More with Marc Istook

Marc Istook

Conversations. Context. Clarity. Whether it's going behind the scenes with your favorite actors and athletes, or getting expert insights on the issues that affect you every day, Emmy-winning journalist and veteran host Marc Istook digs deeper to share the stories and perspectives you might otherwise miss. Because there's always more to the story.

  1. 4d ago

    Chad Blankenship | President & GM, Texas Rattlers

    What does it take to build a professional sports franchise around one of America’s oldest and most dangerous competitions? In this episode of Dream Job, Marc Istook sits down with Chad Blankenship, President and General Manager of the Texas Rattlers, to explore the evolution of professional bull riding and the remarkable career path that prepared Chad to help lead it. Chad explains how the PBR Teams league took a traditionally individual sport and added the hometown loyalty, shared responsibility, rivalries, and season-long storylines that make team sports so compelling. He also breaks down what fans experience at a live event, from world-class riders and bulls to music, lights, pyrotechnics, and a carefully designed pace that keeps the entire arena engaged. The conversation expands into the resurgence of Western culture across sports, television, music, and fashion. Chad discusses why values such as perseverance, self-reliance, community, and respect for the land continue to resonate with modern audiences. Then Marc and Chad retrace a career journey that was anything but predictable. Chad shares stories from his early years in advertising, being laid off from one of the world’s most prestigious agencies, working on New York City’s bid for the 2012 Olympics, spending seven years at ESPN, launching a television network with filmmaker Robert Rodriguez, and helping create the PBR Teams league. He also recounts leaving his career behind for nearly a year to travel through China, Tibet, Nepal, and Thailand, including trekking to Everest Base Camp and unexpectedly taking a job at a resort on a Thai island. The episode concludes with a conversation about failure, personal responsibility, community, and one of Chad’s most enduring life lessons: wherever you go, you remain the same person. The real opportunity is learning to be fully present and make the most of where you are now. Timestamps 00:00 - Meet Chad Blankenship, President and GM of the Texas Rattlers 01:53 - How professional bull riding and the PBR Teams league work 04:12 - What it feels like to experience a Rattlers event in person 04:56 - The difference between traditional rodeo and PBR 07:30 - Building a fast-paced entertainment experience around eight-second rides 09:00 - Fan service, live sports, and the Savannah Bananas comparison 11:38 - Commercial breaks and the pace-of-play problem in American sports 15:49 - Why the young PBR Teams league has so much potential 16:39 - What team competition adds to an individual sport 19:17 - How teammates change the experience for bull riders 20:22 - Why Western culture is having a major resurgence 24:44 - The influence of Yellowstone, country music, fashion, and pop culture 26:23 - Chad’s unconventional career journey begins 27:18 - Growing up in Oklahoma and studying marketing at OU 28:02 - His first advertising job at The Richards Group 30:40 - Getting recruited by Wieden+Kennedy 32:54 - Losing his job and learning an early career lesson 35:35 - Moving to Los Angeles and finding a community of creators 39:36 - Leaving work behind to travel through Asia 40:46 - Trekking to Everest Base Camp from Tibet and Nepal 42:05 - An unexpected job opportunity at a resort in Thailand 44:53 - Joining New York City’s bid for the 2012 Olympic Games 47:01 - How sports can inspire social and personal change 48:40 - Why losing can sometimes be more valuable than winning 50:21 - Taking ownership of failure and deciding what comes next 51:13 - Seven years at ESPN and earning a “sports business MBA” 53:02 - Launching El Rey Network with Robert Rodriguez 54:17 - Working with Richard Branson’s Virgin Sport 54:50 - Joining PBR with little background in Western sports 56:01 - Launching a streaming platform and helping create PBR Teams 57:03 - Becoming President and GM of the Texas Rattlers 58:28 - Winning the 2023 PBR Teams Championship 59:24 - Why Chad and his family fell in love with Fort Worth 1:02:23 - The biggest lesson from Chad’s travels and career 1:05:23 - Final thoughts and an invitation to experience Rattler Days Links and Resources Ariat Texas Rattlers official website 2026 Rattler Days at Dickies Arena - October 2-4 Texas Rattlers on Instagram Texas Rattlers on Facebook Professional Bull Riders Connect with Chad Blankenship on LinkedIn Dream Job on Apple Podcasts Connect with Marc Website: MarcIstook.com Instagram: @MarcIstook YouTube: @MarcIstook Facebook: MarcIstookTV TikTok: @MarcIstook Substack: More, with Marc Istook Contact: info@marcistook.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Chad Blankenship | President & GM, Texas Rattlers

  2. Jun 18

    Dan Dawer | PhD Candidate, Education Policy

    The Quiet Dismantling of Texas Public Schools, with Dan Dawer Texas has taken over more school districts than any other state in the country, and a majority of those takeovers have happened in the last ten years under Governor Greg Abbott and Education Commissioner Mike Morath. The official story is accountability. The real story, according to this week's guest, is the construction of an entirely new model for public education in Texas, one designed to be cheaper, more regimented, and built on a workforce of uncertified, inexperienced teachers reading from scripted curriculum. Marc sits down with Dan Dawer, a former classroom teacher of 11 years and a PhD candidate at the University of Texas at Austin, whose dissertation research has put him on the ground inside the Houston ISD takeover for nearly four years. Dan has interviewed close to 140 stakeholders across the district and has emerged with one of the most comprehensive views of what state takeovers actually do to communities, students, and teachers. This conversation covers: . Why the research overwhelmingly shows takeovers do not improve student outcomes, and which communities they disproportionately target . The shift from "conservative" takeovers (designed to restore districts) to "activist" takeovers (designed to rebuild them into something new) . How Houston's reported test score improvements may be driven by changes to the pool of test takers, not actual learning gains (including a 24% drop in 8th grade Algebra 1 enrollment and a 15% drop in Biology end-of-course test takers) . The financial throughline connecting property tax elimination, the absence of a state income tax, and the budget pressure to make public education cheaper . Why a Pennsylvania billionaire would care about Texas school board elections . The reality of the voucher program: most applicants were already enrolled in private school, and tuition routinely exceeds the $10,000 award . The teacher pipeline crisis (45% of Houston ISD's teaching workforce now has between 0 and 3 years of experience, and a majority of new hires statewide are uncertified) . The AI-in-the-classroom question, and why Dan worries about cognitive offloading and the erosion of professional teaching knowledge . An honest assessment of Mike Morath's ten years as Education Commissioner . Why the A-F school rating system is more variable than parents realize, and what families should actually be looking at . The toll road analogy that explains vouchers better than any political talking point If you care about public education, your property taxes, your kids' classrooms, or the long-term direction of this state, this is the conversation. Dan brings the data. We dig into what it actually means. Recommended reading from this episode: Takeover: Race, Education, and Democracy in America by Domingo Morel. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Dan Dawer | PhD Candidate, Education Policy

  3. May 28

    Sara Hirsh Bordo | Author & Filmmaker

    Award-winning filmmaker, activist, and founder of Women Rising, Sara Hirsh Bordo joins the Dream Job Podcast to discuss her debut book Autoimmunity and the Good Girls — a groundbreaking exploration of how women raised to self-silence and caretake are disproportionately likely to develop autoimmune disease, and how reclaiming your own voice may be the most powerful medicine of all. EPISODE NOTES Sara Hirsh Bordo has spent her career building stages for other people's stories — directing award-winning documentaries, founding the women's empowerment production company Women Rising, and being named an Architect of Change by Maria Shriver. But while she was busy lifting up everyone else, her own body was sending a message she couldn't ignore. In this conversation, Marc and Sara — friends since their days as undergrads at TCU — go deep on her debut book, Autoimmunity and the Good Girls: How Permission to Put Ourselves First Has the Power to Keep Us Well, published by HarperOne/HarperCollins. Topics covered in this episode: How Sara's career journey — from Estée Lauder and MGM Studios to Paramount Pictures to documentary filmmaker — was always driven by curiosity and storytelling What it means to be a "good girl," and why that conditioning starts in girlhood The connection between the caretaker archetype, birth order, and autoimmune disease How Sara funded the first quantitative research study at the intersection of female empowerment and autoimmunity — and what the data revealed Why 80% of autoimmune disease patients are women, and why so many go undiagnosed or unheard The role of self-suppression in chronic illness — and the science behind it Sara's personal health journey: Hashimoto's, cancer, tumors — and full remission How faith intersects with the struggle for self-sovereignty The butterfly as a symbol for transformation — and why the journey to flight matters more than the flight itself What Sara hopes the book ultimately does for the women who read it Timestamps: 00:02:28 — Sara on what she actually does for a living 00:05:33 — The hero's journey vs. the heroine's journey 00:10:12 — On catalysts: cozy ones and crushing ones 00:15:47 — The lightbulb moment that led to the book 00:16:19 — What autoimmune disease actually is, explained plainly 00:19:18 — How Sara funded the first research study on this topic 00:22:24 — Beyond birth order: the caretaker archetype 00:27:43 — Sara's full list of diagnoses — and how they all went into remission 00:29:57 — Why women silence themselves in the doctor's office 00:32:01 — The whisper, the tap, the shove 00:33:32 — Why the word "feminist" doesn't appear in the book 00:39:30 — The battered butterfly in a German museum 00:44:58 — What Sara hopes the book's legacy will be About Sara Hirsh Bordo: Sara is a 20-time award-winning filmmaker and Founder/CEO of Women Rising. Her documentary debut, A Brave Heart: The Lizzie Velasquez Story, won the Audience Award at SXSW and qualified for the Academy Award. She has directed campaigns for Toyota and ESPN, consulted on the Wonder Woman franchise for Warner Bros., and produced the first TEDxAustinWomen — the most-viewed TEDxWomen event in the world that year. A percentage of her author proceeds are being donated to the Society for Women's Health Research. Autoimmunity and the Good Girls is available wherever books are sold, including Amazon, and the audiobook — read by Sara herself — is available on Audible. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Sara Hirsh Bordo | Author & Filmmaker

  4. May 26

    Chris McKenna | CEO, Protect Young Eyes

    What happens when we hand seventh graders "a hundred million people and a hundred million choices"? Chris McKenna spent 12 years in business risk consulting at Ernst & Young before a call to youth ministry put him face-to-face with the rise of the smartphone in kids' lives. What he saw there led him to launch Protect Young Eyes, now one of the most respected voices in the fight for online child safety. In this conversation, Chris and I get into why he thinks "parental controls" is a destructive phrase, how to talk to other parents about screens without sounding judgmental (hint: think peanut allergy), what the recent Meta and social media court wins really mean, why the Australia law is being framed exactly the way Big Tech wants it framed, and what it'll take for screen-time legislation to have its seatbelt-law moment. Chris's new book, Five Habits of the Tech-Ready Family: Raising Wise Kids in a Wild Digital World, comes out June 16 and is available for pre-order now. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Chris McKenna | CEO, Protect Young Eyes

  5. May 13

    Jonathan Carone | Creator, Healthy Sports Parents

    If you've ever sat in the bleachers and wondered when youth sports got so intense, this episode is for you. Meet Jonathan Carone, creator of Healthy Sports Parents (100K+ on Instagram), and hear a candid conversation about what's gone wrong - and what we can do about it. We discuss the "self-love and self-glory" forces driving parent behavior on the sidelines, why "winning is everything" coaching is still the default even when we know better, the private-equity gold rush turning kids into revenue streams, the scholarship myth, and the difference between development and competition for kids under 12. Jonathan also shares the John Wooden quote that reframed how he thinks about success, why he calls himself part of "the youth sports resistance," and the one piece of advice every sports parent needs to hear: let your kid lead. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Jonathan Carone | Creator, Healthy Sports Parents

  6. Apr 22

    Major Attaway | Broadway & Voice Actor

    From a church play to the longest-running Genie on Broadway, Major Attaway's journey has taken him from Forth Worth, Texas to Broadway in New York City, and beyond. Major talks about the exact moment at a performance of the Lion King that made him tell his mom, "I'm doing this" - no question mark. He opens up about learning his craft, learning patience, and learning to make it in a business that's notoriously tricky. And he shares the complicated experience of being one of the only Black performers in the rooms he grew up in, and why everything people like about him, he learned in Texas. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Major Attaway | Broadway & Voice Actor

  7. Mar 26

    Bob Morano | Chef & Content Creator

    Episode 2.05 2 million followers on Facebook. More than 700k on Instagram. Bob Morano a great chef who just wants to teach you how to cook. Known for his fast-growing account (@everydayisfeastday), Bob's built a growing fandom of people who love him and the food he cooks. He shares his journey from the Culinary Institute of America to some of the best kitchens in the country to working as a full-time chef at a monastery kitchen to full-time creator... why your 8-year-old self holds the key to your dream job, and a secret to baking cookies trick that might change your life. Gracious, grateful, gourmet, hearing from Bob will leave you hungry. Oh - and don't forget to buy a meat thermometer. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Bob Morano | Chef & Content Creator

  8. Mar 12

    Sara Wiles | Founder & Digital Creator

    Episode 2.04: Sara Wiles knows what it's like to go viral. The Florida-based business owner and content creator activist has racked of millions of views with videos sharing her perspectives and journey from corporate event planner to virtual assistant trainer to progressive activist. Sara and explains why she believes her sales and marketing brain is her secret weapon for driving real political change, the motherhood penalty, the fatherhood bonus, and the costs of being an outspoken progressive in conservative Florida. It's an insightful, genuine and honest conversation about finding your voice, using your platform, and doing the work you were put here to do - especially when it isn't easy. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Sara Wiles | Founder & Digital Creator
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About

Conversations. Context. Clarity. Whether it's going behind the scenes with your favorite actors and athletes, or getting expert insights on the issues that affect you every day, Emmy-winning journalist and veteran host Marc Istook digs deeper to share the stories and perspectives you might otherwise miss. Because there's always more to the story.

Information

  • Creator
    Marc Istook
  • Years Active
    2017 - 2026
  • Episodes
    25
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Marc Istook
  • Show Website
    More with Marc Istook

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