Second Take Tuesday – Sound, Struggle, Soul

This episode meant a lot to me.

I sat down with Casey Johns, someone I played high school football with—both of us coached by Randy Doege, who we featured just last week. We hadn’t really connected in almost 15 years. Life took us in different directions. But sitting down to talk after all that time... it felt like no time had passed at all.

Seeing what Casey’s become—managing partner at Yellow Dog Studios, working with incredible artists, still chasing truth through music—it hit me. Hard. Because I remember who he was back then. And now I got to see who he’s become. And man, it was incredible.

We talked about:

• Life on the road with a band and the chaos it brings

• Losing the rhythm and learning how to find it again

• Building a music studio rooted in trust and soul

• What it means to still believe in something after failure

• And how Coach Doege shaped both of us more than we realized at the time

This wasn’t just a catch-up. It was a reminder that the seeds planted in youth—the discipline, the intensity, the belief—can grow into something beautiful when you don’t give up on it.

💡 Things I Learned from Casey

• The creative life tests you constantly. But it also tells you who you are.

• You don’t always know when you’re in a defining moment. You just keep showing up.

• Legacy lives through people who keep carrying the flame.

👊 Your Weekly Jolt

Volume up.

Some of you are sitting on a story, a song, a sketch, a sentence—and you’re too damn scared to hit “go.”
Enough of that.

You’ve already got the scars. Might as well make them sing.

Art isn’t polite. Neither is growth. Let it be wild. Let it be yours.

Next Week: I sit down with Lea Schmidt, a competitive CrossFit athlete whose discipline and mental toughness push far beyond the gym. We talk about training through pain, finding identity in movement, and what it really means to chase excellence with your whole being. This one is sharp, honest, and full of grit.

Thanks for reading Second Take Tuesday
If you’ve got someone from your past that shaped you—even quietly—reach out. We’re all just trying to carry the good forward.

Until next time,
Daniel