The Mic Is Hot
I never really thought about this as a gift, but after countless conversations with various people in my life, I've come to understand that it is, indeed, weird. Whenever I record the Meaning Over Money Podcast (SPOTIFY / APPLE), I don't have a script. I don't use notes. I don't have an outline. There are no edits. I turn the mic on, discuss the topic on my mind, and turn the mic off about 12-15 minutes later. Then, Cole slaps on our intro and cleans up the audio quality. He doesn't splice, cut, or edit my words in any way. One take, done. We've done that twice per week for nearly five years.....approximately 440 episodes.
I never really thought of that as a gift, but it turns out it's a skill most people don’t possess. Then, something happened. After my Black Friday neck injury and subsequent cognitive issues, I lost this gift. I could no longer turn the mic on and cook. It was gone! Slowly, over time, I regained most of my pre-injury capacities and abilities—all except for my gift for turning the mic on and recording my podcast. For much of early 2026, I rode the struggle bus. It was difficult to record. Difficult to string my ideas together. Difficult to produce something impactful, engaging, and meaningful. Our last episode was published in March; crickets since then.
The mic is hot again! After eight months of struggles, I'm finally able to turn that mic on and live my best life. I recorded three episodes last week, and I couldn't have been more excited about it. They felt natural. They felt good. They were even a bit spicy. We will start regularly releasing episodes in the next few weeks.
It's so easy to take our gifts for granted. I recorded more than 400 podcast episodes without realizing how second nature it had become. Then, in a moment's notice, I lost that gift. I mourned the loss of that gift, but more profoundly, I beat myself up for not appreciating the gift in the first place.
All of us have gifts. They don't always feel like gifts, but they are! It's our job to recognize them, embrace them, and harness them for good. Find yours, embrace them, and use them to make a mark in this world. I'm excited the mic is hot again, and I hope you're excited to use your gifts as well.
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