Bad Idea Social Club – Details, episodes & analysis

Sara Pulver (illustrator, muralist, Dear Ollie) sits down with Aaron McCall to talk about knowing who you are and building something around it. She gets into a lifelong love of tactile, handmade things that eventually turned into markets, a grant, and a stationery shop where she hosts her own work alongside over a hundred vendors with a focus on women and queer creators. They talk about tackling murals, life as a neurodivergent artist, and why the AI crunch might be the best argument yet for going analog. About finding your people, protecting your whimsy, and keeping the whole thing moving.

Keep up with Sara Pulver:
sarapulver.com
IG: @sarapulver
dearollie.com
IG: @dearollieandco

——
This episode is supported by:
Creative Mornings Grand Rapids
Merchants & Makers
Revue
——
Writer/Producer/Editor/Host:
Aaron McCall
aaronmccall.net
IG: @aaron_mccall
——
Co-Host/Sidekick/Photographer:
Joe Matteson
themattesons.co
IG: @joe_dustin
——
Music:
"Noises" by Mike Mains & The Branches
——
Support the Podcast:
Buy Merch
——
Follow Bad Idea Social Club:
badideasocialclub.com
IG: @badideasocialclub

Luke Grill (chef, restaurateur, sommelier, 1983 Restaurants) sits down with Aaron McCall to talk about what it means to build something people can feel. He gets into cutting his teeth in some of the most demanding kitchens in the country, how dangerous it is to follow the crowd, and why holding his convictions is non-negotiable. They talk about the tension between art and business, building spaces that satisfy more than just hunger, and why the details nobody notices are exactly the ones that matter most.

Keep up with Luke Grill:
1983restaurants.com
IG: 1983restaurants
IG: @obstacleno1
IG: @seventysixholland
IG: @publiczeeland
IG: @lovejoyholland

——
This episode is supported by:
Creative Mornings Grand Rapids
Merchants & Makers
Revue
——
Writer/Producer/Editor/Host:
Aaron McCall
aaronmccall.net
IG: @aaron_mccall
——
Co-Host/Sidekick/Photographer:
Joe Matteson
themattesons.co
IG: @joe_dustin
——
Music:
"Noises" by Mike Mains & The Branches
——
Support the Podcast:
Buy Merch
——
Follow Bad Idea Social Club:
badideasocialclub.com
IG: @badideasocialclub

Courtney Lauer (graphic designer, artist) shares her story with Aaron McCall and talks about survival, control, and the strength it takes to turn pain into something honest. She opens up about surviving and processing trauma, rebuilding identity through creativity, and using art to make sense of the things that don’t have easy answers.

Keep up with Courtney Lauer:
courtneylauer.me
IG: @courtneylauer

——
This episode is supported by:
Creative Mornings Grand Rapids
Merchants & Makers
Revue
——
Writer/Producer/Editor/Host:
Aaron McCall
aaronmccall.net
IG: @aaron_mccall
——
Co-Host/Sidekick/Photographer:
Joe Matteson
themattesons.co
IG: @joe_dustin
——
Music:
"Noises" by Mike Mains & The Branches
——
Support the Podcast:
Buy Merch
——
Follow Bad Idea Social Club:
badideasocialclub.com
IG: @badideasocialclub

Jacob Betts (singer-songwriter, The American Hotel System) joins Aaron McCall to talk about creativity as something to hold onto when life unravels, how grief reshapes how we see purpose, and what it means to rebuild belief in people when everything around you feels painfully divided. He opens up about faith, art, and the defiance it takes to choose hope over cynicism.

Keep up with Jacob Betts:
americanhotelsystem.com
IG: @theamericanhotelsystem
IG: @theconcussedcoffeegeek

——
This episode is supported by:
Creative Mornings Grand Rapids
Merchants & Makers
Revue
——
Writer/Producer/Editor/Host:
Aaron McCall
aaronmccall.net
IG: @aaron_mccall
——
Co-Host/Sidekick/Photographer:
Joe Matteson
themattesons.co
IG: @joe_dustin
——
Music:
"Noises" by Mike Mains & The Branches
——
Support the Podcast:
Buy Merch
——
Follow Bad Idea Social Club:
badideasocialclub.com
IG: @badideasocialclub

Casey Lambert (independent pro wrestler, marketing director) joins Aaron McCall to talk about life in and out of the ring, how strength and vulnerability feed off each other, and how connection shows up everywhere from the crowd to your opponent, and the relationships that matter most. They dig into storytelling in wrestling, learning how to take a hit and keep showing up, and what it actually looks like to lead with empathy in a world that keeps rewarding the cruelty.

Keep up with Casey Lambert:
IG: @thereal_djchewy
IG: @ppwpower

——
This episode is supported by:
Creative Mornings Grand Rapids
Merchants & Makers
Revue
——
Writer/Producer/Editor/Host:
Aaron McCall
aaronmccall.net
IG: @aaron_mccall
——
Co-Host/Sidekick/Photographer:
Joe Matteson
themattesons.co
IG: @joe_dustin
——
Music:
"Noises" by Mike Mains & The Branches
——
Support the Podcast:
Buy Merch
——
Follow Bad Idea Social Club:
badideasocialclub.com
IG: @badideasocialclub

Joy Rhine (visual designer, photographer) sits down with Aaron McCall to talk about keeping creativity in your life without letting it become your whole identity. She opens up about being people-first in a screen-first industry, why she’d rather build community than chase trends, and how confidence came from doing hard things like running marathons and summiting Mount Kilimanjaro “for fun.” From travel and fitness to design and friendship, Joy proves you can be wildly creative, wildly active, and wildly human at the same time.

Keep up with Joe Rhine:
joyrhinedesign.com
IG: @vikkichosethisusername

——
This episode is supported by:
Creative Mornings Grand Rapids
Merchants & Makers
Revue
——
Writer/Producer/Editor/Host:
Aaron McCall
aaronmccall.net
IG: @aaron_mccall
——
Co-Host/Sidekick/Photographer:
Joe Matteson
themattesons.co
IG: @joe_dustin
——
Music:
"Noises" by Mike Mains & The Branches
——
Support the Podcast:
Buy Merch
——
Follow Bad Idea Social Club:
badideasocialclub.com
IG: @badideasocialclub

Mack Garrison (motion designer, co-founder of Dash Studio) joins Aaron McCall to talk about ADHD as both a curse and a creative advantage, building a studio rooted in empathy over ego, and what happens when you decide burnout isn’t a badge of honor. He opens up about the lessons that shaped Dash’s first decade, from mentorship and community to leading with transparency when things get hard and what it means to keep the work moving without sacrificing the humanity behind it.

Keep up with Mack Garrison:
dashstudio.net
IG: @dash_nc

——
This episode is supported by:
Creative Mornings Grand Rapids
Merchants & Makers
Revue
——
Writer/Producer/Editor/Host:
Aaron McCall
aaronmccall.net
IG: @aaron_mccall
——
Co-Host/Sidekick/Photographer:
Joe Matteson
themattesons.co
IG: @joe_dustin
——
Music:
"Noises" by Mike Mains & The Branches
——
Support the Podcast:
Buy Merch
——
Follow Bad Idea Social Club:
badideasocialclub.com
IG: @badideasocialclub

Scott Katsufrakis (founder of Flying House Threads, firefighter) joins Aaron McCall to talk creative entrepreneurship at the edge of whimsy and weight. They dig into building a Disney-inspired, punk-leaning apparel brand while working life-and-death shifts, the pressure of being “the face” on camera, and the mental health work behind staying steady. They touch on the role of community, the discipline it takes to keep quality high, and finding ways for a brand built on castles and monsters to also do real-world good. It’s about craft, perspective, and the strange balance of survival and play.

Keep up with Scott Katsufrakus:
 flyinghousethreads.com
IG: @glyinghousethreads

——
This episode is supported by:
Creative Mornings Grand Rapids
Merchants & Makers
Revue
——
Writer/Producer/Editor/Host:
Aaron McCall
aaronmccall.net
IG: @aaron_mccall
——
Co-Host/Sidekick/Photographer:
Joe Matteson
themattesons.co
IG: @joe_dustin
——
Music:
"Noises" by Mike Mains & The Branches
——
Support the Podcast:
Buy Merch
——
Follow Bad Idea Social Club:
badideasocialclub.com
IG: @badideasocialclub

Taylor Matteson (painter, experimenter) shares her story with Aaron McCall and discusses following creativity wherever it leads: painting, sculpture, and adding teeth to thrifted objects. She opens up about growing up shy in a loud, creative household and learning to embrace the unapologetically weird. From finding confidence through experimenting in her 20s to building a deep connection with animals in her work, Taylor leans fully into the strange energy that makes her art unmistakably hers.

Keep up with Taylor Matteson:
IG: @taylorjewelldraws

——
This episode is supported by:
Creative Mornings Grand Rapids
Merchants & Makers
Revue
——
Writer/Producer/Editor/Host:
Aaron McCall
aaronmccall.net
IG: @aaron_mccall
——
Co-Host/Sidekick/Photographer:
Joe Matteson
themattesons.co
IG: @joe_dustin
——
Music:
"Noises" by Mike Mains & The Branches
——
Support the Podcast:
Buy Merch
——
Follow Bad Idea Social Club:
badideasocialclub.com
IG: @badideasocialclub

Ray Ann Barker (painter, photographer, model, content creator) talks with Aaron McCall about anxiety as the root of her creativity, finding ground through photography and abstract painting, and how turning perfectionism on its head opened new doors. She opens up about modeling in her 30s, navigating motherhood, and creating space for community over competition in creativity.

Keep up with Ray Anne Barker:
rayannebarker.com
IG: @rayannebarker
IG: @rayanne.paints

——
This episode is supported by:
Creative Mornings Grand Rapids
Merchants & Makers
Revue
——
Writer/Producer/Editor/Host:
Aaron McCall
aaronmccall.net
IG: @aaron_mccall
——
Co-Host/Sidekick/Photographer:
Joe Matteson
themattesons.co
IG: @joe_dustin
——
Music:
"Noises" by Mike Mains & The Branches
——
Support the Podcast:
Buy Merch
——
Follow Bad Idea Social Club:
badideasocialclub.com
IG: @badideasocialclub