Courtney Lauer (graphic designer, artist) shares her story with Aaron McCall and talks about survival, control, and the strength it takes to turn pain into something honest. She opens up about surviving and processing trauma, rebuilding identity through creativity, and using art to make sense of the things that don’t have easy answers.Keep up with Courtney Lauer:courtneylauer.me IG: @courtneylauerWriter/Producer/Editor/Host:Aaron McCallaaronmccall.netInstagram: @aaron_mccallLinkedIn: Aaron McCallCo-Host/Sidekick/Photographer:Joe Mattesonthemattesons.coInstagram: @joe_dustinCo-Host/Sidekick/Manager:Amber GrayInstagram: @bad_ambellinaLinkedIn: Amber GrayMusic:"Noises" by Mike Mains & The BranchesHelp Support the Podcast:Buy MerchMake a DonationFollow Bad Idea Social Club:badideasocialclub.comInstagram: @badideasocialclubLinkedIn: Bad Idea Social Club
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1:10:22
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1:10:22
Jacob Betts: Once a Vagrant
Jacob Betts (singer-songwriter, The American Hotel System) joins Aaron McCall to talk about creativity as something to hold onto when life unravels, how grief reshapes how we see purpose, and what it means to rebuild belief in people when everything around you feels painfully divided. He opens up about faith, art, and the defiance it takes to choose hope over cynicism.Keep up with Jacob Betts:americanhotelsystem.com IG: @theamericanhotelsystem IG: @theconcussedcoffeegeekWriter/Producer/Editor/Host:Aaron McCallaaronmccall.netInstagram: @aaron_mccallLinkedIn: Aaron McCallCo-Host/Sidekick/Photographer:Joe Mattesonthemattesons.coInstagram: @joe_dustinCo-Host/Sidekick/Manager:Amber GrayInstagram: @bad_ambellinaLinkedIn: Amber GrayMusic:"Noises" by Mike Mains & The BranchesHelp Support the Podcast:Buy MerchMake a DonationFollow Bad Idea Social Club:badideasocialclub.comInstagram: @badideasocialclubLinkedIn: Bad Idea Social Club
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1:01:24
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1:01:24
Casey Lambert: The Other F Word
Casey Lambert (independent pro wrestler, marketing director) joins Aaron McCall to talk about life in and out of the ring, how strength and vulnerability feed off each other, and how connection shows up everywhere from the crowd to your opponent, and the relationships that matter most. They dig into storytelling in wrestling, learning how to take a hit and keep showing up, and what it actually looks like to lead with empathy in a world that keeps rewarding the cruelty.Keep up with Casey Lambert:IG: @thereal_djchewyIG: @ppwpowerWriter/Producer/Editor/Host:Aaron McCallaaronmccall.netInstagram: @aaron_mccallLinkedIn: Aaron McCallCo-Host/Sidekick/Photographer:Joe Mattesonthemattesons.coInstagram: @joe_dustinCo-Host/Sidekick/Manager:Amber GrayInstagram: @bad_ambellinaLinkedIn: Amber GrayMusic:"Noises" by Mike Mains & The BranchesHelp Support the Podcast:Buy MerchMake a DonationFollow Bad Idea Social Club:badideasocialclub.comInstagram: @badideasocialclubLinkedIn: Bad Idea Social Club
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1:01:58
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1:01:58
Joy Rhine: Unhinged and Feral
Joy Rhine (visual designer, photographer) sits down with Aaron McCall to talk about keeping creativity in your life without letting it become your whole identity. She opens up about being people-first in a screen-first industry, why she’d rather build community than chase trends, and how confidence came from doing hard things like running marathons and summiting Mount Kilimanjaro “for fun.” From travel and fitness to design and friendship, Joy proves you can be wildly creative, wildly active, and wildly human at the same time.Keep up with Joy Rhine:joyrhinedesign.com IG: @vikkichosethisusernameWriter/Producer/Editor/Host:Aaron McCallaaronmccall.netInstagram: @aaron_mccallLinkedIn: Aaron McCallCo-Host/Sidekick/Photographer:Joe Mattesonthemattesons.coInstagram: @joe_dustinCo-Host/Sidekick/Manager:Amber GrayInstagram: @bad_ambellinaLinkedIn: Amber GrayMusic:"Noises" by Mike Mains & The BranchesHelp Support the Podcast:Buy MerchMake a DonationFollow Bad Idea Social Club:badideasocialclub.comInstagram: @badideasocialclubLinkedIn: Bad Idea Social Club
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57:31
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57:31
Mack Garrison: Everything in Motion
Mack Garrison (motion designer, co-founder of Dash Studio) joins Aaron McCall to talk about ADHD as both a curse and a creative advantage, building a studio rooted in empathy over ego, and what happens when you decide burnout isn’t a badge of honor. He opens up about the lessons that shaped Dash’s first decade, from mentorship and community to leading with transparency when things get hard and what it means to keep the work moving without sacrificing the humanity behind it.Keep up with Mack Garrison:dashstudio.net IG: @dash_ncWriter/Producer/Editor/Host:Aaron McCallaaronmccall.netInstagram: @aaron_mccallLinkedIn: Aaron McCallCo-Host/Sidekick/Photographer:Joe Mattesonthemattesons.coInstagram: @joe_dustinCo-Host/Sidekick/Manager:Amber GrayInstagram: @bad_ambellinaLinkedIn: Amber GrayMusic:"Noises" by Mike Mains & The BranchesHelp Support the Podcast:Buy MerchMake a DonationFollow Bad Idea Social Club:badideasocialclub.comInstagram: @badideasocialclubLinkedIn: Bad Idea Social Club
Bad Idea Social Club is an independent podcast of stories, insights, and creative foolery. Hosted by graphic designer Aaron McCall, with Joe Matteson and Amber Gray, BISC brings honest, unfiltered conversations that celebrate the messy, brilliant, and relatable sides of creativity, the creative process, and the stories that shape who we are. This is a space where honesty mixes with the beautifully unhinged parts of creativity, process, struggle, joy, mental health, and everything else we don’t usually say out loud. If you care about creativity, making things, or just figuring yourself out in real time, you’re in the right place. This podcast dives into life, the work we make, and the stories that connect us all. Tune in, press play, subscribe, and share the stories with your friends.