A few months ago I was on Matt Zeigler’s Just Press Record podcast paired with Morgan Ranstrom. Matt’s just one of those people that gives me the Stepbrothers “did we just become best friends” energy.
I’ve been binging all his interviews. Even interviews where he’s the guest — I tell Matt I just like his voice and it’s true. It also reminds me of another friend who I’ll leave anonymous who I just like hearing their take on anything, especially trivial stuff weirdly. There’s a Wes Anderson-ness to both these people that lights up my sensitivity to quirkiness.
I’ve been trying to understand why I like his podcast so much. The interviews are very personal. They’re mostly focused on getting to know someone rather than a marketing pitch for what they do now. There’s so much focus on formative years there are stories where the listener can see themselves in the same situation. I’ve had that moment so many times listening to these interviews. They are simultaneously idiosyncratic and universal.
If you listen to podcasts looking for “signal”, treating the experience like research, then a personal interview might sound like a waste of time. I’m sure there are a hundred other podcasts that you can listen to at 3x speed to get to the buzzwords you crave. But my favorite podcasts are definitely the personal stories. I enjoy Smartless, Ferriss, and Dax Shepard pods because they get big celebs and let’s be honest Jamie Foxx is more entertaining and has a more interesting life than anyone peddling investment advice (his Ferris interview is a glimpse into the right tail of the right tail of entertainer talent).
Which created something of a problem.
Matt asked me to come on Intentional Investor and I knew it would be personal. No option greeks. I would have done it because I like Matt but the invitation made me think a lot about whether it would have any instrumental value to people since I’m boring and if you’re going to listen to stories Rogan’s got a bazillion hours to keep you occupied with rockstars.
However, I listen to Matt’s pods so there must be something here even if it’s not “signal” and it’s not a late-night talk show. And I think the answer lies in an idea that recurs in my episode. Multiple times in my life I’ve been heavily influenced by someone who breathed the same air as me but was a little ahead in ways that mattered to me. The stories in Matt’s pods are entertaining not because they are crazy (well usually not) but because I could really see myself in them. It is a unique form of encouragement that can even become inspiration from hearing someone like you honestly lay out the messiness of their own tours through this life.
The power is not in the generalizations but in the specific embodiment. Matt does a great job of noticing repetitive themes in my story — I think for those who crave tidiness it’s a pleasant service especially because of how he does it via very close listening, Matt is an exceptional listener, but that’s also a form of atomic packaging that content loops have trained our attention spans to impatiently anticipate.
So the best compliment I can give Matt’s pod is that Cliff Notes would miss the point.
Matt, you’re good at your job. I didn’t imagine talking about most of the stuff that ended up in this. (Also, your thumbnail quote not being WWF-related is a mistake. Talk to your editor)
🎙️If you prefer to not see my face (Spotify)
My favorite Interviews Matt Zeigler has hosted so far: