I am exhausted by the fact that everything now needs an account, an app, or my phone number. I am not trying to join a loyalty program, a community, or a digital ecosystem. I am trying to buy a sandwich. Just give me the discount already!

Somewhere along the way, our entire way of living turned into a gamified mess. Points, badges, rewards, tiers, and notifications constantly reminding us we are just one more click away from saving a few cents. To get there, we hand over data, attention, and access without a second thought. We are warned nonstop about identity theft, data breaches, and unauthorized access. We are told to protect our privacy and lock everything down. At the same time, participation in modern life requires our identity at every turn.

This episode is part rant and part reality check. What happened to simple transactions? What happened to trust, to authenticity, to real human exchange? Not everything needs to be optimized. Not every interaction needs to be tracked. Chasing rewards is not the same as chasing meaning, and engagement is not the same as connection.

Let us keep things real, authentic, and organic. Or at the very least, let us remember what that used to feel like before everything required a login.

Everything costs too damn much and it’s not accidental. Food, groceries, bills, repairs, eating out… all of it feels rigged, because it is. We’ve hit an economic point of no return, drowning in debt while pretending we’re not even sure who we owe it to. We’re propping up a broken system with fake paper money and calling it “normal.”

In this podcast, I break down how we got here and why the simplest fixes are the ones nobody wants to touch. From fast food and veterinarians to big-box stores and auto mechanics, I dig into how everyday necessities turned into financial landmines. This doesn’t end well and pretending otherwise won’t save us. Hang on to your wallet, brother.

I’m asking a question most people never stop to think about. Do you need to be liked? I’ve always told myself I don’t, but sometimes I wonder if it’s the world that’s off or is it just me. From traveling solo and eating alone to watching how my dad treated people with kindness that didn’t always pay off for me, this one’s about what it means to do life on your own terms.

I dive into what it’s like to be introverted in an extroverted world, how social circles and life can feel like high school all over again, and why being nice doesn’t always lead to success. Whether you’re a solo traveler, a quiet thinker, or just someone who’s tired of chasing approval, this might be your episode.