This Dude Started Something

In this episode, we talk with up-and-coming filmmaker Jake Apgar about what it really takes to bring ideas to life. From making films in high school to directing his first full-length feature, Jake shares how storytelling, teamwork, and emotional honesty matter more than flashy equipment or big budgets. We cover how AI is creeping into the industry, which directors inspire him, why some popular films fall flat, and how you can star...

What if you could print the ingredients of an entire drink onto the inside of a cup — and all you had to do was add water? Chris Kanik did exactly that.

In this episode, Oliver and Brayden sit down with the inventor of Smart Cups, the world’s first printed beverage technology, to talk about how a lifelong comedian built one of the most sustainable innovations in the world. From stand-up stages to science labs, Chris shares how his o...

What do World War II, American history, and luxury watches have in common? RT Custer. He’s the founder of Vortic Watches, a company that revives antique pocket watches and turns them into one-of-a-kind wristwatches that can survive the apocalypse—and look good doing it.

In this episode, RT breaks down how he built a 7-figure business out of history, scaled American manufacturing, and created something truly timeless. From buying up ...

Season 3 kicks off with a full-throttle conversation featuring Mark Tapscott and Daniel Davey, the ex-Tesla and Lucid engineers behind Longbow Motors — the featherweight EV sports car company that just might change everything. These guys have shared meetings with Elon Musk, built Lucid’s international ops, and now they’re betting it all on a handmade electric car that’s lighter than a Miata and sexier than anything under $3 million...

In this episode of This Dude Started Something, we sit down with Sean Cook, the founder of the TEA app — a revolutionary platform giving women a safer, smarter way to navigate the dating world. Sean shares how a personal experience with his mom led him to build TEA, why the current dating app landscape is broken, and how his platform empowers over 600,000 women through honest reviews, background checks, and anonymous community supp...

In this episode of This Dude Started Something, we’re joined by Ryan Lane, the mastermind behind the band Quiet Confidence. Ryan shares the story of how his passion for music led to the creation of his solo project, and how he’s been navigating the DIY side of the music industry. From creating custom light shows to booking his own tour, Ryan gives us an inside look at the hard work that goes into making music with a full-time caree...

Forget Marvel, forget Gotham — This Dude Started Something is bringing you a real-life superhero straight from the streets of LA. Meet Rock Hard: MMA-trained vigilante, tree crime investigator, proud owner of a $70 Amazon shield, and possibly David Goggins' tougher cousin.

In this episode, Oliver and Brayden dive into Rock Hard's origin story (spoiler: no radioactive spiders involved), the strange case of LA's midnight tree-chopper,...

In this episode of This Dude Started Something, we sit down with Cameron Mauk, the founder of Backbone Coffee. Cameron shares the story behind his no-nonsense coffee company that's built for people who work hard and love coffee served black, hot, and straight to the point. We dive into the origins of the brand, the challenges of bringing high-quality coffee to the blue-collar world, and the journey of creating a product that connec...

In this inspiring episode of This Dude Started Something, we sit down with Jeremy George, the founder of Bucket Match AI—a platform born from a life-changing mission to complete 52 bucket list goals in 52 weeks. From cliff jumping in Hawaii to launching a startup that helps others chase their dreams, Jeremy opens up about how a low point in life led to a movement centered around purpose, passion, and action.

We dive into:

• His TED...

In this eye-opening episode of This Dude Started Something, Oliver and Brayden sit down with seasoned patent attorney Austin Bonderer, a man with over 700 issued U.S. patents and more stories than your average legal thriller. Austin pulls back the curtain on the chaotic world of intellectual property—where billion-dollar ideas are born, stolen, or buried.

We kick things off with the basics: what is a patent and why does it matter? B...

In this episode of This Dude Started Something, Oliver and Brayden sit down with filmmaker, drone pilot, editor, and co-founder of Appian Media, Craig Dehut. Craig and his team are on a mission to bring biblical history to life through stunning documentaries filmed on location across Israel, Egypt, Turkey, and more.

Appian Media creates high-quality, biblically accurate video content that’s completely free and accessible to anyone a...

In this episode of This Dude Started Something, Oliver and Brayden sit down with the Morrstedt family — a father who walked away from the traditional 9-to-5 to build a content-first lifestyle with his Gen Alpha kids. Together, they’re redefining what it means to grow up in a digital world.

This isn’t your average “kidfluencer” story. We dig into how and why these kids don’t have phones, the power of teaching entrepreneurship early, ...

This week on This Dude Started Something, we sit down with platinum-selling artist and producer @therealjdash, the mastermind behind the viral anthem “WOP.” But J. Dash is way more than a one-hit wonder.

From learning piano by ear at age 5 to producing “WOP” in his college apartment using only GarageBand, his journey blends pure talent with DIY hustle. We talk about how Miley Cyrus twerking in a unicorn onesie took his song to plati...

This week on This Dude Started Something, we sat down with the band behind the ultimate windows-down, scream-the-lyrics, feel-good anthem: The Mowgli’s. With almost 500 million Spotify streams, they’ve defined a generation of good vibes — and they’re officially making a comeback.

In this episode, Josh, Katie, Andy, and Matt open up about their roots in the Southern California garage scene, how their love for live performance turned ...

In this episode, Oliver and Brayden sit down with actor Sheldon Austin to talk about the realities of breaking into the acting industry as a young performer. Sheldon shares how he went from background roles to landing parts in commercials, short films, and most notably, playing a guard on Amazon Prime Video’s Beast Games. He opens up about the audition process, how he got his agent, and the highs and lows of trying to make a name f...

In this first solo episode of Season 2, Oliver and Brayden take listeners behind the scenes of This Dude Started Something, pulling back the curtain on their guest outreach strategy. From DMing reality TV stars and business moguls to tracking listener locations in real time, this episode is packed with hilarious banter, unpredictable conversations, and raw insights into how they’re growing the podcast.

Along the way, they explore in...

In this episode of This Dude Started Something, we sit down with the Hummus King himself—Chris Kirby, the founder and CEO of Ithaca Hummus. What started as a small stand at a farmers market has now turned into a multimillion-dollar brand found in over 10,000 stores nationwide. Chris takes us through his journey from burnt-out chef to entrepreneur, revealing the key moments that turned a single hummus flavor into a household name.

We...

In this special episode of This Dude Started Something, we sit down with childhood icon and Hollywood veteran Alexander Gould, best known as the voice of Nemo in Finding Nemo and Shane Botwin in Weeds. From the moment his voice echoed through minivans, living rooms, and theaters worldwide, Alexander became a part of millions of childhoods. But what happens after you grow up from being one of the most famous animated characters of a...

In this deep yet entertaining episode, Oliver and Brayden sit down with JB Copeland, the content creator behind the Sappy brand, who has amassed over 2 million followers with his introspective and emotion-driven content. JB opens up about his journey through personal struggles, addiction recovery, and learning how to regulate emotions as a man in today's world.

The conversation dives into mental health, self-awareness, and breaking ...