Now I don’t want to kiss ass here, but I have to give your, I have to give you flowers where they’re due.
I think that’s what the kids call it. Giving someone flowers or roses. I don’t really know, but I don’t think there’s many people from bachelor nation that could generate the type of audience you could, I don’t think Nick could get. 150 people. I don’t think there’s 150 people that care about Nick. I think Caitlin Bristow could.
She, well, she, you know, when she does her live tours, she gets those people. Who else? I mean, she crowd surfs with them. She jumps into the crowd and she crowd surf. Should I crowd surf at my party this year?
I just, I can’t think of many people that can get that sort of attention. And it’s a testament to sort of building a brand where people, you know, become your friend.
I mean, that’s all a podcast is, is you’re trying to. You know, you’re trying to find people that see you as someone that they can give you some of their day with and, and over the course of the years, it’s just incredible. Now,
and the crazy thing to me is, and I, and I appreciate it with my fan base is, you know, this is a first come first serve thing.
This isn’t reserved. Well, granted I reserve. You know, spots for, you know, you and Courtney and, and she’s all batch. Like I, I have those where I reserve spots for my friends coming, but it’s everything else is, is first come first serve. And just, I’m looking at my list right now of all people who have RSVP’d already.
And, you know, it doesn’t cost anything to show up other than, and I’m not going to charge you when you already have to book a flight and or a hotel room, unless you’re a Vegas local, but just looking at, I’ve asked everybody this year when they’ve emailed me an RSVP’d, where are you coming in from? Cause I wanted to have an idea.
And right now, just looking at it, Wisconsin, Sacramento, Philadelphia, Ontario, Canada, Atlanta, Washington state, DC, San Diego, Virginia, Phoenix. No, that’s not Laura. Seattle, Denver, Kansas city, Sacramento, Albuquerque and Chicago so far. I mean, that’s, it’s crazy to me. These people are coming in from all over and that’s the way it is every year.
Last year at the party, I think we had a hundred and only 25 were Vegas locals. Everyone else either drove or flew in for somewhere else. And it’s just, you know, And those were not even having a podcast. They didn’t come. It wasn’t even coming to see a live podcast you know, to, to watch me talking to you or Courtney or she’s all bats.
It was just people coming to hang out and mingle for three hours. That’s what the party is. Oh, really
cool. They’re really cool people. I mean, it’s a type of person that comes to this event, someone that’s just like fun and all of that. And of course, you know, in a world where everyone monetizes everything, you, you know, you’re not there squeezing ticket prices.
I mean, you could, you could easily. Sell tickets to this thing. So I think it’s, I think it’s like pretty cool. I was thinking
of it. I mean, my, my, my team that put this together, we’re still trying to get a sponsor for this. That would help with the, with the cost. But if we don’t it’s whatever. You know, they were just like, why don’t you charge, you know, these people are paying already to fly and drive.
If you ask them for 20 a head, they’re probably not going to say no and be like, I’m not coming. You know, but even if I got 20 a head at 150 people, that’s, you know, it’s three grand. I’m not going to, you know, do anything with that. I’m just like, I just, I feel like because everything I’ve done ever since I’ve started reality, Steve has been free.
My website has always been free. My podcast has always been free. My party has always been free. I don’t know. I just don’t feel like charging. And I, and I just, actually the one live, the one live podcast I did was 20 a head, but that’s because we did it at the Addison improv and they basically forced me to, to charge to come in there.
So I was like, okay. But everything else, you know, my content is free. So I’ve just always wanted to maintain that. So yeah, I, I can’t say I’ll never charge for the party, but if I did, it wouldn’t be more than 20 a person. And, you know, if you’re coming in out of state and you’re buying a flight and, you know, getting a hotel room, I don’t, I don’t think adding an extra 20 is be like, Oh, no.
And
also what’s the price of, of like making a fan for life? You know, I think people underestimate, you know, brand building. So many alumni that come from the show have this money making ability as, as long as the T, until the T runs out and then they slowly sort of lose their followers unless they provide some other value, like Jason Tartick’s podcast we talked about.
If you can provide value, you can ride that wave. So I think it’s interesting that folks like you continue to, you know, Like, have you, you don’t have to give any numbers, but have you, how have the last couple of years been for you since you’ve gone like daily with your content? Because I think it’s, I think what’s really cool is.
Someone from the outside could look at like folks like you and myself as competition, but we’re probably both doing better as we continue to give audiences the most amount of content. Like it doesn’t hurt either one of us. It only grows.
Well, I heard you talking about this the other day on your podcast where you said, I think you’re going video for your daily rush hour and you think like, well, I’m probably going to lose people on one side because I’m now including it on two mediums on YouTube and audio.
I don’t know. I would say that when I went to the daily podcast, it probably hurt my website a little bit in terms of views. But then again, I also think that I, you know, I went to the daily in July of 2022, my podcast and my website views have gone down basically since COVID just because I don’t think people read anymore.
Everyone, you know, it’s, it’s more about. You know, Instagram reels and YouTube shorts or whatever people want to be. They just want their information so quickly. People don’t want to read a five page blog on the bachelor from last night when they’ve already seen a thousand opinions on it. Like how is mine any different when I started this whole thing back in the early two thousands and I was writing a bachelor recap and this isn’t to toot my own horn, but I, I know for a fact I was the first one on the internet.
Covering the show that was who had his recap up first. My recap was always up first thing the next morning. This was before social media where anybody had an opinion. So people were running to get my recap up first. And it’s just not like that anymore. I it’s like, what does, if anything, the, the rise of social media has hurt me in terms of what people think people care about what I say about the show.
In terms of my opinions about the show. It’s more about. Hey buddy. Hey, spoiler guy. Just give me the spoilers. Give me, tell me what’s going to happen versus yeah, you’ll get your Devin story every once in a while that I’ll have. That’s very interesting to people. But for the most part, the whole idea of how reality seed was born was I would recap the show every morning, the following morning from 2003 on in website form and people loved it and then social media came along and now live tweeting and everybody’s putting up their podcast.
One minute after the show ends. It’s like, okay, great. See if you got a column coming the next morning with your thoughts. It’s just like Probably the same thoughts as everybody else. We’re all watching the same show, you know So that part is has hurt a little bit. But the daily podcast has done well
You’re kind of like, david portnoy who obviously founder of barstool He was blog heavy when blogs were big but he was actually a much better podcaster because he’s just got the gift of gab So like I would say from the podcaster level you’re one of the few that can do a solo episode And just keep talking.
And I, you know, I got to watch you do your podcast when we were in Vegas, when your hotel room was set to 62 degrees. And I was sitting there in a, I believe in a turtleneck order from the front desk and frostbite and frostbite. I could see my air. I was like it felt like that six cents where I could see my own breath.
I was like, my Bruce Willis, did I die? But yeah, you just, you got, you got the gift. You can go out there and talk and It probably feels easy to you, but that’s, that’s your skillset, you know, like, and for you to go daily, has it been, has it been easy? Has it been the right move? And do you have any, do you have any 2025 moves that you’re going to do to continue growing, or are you just going to keep writing this daily?
It’s, I’m gonna ride the daily. Obviously I’m, I’m on the YouTube now. My, my weekly is also on YouTube and audio. I guess the next iteration would be kind of like what you’re saying. Do I make the daily also in video? Just because right now my algorithm on YouTube is only once a week. Now I’m producing content every week and once a week.
And now for the last few weeks I’ve been doing YouTube shorts as well. But those don’t really do much. And you know, you need to. I, you know, that, you know, YouTube better than I do, but from what I can gather, you need, you know, a lot of subscribers and a lot of engagement and me interviewing anybody, whether it’s you or Courtney or she’s all batch or somebody from survivor or something like that.
People just like listening to the interview. They don’t necessarily engage. If you look at all my YouTube interviews, there isn’t a ton of comments underneath them. The
interview is not so much. You’re right. Because it’s very, the interviews are very passive when you listen, but I do think when you have a spoilers or a Devin Jen scenario, that’s like comment city central and YouTube, even though a lot of people do watch it old school on their computer, it’s become like.
Bigger than Netflix on the, on the TV, you know, more people watch YouTube, the Netflix on TV, because the, like, you know, just, you know, you give it away for free. So there it is. So I look, we’ll talk about this off air, but I’d be glad to help you based on what I learned from doing it this way. Because like, I’m, I mean, I’m just, I’m looking for ways to grow outside of bachelor nation.
And it’s like no offense to the bachelor nation audience, but I don’t want all my eggs in a basket that is, you know, slowly dying.
Yeah. Just doing the daily. I mean, grant season ended filming the first week in November. I can count on one hand. How many times my daily roundup since the beginning of November have had a bachelor related story and especially grant related.
It’s been. All other stuff. It’s just, I mean, it’s, and people are still, I’m seeing the numbers. They’re still tuning in and listening. So I know that there are people who are interested in what I have to say about either other reality shows or pop culture. And you know, my sports podcast as well. So, yeah, I mean, I haven’t talked, there’s just, I mean, once this is always the dead season grant seat, there’s nothing filming or airing from.
The time grant season ended filming until the time it starts airing on January 27th. I know they’re going to be releasing the women’s soon, so that’ll give people something to talk about, read their, you know, they’ll do an episode where they read their bios and stuff like that. But other than that, there’s nothing, I have nothing new to add right now.
I, I do want to ask about grant season. So let me, let me blow through my rose. I had a baby, my wife did absolute rose, everything involved, just rose, rose, rose, just bundle of joy. You’ll yeah. You haven’t met him. Have you? You’ll meet him in Vegas. But just unbelievable. So let’s go to, we’ll go to thorns next, but let’s just do grant.
So you don’t have any. How close are you to knowing how grant season ends? I
mean, I have the final two. I mean, we’re down to the F I have the final four. I said, who got eliminated at final four? I know who got eliminated at final three. So I have the final two women. I just don’t know who he chose.
So what do you think,
do you have a thought, are you leaning towards anything or, and also what are you waiting for in your inbox to get that info,
a solid enough source where I feel comfortable enough running with it. Like I’ve heard rumblings of who it is, but it’s just. It’s not enough for, I can say like, I know he picked him.
Like I could post tomorrow and just be like, Hey, this is who I’m hearing. He chose, but then that turns into reality. Steve says he chose. And then if it’s wrong, it turns into reality. See what’s wrong about it. And obviously the main thing I care about now is just spoilers and just being right about spoilers.
Obviously I don’t want to put out wrong information.
So I just don’t feel comfortable enough, any villain information or information on how the season might go. I
think the one thing is we’re getting a little his season is going to be shorter. It’s only going to be nine episodes and yeah, he’s only, they did three episodes in LA and then they went to two locations and then they were at hometowns.
Like they went through,
yeah,
I don’t know if, you know, and it’s, and they did get to, I mean, both locations that they went to were, you know, off the top of my head, I’m already forgetting what the hell they went to my phone, but yeah, they, I mean, they went to LA. Cool. Cool. Let’s see. Oh, I have it right here.
He went to Madrid and then Scotland, and then they came back to the States for over a, for a hometown dates. And then his finale was in the Dominican Republic. So they got to travel, but they just didn’t go to four different places before hometowns. It’s just, I don’t know. But he only got, I think it could be a scheduling thing.
Cause they can’t start the season until college football season is over. And college football season had got pushed back a week because they went to this 12 team playoff. So the college football finale is on ABC on January 20th. So you can’t start the bachelor season anytime before January 20th, which means that’s why they’re starting on the 27th this year.
You know, you you’re right that it could be a non bachelor reason why it’s shorter because they, they now have golden and bachelorette, so it could just be that, yeah, like it’s getting squeezed. I see grant season just, just based on. What I see from grant, I see it as it could be a good season because he is like, he’s a hot guy.
Who’s he’s suave. He’s, I think, I think it could be a season if they cast her right where the women get a little silly trying to go after him, but we have no, we have nothing to go on.
Yeah, no, I, I mean, I know that the women, they won’t do it the last week of December because everyone’s still like in vacation mode right now.
But I would think the first week of January is when the women will officially be released. Even though you have every woman’s first and last name and Instagram account the day that they released grants possible women on, on Facebook. So I put that all out there that day back in September. But, I mean, the main thing is.
Everybody knows who the final four are the final three are and subsequently now who the final two are we’re just I’m just waiting to see, you know, who we did end up choosing.
And a lot of people will are are rumbling about like, oh, my gosh, they must be a terrible season. They haven’t promoted it yet.
But, you know, in the recent past, the season started January 5th. So it’s like. They’re not going to spend the ad dollars until mid January to really push this thing. Like they’ll probably do a New Year’s Eve thing and a couple other stupid things, but like, you know, it really comes down to is, you know, is the season worth talking about based on that, that cliffhanger that you get at the end of the first episode?
Like the first episode can have bad views, but if you watch that trail and you go, Oh shoot, pies are getting thrown. This is, you know, running around. People will talk about it and they’ll watch it.
Yeah. I’m assuming, I’m assuming he’ll do get to do the same thing that every other bachelor has done on New Year’s Eve.
He’ll be in New York and he’ll have a interview with Ryan Seacrest. Cause every bachelor has done that for the outside of the COVID year. Every bachelor has been there and that’s like, The like official kickoff to the season because it’ll just be, and you know, he’ll give a generic answer to everything like, Oh, you’re gonna have to watch.
It’s really, I really learned a lot about myself and you’re going to have to tune in. It’s a great season, a lot of love, you know, but yeah, the bachelor has always gotten to go to New York for the Apple drop and go on Ryan Seacrest because he’s on ABC the the New Year’s Eve celebration in New York.
So I’m assuming Grant’s going to get to do the same thing as well.
I could see the show picking getting spicier because I think what happened the last year or two is the great unfollowing from Brendan Morais, the sort of canceling of certain people. I think cast members felt like they had more to lose.
And it was hard pick, you were, you were hard picked to find a Sinead who just like gave you that perfect villain that those Victoria Larson’s they, they were hard to come by because it was like everyone was trying to hold on to this thing and not and not lose it. And I think now no one’s really getting any followers from the show anyway.
So I think people might just go on it and just. Be like whatever I don’t know I could be wrong but I think we’re sort of past that post pandemic funk where people were kind of coming after everyone’s throats
and I think that people obviously we know people are using it as a stepping stone to either.
Paradise obviously is coming back this year, so they have a chance to go on Paradise and then you’ve got just this whole idea of going on another show, another franchise or doing something to where, you know, Victoria Larson was just on the season two of House of Villains on E and, you know, that’s, that’s a thing that’s now a thing where you can go on another show like that.
So.
Yeah, there’s a little, there’s a, there’s an ecosystem outside of bachelor in paradise. That’s developing. You’ve got that strong. What’s that strength one that alley?
Oh, yeah. The the world’s world’s toughest world’s toughest
special
forces. The one that Nick is. Yeah. And, and the bachelor people have, you know, done well.
I mean, in the first season it was Who did the bachelor person in a brown on Hannah Brown one season one and Nick and Tyler Cameron one season two. So now I don’t think Ali Fedotowsky Mano did well this season just because if you watch. The special forces commercial. She’s not like in it at all. I have a feeling.
Well,
moms have more to lose. Like Hannah Brown can go away and do an ice bath, but like, you know, I don’t know, and it’s, and it’s, but moms are tough too, you know what I mean? So yeah, I love, I love the idea of the show. Because it does seem like people get soft. Some of these pro athletes, they get soft and they have a cushy life and for them to come on and prove themselves.
It’s almost like overcoming survive. Oh, it’s like almost overcoming imposter syndrome. Really? Like, would, would you ever do a reality? I mean, you’d be, they would be. Really smart to get somebody like you on one of these shows because you got such a loyal niche audience.
Yeah, there’s there’s not any shows that I just I don’t really have a lot of interest in TV.
Plus I think I’m I’m aged out of these shows. I mean, how many 50 year olds do you see? I mean it’d have to be on like, you know what I would do? I would do that. I would do the Deal or No Deal Island just because it’s not about dating. There’s giant tons of money involved and I don’t have to while you’re living there.
You actually have living conditions You’re not living in the in the wild you are that
show Was my favorite reality show so Tasha’s friend From Los Angeles. Her name’s Caitlin O’Connor. She’s dating a Like, I think like very seriously Joe, Joe Manganiello and it’s my goal to become friends with him. His style on that show is so cool.
Like they, he hosting Deal or No Deal Island brings an energy you never see from the hosts. He’s like chummy, but he’s also like sexy and sly. It’s a really, really cool show that on paper I would have said, You will not find me watching this show. This sounds so dumb, but in reality, it’s like a Mr. Beast games, but like, you know, it’s like, it’s not like deal or no deal.
You know what I mean? It’s more, it’s more like, I don’t even know what you’d call it, like a beach competition show.
Yeah, no, it’s, and it’s, it’s something to wear. It’s fair. I mean, look, if you’ve ever seen the game or watched it, even the old TV show, or even now season one of dealer, no deal Island, not a lot of skill involved.
It’s real. It’s a lot, just plain blind luck. Even if you get to be the person that gets to choose the suitcases, it’s just luck, you have no idea what’s behind any number.
It’s a 50, 50 coin flip, whether you win or not.
Pretty much everything is 50, 50 on that show. So that’s why it would be a show that I could, you know, somewhat be interested in a show like that, isn’t looking to cast a bunch of hot 25 year olds, you know?
So. Something like that, but I don’t know, you have to apply to stuff like that. I have just no interest in being on TV. Honestly, I just don’t.
Well we did roses, so let’s do thorns. What was the worst part of 2024 or what was just a bad sort of, you know, whether it be health or career, give me, give me something.
Yeah. When you asked me this before, I was like, I was like, I, My days are pretty, pretty monotonous and pretty much repetitive. Like nothing really happens to me on a daily basis. That’s different from any other day. But then I thought about, I was like, Oh, wait a second. Yeah, this year had to get it. I had to go into the hospital for, and got diagnosed with type two diabetes.
So that would probably be the worst thing that happened to me, but. That seems to be under control. I haven’t had any issues since then, since I, I’m glad I did. I’m glad I was told to take myself to the ER and get checked out because there was definitely, I was definitely having some symptoms and I knew something was wrong, but I didn’t know what my doctor said,
give us an update.
What’s the general, like, do you have to go in for checkups or like you just monitor it
every three months? Yeah. I mean, I I go in every three months for blood work. All my blood work was normal. Last time I. Got checked. I haven’t had any symptoms since this. You know, I just got to take some blood pressure pills, cholesterol pills, you know, to keep my stuff down.
I, I haven’t been great with exercising reads recently because, you know, I’ve been very open about the fact that I’m on ozempic because ozempic was made for diabetics and I, I have been on it. I haven’t had any side effects from Mozambique. I weight loss, I guess, as a side effect, but but I feel like, I mean, I, I have lost weight for sure, but I’ve also lost all my muscle because I just haven’t been diligent enough going to the gym.
So, once I do start,
that’s how to meet somebody. We’ll get you
in a yoga class. Oh yeah. That’s another thing. Like, I just, I don’t. I just, like I said, I don’t put myself out there. I’m the reason why I’m the reason why I’m single. It’s not because of anybody else. And I’m just not meeting the right women.
And
look, if you don’t want to, if you’re happy and you don’t want to put yourself out there, no pressure, but if you need someone to push you, I’ll push you, I’ll push, I’ll, I’ll knock on your door and get you out to the local bingo night or whatever
it’s, you know, like I said, it’s times where I feel.
I’m enjoying this life. I love the fact that I don’t have to answer to anybody. I’m my own boss. I can come and go as I please. And then there are times I’m just like, yeah, you know, it would be cool, you know, to have somebody and I just go back and forth and I’m just, and, and, and maybe I say that it’s because I don’t have anybody and when I do meet somebody that I am interested in, maybe it will change.
It’ll be like, oh wow, this is. This is what I was talking about back when I was single, finding this person that you find, wow, really cool to hang out with somebody. But when you don’t have anybody for the last, you know, for a significant amount of time, since the end of 2022, you get in this, I don’t want to call it rut, but you get in this comfortability where you just creature habit.
God, I don’t want to change up this routine. But then there are times where I’m just like, I do kind of want to change with this routine because I’m getting bored, you know,
I think like you’re super successful. So it’s like. You’re you can keep your routine, but you know, I think the right partner isn’t going to take that away from you.
Obviously, they’re like, I have to, I can’t, you know, I got to tell Tasha when I got things I got to go do and sometimes I’ll cancel a mic because I’m like, I could tell she needs me. It’s not worth it versus times when it’s like, Going to your party in Vegas is worth it because we had the trial, you know, the June 10th trial that weekend.
And it’s a big, it’s big business as, as, as much fun as it is, it’s big business to go support you and you’ve been so supportive of me and all that. So like Tasha gets that, like the right partner get like, it’s all, it’s almost like, It’s kind of like deal or no deal, the right partner. It’s all about negotiating what’s important to me.
And then let’s support what’s important to my partner. And you’ll always get it wrong here or there, but you kind of just bumper car to the finish line. And, you know, Tasha becomes the person I can open up with. Like a hundred percent about finances and growth and things that you just don’t always talk to everyone else about because she’s like my business partner.
You know what I mean? We’re, we’re no prenup baby. We’re in, we’re in this together. But anyway, but anyhow, I don’t want to I made this all about your dating life. For thorns, I’m just going to go ahead and say mine. Cause it was such a year of positives that the only the only ripple for me, I can’t even say the Laura Owen stuff because it, it, it introduced me to so many amazing people, but I would say the only thorn that came from that is the very small handful of people that did not give me the grace I so begged for.
As I went through this journey, that’s it. I’m going to don’t even need a comment from it. Let’s go to seed. So a seed is something that. You know, you’re hoping to plant for the future. What’s a seed that you did in 2024?
You know, when you asked me this, I was like, I did nothing in 2024 to plant any seed.
So I was like, this is probably something that I should do for 2025. And I have to think about what that is. Cause I was just like, what, what can I do to, to, to plant something that’ll Turn out to be good. Maybe invest more. I haven’t done enough investing. And obviously at 50 years old, you know, you want to start putting money away.
So personally, I probably should start investing more. I do have a money market account, but I just, I’m not putting as much into it as I probably should. So
maybe something like that in 2024, you re you you reopened up the YouTube channel.
Yeah, I did. So I guess that could be something where I planted in, in hopes that it becomes bigger.
You know, like I said, this is something that is not going to explode overnight. And I think, I guess if there’s one thing that I would need to do would be to put more videos out, like, you know, once a week, I guess, just isn’t enough for the, to fill up that YouTube cup to where it becomes relevant.
Yeah, I mean, look, I, I was, I was sort of nervous to, to bring the podcast to the YouTube just because I actually enjoyed the fact that the camera was off and I could really just like, I would keep the lights off in my room at night and record, but because I go twice a day, I record at like 11 PM and it’s become kind of a nice ritual.
Sometimes I’m like, Oh, I got to go in there, but I always enjoy it because it’s just a chance to like de burden and get out. And I’ve got enough of that, like creative. Itch to do, but I think for me, the seed of 2024 was removing bachelor from bachelor rush hour. I was so my, my YouTube channel and everything, everything that like gave me success road on the term bachelor.
And you can tell on YouTube because it’ll tell you which of your keywords are trending. I always used to have that to have the bachelor in the thumbnail and blah, blah, blah. In this past year, I took an active. Sort of in conscious effort to remove that from my branding so that when I do have stuff coming out in the days, I don’t want to cover bachelor, even though my content does take a little bit of a hit.
The people that like me don’t care if I talk about bachelor or not. And I think that was important for me as a seed because like, look, you just, you know, sure. It’s a good show to talk about, but like, I want my relationships and I want my career to long live, you know, past whatever the show offers. You know, so that was my seed.
That’s a perfectly good seed. I mean, I, like I said, I didn’t have one in 2024, but like business wise, money wise, like I said, probably need to invest more. And you know, if we’re going to reality, Steve wise, it’s do I, do I make the move to. Have my daily roundup also be on video, which like I said, at, like you said, you go in, I start recording usually 10 30 11 at night to record my daily roundup and my sports daily.
And do I want to have to turn on the camera and then upload and do all that stuff when it’s just so easy right now, crack open the mic for 20 minutes and. Upload it through, you know, that’s through that system, how I upload my podcast. Now I have to, and adding an extra step to do that daily. It’s just like, do I want to do that?
I don’t know.
And the thing is too, if you do it, you’ve got to do it right. Or else it’s like a waste. And like, for me, that means having like a choice thumbnail and, and, and, you know, being conscious of like how I’m marketing it to that. And it’s like, yeah, it’s a, it’s a whole different thing that I think a lot of people don’t realize.
Just doing something that adds another half an hour onto your day can be like, when you don’t have that half an hour, it’s a lot, you know, but I think, I think YouTube is the biggest, it is the biggest podcast directory. I think that was by accident. I don’t think YouTube ever intended to be. So podcast heavy, but now that, you know, people, you know, who have premium, they can turn their YouTube off on their phone and just listen and, you know, you can play it on any TV.
So it’s, it’s, and it’s, and it’s also one of the only apps that comes pre stocked on your phone, like ready to go. So
both your Both your rush hours are now video.
Yeah, they’re going to be, I mean, starting this episode will be our first official one. But also I, I did it over the weekend with my last one where I was like, you know what, let me do my Q and a on video and right now it’s adding a little bit of extra time, but it’s going to mean that I won’t have to make as much.
Bachelor content. Cause I’m still going to be making YouTube videos throughout the day. So like, I’ll still do like a 15 minute bachelor recap and I won’t have that necessarily be a part of my podcast. So I’m going to play both. I’m going to still try to give an a conversation directly to my YouTube audience, like Clayton Eckert, you know, trial updates and this and that, but the podcast.
Is so much more than the bachelor that I feel like by having it now on YouTube, I can reach out to other commentators that cover stuff like even the, even the news, like, I mean, it sounds crazy, but like Megan Kelly, Piers Morgan, these people that I have a lot that I disagree with. I’ll have no problem being like, Hey, if you want someone in the entertainment world to come discuss stories with you, like hit me up, you know, like I, I want to be able to.
Cross promote more on YouTube. Cause like, do you ever think about how it’s, it’s very hard to grow the podcast through the podcast app. Like what’s your biggest sort of strategy there? Is it just growing on social and growing off of your guests?
Yeah. Just the fact that I’m doing more, like I just started a couple of weeks ago doing reels from my Thursday interviews and putting reels out.
And you know, I realized now, I don’t know if I can even monetize that yet. I’m not sure. Sure. But doing reels, doing YouTube shorts, just having more promotion to get people that maybe see it on their Instagram reel search are now going to be, you know, seeing a clip from my podcast that might make them go subscribe and get more listeners that way.
Cause my, my podcast, my daily podcast is pretty much the same numbers every day. I think the same people are pretty much listening and they’re very loyal and they’re very consistent in listening. I would have to have a major story break for, for me to see a giant spike in my daily podcast, because it’s just, even if it’s not natural related, it’s just, okay.
He’s talking about pop culture stories. He’s talking about what’s going on. He’s talking about Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni, you know, everybody’s talking about that now and you know, I have no problem talking about that. I really enjoy talking about it, but I don’t get a spike because of it. I’ll get a spike if I have a breaking news or something like that.
Like, or you know, my guest on Thursday, my, my guest on Thursday podcasts are pretty consistent across the board unless there is a, you know, a, a breaking one or, you know, and, and for me, it’s, it, it hurts because I am not allowed to get. The people that Kaitlin can get and Nick can get and bachelor happy hour can get because the show is not going to allow them to come on my podcast.
So that’s what sucks.
You know, you, you do a really good job because you, you generally have all of the top spoilers, obviously, spoiler King here, spoiler forces a new show and you’ve like, you’ve got so. I think, and I think you already do this, but making sure you don’t make it easy for people to rip you off and like giving that information out through the podcast, like make people, you know what I mean?
Like that way, like you know how it is, they’re going to screen grab whatever, whatever, whatever you give them for tea, they’re going to screen grab it and share it anyway. And in the end, it’s more promotion for you when everybody covers it. The people that are just going to read the one sentence spoiler.
Some people are just never going to listen anyway. So like, you know, they’re going to get the information as they’re going to get it, but I think you do a really good job of. Kind of having multi platform tea being released.
Yeah. And that’s what I have to, I have to do better at, you know, for me, I look at it.
It’s obviously more work, but before it’s just like, Oh, just to put out a podcast. And then once a week, have a YouTube show. Well, now do I just like, now I’m having reels getting those put out as well and putting that stuff out on, even on threads sometimes, and then even Facebook. And I just, it’s tedious work.
It’s not hard work. It’s just tedious and it’s just. Dedicating more time to do that. And I guess the question just becomes in 2025 at some point, do I want to make my daily roundup also on YouTube? You know, I could record it every night, but it also means like looking presentable every single night.
Most of the time I’m half naked recording my daily roundup at 11 o’clock at night. Now I have to, you know, Put on clothes,
you know, it’s just like a really tight shot that he was not wearing anything. No, but yeah. And it, so the, and again, I, I think, I think people will comment that they’re more interested in this conversation and we’ll wrap it up.
But I think it’s interesting because for me we kind of get comfortable in what works and then the idea of doing something new, you’re like, Oh my gosh. But I have to remind myself, they’re going to be growing pains. I tell my wife, I I’m normally done by 1 30 PM on the afternoon. I might be done at 2 30 PM.
Now it’s going to take me a little time to figure this out. But as I get it going, I can anticipate I’m going to streamline it and it’s going to be, you know, whatever. And it’s going to possibly introduce me to a much bigger audience. Like for me, my overall goal, like my big goal is. To quit with the twice a day and just go to like one hour long episode a day That’s got a live audience and we shoot it at a brewery or it’s like a three camera setup like, you know I’m talking like watch what happens lifestyle where it’s a much bigger production I’m, just not there yet, but my goal is to make it better and less work But right now, you know you and I were both pretty much one man shops The effort that any, any business owner that’s on the internet knows this, the amount of time you have to put into social media is so ridiculous, but it’s free.
Like we’re not spending money to run Google ads. Like all of the things that work are free. They just take time.
Yeah. And that’s, that would be for me, just the, all the little things that go along with, Having to do, like I said, recording it every night. I could strip the audio from, you know, just record it on stream yard and just strip the audio that goes to my podcast, Apple podcast, upload that feed.
But then the video side looking presentable, putting out a, you know, if it’s not bachelor related, coming up with a new thumbnail every single night. Which I’m not good at. So that’s the other thing. It’s just like, even if I were to farm that out to somebody and pay somebody to make me a thumbnail, sometimes I’m not done till 1230 at night.
Who’s going to make me a thumbnail at 1230 in the morning. To have it up by six 30 every morning. Like that’s, that’s the other thing. So could be meaning, Hey, I’m going to have to have it done earlier. In the day, if I want to do that for somebody. So that’s what I have to determine if I am going to do it.
I I’m sure at some point I will. It’s not going to be, I don’t think in quarter one of 2025, but I think at some point if I want to grow their YouTube channel, I’m probably gonna have to put out a daily show
once
a week. Isn’t enough right
now. The other thing too, is like, because I’m going to YouTube now, I’m not going to have to rely on YouTube adsense.
So my, like my rate of what. I’m going to make per ad read is tripling, but I have to make sure that people watch on YouTube. Otherwise that tripling is not going to last for long. I’m just going off of like previous impressions. So yeah, I think we’ll talk offline, but I think you might be able to find a way to like really streamline it and not worry too much about how you look on YouTube.
Because in the end, if, if the T is good, you can do it. You know what I mean? Like people are gonna, if the T is good, they’re going to tune in. You Dude. Well, I, I mean, I’m, I’m open for a continued world domination here for you. I appreciate you helping me get the year off on the right foot. 2025. Any other resolutions?
Your resolution guy.
I’ve never really been a resolution guy, honestly. I do, I do need to start drinking more water. I got really hooked on Lipton iced tea. God, those are good. So good. You. I like the You do. And sweet. I liked sweet and DIC tea. I don’t like the,
I have one of those giant water bottles with the thyme.
It tells you what’s next. Yeah,
I have that too. And I, I was doing well with that when I was hitting the gym. ’cause that’s what I would bring to the gym. Be one of those, you know, the hardest part. Those gym bros carrying that gallon around with me. Yeah. It was one of those, the hardest
part is just filling it up in the morning and keeping it close by.
But I, you know, I always say this for New Year’s resolutions. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Everyone breaks their resolutions. It’s about kind of having something you aim towards. So you’re turning 50 this year. I’m turning 40. Let’s just show up to this reality. Steve event. Absolutely yoked. We’ll, we’ll both get on testosterone.
We’ll bring our water bottles and we’ll and we’ll just dominate. Tasha would, Tasha would literally hate me if I’m just ripped at your pool party. Yeah,
no, I mean, it’s the part is the first time the party is going to be on a Saturday. And like I said, it’s a theme party this year. It’s an eighties theme.
We’re going to do a, a live, a live podcast there. And you know, in a bigger, in a bigger room, biggest room I’ve ever had. It’s at the house of blues at Mandalay Bay. So it’ll be it’ll be good times. Obviously there’s still, like I said, it’s first come first serve still got probably 70 spots available roughly.
So if you’re interested, just email me, Steve at reality, Steve. And tell me how many people are going,
she’s all backed. We’ll be there. If they’re not vomiting in the cabana,
Stephanie and Jackie are coming. Courtney’s coming
for jacks from Vanderpump. How did that work out for you ladies?
And Courtney Robertson will be there.
My high school sweetheart is coming this year. That’s going to be that’s going to be fun. Single? No. It’s just crazy. We’ve, we’ve kept in touch ever since that I went to her. She’s, she’s married. She’s married. She’s got two daughters in college. But I went to her wedding in 1999. No way. We’ve remained friends.
Well, let me ask her birthday. Her
birthday is Christmas Eve. She, I always call her on Christmas Eve and she always calls me on my birthday and just, just to catch up. We literally talk twice a year and we catch up. Does
her husband know that she’s been spoiled as it were? Is that the term for reality?
If you dated reality, Steve, you’ve been spoiled.
He, he, no cool guy. I haven’t seen him in years. I haven’t seen her in a while, but she told me. I had mentioned to her last year, I was like, Hey, why don’t you and when junior husband come out and, you know, and she’s got a sister, that’s a big fan, a big a friend of mine as well.
I go, what if the four of you and your husband’s come out next year? And she’s like, I think we will. And then she, when I called her on Christmas Eve this year, she confirmed, she’s like, we’re coming, we’re coming to the party next year. I’m like, Oh, that’s great. It’ll be awesome. You know,
the people that you, that came to the cabana last year were really cool.
They’re always so funny. Cause they’re just so interested in like. The war, cause you have a lot of friends outside of the bachelor world. And it’s just, it’s just none of them
care about what I do or even watch the bachelor. Not, I know you’re kind
of like, Hey, I have audience here. It’s like, it’s like, yeah,
none of my close friends care what I do.
And none of them watch the bachelor. All my guy friends that I go, I go on my Vegas trips with, and the guys that I go to football weekend with. Not one of them. Not only do they not watch the bachelor, not only do they not care about reality, Steve, they don’t even listen to my podcast. Like they have no idea what I talk about.
None.
Yeah. Oh, I can talk so much trash to my wife about my wife’s family, knowing full well, they have no clue how to support me. But that’s all right. There’s whatever. Well, dude, thanks so much for joining me. I don’t want to keep getting longer and everyone can of course go follow reality Steve across the podcast.
I’ve got podcast apps, social media, and of course on YouTube, anything else to promote other than, other than the 50th. No,
that’ll be it. Like I said, grant season starts January 27th right now. We’re down to the final two that I know go on my website or Instagram page. You’ll see the final four. I don’t, I don’t even think I’ve put the final three and final two out on Instagram since I’ve gotten so far behind.
We’re down to the final, not down to the five. I know the final two on grant season. Hopefully I’ll get it before a season starts or sometime during his season. I’ll be able to say like, Oh, this is who grant is. Ended up choosing in the end, but yeah, that’s it. So
spoiler King reality, Steve, happy new year’s my guy.
You too. Take care. All right. I’ll cut it right there. Thanks, man. Let me, let me end recording. So thanks so much to Dave. Love
having a conversation with him. Probably the closest friend I have in this, I don’t want to say franchise, but within the bachelor nation world Dave and I talk All the time we text a lot.
We send a lot of voice memos to each other and just has become a really good confidant, really good friend. And I can’t thank him enough for the kind words that he has said about me numerous times on his podcast and just a good guy all around. And can’t thank him enough for coming on and allowing me to use our conversation that was on his podcast as mine.
But I also tried to get some stuff in there for him to answer as well. So I hope you all enjoyed that conversation. I know I did. So anyway. Please follow me on Apple podcasts, rate, subscribe, and review. As you know, this podcast is also on YouTube 9 15 AM Eastern time. It went up. So check it out. Go subscribe to my YouTube channel, like comment and do all the other stuff that you need to do.
What is it? Subscribe, watch, like, comment, all that stuff. It’ll certainly add to my, to my YouTube channel as well. So thank you everybody for listening, for tuning in, for checking out the YouTube channel. I really appreciate it. And I will talk to you tomorrow.
Send all links and emails to: steve@realitysteve.com. To follow me on Twitter, it’s: www.twitter.com/RealitySteve. Instagram name is RealitySteve, or join my Reality Steve Facebook Fan Page. Talk to you tomorrow.
