Just Press Record

Matt Zeigler
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Make curiosity a habit. All the fun parts of learning without the boring bits of going to school for it. "Just Press Record" is a conversation-style interview, featuring two commonality-lacking guests discussing one commonly-grounded topic. Welcome to the (audio/visual) Personal Archive of Matt Zeigler.

  1. 2D AGO

    A Short-Term Trader and Long-Term Investor Meet for the First Time | Tony Greer & Bogumil Baranowski

    In this episode of Just Press Record, two very (VERY) different investors meet for the first time. Tony Greer, a short-term macro trader who lives in the rhythm of the tape, and Bogumil Baranowski, a long-term investor focused on owning great businesses for years, sit down to explore what really drives decision-making in markets and in life. What unfolds is a thoughtful and often hilarious conversation about psychology, time horizons, money, community, and the deeper motivations behind building something that lasts. Plus — they're two of my favorite podcast/YouTube hosts and I couldn't believe they'd never met before! Main topics covered: • The psychology of selling and why parting with a winning position is so difficult• Trading versus long-term investing and how time horizon shapes behavior• The difference between a perfect stock and a perfect business• Growing up in very different environments and how that shapes risk tolerance• Lessons from options trading and learning what fits your temperament• Using time as an edge in both trading and investing• Building a business around community, trust, and recurring relationships• Client alignment and the idea of managing forgotten money• The tension between idea lunches and disciplined process• Indirect success and why focusing on relationships often leads to better outcomes Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction and why these two had to meet00:01 The hardest part of investing is knowing when to sell00:03 Meet Bogumil and Tony00:06 How they each found their way into markets00:14 The Microsoft story and thinking about stocks vs businesses00:18 The long-term investor’s dilemma with overheated stocks00:22 Trading psychology and emotional attachment00:24 Options trading lessons and knowing your temperament00:29 Time as a weapon in markets00:33 Owning a business vs watching a stock price00:34 Building TG Macro and the power of community00:46 Blue Infinity and managing forgotten money00:56 The danger of idea lunches and forced stock picks00:59 Talking Billions and building a platform around conversations And if the written word is more your thing, sign up for my mailing list and you can grow your network of ideas and people alongside me:https://cultishcreative.com/

    1h 31m

  2. FEB 3

    Never Change Who You Are | Jason Friedman and Drew Feldman on Why Authenticity Wins

    In this episode of Just Press Record, Matt brings together two people who have never met before and lets the conversation unfold in real time. Jason Friedman and Drew Feldman come from very different professional paths, but quickly discover shared experiences around career risk, entrepreneurship, creativity, and the emotional reality of building something from scratch. What starts as a conversation about work becomes a deeper discussion about identity, trust, burnout, and what it really takes to navigate uncertainty while staying true to yourself. Topics covered in this episode • Leaving stable careers to pursue uncertain but meaningful paths• The emotional and psychological reality of quitting a job and starting over• How creative backgrounds shape entrepreneurship and decision making• Why trust, integrity, and reputation matter more than credentials• The role of storytelling in building relationships with clients and audiences• Balancing ambition, work ethic, and personal boundaries• Burnout, constant connectivity, and the challenge of truly turning off• Why human judgment and empathy still matter in an AI-driven world• Building trust through shared values, not sales tactics Timestamps 00:00 Why these two needed to meet and the idea behind Just Press Record01:00 Quitting a job and the panic that comes with taking the leap06:00 From acting and filmmaking to finance and advising10:45 Career pivots, risk tolerance, and variable income15:00 The emotional cost of entrepreneurship and Sunday anxiety19:30 Creative work, grinding, and redefining success25:00 Burnout, boundaries, and the struggle to turn off29:00 Shabbat, forced downtime, and digital detox35:00 Building a company, momentum, and long-term trust38:00 AI, advisors, and why human relationships still matter45:00 Trust, integrity, and why reputation compounds over time

    1h 37m

  3. JAN 27

    She Met 500 Strangers. He Built an Audience of One | Carly Valancy & Spencer Kier on Real Networking

    In this episode of Just Press Record, Matt brings together two strangers with very different backgrounds and a shared obsession with human connection. Carly Valancy and Spencer Kier explore how creativity, repetition, gratitude, and authenticity shape careers, relationships, and opportunities. What starts as a conversation about networking quickly becomes a deeper discussion about practice, compounding effort, breaking rules, and finding the kind of work that pulls you forward instead of burning you out. Topics covered • Why creative people often follow rules that hold them back• The idea of practice as repetition, not optimization• Reaching out to people without asking for anything• Gratitude as a powerful and underrated networking tool• Building relationships for your future self, not immediate payoff• Creating artifacts instead of transactional asks• Authenticity, strangeness, and resisting social normalization• Compounding habits versus compounding burnout• Finding your edge through curiosity and compulsion• Applying artistic training to business and professional life• Long-term relationship building versus short-term outcomes Timestamps 00:00 Introduction and why these two needed to meet03:00 The Just Press Record format and guest introductions06:20 Carly’s meet-a-person-a-day challenge09:00 Spencer on podcasting as a tool for connection13:00 Creating artifacts instead of asking for calls15:00 Repetition, practice, and the power of doing simple things daily18:30 Art, training, and learning through repetition22:00 Breaking rules in networking and communication25:00 Finding your uniqueness and resisting normalization28:30 Searching for your edge and living in multiple worlds31:00 Losing an old identity and redefining what it means to be an artist34:00 Bringing artistic training into networking and business38:00 Empathy, awareness, and engaging the other person44:00 Asking better questions and creating meaningful conversations47:00 Authenticity, strangeness, and standing out52:00 Saying the risky thing and embracing vulnerability57:00 Gratitude as the starting point for connection01:02:00 Playing the long game in relationships01:05:00 Deciding when to follow up and when to wait01:08:00 Closing reflections on connection, curiosity, and practice

    1h 31m

  4. JAN 20

    I Was There But Didn't Know It Yet | Allison Wolfe & Brianna Collins on Finding Perspective

    In this episode of Just Press Record, Matt Zeigler brings together Allison Wolfe and Brianna Collins for a wide-ranging conversation about music scenes, creative identity, and what it really means to realize you were there while something special was happening. From Olympia and the Riot Grrrl era to northeast Pennsylvania DIY basements, the conversation explores how community, distance, adulthood, and urgency shape creative lives over time. What starts as a blind introduction turns into a deeply human discussion about art, memory, responsibility, and how musicians navigate creative work alongside real-world obligations. Topics covered • Realizing the significance of music scenes only in hindsight• Allison Wolfe on seeing Nirvana before they were Nirvana• Northeast Pennsylvania DIY culture and Bri Collins’ early show experiences• Punk, new wave, and gender dynamics inside local music scenes• Making art without knowing where it will lead• Adult creative life, multiple jobs, and sustaining a band long term• DIY ethics versus management and delegation• Teaching, touring, and balancing creative energy• Creative urgency, imperfection, and resisting overproduction• Music, activism, and processing the current cultural moment Timestamps 00:00 Introduction and why this meeting matters02:00 Identity, humility, and not realizing your impact05:30 Introducing Allison Wolfe and Bri Collins08:00 Album art, merch, and early DIY creativity12:00 First shows and finding community15:00 Seeing Nirvana before the breakthrough20:00 Gender, scenes, and learning music pre-internet29:00 Developing a distinct sound without trying to35:00 Adult musicianship and multiple careers41:00 Teaching, touring, and sustaining creative work48:00 DIY values, management, and control53:00 Art, activism, and the weight of the present moment01:37 Closing reflections and future paths And you already know we’ve got Bratmobile and Tigers Jaw stories all the way through. With some Nirvana, Bikini Kill, Title Fight, and Menzingers thrown in for good measure, but of course. @TigersJawMusic@killrockstars Watch every Just Press Record episode here:https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvtu0hHezwZzURO5c2pHenPnwm30j2fnX&si=EzonzSvd8QxOxQmH Is your attention span too short for full episodes? Try some shorts here:https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvtu0hHezwZwyApHEc6J2P04ChhzJQrcZ&si=bwC-LWp5Jxr1nbCP And if the written word is more your thing, sign up for my mailing list and grow your network of ideas and people alongside me:https://cultishcreative.com/

    1h 39m

  5. JAN 13

    They Never Planned to Be Writers | Aaron Gwyn & Michael Perry on Mentors Who Changed Everything

    In this episode of Just Press Record, host Matt Zeigler brings together two writers from very different worlds who discover how much they actually share. Author and musician Michael Perry and writer and professor Aaron Gwynn connect over farm life, physical labor, creative discipline, and the unlikely paths that led them to writing books. What begins with stories of rural upbringing and lost fingers turns into a deep conversation about mentorship, gratitude, art, politics, and staying grounded in a world driven by abstractions and online outrage. Main topics covered Growing up on farms and ranches and how physical labor shapes perspective Stories of injury, toughness, and humor in working-class communities How mentors and teachers recognize talent before you do The discipline of practice in athletics, music, and writing Finding confidence through critique rather than praise Imposter syndrome as a source of gratitude and motivation Creativity, literature, and making art without losing touch with real people The danger of parasocial relationships and losing community to politics Why staying human matters more than choosing sides Timestamps00:00 Introduction and why these two writers needed to meet01:00 Farm life, injuries, and the humor of hard work06:00 Rural upbringing, cattle, and growing up working-class18:00 Toughness, storytelling, and blue-collar humor25:00 Lost fingers, accidents, and adapting through skill35:00 Music, guitar, and physical limitations as creative fuel39:00 Aaron Gwynn’s path from ranch life to writing books46:00 Michael Perry’s path from nursing to writing and storytelling52:00 Positive imposter syndrome and gratitude for unlikely success59:00 Politics, parasocial relationships, and real human connection01:01:00 Art, community, and staying grounded in a divided world

    1h 40m

  6. JAN 6

    When Does the Mask Become Real? | Phil Pearlman on Behaving Your Way Into Being

    In this episode of Just Press Record, Matt Zeigler sits down with Phil Pearlman for a wide-ranging conversation about consistency, identity, and the quiet power of how we show up in the world. Using a short clip featuring Nancy Berger and Julia Duthie as a jumping-off point, the discussion explores how behavior shapes character, why role modeling matters more than advice, and how small, repeated actions compound into meaning over time. The conversation weaves together psychology, leadership, parenting, music, intuition, and personal growth, all grounded in lived experience rather than theory. Main topics covered What consistency really means and why it is about behavior, not image How acting eventually becomes identity and shapes legacy Role modeling as one of the most powerful forces in families, workplaces, and communities Why being yourself consistently is easier than maintaining a mask Leadership through example versus “do as I say, not as I do” authority Reinvention, aging, and the idea that growth does not stop in midlife Intuition, hunger, and learning to recalibrate internal signals in a distorted environment Why comparison to others is a losing game and progress should be measured against yourself The connection between rhythm, music, and living with intention Letting gravity work by focusing on direction, not perfection Timestamps00:00 Introduction and the idea of consistency02:00 Phil Pearlman joins and the role of rhythm and music06:40 Consistency, authenticity, and being yourself everywhere11:00 Reinvention, choice, and behaving your way into being15:00 Masks, identity, and when actions become who you are20:45 Role modeling and its impact on children and culture25:00 Leadership, authenticity, and workplace behavior30:00 Intuition, hunger, and recalibrating internal cues38:20 Direction, progress, and why comparison fails44:10 Consistency as rhythm and living with intention50:30 Joy, imperfection, and showing up anyway53:00 Where to find Phil Pearlman and closing thoughts

    55 min

  7. 12/31/2025

    We Didn't Plan Any of This: 10 Unscripted Introductions from 2025

    In this special year-end clip show, Matt Zeigler and Jack Forehand reflect on some of the most meaningful conversations from Just Press Record in 2025. Rather than a traditional recap, this episode explores the deeper themes that emerged across very different guests, from connection and creativity to fear, identity, and long-term thinking. Along the way, Matt and Jack discuss why these moments mattered to them personally, how the show itself reflects Matt’s approach to life, and what these stories reveal about how people grow, change, and find meaning over time. Main topics covered The philosophy behind Just Press Record and why unscripted, unexpected conversations matter The power of reaching out to people and the lasting impact of human connection How major life transitions often emerge around key ages and career inflection points Losing sight of purpose by focusing on the wrong metrics and how to recalibrate Overcoming fear, stage anxiety, and the courage to live more authentically Creativity as recombination, sampling, and reinterpretation across music, art, and business Long-term thinking, journaling, and reflecting on how beliefs and priorities evolve over time Why community, curiosity, and experimentation matter more than optimization Timestamps 00:00 Introduction and year-end clip show setup 01:30 The idea behind Just Press Record and pairing unlikely people 06:50 Anna Goldfarb on connection, regret, and reaching out 13:15 Tom Morgan on age 36, identity shifts, and life phases 20:45 Bobby Keller on purpose, metrics, and the Horror Fest 30:00 Julia Duthie and Nancy Berger on fear, authenticity, and self-expression 42:00 Bill Stephney and Lawrence Yeo on hip hop, creativity, and sampling 51:45 Chris Mayer and Anne-Laure Le Cunff on journaling and changing your mind

    1h 48m

  8. 12/16/2025

    It’s The Same Start, But One Became a Hero and One Didn’t | Tyrone Ross & Neils Ribeiro-Yemofio

    This episode of Just Press Record brings together Tyrone Ross and Neils Ribeiro-Yemofio explore how early experiences, belief, and community shape who we become. What begins with comic books, video games, and childhood stories unfolds into a powerful conversation about identity, hope, economic mobility, and the systems that determine who gets access to opportunity. From superheroes and supervillains to first-generation college journeys, financial education, and breaking cycles of poverty, this is a deeply human conversation about what it means to see someone, invest in them, and change the trajectory of a life. Topics covered• The shared origins of superheroes and supervillains and how adversity shapes identity• How the labels adults give children can define their futures• The role of teachers, mentors, and small acts of belief in changing life paths• First-generation college experiences and navigating systems not built for you• Athletic talent, opportunity arriving too early, and unprepared success• Hunger, hope, and discipline as lifelong motivators• Financial education versus financial literacy and why language matters• Economic mobility, community investment, and breaking cycles of poverty• Why access, proximity, and support matter more than motivation alone• The moral and practical case for building systems where everyone can eat Timestamps00:00 Introduction and why these two needed to meet01:00 Superheroes, supervillains, and shared origin stories03:00 Childhood identity and being told who you are06:00 Comic books, video games, and learning how the world works12:00 Growing up, moving often, and discovering education18:00 First-generation college journeys and culture shock23:00 Athletics as opportunity and arriving unprepared28:00 Teachers who change lives with belief34:00 Hunger, survival, and early lessons in humanity41:00 Discipline, responsibility, and turning pain into purpose48:00 Economic mobility, financial education, and community investment56:00 Systems, access, and why poverty is not a personal failure01:03:00 Hope, responsibility, and why everyone can eat

    1h 40m
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About

Make curiosity a habit. All the fun parts of learning without the boring bits of going to school for it. "Just Press Record" is a conversation-style interview, featuring two commonality-lacking guests discussing one commonly-grounded topic. Welcome to the (audio/visual) Personal Archive of Matt Zeigler.

Information

  • Creator
    Matt Zeigler
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    68
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Matt Zeigler
  • Show Website
    Just Press Record

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