Off the Clock w/Jon Eks

Jon Eks
  • 5.0 (2)
  • LEISURE

My name is Jon Eks and I spent more than a decade talking to people about work on the award-winning Jon of All Trades Podcast. I’m sick of talking about work. I want to talk about everything else in our lives. Men are traditionally not good at this. So, I’m talking to people I love, respect, and admire. I’m trying to embody the axiom “Be the change you want to see in the world.” Expect candor, vulnerability, profanity, and a wide range of topics.

  1. DEC 17

    #OTCQuickie: The Ugliness of Ultrawealth

    #OTCQuickies are mini solo episodes where I address a question or a topic in service of trying to be a good dude in the world. Today's topic is: The Ugliness of Ultrawealth Fueled by two things I read this morning, and in stark contrast to a "Great Guys Lunch" I recently attended, I weigh in on why I find ultrawealth (a.k.a. billionaires) so distasteful and detrimental to society.  1. Today's New York Times Morning Newsletter has a small capsule article a little more than halfway down about how venture capitalists are squeezing volunteer fire departments for more money after acquiring the software they use to track incidents. You can find that newsletter here. 2. On Hamilton Nolan's Substack "How Things Work," he has a piece called "Abominations of Capital: Forcing a price on priceless things." It is ostensibly about a piece of art by Jean-Michel Basquiat that is owned by a billionaire named Ken Griffin, but cuts at extreme wealth in an interesting way.  Ultrawealth, in my opinion, should not be viewed aspirationally, but as a malignant mental disorder that deserves to be ridiculed, scorned, and legislated out of existence. Find out why in this edition of the #OTCQuickie. Theme song by Sorry Sweetheart. Logo by Nebulus Visions. Produced by Deft Communications. Engage with the show on Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky.

    11 min
  2. On the Mat with Mikey

    DEC 11

    On the Mat with Mikey

    On this episode of Off the Clock, I’m joined by my pal Mikey, perhaps the most talented audio producer and sound designer I’ve ever known, one of my best pals, and now Australian citizen. Here’s some of what we talk about: First Question: Since it’s Saturday as we record this, what is the ideal way to spend a weekend in Australia? what is the process for becoming an Australian citizen?is there anything about living in Australia all this time that still flummoxes him?what is it about jiu-jitsu that keeps Mikey coming back and pushing hard to recently earn his black belt?where does his incredible drive and work ethic come from?Mikey describes for me The Misogi Challenge and why he always seeks out tough challengesthe books Atomic Habits and Chop Wood Carry Water and finding joy in the processhow do we find fulfillment in the aggregate, contextualizing setbacks, and success curveswhy Australia was his ultimate destination and how did he go about manifesting getting therewhat happens when your professional dreams come true? what comes next?what does he miss most about Colorado, and when do I get to see him again?Find Mikey on Instagram. Theme song by Sorry Sweetheart. Logo by Nebulus Visions. Produced by Deft Communications. Engage with the show on Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky.  Recorded via Google Meet.

    1h 6m
  3. Pong, Punk & Pedagogy with Eric

    DEC 4

    Pong, Punk & Pedagogy with Eric

    On this episode of Off the Clock, I’m joined by my pal Eric who taught both my kids in their ECE-4 classes and someone who is one of the fiercest beer pong players I’ve ever played against. Here’s some of what we talk about: First Question: When parents find out he’s their kid’s preschool teacher, what is the most common reaction he gets? the unusual position of being a rare male preschool teacher and some of the stigma associated with thatEric shares how he developed his incredible calm, controlled, and warm demeanor in the way he runs his classroomhow does he get through the tough days of dealing with 20 unreasonable 4 year-olds?Eric shares with me that he always wanted to be a grandfather, which I’ve never heard before from anyonewe talk about punk rock including Green Day, Fall Out Boy, blink-182, The Linda Lindas, Story of the Year, The Starting Line, New Found Glory, and more! the risk of a band playing through an entire album for their live setwhat are the biggest differences between kids now and kids from when he started 16 years ago? and what about parents?as he looks at the landscape of early education, is Eric more optimistic or pessimistic?how has the perspective of parents shifted when it comes to disciplinary incidents with students?I ask him how his sports teams are doing and give a shout to Donato’s pizzaand we conclude the show with one of the finest compliments I have ever receivedTheme song by Sorry Sweetheart. Logo by Nebulus Visions. Produced by Deft Communications. Engage with the show on Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky.  Recorded at Walter’s 303 in Lowry.

    58 min
  4. Serious Whimsy with Jason

    NOV 20

    Serious Whimsy with Jason

    On this episode of Off the Clock, I’m joined by my best friend Jason who also happens to be my muse, my co-creator in so many endeavors, my confidant, and someone who makes me laugh probably harder than anyone else. Here’s some of what we talk about: First Question: When we say “we take our whimsy seriously” what does that mean? why it frequently looks like we’re doing an ad for gay marriage by the way we hang out and why that’s a great way of sniffing out liberal poseursour shared annoyance about this current culture of snitches and hall monitorsJason works with kids for a living. what gives him hope for the future? what worries him most?why we’re – as the movie The Menu helpfully articulates – shit shovelers in the grand scheme of things and ultimately members of the service industryhow does Jason re-fill his cup during a difficult year of kids?what keeps us coming back to local punk shows again and again and again? and why don’t we hang out with many of these people in real life?what it’s like running into his students in the wildI ask Jason to spin the roulette wheel of memories and grab a random one of us (fun! do this with your friends!)we remember some guys! and the old internet!we discuss the weird Elliott / E.T. connection we seem to have why did Jason buy me business cards for my birthday?who are some grown men who make each other mix CDs with liner notes? THESE GUYS!why people tend to hate or resent their own art and why that’s what makes it goodwhere should we go on vacation together next?Theme song by Sorry Sweetheart. Logo by Nebulus Visions. Produced by Deft Communications. Engage with the show on Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky.  Recorded at Jason’s house.

    47 min
  5. Extracurriculars with Lisa

    NOV 6

    Extracurriculars with Lisa

    On this episode of Off the Clock, I’m joined by my friend Lisa, a world traveler, current resident of Shanghai, and one of my class’s valedictorians. Here’s some of what we talk about: First Question: What has surprised you most about living in China? what life in Shanghai is actually like, and how that stacks up to the American experiencewhere has Lisa lived? (it’s an incredibly impressive list of notable places)what was her college path (journalism at Northwestern) and how did that lead to her living abroad?why does Lisa self-identify as a “huge f*cking nerd?” what contributed to that? and how is she different?what it’s like living in a country where elements of who you are are illegal and persecutedwhy teaching is a “full brain” occupation and how she works with teachers to help them grow, evolve, improve and transformhaving lived abroad for so long, what is the general impression of Americans outside of our borders? and has living abroad recontextualized her own American-ness?what are Lisa’s overall impressions of me from high school? and how was our particular class so chill and able to move between cliques?why it’s ok to have a hobby that you enjoy, but suck athow do we find fulfillment? and how do we have “enough?”what does she look forward to most about returning to Colorado?Theme song by Sorry Sweetheart. Logo by Nebulus Visions. Produced by Deft Communications. Engage with the show on Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky.  Recorded over Google Meet.

    48 min
  6. Sharing Zoobooks with Caleb

    OCT 30

    Sharing Zoobooks with Caleb

    On this episode of Off the Clock, I’m joined by my pal Caleb, who has earned a Master’s degree, is a drummer for two different bands here in Denver, a middle school English teacher, and owner of one of the finest mohawk hairstyles I have ever seen. Here’s some of what we talk about: First Question: What is the gnarliest pit you have ever been in? we re-live some old times when Caleb was on the old show 7 years ago, his time living in “Casa Basura,” and compare what the hell it costs to live in this city in 2025tattoo talk! matchies (his matching ass tattoo story is worth the price of admission alone), distribution, firsties, etc. we also both a have Rise Against Siren Song of the Counterculture tattoo, so we gush about that band for a whileformer heroes of ours who turned out to be dipsh*ts, abusers, predators, or otherwise dumb*sses – also, especially f*ck Brand Newhow do we use our positions of privilege – straight, white, cis, hetero men – for greater good and to support others without privilegeMaster’s degree, job stuff, and giving young minds plenty to grapple with through literaturehow is it being in two bands? and how was it stepping in for Curly in All Waffle Trick after his unfortunate passing?Caleb shares his favorite authors and I chime in with a few of minehow much does Caleb tell the kids about his life outside of school?why does this scene continue to be great?what’s the over/under on how many songs until Caleb takes off his shirt during a set?Punk Rock Fright Night Tickets here. All Waffle Trick Linktree. Younger Than Neil Linktree. Theme song by Sorry Sweetheart. Logo by Nebulus Visions. Produced by Deft Communications. Engage with the show on Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky.  Recorded at Ratio Beerworks RINO.

    52 min
  7. Hitting Corner 3s with Brady

    OCT 23

    Hitting Corner 3s with Brady

    On this episode of Off the Clock, I’m joined by my pal Brady, who I met when he was a site director for our school’s childcare provider, and who’s become a worthy beer pong opponent and one of my favorite homies. Here’s some of what we talk about: First Question: What compelled you to work with kids professionally? where did Brady go to college, what did he major in, and what was his initial career path?how does he maintain his chill when a group of kids is jumping on his last nerve?why did Brady taking a liking to our family and what was it about our vibe that endeared us to him?what makes Brady such a killer beer pong player and where did he get his reps?we talk ball! where did he play on the floor? how’s his speed? his hops (can he dunk?) his 3-ball? his statline? we talk about Brady’s old man and what he’s likewhy making kids a “good hang” is a valuable goal as a parent and an educatorlife in a small town, why Brady was tagged as a “city kid” from an early age, and why he loves Denver, including one of his favorite concerts at Cervanteswe talk about Brady’s ultimate Southern feast, his grandpa and his love of sweet teahis personal take on our school closing and how it impacted himwhy getting a start in a new place is so liberatingBrady’s NBA predictions – Lakers, Cavs, Celtics, Nuggets, Thunder, and more!Brady’s advice for what it is to be a good dudeTheme song by Sorry Sweetheart. Logo by Nebulus Visions. Produced by Deft Communications. Engage with the show on Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky.  Recorded at Ratio Beerworks RINO.

    42 min

  8. OCT 16

    #OTCQuickie: Grow Up and Answer the Phone

    #OTCQuickies are mini solo episodes where I address a question or a topic in service of trying to be a good dude in the world. Today's topic is: Grow Up and Answer the Phone I feel like three f*****g times a day I see a meme or a joke or a post about how people are afraid to answer the phone or how they never make calls or how anxiety-riddled phone calls are. My response: Grow up and get over yourself. What kind of dork ass baby are you? Here are some reasons to be not afraid of the phone: 1. Talking to a friend is a quick dopamine hit. 2. Getting comfortable talking to strangers gets you great customer service, makes you fearless, and helps deepen your empathy for all sorts of people. 3. This self-imposed isolation has made our politics worse, coarsened the way we interact with each other, and been detrimental to society as a whole.  So get over yourself and don't be afraid of talking on the phone.  Theme song by Sorry Sweetheart. Logo by Nebulus Visions. Produced by Deft Communications. Engage with the show on Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky.

    8 min
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Ratings & Reviews

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About

My name is Jon Eks and I spent more than a decade talking to people about work on the award-winning Jon of All Trades Podcast. I’m sick of talking about work. I want to talk about everything else in our lives. Men are traditionally not good at this. So, I’m talking to people I love, respect, and admire. I’m trying to embody the axiom “Be the change you want to see in the world.” Expect candor, vulnerability, profanity, and a wide range of topics.

Information

  • Creator
    Jon Eks
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    37
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Off the Clock w/Jon Eks
  • Show Website
    Off the Clock w/Jon Eks