Cory Thinks Out Loud

Cory Gardener

Cory Thinks Out Loud is a solo podcast exploring sobriety, autonomy, belief systems, discipline, software, and building a life intentionally. Sometimes it’s just Cory thinking through ideas in real time. Sometimes it’s a conversation with AI. Occasionally, guests join in. No scripts. No performance. Just honest exploration. If you’re interested in recovery, self-improvement, systems thinking, or questioning inherited assumptions — you’re in the right place.

  1. HACE 2 DÍAS

    Episode 21: Twilight Session — Truth, Growth, and Leaving the Stadium

    A late-night, unfiltered conversation about truth, growth, and what it really means to change your life. We open with “They Tax Us, But They Don’t Ask Us,” a track connecting the American Revolution to modern life—systems (and people) taking without truly representing. From there, the conversation expands into personal transformation: leaving the safe path, building something real, and navigating sobriety as a solo journey. This episode explores the idea of placeholders—habits, environments, and even relationships that quietly block better opportunities from entering your life. Growth requires removing them, even when it’s uncomfortable. We also dive into alignment and relationships: not everyone is “your people,” and that’s okay. Real support shows up when it matters. Letting go isn’t about judgment—it’s about making space for what actually fits. A core theme throughout is truth vs. narrative. Avoiding accountability creates stories you have to maintain. Living in truth removes the noise—you stop managing a version of reality and start participating in it. We close on a powerful idea: life is like climbing a mountain. You’re not looking for people to carry you—you’re looking for people climbing alongside you. Truth is heavier at first. But like anything you carry long enough, you get stronger. Episode 21 — Twilight Session.

    56 min

  2. 17 MAR

    Episode 20 - Leaving the Stadium: Sobriety, Truth, and the Human Story

    Episode 20. This episode is about stepping outside the “stadium” — the systems, stories, and messaging we inherit without questioning. I break down the difference between universal truth (things that exist whether we believe them or not) and human truth (the systems we create — money, culture, identity, and even narratives around alcohol). Sobriety was the doorway out for me. It gave me the clarity to actually see the structure — how habits, messaging, and incentives reinforce each other. And once I could see it, I could choose differently. This isn’t about telling anyone what to do. It’s about awareness. What is this? Why does it exist? Does it serve me? I also share my journey — from drinking 20 beers a day to building a life rooted in discipline, gratitude, and intention… what I call a sustainable high. Not perfect. Not easy. But real. If you want to go deeper: The Cure for Alcohol (book) https://charlieworks.org/the-cure-for-alcohol.html Rise from the Ashes (album) https://open.spotify.com/album/7wKuMZwsCL1Byh03U0w37Q?si=feuQJUx5TSC_sCeREnHtZA (This album explores transformation, resilience, and rebuilding from the ground up.) :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0} Everything: https://charlieworks.org Thank you for listening. Love to the family, friends, the community, everyone at the Y — and every stranger who said the right thing at the right time. Catch you next time.

    1 h 9 min

  3. 16 MAR

    Episode 19 — Hopeful: The Best High I’ve Found So Far

    In Episode 19 of Cory Thinks Out Loud, Cory responds to a question about sobriety and ends up exploring something much deeper. What starts as a simple tip turns into a wide-ranging conversation about addiction, environment, cultural narratives around alcohol, and the idea of stepping outside the “stadium” of the social script many of us are born into. Cory talks about reflection, changing environments, questioning assumptions about drinking, and how tools like AI can help people examine the roots of their habits rather than just treating the symptoms. Toward the end of the episode, Cory lands on a realization about gratitude being the best “high” he’s found so far — but unfortunately the final portion of the recording was cut short due to a technical audio issue. We’re currently looking into what caused the sound to drop out and will revisit that idea and expand on it in a future episode. Mentioned in this episode: • Don’t Drink Today (app) • The Cure for Alcohol (book) • Rise From the Ashes (album) • CharlieWorks.org Episode 19 of Cory Thinks Out Loud.

    1 h 6 min

  4. 13 MAR

    Episode 18 - Musical Learning: Language Through Music

    In this quick “emergency episode” of Thinks Out Loud, Cory Gardener shares a discovery that might change the way we learn: musical learning. Inspired by childhood classroom songs and modern AI tools, Cory explains how he created a series of albums—Spanish 101, French 101, German 101, and Italian 101—that teach the basics of a language through music. The idea is simple: repetition + melody = memory. Instead of memorizing vocabulary lists, listeners learn phrases, pronunciation, and useful expressions through catchy songs and review tracks that reinforce the material. Cory also talks about the inspiration behind the project, the role music plays in memory and learning, and how this experiment could evolve into a whole new way to learn subjects—not just languages. If you’ve ever wished learning felt more like listening to your favorite playlist, this episode might spark some ideas. Music: Spanish 101, French 101, German 101, Italian 101 By Cory Gardener & CharlieWorks Learn more: https://charlyworks.org

    15 min

  5. 11 MAR

    Episode 17 – The Church of the Great Outdoors, Curiosity, Sobriety & The Little Blue Rock

    In Episode 17, Cory talks about the release of the new album “The Church of the Great Outdoors.” The album is inspired by ideas from the book The Cure for Religion and explores curiosity, questioning authority, philosophy, and personal spirituality. Topics in this episode include: • Releasing the album The Church of the Great Outdoors • Playing songs “The Man With the Plan” and “The Little Blue Rock” • Philosophy, Socrates, Carl Sagan, and asking questions • Sobriety and leveling up in life • Meditation, equanimity, and learning from uncomfortable emotions • The difference between kindness and niceness • The slow pitch softball community and building SportsTown • A wild mini-tornado story outside the police station This episode is basically Cory thinking out loud about life, recovery, curiosity, building things, and trying to understand what the hell is going on while we all ride around on this little blue rock in space. Album: The Church of the Great Outdoors Available now on Spotify and streaming platforms. Thanks to family, friends, community, and everyone supporting the journey.

    47 min

  6. 8 MAR

    Episode 16 — Builders, First App Payment & Team Manaburn

    Episode 15 wraps up with a real “builder update.” Cory talks about the momentum building around CharlieWorks as projects begin moving from ideas into real collaborations. The first payment for an app project just came through, signaling the start of what Cory hopes will become a growing network of builders creating useful tools together. The episode also shifts into a conversation about SportsTown softball, local leagues, and the broader idea behind building communities around sports, competition, and shared experiences. Originally the show was supposed to end with Cory playing his EverQuest-inspired rap track “Team Manaburn,” a song dedicated to the wizard crews from the Mithaniel Marr server. However, due to a sound issue during recording, the track couldn’t be played in the episode. Instead, Cory closes things out talking more about the process of building—apps, music, communities, and ideas—and how the goal right now is simple: Keep building. Keep collaborating. Keep moving forward. Sometimes things go perfectly. Sometimes the tech breaks. But the work keeps going either way.

    35 min

  7. 6 MAR

    Episode 15 - AI, Baseball, and the Universal Life Church

    A wide-ranging conversation that starts with the idea of organizing under the Universal Life Church for philosophical or tax-exempt community purposes and quickly expands into everything else we’ve been building and exploring. We talk about the concept behind AI-assisted governance from The Cure for Governance—using AI to analyze massive legislation, simulate outcomes, and reveal who benefits from complex systems. From there the conversation jumps into baseball analytics and the idea of using AI-driven “Moneyball 2.0” strategies to potentially improve the Los Angeles Angels roster. Along the way we cover real life too—softball games, creative projects like the Face the Music / EverQuest album, nostalgia around Will Clark and a signed Texas Rangers hat, and how AI can act as a tool to understand complex systems—from government bills to sports strategy. In the end it’s about one core idea:Use AI to make sense of complicated worlds, empower people with better information, and build smarter systems together.

    51 min

  8. 4 MAR

    Episode 14 — Family Legacy, AI, EverQuest, and the “Food or Poison” Test

    Welcome to Episode 14 of Cory Thinks Out Loud. Yes… I accidentally call it Episode 13 near the end of the video.No… I’m not re-recording a 42-minute podcast. 😅 In this episode I talk about: • Shoutouts to the EverQuest Wolf Pack and Kazmodon’s birthday• Playing a rap track I made for the Enchanters• Digging through old boxes, journals, and accounting homework• The business strategy simulation from Cal State Dominguez Hills• How that experience helped me land my first finance job• My great-great-grandfather’s trunk from Fort Garland, New Mexico Territory (1875)• Thoughts on AI, hiring systems, and why resumes might be broken• My “Food or Poison” kitchen test using AI to analyze ingredient labels This episode ended up being almost exactly 42 minutes, so shoutout to Douglas Adams and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy —the answer to life, the universe, and everything. 🌌 ⚠️ Privacy noteSome personal information visible in the video has been covered for privacy. Explore more of my work: 🌐 https://CharlieWorks.orgMusic, books, podcast episodes, and projects all live there. Good inputs → good outputs. Thanks for listening.See you next episode. 🌎

    45 min
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Cory Thinks Out Loud is a solo podcast exploring sobriety, autonomy, belief systems, discipline, software, and building a life intentionally. Sometimes it’s just Cory thinking through ideas in real time. Sometimes it’s a conversation with AI. Occasionally, guests join in. No scripts. No performance. Just honest exploration. If you’re interested in recovery, self-improvement, systems thinking, or questioning inherited assumptions — you’re in the right place.

Información

  • Creador
    Cory Gardener
  • Años de actividad
    2 k
  • Episodios
    21
  • Clasificación
    Explícito
  • Copyright
    © Cory Gardener
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    Cory Thinks Out Loud