A New Lens

One has to go. For this A New Lens special, I’m taking on 250 rounds where four options go in… and only three survive. Food, movies, travel, technology, nostalgia, money, relationships, everyday life, and eventually some choices that are way harder than they have any business being. The rule is simple: I have to eliminate one every single time. No skipping. No “it depends.” No keeping all four. So...

Nobody owes you anything. That sounds harsh at first, but I think there’s something freeing about accepting it. This is a conversation about expectations, disappointment, taking ownership of your own life, and what changes when you stop waiting for other people to give you the opportunity, recognition, support, or outcome you think you’re owed. This episode actually comes from the early days of th...

Apparently the best way to have a serious conversation about art is to put on sunglasses and try to paint each other. I sat down with an artist, we each grabbed a canvas, put the shades on, and attempted portraits of one another while talking about art, creativity, interpretation, the process of making something, and the question that always seems to come up eventually: what actually makes somethi...

I finally did it — I ranked all 50 states. For this episode, I’m going through every state in the country and placing them into tiers based on the things that actually matter to me: scenery, things to do, food, culture, weather, places I’d want to visit, places I could actually see myself living, and of course a little completely subjective Wild Will judgment along the way. Some states were easy....

I genuinely could not put this one down. For Book Club #16, I read The Quiet Collapse of Us by Catherine Caragine — and what I expected to read over a few sittings turned into me sitting there for a few hours and reading the entire thing straight through. In this episode, I talk about my experience reading the book, what stood out to me, the moments that made me stop and think, and why the writing...

There are no easy answers this time. For this episode of A New Lens, I’m taking on 100 impossible choices — and I have to pick one every single time. No skipping. No choosing both. And I’m going to try very hard not to hide behind “it depends.” Some of these are ridiculous, some are surprisingly personal, and a few had me sitting there wondering who came up with this terrible choice in the first p...

Think you can pick a side on all 100? For this episode, I’m taking on 100 This or That questions and choosing one every single time. Some of these were instant decisions, some were way harder than they had any right to be, and a few sent me down some pretty ridiculous rabbit holes. Play along while you watch and see how many of your answers match mine. When you’re done, let me know in the comments...

Sam is back for Part 2, and we picked up right where we left off. This conversation somehow had even more to unpack, with more stories, more tangents, and more of the kind of back-and-forth that made Part 1 so much fun. If you haven’t watched Part 1 yet, check that out first so you can get the full conversation. If you’re already caught up, welcome back. Let me know in the comments what your favor...

Sam is back, and somehow we ended up with enough to talk about for two episodes. In Part 1, we catch up, get into some new stories, revisit a few old ones, and go down a bunch of unexpected rabbit holes along the way. No real script, no big plan — just another long conversation that got interesting pretty fast. This is Part 1 of Sam’s return to A New Lens . Part 2 coming next. #ANewLens #Podcast #...

How much of life do we miss because we’re thinking about what already happened or worrying about what might happen next? In the 15th A New Lens Book Club episode, we discuss The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle. We break down the book’s ideas about presence, ego, overthinking, and separating yourself from the constant stream of thoughts in your head. We share what connected with us, what challenged u...

Agree or disagree? In this episode of A New Lens, I’m taking on 100 questions and hot takes—and I have to pick a side every single time. No skipping, no neutral answers, and no hiding behind “it depends.” We start with ridiculous debates about food and everyday life before getting into social media, relationships, money, work, and a few uncomfortable truths. Some were easy, some were surprisingly...

BigDorkyKong is back for Part 2, and apparently we were just getting started. We pick up right where Part 1 left off and somehow find even more to talk about. More stories, more random tangents, and more of the kind of conversation you get when you put us in a room and just let the cameras roll. If you haven’t watched Part 1 yet, definitely check that out first. If you’re already caught up, welcom...

BigDorkyKong is back. After a long break, we finally sat down for another conversation, and it didn't take long for things to go off the rails. We catch up on what's changed, share a few stories, and dive into some of the random conversations that always seem to happen when we get together. This is Part 1 of a two-part episode, so if you enjoy it, make sure you're subscribed so you don...

Could you make it through all 100? 🤔 I sat down and answered 100 Would You Rather questions , and some of these were way harder than I expected. A few were easy, a few made me stop and think, and a couple completely changed my mind halfway through answering. Play along while you watch and keep track of how many of your answers match mine. When you're done, let me know: How many did we agree o...

Today’s the World Cup Final , so I decided to go straight to the real expert. 😂⚽️🏆 I sat down with a young football fan to get his official prediction for Spain vs. Argentina and find out who he thinks is taking home the trophy. Forget the analysts, forget the pundits—this is the prediction that really matters. 👀 Who do YOU think wins the World Cup Final? Drop your prediction in the comments b...

This Summer truly had everything

BigDorkyKong is back for Part 2… allegedly. In this episode of A New Lens, the conversation keeps going with BigDorkyKong as we dive deeper into streaming, internet culture, comedy, life stories, and the kind of random tangents that only happen when two friends sit down and just start talking. This is the second half of our long-form conversation, and if Part 1 was the warm-up, Part 2 is where the...

In this episode of A New Lens , I sit down with my friend and Twitch streamer BigDorkyKong for what can only be described as an allegedly structured conversation. We talk about streaming, online communities, content, comedy, friendship, random stories, and whatever else we somehow ended up yapping about. This is one of those episodes where the conversation goes wherever it wants to go, and honestl...

Vietnam is not what you think. In this episode of A New Lens , Sam returns to talk about his trip through Vietnam and the side of travel that does not always show up in the usual tourist version. This conversation is about getting outside the standard travel guide experience, seeing a place more honestly, and finding the unexpected moments that make a trip memorable. We talk about Vietnam’s food,...

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I would write a real description, but it feels like it defeats the purpose

Everyone should work retail or hospitality at least once, but no one deserves to be treated badly while doing it. In this episode of A New Lens, I talk about why I think retail, hospitality, and customer service jobs can genuinely build character. They force you to communicate with different types of people, handle uncomfortable situations, develop patience, build soft skills, and get real-world r...

In this episode of A New Lens Book Club, we review Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell and break down one of the book’s biggest ideas: success is not just about hard work. Gladwell argues that the people we call “outliers” are often shaped by hidden advantages, timing, culture, opportunity, family background, practice, and systems that help them rise. From the 10,000-hour rule to the role of luck and env...

One year of A New Lens. In this episode, I look back on the first year of making videos, building this channel, and figuring out what A New Lens has become. This was supposed to be a simple one-year review, but like most good conversations, it turned into something bigger. I talk about what changed, what I learned, how the channel has evolved, and the unexpected side quests that came with trying t...

What if success doesn’t make you happy? In this episode of A New Lens, we talk about the quiet fear that many people avoid: what happens when the thing you have been chasing no longer fulfills you? What if you spend your whole life trying to reach the finish line, only to get there and realize you still feel empty? This conversation explores ambition, purpose, burnout, identity, success, happiness...