the process and the struggle.
• 9:36
  SPEAKER_01: You know, I've had so many different bands in studio and heard their stories.
• 9:40
  SPEAKER_01: It's just mind-blowing, like the sacrifice that it takes to get to finally be up on the main stage in front of people.
• 9:47
  SPEAKER_01: And that's kind of what I like to hear is like, you know, what was the journey like?
• 9:51
  SPEAKER_01: What did you have to sacrifice?
• 9:52
  SPEAKER_01: What does it take?
• 9:53
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, because I mean, all of them will tell you this is not easy.
• 9:56
  SPEAKER_01: This is not for everybody.
• 9:57
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, you're gonna miss Christmas, you're gonna miss Thanksgiving, you're gonna miss time away from the family, you're gonna tour all across the country and uh you're not gonna be around much, but you know what, you're living your passion, you're living your dream, and every ounce that you put into that, uh, you know, hopefully it pays off.
• 10:12
  SPEAKER_01: And for some bands, you know, for some bands it does, and some bands it doesn't.
• 10:16
  SPEAKER_00: Right, right.
• 10:17
  SPEAKER_00: So during this time, how has terrestrial radio changed in comparison to that?
• 10:22
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, terrestrial radio, um, you know, you gotta adapt.
• 10:25
  SPEAKER_01: You gotta adapt to the times and you got to use social media like yourself.
• 10:31
  SPEAKER_01: You know, you're a podcaster, you know social media is a big deal.
• 10:34
  SPEAKER_01: So uh, you know, roping people in like on social media and getting them to tune in, uh, that's one big way that terrestrial radio has changed.
• 10:43
  SPEAKER_01: And to me, um, you know, you doing a podcast is similar to radio.
• 10:48
  SPEAKER_01: Like radio has different elements.
• 10:49
  SPEAKER_01: I feel like, you know, when you go live on Instagram or live on Facebook, that's radio.
• 10:54
  SPEAKER_01: Uh when you when you go out and you, you know, when you when you do these zooms, like I always feel like it's all connected.
• 11:01
  SPEAKER_01: Like it, it's all radio together.
• 11:03
  SPEAKER_01: There's a piece of radio here and everywhere, and it's just it's all multimedia, like all of it is media and it all works the same way.
• 11:09
  SPEAKER_01: So you just gotta learn to adapt.
• 11:11
  SPEAKER_01: And you know, you grow with the times, and terrestrial radio is still alive, people are still tuning in.
• 11:16
  SPEAKER_01: I've seen the ratings, you know, they're they're excellent.
• 11:18
  SPEAKER_01: So uh radio is still a big deal, and uh to be able to do morning radio for this long, you know, it's been it's been a pleasure, and you just you just grow with the times, you know, and you adapt and you see what's hot and what's working, and you go from there.
• 11:31
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah, for sure, for sure.
• 11:33
  SPEAKER_00: Did you ever see the movie The Social Dilemma on Netflix, the documentary about social networking?
• 11:39
  SPEAKER_01: Uh no, I have not.
• 11:40
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, you need to do yourself a favor and do it.
• 11:43
  SPEAKER_00: Um, the guy that's behind it, his name is Tristan Harris, and uh genius.
• 11:50
  SPEAKER_00: Like, I I love following this guy, ironically enough, on social media.
• 11:54
  SPEAKER_00: But what it basically talks about is algorithms and how that social media has actually kind of and we've seen it in society, and I try not to talk about politics or anything overly sensitive on my show, uh, just because you know I like to try and maintain neutral ground here.
• 12:11
  SPEAKER_00: But um he talks about how certain groups become emboldened because of misinformation and such through social media, but a lot of it's algorithm-based, and you talked about social media there.
• 12:23
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I have watched that movie for the sheer purpose of trying to reverse engineer the social media algorithm.
• 12:31
  SPEAKER_00: It's like, how do you grow an audience when you have to rely so much on the Instagram, the Facebook, and really in the past year and a half, TikTok.
• 12:41
  SPEAKER_01: Doing exactly what you're doing.
• 12:42
  SPEAKER_01: I've been watching you, you're doing everything right.
• 12:44
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you.
• 12:45
  SPEAKER_01: Hashtags, content, uh videos, pictures, um, tagging artists, going and commenting on other artists' platforms and saying, hey, you know, like uh I interviewed this person and you might like them because you like this band.
• 13:00
  SPEAKER_01: Here's a link.
• 13:00
  SPEAKER_01: So everything that you're doing, whatever Michael Clark is doing, you do.
• 13:05
  SPEAKER_00: You know, I don't know if I have it quite figured out yet.
• 13:08
  SPEAKER_00: Right now, it's still it's still kind of in its litmus test mode.
• 13:12
  SPEAKER_00: But I was gonna say, with your new endeavor, there's a lot of new social media tied to your new morning show.
• 13:18
  SPEAKER_00: So I imagine that's kind of like you're almost to a certain degree back to square one.
• 13:23
  SPEAKER_00: And that's gotta kind of be exciting to a certain degree, isn't it?
• 13:26
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, you know, because um, you know, for many years I was in part uh I was I was uh in charge of the social media 897 the river.
• 13:33
  SPEAKER_01: And when I first started there, there was no, I mean it was nothing.
• 13:37
  SPEAKER_01: It was nothing.
• 13:38
  SPEAKER_01: So we took it and it just blew up, and that was you know what the secret really was is posting fun content, commenting back to people, talking to them, you know, shooting the stuff, and connecting with them.
• 13:51
  SPEAKER_01: And I think that's what we all want at the end of the day is connecting.
• 13:54
  SPEAKER_01: And now at my new radio station, Sweet 985, that's I'm taking the same thing that I taught myself over there and then applying it over here.
• 14:02
  SPEAKER_01: And you know, it's working.
• 14:03
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah.
• 14:04
  SPEAKER_00: The past few episodes of my podcast have you know, and it's been by accident, but maybe accidentally on purpose.
• 14:12
  SPEAKER_00: I have featured a lot of people that have taken huge bets on themselves, you know.
• 14:16
  SPEAKER_00: Going back to this sweet 98 thing, and we kind of stumbled over it without actually directly addressing it, is after 18 years with 897 the river, in mid-September, you left and you made the jump to suite 98.
• 14:32
  SPEAKER_00: How hard was that decision for you, and how did that decision come about?
• 14:36
  SPEAKER_01: It was heavy, heavy decision because I love the river.
• 14:39
  SPEAKER_01: I spent all of my career there, built a whole audience, the world's most dangerous audience, and they were loyal.
• 14:47
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, loyal, loyal, loyal, and I am super grateful.
• 14:51
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, but you know what?
• 14:53
  SPEAKER_01: The radio station that got me hooked on radio growing up was Sweet 98, and I told myself, if I ever get in a position where I could work for Sweet 98, I would do it.
• 15:05
  SPEAKER_01: And the opportunity came up, and I mean, I talked to my wife about it, I talked to my family about it, uh, I prayed about it, and I was like, I gotta take a leap of faith.
• 15:16
  SPEAKER_01: This is the radio station that got me excited about radio, and to be able to work at that radio station and host a morning show was you know, it hit me like a ton of bricks, and I had to take a leap of faith.
• 15:27
  SPEAKER_01: And I think sometimes in life, you gotta take a leap of faith and you gotta challenge yourself and you gotta try new things.
• 15:32
  SPEAKER_01: And that's it, like the excitement started building, and I was like, you know what, I'm I'm at peace with this decision of leaving what I created at the river and trying a whole new challenge with a whole new audience over at Suite 985.
• 15:46
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 15:47
  SPEAKER_00: To make a leap like that, you've probably had to have a lot of like internal conversations, a lot of like talking to yourself early in the mornings or late in the afternoons or during that gym session where you're rehearsing what you're gonna say, how you're gonna say it, when you're gonna say it.
• 16:04
  SPEAKER_00: How has Jason at home versus Jason on air adapted to this decision?
• 16:13
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, you know, Jason at home is still the still the same old dude, still married to my wife Emily, who's a hairstylist.
• 16:19
  SPEAKER_01: We have, you know, two little boys, and it's like, when I'm at home, it's it's dad time.
• 16:24
  SPEAKER_01: When I'm on the radio, it's let's get fired up and have some fun.
• 16:27
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, so you know, it's just it's it's been a challenge, you know, it's been a challenge, and I always like that challenge because it's always preparing.
• 16:35
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, you're a podcaster, you know, it's always preparing for the next thing you're gonna talk about, the next thing you got coming up.
• 16:41
  SPEAKER_01: So I don't know if I've really processed it too much because it was full steam ahead at 89.7 the river for 18 years, and then I had no days off.
• 16:49
  SPEAKER_01: Literally, I you know, I I resigned, put in my two weeks there, and then that that came up, and then on Monday, I'm working for a brand new team.
• 16:59
  SPEAKER_01: So it was they're really, and I've been working non-stop ever since.
• 17:03
  SPEAKER_01: So there really hasn't been, you know, too much time to process it.
• 17:06
  SPEAKER_01: I'm just going with the flow.
• 17:07
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I feel like anytime there's an instance of change in a person's life, you have that moment of nostalgia where you start replaying every single event that had gone on in the years prior.
• 17:18
  SPEAKER_00: I know I find that every day, and this is gonna sound cheesy as hell, but like when you look at your Facebook memories or you look at Time Hop or something along those lines, and you see pictures from years past, and then you instantly get transported to those moments.
• 17:33
  SPEAKER_00: I think when life changes occur, it's it's almost makes those moments more realistic.
• 17:39
  SPEAKER_00: Were there any points in time where you've taken a step back and you looked at how much your life had progressed over those years?
• 17:48
  SPEAKER_00: And how did that impact you?
• 17:50
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, you know, um, I just think that that, you know, I was I was ready for a change because I had done so much and conquered so much at the river.
• 18:00
  SPEAKER_01: Um, you know, and uh I don't know, just doing all those events and growing up a little bit more, you know, going through all that and doing concerts.
• 18:09
  SPEAKER_01: And we, I mean, we did so many concerts, I mean, hundreds of concerts and big events and special things for the community that was, you know, so much fun.
• 18:18
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and taking a look back at it now, when you know, those memories do come up on time hop or whatever, you know, it's fun to look at.
• 18:24
  SPEAKER_01: And I, you know, I I still view those as a big success because we have people come out, they were entertained, they had fun, we got to make a connection with the community.
• 18:31
  SPEAKER_01: And so, yeah, I mean, I, you know, I'm I'm happy about those experiences, but I also think I always think forward, you know, it's like, all right, what's next?
• 18:39
  SPEAKER_01: What are we gonna do?
• 18:40
  SPEAKER_01: What's the next step?
• 18:41
  SPEAKER_01: And I it it's tough for me to kind of like look back because I'm always focused on what's next.
• 18:46
  SPEAKER_01: And you know, we got a we got a lot of exciting things coming up with Suite 985 that I'm so you know fortunate to be a part of and help build and help, you know, bring the station uh, you know, back to some exciting things again, and being part of that is you know special.
• 19:00
  SPEAKER_01: So for me, I like I always feel like I I need to be looking forward.
• 19:04
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, windshields versus rear view mirrors, right?
• 19:07
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that's how it's always been, man.
• 19:09
  SPEAKER_01: Always.
• 19:10
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 19:11
  SPEAKER_00: So how do you maintain balance outside of work whenever you're trying to you know make these decisions?
• 19:17
  SPEAKER_00: And like what what do you do?
• 19:19
  SPEAKER_00: How do you relieve your stress?
• 19:21
  SPEAKER_01: Work out, yeah, train, go to the gym, lift heavy weights, squat, bench press, do some cardio, get that stress out, um, get just that negative energy out when I start to feel tired and cranky and I'm not feeling creative, I just um you know have to go to the gym.
• 19:36
  SPEAKER_01: And then when I'm at the gym, pick up the boys and I'm rough house a little bit, get that, get that, uh, get that fountain of youth going and just be just try to be a good dad for my kids, you know?
• 19:47
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 19:48
  SPEAKER_00: Did the pandemic and the whole COVID-19 experience had that messed up your gym schedule at all?
• 19:56
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, yes, yeah, absolutely.
• 20:00
  SPEAKER_01: I I turned my garage into like the worst gym ever, like with 20-pound dumbbells and yoga mats and just you know, push-ups, pull-ups, light dumbbells.
• 20:12
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, I think that's when I lost a lot of weight.
• 20:14
  SPEAKER_01: I I wasn't eating as much.
• 20:15
  SPEAKER_01: I was, you know, everything just kind of changed.
• 20:17
  SPEAKER_01: And um, it was it, I don't know, it was hard.
• 20:20
  SPEAKER_01: It was it was really hard for a lot of people.
• 20:22
  SPEAKER_01: And and going through that, you just kind of make do and you try to stay healthy and and safe and keep your family safe and not put yourself in a position to get your family sick.
• 20:31
  SPEAKER_01: So yeah, it was hard.
• 20:32
  SPEAKER_01: It was hard to do all that, but you know, you just gotta you gotta make make do and try to stay positive.
• 20:37
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, you know, being transparent and vulnerable between friends, like man, it messed me up pretty bad.
• 20:43
  SPEAKER_00: I think the couple months before the the big lockdowns and the shutdowns occurred, I think I was in probably some of the best shape I had ever been in.
• 20:52
  SPEAKER_00: I was at the gym every single day.
• 20:55
  SPEAKER_00: It was more a rare occurrence for me to miss the gym than for me to be at the gym.
• 21:00
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm still, it's almost two years later, and I'm still like roller coastering.
• 21:05
  SPEAKER_00: It's like I'll be on a stretch where it's like, yeah, I'm kicking ass, and then I'll be on a stretch where I'm like, man, I'm struggling.
• 21:11
  SPEAKER_00: I just can't do it.
• 21:12
  SPEAKER_00: And I did the same thing.
• 21:13
  SPEAKER_00: I converted my garage into a gym, but I found working out at home, it's easier to skip and easier to pass up than actually going to a physical gym.
• 21:23
  SPEAKER_01: I still needed it though.
• 21:24
  SPEAKER_01: I still needed that 45 minutes to an hour, you know, because we had just had a baby and you know, I was still going to the radio station.
• 21:31
  SPEAKER_01: Like uh, you know, we worked it out so we could still do a live show Monday through Friday, and we're still going there and doing that, and then coming home, you know, like I just needed that little bit of relief, whether it was just doing jumping jacks or running around the block a couple times, just getting that that out because um, you know, when I'm here, it's dad time.
• 21:48
  SPEAKER_01: It's like, you know, and you have two little kids, it they want all the attention.
• 21:52
  SPEAKER_01: So uh, you know, just you had to do what you had to do to survive.
• 21:56
  SPEAKER_00: You're pretty open about your family life and Uh, what your wife does for a living and the boys, how has this experience kind of affected them and and in their lives?
• 22:09
  SPEAKER_01: Uh Emily's like, you don't have to see your listeners every day.
• 22:13
  SPEAKER_01: So whatever you say on the radio, and when they come in the salon, they tell me good or bad.
• 22:18
  SPEAKER_00: Right, right.
• 22:19
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah, for sure.
• 22:21
  SPEAKER_00: My wife jokes around because you know, she's self-employed stylist here in Lincoln, and she always jokes around that she's the mayor of Lincoln.
• 22:28
  SPEAKER_00: So she's like, Man, you gotta be careful how you are to because of my day job, what how you are to some of your customers or some of the things that you say, because I might have to answer for these things at some point in time.
• 22:40
  SPEAKER_00: So that's funny stuff, man.
• 22:42
  SPEAKER_00: That's funny stuff.
• 22:43
  SPEAKER_00: How much did the family play a part in your decision?
• 22:47
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, a huge part, you know, it's like it was a big, a big change.
• 22:51
  SPEAKER_01: It was a huge change.
• 22:52
  SPEAKER_01: And, you know, I sat down with my wife and I I gave her the pros and the cons.
• 22:57
  SPEAKER_01: And uh I told her what I wanted to experience over at Suite 98.5 and what I'd conquered over at 897 the river.
• 23:05
  SPEAKER_01: And I mean, she was she was in full support.
• 23:08
  SPEAKER_01: Whatever, whatever I thought was best at the end of the day, she had my back, and that's something I need, you know.
• 23:13
  SPEAKER_01: Sometimes you need a little, you need a little bit of push uh to to try new things because and I was telling her, you know, um, you know, my dad passed away in 2012 in uh in an accident.
• 23:23
  SPEAKER_01: He fell off a ladder in December and bumped his head, and unfortunately, you know, that was it for him.
• 23:30
  SPEAKER_01: And I I look back at that moment and it was heartbreaking because he was the core of our family.
• 23:35
  SPEAKER_01: And um, you know, I just realized like you only get one life, you only get one life and you have to make the most of it.
• 23:42
  SPEAKER_01: And I believe I made the most of everything I had.
• 23:44
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, I put blood, sweat, and tears into the river, and I had so much fun there and had so many awesome opportunities.
• 23:50
  SPEAKER_01: But also, there's this other radio station that got me excited about radio that is now knocking on my door and saying, Hey, you know, we have a position open for you.
• 23:58
  SPEAKER_01: Would you want to come over here?
• 24:00
  SPEAKER_01: And I was like, weighing back and forth because I love, you know, I love the river and I also love sweet 98.5.
• 24:05
  SPEAKER_01: And um ultimately, uh, you know, the the pros were just over here.
• 24:11
  SPEAKER_01: And I was like, I I gotta do it, I gotta take that leap of faith.
• 24:14
  SPEAKER_01: And Emily's like, let's do it.
• 24:15
  SPEAKER_01: And she was she was on board.
• 24:16
  SPEAKER_01: And I told my my mom, I talked to my mom, and she's like, she's like, You're absolutely right.
• 24:21
  SPEAKER_01: You know, dad would want you to do, you know, what's what's best.
• 24:24
  SPEAKER_01: And you you're right, you only live once, and you want to make the most of every opportunity.
• 24:29
  SPEAKER_01: And you know, when the the iron is hot, you gotta strike.
• 24:32
  SPEAKER_00: Right, right.
• 24:32
  SPEAKER_00: And there is kind of a growth cycle that I think we all have naturally.
• 24:38
  SPEAKER_00: And and to be quite honest with you, and and and I mean this in as as a sincere compliment, uh, not anything less than that.
• 24:45
  SPEAKER_00: I'm actually surprised it didn't happen a lot sooner.
• 24:48
  SPEAKER_00: I'm surprised this didn't happen five, six, seven years ago, like before kids.
• 24:54
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, you know, there's uh to be honest with you, there's been a lot of opportunities.
• 24:58
  SPEAKER_01: I a lot of opportunities all across the country.
• 25:02
  SPEAKER_01: So it just had to be right, you know, and it like I said, I love the river so much and I love my radio show, and and I felt I felt good there, you know.
• 25:12
  SPEAKER_01: Every day I would I wake up at 2 50, I would be at the radio station at four, preparing for it and going on to the air six to ten.
• 25:19
  SPEAKER_01: And I live for that every day, and it just got me excited, and nothing, nothing could pull me away.
• 25:24
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, not money, not another radio station.
• 25:28
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, everything was exactly where I wanted to be at that time in my life.
• 25:31
  SPEAKER_01: And so opportunities would come up, and you know, things would come up because I got a lot of friends in the industry, and you know, they're they're always looking, everybody is connected, and right, and that's just the way it is, and um just nothing really punched me.
• 25:44
  SPEAKER_01: And um, you know, the the Sweet 98.5 when they came knocking, it just kind of bonked me on the head and was like, you know what?
• 25:51
  SPEAKER_01: Take a leap of faith.
• 25:53
  SPEAKER_01: So here we are.
• 25:55
  SPEAKER_00: So I know we and not to contradict ourselves, I know we just basically made the statement, you know, windshields, not rear view mirrors.
• 26:04
  SPEAKER_00: But if you could go back in time and talk to your 18-year-old self, what would you tell him?
• 26:08
  SPEAKER_01: Stay the course, don't get sidetracked.
• 26:11
  SPEAKER_01: Too many, too many things that can take you off course.
• 26:14
  SPEAKER_01: But honestly, you know, I was so like once I turned like 23 and and got that position at the river, um, I was focused on radio.
• 26:24
  SPEAKER_01: Like before that, like not focused on anything, just kind of bumbling around, doing this and that and the other.
• 26:30
  SPEAKER_01: But once I found my focus and my focus was radio, like honestly, I believe it saved my life because I was just I was just I was stupid, you know, young and stupid and just too spontaneous and wild, and uh, you know, was the party guy.
• 26:45
  SPEAKER_01: And I think finding my focus and then ultimately getting mornings, uh, I mean, you can't party on that.
• 26:53
  SPEAKER_01: You know, stuck to go out and be crazy that young.
• 26:56
  SPEAKER_01: And so I think that saved me because I I had to go to bed by eight to get up by 2:50 and at the radio station by 4 a.m.
• 27:03
  SPEAKER_01: So ultimately, I think that saved me and helped me and kept me centered and focused.
• 27:08
  SPEAKER_01: And but you know, when it came to the weekends, we're living it up, right, Mike?
• 27:11
  SPEAKER_01: Right, yeah, absolutely.
• 27:12
  SPEAKER_00: But you know, that's that's a that's a really good point because I think it's a it's a matter of finding your why.
• 27:18
  SPEAKER_00: And you were very lucky in the fact that you found your why in your earlier 20s, because a lot of guys don't find it until their late 20s or even early 30s.
• 27:27
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, you know, for and I I can attest to that personally.
• 27:30
  SPEAKER_00: Like, it wasn't until I had kids that I really found that moment of focus where it's like, okay, you you can't live this lifestyle anymore.
• 27:40
  SPEAKER_00: It's time to like bear down and be career guy.
• 27:43
  SPEAKER_00: I made a visit video not too long ago that I shared on social media and I talked about the human cliff because I've been reading a lot about that, about the age of 22, 23, where you're kind of in that phase of life where you're watching all of your friends graduate college, you're graduating college, you're watching your first set of friends get married, and yeah, that's that's a huge turning point, isn't it?
• 28:09
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I mean, uh for me, I waited until my 30s.
• 28:12
  SPEAKER_01: I saw all my friends get married and have babies, and it goes back, it goes back to my dad.
• 28:17
  SPEAKER_01: Like my dad passed away in 2012, and I was just you know, dating Emily at the time, and uh I realized, dude, life is so short.
• 28:25
  SPEAKER_01: Like my dad was in his early 50s, and now he's no longer here.
• 28:29
  SPEAKER_01: And I was like, what am I doing?
• 28:31
  SPEAKER_01: Like, I'm in my 30s, I have this wonderful woman who loves me and does anything I could possibly want for me.
• 28:38
  SPEAKER_01: So um, and that's when I was like, it just bumped me on the head, you know.
• 28:41
  SPEAKER_01: Like a year later, I proposed to her, and then a couple years after that, we had a baby, and then now we have two.
• 28:47
  SPEAKER_01: And so I just think this is where I'm supposed to be right now, you know, married with two kids and a family guy, uh, on at a new radio station that's very family friendly.
• 28:56
  SPEAKER_01: So, I mean, all of it, you know, you just kind of go with the flow, and when opportunities I don't know, I just feel like I just see things differently now, you know?
• 29:04
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah, for sure.
• 29:05
  SPEAKER_00: And one of the things that I I think is really endearing, uh just watching through social media, is it really appears that she is probably your biggest cheerleader in life.
• 29:16
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah.
• 29:18
  SPEAKER_01: Emily has always supported, like she is like here through thick and thin, and um my calming voice.
• 29:25
  SPEAKER_01: If like if I am a little stressed out or whatever, like I can talk to her about anything, and she will she'll slap me around a little bit, you know, she will set me straight.
• 29:32
  SPEAKER_01: And that's somebody I need in my life to, you know, to to help me grow, to push me going forward, um, to be a good, you know, to be a good dad to the kids, a solid husband.
• 29:41
  SPEAKER_01: And so uh she's been awesome for me.
• 29:43
  SPEAKER_01: And uh, you know, I thank her every day.
• 29:44
  SPEAKER_01: And I always let her know she's the funny one in the relationship.
• 29:47
  SPEAKER_01: She's she, you know, she I take all her good material.
• 29:50
  SPEAKER_01: So if I ever make you laugh on the radio, it's because of her.
• 29:53
  SPEAKER_01: I steal everything from her.
• 29:55
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah.
• 29:55
  SPEAKER_00: That's the same thing in my household, man.
• 29:57
  SPEAKER_00: It's totally the same thing in my household.
• 29:59
  SPEAKER_00: And I know like admitting that is usually people only admit that their their wife is like their north star if they're trying to be chivalrous, but I think we're at a point in society where we just gotta, as men, we just gotta kind of be like, yo, dude, I don't think I'd be able to do all this if it wasn't for my wife, you know?
• 30:18
  SPEAKER_01: Right, right.
• 30:19
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, Emily for me is a man, she's she's she's been amazing.
• 30:25
  SPEAKER_01: And like, you're right, I'm my number one cheerleader and everything I could ask for.
• 30:29
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, she's that and then some.
• 30:32
  SPEAKER_01: So yeah, it's been a it's been a great relationship for me for sure.
• 30:37
  SPEAKER_00: So, what's something that people might misunderstand about you?
• 30:41
  SPEAKER_01: Man, I feel like I've been an open book.
• 30:42
  SPEAKER_01: I don't know.
• 30:43
  SPEAKER_01: Some people probably think that like I'm this big party guy because I wear shades all the time, but uh I'm not I'm I'm not a big party guy anymore.
• 30:51
  SPEAKER_01: That was that was a while ago, and I'm totally a family dad.
• 30:54
  SPEAKER_01: I'm I'm all in on being a dad.
• 30:56
  SPEAKER_01: I think it's one of the coolest things ever.
• 30:58
  SPEAKER_01: Uh spending time with my kiddos, you know, rough housing, uh, you know, playing baseball in the backyard, like really, you know, just that.
• 31:07
  SPEAKER_01: That like I'm a dad, you know, and it's and it's a lot of fun.
• 31:10
  SPEAKER_01: And and and kids, kids are honest with you, you know, like kids will kids have no filter.
• 31:15
  SPEAKER_01: And that's what I, you know, that's what I love the most, man.
• 31:17
  SPEAKER_01: They keep it real.
• 31:18
  SPEAKER_00: Dude, I gotta tell you, I am super proud of you.
• 31:22
  SPEAKER_00: I said that to you in a private message.
• 31:24
  SPEAKER_00: I didn't want to get all up on the on the Facebook and post it for the world to see because I thought it was very important that I said that to you private, man to man.
• 31:33
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm glad we can kind of look at each other and I can tell it to your face right now.
• 31:37
  SPEAKER_00: Your journey has been amazing.
• 31:38
  SPEAKER_00: It's it's been fun to follow along with.
• 31:41
  SPEAKER_00: Where can my audience find you online?
• 31:43
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, you can uh you can follow me, Jason Spacoli, on Facebook.
• 31:47
  SPEAKER_01: You can go to Instagram, it's uh Jay Spacoli Radio, you can go to Twitter at Jason Spacoli.
• 31:55
  SPEAKER_01: I mean uh TikTok, Jason Spacoli Radio.
• 31:58
  SPEAKER_01: So I mean anywhere and everywhere.
• 32:00
  SPEAKER_01: If you just need to Google it, Jason Spacoli.
• 32:03
  SPEAKER_01: Uh you can also listen Monday through Friday on the actually now Monday through Saturday on Sweet 985.
• 32:10
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I'm even doing Saturdays now.
• 32:11
  SPEAKER_01: They got me working on Saturdays.
• 32:13
  SPEAKER_01: Oh my goodness, man.
• 32:14
  SPEAKER_01: When are you gonna get a break?
• 32:17
  SPEAKER_01: No breaks, no rest for the wicked, my man.
• 32:19
  SPEAKER_01: You know how it is.
• 32:20
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, absolutely.
• 32:21
  SPEAKER_00: Hey, um, I think we need to do this again sometime.
• 32:25
  SPEAKER_00: What do you think?
• 32:26
  SPEAKER_01: Hey, I'm on board, dude.
• 32:27
  SPEAKER_01: It's been a lot of fun, and uh, you're getting really good at interviewing.
• 32:30
  SPEAKER_01: I've been watching episodes in the past.
• 32:32
  SPEAKER_01: Like, where did this Michael Clark come from?
• 32:34
  SPEAKER_00: You know, I I I've always had this ability to bullshit.
• 32:37
  SPEAKER_00: I'll be honest with you.
• 32:38
  SPEAKER_00: Like, I've I I've had social anxiety my whole life.
• 32:41
  SPEAKER_00: Like being up on stage was my way to cope with social anxiety.
• 32:45
  SPEAKER_00: Like, there was the guy that was on stage and there was the guy that was off stage, and they were two different people.
• 32:49
  SPEAKER_00: So I've had to kind of figure out how do I make those two people be one person.
• 32:54
  SPEAKER_00: And uh yeah, that's thank you very much.
• 32:57
  SPEAKER_01: What what's what's the secret?
• 32:59
  SPEAKER_01: How do you do it?
• 33:00
  SPEAKER_00: Um, honestly, I think it's a lot a lot of conversations with myself.
• 33:06
  SPEAKER_00: I I drive to and from uh Omaha from Lincoln a lot.
• 33:11
  SPEAKER_00: Um, sometimes I do it in dead silence, and I just kind of think things through my head.
• 33:16
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, I would like to talk to this person.
• 33:18
  SPEAKER_00: How would that conversation look if I was talking to this person?
• 33:22
  SPEAKER_00: What would I want to ask them?
• 33:24
  SPEAKER_00: What kind of things could they tell me that I could take away and apply to my own life?
• 33:29
  SPEAKER_00: And so You're a thinker, man.
• 33:31
  SPEAKER_01: You're a thinker.
• 33:31
  SPEAKER_01: I love it.
• 33:32
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 33:32
  SPEAKER_00: So it's like, how do I apply that to my own show to where that appeal can like translate to a totally different audience?
• 33:41
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe the same people that followed me when I was singing in bands, or maybe people that are new just because I'm interviewing a lot of fighters and doctors, and I'm, you know, it's just it's crazy.
• 33:52
  SPEAKER_00: It's been it's been I love it, man.
• 33:54
  SPEAKER_01: You're you're you're what you're thinking in your head, you're applying and you're putting it out there for the world to hear and what you're doing, man.
• 34:00
  SPEAKER_01: I'm I'm happy for you, dude.
• 34:01
  SPEAKER_01: This is cool.
• 34:02
  SPEAKER_01: Podcasting is a part of radio.
• 34:04
  SPEAKER_01: I've always respected podcasters and how they kind of put it all in their own hands and you bet on yourself, and you're doing great.
• 34:10
  SPEAKER_01: You're doing everything that you could possibly do.
• 34:12
  SPEAKER_01: You're blasting it all over social media, you're putting out great content, and I think a lot of people are gonna have fun listening to the Michael Clark Show.
• 34:18
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, thank you very much.
• 34:19
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you, thank you, thank you.
• 34:21
  SPEAKER_00: Sir, it's been a pleasure.
• 34:23
  SPEAKER_00: The world is a better place with you in it.
• 34:25
  SPEAKER_00: Back at you, my friend.
• 34:26
  SPEAKER_00: Let's do this again.
• 34:27
  SPEAKER_00: Once again, I'd like to thank my old friend Spicoli for doing the show.
• 34:32
  SPEAKER_00: It was a great time getting to catch up.
• 34:34
  SPEAKER_00: You can find him every morning on 98.5 on your radio dial, or you can look up Squeet98 online, and I'm sure you can listen to him there.
• 34:43
  SPEAKER_00: Make sure you're following him on all forms of social media.
• 34:46
  SPEAKER_00: And while you give him a follow, make sure you give me a follow on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
• 34:52
  SPEAKER_00: Look for Caught on the Mic.
• 34:54
  SPEAKER_00: You can also Google it.
• 34:55
  SPEAKER_00: All episodes of this podcast are now available at www.caughtonthemic.com.
• 35:02
  SPEAKER_00: Check out some of the past guests and hopefully there's something you can take away from it.
• 35:06
  SPEAKER_00: Once again, we're knee deep in the holiday season.
• 35:09
  SPEAKER_00: Happy Thanksgiving to everybody, and I hope you have a good holiday season with your family and friends and everybody that's around you.
• 35:18
  SPEAKER_00: This has been Caught on the Mic with Michael Clark.
• 35:21
  SPEAKER_00: I'm Michael Clark.
• 35:22
  SPEAKER_00: Until next time, thank you.