How I Spent My Summer Vacation(s)

"IS THE PODCAST COMING BACK?" 

At every social function I've attended for the last year and a half, I've had this asked to me a dozen times. For the first six months my reply was emphatic, "Yes! I just need a little break." 

The truth is that the podcast takes a lot of work. Not full-time-job work, but work nonetheless. It started out being a lot of fun but after about a year, it began to weigh me down. I think the weekly schedule is to blame for that, it's a big commitment for somebody that already has a full schedule. That said, at the core of it all, I do actually enjoy it. I like telling your guys' stories and answering questions. 

The other element is the articles. I do enjoy writing them. And I also take a lot of pride in providing a platform for others to tell their stories, that is important to me. 

So, here we are, in the middle of a couple-month break that has turned into closer to a couple of years.

What's next? I'm not totally sure. I have a lot of things I'd like to do with this little project. I'd love to expand the apparel side of it and I have a lot of ideas about that. But what I don't want to do is peddle apparel without providing some kind of service to the community. To me, asking people to buy your shirt, strictly for the sake of buying your shirt and nothing more feels cheesy and disingenuous. 

In general, I'm brimming with creative ideas involving hot rods and old cars. Everything from storytelling through traditional articles and podcasts, to short videos and longer, documentary-style films that I think could be a lot of fun. The problem sometimes is knowing what direction to go. I look at Instagram, Facebook, and other social media sites and absorb what they've become, and it does not impress me at all. I think it's unfortunate that these are so necessary to run almost any business anymore. I believe that fundamentally, they are doing more harm than good, necessary or not. 

I think my first step to easing back into this is going to be to just get back to writing and posting articles. That seems to be where I feel the most comfortable, and where I think I am able to be the most impactful. Being an influencer or having to pretend that I want to be doesn't suit me well. The thought of posting daily reels on Instagram, uploading videos to YouTube, or recording a podcast once a week means less to me.

I'll start here and we'll see where it goes and how we do. Your support has been huge and I really appreciate it. I'm going to do my best to get back to providing you all with good-quality storytelling through whatever means ends up feeling like the best fit. 

Thank you and please stay tuned.