Bill kicks off this episode by admitting he’s feeling overwhelmed—and sharing a relatable moment from the shower that many of us have absolutely been guilty of.
Then he welcomes a very special guest: Alex, a former intern from his morning radio days who has since become a television producer and a member of the Macy’s Day Parade team. Thanks to her, Bill and his son were granted rare, up-close access to all 18 balloons in the 2025 Macy’s Day Parade just one day before step-off.
Bill dives deep with Alex about what it really takes to pull off one of the most iconic live events in the world. From months of planning and tight coordination to street closures, utility teams, safety crews, balloon handlers, and NBC’s broadcast partnership—Alex breaks down the intricate logistics that make the parade run with precision year after year. You’ll even hear surprising bits of parade history as it approaches its 100th anniversary in 2026.
The conversation then shifts from giant balloons to giant life choices. Bill and Alex open up about pursuing opportunities even when you don’t know how you’re going to pull them off—taking inspiration from director James Cameron, whose CBS Sunday Morning interview Bill recently watched. They explore what it means to build something meaningful from where you are, whether it’s Alex’s next big career move or Bill’s journey through graduate school and growing a podcast company.
Bill gets personal, reflecting on the emotional weight he’s been carrying—from the passing of his father to the end of a long-term relationship and a newer one that fizzled out. He talks about the patterns he’s noticing in himself, the tendency to avoid feelings, and how “fun” can sometimes leave an unexpected emptiness.
Together, Bill and Alex dig into what real success requires. As Alex says, getting “beat up” by a job or a project can actually become your greatest teacher—and often leads you exactly where you want to go.
It’s an honest, insightful, and inspiring conversation between two people who are doing what they’ve always wanted to do, and doing it no matter what.
Enjoy.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/billified-the-bill-moran-podcast--5738193/support.
Then he welcomes a very special guest: Alex, a former intern from his morning radio days who has since become a television producer and a member of the Macy’s Day Parade team. Thanks to her, Bill and his son were granted rare, up-close access to all 18 balloons in the 2025 Macy’s Day Parade just one day before step-off.
Bill dives deep with Alex about what it really takes to pull off one of the most iconic live events in the world. From months of planning and tight coordination to street closures, utility teams, safety crews, balloon handlers, and NBC’s broadcast partnership—Alex breaks down the intricate logistics that make the parade run with precision year after year. You’ll even hear surprising bits of parade history as it approaches its 100th anniversary in 2026.
The conversation then shifts from giant balloons to giant life choices. Bill and Alex open up about pursuing opportunities even when you don’t know how you’re going to pull them off—taking inspiration from director James Cameron, whose CBS Sunday Morning interview Bill recently watched. They explore what it means to build something meaningful from where you are, whether it’s Alex’s next big career move or Bill’s journey through graduate school and growing a podcast company.
Bill gets personal, reflecting on the emotional weight he’s been carrying—from the passing of his father to the end of a long-term relationship and a newer one that fizzled out. He talks about the patterns he’s noticing in himself, the tendency to avoid feelings, and how “fun” can sometimes leave an unexpected emptiness.
Together, Bill and Alex dig into what real success requires. As Alex says, getting “beat up” by a job or a project can actually become your greatest teacher—and often leads you exactly where you want to go.
It’s an honest, insightful, and inspiring conversation between two people who are doing what they’ve always wanted to do, and doing it no matter what.
Enjoy.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/billified-the-bill-moran-podcast--5738193/support.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
When your old career gives you lemons throwing some ice,
mix in some vodka. Call it a podcast from the
mac of All Trade Studio in Fairport and driven by
Victor Chrysler Dots. Gee Rahm, It's Billified, the Bill Moran Podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
Well, hello and welcome. Thank you for getting your pot on.
Thanks for telling a friend. That's how we spread the
word about the pirate ship. I hope everybody had a
great Thanksgiving weekend. I don't know if anybody else is
feeling I'm like feeling overwhelmed on stuff. You know, we're
(00:50):
in this new studio and I need to kind of
get some things settled in. Like, these guys are so
fantastic at the mac of All Trades building. If you
need anything done, you got to go to Macaball Trades.
They're just fantastic. Fund them online and macaball Trades dot net.
But they came in and repainted the wall, so everything's
(01:10):
gathered around our table. You really can't see it. And
then I'm debating what stays what goes, and I mean school,
and I got it's like right now all the projects
are due, all the projects that everybody's talked about and
felt so far off, and there's I mean, I don't
know how I'm gonna get all this done. I don't
(01:31):
even Sometimes you ever wonder where you go? What did
I do? And I feel like I somehow bit off
more than I can chew, which is typical for me.
And then of course I self sabotage myself in other areas.
They usually involve I don't know, alcohol a little bit,
a little bit, but I'm getting better at that. And
I got to tell you, like, there's so many things
(01:52):
that I want to do, especially now that we're in
this new space and school stuff, and I feel like
I'm starting to figure it out now if I can,
I mean all of it. You know what it means.
It means I can't really go have fun anymore. But
I mean, this is just to give you an example
of how overwhelmed. Like. I'm in the shower today and
(02:12):
I'm talking to myself, not like a schizophrenic person who
actually sees someone there and is having a conversation. I'm
just like thinking out loud. And I washed my hair
twice because I couldn't remember, and on the second time,
oh god, I already did this. And then I leave
the house and I get in the car and go.
I left my phone inside and then I can't find it,
and I got my kid called. I mean, you know
(02:32):
what I'm saying, It's like all these little things. And
I thought Adderall would correct that stuff. But maybe I
need a higher dose. I don't really know. But speaking
of fun over the long holiday weekend, of course, there
is the legendary Macy's Day Parade, and today's guest once
got college credit for waking up at three am to
(02:57):
listen to me talking to a microphone. And some how
after that trauma, she still wanted to work in entertainment
and she still actually talks to me. Hello, Alex, Hi,
So I'm great. Alex was involved this year in the
production would that be fair to say of the of
(03:20):
the Macy's Day Parade, the legendary Macy's Day Parade, And
she let me know that she was doing this and said, hey,
if you want, I can get you in up close
to the balloons. So my son and I and along
with my brother and his family went down on Wednesday
(03:40):
and they went to the rock Cats. Everything got delayed,
delayed in the morning, we didn't get out of there
in time. It was all this stuff it might have
been my fault. I think I was doing a project
for school and I ran a little over. So when
we get there, they went to the rock Cats, and
James and I went uptown to the west side to
see the balloons, and Alex just got us through. I mean,
(04:03):
the police would go eight and then she's like, now
they're with me. And it was so cool to walk
in and we're like in the residential area. I think
there were residential streets right, yeah, that people were waiting
hours to get into the balloons and we just right
in there. And how I know that was like it
felt I was like first class treatment. And it was
amazing to me to see how big those balloons are
(04:27):
in person. They're huge. And if I were really good
at this podcasting thing, I would have video rolling right
now as we're talking about it. But I didn't do
that only because I i it required an extra step
I didn't have time for today. I was doing invoice
all kinds of shit anyway.
Speaker 3 (04:45):
Added to the social teas.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
Later, Yeah, I will, but it was so cool. And
I have to tell you, if you know, I got
a fifteen year old son, and you know, having had
a fifteen year old son yourself that they're not impressed
by a whole lot, And in the end, I think
he really had a lot of fun. He was disappointed
because he really wanted to go to Chinatown to some store,
(05:09):
and I'm like, buddy, it's an over an hour, maybe
an hour and a half to get from the Upper West.
Speaker 4 (05:15):
Hide, especially that day, like that weekend, there's a lot
of trains shut down. You know, I don't think people realize,
like the parade is a huge to do, obviously, but
it literally shuts down the entire city. Trains get rerouted
and streets are closed and you can't walk through where
you normally would be able to just all in pursuit
(05:35):
of this big event, which is, you know, spectacular and awesome,
but it's also you know, a bit of a pain
to kind of navigate. And a lot of people will
use Google Maps and stuff to get around the city
if you're not from here, which is very helpful on
a normal day, but when there's a big event in town,
the marathon or the parade or something like that, it's
just kind of much harder to navigate. Google Maps hasn't
(05:55):
caught up with the closures yet, so you know.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
Talk to me about that, because I mean, when when
did you join the Macy's Day Parade team.
Speaker 4 (06:06):
I joined the team in September, end of September. I've
only been doing it for like two months proper.
Speaker 2 (06:13):
How long are they planning this parade?
Speaker 4 (06:18):
Oh, they start like planning starts for them, especially this
year because next year is the one hundredth anniversary, so
they'll start planning for next year right now, right now,
because it takes so it's so much bigger, I think
than people even realize, because not only is it a
(06:38):
televised TV show produced by NBC, it's also a giant
public event with one of like the largest volunteer programs
in the country. So it's a live event plus a
televised event together. So I just think people don't realize
the scale. So you imagine it's like an entire team
at NBC who handles their portion of it, and then
(07:00):
there's an entire team at Macy's who handles theirs, and
obviously like teams within those teams. It's a giant to
do more than I even thought it was.
Speaker 2 (07:09):
Yeah, because I'm thinking, like, you have to close down streets,
the balloons are filled up Wednesday, when do they get
in place, are they put in place like Wednesday morning.
Speaker 4 (07:20):
The cool thing that I don't think a lot of
people know is that Wednesday night, around three o'clock in
the morning, they do what's called the convoy and they
bring all of the balloons and floats because they live
in New Jersey in these studios and warehouses, and they
bring them all over the night before around three o'clock
in the morning, and it is it's probably like it's
(07:41):
like a parade within the parade, because there's the city
electricians come out ahead of the trucks and they swing
all the light poles out of the way all who
as yes, oh.
Speaker 2 (07:54):
My god, I wouldn't. I don't know why I never
thought of that, neither did I.
Speaker 4 (07:58):
Like, as the floats and balloons coming down, they're swinging
the light poles out of the way all the way
down uh to I think about sixty sixty sixth Street
or something like that, which means nothing to. But then
about I think seven eight o'clock in the morning, they
(08:18):
start flowing the helium because they want all the inflation
teams out there in the little jumpsuits. Because it is
it's community event. A lot of people come to see it.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
They don't want to get at that hour in the morning.
Speaker 4 (08:29):
Yes, six seven more because it takes you know, there's
six seven six seven. There were eighteen balloons this year,
so it takes, you know, a certain amount of time.
And they they really put on this event, which is
what the one you came to. It's called Inflation Day
and it's a community event and they want people to
(08:51):
get an experience, so they kind of stagger the way
they inflate the balloons so that the press can get
their shots and the public can see each phase of
You wouldn't believe that people that come through and like
are upset that their balloon is already inflated when they
were just dying, you know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
Oh, they wanted to see it happen.
Speaker 4 (09:08):
They wanted to see it happen to get there and
it's already done.
Speaker 3 (09:11):
Yeah, but it's it just is it was.
Speaker 4 (09:15):
I've worked on some cool projects in my career. This
was probably number one. I mean, just in terms of everything.
And it's funny because I my day to day leading
up to Wednesday when I saw you was very much
like spreadsheets and logistics, and that's the world I was
in budgets, you know what I mean, nothing like ooh,
(09:37):
this is fun and creative, and then you get there
and it's like wow, just wow.
Speaker 2 (09:42):
I know when we were reading about the parade, I
think in the early years they used to let the
balloons go afterward they and then we used to have.
Speaker 4 (09:52):
A bunch of them that they would release at the end.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
Yeah, at the end. And then I think it was
like the nineteen thirties, which I can't I don't know
what aviation was like then, but it cost a plane crash,
I think. I'm pretty sure if you look it up
when they stopped releasing the balloons because a plane crashed.
Speaker 3 (10:15):
That's amazing.
Speaker 4 (10:16):
So the fun fact about that balloon release is back
in the day, if you found one of those balloons
that had flown away in the bouquet and brought it
back to Macy's, you would get one hundred dollars credit.
Speaker 2 (10:28):
Wow. Hey, no, right, So.
Speaker 3 (10:30):
Think about like in the twenties and thirties.
Speaker 2 (10:32):
That's that's an entire outfit. I mean that, that's an
entire wardrobe. Excuse me.
Speaker 3 (10:37):
What they don't tell you in the introduction is why
they stopped doing it. That's hilarious.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
I'm pretty sure that we saw that online that it
caused a plane crash in the nineteen thirties, And all
I was thinking was like, I don't know what aviation
was like in the nineteen thirties in terms.
Speaker 3 (10:54):
Of, oh, yeah, that's true, Like was it jets?
Speaker 2 (10:57):
So we're still dealing with, you know, was it Snoopy?
Speaker 3 (11:00):
Are you able to fly?
Speaker 2 (11:01):
Yes? Snoopy in the red baron? What are we doing?
What we're in a byplane? I have no idea because
I'm going to kind of a cold time of year,
so I'm assuming it was a jet and I thought
it was nineteen thirty six, but I don't know.
Speaker 4 (11:16):
Yeah, the coordinator a lot of lore about there's a
lot of I mean, obviously one hundred years, there's a
lot a lot of lore. But I did the best
one I found so far that that went viral, and
the team was The other day, I was on Instagram
and I saw a video of a guy who was like,
the twenty twenty Macy's Thanksgiving Parade happened, but not the
(11:37):
way he thought it did. And then he launched into
this whole explanation that actually the COVID pandemic and the
shutdown of the city was pre planned because we have
aliens that we found on Venus hidden beneath the Herald
Square toilet, and that we used to the Macy's Thanksgiving
Day balloons as trojan horses to find a move these
(12:01):
aliens out of the city. Because in twenty twenty, obviously
the parade was scaled down. They did a small live
event on Thanksgiving Day, but like all the major elements
were kind of pre taped over a couple of days,
so it wasn't the parade like normal. But this conspiracy
(12:22):
was that we used the balloons to transport aliens that
we had found in the fifties out of the city.
Speaker 2 (12:29):
Then it's freaking crazy, crazy, absolutely crazy. What is next
for you?
Speaker 3 (12:37):
I don't know.
Speaker 4 (12:38):
Like, thankfully, this relationship with Macy's has already opened some
doors for me.
Speaker 3 (12:44):
There's a couple of event companies that have reached.
Speaker 4 (12:46):
Out to me since, so I'll be talking to them
about stuff.
Speaker 3 (12:51):
Weirdly, in the middle of this.
Speaker 4 (12:53):
All going on, I got reached out to again by
mister beast Oh, which would be the second time they
have called, and so I might be going out and
doing this. The first time I didn't go down and
do a site visit. The second time, I might just
to see like who Cares which is obviously YouTube's biggest YouTube.
Speaker 3 (13:12):
Channel in the world.
Speaker 2 (13:14):
Would you have to move?
Speaker 3 (13:16):
I would have to move.
Speaker 4 (13:17):
He's based in Greenville. It's it's the nice thing about them.
What I will say, and this isn't proprietary information so
I can tell you, is when they want to do
a hire, they do a ninety day trial period. So
they bring you down and they put you up in
corporate housing, similar to how you would be if you
were on the road for a show and they give
(13:39):
you three months. That way, you don't get rid of
your apartment and sell all your things and relocate and
you get there it's not the vibe for you, and
it's not.
Speaker 3 (13:47):
The vibe for them, and you've uprooted your whole life.
And then then what do you do?
Speaker 4 (13:51):
So they give you ninety days, and then within that
ninety days, I think you produce two videos, which gives
them the opportunity to see how you're gonna do within
their system. Because they operate very differently from any other
production out there. They just do They have a very
things are shot as if they're live because they're one
shot because Jimmy doesn't want things to look fake, which
(14:13):
I understand. So it's set up like a live show,
and then there's producing on the back end, which is
like a whole you know what I mean, it's not
what they do.
Speaker 3 (14:20):
And live live.
Speaker 2 (14:21):
It's live.
Speaker 3 (14:21):
You see what you see, and that's it.
Speaker 4 (14:23):
This is shot live and then edited to make sure
that it's as many minutes as it needs to be
for YouTube, and unnecessary things are cut out and graphics
can be added and stuff like that.
Speaker 3 (14:32):
So really tries to keep it authentic.
Speaker 4 (14:34):
So I'll produce two videos, see how that goes, and then.
Speaker 3 (14:37):
Make a decision. If I say yes, they'll give me
relocation money.
Speaker 4 (14:43):
So in addition to like putting you up, then they
then they help you move because he owns the whole
town of Greenville, so they can help you find out house.
Speaker 3 (14:51):
That's not part of it. That just feels a little weird,
you know. I mean, you're just like, once you're in,
you're just into this compound.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
And I a.
Speaker 4 (15:01):
I I'm a bit of a free bird.
Speaker 3 (15:04):
I like I like my freedom.
Speaker 4 (15:06):
Yeah, but also I've had my freedom for twenty years.
Speaker 3 (15:10):
I need health.
Speaker 2 (15:11):
Insurance, gotcha, gotcha? What's the Would you still be able
to do things on your own?
Speaker 3 (15:19):
If I were.
Speaker 4 (15:20):
Working for him, it would be much harder to take
on independent projects.
Speaker 2 (15:24):
But I mean, if you this is a nice thing because.
Speaker 3 (15:26):
I would be I would be full time doing that, right.
I just wouldn't have time. You'd be producing.
Speaker 4 (15:32):
Like I said, they do things very like they're they're
producing styles very different.
Speaker 3 (15:36):
It's kind of intense a little bit because they have
to stay you have to stay relevant or die.
Speaker 4 (15:42):
They're the biggest channel for a reason, and they have
to keep going because you know what I mean, for
all the reasons.
Speaker 3 (15:47):
They have to keep sponsorships and whatever. So they just
do it different. I just don't think I would have time.
Speaker 2 (15:53):
You don't think you'd have to like write your own stuff, right,
and which would.
Speaker 4 (15:57):
Be a bummer, you know. I mean, I think I
would have time. You know you won't have time, But
I think it would just be much harder. And I
have a couple of projects that I really want to
get off the ground, like for realsies that.
Speaker 2 (16:13):
Have some you know, the one that you wrote that
I read. I loved it, did you?
Speaker 3 (16:19):
I sent you the second one, the.
Speaker 2 (16:21):
Second one I haven't read yet. And I apologize for that.
I've just been just a little bit upside down.
Speaker 3 (16:26):
It's a little bit.
Speaker 4 (16:27):
I'm a little bit farther along with it, and I've
changed some things. So I'll send it to you, like
just fun. It's been fun to get in and write
this stuff. I want to get these things submitted. You know,
I got plans. I want to get them made.
Speaker 2 (16:42):
Yeah, I hear you. I'm noticing, like you know, it
would almost be I don't want to run out of time, right,
I don't want to run out of time.
Speaker 4 (16:58):
I want to have any like damn, I should have
done that ye before. I can't if I'm working for
a mister beast, it might be a situation where like, damn,
I could have made my movie but I didn't because
you know what I mean. Or or it could be
like thank god I worked for mister Beat so I
could have the seed money so I could make my movie.
Speaker 2 (17:15):
You will never one hundred percent, I mean that's what
I'm saying. And nothing has to happen tomorrow. Everything kind
of goes with it. I think, you know, for a
lot of things, I'm a bit of a risk taker, yeah,
to you know, to a certain extent, you know, my
(17:36):
world got turned upside down and I just decided we'll
try this. We'll just try it. And I took a
bunch of money and I you have to I threw
a bunch of money at it. And I know that
there were family members going, what the fuck is he doing?
And uh, I mean even my father said to me
a year later, he goes, I didn't think it was
gonna work. And I'm not saying that it's blown the
(17:57):
doors off, but I did something that many people I
can't do. Right.
Speaker 3 (18:02):
I feel the same way.
Speaker 4 (18:03):
I had a lot of people like, basically laugh in
my face, what do you think you're trying to do?
Speaker 3 (18:09):
And I was like, just watch watch me do it.
Speaker 2 (18:12):
And I often I saw I saw in an interview
today this morning, we're taking this on the on the
Sunday uh. And I do enjoy the CBS Sunday Morning Show.
And I saw an interview with James Cameron. And when
you look at the ship, that guy did so he
(18:34):
was a truck driver and he will yeah and he
wanted to. I guess he had gone to college and
it just wasn't for him and he didn't. So we
wound up being a truck driver. But he was so
interested in this stuff that he would go to the
USC library and into the archives and read everything about
(18:56):
production and animation and lighting and all this stuff. And
he said, he would you know, xerox. It is the
word he use, which is so funny, right, because that's
where that's funne I am And he said, I had
these binders and it was like a master class. He's
like a graduate level course on how to do it.
So then he eventually got jobs. But because he was
so technically knowledgeable and self taught, like went in and
(19:18):
did it self taught right, that he was able to
then move up in these companies and then eventually wrote
Terminator and did this thing and co produced that it is.
And yet when you look at the shit that this
guy does, you go, I mean Terminator was like puppetry
and strings and you know, alien with something like that. Yeah,
(19:41):
and then he right, and now he's doing and he's
got a museum, a private museum of all the props
for movies he's done. And then you know, like his
whole thing was I need I want to explore because
I'm interested in the Titanic. I want to go down
in submarines and look at it. But in order to
to get that funded, I need to come up with
(20:02):
a story. So he's like, all right, I'll write this story.
He goes, I'll make it Romeo and Juliet and and
that's what he did, and it became the biggest box office.
Speaker 3 (20:11):
Grossery of just wanting to see the all.
Speaker 2 (20:14):
In pursuit of that, that was the whole purpose. Yeah,
and then took eight right, and then took eight years
off and did all this expiration, and then came back
and started Avatar. And Avatar looks insane to how to
even produce that, Like the way the people siging we
think it's in. It's just it's nutty. But one of
(20:38):
the things he said was I love doing things I
don't know how to do. I love doing things I
don't know how to do, because I hope when I'm
eighty seven and have an oxygen tube up my nose,
I'm still doing things I don't know how to do that. Yeah,
And I thought, wow, that's a different way of because
(20:59):
most of the people fear doing something they don't know
how to do.
Speaker 4 (21:02):
I feel fortunate enough in my career I have done
so many different kinds of projects that there are definitely
projects that I am not interested in anymore. And I
get to say, I don't want to do this docuseries
about this family because, you know, for whatever reason, because
it doesn't feel right to me, you know, And I
can say no and not feel bad about turning something
(21:24):
down because if I turn around and look at the
things I have done, it's like, who cares, nobody's.
Speaker 2 (21:29):
Watching this shit. Some of the preak Well, that parade
thing was unbelievable. Thank you so much for getting Jamison
and I some access to that. I've been doing some
things with him where I'll post once in a while.
I don't think he's always comfortable with it, but I
call it our mandate, and yeah, I like it. It's
(21:51):
a mandate, so we h And it's a mandated it's
a mandated mandate. And I think it's mandated more because
it's needed, right, And I think that a lot of times,
for me, I don't know about you, it was easier
to bury myself in work than to actually deal with
the shit in front of me. And so now absolutely
(22:11):
part of this part of the whole thing with the
mental health counseling stuff is oh, boy, buddy, you better
figure your shit out fast.
Speaker 4 (22:20):
Is it like I'm curious, is it cracking things open
for you don't have to tell me, but like for
you personally that you weren't expecting, where you're just like, oh, wow,
I guess I never thought about something that way, or
maybe this is the way I do things because of
this reason. Like are you learning stuff about yourself in
the process or is it very much like you're learning
(22:41):
what bipolarism is, you know, is it kind of helping
you with some self awareness or is it very clinical?
Speaker 2 (22:48):
No, there's a lot of self awareness, tremendous amount of
self awareness stuff. There's a book that I had to
read that I would say is perfect for anybody who
would just be therapy if you had an actual diagnosis
of something. You made me need something a little more intense.
But this was really about feelings and it was simple examples,
(23:11):
like you know, let's say you and somebody are in
a relationship and the person you go to they're coming
back from business trips, so you're excited to see them,
so you make their favorite dinner and you've got it
ready and the candles, and you go pick them up
at the airport. And you're all excited. You get in
the car and you say, hey, I made this dinner
(23:34):
and I'm so excited you're home and oh when will
it be ready as soon as we get back. Fantastic
because then I can go meet my friends at the
bar at ten. And you stuff it down and you
don't say anything, and it builds up, and it builds
up and builds resentment. And I think that's a very
relatable thing to a lot of people. But I think
that that getting in touch with your emotions, realizing and
(23:57):
here are the things. Like on a spiritual side, I
say this, but there's a reality to it as well,
that your feelings are your guidance. Right, something feels off,
something doesn't feel right, something's uncomfortable, something's this, But your
feelings are your guidance. So when you actually can actually
sit with the emotions and understand that and allow things
(24:21):
to be over and realize that you know, a lot
of life has lived up here, but yes, it has
uncovered a lot. I have avoided emotions. I compartamentalize things,
which I think is also very beneficial. Like I could
have a conversation about somebody getting killed in the DWY
accident and then say, well, it was nice to see
you guys, and I'm really glad you're here at this
(24:41):
comedy show, and then go out on stage and do
ten minutes of funny because I can compartmentalize. I don't
know that that's very healthy. I have no idea, But
I would also say that being you know, really seeing
like I'm like, oh my god, like fuck, I'm fucked up.
I gotta I got it, I gotta. I gotta deal
with this stuff. And I've got to, you know, admit
(25:03):
to myself and stop avoiding because I would rather go
have fun than have to deal with the serious stuff
in life. So I would rather go drink and uh,
you know, meet some girl and that would become my
priority and I'd go running out there. And I think
that it's taken me to this point in the course
(25:25):
even to go okay, I can't do that anymore. I don't.
I don't really have the time for it. And right
now is.
Speaker 3 (25:33):
Differently it does.
Speaker 2 (25:35):
And I would say, like, in a very realistic way,
I think that it I don't know. I enjoy this.
I enjoy the counseling side of things. So I have
no idea where it all goes.
Speaker 3 (25:50):
But you've always been into that, like, well.
Speaker 2 (25:53):
I'm curious. So it's always the why, the why.
Speaker 3 (25:56):
You know, it's always like this.
Speaker 4 (25:57):
Story is funny, but why did this person dressing a
rabbit suit and drive, you know, seven hundred miles an hour?
Speaker 3 (26:04):
Like what is you know?
Speaker 2 (26:05):
What's the underlying thing? I mean, yeah, I've always thought
that about alcoholism and everything. Well, we can say it's
in your you have a disease, but what what caused it? What? What?
What are you avoiding? What are you hiding from? Why
is this? Yeah? Because drinking, I'll say it all the time,
is drinking's fun.
Speaker 1 (26:23):
Man.
Speaker 2 (26:23):
Drugs are fun. They're fun. They're a lot of fun.
But they can also ruin you.
Speaker 4 (26:29):
Right, and you got to be able to do cocaine anymore,
So forget that.
Speaker 2 (26:35):
I know. So sad it is. Well, I know people
who I may or may not know people who still
do cocaine, and I don't know. I wouldn't. I'm not as.
Speaker 3 (26:49):
Comfortable with any It just is too scary. There are
just too many.
Speaker 4 (26:53):
Like I had a friend of mine passed away on
my birthday from some dirty.
Speaker 3 (26:58):
Because they're they're putting fatnel in it and it just
is like this year, No, this was twenty nineteen.
Speaker 2 (27:07):
Okay, not that long ago, six years ago.
Speaker 4 (27:10):
Anytime you hear do you remember that story of those
Kansas City chiefs guys that were hanging out at that
guy's house in the backyard, woke up in the morning,
three of them were dead.
Speaker 3 (27:19):
Yes, I've known the cocaine.
Speaker 4 (27:21):
Like that's what because they put it in there, because
it's highly addictive, and they're only supposed to put a
little bit, but they put.
Speaker 3 (27:26):
Too much and you die. So the fact that you
even have to.
Speaker 4 (27:28):
Like like figure out if you're gonna die, like I can't.
Speaker 3 (27:32):
I can't even go there.
Speaker 4 (27:34):
No, I can figure out if I'm gonna die first,
Like no, sorry, I'm just good.
Speaker 2 (27:39):
I mean, cocaine is an adult adderall, as a friend
of mine says. But I would rather I just take
the adderall you need. Yeah, believe me, I love adderall.
I'm to the point now where I almost needed to
get through the day.
Speaker 4 (27:55):
I have to stay away from like all that the
weed is as strong as it gets for me.
Speaker 3 (27:59):
I have to stay away from all that stuff.
Speaker 2 (28:00):
I just can't.
Speaker 3 (28:01):
I've never been that kind of it.
Speaker 4 (28:03):
Just I'm too anxious of a person you do not
want to give an anxious person to offer this.
Speaker 2 (28:08):
Well, I can see myself get a little anxious from
time to time, but it's now to the point where
it's like, I'm so if I don't have it, I
think I would sleep all day because I'm drained. And
you know, I mean, look, you're right right. I had
somebody say that to me. But you've lived through this
in the last six months. For me, I lost my dad.
(28:31):
I had a personal relationship that I put to an end.
There was another relationship that kind of went nowhere. There was,
you know, all the moving parts of this. Your a
single dad. I mean, I don't mean that, like his
mom just doesn't live in this town. So there's all
those things you're trying to navigate. And then you took
(28:53):
it on grad school and an intense program because it's
got to be done by twenty twenty seven, and I go, God, damn,
I am. I'm burned out. And somehow the adderall has
helped me and I get shit done, and I find
myself doing things like I'm turning the TV off. I
gotta go do this right now. I gotta do this,
(29:13):
And I don't know if that's the adderall giving you clarity.
I have no idea because I would melt into my
couch and just watch anything and everything for no reason
and then wake up and go, why did I waste
those hours?
Speaker 4 (29:27):
So I mean, obviously like doctors don't like I don't know,
I don't know, You're not going to get something that
is I don't know, gonna hurt you.
Speaker 3 (29:36):
But just be careful.
Speaker 4 (29:37):
Yeah, you know, yes, you will get stuff done, and
there are people who need it chemically. Your body just
doesn't make the chemicals you need to do the things
that you don't make enough sarahtone or dopamine and that
stuff helps you to achieve those lives.
Speaker 2 (29:50):
These bodies I'm making enough anything to stop more of
all I get Leary.
Speaker 4 (29:57):
You know, I've seen a lot of addiction in this industry,
a lot because like you know, people want to, they
want to if they're enjoying what they're doing, they want
to go through a wall to do it, and you know,
to do anything, and so you know, just everything.
Speaker 2 (30:10):
In moderation, Everything in moderation. Good note to end on, Alex.
I can't wait to hear about the mister b stuff.
Speaker 3 (30:18):
Yeah, I will keep you posted and let you know.
I'll let you know.
Speaker 4 (30:21):
You know whatever's next, so I'll let you know. Hopefully
I'm in a position where next year for the hundredth
I could go back and do the Greade again, because
I'm it was such an amazing experience and I would
love to do I would love to be part of
the hundred year.
Speaker 3 (30:38):
But if not, like I take, I left nothing on
the table, you know what I mean. I feel like
I got I got everything out of that. It was amazing.
Speaker 4 (30:47):
I said to my people leader like a thousand times, like,
thank you so much for thinking of me and bringing
me into this.
Speaker 3 (30:52):
It was, it was, it was amazing to me.
Speaker 2 (30:55):
Well that is uh And I can't thank you enough
for getting James and my too. That that was so
much fun. That was very cool, very cool for Alex
who still talks to me. Hang on one second, after
we're done here, I got a question. I'm Bill Moran.
We'll see you tomorrow. I woke up in hold jail,
(31:21):
didn't know what to do.
When your old career gives you lemons throwing some ice,
mix in some vodka. Call it a podcast from the
mac of All Trade Studio in Fairport and driven by
Victor Chrysler Dots. Gee Rahm, It's Billified, the Bill Moran Podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
Well, hello and welcome. Thank you for getting your pot on.
Thanks for telling a friend. That's how we spread the
word about the pirate ship. I hope everybody had a
great Thanksgiving weekend. I don't know if anybody else is
feeling I'm like feeling overwhelmed on stuff. You know, we're
(00:50):
in this new studio and I need to kind of
get some things settled in. Like, these guys are so
fantastic at the mac of All Trades building. If you
need anything done, you got to go to Macaball Trades.
They're just fantastic. Fund them online and macaball Trades dot net.
But they came in and repainted the wall, so everything's
(01:10):
gathered around our table. You really can't see it. And
then I'm debating what stays what goes, and I mean school,
and I got it's like right now all the projects
are due, all the projects that everybody's talked about and
felt so far off, and there's I mean, I don't
know how I'm gonna get all this done. I don't
(01:31):
even Sometimes you ever wonder where you go? What did
I do? And I feel like I somehow bit off
more than I can chew, which is typical for me.
And then of course I self sabotage myself in other areas.
They usually involve I don't know, alcohol a little bit,
a little bit, but I'm getting better at that. And
I got to tell you, like, there's so many things
(01:52):
that I want to do, especially now that we're in
this new space and school stuff, and I feel like
I'm starting to figure it out now if I can,
I mean all of it. You know what it means.
It means I can't really go have fun anymore. But
I mean, this is just to give you an example
of how overwhelmed. Like. I'm in the shower today and
(02:12):
I'm talking to myself, not like a schizophrenic person who
actually sees someone there and is having a conversation. I'm
just like thinking out loud. And I washed my hair
twice because I couldn't remember, and on the second time,
oh god, I already did this. And then I leave
the house and I get in the car and go.
I left my phone inside and then I can't find it,
and I got my kid called. I mean, you know
(02:32):
what I'm saying, It's like all these little things. And
I thought Adderall would correct that stuff. But maybe I
need a higher dose. I don't really know. But speaking
of fun over the long holiday weekend, of course, there
is the legendary Macy's Day Parade, and today's guest once
got college credit for waking up at three am to
(02:57):
listen to me talking to a microphone. And some how
after that trauma, she still wanted to work in entertainment
and she still actually talks to me. Hello, Alex, Hi,
So I'm great. Alex was involved this year in the
production would that be fair to say of the of
(03:20):
the Macy's Day Parade, the legendary Macy's Day Parade, And
she let me know that she was doing this and said, hey,
if you want, I can get you in up close
to the balloons. So my son and I and along
with my brother and his family went down on Wednesday
(03:40):
and they went to the rock Cats. Everything got delayed,
delayed in the morning, we didn't get out of there
in time. It was all this stuff it might have
been my fault. I think I was doing a project
for school and I ran a little over. So when
we get there, they went to the rock Cats, and
James and I went uptown to the west side to
see the balloons, and Alex just got us through. I mean,
(04:03):
the police would go eight and then she's like, now
they're with me. And it was so cool to walk
in and we're like in the residential area. I think
there were residential streets right, yeah, that people were waiting
hours to get into the balloons and we just right
in there. And how I know that was like it
felt I was like first class treatment. And it was
amazing to me to see how big those balloons are
(04:27):
in person. They're huge. And if I were really good
at this podcasting thing, I would have video rolling right
now as we're talking about it. But I didn't do
that only because I i it required an extra step
I didn't have time for today. I was doing invoice
all kinds of shit anyway.
Speaker 3 (04:45):
Added to the social teas.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
Later, Yeah, I will, but it was so cool. And
I have to tell you, if you know, I got
a fifteen year old son, and you know, having had
a fifteen year old son yourself that they're not impressed
by a whole lot, And in the end, I think
he really had a lot of fun. He was disappointed
because he really wanted to go to Chinatown to some store,
(05:09):
and I'm like, buddy, it's an over an hour, maybe
an hour and a half to get from the Upper West.
Speaker 4 (05:15):
Hide, especially that day, like that weekend, there's a lot
of trains shut down. You know, I don't think people realize,
like the parade is a huge to do, obviously, but
it literally shuts down the entire city. Trains get rerouted
and streets are closed and you can't walk through where
you normally would be able to just all in pursuit
(05:35):
of this big event, which is, you know, spectacular and awesome,
but it's also you know, a bit of a pain
to kind of navigate. And a lot of people will
use Google Maps and stuff to get around the city
if you're not from here, which is very helpful on
a normal day, but when there's a big event in town,
the marathon or the parade or something like that, it's
just kind of much harder to navigate. Google Maps hasn't
(05:55):
caught up with the closures yet, so you know.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
Talk to me about that, because I mean, when when
did you join the Macy's Day Parade team.
Speaker 4 (06:06):
I joined the team in September, end of September. I've
only been doing it for like two months proper.
Speaker 2 (06:13):
How long are they planning this parade?
Speaker 4 (06:18):
Oh, they start like planning starts for them, especially this
year because next year is the one hundredth anniversary, so
they'll start planning for next year right now, right now,
because it takes so it's so much bigger, I think
than people even realize, because not only is it a
(06:38):
televised TV show produced by NBC, it's also a giant
public event with one of like the largest volunteer programs
in the country. So it's a live event plus a
televised event together. So I just think people don't realize
the scale. So you imagine it's like an entire team
at NBC who handles their portion of it, and then
(07:00):
there's an entire team at Macy's who handles theirs, and
obviously like teams within those teams. It's a giant to
do more than I even thought it was.
Speaker 2 (07:09):
Yeah, because I'm thinking, like, you have to close down streets,
the balloons are filled up Wednesday, when do they get
in place, are they put in place like Wednesday morning.
Speaker 4 (07:20):
The cool thing that I don't think a lot of
people know is that Wednesday night, around three o'clock in
the morning, they do what's called the convoy and they
bring all of the balloons and floats because they live
in New Jersey in these studios and warehouses, and they
bring them all over the night before around three o'clock
in the morning, and it is it's probably like it's
(07:41):
like a parade within the parade, because there's the city
electricians come out ahead of the trucks and they swing
all the light poles out of the way all who
as yes, oh.
Speaker 2 (07:54):
My god, I wouldn't. I don't know why I never
thought of that, neither did I.
Speaker 4 (07:58):
Like, as the floats and balloons coming down, they're swinging
the light poles out of the way all the way
down uh to I think about sixty sixty sixth Street
or something like that, which means nothing to. But then
about I think seven eight o'clock in the morning, they
(08:18):
start flowing the helium because they want all the inflation
teams out there in the little jumpsuits. Because it is
it's community event. A lot of people come to see it.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
They don't want to get at that hour in the morning.
Speaker 4 (08:29):
Yes, six seven more because it takes you know, there's
six seven six seven. There were eighteen balloons this year,
so it takes, you know, a certain amount of time.
And they they really put on this event, which is
what the one you came to. It's called Inflation Day
and it's a community event and they want people to
(08:51):
get an experience, so they kind of stagger the way
they inflate the balloons so that the press can get
their shots and the public can see each phase of
You wouldn't believe that people that come through and like
are upset that their balloon is already inflated when they
were just dying, you know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
Oh, they wanted to see it happen.
Speaker 4 (09:08):
They wanted to see it happen to get there and
it's already done.
Speaker 3 (09:11):
Yeah, but it's it just is it was.
Speaker 4 (09:15):
I've worked on some cool projects in my career. This
was probably number one. I mean, just in terms of everything.
And it's funny because I my day to day leading
up to Wednesday when I saw you was very much
like spreadsheets and logistics, and that's the world I was
in budgets, you know what I mean, nothing like ooh,
(09:37):
this is fun and creative, and then you get there
and it's like wow, just wow.
Speaker 2 (09:42):
I know when we were reading about the parade, I
think in the early years they used to let the
balloons go afterward they and then we used to have.
Speaker 4 (09:52):
A bunch of them that they would release at the end.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
Yeah, at the end. And then I think it was
like the nineteen thirties, which I can't I don't know
what aviation was like then, but it cost a plane crash,
I think. I'm pretty sure if you look it up
when they stopped releasing the balloons because a plane crashed.
Speaker 3 (10:15):
That's amazing.
Speaker 4 (10:16):
So the fun fact about that balloon release is back
in the day, if you found one of those balloons
that had flown away in the bouquet and brought it
back to Macy's, you would get one hundred dollars credit.
Speaker 2 (10:28):
Wow. Hey, no, right, So.
Speaker 3 (10:30):
Think about like in the twenties and thirties.
Speaker 2 (10:32):
That's that's an entire outfit. I mean that, that's an
entire wardrobe. Excuse me.
Speaker 3 (10:37):
What they don't tell you in the introduction is why
they stopped doing it. That's hilarious.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
I'm pretty sure that we saw that online that it
caused a plane crash in the nineteen thirties, And all
I was thinking was like, I don't know what aviation
was like in the nineteen thirties in terms.
Speaker 3 (10:54):
Of, oh, yeah, that's true, Like was it jets?
Speaker 2 (10:57):
So we're still dealing with, you know, was it Snoopy?
Speaker 3 (11:00):
Are you able to fly?
Speaker 2 (11:01):
Yes? Snoopy in the red baron? What are we doing?
What we're in a byplane? I have no idea because
I'm going to kind of a cold time of year,
so I'm assuming it was a jet and I thought
it was nineteen thirty six, but I don't know.
Speaker 4 (11:16):
Yeah, the coordinator a lot of lore about there's a
lot of I mean, obviously one hundred years, there's a
lot a lot of lore. But I did the best
one I found so far that that went viral, and
the team was The other day, I was on Instagram
and I saw a video of a guy who was like,
the twenty twenty Macy's Thanksgiving Parade happened, but not the
(11:37):
way he thought it did. And then he launched into
this whole explanation that actually the COVID pandemic and the
shutdown of the city was pre planned because we have
aliens that we found on Venus hidden beneath the Herald
Square toilet, and that we used to the Macy's Thanksgiving
Day balloons as trojan horses to find a move these
(12:01):
aliens out of the city. Because in twenty twenty, obviously
the parade was scaled down. They did a small live
event on Thanksgiving Day, but like all the major elements
were kind of pre taped over a couple of days,
so it wasn't the parade like normal. But this conspiracy
(12:22):
was that we used the balloons to transport aliens that
we had found in the fifties out of the city.
Speaker 2 (12:29):
Then it's freaking crazy, crazy, absolutely crazy. What is next
for you?
Speaker 3 (12:37):
I don't know.
Speaker 4 (12:38):
Like, thankfully, this relationship with Macy's has already opened some
doors for me.
Speaker 3 (12:44):
There's a couple of event companies that have reached.
Speaker 4 (12:46):
Out to me since, so I'll be talking to them
about stuff.
Speaker 3 (12:51):
Weirdly, in the middle of this.
Speaker 4 (12:53):
All going on, I got reached out to again by
mister beast Oh, which would be the second time they
have called, and so I might be going out and
doing this. The first time I didn't go down and
do a site visit. The second time, I might just
to see like who Cares which is obviously YouTube's biggest YouTube.
Speaker 3 (13:12):
Channel in the world.
Speaker 2 (13:14):
Would you have to move?
Speaker 3 (13:16):
I would have to move.
Speaker 4 (13:17):
He's based in Greenville. It's it's the nice thing about them.
What I will say, and this isn't proprietary information so
I can tell you, is when they want to do
a hire, they do a ninety day trial period. So
they bring you down and they put you up in
corporate housing, similar to how you would be if you
were on the road for a show and they give
(13:39):
you three months. That way, you don't get rid of
your apartment and sell all your things and relocate and
you get there it's not the vibe for you, and
it's not.
Speaker 3 (13:47):
The vibe for them, and you've uprooted your whole life.
And then then what do you do?
Speaker 4 (13:51):
So they give you ninety days, and then within that
ninety days, I think you produce two videos, which gives
them the opportunity to see how you're gonna do within
their system. Because they operate very differently from any other
production out there. They just do They have a very
things are shot as if they're live because they're one
shot because Jimmy doesn't want things to look fake, which
(14:13):
I understand. So it's set up like a live show,
and then there's producing on the back end, which is
like a whole you know what I mean, it's not
what they do.
Speaker 3 (14:20):
And live live.
Speaker 2 (14:21):
It's live.
Speaker 3 (14:21):
You see what you see, and that's it.
Speaker 4 (14:23):
This is shot live and then edited to make sure
that it's as many minutes as it needs to be
for YouTube, and unnecessary things are cut out and graphics
can be added and stuff like that.
Speaker 3 (14:32):
So really tries to keep it authentic.
Speaker 4 (14:34):
So I'll produce two videos, see how that goes, and then.
Speaker 3 (14:37):
Make a decision. If I say yes, they'll give me
relocation money.
Speaker 4 (14:43):
So in addition to like putting you up, then they
then they help you move because he owns the whole
town of Greenville, so they can help you find out house.
Speaker 3 (14:51):
That's not part of it. That just feels a little weird,
you know. I mean, you're just like, once you're in,
you're just into this compound.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
And I a.
Speaker 4 (15:01):
I I'm a bit of a free bird.
Speaker 3 (15:04):
I like I like my freedom.
Speaker 4 (15:06):
Yeah, but also I've had my freedom for twenty years.
Speaker 3 (15:10):
I need health.
Speaker 2 (15:11):
Insurance, gotcha, gotcha? What's the Would you still be able
to do things on your own?
Speaker 3 (15:19):
If I were.
Speaker 4 (15:20):
Working for him, it would be much harder to take
on independent projects.
Speaker 2 (15:24):
But I mean, if you this is a nice thing because.
Speaker 3 (15:26):
I would be I would be full time doing that, right.
I just wouldn't have time. You'd be producing.
Speaker 4 (15:32):
Like I said, they do things very like they're they're
producing styles very different.
Speaker 3 (15:36):
It's kind of intense a little bit because they have
to stay you have to stay relevant or die.
Speaker 4 (15:42):
They're the biggest channel for a reason, and they have
to keep going because you know what I mean, for
all the reasons.
Speaker 3 (15:47):
They have to keep sponsorships and whatever. So they just
do it different. I just don't think I would have time.
Speaker 2 (15:53):
You don't think you'd have to like write your own stuff, right,
and which would.
Speaker 4 (15:57):
Be a bummer, you know. I mean, I think I
would have time. You know you won't have time, But
I think it would just be much harder. And I
have a couple of projects that I really want to
get off the ground, like for realsies that.
Speaker 2 (16:13):
Have some you know, the one that you wrote that
I read. I loved it, did you?
Speaker 3 (16:19):
I sent you the second one, the.
Speaker 2 (16:21):
Second one I haven't read yet. And I apologize for that.
I've just been just a little bit upside down.
Speaker 3 (16:26):
It's a little bit.
Speaker 4 (16:27):
I'm a little bit farther along with it, and I've
changed some things. So I'll send it to you, like
just fun. It's been fun to get in and write
this stuff. I want to get these things submitted. You know,
I got plans. I want to get them made.
Speaker 2 (16:42):
Yeah, I hear you. I'm noticing, like you know, it
would almost be I don't want to run out of time, right,
I don't want to run out of time.
Speaker 4 (16:58):
I want to have any like damn, I should have
done that ye before. I can't if I'm working for
a mister beast, it might be a situation where like, damn,
I could have made my movie but I didn't because
you know what I mean. Or or it could be
like thank god I worked for mister Beat so I
could have the seed money so I could make my movie.
Speaker 2 (17:15):
You will never one hundred percent, I mean that's what
I'm saying. And nothing has to happen tomorrow. Everything kind
of goes with it. I think, you know, for a
lot of things, I'm a bit of a risk taker, yeah,
to you know, to a certain extent, you know, my
(17:36):
world got turned upside down and I just decided we'll
try this. We'll just try it. And I took a
bunch of money and I you have to I threw
a bunch of money at it. And I know that
there were family members going, what the fuck is he doing?
And uh, I mean even my father said to me
a year later, he goes, I didn't think it was
gonna work. And I'm not saying that it's blown the
(17:57):
doors off, but I did something that many people I
can't do. Right.
Speaker 3 (18:02):
I feel the same way.
Speaker 4 (18:03):
I had a lot of people like, basically laugh in
my face, what do you think you're trying to do?
Speaker 3 (18:09):
And I was like, just watch watch me do it.
Speaker 2 (18:12):
And I often I saw I saw in an interview
today this morning, we're taking this on the on the
Sunday uh. And I do enjoy the CBS Sunday Morning Show.
And I saw an interview with James Cameron. And when
you look at the ship, that guy did so he
(18:34):
was a truck driver and he will yeah and he
wanted to. I guess he had gone to college and
it just wasn't for him and he didn't. So we
wound up being a truck driver. But he was so
interested in this stuff that he would go to the
USC library and into the archives and read everything about
(18:56):
production and animation and lighting and all this stuff. And
he said, he would you know, xerox. It is the
word he use, which is so funny, right, because that's
where that's funne I am And he said, I had
these binders and it was like a master class. He's
like a graduate level course on how to do it.
So then he eventually got jobs. But because he was
so technically knowledgeable and self taught, like went in and
(19:18):
did it self taught right, that he was able to
then move up in these companies and then eventually wrote
Terminator and did this thing and co produced that it is.
And yet when you look at the shit that this
guy does, you go, I mean Terminator was like puppetry
and strings and you know, alien with something like that. Yeah,
(19:41):
and then he right, and now he's doing and he's
got a museum, a private museum of all the props
for movies he's done. And then you know, like his
whole thing was I need I want to explore because
I'm interested in the Titanic. I want to go down
in submarines and look at it. But in order to
to get that funded, I need to come up with
(20:02):
a story. So he's like, all right, I'll write this story.
He goes, I'll make it Romeo and Juliet and and
that's what he did, and it became the biggest box office.
Speaker 3 (20:11):
Grossery of just wanting to see the all.
Speaker 2 (20:14):
In pursuit of that, that was the whole purpose. Yeah,
and then took eight right, and then took eight years
off and did all this expiration, and then came back
and started Avatar. And Avatar looks insane to how to
even produce that, Like the way the people siging we
think it's in. It's just it's nutty. But one of
(20:38):
the things he said was I love doing things I
don't know how to do. I love doing things I
don't know how to do, because I hope when I'm
eighty seven and have an oxygen tube up my nose,
I'm still doing things I don't know how to do that. Yeah,
And I thought, wow, that's a different way of because
(20:59):
most of the people fear doing something they don't know
how to do.
Speaker 4 (21:02):
I feel fortunate enough in my career I have done
so many different kinds of projects that there are definitely
projects that I am not interested in anymore. And I
get to say, I don't want to do this docuseries
about this family because, you know, for whatever reason, because
it doesn't feel right to me, you know, And I
can say no and not feel bad about turning something
(21:24):
down because if I turn around and look at the
things I have done, it's like, who cares, nobody's.
Speaker 2 (21:29):
Watching this shit. Some of the preak Well, that parade
thing was unbelievable. Thank you so much for getting Jamison
and I some access to that. I've been doing some
things with him where I'll post once in a while.
I don't think he's always comfortable with it, but I
call it our mandate, and yeah, I like it. It's
(21:51):
a mandate, so we h And it's a mandated it's
a mandated mandate. And I think it's mandated more because
it's needed, right, And I think that a lot of times,
for me, I don't know about you, it was easier
to bury myself in work than to actually deal with
the shit in front of me. And so now absolutely
(22:11):
part of this part of the whole thing with the
mental health counseling stuff is oh, boy, buddy, you better
figure your shit out fast.
Speaker 4 (22:20):
Is it like I'm curious, is it cracking things open
for you don't have to tell me, but like for
you personally that you weren't expecting, where you're just like, oh, wow,
I guess I never thought about something that way, or
maybe this is the way I do things because of
this reason. Like are you learning stuff about yourself in
the process or is it very much like you're learning
(22:41):
what bipolarism is, you know, is it kind of helping
you with some self awareness or is it very clinical?
Speaker 2 (22:48):
No, there's a lot of self awareness, tremendous amount of
self awareness stuff. There's a book that I had to
read that I would say is perfect for anybody who
would just be therapy if you had an actual diagnosis
of something. You made me need something a little more intense.
But this was really about feelings and it was simple examples,
(23:11):
like you know, let's say you and somebody are in
a relationship and the person you go to they're coming
back from business trips, so you're excited to see them,
so you make their favorite dinner and you've got it
ready and the candles, and you go pick them up
at the airport. And you're all excited. You get in
the car and you say, hey, I made this dinner
(23:34):
and I'm so excited you're home and oh when will
it be ready as soon as we get back. Fantastic
because then I can go meet my friends at the
bar at ten. And you stuff it down and you
don't say anything, and it builds up, and it builds
up and builds resentment. And I think that's a very
relatable thing to a lot of people. But I think
that that getting in touch with your emotions, realizing and
(23:57):
here are the things. Like on a spiritual side, I
say this, but there's a reality to it as well,
that your feelings are your guidance. Right, something feels off,
something doesn't feel right, something's uncomfortable, something's this, But your
feelings are your guidance. So when you actually can actually
sit with the emotions and understand that and allow things
(24:21):
to be over and realize that you know, a lot
of life has lived up here, but yes, it has
uncovered a lot. I have avoided emotions. I compartamentalize things,
which I think is also very beneficial. Like I could
have a conversation about somebody getting killed in the DWY
accident and then say, well, it was nice to see
you guys, and I'm really glad you're here at this
(24:41):
comedy show, and then go out on stage and do
ten minutes of funny because I can compartmentalize. I don't
know that that's very healthy. I have no idea, But
I would also say that being you know, really seeing
like I'm like, oh my god, like fuck, I'm fucked up.
I gotta I got it, I gotta. I gotta deal
with this stuff. And I've got to, you know, admit
(25:03):
to myself and stop avoiding because I would rather go
have fun than have to deal with the serious stuff
in life. So I would rather go drink and uh,
you know, meet some girl and that would become my
priority and I'd go running out there. And I think
that it's taken me to this point in the course
(25:25):
even to go okay, I can't do that anymore. I don't.
I don't really have the time for it. And right
now is.
Speaker 3 (25:33):
Differently it does.
Speaker 2 (25:35):
And I would say, like, in a very realistic way,
I think that it I don't know. I enjoy this.
I enjoy the counseling side of things. So I have
no idea where it all goes.
Speaker 3 (25:50):
But you've always been into that, like, well.
Speaker 2 (25:53):
I'm curious. So it's always the why, the why.
Speaker 3 (25:56):
You know, it's always like this.
Speaker 4 (25:57):
Story is funny, but why did this person dressing a
rabbit suit and drive, you know, seven hundred miles an hour?
Speaker 3 (26:04):
Like what is you know?
Speaker 2 (26:05):
What's the underlying thing? I mean, yeah, I've always thought
that about alcoholism and everything. Well, we can say it's
in your you have a disease, but what what caused it? What? What?
What are you avoiding? What are you hiding from? Why
is this? Yeah? Because drinking, I'll say it all the time,
is drinking's fun.
Speaker 1 (26:23):
Man.
Speaker 2 (26:23):
Drugs are fun. They're fun. They're a lot of fun.
But they can also ruin you.
Speaker 4 (26:29):
Right, and you got to be able to do cocaine anymore,
So forget that.
Speaker 2 (26:35):
I know. So sad it is. Well, I know people
who I may or may not know people who still
do cocaine, and I don't know. I wouldn't. I'm not as.
Speaker 3 (26:49):
Comfortable with any It just is too scary. There are
just too many.
Speaker 4 (26:53):
Like I had a friend of mine passed away on
my birthday from some dirty.
Speaker 3 (26:58):
Because they're they're putting fatnel in it and it just
is like this year, No, this was twenty nineteen.
Speaker 2 (27:07):
Okay, not that long ago, six years ago.
Speaker 4 (27:10):
Anytime you hear do you remember that story of those
Kansas City chiefs guys that were hanging out at that
guy's house in the backyard, woke up in the morning,
three of them were dead.
Speaker 3 (27:19):
Yes, I've known the cocaine.
Speaker 4 (27:21):
Like that's what because they put it in there, because
it's highly addictive, and they're only supposed to put a
little bit, but they put.
Speaker 3 (27:26):
Too much and you die. So the fact that you
even have to.
Speaker 4 (27:28):
Like like figure out if you're gonna die, like I can't.
Speaker 3 (27:32):
I can't even go there.
Speaker 4 (27:34):
No, I can figure out if I'm gonna die first,
Like no, sorry, I'm just good.
Speaker 2 (27:39):
I mean, cocaine is an adult adderall, as a friend
of mine says. But I would rather I just take
the adderall you need. Yeah, believe me, I love adderall.
I'm to the point now where I almost needed to
get through the day.
Speaker 4 (27:55):
I have to stay away from like all that the
weed is as strong as it gets for me.
Speaker 3 (27:59):
I have to stay away from all that stuff.
Speaker 2 (28:00):
I just can't.
Speaker 3 (28:01):
I've never been that kind of it.
Speaker 4 (28:03):
Just I'm too anxious of a person you do not
want to give an anxious person to offer this.
Speaker 2 (28:08):
Well, I can see myself get a little anxious from
time to time, but it's now to the point where
it's like, I'm so if I don't have it, I
think I would sleep all day because I'm drained. And
you know, I mean, look, you're right right. I had
somebody say that to me. But you've lived through this
in the last six months. For me, I lost my dad.
(28:31):
I had a personal relationship that I put to an end.
There was another relationship that kind of went nowhere. There was,
you know, all the moving parts of this. Your a
single dad. I mean, I don't mean that, like his
mom just doesn't live in this town. So there's all
those things you're trying to navigate. And then you took
(28:53):
it on grad school and an intense program because it's
got to be done by twenty twenty seven, and I go, God, damn,
I am. I'm burned out. And somehow the adderall has
helped me and I get shit done, and I find
myself doing things like I'm turning the TV off. I
gotta go do this right now. I gotta do this,
(29:13):
And I don't know if that's the adderall giving you clarity.
I have no idea because I would melt into my
couch and just watch anything and everything for no reason
and then wake up and go, why did I waste
those hours?
Speaker 4 (29:27):
So I mean, obviously like doctors don't like I don't know,
I don't know, You're not going to get something that
is I don't know, gonna hurt you.
Speaker 3 (29:36):
But just be careful.
Speaker 4 (29:37):
Yeah, you know, yes, you will get stuff done, and
there are people who need it chemically. Your body just
doesn't make the chemicals you need to do the things
that you don't make enough sarahtone or dopamine and that
stuff helps you to achieve those lives.
Speaker 2 (29:50):
These bodies I'm making enough anything to stop more of
all I get Leary.
Speaker 4 (29:57):
You know, I've seen a lot of addiction in this industry,
a lot because like you know, people want to, they
want to if they're enjoying what they're doing, they want
to go through a wall to do it, and you know,
to do anything, and so you know, just everything.
Speaker 2 (30:10):
In moderation, Everything in moderation. Good note to end on, Alex.
I can't wait to hear about the mister b stuff.
Speaker 3 (30:18):
Yeah, I will keep you posted and let you know.
I'll let you know.
Speaker 4 (30:21):
You know whatever's next, so I'll let you know. Hopefully
I'm in a position where next year for the hundredth
I could go back and do the Greade again, because
I'm it was such an amazing experience and I would
love to do I would love to be part of
the hundred year.
Speaker 3 (30:38):
But if not, like I take, I left nothing on
the table, you know what I mean. I feel like
I got I got everything out of that. It was amazing.
Speaker 4 (30:47):
I said to my people leader like a thousand times, like,
thank you so much for thinking of me and bringing
me into this.
Speaker 3 (30:52):
It was, it was, it was amazing to me.
Speaker 2 (30:55):
Well that is uh And I can't thank you enough
for getting James and my too. That that was so
much fun. That was very cool, very cool for Alex
who still talks to me. Hang on one second, after
we're done here, I got a question. I'm Bill Moran.
We'll see you tomorrow. I woke up in hold jail,
(31:21):
didn't know what to do.
Popular Podcasts
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by Audiochuck Media Company.
The Brothers Ortiz
The Brothers Ortiz is the story of two brothers–both successful, but in very different ways. Gabe Ortiz becomes a third-highest ranking officer in all of Texas while his younger brother Larry climbs the ranks in Puro Tango Blast, a notorious Texas Prison gang. Gabe doesn’t know all the details of his brother’s nefarious dealings, and he’s made a point not to ask, to protect their relationship. But when Larry is murdered during a home invasion in a rented beach house, Gabe has no choice but to look into what happened that night. To solve Larry’s murder, Gabe, and the whole Ortiz family, must ask each other tough questions.