Stop Doing Productive. Start Being Productive.

“Decisions that are worthwhile are rarely easy to make.” – Something I tweeted

Not too long ago, I announced that I was ceasing the production of my barely-driven-off-the-lot podcast ProductiVardy. Yesterday, I made a decision to end my involvement in another one – one that I co-created almost 4 years ago.

Episode 180 will be my last appearance as a co-host on the premier independent tech/pop culture podcast that eminates from Canada known as Dyscultured.

Anthony Marco and I started Dyscultured in 2008 as a result of a reconnection of sorts through the Internet. We had worked together at CFMU Radio at McMaster University and forged a friendship through a mutual friend. I think the solidification of that friendship – at first – was when we all hung out in the station until the wee hours of the morning watching a Stanley Cup playoff game where my favourite team, the New Jersey Devils, were defeated in a gruelling game that went into multiple overtime periods by the Buffalo Sabres. In my despair, I went back on air (CFMU didn’t operate 24/7 due to a lack of programmers) and unleashed a flurry of music on a one-off show that I had dubbed “The Bitter Pill to Swallow” show. As I recall, Anth was there for a good part of it, and I think he found it cool that I just jumped back on air to let the pain of my team losing out using alt-rock so that hundreds (or fewer) could hear.

Years later after my move to Victoria, Anth and I had gone on to use the Internet as platforms for expression, much as I’d used the radio station that night. He was doing some weblogging and podcasting, and I was doing the same. We reconnected via a Skype call and decided to collaborate on something. That’s when Dyscultured was born.

Since September 2008, I’ve been part of something pretty spectacular. We went from a fledgling podcast to a lvie show that boradcasts every week with a vibrant community behind us. We’ve added two tremendous co-hosts along the way in Andrew Currie and Shane Birley and a simply stellar “producineer” in Ryan Wiseman as well. Dyscultured has been an awesome experience for me and I know I’ll keep in touch with those who I’ve connected with through the podcast in some form or another.

But my life has changed in the 3+ years since we started this journey, and it’s time to move on.

Anth and I will still do Talking is Dead – who knows, it may even go back to semblance of frequency again – and I will always be an ambassador for Dyscultured and those who did hte show with me. From the crew to the chatroom, I’ll do that without hesitation.

As for Mr. Marco…we’re closer now than ever before. We may have met and become acquainted through CFMU, but we became close friends through this experience. And I thank him for that. Even with all of the episodes, conferences and chats sicne we started this podcast, the best thing that came out of the last few years was the tremendous friendship that him and I now share.

I’m going to be on Dyscultured for the next 3 episodes, and then I’ll be done. I hope you’ll join Dyscultured live for those to share them with me, and keep listening afterward. We’re doing good stuff there, and consistently good stuff on the Internet is really, really hard to find these days.