The Daily Grateful with Michael Crose

A dusty closet yields an unexpected treasure — a 1957 Betty Crocker Picture Cookbook, stuffed with handwritten recipe cards, newspaper clippings, and decades of a mother's quiet creativity. Host Michael Crose didn't expect Good Friday to hit this hard. In this deeply personal episode, Michael reflects on grief, memory, and the objects that carry the people we've lost. From a strawberry...

Today’s episode of The Daily Grateful is pure, unfiltered awe. From watching rockets as a kid on a black-and-white TV… to standing just miles away as the ground shook beneath a space shuttle launch… to craning my neck in my own backyard hoping to catch a glimpse of today’s mission—this is about a lifelong love affair with space. I take you inside those moments—the fear, the humor, the humanity—and...

What if sitting in a hot room a few times a week could dramatically lower your risk of dementia? Michael dives into a fascinating Finnish cohort study that tracked over 2,300 men for 20 years — and the results are hard to ignore. From two to three sessions a week, cutting dementia risk by 20%, to four to seven sessions dropping it by ajaw-dropping 66%, the numbers are striking. But Michael keeps i...

Purpose isn't something you find — it's something you build. In this heartfelt episode, Michael reflects on a seminar about discovering your life's purpose and connects it to his own deeply personal story: growing up with a difficult father, becoming the dad he never had, and finding unexpected moments of love with his sparkly granddaughter over buttered popcorn. Michael reminds us tha...

In this episode of The Daily Grateful , Michael challenges the idea that opportunities come knocking. Instead, he shares how life-changing moments often appear when you simply put yourself in the right place and stay open. Through stories from his 35-year radio career, Michael reveals how chance meetings, small favors, and unexpected calls shaped his path. With a grateful mindset, even rejection b...

Ever dreamed of writing a book but had no idea where to start? In this episode of The Daily Grateful , Michael takes you on a fascinating journey through the evolution of self-publishing — from a neighbor who hand-collated 5,000 books and painted glue on spines in her living room, to today's print-on-demand revolution with Amazon KDP and IngramSpark. Michael shares personal stories, insider ti...

This is an audio of a talk I gave at an Elks Club about 5 years ago in the center of the state. Some of the information is a little bit dated, but it is all really good information. I was moved by the Elks Club. I was moved by what I saw hanging on the walls, near the door, and on the Blackboard. it was a talk that I gave about how to start a podcast. enjoy

In this heartfelt and humorous episode of The Daily Grateful , Michael reflects on life’s unexpected detours—especially the move from Michigan to Florida he never wanted. Through vivid memories, family stories, and a few laugh-out-loud moments, he explores how what once felt like disappointment became the foundation for a rich, fulfilling life. From smoky car rides to small-town roots and a future...

Born the day after St. Patrick's Day, our host has spent a lifetime hearing "why couldn't you come out on the 17th?" — and he's never once worn green in protest. But this episode isn't really about defying a holiday. It's about something bigger: the quiet, everyday luck we forget to appreciate. From waking up each morning to sharing a meal with family, real gratitude...

Some of the most powerful moments in parenting happen in the front seat of a truck. On a drive through Palm Harbor, Florida, Michael was listening to the Beatles' We Can Work It Out with his son Kyle when John Lennon's bridge section stopped them both in their tracks. That moment sparked a lifelong conversation about music — one that would later move his daughter Cassandra to tears listeni...

From Jerry Lee Lewis at Kellogg Auditorium in 1958 to Frank Zappa in Tampa, host Michael Gross takes listeners on a deeply personal journey through the music that shaped his soul. In this episode, Michael reflects on how rock and roll, folk, classical, and the lyrics of Bob Dylan and Nanci Griffith became the defining thread of his life — and asks the big question: Do you have a soundtrack to your...

Michael sits down with a special guest — his son Zack — to tackle nine reasons you should stop taking technology so darn seriously. From the wisdom of a 79-year-old grandma who didn't need a cell phone to survive, to the chaos of a GameStop lottery shakedown, to the eternal truth that a cold Diet Coke tastes just as good whether or not you post it online — this episode is equal parts philosoph...

Before rock and roll had a name, Al Jardine was helping shape it. In this episode, Michael Crose — self-described boomer and unapologetic music lover — shares his excitement ahead of an intimate evening at Clearwater's historic Capitol Theater, where founding Beach Boy Al Jardine will take the stage at 83 years old. Michael reflects on the legacy of the Beach Boys, the genius of Pet Sounds , a...

Are you still living in the 20th century? In this episode, Michael explores why so many people hit an invisible wall — often around the year 2000 — and simply stopped growing. From clinging to Blackberries to fighting off flat-screen TVs, stagnation disguises itself as safety. Michael makes the case for perpetual forward motion: embracing AI, refreshing old habits, and never letting moss grow unde...

Before inboxes and instant replies, there were stamps, cursive, and the nervous thrill of dropping a letter in the mail. In this episode of The Daily Grateful , I share stories of pen pals, teenage crush notes, Catholic school penmanship battles, and the unforgettable day William F. Gaines wrote back to me about how to grow an “Arthur” plant from Mad Magazine. From embarrassing handwriting disaste...

Spring is more than a season — it’s a reset button. In this episode of The Daily Grateful , we explore seven simple ways to wake your life back up. From cleaning one small space to planting something new, from taking an analog walk to starting a tiny daily habit, this is about fresh starts without pressure. You don’t need a total life overhaul. You just need a little sunlight, a little courage, an...

In today’s episode of The Daily Grateful , Michael reflects on the power of analog in a digital world. From a rare 1962 White Springs bluegrass festival recording to original master tapes sitting on his studio floor, he explores how physical objects create scarcity, value, and connection. Along the way, he shares stories about collectible vinyl, a surprising Army discharge document from 1919, and...

In this episode of The Daily Grateful , we explore how social media has become the modern-day printing press — open to anyone willing to show up consistently. From the fast-moving reach of TikTok and the brand-building power of Instagram to the long-term income potential of YouTube and the community strength of Facebook, this episode breaks down practical ways to turn attention into income. No gat...

Are you wandering around with your umbilical cord in your hand, looking for a place to plug it in? Motivational speaker Cavett Roberts coined that image back in the day — and it's never been more relevant. In this episode, Michael traces the idea from a $5 record album in 1972 all the way to the complicated, fabricated legacy of Think and Grow Rich . The message is simple: no guru, book, or mo...

Fun isn't something that happens to you. It's something you build. In this episode, Michael unwraps a new gimbal camera, shares why gratitude means designing joy into everyday life, and delivers five practical ways to inject fun into your week — starting today. From a legendary corn on the cob delivery to shutting down a nine-minute overshare with two perfect words, Michael proves that hap...

Before social media, before Google Ads — there was green paper and a mimeograph machine. In this episode of The Daily Grateful , Michael shares how a dog-eared library book changed everything. Armed with Guerrilla Marketing by Jay Conrad Levinson, hand-rolled flyers, and 5,000 sheets of bright green paper, Michael built a lawn care business from scratch in 1985 — with almost no budget. Then he fas...

A simple Facebook post about a graveside service at Bay Pines National Cemetery sent me straight back to the day we laid my brother to rest. Grief is strange like that. It sneaks up, it lingers, it crashes in waves. In this episode of The Daily Grateful , I share what I’ve learned through losing my mom and my brother — that grief isn’t something you “get over.” You move forward with it. We talk ab...

This week, Michael explores AI's intrusion into daily life with a healthy dose of skepticism. From fiber optic installations tearing up the neighborhood to AI-generated email summaries nobody asked for, he questions whether artificial intelligence is truly making our lives better. Michael shares his journey from early AOL email to today's Gmail, where AI now pre-summarizes messages he'...

Third takes the charm, folks. Tried recording a passkey explainer while my Aussie buddy demolished a kitchen in sketchy Clearwater. Audio was trash—hammering, cursing, his sister yelling at their mum. Shoved it into Riverside AI, then Claude.ai for damage control. The gist? Passkeys are password-killers using cryptography magic tied to YOUR device. Hackers can't touch it remotely. One passkey...

Launching a podcast requires strategic planning across several key areas. Begin with essential equipment—a quality USB microphone and free editing software like Audacity work perfectly for beginners. Choose a reliable hosting platform such as Buzzsprout or Libsyn to distribute your RSS feed to major directories. Focus on developing a consistent format and a realistic content schedule you can susta...