That's So Rad!

Writer Terry Pratchett once said, "People think that stories are shaped by people. In fact, it's the other way around." This podcast is about shared stories and mining meaning from them. It's about learning from one another as we look at our lives and the lessons we've learned. There will be plenty of laughs and randomness along the way. "That's So Rad!" is gonna be a fun, entertaining, and thought provoking ride.

That's So Rad! is a education podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 0 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 81. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Unknown Host hosts That's So Rad!, a education show with 0 episodes published.

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  Episode #35

  Things That Made Us (Pt 2): Dial-Up Internet, Fear Tactics, and Epic School Bus Stories with Danny Smith

  Sep 8, 202658 minS2

  Travis and guest host Danny Smith continue their conversation about growing up in the 80s and 90s. This episode is packed with the kind of stories that instantly take you back: school bus chaos, dial-up internet, bad decisions, and the strange freedom of growing up in this era. They also dig into the school bus as its own kind of social ecosystem, where survival skills, humor, and chaos all mixed together. Danny and Travis share stories from school, the internet transition years, and a few truly unforgettable bus memories. They pose some thought provoking questions along the way as they reflect on formative moments. Checkout Danny's band Wasperjaws: https://wasperjaws.hearnow.com In this episode: Danny and Travis revisit what made 80s and 90s kids who they are, from fashion and culture to the everyday weirdness of growing up before constant screens. Danny talks about his band Wasperjaws and their upcoming album release, including a full analog rollout with cassettes, CDs, and vinyl. The guys break down a funny YouTube comment about Danny allegedly playing a Blues Traveler solo on recorder in a car, leading to a story about middle school friend Joe Broadwell. Travis shares a passage about Xennials being the generation that had to adapt to the internet as working adults, and Danny responds with memories of learning email and internet use in school and college. They compare early internet life to encyclopedias, dial-up, Napster, and LimeWire, including slow downloads, mislabeled songs, and the constant fear campaigns around file sharing. The conversation turns to how fear-based messaging shaped the era, including DARE, old public service ads, and the way kids were told to believe authority without being able to verify much. Danny and Travis spend a long stretch on school buses as miniature social worlds, complete with hierarchy, bad smells, fights, bus driver standoffs, and the need to learn how to survive an hour-long ride. Danny remembers a bus driver who went all-in on a supervised water gun fight on the last day of school, turning the whole bus route into an unforgettable chaotic memory.

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  Episode #34

  Things That Made Us (Pt 1): Starter Jackets, MapQuest, and Sounding Old Now with Danny Smith

  Aug 25, 20261h 5mS2

  Travis sits down with Danny Smith for a wide-ranging part one conversation about Xennial identity, growing up in the 80s and 90s, and why so many childhood memories still feel oddly defining. They also talk about the online reaction to the earlier Xennial reel and the debate over microgeneration labels. The episode moves between nostalgia and reflection, asking what we gained from more freedom, more uncertainty, and a lot less tracking. They also get very sidetracked into roadside attractions, starter jackets, yo-yos, and map quest directions. Some other topics they hit in this conversation: the freedom of being unreachable, survivorship bias, parenting anxiety around screens, printed boarding passes, phones “listening,” fewer grasshoppers, scratched CDs, and the songs that instantly bring them back to the 90s. Checkout Danny's band Wasperjaws: Find their music on all the platforms here Instagram: @wasperjaws In this episode: Travis and Danny revisit the Xennial idea as a bridge generation between analog childhood and digital adolescence. They talk about the online reaction to the Xennial reel, including how strongly people identify with, or reject, microgeneration labels. Danny shares summer stories from Missouri, including a big family reunion at Lake of the Ozarks and his annual work at a special needs camp in Kentucky. Road trip memories include Santa Claus, Indiana, Cadillac Ranch, Wall Drug, Buc-ee’s, and the odd obsession certain regions seem to have with roadside attractions. Danny recalls starter jackets becoming a status symbol in the 90s, including the strange moment when discounted jackets showed up in his poor Kentucky town and erased some of the status divide. They talk about tight-rolled jeans, hats worn backward, yo-yos, hacky sacks, and the mystery of how trends spread before social media. Travis and Danny dig into how road trips used to work before smartphones, map apps, and constant contact, including getting lost for hours with only paper directions. They reflect on the tradeoff between childhood freedom and modern parental anxiety, especially around safety, internet access, and tracking kids by phone. The episode closes with a playful list of things that make them feel old, including AI, printing boarding passes, phones “listening,” fewer grasshoppers, and the instant nostalgia of 90s songs like Sugar Ray, Weezer, Third Eye Blind, and Alanis Morissette.

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  Episode #33

  Xennials (Pt 2): A Digital Transition, A Look Back at the 90s, and How Social Media Impacts Our Brains

  Aug 11, 20261h 26mS2

  Travis and Jeff continue their Xennial conversation with a focus on the decade of the 90s. They continue to discuss what it meant to grow up at the fault line between analog and digital life, and why that experience feels so specific to a small window of time. A recent Instagram reel Travis shared from the previous episode went viral with nearly 2 million views within a week! They discuss some of the feedback and comments from it and talk about why this whole conversation has resonated with so many who grew up in this era! Travis and Jeff also swap road trip stories full of Midwest Americana and quirky roadside attractions. Later, the conversation turns more reflective as Jeff, a therapist who works with teenagers, breaks down dopamine, social media and technology, and why constant documentation can pull us out of the moment. In this episode: The follow-up to the Xennial conversation and why the reel about microgenerations took off, drawing nearly 2 million views and thousands of comments. Travis and Jeff compare the Xennial experience to Gen X and Millennials, landing on the idea that Xennials lived through a true analog to digital fault line during formative years. Jeff shares a family trip to Chicago, including the Shedd Aquarium, the Field Museum’s Pokemon archaeology exhibit, and the Galloping Ghost Arcade. They swap stories about unusual roadside stops like Uranus Fudge Factory, the circus sideshow museum, the world’s second biggest rocking chair, the Spam Museum, the Kazoo Museum, and the neon sign museum. The conversation explores how generational labels are social constructs, and why microgenerations can feel more accurate for people shaped by rapid technological change. Travis and Jeff discuss childhood freedom, how much more unsupervised play used to be normal, and how that clashes with the more protected parenting style many of them use now. Jeff explains how social media is engineered around dopamine, rewarding attention without caring why you stopped scrolling or what it does to your mood. They talk about the downside of over-documenting life, from concerts to family moments, and how recording everything can sometimes replace actually experiencing it. Jeff notes that memory itself is imperfect and often more meaningful than raw documentation, since stories and recollection can add texture and emotional value. The episode closes with a broader look at technology’s effect on dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, and endorphins, and how real-world activity still matters for mental health. Some cool videos that talk more about Xennials/microgeneration: https://youtu.be/oCbxtjStZ6E?si=wG_ln6Pru14goI9P https://youtu.be/Pqs0PokPDqo?si=-AhgOm-fM8xzkAPG

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  Episode #31

  Feed the Rush!: The Fascinating Rise, Fall, and Rise Again of the Iconic 90s Soda Surge

  Jul 15, 202627 minS2

  In this episode, Travis takes us on a nostalgic, caffeinated journey through the iconic 90s soda, Surge. With a blend of humor and insightful history, he uncovers how this seemingly simple citrus soda became a rebellious cultural phenomenon, vanished, and then came roaring back thanks to passionate fans and clever marketing. He also shares about his own love of Surge and some stories around his energy drink addiction in the early part of the 2000s. From the historical roots of Mountain Dew to Surge's marketing blitz in the 90s, Travis showcases how branding, targeted advertising, and zeitgeist alignment can turn a beverage into a movement. And let's not forget the importance of social media activism—proving that sometimes, voice and passion can bring the wildest of brands back from the dead. Buckle up as we explore the chaos, culture, and comeback of Surge. The Surge Movement: https://surgemovement.org/ In this episode: The fascinating origin story of Mountain Dew and how it inspired Surge's aggressive branding. Surge’s marketing strategy: chaotic commercials, extreme sports appeal, and its “feed the rush” slogan. The cultural impact of Surge in schools, skate parks, and teen identity during the 90s. The decline due to health concerns and school bans, despite Surge having less caffeine and sugar than Mountain Dew. The grassroots movement and social media campaign that led to Surge’s surprising 2014 comeback. The power of community activism in reviving discontinued brands and what modern marketers can learn. The contrast between Surge and Red Bull’s branding approaches and the importance of understanding your audience.

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  Episode #31

  Feed the Rush!: The Fascinating Rise, Fall, and Rise Again of the Iconic 90s Soda Surge

  Jul 15, 202627 minS2

  <p>In this episode, Travis takes us on a nostalgic, caffeinated journey through the iconic 90s soda, Surge. With a blend of humor and insightful history, he uncovers how this seemingly simple citrus soda became a rebellious cultural phenomenon, vanished, and then came roaring back thanks to passionate fans and clever marketing. He also shares about his own love of Surge and some stories around his energy drink addiction in the early part of the 2000s.</p><p>From the historical roots of Mountain Dew to Surge's marketing blitz in the 90s, Travis showcases how branding, targeted advertising, and zeitgeist...

  ListenShow Notes

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