Aaron McCall, Joe Matteson, and Amber Gray talk about the one thing we all pretend we’re good at: knowing what the hell is going on. “I don’t know” turns into the point, not the punchline. They get into ego, confidence, learning in public, and where flexibility ends and conviction starts. Curiosity, humility, and at least one terrible metaphor.

Writer/Producer/Editor/Host:
Aaron McCall
aaronmccall.net
Instagram: @aaron_mccall
LinkedIn: Aaron McCall

Co-Host/Sidekick/Photographer:
Joe Matteson
themattesons.co
Instagram: @joe_dustin

Co-Host/Sidekick/Manager:
Amber Gray
Instagram: @bad_ambellina
LinkedIn: Amber Gray

Music:
"Noises" by Mike Mains & The Branches

Help Support the Podcast:
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Follow Bad Idea Social Club:
badideasocialclub.com
Instagram: @badideasocialclub
LinkedIn: Bad Idea Social Club

This time, it’s about when everything adds up and overflows. Not one big thing, just work, expectations, responsibility, and momentum piling on over time. We get into boundaries, how work and life shape each other in uneven ways, and how we’re striking balance while trying to keep up.

Writer/Producer/Editor/Host:
Aaron McCall
aaronmccall.net
Instagram: @aaron_mccall
LinkedIn: Aaron McCall

Co-Host/Sidekick/Photographer:
Joe Matteson
themattesons.co
Instagram: @joe_dustin

Co-Host/Sidekick/Manager:
Amber Gray
Instagram: @bad_ambellina
LinkedIn: Amber Gray

Music:
"Noises" by Mike Mains & The Branches

Help Support the Podcast:
Buy Merch
Make a Donation

Follow Bad Idea Social Club:
badideasocialclub.com
Instagram: @badideasocialclub
LinkedIn: Bad Idea Social Club

Aaron McCall moderates a Creative Mornings Grand Rapids panel discussion on “Growth,” recorded at the Grand Rapids Civic Theatre with more than 200 people in attendance. Joined by Ian Labardee, Bailey Sell, Hannah Berry, and Leigh Ann Cobb, the conversation gets honest about what growth actually looks like once momentum builds—imposter syndrome, uncertainty, shifting priorities, burnout, community, and the small, often invisible changes that shape us over time. Recorded by Green Frog, this episode isn’t about tidy success stories. It’s about showing up, staying curious, and understanding how growth is rarely linear and rarely done alone.

Keep up with Creative Mornings GR:
creativemornings.com/gr
IG: @creativemorningsgr

Writer/Producer/Editor/Host:
Aaron McCall
aaronmccall.net
Instagram: @aaron_mccall
LinkedIn: Aaron McCall

Co-Host/Sidekick/Photographer:
Joe Matteson
themattesons.co
Instagram: @joe_dustin

Co-Host/Sidekick/Manager:
Amber Gray
Instagram: @bad_ambellina
LinkedIn: Amber Gray

Music:
"Noises" by Mike Mains & The Branches

Help Support the Podcast:
Buy Merch
Make a Donation

Follow Bad Idea Social Club:
badideasocialclub.com
Instagram: @badideasocialclub
LinkedIn: Bad Idea Social Club

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: @courtneylauer

Writer/Producer/Editor/Host:
Aaron McCall
aaronmccall.net
Instagram: @aaron_mccall
LinkedIn: Aaron McCall

Co-Host/Sidekick/Photographer:
Joe Matteson
themattesons.co
Instagram: @joe_dustin

Co-Host/Sidekick/Manager:
Amber Gray
Instagram: @bad_ambellina
LinkedIn: Amber Gray

Music:
"Noises" by Mike Mains & The Branches

Help Support the Podcast:
Buy Merch
Make a Donation

Follow Bad Idea Social Club:
badideasocialclub.com
Instagram: @badideasocialclub
LinkedIn: Bad Idea Social Club

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: @theconcussedcoffeegeek

Writer/Producer/Editor/Host:
Aaron McCall
aaronmccall.net
Instagram: @aaron_mccall
LinkedIn: Aaron McCall

Co-Host/Sidekick/Photographer:
Joe Matteson
themattesons.co
Instagram: @joe_dustin

Co-Host/Sidekick/Manager:
Amber Gray
Instagram: @bad_ambellina
LinkedIn: Amber Gray

Music:
"Noises" by Mike Mains & The Branches

Help Support the Podcast:
Buy Merch
Make a Donation

Follow Bad Idea Social Club:
badideasocialclub.com
Instagram: @badideasocialclub
LinkedIn: Bad Idea Social Club

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_djchewy
IG: @ppwpower

Writer/Producer/Editor/Host:
Aaron McCall
aaronmccall.net
Instagram: @aaron_mccall
LinkedIn: Aaron McCall

Co-Host/Sidekick/Photographer:
Joe Matteson
themattesons.co
Instagram: @joe_dustin

Co-Host/Sidekick/Manager:
Amber Gray
Instagram: @bad_ambellina
LinkedIn: Amber Gray

Music:
"Noises" by Mike Mains & The Branches

Help Support the Podcast:
Buy Merch
Make a Donation

Follow Bad Idea Social Club:
badideasocialclub.com
Instagram: @badideasocialclub
LinkedIn: Bad Idea Social Club

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: @vikkichosethisusername

Writer/Producer/Editor/Host:
Aaron McCall
aaronmccall.net
Instagram: @aaron_mccall
LinkedIn: Aaron McCall

Co-Host/Sidekick/Photographer:
Joe Matteson
themattesons.co
Instagram: @joe_dustin

Co-Host/Sidekick/Manager:
Amber Gray
Instagram: @bad_ambellina
LinkedIn: Amber Gray

Music:
"Noises" by Mike Mains & The Branches

Help Support the Podcast:
Buy Merch
Make a Donation

Follow Bad Idea Social Club:
badideasocialclub.com
Instagram: @badideasocialclub
LinkedIn: Bad Idea Social Club

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_nc

Writer/Producer/Editor/Host:
Aaron McCall
aaronmccall.net
Instagram: @aaron_mccall
LinkedIn: Aaron McCall

Co-Host/Sidekick/Photographer:
Joe Matteson
themattesons.co
Instagram: @joe_dustin

Co-Host/Sidekick/Manager:
Amber Gray
Instagram: @bad_ambellina
LinkedIn: Amber Gray

Music:
"Noises" by Mike Mains & The Branches

Help Support the Podcast:
Buy Merch
Make a Donation

Follow Bad Idea Social Club:
badideasocialclub.com
Instagram: @badideasocialclub
LinkedIn: Bad Idea Social Club