Mike Farris has been running his podcast for over five years, and he scores some seriously awesome guests, which is why I’ve been a fan for nearly that long. But, the last year has been tough to stomach. Mike barely does any research, and his takes seem to just parrot whatever his latest guests were talking about. He doesn’t have the chops to push back when something sounds off, and his own comments are the same rehashed talking points every single episode.
Mike acts like he’s got the world all figured out, while everyone else is just clueless. You can tell he’s still super bitter about getting fired from his job last year, constantly trashing office life and swearing he’ll never work for a boss again. But it’s pretty clear he’s barely scraping by as a podcaster, which might be fueling his attitude. Lately, he’s been blaming boomers for all of society’s problems, which feels like he’s just pointing fingers instead of owning his part.
Even with killer guests, Mike’s lack of depth and real-world experience drags the show down. His commentary is shallow, mostly about stuff like coffee, running, and yoga classes, like that’s all there is to life. His constant interruptions, with that annoying high-pitched laugh and random snorts, totally mess up the flow, and some guests just ignore his off-the-wall comments and keep talking.
Now, I only tune in when he’s got multiple guests, since their back-and-forth saves the episode. For solo-guest shows, I skip Mike and check out other podcasters who have similar guests but bring way more to the table. Shows like Tommy’s Podcast, Discourse with Christian, and The Shawn Newman Podcast have hosts with real life experience, who actually read books and keep the conversation smooth and engaging without dropping the ball.
Mike’s podcast could still be a hit with those guests, but his failure to step up his game and connect with listeners is holding it back. If he wants to turn things around, he needs to put in the work on research, sharpen his questioning skills, and come up with some fresh takes instead of recycling the same old stuff.
