Advertise on podcast: Unpacked In Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz feels different the moment you notice what is missing: billboards. That small design choice opens a bigger conversation about attention, consumerism, and why being five minutes from nature can change your nervous system. We sit down with filmmaker Scott Leiserson to talk about arriving here from San Diego, living inside the UCSC bubble, and then stepping into the wider Santa Cruz community through documentary filmmaking and video production work.  From there, we get honest about the creative life. Scott breaks down what it takes to “capture” a documentary instead of forcing a scripted story, why the edit is where meaning gets written, and how the promise of objectivity can hide a thousand subjective choices. We also talk about the real tension artists face: chasing the next adventurous shoot versus choosing the stability that protects your marriage, your time, and your ability to show up for people. If you care about storytelling, creative careers, or media literacy, there’s a lot here to sit with.  The conversation widens into something we all feel but rarely name: isolation in an algorithmic world. We dig into third places, community structure, and why podcasts work when everything else turns into sound bites. We also touch AI and social media curation, and the bigger challenge underneath it all: choosing each other on purpose instead of letting feeds choose for us.  If this gave you something real, subscribe, share it with a friend who needs a normal conversation, and leave a review so more people can find Unpacked Santa Cruz.

Santa Cruz can feel like paradise and pressure at the same time. I’m sitting down with Bob Ledesma, a longtime Santa Cruz surfboard shaper who has watched the town transform from a place where surfers were outsiders to a place everyone wants to claim. We talk honestly about that weird mix of love and concern: the world-class coastline, the daily ritual of checking the ocean, and the reality that it is getting harder and harder to survive here, let alone own a piece of it. Bob takes us into the shaping bay and into the apprenticeship culture that built Santa Cruz surfboards. We dig into mentors, process, and why hand-shaped boards still matter even in the CNC era. We also get real about money: why even elite-level craftsmanship often cannot pay the bills, how painting work supports the art, and what it costs to help young surfers with boards, blanks, and time. If you care about surfboard design, the surfer-shaper relationship, and the hunt for a true “magic board,” there’s a lot here for you. From there, the conversation opens up into surf culture, gentrification, and the modern lineup. We wrestle with localism, entitlement, and what respect used to look like in the water without romanticizing the violence that came with it. We close on something deeper than surfing: aging parents, the questions we wait too long to ask, nostalgia for uncrowded sessions, and Bob’s core value of kindness even when it would be easier to harden up. If this resonates, subscribe to Unpacked And Santa Cruz, share it with a friend who loves Santa Cruz surfing, and leave a review with your take on what respect and community should look like now.

Dead seals on the beach. Algae blooms in the bay. Nitrates in wells. A heat wave that can ruin a tomato crop before you even see the damage. We record a raw, grounded conversation with Santa Cruz farmer Joe Schirmer about the real cost of feeding people, and why so many farmers are carrying a level of stress that the rest of us rarely see. We start with the mental health crisis in agriculture, including farmer suicide, anxiety, and the identity trap that comes with generational work and “man up” expectations. From there we dig into the economics of farming: scaling pressure, thin margins, unpredictable yields, and the way consolidation rewards large agribusiness while smaller operations absorb more risk. We also talk politics without the usual shouting, including how misleading labels and misinformation keep people distracted from the practical levers that matter: regulation, incentives, and smarter policy. A huge part of the episode is the Farm Bill and SNAP. When SNAP benefits get cut, it is not an abstract budget line. It is fewer groceries for families, less fresh food at farmers markets, and real revenue lost for local farms. Joe breaks down how EBT works at markets, why Market Match programs matter, and how food assistance dollars circulate right back into the community. We also tackle fertilizer, petrochemical dependence, and the difference between organic farming and regenerative agriculture, including why standards matter if we want cleaner water and healthier soil. If you care about food security, organic produce, sustainable agriculture, climate resilience, and making sense of what your grocery dollars actually do, this one is for you. Subscribe, share it with a friend who buys the food in your house, and leave a review with your take: what is one policy or one buying habit you would change first?

We have a shared language, so why does it feel like we cannot talk anymore? I step into a solo, personal soliloquy about the post-COVID shift I see everywhere: families avoiding hard topics, friends splitting into factions, and everyday conversations turning into coded arguments about money and politics. I use the Tower of Babel as a modern metaphor not to preach, but to name the feeling that we built something too big to understand, and now we live inside the confusion.  From there, I trace a straight line through American capitalism and the rise of capital markets: the shift from making things to money making money, and how that quietly shapes stress, status, and what we think “doing well” even means. I also talk about how media incentives and political polarization keep us focused on noise while the most significant conversation, how the economic system actually gets repaired, rarely happens in public. A small but telling example shows up in a lifeguard rescue that should have united us, yet gets turned into another loyalty test online.  Then we get into AI, and I say the quiet part out loud: I do not think AI is the problem. The incentives and the people steering it might be. Social media algorithms are the first wave of AI most of us experienced, and when you combine echo chambers with COVID-era depression and isolation, it becomes harder to think clearly and easier to mirror whatever is pushed at us. My takeaway is practical and human: find better mirrors in real conversations, stay curious, and keep one more seat at the table.  If this connects with you, subscribe, share the episode with a friend who misses real dialogue, and leave a review so more people can find it. What is one conversation you want to have better this week?

Santa Cruz has a way of changing your breathing. When Shari talks about coming home and catching the first smell of the ocean, you can hear what she means: peace isn’t a concept, it’s a physical shift. From there we go deep fast. Shari is a math PhD who’s taught everywhere from middle school classrooms to NYU, and she makes a case that math is an art form, a pattern language you can spot in waves, leaves, and the messy order of real life.  Then we step into the world powering all of our screens: the semiconductor industry. Shari leads workforce development work across the US, Europe, and Asia, and the scale is wild. We talk about what a semiconductor is, why the CHIPS and Science Act is reshaping American manufacturing, and why the biggest challenge isn’t just facilities or funding, it’s talent. She breaks down what actually helps people enter these careers: earn and learn programs, apprenticeships, and wraparound services that make training possible for people who’ve been shut out of opportunity.  AI disruption sits in the background of everything, and we don’t treat it like a buzzword. We talk fear, uncertainty, and what happens when efficiency becomes the only goal. The thread we keep returning to is simple: if the world is going to get more digital, we have to get more human. We end on what creates hope right now: kids finding their way, gratitude for small goodness, time in the ocean, and the daily discipline of movement as a mental health lifeline. If you get something from this conversation, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find it.

Water debates get loud fast, but the real story is quieter and more practical: who plans the supply, who forecasts demand, and what a community does when the next drought hits. We’re back in Santa Cruz talking with Ben Pink, a longtime water resources planner who’s worked across public utilities, private utilities, and regional agencies. He walks us through the day-to-day reality of water conservation programs, long-range water supply planning, and why the numbers matter more than the headlines. We dig into California water management from multiple angles: the old Northern vs Southern California tensions, the way growth and housing get blamed on water even when high-density development can reduce per-capita use, and the policy shifts that are changing what we see in our neighborhoods, like AB 1572 and the phase-out of watering non-functional turf with potable water. Ben also explains “demand hardening” the uncomfortable idea that if a place like Santa Cruz already conserves aggressively, the next drought can be even harder because there’s no slack left. Then we go deep on modern solutions that are already here: groundwater recharge, aquifer storage, and advanced purified recycled water, including projects like Pure Water Soquel that help fight seawater intrusion while building drought resilience. We even widen the lens to the water footprint of data centers and semiconductor expansion in arid regions tied to the Colorado River. If you care about drought planning, water conservation, recycled water, and the future of sustainable cities, this conversation is for you. Subscribe, share this with a friend who always argues about water, and leave a review with your biggest question about where your water should come from next.

Your team is down a few runs and you can feel the dugout quitting, not loudly, but quietly. That moment is where youth baseball stops being a game and starts being a mirror, and it’s where Stephan and I spend most of our time in this conversation. We talk about what it’s like coaching in Santa Cruz, how Stephan's love of baseball started as a kid watching the Yankees with his dad, and how a sport built on failure can create real resilience. We also unpack why Stephan coaches now: the kids who walk in with low confidence and leave with a new posture, a new calm, and proof that hard work changes them. Along the way, we get into the gritty realities of youth sports culture, from parent dynamics to players who don’t actually want to be coached. Then we go deeper on the stuff coaches wrestle with every week: how “gentle parenting” can drift into coaching, why tough coaching is not the same as being mean, and why accountability is a form of care. We debate the difference between sore, hurt, and injured, and how “something hurts” can become an exit ramp when pressure hits. We also take on travel ball, bad reps, and why “more training” can backfire if the coaching quality and the development plan are not there. If you care about youth baseball coaching, player development, mental toughness, and raising confident kids, you’ll get a lot out of this one. Subscribe, share it with a coach or parent who needs it, and leave a review with your take: what should coaches expect from kids, and what do kids deserve from coaches?

Pressure has a way of telling the truth, and not just in sports. I sit down with veteran coach Todd Kent to talk about what pressure reveals on the jiu jitsu mats, in a locker room, and at home when life is heavy. We start with Santa Cruz as a place, the sunsets, the beach-as-backyard years, and the strange beauty of finding community through a handful of circles that don’t always overlap.  Then we go deeper into mindset and leadership. Todd breaks down how Brazilian jiu jitsu becomes a real-time lab for failure, fatigue, and decision-making, and why that “controlled discomfort” can change how you show up in marriage, parenting, and your own mental health. We also unpack the coaching work that isn’t visible on a scoreboard: building trust with athletes, staying consistent, creating an environment where people can fail safely, and still demanding growth.  The heart of this conversation is grief and authenticity. Todd shares what it was like coaching a historically successful UC Santa Cruz season while his father was dying, and how grief reshaped his view of judgment, legacy, and what success even means. We connect that to Ted Lasso culture, the difference between being nice and being kind, and why humility matters as much as technical knowledge.  If you care about Santa Cruz community, youth sports coaching, women’s basketball, leadership under pressure, or navigating grief without losing yourself, this one will stay with you. Subscribe, share this with a coach or parent who needs it, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway.

A relaxed coastal town can still be filled with competition, loneliness, and people craving connection, and that tension runs through our talk with Bonnie Carver. Bonnie is 81, a longtime teacher and watercolor artist, and someone I’ve watched choose presence for decades. We start with what Santa Cruz means as you age, how Watsonville feels different, and why “home” is sometimes less about the address and more about what you decide to carry inside yourself. Bonnie shares her path from Buffalo, New York to California, her early experiments with the hippie back-to-the-land dream, and the unexpected pivot into education. We get specific about adult education, teaching ESL in a farm community, and what it’s like to sit with students who work punishing hours, risked everything to get here, and still show up grateful to learn. Those stories put real faces on immigration, labor, and the quiet resilience that keeps families moving forward. We also dig into creativity without the fantasy. Bonnie breaks down the unglamorous truth of watercolor: mechanics matter, discipline matters, and most attempts won’t “work” the way you hoped. That’s not failure; it’s the process. From there we land on something bigger: listening as a practice, the courage to be known, and the small daily choices that protect us from the kind of isolation technology can’t fix. If you care about community, Santa Cruz and Watsonville culture, adult education, ESL, creativity, aging with purpose, or building real friendships, this one will stick with you. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs it, and leave a review to help more people find the show.

Santa Cruz can change you, but not always in the glossy way people imagine. We sit with Mitch Riley, a gentle giant with a long memory, to talk about what it really takes to start over, build community, and stay upright when life is expensive, fast, and relentless. Mitch walks us through leaving Columbus, Ohio, finding a new life in Atlanta, tasting the intensity of Los Angeles, and eventually landing on the Central Coast to raise a family. Along the way we get into music, graffiti, work in natural foods retail, and why “real food” culture in Santa Cruz is bigger than a trend. Then we go where most conversations stay vague: addiction, the opioid crisis, and the hidden mechanics of dependence. We talk about prescriptions, heroin, relapse patterns, and the part people miss when they reduce recovery to willpower. Sobriety becomes a story about clarity and agency, about getting your mind back, and about learning to sit with what you feel without needing to shut it off. If you care about mental health, recovery, and the real cost of a profoundly efficient society, this one goes deep without turning preachy. We also unpack why Brazilian jiu jitsu can become a lifeline: a place where men practice calm, mercy, and trust inside a hard struggle. It’s intimacy with boundaries, community without performance, and a training ground for showing up better at home. We close with what’s next for Mitch and his family, including the launch of Old Soul Tattoos on Swift Street and a new gallery space upstairs. If this hits home, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review. What’s one choice you’ve made that brought your life back to you?

Capitalism gets treated like a political label, but it’s more useful to see it as a machine, not a piece of morality. A man made principle acknowledging surplus not made by humans-but a piece of the fabric of the world we share with everyone that is only as moral as the humans governing it. One that can build real prosperity and still trap people in confusion. Michael is taking a risk and laying out a minor brief on his own political lens, not to pick a side, but to give you the missing premise of what he sees most debates skip: what capitalism actually is, how money is created, and why the headlines start to make more sense once you understand the plumbing. We walk through the basics of central banking, lending, interest rates, and why the term “printing money” is usually a sloppy statement for a much bigger system. We also talk about the scale most of us never see: nonstop bank transactions, invisible fees, and the way growth can look great on paper while wages and housing make regular life feel impossible. From there, we make the case for social capitalism, a strong role for governance, and the danger of overcentralization in everything from government to tech platforms. Then we zoom out to the messy present: private equity squeezing industries, oligarch-level influence, and why some most global conflicts are fights over which central banks and currencies control the flows. We also wrestle with artificial intelligence, not as a sci-fi storyline, but as a real-world test of whether we can stop thinking zero-sum and start building local value with new tools. If this changes how you think about money, share it with someone who argues politics but hates economics. Subscribe, leave a review, and tell us what part you want us to unpack next.

Santa Cruz is one of those places that can feel like vacation and crisis at the same time. We sit down with John Barrs owner of Ideal Homes, to talk about what it’s really like to live, commute, raise kids, and run a local business in a county where Highway 1 is jammed, new buildings rise fast, and “affordable housing” can still mean $5,500 rent for a two-bedroom. We get personal first, from surf panic stories to the day-to-day reality of being a girl dad and watching childhood fly by. Then we go straight into the money and logistics behind family life: travel sports costs, the unexpected moment a kid rides a horse once and suddenly the whole household budget changes, and why so many working families feel like they’re sprinting just to stay in place. The heart of the conversation is manufactured housing and mobile home communities in Santa Cruz County. We unpack the stigma, what these homes actually look like today, and why this is an overlooked piece of the affordable housing puzzle. John breaks down how financing works when a home is personal property, the difference between lease land, co-ops, and land-owned parks, and why the down payment is often the biggest barrier, not the monthly payment. We also talk ADUs, permitting delays, expensive reports, and the kind of red tape that turns “we need housing” into years of waiting and tens of thousands in fees and the term affordable as a political slogan is often times just lip service to a community heading into crises. If you care about Santa Cruz housing, workforce housing, and realistic solutions, this one will hit home. Subscribe, share this with a friend who cares about local housing, and leave a review with your take: what would you fix first?

Santa Cruz can feel like paradise and a pressure cooker at the same time, and that tension is where this conversation starts. I sit down with David McIntosh to unpack what “change” really looks like on the ground: a working class beach town shaped by Silicon Valley gravity, rising costs, and the quiet fear of being pushed out, alongside real opportunity for the people ready to adapt. David’s path to Santa Cruz is anything but linear. He grew up near Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, describes what it’s like to see hardship as a daily backdrop, and how that experience sharpens empathy. Then life takes him through Washington, DC, London, and Australia, following his wife’s career from diplomacy and government affairs into tech. Through all of it, one thread stays constant: surfing. He learned at 12 on the East Coast, obsessed over surf magazines, and carried a persistent “California dreaming” that still shows up today as the kind of stoke you can’t fake. We also get into surf industry history and why so many legacy surf brands drifted away from the core. Dave shares why he’s opening Sunny California on a storied Santa Cruz retail corner, not to “own” surf culture, but to celebrate it with a surf and moto shop, art gallery energy, and a space built around community. His north star is simple and hard to execute: make everyone leave happier than when they arrived. If you care about Santa Cruz, surf culture, California lifestyle, and what modern community-first retail can look like, you’ll get a lot out of this one. Subscribe, share it with a friend who loves the ocean, and leave a review with your take: what should a great surf shop feel like?

Santa Cruz can make a world champion feel like “just another guy in the lineup”. That’s exactly where this conversation starts.  I sit down with Mark Allen, the GOAT and six-time Ironman World Champion, and lifelong surfer, to get under the surface of what makes this place a haven for talent and why it also has an edge that forms you over time. We talk about the strange Santa Cruz magic where titles-no matter what they are- don’t land the way they do elsewhere. How community is built through consistency, respect, and real relationships instead of status. Mark shares the story behind his biggest athletic turning point: years of leading the pack and then falling apart in Kona, and the fear he didn’t want to admit. We move to the mindset shift that finally changed everything. We go into Huichol shamanism and earth-based spirituality, how nature can become a mirror for your inner life, and why trying to perform like someone else burns energy you don’t have. One of my favorite themes is his reframe from rivalry to cooperation, using competitors as information and inspiration instead of a threat. We also get practical about daily life: stress as a motivator, the weird ways we create tension, simple disciplines that clear mental space, and what longevity looks like when you want it to be sustainable. If you’re into Ironman training, endurance mindset, performance psychology, surfing culture, or stress management, there’s a lot here to carry into your own routines. Subscribe, share this with a friend who’s stuck in comparison, and leave a review with the habit you’re working on right now.

Santa Cruz loves to call itself creative, but what happens when creativity becomes a commodity and everyone feels forced to hustle? I’m sitting down with local artist and designer Hannah Selden to unpack the push and pull of making art in Santa Cruz after COVID. Hannah talks about growing up here, studying print design, and building a Santa Cruz apparel brand before stepping back to reclaim creativity that doesn’t have to fit a sales funnel. We get real about maker markets, the invisible competition that rides underneath a “hippie” vibe, and why this town can feel like the best place to belong and the hardest place to breathe at the same time. We also dig into AI in graphic design and branding: how generative tools can unlock ideas for people who don’t have technical skills, but also how “good enough” logos and instant visuals can erase paid creative work. Along the way we talk surf culture’s influence on access and status, Rockview Beach community rituals, and the difference between being nice, being kind, cooperating, and actually collaborating. If you care about the Santa Cruz creative economy, local artists, small business life, and where community goes next, this one will stick with you. Subscribe for more Santa Cruz conversations, share this with a friend who’s building something, and leave a review if you want more guests like Hannah. What part of the creative grind feels worth it to you right now?