Matters Not Podcast

In this episode of Matters Not... we had an issue. The audio file for the latest episode was lost and due to such short notice, we were not able to record a new episode. So, after a conversation with Buck, we came to conclusion that it would be best to put out something instead of nothing. So here is an episode of My AI Co-host that Buck and I did together a few months back where we talked with Gork, X (twitters) AI. It got weird....

In this episode, Chris and Buck dive into a raw and honest conversation about growth, self-awareness, and stepping outside of comfort zones. They kick things off reflecting on a powerful previous episode featuring a guest’s intense life story, touching on addiction, recovery, and how sharing personal struggles can shape someone into a compelling speaker.The conversation shifts into real-life updates, with Chris opening up about starting a new job that aligns with his passion for video editing and media—marking a major step toward pursuing a more creative career path. That leap sparks a deeper discussion about fear, stability, and what it takes to walk away from something secure in order to chase something meaningful.They also get into personal development, including starting a fitness routine, the mental battle of staying consistent, and how small, manageable changes can lead to long-term results. From there, things get more introspective—covering topics like identity, purpose, and the struggle of redefining yourself as an adult.One of the most impactful moments comes when the conversation turns to spirituality. A recent experience with community service and an unexpected interaction leads to a first-time return to church, opening the door to questions about faith, personal change, and what it means to search for something bigger.Throughout the episode, the guys balance humor with vulnerability—talking about relationships, arguments, personal flaws, and the reality that adulthood doesn’t come with the clarity they once expected.Overall, it’s an episode about transition—embracing change, confronting discomfort, and figuring life out as you go.

In this episode, Chris and Buck sit down with a friend and former coworker Jerrod (“J-Rod”) to talk about addiction, recovery, and faith in Appalachia. Jerrod shares his story growing up in Grayson, Kentucky in a hardworking union family before the loss of his grandfather sent him down a destructive path with opioids that eventually escalated into heroin and years of addiction. What started as experimentation in a region flooded with pharmaceuticals turned into a long battle that affected every part of his life, including jail time, overdoses, and the death of his fiancée from an overdose beside him. After years of cycling through addiction and failed attempts at rehab, Jerrod finally reached a breaking point and checked himself into treatment in early 2020. During his seven months in recovery, he rediscovered his Christian faith and committed to rebuilding his life from the ground up. Now sober for years, he dedicates his time to helping others in recovery, sharing his testimony, and working with youth through Bible study. His story is one of accountability, redemption, and the belief that no matter how far someone falls, there is still a path forward. 

In this episode of Matters Not Podcast, Chris and Buck dive into a wide-ranging conversation that blends humor, nostalgia, and a little self-reflection.The episode kicks off with the two jokingly trying to figure out the geography of the Mason-Dixon Line before drifting into stories about childhood habits, video games, and how priorities change as you get older. From there, the conversation turns toward health and fitness—touching on gym routines, motivation, body image, and the mental side of staying disciplined. The guys share honest thoughts about how easy it is to fall in and out of healthy habits, including the ups and downs of weight loss, gym culture, and trying things like Orangetheory Fitness.Buck also shares stories about getting back outdoors, including a spontaneous motorcycle trip through West Virginia that led to kayaking around Kanawha Falls with his kids. The story highlights the beauty of the region and the simple joy of exploring local places that are easy to overlook.As the conversation continues, the episode shifts into reflections on creativity and craftsmanship. Buck talks about discovering welding and fabrication, the satisfaction of building things with your hands, and how passion for a craft can evolve over time—from dreaming about projects to eventually bringing them to life.Of course, it wouldn’t be Matters Not without some wild stories. The guys swap memories of reckless things they did when they were younger—from jumping off bridges to “skitching” behind moving vehicles—while laughing at how different their outlook on risk and responsibility is today.The episode wraps up with a mix of life lessons and humor, reminding listeners that growth often comes from trying new things, making mistakes, and occasionally looking back at the ridiculous decisions that helped shape who you are.

In this episode of The Matters Not Podcast, Chris and Buck focus on the value and purpose of passion projects—why people feel called to build things outside of money, metrics, or approval, and why those projects often matter more than the end result.They talk about creativity as a long game: learning as you go, making mistakes publicly, and finding fulfillment in simply doing the work. The conversation highlights how passion projects can restore confidence, create momentum, and give people a sense of ownership over something that’s theirs—especially when life feels stagnant or boxed in. Rather than chasing trends or validation, they emphasize consistency, curiosity, and doing work that actually feels meaningful.The episode also explores how passion projects evolve over time. What starts as an outlet can become a skill set, a community, or even a new direction in life—but only if you allow it to grow naturally instead of forcing outcomes. Chris and Buck reflect on how staying engaged with something you care about can quietly shape who you become.In the latter part of the conversation, the tone shifts as they share personal stories about car accidents they’ve both experienced. These moments lead into a discussion of karma—more so punishment rather than reward. Those experiences reinforce why pursuing the things you care about now—not later—actually matters.At its core, this episode is about choosing intention, embracing the process, and giving yourself permission to build something just because it feels right.

In this episode of The Matters Not Podcast, Chris and Buck sit down with Adamm Curry, Jared Neal, and James Arnett of MARROWBONE GLASSWORKS, a locally rooted glassblowing studio in Huntington, West Virginia. The conversation traces the group’s journey from factory production glass to founding their own collaborative, artist-driven shop.The trio shares how they each entered glassblowing, initially working in high-output production environments where creativity was secondary to numbers. A turning point came when they began challenging that model—blending craftsmanship, design, and hands-on artistry rather than separating “designer” from “maker.” That shift ultimately led them to leave production work behind and build their own studio from the ground up.They discuss the realities of starting Marrowbone Glassworks: building furnaces and annealers themselves, working with minimal budgets, and relying on community support rather than large capital investment. Along the way, they reflect on how backgrounds in welding, trades, and even dance translated into glassblowing skills, reinforcing the idea that glass is as much about physics, timing, and teamwork as it is about art.The episode also dives deep into Appalachian and West Virginia glass history, highlighting the region’s once-massive handmade glass industry and the concept of “lunchtime glass”—art pieces created by factory workers during short breaks. This legacy, they explain, fuels their desire to preserve and revive glassmaking culture in the region, not gatekeep it.The conversation wraps with talk of current projects, including limited-edition sculptural pieces like their glass top hats, and their broader mission: proving that meaningful, high-level glasswork doesn’t require massive facilities—just skill, chemistry, and passion.Facebook Marrowbone GlassworksInstagram Marrowbone Glassworks (@marrowboneglass)

In this episode of Matters Not, Chris and Buck spiral from a simple story about court-ordered community service into a wide-ranging conversation about restlessness, productivity, identity, and the strange paths life takes when you can’t sit still. Buck recounts his first day of community service at the courthouse, the rules surrounding it, and how a misunderstanding nearly derailed his entire timeline. From there, the conversation drifts into Ohio’s old “party plates,” government logic, boredom, and why modern people seem incapable of doing nothing without guilt.The episode’s centerpiece is Buck’s first-ever auction experience, where he unexpectedly falls in love with a vintage vanity set and becomes emotionally invested in winning it. What starts as casual browsing turns into a near-obsessive bidding war fueled by aesthetics, nostalgia, and the need for a new project. Along the way, the guys unpack why Buck constantly turns his life into an endless renovation—houses, furniture, routines—and why stopping feels harder than working.The episode balances humor, chaos, and introspection, touching on masculinity, satisfaction versus happiness, the value of downtime, and the strange joy of discovering meaning in objects, effort, and even a random encounter with a woman carrying a literal monkey at an auction. It’s a raw, unfiltered look at momentum, motivation, and why some people would rather exhaust themselves than feel still.

In this episode, Chris and Buck settle into a wide-ranging, honest conversation about creativity, momentum, and staying grounded when everything around you feels loud. They reflect on the slow, unglamorous reality of building a podcast—why consistency matters more than chasing virality, and why keeping it fun is the only real metric that counts.The discussion drifts into personal territory as Buck opens up about burnout, comparison, and the danger of adopting someone else’s definition of success. Together, they unpack what it means to stay present, avoid self-sabotage, and recognize when ambition turns into chaos instead of progress.From there, the episode shifts gears into gaming culture and connection—bonding with kids over Arc Raiders, the anxiety and adrenaline of extraction shooters, streamer burnout, and how internet fame can trap creators into performing the same thing over and over again.The latter half of the episode takes a heavier turn, tackling immigration fears, ICE, and the moral disconnect between law, politics, and basic human empathy. Chris and Buck challenge black-and-white thinking, question performative outrage on both sides, and talk candidly about how real people—coworkers, families, and neighbors—get crushed in the middle.As always, Matters Not blends humor, frustration, vulnerability, and unfiltered perspective into a conversation that doesn’t aim to solve everything—but refuses to ignore it.

In this episode of Matters Not, Buck sits down one-on-one with Maegan Brennan, a nurse practitioner with nearly two decades of experience in healthcare, for an unfiltered deep dive into the realities of the medical field. Maegan shares her journey from growing up in Logan, West Virginia, to becoming a nurse practitioner, detailing the emotional, financial, and systemic challenges she’s faced along the way.The conversation explores the opioid epidemic and its roots in pharmaceutical practices, the difference between physical dependence and addiction, and how policy decisions helped fuel today’s fentanyl and heroin crisis. Megan also breaks down the realities of nursing—from brutal staffing ratios and burnout to the lasting emotional toll of patient loss—and explains why many nurses turn to travel nursing for survival and opportunity.They dive into the structure of modern healthcare, including insurance barriers, patient satisfaction scores, and how profit-driven systems often interfere with patient care. Megan also clarifies the role of nurse practitioners, the growing physician shortage, and why NPs are increasingly filling the gaps in primary care.The episode closes with advice for anyone considering a career in healthcare, emphasizing humility, resilience, and starting wherever you can to work your way up—plus a shoutout to Megan’s telehealth practice, CMD Health & Wellness (cmdhealth.org).Raw, honest, and insightful—this episode pulls back the curtain on what it really means to care for people in a broken system.