Average Joseph Podcast

Joseph
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Philosophy
  • Updated Weekly

Hey everyone! My name is Joseph Carter. I have spent most of my life trying to understand the world we live in. My journey has introduced me to faith, military service, a career in mental health, and huge servings of humility as a result of various trials, failures, time spent living life on life's terms. Despite what many would consider a successful life, I find myself realizing more and more that my place in this world is... well - average, and I'm ok with that. I have learned to enjoy what I enjoy, and I find contentment in being able to share these experiences with others. Which brings me to this podcast. As a therapist, I have learned that listening and asking the right questions, with the simple intention to understand, is in fact valuable. For me, this podcast is another way I can share this experience with others. I am simply an average Joe that wants to listen, learn, and facilitate this process for others. So feel free to stick around, and hopefully we can learn together!

  1. 1d ago

    Average Joseph Podcast E37: Carmen Starnes, D.C.

    Dr. Carmen Starnes has been a chiropractor for 16 years. She started in Memphis, then built a practice in Glasgow, and in 2022 opened Active Health Chiropractic in Tompkinsville. She got into the field by working the front desk at a chiropractor’s office and watching patients come in barely able to move and leave smiling. Joseph asks her the question a lot of people won’t say out loud: why do so many people think chiropractors are quacks? Carmen answers it directly. Chiropractic isn’t something you believe in. It’s a licensed, regulated profession with a board, continuing education and insurance billing, and physical therapists and DOs are trained in joint manipulation too. She’s also honest that some chiropractors, herself included, sometimes explain it badly. They also cover what she actually sees in the office. Sciatica is number one. Then there are migraines, stiff necks from summer box fans, sore backs at planting time, TMJ and vertigo. She explains dry needling, shockwave therapy and spinal decompression, why you shouldn’t crack your own neck, and why keeping muscle mass matters more than anything as you age. Along the way: medication and talk therapy working together instead of against each other, the brain’s ability to rewire itself, how she trained herself to manage pain before a home birth, Joseph admitting he’s burned out three months into private practice, why Active Health has no plans to get big, and a detour into why Five Star is the best gas station around. What ties the conversation together is honesty. A good provider will tell you “I don’t know” and send you to someone who does. Active Health Chiropractic is a sponsor of the Average Joseph Podcast. This episode is general conversation, not medical advice.

  2. Oct 11

    Average Joseph Podcast E36: On the Spectrum

    The day after being diagnosed autistic (ASD Level 1), Joseph sits down with Kailey McMurtry of The NightShifters to talk through it openly as it happens.Joseph has known since childhood that he experienced the world differently. He talks about learning early on to withdraw, and later to mask. The Army forced him to learn to work with people, and he got there by watching who was well liked and copying how they carried themselves. He also explains how that path led him to counseling and becoming an LCSW.Topics in this episode:What ASD Level 1 means, and why “different” is a more accurate word than “something wrong”Masking: how it starts, how automatic it becomes, and why he plans to do less of itLooking back at his life after the diagnosis, and the hard question of what might have gone differentlySensory overload: noise, crowds, and why a reassuring touch helpsSarcasm, figures of speech, and why “have fun at work” doesn’t compute for himDirect questions, direct answers, and why honest feedback matters more to him than reassuranceRoutines, social scripts, and what happens when they break, from checkout lines to concerts to a stranger getting into their UberNavigating a relationship when one partner’s brain processes the world differentlyWhy going public matters to him, including the risk that some people will question his clinical judgmentJoseph’s position is that his job is not to learn to fit in better. It is to learn what normal is for him, and to keep contributing as himself. If you or someone you love is on the spectrum, this conversation is for you.This episode describes one person’s experience. It is not medical or clinical advice.🎙️ Average Joseph Podcast: conversations from Monroe County, Kentucky🌙 Kailey’s show: The Nightshifters#Autism #ActuallyAutistic #AutismAcceptance #Masking #Neurodiversity #MentalHealth #Veterans #AverageJosephPodcast

  3. Oct 10

    Average Joseph Podcast E35: Kristi Castillo, District Judge

    She's been Cumberland and Monroe County's district judge for seventeen years this month — appointed in her early thirties, elected ever since — and this conversation moves between two things at once: what the job actually looks like day to day, and what it's cost her to hold a courtroom's worth of other people's worst days with a straight face.Judge Castillo walks through the arc from WKU undergrad to University of Louisville law school, two years as assistant county attorney in Cumberland County, a stint in private defense practice, and then the judgeship — a path she says she picked out loud at age eight and never really wavered from. She and Joseph get into how seventeen years on the bench changed her from someone who saw cases in black and white to someone who's learned that almost nobody ends up in front of a judge starting from the same place. The case she names as the turning point: an 18-year-old charged alongside both parents for manufacturing methamphetamine, and the moment she realized the kid had been raised into it.The back half is drug court — the felony-diversion program she's run for over a decade, where participants spend up to two years under supervision (drug testing, mandatory employment, counseling, GED requirements) instead of prison. She breaks down the five-phase structure, the honest recidivism numbers, and why she thinks the people who stay sober are the ones who stop treating recovery as something they finish. They also get into what it's like to be a public figure who legally can't defend herself when rumors spread, why she still thinks Zoom court lost something real during COVID that in-person hearings never will, and — because it's Average Joseph — exactly what you should and shouldn't say to a judge if you're the one standing in front of the bench.Off the bench: growing up a UK fan in a family of UofL diehards, tennis over football, and why she agreed to root for the Falcons just for this episode.Got a guest you want to hear from, or a question for a future episode? Drop it in the comments — Joseph reads all of them.🎙️ Subscribe for new episodes of the Average Joseph Podcast, recorded in Tompkinsville, KY.#AverageJosephPodcast #MonroeCountyKY #DrugCourt #DistrictJudge #KentuckyCourts #CriminalJustice #Tompkinsville

  4. Oct 10

    Average Joseph Podcast E33: Debra Staples, Hog Wild BBQ

    Debra Staples didn't set out to open a restaurant. She set out to be home with a two-pound baby. When Rylan was born at 35 weeks he weighed two pounds, two ounces — a growth restriction called IUGR that Debra had never heard of until it was hers. He spent 24 hours in Glasgow before a plane came for him, then ten weeks at Kosair. Somewhere in there she and Shannon split a single cheeseburger in the hospital McDonald's, because that was all the money they had, while four kids at home were being raised by grandparents, aunts and uncles. They got him home. Then he caught whooping cough and went back for twelve more weeks. He coded five times. The longest was two and a half minutes. She'd been at Walmart twelve years managing sixteen departments, and she loved it — but a preemie's calendar doesn't fit a shift schedule, so she never went back. She mowed 55 yards instead, with a nine-year-old running the weed eater and an eleven-year-old on the mower. Shannon had been catering on the side for years as S&S. Their first real setup was a fundraiser in front of her sister's store in Albany: $300 that Saturday, and they felt like the richest people on earth. They went back the next week, and the next. In the fall of 2013 it became Hog Wild. Then a 10x20 tent on the Mix House lot. Then Brookie Baxter told her flat out she had the wrong lot and drove her over to North Magnolia that same evening. Then a storage building with two windows — order at one, pick up at the other. Then a contractor named Tim Anderson, who she met because she talked him out of a shoulder sandwich and into a hamburger, looked at what she was trying to do and said, “You have big dreams. I just want to see where it goes,” and let her build it a piece at a time and pay as she went. That building is eight years old now. And when Rylan was sick, Monroe County passed the hat for them. Debra told Shannon that if they ever got to where they had an extra ten or twenty dollars, it was going back. Santa's Christmas Blessing is in its ninth year. The first one drew more than 500 people to the National Guard Armory. Last year it was over 1,600 plates — and the people who couldn't come get one, shut-ins, folks with disabilities, veterans, had theirs delivered by the sheriff's office and the police department. We also get into: • Why she gutted the entire Hog Wild menu two weeks ago and rebuilt it in about three hours • What a “usual” is actually worth to a small-town restaurant, and why twice a week keeps the lights on • Franchising, the creek, and the property line she has already run out of • Whether Christmas stays magical when you're the one making it happen for everybody else • Judge Carter, a go-kart, and a mailbox that didn't survive

  5. Sep 27

    Average Joseph Podcast E34: Billy Joe Murphy

    Average Joseph Podcast, Episode 34 — Dr. Billy Joe Murphy: Offensive Line, Old Friends, and Fifteen Years in Kentucky Schools Before he was Dr. Murphy, he was the biggest kid on the Monroe County High School line — a three-year starter, a 4.0 student, and a top Kentucky recruit who signed with the Wildcats out of Gamaliel. This one's a homecoming: Joseph and Billy Joe played together at Monroe County, and this is the first time in almost twenty years they've actually sat down and talked. They open on UK football — 2007 to 2011, redshirted as a freshman, 43 games and 19 starts at right tackle and guard, team captain, five-time SEC Academic Honor Roll, and a degree in Kinesiology and Health Promotion. Billy Joe tells the story of the rookie camp that told him it was over, and why walking away with no regrets mattered more than making the roster. From there it turns into a real conversation about knowing when to quit something versus when to push through — Joseph brings his own Army story into it, and neither of them lets the other off easy. The second half is Billy Joe's other career: fifteen years in Kentucky public education, from classroom teacher to assistant principal to principal at Monroe County Middle School, a doctorate in Educational Leadership from the University of the Cumberlands, and now Director of Nutrition Services and Facilities Director for Barren County Schools. They get into what middle school does to a kid's friend group, how COVID actually changed classrooms for the better and worse, and the honest case for skipping college if the degree doesn't lead anywhere you're going. And because it's Average Joseph, there's a face-plant running out of the tunnel at Tennessee, a teammate who refused to move seats so the team plane could take off, and a very cold playoff game against a sea of Carhartt. Got a guest you want to hear from, or feedback on where the show should go next? Drop it in the comments — Joseph reads all of them. Congressman James Comer is on deck for October, and county election coverage starts soon. 🎙️ Subscribe for new episodes of the Average Joseph Podcast, recorded in Tompkinsville, KY. #AverageJosephPodcast #MonroeCountyKY #KentuckyWildcats #UKFootball #KentuckyEducation #Veteran #Gamaliel

  6. Sep 13

    Average Joseph Podcast E32: Martin Rains, M.D.

    Episode 32: Interventional Cardiologist Dr. Martin Rains, M.D. — What Really Causes Heart Attacks (And How to Prevent One) In this episode of the Average Joseph Podcast, I sit down with Dr. Martin Rains, M.D., an interventional and structural cardiologist, for our first-ever conversation with a medical doctor on the show. We get into what a cardiologist actually does day to day, walk through what happens during a heart catheterization, and break down the three most common conditions he treats: coronary artery disease, atrial fibrillation, and congestive heart failure. Dr. Rains explains exactly how a heart attack happens at the plaque level, the difference between a heart attack, cardiac arrest, and a myocardial infarction, and why a calcium score test might be one of the most underused tools in preventive cardiology — especially for anyone with a family history of heart disease. We also get into statins and newer cholesterol-lowering medications, pacemakers vs. leadless pacemakers vs. defibrillators, and the wild story of his wife's heart attack despite having zero plaque buildup. Topics covered: - What an interventional and structural cardiologist actually does - Cardiac catheterization: what it is, how it's done, and what the sedation feels like - The three most common conditions cardiologists treat - How diet, smoking, and lifestyle factor into coronary artery disease - What a calcium score is and who should actually get one - Statins, LDL targets, and newer non-statin cholesterol medications - The exact mechanism behind a heart attack (the "volcano" effect on plaque) - Heart attack vs. cardiac arrest vs. myocardial infarction — what's the real difference - Pacemakers, leadless pacemakers, and implantable defibrillators explained - Warning signs that mean go to the ER, not just "keep an eye on it" - A firsthand story: his wife's heart attack with no plaque history at all If you've ever wondered what your heart is actually doing, whether your numbers (blood pressure, resting heart rate, cholesterol) are something to worry about, or how to start taking prevention seriously before a scare forces the issue, this one's for you. Disclaimer: This episode is for general education and entertainment purposes only and is not a substitute for personalized medical advice. Talk to your own doctor about your individual health. 🎧 Subscribe for new episodes of the Average Joseph Podcast 📍 Tompkinsville, KY #AverageJosephPodcast #Cardiology #HeartHealth #Ep32 #HeartAttack #PreventiveHealth #InterventionalCardiology

  7. Sep 6

    Average Joseph Podcast E31: Amy Neighbors, State Representative

    In this episode, Amy Neighbors shares her inspiring journey from healthcare administrator to state representative, discussing her legislative efforts, personal health battles, and insights into the political process. Her story highlights resilience, advocacy, and the importance of community engagement.

  8. Aug 31

    Average Joseph Podcast E30: Anita Hamilton

    In this episode, we sit down with Anita, a dedicated barbecue business owner with over 35 years of experience, to explore her journey, community support, and faith. We discuss the unique style of Monroe County barbecue, the importance of community, and the role of faith in overcoming life's challenges.

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About

Hey everyone! My name is Joseph Carter. I have spent most of my life trying to understand the world we live in. My journey has introduced me to faith, military service, a career in mental health, and huge servings of humility as a result of various trials, failures, time spent living life on life's terms. Despite what many would consider a successful life, I find myself realizing more and more that my place in this world is... well - average, and I'm ok with that. I have learned to enjoy what I enjoy, and I find contentment in being able to share these experiences with others. Which brings me to this podcast. As a therapist, I have learned that listening and asking the right questions, with the simple intention to understand, is in fact valuable. For me, this podcast is another way I can share this experience with others. I am simply an average Joe that wants to listen, learn, and facilitate this process for others. So feel free to stick around, and hopefully we can learn together!

Information

  • Creator
    Joseph
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    57
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Joseph
  • Show Website
    Average Joseph Podcast