INDIANAPOLIS – A new year entails new opportunities and new adventures.
Some choose to follow new year’s resolutions; some continue with their lives as they always have; and some seek ways of continuous evolvement. I have always been one to side with the latter, but on the other hand, I also like to view the new year as a way of presenting a clean slate and reaping what I sowed from seeds planted the year(s) prior.
Throughout the past couple years, a close confidant frequently suggested I should start a podcast given my widespread knowledge and gift of gab.
It was an idea I considered, but the timing and logistics were never right, and I didn’t want to force something to come together inorganically. As they say, timing is everything, so I sat on the idea and continued to collect notes of my various thoughts and plans for the future.
Toward the end of last year and considering the positive response I received from my SPEED SPORT columns, I outlined a plan to present a podcast to the SPEED SPORT group. I felt the timing was going to work out with me finishing law school in April and I was looking for an additional way of marketing myself as a positive force in motorsports. To add, I am always seeking new challenges.
After talking with several SPEED SPORT staff members and conversing with Grace Woelbing, our visions came to life in a matter of a few short weeks. It was pretty much like a story of divine intervention. Many of our ideas overlapped like a Venn diagram for how we envisioned the podcast along with the topics and people we wanted to concentrate on.
And just like that, “On the Drive” was born.
Grace and I bring different backgrounds, perspectives and values to the table, which contributes to the success of the show as we balance off each other really well. That results in better and broader conversations with our guests.
Assuming our schedules don’t get too chaotic, we hope to record episodes once a week and would like to incorporate trackside editions to the podcast.
We discussed shooting segments at the SPEED SPORT offices at least once a month because we feel it offers an organic, more conversational interaction among the hosts and guest with Zoom offering the flexibility if we can’t make it into the studio.
Xtreme midget champion Jade Avedisian was our first guest and she visited the studio prior to Chili Bowl. It was great to learn more about her story, her passion for racing and her plans for the future.
Additionally, we already had our first “On the Drive” trackside episode at the Chili Bowl with Thomas Meseraull, which was awesome, if I must say, and provided a lot of laughs. And we were able to chat with two-time Chili Bowl winner Logan Seavey a week after his big victory. It was a fascinating to learn more about him, where he came from, his drive to succeed, the fact he went to school for mechanical engineering and so much more. There were plenty of takeaways from that compelling conversation.
To summarize, I am really grateful to be in this position to work with the SPEED SPORT organization in a different capacity and for the opportunity to utilize their resources.
I look forward to all that’s to come and hope the listeners love and appreciate the product as much as we enjoy creating the content. The response has been overwhelmingly positive, so we look to continue to improve and build on what we have done.
If you haven’t already, check out “On the Drive.” It is available on all podcast platforms (Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, etc.), including the SPEED SPORT podcast network.
Lastly, remember to say yes to any opportunity that may come your way, even if it intimidates you. You won’t regret it.
Happy New Year!