The Shift with Mike & Joe

"We did not reopen after that company party. Nobody knew. I got the same message that everybody else on staff got."
Last December the staff at Kentmorr went home from the company party, and that was the last night. Drew Ewing found out the way everyone else on staff did, from the same message. Then the landlord hired him to turn everything off and empty the place out. A few months later he was running it.
Episode 45. Drew Ewing was born and raised on Kent Island and went to school there all twelve years. Mike and Joe both play his new place, which is how this conversation started.
Restaurants go back further in his family than most. His family ran Holly's in Grasonville from 1955 until his grandmother sold it in 2014, and Drew helped her close it. Before Holly's, a great grandfather ran the snack shack on the ferry, and that man's parents kept a bar in their house off Evans Avenue that served African American customers who could not get served anywhere else. He calls himself fourth generation. Really fifth.
He came up at Big Bats, got talked into Kentmorr by the bartenders who came to his bar after their own shifts, and worked his way from bartender and server to bar manager and operations. When it closed, the marina's owner, a man he had gotten close to over a few years of beers and business talk, asked him a simple question: what if we just did it?
Channel Side at Kentmorr Marina opened on May 28. Holly's Cafe lives in the old front bar, pouring coffee from Open Seas Coffee Roasters at the north end of the island. The Holly's creamed chipped beef is back, beer braised in Natural Light. The crab is Maryland only, the beef comes from one Maryland farm, and when the August rockfish moratorium forced him onto farm raised fish for a month, the regulars could taste it.
Drew is plain about what he thinks hospitality is for. You work forty, fifty, sixty hours a week, you have a little extra change in your pocket, and the place you spend it should know your name and ask how your mom is doing. He trains his servers to forget about the tip and take care of the table, because servers are closers: you are only as good as your last table. He takes care of the musicians the same way, which is why Mike and Joe like playing there, and Mike and Joe push back on the business side of it in turn.
A lot of the hour is hospitality as a craft: being the place that knows your name, what a night of live music has to earn a restaurant before the band is worth it, and the $18,000 it now costs a restaurant to show NFL Sunday Ticket. There is a tipping debate too, which Drew settles by correcting Joe's movie. It was Reservoir Dogs.
The renovations are not finished. There is a beach to redo with shade and games, a new bar by the patio, a playground so families stay a little longer, a polar bear plunge he is trying to set up, and an all day music idea that ends with Mike and Joe battling for the biggest tip jar. Brit, a longtime bartender, runs the coffee bar, and the chef is Ryan, a Kent Island kid Drew went to school with.
Under all of it is one idea: keep a working marina a working marina, keep Kent Island from turning into Glen Burnie, and let a younger generation of local owners, from Big Bats to Cult Classic to Ten Eyck to Baker's, lift each other up.
It opens with Mike taking his shoes off, and one of them ends up thrown at Joe.
Drew will not say what his old band was called. He will say that the band house behind Holly's had two drum kits set up at all times and an open door for anyone who wanted to play, that friends of his still tour with Pianos Become the Teeth, and that his dad is Uncle Ward, a working bar musician.
Near the end the talk turns to AI. Joe has been using Claude to take the admin and posting work off his plate, and admits it can even tell him Mike talks less than he used to. Drew is on the fence, worried about what happens to art, music and marketing when a machine does it, and about the day the price goes up once everyone depends on it.
And it closes where it should: a sunset on the marina, and a story from Folly Beach, where Drew's Kent Island buddy turned down the famous dock bar. We get to do that all the time.
What shift have you experienced in your life?
CHAPTERS00:00 Wayfinders Testicular Health Fund00:13 Mike takes his shoes off01:56 Welcome to Episode 45: Drew Ewing03:32 Holly's in Grasonville07:54 Why it isn't called Kentmorr anymore14:50 How he ended up at Kentmorr19:21 A bar in a house in Grasonville24:16 The tipping speech: Pulp Fiction?30:18 Servers are closers38:05 Holly's creamed chipped beef is back39:09 Sponsor: Wayfinders THF and Putts Fore! Nuts40:41 Where does the seafood really come from?43:16 Farm raised rockfish tastes like grass53:30 The company party, then the closing58:06 Don't turn it into Glen Burnie1:04:06 Mike set himself on fire1:12:52 How much money do you lose when Mike plays?1:15:16 The NFL Sunday Ticket problem1:24:02 Drew is on the fence about AI1:33:34 The dock bar at Folly Beach
THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY WAYFINDERS TESTICULAR HEALTH FUNDBe Bold. Be Brave. Be Aware.
Wayfinders THF is a Maryland 501(c)(3) dedicated to impacting the lives and health of young men by fighting testicular cancer through awareness, education, fundraising, and community support, with a focus on men aged 14 to 35. A component fund of Chesapeake Charities.
Website: https://www.wayfindersthf.orgInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/wayfindersthfDonate: https://ccharities.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create/fund?funit_id=2419
PUTTS FORE! NUTS - 2nd Annual Charity Mini-Golf TournamentSaturday, October 17, 2026, 11:30 AM to 6:00 PMEmbers Island Mini-Golf, 2305 Philadelphia Ave Suite #4, Ocean City, MD 21842Event info: https://www.wayfindersthf.org/putts-fore-nuts
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODEChannel Side at Kentmorr Marina and Holly's Cafe at Channel Side, StevensvilleHolly's Restaurant, Grasonville, 1955 to 2014Open Seas Coffee Roasters, Kent IslandBig Bats CafeCult Classic BrewingTen Eyck Brewing Company, QueenstownBaker's, StevensvillePianos Become the TeethReservoir Dogs, and the Mr. Pink tipping speechNFL Sunday TicketJay Fleming, The Shift EP 34J. Coursey Willis, The Shift EP 42
CONNECT WITH DREW EWING AND CHANNEL SIDEChannel Side at Kentmorr Marina, with Holly's Cafe910 Kentmorr Rd, Stevensville, MD 21666Website: https://channelsideki.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/channelsidekentmorrmarinaFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61591245211438
SUPPORT THE SHIFT WITH MIKE & JOEWebsite: https://www.theshiftwithmikeandjoe.comDonate: https://www.theshiftwithmikeandjoe.com/giving-page-2-1Email: info@theshiftwithmikeandjoe.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheShiftWithMikeAndJoeInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/theshiftwithmikeandjoeTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theshiftwithmikeandjoeFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61574975860350Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-shift-with-mike-joe/id1813198065Podbean: https://joer7.podbean.com
CONNECT WITH MIKE & JOE
Michael Waskey Musichttps://www.michaelwaskey.com
Kent Island Academy of Music (Mike)https://kentislandacademyofmusic.com
Image & Sound Media (Joe)https://www.imagesoundmedia.com
Joe Bryan Musichttps://www.joebryanmusic.com
PODCAST PRODUCTION GEAR (EPISODE 45)Cameras: Sony A7 IV, Sony A7 V, Sony FX3, Sony A7C IIMain Audio: Shure SM7B (Joe, Mike & Drew)Interface: Focusrite Scarlett 18i18Audio Software: ReaperVideo Editing: DaVinci Resolve StudioLighting: Amaran 100x & 200x softboxes plus Amaran tube lights
The Shift with Mike & Joe is fully produced by Image & Sound Media.https://www.imagesoundmedia.com
#TheShiftPodcast #KentIsland #EasternShore #Kentmorr #ChannelSide #Hollys #MarylandSeafood #RestaurantLife #MarylandPodcast #WayfindersTHF

"It was projected on a theater screen. Best supporting actor, Walter, played by sandwich. They didn't even put my name on the screen."
Somewhere in Annapolis there is an award for best supporting actor, and it went to a ham sandwich. Dan Sadler built the sandwich, puppeteered the sandwich, and did the voice. When the film played on a theater screen, the credit read "played by sandwich," and his name was nowhere on it. He calls that the real award.
Episode 44. Dan Sadler is a drummer, a sound guy, a filmmaker, and, this week, a man with four jobs and a two year old. Joe knew him from the Ryan Keith Band, back when he covered Sturgill Simpson at Cult Classic and turned the whole room. Mike and Joe have wanted him in the room for a while.
Dan grew up in Annapolis with a twin brother he claims he kicked out of the womb first, an art teacher mom, and a sports dad. He came up drumming in a hard, loud rock band and did not touch country until he joined the Ryan Keith Band, and now he cannot stop listening to Waylon and George Strait.
Most of the hour is one man doing the math on a life in the arts. He runs sound for the Annapolis Maritime Museum, plays drums for hire with The Leftovers, shoots video and photos under his own name, and works a remote nine to five doing the paperwork that gets cellular antennas onto towers for first responders. His wife runs a veterinary clinic on one salary. His four are trying to catch her one.
The heart of it is Play A Song, the festival he brings back this year on Sunday October 4 at the Eastport Democratic Club. It started as a way to grieve Sean Hetrick, a best friend and Annapolis singer songwriter lost to addiction during COVID, when the memorial had to be livestreamed. One concert turned into a fundraiser, then an annual event, and then the Sean Hetrick Bereavement Benefit, a fund through AMFM for the family of any local musician who dies unexpectedly.
The money conversation is the one Mike and Joe keep coming back to, and Dan is plain about it. He quit bartending ten years ago to chase video and music full time, made salary, got let go overnight when a franchise decided he was not in the budget anymore, went jaded, and clawed his way back. Now he is bartending Sunday nights at the same bar he grew up next to, arriving on a little reggae penny board, because it is easy money and it is his neighborhood.
There is a whole thread on Mike McHenry, the local guitar player so intense on stage and so gentle off it that he once handed Mike his Acoustasonic, minutes after they met, and told him to take it to a gig. And there is the three day stretch nobody would script: Dan proposed to Stephanie on a Thursday with her parents watching from Florida on a livestream, a best friend married on the Saturday, and the first Play A Song ran on the Sunday, where the two of them sang a duet.
Play A Song runs 12 to 5 on Sunday October 4, doors at 11, all ages, at the Eastport Democratic Club in Annapolis. Mike McHenry, the Ryan Keith Band, the Timmy Metz band, and Dan's own Leftovers close it out, with SoCo Butcher on the food and a tie dye station for the kids. Two police officers once called the last one of the most loving and peaceful events they had ever worked.
There is a lot of film in here too. Kensington Studio Sessions and its 200 episodes. Shrug Productions, the improv heavy crew he directs. The Remnant, an uplifting short about a plane crash survivor who will not eat his best friend, who happens to be a living ham sandwich. And a Barry style script he keeps trying to write, built around a real Hollywood stunt double.
And then the shift itself, which for Dan is not the nine to five. It is the freshman year of high school when he took in his niece, the moment his fiancee went all in, and the son who arrived and made all of it times a thousand.
What shift have you experienced in your life?
CHAPTERS00:00 Wayfinders Testicular Health Fund00:12 The pre-show ramble00:48 Two plays and a pillow to the face01:28 Beer dandruff and beard oil02:13 Welcome to Episode 4402:36 Sturgill Simpson at Cult Classic03:02 Drums for hire: Ryan Keith Band and The Leftovers03:43 Outlaw country was not his wheelhouse04:15 "Hard drunk rock band"04:45 Mike the metalhead05:38 Music comes in waves06:10 Born and raised in Annapolis06:47 A twin brother07:21 "I got tired of him and I kicked him out"07:41 Danny Paul, Charles Clinton and Jon with no H08:20 Joe's first name is Charles too08:54 The bands he plays with now09:22 AMFM, the Annapolis Musicians Fund for Musicians09:47 Play A Song, Sunday October 410:17 Sean Hetrick10:49 "He lost a battle with addiction"11:02 How one concert became a festival11:52 The Sean Hetrick bereavement fund13:13 What AMFM does for a musician who loses a gig14:13 Nothing like it on this side of the bridge15:49 The planning committee is Sean's family16:21 Joe: addiction is no joke17:27 Good Samaritan House and the recovery tents18:58 The lineup: Mike McHenry, Timmy Metz, The Leftovers19:40 Mike McHenry offstage and onstage20:09 "You want to borrow it? Take it to a gig"20:47 A 45 minute jam with a guy who had no drummer21:44 Dan's update: the Ryan Keith Band23:16 "Once you play one set, you're a leftover"24:03 The drummer who sings lead25:40 He remembers the changes from the lyrics26:24 Rehearsing Treaty Oak Revival in this room27:11 Jesse's wedding invitation28:35 "Just play the song"28:59 Twelve bags of beer and a host in recovery29:59 "It was Yuengling Light, guys"30:27 Quinn30:56 Brad the fiddle player31:34 Sponsor: Wayfinders THF and Putts Fore! Nuts33:54 Tides and Tunes at the Annapolis Maritime Museum35:46 "I didn't have to play a single note"36:33 The September sunset series37:51 Thousands and thousands of viewers38:06 Do you use AI to cut the clips?38:45 Joe edits inside Resolve with Claude39:37 "The only AI I'd be interested in"40:51 The website that updates itself41:36 Kensington Studio Sessions: 200 episodes42:02 Shrug Productions43:58 Erica Rowe and Wyatt Unger45:34 Which Shrug is the real Shrug46:20 The projects he is proudest of46:49 The Remnant47:26 "I was a ham sandwich"48:32 The cameo rule: subtle or stupid49:42 Best supporting actor, credited as "sandwich"50:42 The Uninvited52:32 The next scripts, and the two year old53:18 Do short films make money?55:09 A Barry style script56:01 Rick Kane, Bruce Willis's stunt double56:38 "We better be having fun"57:18 The marketing job57:34 Sean's father-in-law hired him58:24 Let go overnight59:24 Four jobs59:48 The 9 to 5: cell towers for first responders1:00:43 Flock cameras1:02:25 Audio, video, photo: "it's just me"1:02:50 Bartending Sunday nights at The Point1:03:40 Full circle, ten years later1:04:13 His wife runs a veterinary clinic1:04:36 "My four jobs is trying to catch her one salary"1:05:03 How he met Stephanie1:06:13 The penny board1:06:46 "You seem a lot cooler than Mike"1:07:07 The one session nobody names1:08:05 A new question for the show1:08:36 What the shift means now1:09:03 The biggest shift: his family1:09:15 His grandfather's house1:10:32 Thirty seven, married four years1:10:54 Proposal Thursday, wedding Saturday, festival Sunday1:11:32 The duet1:13:11 Taking in his niece1:13:49 "I got you"1:14:43 When Stephanie went all in1:15:28 Kids cause the shift1:15:44 "My dad job"1:16:26 Working remote1:17:40 Play A Song: the details1:18:12 SoCo Butcher does the food1:19:33 Over $6,000 raised already1:20:13 "One of the most loving and peaceful events"1:21:04 All ages: tie dye and face painting1:21:30 danielsadler.net1:22:09 Wave to the cameras
THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY WAYFINDERS TESTICULAR HEALTH FUNDBe Bold. Be Brave. Be Aware.
Wayfinders THF is a Maryland 501(c)(3) dedicated to impacting the lives and health of young men by fighting testicular cancer through awareness, education, fundraising, and community support, with a focus on men aged 14 to 35. A component fund of Chesapeake Charities.
Website: https://www.wayfindersthf.orgInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/wayfindersthfDonate: https://ccharities.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create/fund?funit_id=2419
PUTTS FORE! NUTS - 2nd Annual Charity Mini-Golf TournamentSaturday, October 17, 2026, 11:30 AM to 6:00 PMEmbers Island Mini-Golf, 2305 Philadelphia Ave Suite #4, Ocean City, MD 21842Event info: https://www.wayfindersthf.org/putts-fore-nuts
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODEAMFM (Annapolis Musicians Fund for Musicians) . Play A Song Music Festival . Sean Hetrick . the Sean Hetrick Bereavement Benefit . Eastport Democratic ClubRyan Keith Band . The Leftovers . Ben Heemstra . Kensington Studio Sessions . Shrug Productions . The Remnant . The Uninvited . Rick KaneMike McHenry . Timmy Metz . Quinn . Brad . Treaty Oak Revival . Sturgill Simpson . Waylon Jennings . George Strait . Foo Fighters . Meshuggah . Barry (HBO)Annapolis Maritime Museum . Tides and Tunes . SoCo Butcher . The Point . 49 West . Stan and Joe's
CONNECT WITH DAN SADLERWebsite: https://www.danielsadler.netInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/dnlsadlerFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/dan.sadler.7Shrug Productions: on danielsadler.net and YouTubePlay A Song Music Festival: Sunday, October 4, Eastport Democratic Club, AnnapolisAMFM: https://www.am-fm.org
SUPPORT THE SHIFT WITH MIKE & JOEWebsite: https://www.theshiftwithmikeandjoe.comDonate: https://www.theshiftwithmikeandjoe.com/giving-page-2-1Email: info@theshiftwithmikeandjoe.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheShiftWithMikeAndJoeInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/theshiftwithmikeandjoeTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theshiftwithmikeandjoeFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61574975860350Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-shift-with-mike-joe/id1813198065Podbean: https://joer7.podbean.com
CONNECT WITH MIKE & JOE
Michael Waskey Musichttps://www.michaelwaskey.com
Kent Island Academy of Music (Mike)https://kentislandacademyofmusic.com
Image & Sound Media (Joe)https://www.imagesoundmedia.com
Joe Bryan Musichttps://www.joebryanmusic.com
PODCAST PRODUCTION GEAR (EPISODE 44)Cameras: Sony A7 IV, Sony A7 V, Sony FX3, Sony A7C IIMain Audio: Shure SM7B (Joe, Mike & Dan)Interface: Focusrite Scarlett 18i18Audio Software: ReaperVideo Editing: DaVinci Resolve StudioLighting: Amaran 100x & 200x softboxes plus Amaran tube lights
The Shift with Mike & Joe is fully produced by Image & Sound Media.https://www.imagesoundmedia.com
#TheShiftPodcast #Annapolis #LiveMusic #IndieFilm #DrummerLife #MusicCommunity #EasternShore #MarylandPodcast #KentIsland #WayfindersTHF

"I thought I invented something. I was like, I have discovered an electric guitar."
Before he owned an electric guitar, Bryan wrapped a pair of Radio Shack headphones around the body of his acoustic and plugged them into the family stereo. It worked well enough that he was convinced he had invented something. Not long after, somebody handed him a guitar tuner with a bad solder joint. It would not tune anything. Plug a guitar through it and it distorted, which was the only thing he had ever wanted it to do.
Bryan Ewald is probably the most watched guitarist on this side of the bay that nobody stops in the street. He is the player in the PRS Guitars demo videos. Andrew Dorbin, who was on in EP 32, is the one filming them. Josh Willis, last episode's guest, had an EP produced by him. Mike and Joe have been circling this one for a while.
The PRS job started as a wrong number. Somebody applying for a spot in the wood shop put nineteen year old Bryan down as a reference, PRS called, and by the end of the call they had offered him a job instead. He spent less than a year in the finish hall, worked out he was better at playing guitars than building them, and left. Years later Jim Cullen went to bat for him and a guitar turned up with no strings attached, no exclusivity, nothing to sign. Then somebody asked if he would make a video.
He is careful about how much credit he takes for those. He writes and records the backing tracks at his house, bass and drums included, then walks into a room where a guitar he has often never touched is waiting, and plays it live in a couple of takes with the cameras already rolling. No fifty passes, no editing to taste. Seventeen pickup positions and a marketing sheet he is allowed to ignore.
And he can hardly watch them. He puts the demos at maybe sixty percent of what he can actually do and describes most of it as his worst playing, filmed in what he compares to hospital lighting. There are a handful he wishes he could scrub off the internet, and one or two he loved so much he was annoyed when new pickups meant it had to be reshot.
The bands are the rest of it, and there have always been several at once. Non-Fiction with Meg Murray. Starbelly, which he joined right as its songwriter stepped out to go solo, and which has spent years backing other people, Pat DiNizio of the Smithereens and Warren Zanes of the Del Fuegos among them. The Jarflys, which took off like a rocket on Jimi HaHa's name and held a Tuesday residency at Armadillo's. Jimmie's Chicken Shack, which he only joined four years ago once his kids were grown. A ten piece Steely Dan tribute. A Ray Charles show with Take 6 that started as a Vegas residency and got chased across the country by the pandemic, city by city, until the airports went quiet.
The money conversation is the one Mike and Joe keep coming back to with everybody, and Bryan is unusually plain about it. He was twenty and out-earning every friend he had. Five years later they had all passed him, because bar gigs never kept up with the cost of living and there are only seven nights in a week. So he raised everything at once, teaching, studio, gigs, and waited for the phone to go quiet. It rang more. He built a rate card priced at the top so he always has room to come down, quotes backyard barbecues at five or six times what people expect, and has noticed that the clients who pay the rate without flinching are the easy ones.
Underneath all of it is a kid in Arnold whose family had no musicians in it at all. A grandfather with a chain of camera stores in southwest Virginia, which is where the gear obsession came from. A beat up fifties Harmony for his ninth birthday because his mother could not afford a piano. A stepmother who would not have drums in the house, so the amp went in a Radio Flyer wagon and got pulled across the Bay Hills golf course to a friend whose brother had a kit, for half an hour after school before the brother got home. Friends calling the house to make him play YYZ down the phone. An amp pointed out of an open window until a neighbour came and knocked.
Then his own two. Aidan makes his living playing music, drums with everybody, sings Joni Mitchell tunes, and has a band called The Candy Rocks that sounds like the Beach Boys meeting Queen. Julian has released seven albums in a month under three different names and has a couple more coming. When Julian was thirteen his dad told him to wait until he was off tour and they would set up a proper mic in the basement studio. Bryan came home and the record was finished. He had sung the whole thing into his phone.
The last stretch goes wide. What AI does to a room full of people who make things. Why there will never be another Beatles and why that is fine. Paul Reed Smith taking a pickup apart to make it one percent better. Paris for a seventh anniversary that broke even on the gig fee, followed by a firm understanding that next year would be Cracker Barrel. Red Rocks, still unplayed. And a plan for retirement that is really just a list of places he passed through on tour and never actually saw.
Josh Willis, EP 42: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pPvZr_lIk0Andrew Dorbin, EP 32: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fquWZC29yLg
What shift have you experienced in your life?
CHAPTERS00:00 Wayfinders Testicular Health Fund00:47 Welcome to Episode 4301:14 "So you work at PRS?" Not exactly02:09 Teaching at a music store at fifteen03:37 George Thomas takes the blinders off04:21 A job he never applied for05:18 Less than a year in the finish hall06:27 A guitar, no strings attached07:01 "Do you want to make a video?"08:25 Why the factory video became the benchmark09:00 He writes and records the backing tracks himself09:57 Two takes, live, no editing10:53 The guitar is in his hands 40 minutes before filming13:47 Joe subscribed ten years ago, hunting an SE14:17 "Whatever the guitar looked like, that is how you played it"17:40 The day he decided to just play like himself19:06 Tom Walls and the private stock eight string21:41 New pickups, and every old video is obsolete22:59 Everybody tells him to start his own channel24:49 Rhett Shull, and what that life actually costs28:12 Tim Pierce does the math on courses30:43 "It is a five person job"32:50 Why he never moved to LA or Nashville33:46 Five years later, the plateau34:26 "Bring something that is not replaceable"35:15 Free Fallin' and the skill nobody credits36:25 The hang is everything37:26 Eight months on fifteen seconds of Allan Holdsworth38:19 The first paying gig: a reggae band, two days' notice39:53 Too nervous to overplay, which was exactly right41:16 "Songs are king"43:26 Limitations make the coolest parts45:52 The part he loved that did not make the record47:42 Tuned to bejesus, quantized to the grid50:54 "Do you have a band now?"53:14 Starbelly55:22 Jimi HaHa, and the record Island sat on57:30 Joining Jimmie's Chicken Shack58:07 Take 6, and a Ray Charles show1:00:56 A ten piece Steely Dan tribute1:02:35 Sponsor - Wayfinders THF & Putts Fore! Nuts1:04:32 The Quad Cortex solution1:07:47 A piezo blend for the Fleetwood Mac gig1:10:36 The gear gene, from his grandfather1:13:07 A beat up Harmony for his ninth birthday1:13:57 An amp with three knobs that would not distort1:14:38 The broken tuner that became a distortion pedal1:16:45 The amp in the Radio Flyer wagon1:18:46 They never told him to have a fallback plan1:21:26 Mike charged five dollars more, and sent the check1:23:42 Work smarter, not harder1:24:25 The phone rang more1:25:48 "I do not walk into a restaurant and offer $17.99 for a steak"1:27:48 A rate card priced at the top1:30:57 Fewer calls, better calls1:33:19 Mike's dad and the pep talk1:35:09 What a low rate tells people about you1:38:01 Rachel Yamagata1:39:13 A rock band karaoke gig at the Jetty1:40:17 The email that came two days later1:41:00 "No, I live in Arnold, Maryland"1:43:01 Two cars totalled falling asleep at the wheel1:45:15 The pandemic ends the gigs1:46:20 Producing an EP for Josh Willis1:49:19 The session drummers are his two sons1:50:27 Julian has written thousands of songs1:52:21 Meeting his wife at Middleton's1:55:16 "What was the secret?" There is not one1:56:50 Aidan makes his living playing music1:58:40 "You have a son who is a drummer, right?" Both of them2:01:49 Calling out his own son2:03:50 Drive against talent, and who actually wins2:06:33 Why singing is the most personal thing2:07:14 "All my friends say my music sounds the same"2:08:17 He came home from tour and the album was finished2:10:46 Recording 98 Rock onto a 120 minute cassette2:11:48 "That solo could not be improved"2:13:49 Singing into his parents' answering machine2:15:15 Twenty percent then, five percent now2:15:58 "Most of it is my worst playing"2:17:47 Where he is actually comfortable2:20:38 Trusting Andrew to find the take2:23:46 The hill he will die on: clean tones2:26:18 "You have to get it in your hands"2:28:30 Thirteen year old him would hate his guitars now2:31:22 Pell.Leo, Brantt and Julian Ewald2:32:31 Seven albums in a month2:35:41 There will never be another Beatles2:36:43 What AI does to all of this2:39:34 "I am never going to retire"2:42:16 Paul Reed Smith will stop when he has to2:44:41 A lifetime of not taking vacations2:45:42 Paris for their seventh anniversary2:47:41 He has never played Red Rocks2:48:28 "A room full of guitars I will start selling today"2:49:32 Jimmie's Chicken Shack at the State Theatre2:51:17 The young players coming up2:53:39 Morgan Gonts2:54:53 Aidan in a Cars tribute
THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY WAYFINDERS TESTICULAR HEALTH FUNDBe Bold. Be Brave. Be Aware.
Wayfinders THF is a Maryland-based 501(c)(3) dedicated to impacting the lives and health of young men by combating testicular cancer through awareness, education, fundraising, and community support, with a focus on men aged 14 to 35. A component fund of Chesapeake Charities.
Website: https://www.wayfindersthf.orgInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/wayfindersthfDonate: https://ccharities.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create/fund?funit_id=2419
PUTTS FORE! NUTS - 2nd Annual Charity Mini-Golf TournamentSaturday, October 17, 2026 · 11:30 AM - 6:00 PMEmbers Island Mini-Golf, 2305 Philadelphia Ave Suite #4, Ocean City, MD 21842Event info: https://www.wayfindersthf.org/putts-fore-nutsRegister / donate: https://ccharities.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/list/event?event_date_id=2419Sponsorships available at every level - team, tee box, prizes, t-shirts and more.
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODEPRS Guitars · Custom 24 · McCarty · Silver Sky · S2 · SE · Private Stock · the Cleo · Paul Reed Smith · Jim Cullen · Mark Quigley · Tom Walls · Andrew DorbinJimmie's Chicken Shack · Starbelly · the Jarflys · Non-Fiction · Technicolor Motorhome · Take 6 · Jimi HaHa · Cliff Hillis · Meg Murray · Matt JonesPat DiNizio and the Smithereens · Warren Zanes and the Del Fuegos · Rachel Yamagata · John Alagia · Clint Holmes · Nnenna Freelon · Kirk WhalumRhett Shull · Pete Thorn · Tim Pierce · Jacob Collier · Steve Lukather · Allan Holdsworth · Julian Lage · Danny Gatton · Jamie West-Oram and the Fixx · Echo and the Bunnymen · Tears for Fears · Tom Petty · Bob Marley · Django Reinhardt · King Crimson · Paul SimonBrandon Hardesty and Bumpin Uglies · J. Coursey Willis · Wrightway Studios · Daphne Eckman · Morgan Gonts · Noah Pierre · Dan Ryan and Super City · Nicholas RayAnnapolis · Arnold · Eastport · Severna Park · Roanoke · Armadillo's · Middleton Tavern · the Jetty · Rams Head · the Avalon Theatre · the State Theatre · Love Point Vineyards · Bay Hills Golf Course · Anne Arundel Community CollegeHarmony · Kramer · Ibanez Universe · '68 Super Reverb · Neural DSP Quad Cortex · Mellotron · 98 Rock · DC101 · Record & Tape Traders · NAMM
CONNECT WITH BRYAN EWALDWebsite and full gig calendar: https://bryanewald.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/bryan_ewaldFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/bryanewaldmusicBandcamp: https://bryanewald.bandcamp.comPRS Guitars: https://prsguitars.comJimmie's Chicken Shack: https://jimmieschickenshack.bandcamp.comMeg Murray: https://megmurray.comAidan Ewald: https://www.aidanewald.comThe Candy Rocks: https://www.facebook.com/p/The-Candy-Rocks-61573946916316Julian Ewald releases under Julian Ewald, Pell.Leo and Brantt
SUPPORT THE SHIFT WITH MIKE & JOEWebsite: https://www.theshiftwithmikeandjoe.comDonate: https://www.theshiftwithmikeandjoe.com/giving-page-2-1Email: info@theshiftwithmikeandjoe.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheShiftWithMikeAndJoeInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/theshiftwithmikeandjoe/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61574975860350TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theshiftwithmikeandjoeApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-shift-with-mike-joe/id1813198065Podbean: https://joer7.podbean.com
CONNECT WITH MIKE & JOE
Michael Waskey MusicWebsite: https://www.michaelwaskey.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/michaelwaskeymusicInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/michaelwaskeymusic
Kent Island Academy of Music (Mike)Website: https://kentislandacademyofmusic.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/KentIslandAcademyOfMusic/
Image & Sound Media (Joe)Website: https://www.imagesoundmedia.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100094021747690Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imageandsoundmediaTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@imagesoundmediaYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@imagesoundmedia
Joe Bryan MusicWebsite: https://www.joebryanmusic.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61550810556745Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joebryanmusicTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@joebryanmusic
PODCAST PRODUCTION GEAR (EPISODE 43)Cameras: Sony A7 IV, Sony A7 V, Sony FX3, Sony A7C IIMain Audio: Shure SM7B (Joe, Mike & Bryan)Interface: Focusrite Scarlett 18i18Audio Software: ReaperVideo Editing: DaVinci Resolve StudioLighting: Amaran 100x & 200x softboxes + Amaran tube lights
The Shift with Mike & Joe is fully produced by Image & Sound Media.https://www.imagesoundmedia.com
#TheShiftPodcast #Guitar #PRSGuitars #SessionMusician #WorkingMusician #Annapolis #EasternShore #MarylandPodcast #MusicBusiness #WayfindersTHF

"Some people party in fields. Some people party in houses. I like to party in cemeteries."
On the second night of a true crime trivia event at Cult Classic, a woman came in wearing a wig and a set of scrubs and said she was only there with her daughter. She had played the night before. She stood out. Josh started writing alternate question sets the following month.
J. Coursey Willis is back, thirty two episodes after EP 10. Everybody on Kent Island calls him Josh. Nobody knows what the J stands for, and he is not telling.
The true crime night started as a throwaway line at the end of the bar over tequila. Rory keeps a little notepad behind the bar at Cult Classic, scratches things into it and puts it straight back. Josh said something about true crime, Rory wrote it down, put the notepad back, and called the next day to say do it. The first case was the Beltway snipers and it sold out in a couple of hours in the venue room.
It has grown into three nights in a row, third week of every month, and its own culture with it. Three weeks of study per case for Josh, sixty to ninety questions written so no two nights are the same, mug shots between rounds, and teams of up to eight who split the case between them so nobody has to learn the whole thing. On the Watts case there was a two thousand page court release, and more than one person read all of it. There is heckling, there are arguments, there is a lot of wine, and no, not everybody gets a trophy.
The rest of it is the same instinct pointed at different things. Sippin' in a Cemetery came out of drinking in cemeteries as a nine year old behind his house on Cox Neck, and is now twelve people, two hours, a glass of wine and a storyline that connects the headstones to each other. The Unmarked Path is the same idea walking the Narrows. Where the Water Narrows is a dinner at the Narrows restaurant, seven courses and seven stories, told from the county slips out.
He also runs Historic Kent Island, which he started because the Heritage Society preserves what has already been saved and somebody needed to be the one saying this needs to stop and here is why. Interpretive signs on the Cross Island Trail and at Terrapin Park. A grant to restore the Ringgold burial ground, where there are only three stones left standing and a 1809 deed suggesting there are more people under there than anyone has counted. Ground penetrating radar to find out.
And then the failures, which he is unusually straight about. Ninety percent of the ideas flop. A two day driving tour in Talbot County that was a great time and could never be repeated. A concept album story he loved and nobody else did. It got dark enough that he was thinking about going back to a regular job, and it took Jen saying they needed more money to pay the bills for him to sit down and write out every idea he had.
Underneath all of it is the thing he only half expected to talk about. Josh is adopted, and found out somewhere around nine years old. He describes it as a foggy patch in his memory, a clear before and a clear after and nothing in between. What went missing was not a family, his mom and dad Bob and Sheila are the greatest parents in the world, it was a version of his own story. He thinks that is exactly why he spent his childhood in the woods looking through the windows of empty houses and reading headstones and wondering whose story that was. He was two days old when they got him. He is only starting to look into it now, and mostly because the book needs it to be accurate.
The last half hour goes wide: the graveyard now under an auto body shop parking lot in Stevensville, the old house across from the high school that he rented in 2006 and heated with two fireplaces, what happened to the hotel at Love Point, a lobster boat in Maine that costs $1.5 million to get into, vape cartridges turning up where the arrowheads are, the wine, the Norton grape, Pallet Palooza, and ChatGPT briefing Joe on his own guest and confidently describing a completely different man.
EP 10, his first time on the show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZxnY1ud8yI
What shift have you experienced in your life?
CHAPTERS00:00 Wayfinders Testicular Health Fund00:14 "What are you introducing me as?"01:18 Welcome to Episode 4202:53 True Crime Tuesday becomes True Crime Cult03:08 Rory's notepad at the end of the bar03:54 Case based trivia, with the dark stuff in it04:22 Night one was the Beltway snipers, and it sold out in hours04:43 Three weeks of work for every case04:58 Two nights, then three05:23 The woman in the wig and the scrubs05:46 Why it became a cult06:38 Today's announcement: the Ocean City murders07:17 Mug shots, and Brad behind the bar08:55 Somebody read all 2,000 pages of the Watts file09:23 "If you're stupid, I'll call you stupid"10:36 "Have you ever killed a person?"11:05 The joke he had to read off the phone12:19 The night a team thought it was a lecture12:59 What color was the t-shirt13:16 Devin memorized every phone number in the case16:02 Jen in the back with the spreadsheet16:33 Spelling the oil field exactly right17:42 "A light colored shirt is not a color"18:41 The black shirts you can only be given19:02 Sippin' in a Cemetery19:26 Drinking in cemeteries at nine years old20:29 "I like to party in cemeteries"21:36 Connecting the headstones into one storyline22:28 Somebody will stand over your headstone one day22:57 "We thought that was going to go better"23:14 Twelve people, two hours, and please stop filming25:11 Cemeteries used to be parks26:09 The mediums who knew things they should not have27:23 Joe's dad and the Savannah ghost tour28:09 The book29:04 Bridges, half price wine, and a laptop29:43 A memoir of Kent Island32:00 The graveyard under the body shop parking lot32:43 The old house across from the high school35:31 Whatever happened to the hotel at Love Point36:55 Bill Cockey, and a headstone in the wrong place37:56 The farm where Claiborne's fort was38:37 Sponsor - Wayfinders THF & Putts Fore! Nuts40:09 What Historic Kent Island actually does41:09 "This needs to stop, and here's why"42:00 Restoring the Ringgold burial ground43:57 The songs they shot in that cemetery44:58 Where the Water Narrows: seven courses, seven stories47:10 The Unmarked Path48:00 ChatGPT confuses him with Jason Morton49:18 "Ninety percent of them flop"49:45 The driving tour that never took off52:04 The concept album nobody cared about52:43 "We need more money to help pay some of these bills"53:57 "You have found a pocket of history you're making cool"55:06 Growing up on workboats55:39 Finding out he was adopted55:57 "That's not my story"56:40 Raised by the island58:22 The genetics question in class58:53 Two days old0:59:58 "You've been accepted, don't mess that up"1:02:21 The County Slips documentary1:02:50 "I can't be director, producer, writer"1:04:58 A double entendre1:07:12 The largest congregation of workboats in Maryland1:07:55 "It's like watching a dog die"1:08:13 The lobster boat in Maine1:09:51 $1.5 million and 800 traps1:11:13 Where do you think the seafood comes from1:12:12 No white perch1:13:08 Vape cartridges on the beach1:13:42 Back in the studio this fall1:14:10 "Are you giving up music?"1:15:11 The cabin that doubled in price1:16:43 Why he does not do album releases any more1:18:40 The Shift Live at Cult Classic1:19:08 Don't call Rory big man1:19:38 Pallet Palooza, and burning whatever you hate1:21:02 The New Year's Eve dumpster fire1:21:45 Why the haunted trail is on hold1:22:47 A night at the winery, hunting for a grave1:23:16 A tyrant, his wife, and the courts1:24:57 The wine, and how little of it there is1:26:02 The Norton grape1:28:09 You only get that vintage once1:29:07 Sipping on the short bus1:29:46 Where to find him1:29:59 Join the murder of crows1:31:02 Cemeteries under code names
THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY WAYFINDERS TESTICULAR HEALTH FUNDBe Bold. Be Brave. Be Aware.
Wayfinders THF is a Maryland-based 501(c)(3) dedicated to impacting the lives and health of young men by combating testicular cancer through awareness, education, fundraising, and community support, with a focus on men aged 14 to 35. A component fund of Chesapeake Charities.
Website: https://www.wayfindersthf.orgInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/wayfindersthfDonate: https://ccharities.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create/fund?funit_id=2419
PUTTS FORE! NUTS - 2nd Annual Charity Mini-Golf TournamentSaturday, October 17, 2026 · 11:30 AM - 6:00 PMEmbers Island Mini-Golf, 2305 Philadelphia Ave Suite #4, Ocean City, MD 21842Event info: https://www.wayfindersthf.org/putts-fore-nutsRegister / donate: https://ccharities.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/list/event?event_date_id=2419Sponsorships available at every level - team, tee box, prizes, t-shirts and more.
CONNECT WITH J. COURSEY WILLISWebsite: https://jcourseywillis.comGatherings and tickets: https://jcourseywillis.com/pages/gatheringsThe Murder of Crows: https://jcourseywillis.com/pages/murder-of-crowsThe Unmarked Path: https://jcourseywillis.com/pages/the-unmarked-pathInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/jcourseywillisFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/JCourseyWillisTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jcourseywillisYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JCourseyWillisHistoric Kent Island: https://historickentisland.orgTrue Crime Cult tickets: https://cultclassic.simpletix.comCult Classic Brewing: https://cultclassicbrewing.comChesapeake Manor Vineyard: https://chesapeakemanorvineyard.com
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODECult Classic Brewing · The Narrows Restaurant · Chesapeake Manor Vineyard · Bridges · Kentmorr · Harris Crab House · Baker's LiquorsTrue Crime Cult · Sippin' In A Cemetery · The Unmarked Path · Where the Water Narrows · Pallet Palooza · Songs & Stories of the Island's SonHistoric Kent Island · Kent Island Heritage Society · Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum · Maryland Historical TrustKent Narrows · Love Point · Stevensville · Grasonville · Romancoke · Cox Neck · Chesley Road · Bay City · Cockey Lane · Terrapin Park · Cross Island Trail · Thompson CreekWilliam Claiborne and the 1631 fort · the Ringgold family burial ground · the Cray House · C.J. Langenfelder & Son · the Love Point hotelThe Beltway snipers · the Chris Watts case and Cervi 319 · the Ocean City murders and the SifritsBoordy Vineyards · Linganore Winecellars · Mark Cascia Vineyards · Layton's Chance · Chambourcin · Barbera Rose · the Norton grapeCandlebox · Island Styles · BJ Kerwin · Jason Morton & The Chesapeake SonsNeil deGrasse Tyson · ChatGPT · Claude
SUPPORT THE SHIFT WITH MIKE & JOEWebsite: https://www.theshiftwithmikeandjoe.comDonate: https://www.theshiftwithmikeandjoe.com/giving-page-2-1Email: info@theshiftwithmikeandjoe.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheShiftWithMikeAndJoeInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/theshiftwithmikeandjoe/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61574975860350TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theshiftwithmikeandjoeApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-shift-with-mike-joe/id1813198065Podbean: https://joer7.podbean.com
CONNECT WITH MIKE & JOE
Michael Waskey MusicWebsite: https://www.michaelwaskey.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/michaelwaskeymusicInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/michaelwaskeymusic
Kent Island Academy of Music (Mike)Website: https://kentislandacademyofmusic.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/KentIslandAcademyOfMusic/
Image & Sound Media (Joe)Website: https://www.imagesoundmedia.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100094021747690Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imageandsoundmediaTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@imagesoundmediaYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@imagesoundmedia
Joe Bryan MusicWebsite: https://www.joebryanmusic.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61550810556745Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joebryanmusicTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@joebryanmusic
PODCAST PRODUCTION GEAR (EPISODE 42)Cameras: Sony A7 IV, Sony A7 V, Sony FX3, Sony A7C IIMain Audio: Shure SM7B (Joe, Mike & Josh)Interface: Focusrite Scarlett 18i18Audio Software: ReaperVideo Editing: DaVinci Resolve StudioLighting: Amaran 100x & 200x softboxes + Amaran tube lights
The Shift with Mike & Joe is fully produced by Image & Sound Media.https://www.imagesoundmedia.com
#TheShiftPodcast #TrueCrime #LocalHistory #KentIsland #EasternShore #Annapolis #MarylandPodcast #Storytelling #Winery #WayfindersTHF

"I can't figure you out."
That's what Joe's first counselor told him in treatment. She had clients who'd been born addicted, clients who'd watched a parent murdered, and then she had Joe — good childhood, both parents, both sets of grandparents, no reason anyone could point to. She couldn't work out how he'd ended up in the chair across from her.
This is Part 2 of the two-part swap. Last episode Joe asked the questions. This week Mike turns it around, with help from ChatGPT, and gets a lot further than either of them expected.
The first half is the long way round. Queen Anne Colony, the year and a half when his parents split and he lived across the bridge at Cape St. Clair, and coming back to Centreville in fifth grade as the new kid in the lowest grade in the school. Karate from middle school to seventeen. Hunting with his dad, then guiding for his uncle's outfitting business until fourteen-hour days in the cold burned it out of him. The guitar his dad bought off another kid his senior year, and the hours spent getting Blackbird wrong until it was right.
Then the jobs, and there are a lot of them: scraping and waxing boat bottoms at Island Yacht Brokers at thirteen, alone in the yard hitting rocks with a piece of wood and calling the play-by-play. Painting houses. Landscaping in Juneau, Alaska, and a salmon and halibut charter. A seasonal naturalist gig at Tuckahoe State Park with owls and red-tailed hawks. Cutting greens at Queenstown. And thirty minutes at J.Crew before he told them he had to get something out of his car, drove away, and never went back.
After the break it turns. Joe got clean at 31, when his son was two, and then spent about six years working inside addiction treatment — residential coordinator, admissions, and eventually a counselor. He's clear-eyed about what he saw: treatment is a good thing and treatment is a business, and the further up the chain you go the more the second one shows. He walks through two clients he had at the same time, one on private insurance and one on state, and why the one who needed him most got seen least.
And then his own story, told plainly. Skoal as a cart boy at Prospect Bay. Beers left behind after tournaments. Being against weed until he wasn't, then a full-blown pothead inside two weeks. The first Percocet, which he names as the real turning point. The Oxycontin years. Why he never ended up shooting heroin — and the night before treatment when he asked his dealer to do it for him, and the dealer said no, because he knew Joe wouldn't go if he did.
Two relapses after that, one at ninety days installing satellite dishes for DirecTV, and one nobody knew about for two years until it surfaced during step work with his sponsor. He changed his clean date and told his home group. He's just as matter-of-fact about a couple of drinks in the last six months.
The hardest decision he's ever made wasn't getting clean. It was accepting he had to go all in — and it came down to reading a pamphlet in a common room between groups and not being able to answer no to a single question on it.
The last half hour is lighter and better for it: how he found out he could sing by calling his own answering machine and singing into the voicemail, the only book he's ever read and the ten pages of it he skipped, and what success actually means when you're honest that it includes money.
There's a baby due October 2nd, a twelve-year-old with two travel teams, a print-on-demand t-shirt idea he keeps not starting, and a barn studio he'd build tomorrow.
Part 1 — where Joe asks the questions — is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJJ31SxHqSk
What shift have you experienced in your life?
CHAPTERS00:00 Wayfinders Testicular Health Fund00:45 Welcome to Episode 4101:12 Part 2 of the swap — Mike asks the questions01:44 "What's your favorite thing about me?"02:16 A weekend of gigs, and a voice that's shot03:00 The guy who asked to sing at Betty's05:47 "You don't cuss anymore"06:29 "I wish you would just buy a new car"07:18 Childhood, and a brother named Jake08:55 His parents split — moving to Cape St. Clair09:21 Back to Centreville in fifth grade10:25 The new kid in the lowest grade in the school11:40 Redneck row, and where Joe parked instead12:18 Hunting with his dad13:21 Guiding in his twenties, and burning out13:52 "Have you ever killed a man?"14:11 When music entered14:57 Nirvana, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam15:33 The guitar his dad bought him senior year16:05 Sitting down with Blackbird17:59 Karate, middle school to 1719:40 Mentors, and both grandfathers22:13 Mr. Nicely and the wood carving class24:12 A real fear of heights24:41 Wishing he was a better guitar player25:34 Maine, Alaska, Yellowstone — and never Europe26:40 Every job he's ever had27:06 Island Yacht Brokers at 13, and hitting rocks with a stick29:30 Thirty minutes at J.Crew29:55 Brett, and the move to Juneau31:56 Tuckahoe State Park, owls and hawks33:15 What's the actual goal when you cut grass?34:09 Queenstown Golf Course grounds crew36:54 Getting clean, and going to work in treatment37:25 Serenity Acres, and what an RC actually does38:46 Admissions, insurance, and a pay cut to go back41:30 George, and the job at Evolve42:34 Burning out, and picking up a camera42:59 Sponsor — Wayfinders THF & Putts Fore! Nuts44:31 What makes a treatment center good or bad44:49 "It's a great thing. However, it is a business."46:53 Why insurance decides who gets care47:48 Private insurance vs. state insurance50:50 Too much recovery, recovery, recovery52:12 Skoal at Prospect Bay53:33 Against weed, then full-blown in two weeks54:27 Percocet, and the real turning point56:39 The Oxycontin years58:05 Why he never shot up59:04 The night his dealer said no59:41 Going to treatment at 311:01:05 DirecTV, and a thought out of nowhere1:02:07 Back to treatment the second time1:03:22 The Tylenol with codeine he hid for two years1:04:33 Telling his home group, and changing his clean date1:05:50 The hardest decision he's ever made1:06:11 Going all in on a 12-step program1:08:00 The NA pamphlet in the common room1:08:51 Two weeks of "Hi, I'm Joe"1:09:29 Why videography1:11:36 Learning aperture off YouTube1:14:10 Priorities — and a baby due October 2nd1:16:13 Print-on-demand t-shirts1:17:23 "Drunken Grown Ups" and other dumb shirts1:18:47 If money weren't an issue1:20:08 The studio he'd build1:21:49 When he figured out he could sing1:22:12 Singing into his own answering machine1:24:18 Finding your voice, and being scared to belt it1:27:37 Rapid fire1:27:52 The only book he's ever read1:29:38 Dog or cat1:30:34 What does success actually mean?1:31:04 "That definitely does include money"1:31:38 Wanting to spend $5,000 without worrying1:34:09 The dream house, and a big finished barn1:36:07 What he hopes his grandkids say1:37:31 When he feels most alive1:38:31 What would surprise someone who knew him at 181:40:10 Wayfinders Testicular Health Fund
THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY WAYFINDERS TESTICULAR HEALTH FUNDBe Bold. Be Brave. Be Aware.
Wayfinders THF is a Maryland-based 501(c)(3) dedicated to impacting the lives and health of young men by combating testicular cancer through awareness, education, fundraising, and community support — with a focus on men aged 14 to 35. A component fund of Chesapeake Charities.
Website: https://www.wayfindersthf.orgInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/wayfindersthfDonate: https://ccharities.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create/fund?funit_id=2419
PUTTS FORE! NUTS — 2nd Annual Charity Mini-Golf TournamentSaturday, October 17, 2026 · 11:30 AM – 6:00 PMEmbers Island Mini-Golf, 2305 Philadelphia Ave Suite #4, Ocean City, MD 21842Event info: https://www.wayfindersthf.org/putts-fore-nutsRegister / donate: https://ccharities.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/list/event?event_date_id=2419Sponsorships available at every level — team, tee box, prizes, t-shirts and more.
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODEDave Matthews Band · Nirvana · Soundgarden · Stone Temple Pilots · Pearl Jam · Toadies · Phish"Come As You Are" · "Blackbird" · "Yellow Ledbetter" · "Wild Horses" · "Folsom Prison Blues" · "Bad Moon Rising" · "Stir It Up" · 40oz. to FreedomQueen Anne Colony · Cape St. Clair · Centreville Middle School · Kent Narrows · Betty's · Pintail Point · Prospect Bay · Queenstown Golf Course · Tuckahoe State Park · Juneau, Alaska · Salisbury University · Mardela Springs · FairleeIsland Yacht Brokers · J.Crew · DirecTV · Serenity Acres · Evolve · Narcotics AnonymousChesapeake by James Michener · Surviving the Game · Ultimate Guitar · ChatGPT
SUPPORT THE SHIFT WITH MIKE & JOEWebsite: https://www.theshiftwithmikeandjoe.comDonate: https://www.theshiftwithmikeandjoe.com/giving-page-2-1Email: info@theshiftwithmikeandjoe.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheShiftWithMikeAndJoeInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/theshiftwithmikeandjoe/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61574975860350TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theshiftwithmikeandjoeApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-shift-with-mike-joe/id1813198065Podbean: https://joer7.podbean.com
CONNECT WITH MIKE & JOE
Michael Waskey MusicWebsite: https://www.michaelwaskey.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/michaelwaskeymusicInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/michaelwaskeymusic
Kent Island Academy of Music (Mike)Website: https://kentislandacademyofmusic.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/KentIslandAcademyOfMusic/
Image & Sound Media (Joe)Website: https://www.imagesoundmedia.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100094021747690Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imageandsoundmediaTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@imagesoundmediaYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@imagesoundmedia
Joe Bryan MusicWebsite: https://www.joebryanmusic.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61550810556745Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joebryanmusicTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@joebryanmusic
PODCAST PRODUCTION GEAR (EPISODE 41)Cameras: Sony A7 IV, Sony A7 V, Sony FX3Main Audio: Shure SM7B (Joe & Mike)Interface: Focusrite Scarlett 18i18Audio Software: ReaperVideo Editing: DaVinci Resolve StudioLighting: Amaran 100x & 200x softboxes + Amaran tube lights
The Shift with Mike & Joe is fully produced by Image & Sound Media.https://www.imagesoundmedia.com
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance use, the SAMHSA National Helpline is free and confidential: 1-800-662-4357.
#TheShiftPodcast #EntrepreneurLife #BusinessTalk #mikeandjoeshow #KentIsland #EasternShore #Annapolis #MarylandPodcast #Recovery #WayfindersTHF

"I felt like a hero, Joe."
Mike Waskey owns 42 bags. He can recite the model names from memory. And by the end of this conversation he can tell you exactly why — it goes back to a pair of pants that split open on his second day working at Starbucks.
This is Part 1 of a two-part swap: no guest, no format, just Mike and Joe interviewing each other. Joe takes the chair this week and asks Mike the questions. Next episode, Mike turns it around — with help from ChatGPT, since he's decided that's fair play.
Joe did zero preparation, and it shows in the best way. The first hour wanders through beef tallow hair product, a pair of $400 Randolph sunglasses, Project Hail Mary, Silo, and a dad joke that probably shouldn't have survived the edit.
Then it gets somewhere real. Mike's father grew up in the Plymouth Brethren — a religious group headquartered in Australia where children weren't allowed to listen to the radio, and where leaving meant your entire family stopped speaking to you. He got out by enlisting as a conscientious objector. Mike walks us through what he knows of it, why he thinks people are drawn to that kind of thing, and his own view that any organization worth joining should probably be a little bit cultish.
We trace the stages of Michael Steven Waskey: the soccer-and-karate kid, the skateboarding guitar player with the 90s haircut, the kid who quit the soccer team after fighting three teammates who were picking on someone smaller, the high schooler recording an album with Statue Spread, the heavy phase with Clockwork, and the college student who found out he could sing in an ear training class.
And the Heavy Fred years — which means the crab tater tots story. Joe walking off stage mid-song to eat by the handful, Mike hiding his keys, the band leaving without him, and the intervention that took another year and a half to work. Both of them tell it straight.
After the break Joe asks what Mike's morals and values actually are, and Mike takes it seriously: family as the basis of society, four adopted children, faith, and the parts he doesn't live up to. He's unusually honest about it — the word games he plays with pricing to make more money, jealousy, and a resistance to authority that runs from claiming cash tips all the way down to wearing a seatbelt.
Then the bags. Mike pulls one off camera and gives an unrequested tour, and it becomes the most revealing part of the episode: a wrench pulled out of a tire on vacation with paracord and a hitch, the ripped pants at Starbucks, and what it actually feels like to be the person who has what everyone needs.
We also get into what's next — pivoting from bar gigs to weddings, funerals, and corporate events, playing fewer but better shows, and the fact that he needs to go buy a suit.
What shift have you experienced in your life?
CHAPTERS00:00 Wayfinders Testicular Health Fund00:45 Welcome to Episode 40 — no guest this time01:41 The plan: we interview each other02:11 "Did you do any research on me?"02:47 First question: beef tallow hair product03:53 $400 sunglasses and the Randolph rabbit hole07:15 The $40 glasses with magnetic clip-ons08:26 Project Hail Mary10:06 Silo, and drip-feeding a story12:32 The jeans, the air conditioner, and "give me your login"13:12 A dad joke that shouldn't have made the edit13:46 Michael Steven Waskey — born Easton, raised Kent Island14:39 Mike's dad grew up in a cult16:44 The Plymouth Brethren, and leaving through the military17:52 What draws people to cults?18:30 "Any organization worth joining should be a little bit cultish"20:47 Why Mike's dad got out22:18 The Amish, the Mennonites, and friction as a feature23:49 Raw milk, herd shares, and a solar-powered bathroom26:06 The stages of Michael Waskey: soccer and karate27:38 Skateboarding, guitar, and the 90s haircut28:24 Quitting the soccer team over a fight29:10 First bands, John Gunther, and Statue Spread32:17 Recording in high school, and going heavy with Clockwork33:48 College, learning to sing, and going solo34:36 Trading time for money vs. writing songs36:08 Musical influences — and the Heavy Fred years36:57 The crab tater tot story37:42 The intervention that took another year and a half38:28 Singers you can't get past42:21 How a band survives 40 years and two heroin addictions46:12 What Mike actually listens to now50:04 The Charles Ponzi series51:36 How the Ponzi scheme actually worked57:04 Letting AI invest your money58:57 Sponsor — Wayfinders THF & Putts Fore! Nuts1:00:26 What are your morals and values?1:00:59 Family, faith, and four adopted children1:02:32 Where morals come from1:04:59 Following the Bible, and why people interpret it differently1:07:19 Do you live up to your own values?1:08:54 Being honest with yourself1:10:28 Pricing, word games, and the urge to be dishonest1:12:49 Authority, seatbelts, and claiming cash tips1:14:28 Laziness, oversleeping, and the chicken coop1:17:34 The bag segment begins1:18:19 The Vertx Urban Ghost sling1:20:37 Hero clips, rapid access tabs, and CCW compartments1:22:56 Why bags? The doomsday prepper phase1:24:32 The wrench in the tire1:27:40 The ripped pants at Starbucks1:28:25 "I felt like a hero, Joe"1:29:12 Joe needs a bag1:31:32 Does a sling look manly?1:33:04 The Vanquest Katara, and knowing all the names1:33:49 What's next: pivoting to private events1:35:23 Weddings, funerals, and what to charge1:38:28 Foster care, and MSW upside down1:39:14 Mike's crowd work1:41:33 Taking a break vs. working the room1:43:51 Why private gigs feel different1:44:37 Rating Joe's interview skills1:44:54 Wayfinders Testicular Health Fund
THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY WAYFINDERS TESTICULAR HEALTH FUNDBe Bold. Be Brave. Be Aware.
Wayfinders THF is a Maryland-based 501(c)(3) dedicated to impacting the lives and health of young men by combating testicular cancer through awareness, education, fundraising, and community support — with a focus on men aged 14 to 35. A component fund of Chesapeake Charities.
Website: https://www.wayfindersthf.orgInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/wayfindersthfDonate: https://ccharities.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create/fund?funit_id=2419
PUTTS FORE! NUTS — 2nd Annual Charity Mini-Golf TournamentSaturday, October 17, 2026 · 11:30 AM – 6:00 PMEmbers Island Mini-Golf, 2305 Philadelphia Ave Suite #4, Ocean City, MD 21842Event info: https://www.wayfindersthf.org/putts-fore-nutsRegister / donate: https://ccharities.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/list/event?event_date_id=2419Sponsorships available at every level — team, tee box, prizes, t-shirts and more.
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODERandolph Engineering sunglasses · Zenni · Project Hail Mary · Silo · Plymouth BrethrenStatue Spread · Clockwork · Heavy Fred · John GuntherCounting Crows · Third Eye Blind · Matchbox 20 · The Get Up Kids · Mineral · Bright Eyes · Deftones · Meshuggah · Radiohead · Red Hot Chili Peppers · Jason IsbellDead Drop · Theo Von · Joe Rogan · Diary of a CEO · Sean Ryan Show · Lex Fridman · The Gigging Musician Podcast · Blurry Creatures · Haunted Cosmos · Alex O'ConnorVertx Urban Ghost sling · Vanquest Katara · HeroClip
SUPPORT THE SHIFT WITH MIKE & JOEWebsite: https://www.theshiftwithmikeandjoe.comDonate: https://www.theshiftwithmikeandjoe.com/giving-page-2-1Email: info@theshiftwithmikeandjoe.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheShiftWithMikeAndJoeInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/theshiftwithmikeandjoe/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61574975860350TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theshiftwithmikeandjoeApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-shift-with-mike-joe/id1813198065Podbean: https://joer7.podbean.com
CONNECT WITH MIKE & JOE
Michael Waskey MusicWebsite: https://www.michaelwaskey.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/michaelwaskeymusicInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/michaelwaskeymusic
Kent Island Academy of Music (Mike)Website: https://kentislandacademyofmusic.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/KentIslandAcademyOfMusic/
Image & Sound Media (Joe)Website: https://www.imagesoundmedia.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100094021747690Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imageandsoundmediaTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@imagesoundmediaYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@imagesoundmedia
Joe Bryan MusicWebsite: https://www.joebryanmusic.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61550810556745Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joebryanmusicTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@joebryanmusic
PODCAST PRODUCTION GEAR (EPISODE 40)Camera: Sony A7C IIMain Audio: Shure SM7B (Joe & Mike)Interface: Focusrite Scarlett 18i18Audio Software: ReaperVideo Editing: DaVinci Resolve StudioLighting: Amaran 100x & 200x softboxes + Amaran tube lights
The Shift with Mike & Joe is fully produced by Image & Sound Media.https://www.imagesoundmedia.com
#TheShiftPodcast #EntrepreneurLife #BusinessTalk #mikeandjoeshow #KentIsland #EasternShore #Annapolis #MarylandPodcast #TesticularCancerAwareness #WayfindersTHF

"I wasn't the best. I was the most consistent out of any of my competition."
Jason Morton has run roughly 800 Facebook ads in three years — one for every show, no matter how small — and he can now walk into a venue negotiation with the data to back up his rate. This is the most practical conversation we've had on this show.
Jason Morton of Jason Morton & The Chesapeake Sons is back for his second appearance, 32 episodes after he sat in a plastic chair as one of our first guests ever. He's just off a plane from Nashville with four new songs, the masters back last week, and a rebrand in progress: the same country rock bones with poppier vocal melodies laid over the top.
We start with how he got here — piano at four, guitar through middle school, a jock in high school who played alone in his room, then a biology degree at Salisbury he picked almost by accident and never used. He tells the story of driving home halfway through college to tell his dad he was quitting biology for music, and what his father said back.
Then it turns into something closer to a masterclass. Jason walks through the promotion system he's built: a Facebook event page for every single show, a video embedded in it, a boosted ad geo-targeted to twenty-five miles, separate ads for engagement and for ticket sales, and the club owner added as a co-host so the venue has skin in the game too. He explains why you delete old event pages, why your Instagram grid matters more than any single post, and why one ad for one show is meaningless but a hundred and fifty of them is leverage.
The other thread running through the whole episode is Atomic Habits, which Jason picked up because he kept reaching the end of a day and wondering where it had gone. Cue, craving, response, reward. Design the environment instead of relying on willpower. Say "I'm a musician," not "I play music." He's up at 5am now, gym first, ten to two for content — and he's honest that the reason he falls off is always that he let the environment slide, usually a cluttered garage.
We also get into the hard conversation most local bands never have: live players versus studio players, and what it costs to tell the guitarist who's driven all those miles with you that his parts aren't going on the record.
We also talk about why less polish outperforms more right now, the artist who cut 500 reels for a single song, taking the last record offline, changing your sound and losing fans, Wim Hof breathing, learning to regulate your nervous system, what a hospice nurse hears people regret at the end, and the mentor who beat Paul Reed Smith for Small Businessman of the Year.
What shift have you experienced in your life?
CHAPTERS00:00 Sponsor — Wayfinders Testicular Health Fund00:30 Cold open: first listen to "Fishin' in Tennessee"01:15 Why Mike hates a fade-out02:35 When a fade-out is actually the right call03:00 Writing music you can see before you can hear it04:18 Every YouTuber starts with the thumbnail05:40 Jason Morton is back, 32 episodes later06:30 The brown pants07:30 Five Metallica shirts, Monday through Friday08:45 Just back from Nashville with four new songs09:30 The rebrand: poppy melodies on country rock bones10:14 "Psychedelic myopic rock" and why venues pull old bios12:00 The band that's been together ten years13:30 How he ended up a biology major by accident15:19 Piano at four, guitar in middle school, jock in high school17:00 Telling his dad he was quitting biology for music18:44 Does your degree actually matter?20:25 The trades, HVAC, and the friends who did better21:17 Construction, beers at 2pm, and getting stuck23:00 Why rehab fails when you return to the same environment23:50 Atomic Habits enters the conversation25:00 A wife who's up at 6am with four horses26:22 Why self-help books stop working after three months27:14 Design the environment, not the willpower28:05 The guitar on the stand instead of in the case28:56 Cue, craving, response, reward30:37 Cravings that arrive without a cue31:27 "I'm a musician" beats "I play music"32:17 The heaviest weight in the gym is the front door33:08 The 400-pound guy who just had to walk in34:49 Paralysis by analysis35:40 Why less polish performs better now37:24 From two videos a week to fifteen clips a day38:15 Kels, and the 500 reels for one single39:57 Instagram trial reels40:49 The horse manure video his wife was right about43:21 People want the personality, not the production46:44 Posting every day changes you as a person47:35 The stroller review that proved the point49:17 When a person becomes a brand50:11 The label that paid $10,000 for a brand guide52:43 Make a Facebook event page for every single show54:24 Embed the video, boost the ad, target 25 miles56:06 The people who show up after seeing you for two years56:57 150 shows, 150 ads, and the data to prove it58:39 Using ad data to negotiate your rate1:00:21 Make the club owner a co-host1:02:02 "How many people are you bringing tonight?"1:05:26 Separate ads for engagement and for tickets1:07:59 What Joe has been doing differently1:08:49 4:5 for the feed, 9:16 for stories1:12:19 Delete your old event pages1:14:04 What your Instagram grid says about you1:15:46 Taking the last record offline1:16:36 Will you lose fans by changing your sound?1:17:27 Sturgill, Tyler Childers and the Black Crowes1:19:10 Two producers, two completely different records1:21:44 Live players versus studio players1:22:35 Brian Wilson and the Wrecking Crew1:23:26 Telling your guitarist his parts aren't on the record1:25:08 Take your local band to Nashville1:28:32 Recording outside cuts, and imposter syndrome1:30:17 Back to Atomic Habits: what actually changed1:31:10 The 5am alarm and the clothes on the nightstand1:32:51 Ten to two is video content1:34:32 Priming the garage1:35:24 Self-awareness as the real skill1:36:15 Learning to regulate your nervous system1:39:41 Jefferson Fisher: no response is a response1:40:31 Wim Hof breathing1:41:22 Soft White Underbelly and the generational disconnect1:43:23 Sponsor — Wayfinders THF & Putts Fore! Nuts1:45:37 The chain reaction of one good habit1:47:21 When "that's a trigger for me" becomes a cop-out1:49:02 "Would a healthy person eat this?"1:51:33 Why you fall off, and what to check first1:55:00 Habit stacking1:59:18 Zig Ziglar: action first, motivation follows2:01:00 Wanting the result right now2:02:42 Ten pages a day is a book a month2:05:14 The book that admits you're going to fail2:06:07 The morning after a conversation goes wrong2:08:39 Larry Ray, Big Vanilla, and beating Paul Reed Smith2:10:21 "I wasn't the best. I was the most consistent."2:11:11 Why we don't get any of this at 242:13:44 Denzel Washington on the process2:14:35 What hospice patients actually regret2:16:20 The new music, and which song lands first
CONNECT WITH JASON MORTON & THE CHESAPEAKE SONSWebsite: https://www.chesapeakesons.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamjasonmorton/Facebook (band): https://www.facebook.com/chesapeakesons/Facebook (Jason): https://www.facebook.com/iamjasonmorton/Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6MFDWIQmH337VK1kDJLxkgSoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/iamjasonmortonTour dates: https://www.bandsintown.com/a/15198364-jason-morton-and-the-chesapeake-sonsBooking: chesapeakesons@gmail.com
Jason was previously on Episode 7 of The Shift with Mike & Joe.
THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY WAYFINDERS TESTICULAR HEALTH FUNDBe Bold. Be Brave. Be Aware.
Wayfinders THF is a Maryland-based 501(c)(3) dedicated to impacting the lives and health of young men by combating testicular cancer through awareness, education, fundraising, and community support — with a focus on men aged 14 to 35. A component fund of Chesapeake Charities.
Website: https://www.wayfindersthf.orgInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/wayfindersthfDonate: https://ccharities.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create/fund?funit_id=2419
PUTTS FORE! NUTS — 2nd Annual Charity Mini-Golf TournamentSaturday, October 17, 2026 · 11:30 AM – 6:00 PMEmbers Island Mini-Golf, 2305 Philadelphia Ave Suite #4, Ocean City, MD 21842Event info: https://www.wayfindersthf.org/putts-fore-nutsRegister / donate: https://ccharities.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/list/event?event_date_id=2419
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODEAtomic Habits (James Clear) · Zig Ziglar · Jefferson Fisher · Wim Hof · Soft White Underbelly · Diary of a CEOKels · Tyler Childers · Sturgill Simpson · The Black Crowes · Whiskey Myers · Zach Top · Denzel WashingtonTommy Hardin (Alabama) · Will Edwards · Jason Heizer · Rob · The Cheaters · The Wrecking Crew · Brian WilsonShea Springer / Sweetfoot Studios · Chris Hahnemann · Larry Ray / Big Vanilla Athletic Club · Paul Reed SmithSalisbury University · Rams Head · The Avalon
SUPPORT THE SHIFT WITH MIKE & JOEWebsite: https://www.theshiftwithmikeandjoe.comDonate: https://www.theshiftwithmikeandjoe.com/giving-page-2-1Email: info@theshiftwithmikeandjoe.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheShiftWithMikeAndJoeInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/theshiftwithmikeandjoe/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61574975860350TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theshiftwithmikeandjoeApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-shift-with-mike-joe/id1813198065Podbean: https://joer7.podbean.com
CONNECT WITH MIKE & JOE
Michael Waskey MusicWebsite: https://www.michaelwaskey.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/michaelwaskeymusicInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/michaelwaskeymusic
Kent Island Academy of Music (Mike)Website: https://kentislandacademyofmusic.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/KentIslandAcademyOfMusic/
Image & Sound Media (Joe)Website: https://www.imagesoundmedia.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100094021747690Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imageandsoundmediaTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@imagesoundmediaYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@imagesoundmedia
Joe Bryan MusicWebsite: https://www.joebryanmusic.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61550810556745Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joebryanmusicTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@joebryanmusic
The Shift with Mike & Joe is fully produced by Image & Sound Media.https://www.imagesoundmedia.com
#TheShiftPodcast #EntrepreneurLife #BusinessTalk #mikeandjoeshow #KentIsland #EasternShore #Annapolis #MarylandPodcast #AtomicHabits #CountryRock #MusicMarketing

In Episode 38 of The Shift with Mike & Joe, we sit down with business and marketing coach Peggy Re James to talk about her unconventional upbringing, her path into entrepreneurship, and how she built a business designed to support her life instead of consuming it.
Peggy opens up about growing up as one of eight sisters in a highly controlled religious environment connected to the organization featured in the documentary series Happy Shiny People. She shares how that experience shaped her childhood, how her family eventually recognized what they had been part of, and what it was like to begin questioning and deconstructing those beliefs.
We also explore Peggy’s journey from stay-at-home mom and virtual assistant to six-figure business owner, coach, course creator, and host of the Six Figure Shift podcast. She explains how she surpassed her husband’s corporate salary within months, why specialization makes a business easier to scale, and how she helps established entrepreneurs make more money while working fewer hours.
Peggy also shares why your business vision should support your life vision, how systems and boundaries create freedom, why marketing is about more than simply posting online, and how she is applying her own framework to launch a local cleaning company without becoming the person doing the cleaning.
We also talk about personal branding, outsourcing, motherhood, jiu-jitsu, debt, investing, short-term rentals, perfectionism, decision-making, and the challenge of building a business without becoming trapped by it.
Connect with Peggy Re James:
Website: https://peggyrejames.comPodcast: https://peggyrejames.com/listen/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/peggyrejames/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@peggyrejamesLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peggyrejames/
Learn more about The Shift with Mike & Joe:
Website: https://www.theshiftwithmikeandjoe.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheShiftwithMikeandJoeInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/theshiftwithmikeandjoe/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/61574975860350

In Episode 37 of The Shift with Mike & Joe, we sit down with Daniel Alvarez — musician, videographer, photographer, audio engineer, producer, and the creative force behind Spilling Pictures Studio.
 
Daniel shares his story of growing up in Colombia before moving to Maryland, discovering guitar as a teenager, playing in original bands, and eventually building a creative life around music, video, photography, and audio production. We talk about the name Spilling Pictures, his band Leo & Cygnus, the Annapolis music scene, and how his older brother helped introduce him to film and video work.
 
This conversation also gets into the real side of creative work: pricing yourself, raising your rates, dealing with imposter syndrome, working with musicians who may not have big budgets, learning by trial and error, and trying to balance passion with business.
 
Daniel also opens up about losing his DC studio in a house fire in 2024, the gear and creative space he lost, and the way the Annapolis creative community, AMFM, friends, family, and supporters helped him rebuild.
 
We also talk about AI in creative work, where it can be useful, where it starts to feel like “AI slop,” and why live performance, human taste, collaboration, and real creative connection still matter.
 
Huge thanks to our sponsor Cult Classic Brewing in Stevensville, Maryland — a brewery, taproom, restaurant, and live music venue on Kent Island.
 
In this episode, we talk about:• Daniel’s childhood in Colombia and moving to Maryland• Learning guitar and falling in love with music• The story behind Spilling Pictures Studio• Leo & Cygnus and the Annapolis music scene• Getting into video, photography, and audio production• Filming musicians, live sessions, and music videos• Shooting in the Bromo Seltzer Arts Tower• Capturing real ambience in live performance videos• DaVinci Resolve, AI tools, and creative workflow• Pricing creative work and learning to value your time• Losing a studio in a fire and rebuilding through community• Recording artists and why having another person in the room matters• Building a creative life around music, cameras, and collaboration
 
Follow Daniel / Spilling Pictures Studio:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spillingpicturesstudio/YouTube: https://youtube.com/@spillingpicturesstudio
 
Follow Daniel personally:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/daniver92/
 
Follow Leo & Cygnus:https://leoandcygnus.com
 
Sponsor:Cult Classic Brewinghttps://cultclassicbrewing.comhttps://www.instagram.com/cultclassicbrewing/
 
Support The Shift with Mike & Joe:Website: https://www.theshiftwithmikeandjoe.comDonate: https://www.theshiftwithmikeandjoe.com/giving-page-2-1Email: theshiftwithmikeandjoe@gmail.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheShiftwithMikeandJoeInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/theshiftwithmikeandjoe/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/61574975860350Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-shift-with-mike-joe/id1813198065Podbean: https://joer7.podbean.com
 
Connect with Mike & Joe:Image & Sound Media: https://imagesoundmedia.comJoe Bryan Music: https://www.joebryanmusic.comKent Island Academy of Music: https://kentislandacademyofmusic.comMichael Waskey Music: https://www.michaelwaskey.com
 
The Shift with Mike & Joe is fully produced by Image & Sound Media.https://www.imagesoundmedia.com

In Episode 36 of The Shift with Mike & Joe, we sit down with guitarist, teacher, bandleader, and Priddy Music Academy owner Lee Priddy to talk about building a life around music, teaching, family, and community.
 
Lee shares how he first got hooked on guitar after hearing Rush’s “The Spirit of Radio,” how players like Santana, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Van Halen, Joe Satriani, Allan Holdsworth, and Guthrie Govan shaped his playing, and how years of lessons, gigging, touring, and teaching eventually led him to build one of the area’s most performance-focused music schools.
 
We also talk about the growth of Priddy Music Academy, from private guitar lessons to a full music academy in Millersville with multiple teachers, student bands, adult bands, showcases, charity events, and real-world performance opportunities. Lee breaks down what students can’t learn from YouTube, why fundamentals still matter, how band programs build confidence and responsibility, and what it takes to manage 20-plus bands.
 
The conversation also covers Lee’s family band Honey Sol, PRS guitars, pedalboards, live tone, performance anxiety, music education, charity events, sound production, and the community that has grown around Priddy Music Academy.
 
Question for you:What shift have you experienced in your life?
 
Connect with Lee Priddy / Priddy Music Academy:Priddy Music Academy: https://priddymusicacademy.comLessons & Bands: https://priddymusicacademy.com/music-lessonsFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/priddymusicacademyInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/priddymusicacademy/
 
Honey Sol:Website: https://www.honey-sol.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/honeysolband/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/honeysolband/
 
Support The Shift with Mike & Joe:Website: https://www.theshiftwithmikeandjoe.comDonate: https://www.theshiftwithmikeandjoe.com/giving-page-2-1YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheShiftwithMikeandJoeInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/theshiftwithmikeandjoe/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/61574975860350
 
The Shift with Mike & Joe is fully produced by Image & Sound Media:https://www.imagesoundmedia.com