Whatever with Matt & Dave

Dave and Matt welcome Dr. Shai Fuxman to the pod. 

Shai, a father of a two (1 son and 1 daughter), has his masters and doctorate degrees in Education, is a political (both local and national) junky, and speaks 3 languages. We had a great discussion about being a parent and educator during the pandemic, how he thinks Matt should get 8 masters degrees in the time it took him to get 1 doctorate, and [trigger warning] not being a great flyer. We even played an outrageous game of Two Truths and a Lie.

Dave (@dshalansky) and Matt (@realmattbrand) are on Instagram.

Thanks to Nice Guy Eddie (Dave, Robbie, and Chris) for the use of "That's Us" and to Nicholas Calhoun for the Whatever logo.

On this VERY special episode, Dave and Matt discuss our name-change from "DadPod" to "Whatever." 

DadPod started as a podcast BY 2 dads with interesting guests to talk about parenting, careers, health, and more. Understanding that the name might have been confusing for some who think that the topic was ONLY dad-related, and that the topic of conversation typically ends up being "whatever" the guests want to talk about, Dave and Matt thought a re-branding was in order.

Dave (@dshalansky) and Matt (@realmattbrand) are on Instagram.

Thanks to Nice Guy Eddie (Dave, Robbie, and Chris) for the use of "That's Us" and to Nicholas Calhoun for the Whatever logo.

Dave and Matt welcome Sara Isaacson to the pod. 

Sara is a long-time friend of Dave's, a mom of a 16-month-old baby girl, and a Hollywood Casting Director at the top of her game. She has been the casting director for shows like "Chicago Fire", "Chicago Med", and the upcoming Amazon series, "On Call." We had a great conversation about being a new mom, dealing with teething, eating, going out in public with a baby, and even a bit about the casting industry. 

You can find Sara on Instagram at @SaraIsaacsonCasting. Dave (@dshalansky) and Matt (@realmattbrand) are on Instagram.

Thanks to Nice Guy Eddie (Dave, Robbie, and Chris) for the use of "That's Us" and to Nicholas Calhoun for the DadPod logo.

Dave and Matt welcome Kevin D'Ambrosio to the pod. 

Kevin is a long-time friend of Matt's starting way back in the 4th grade. We talk about his career as an actor and motivational speaker, growing up with a disability, how awesome his family is, shared theater experiences, and more. 

You can find out more about Kevin, including information about 2 of the short films he's in, including Super Inspired, at https://www.kevindambrosio.com/

Dave (@dshalansky) and Matt (@realmattbrand) are on Instagram.

Thanks to Nice Guy Eddie (Dave, Robbie, and Chris) for the use of "That's Us" and to Nicholas Calhoun for the DadPod logo.

Dave and Matt welcome Patrick "Frank" Gallo to the pod.

Patrick has 1 son. Patrick claims he doesn't like to be recorded but that didn't stop him from not only barging in to say hello and also playing an incredible (almost unbelievable piano solo. Patrick is an actor, most recently seen in the Paramount+ mini-series, The Offer, where he played Mario Puzzo, author of The Godfather. Patrick has also appeared in The Irishman, The Deuce, and Boardwalk Empire (among many other credits). We had a great chat about how our kids achieve success without too much interference from their parents, the process of making The Offer, and more. 

Dave (@dshalansky) and Matt (@realmattbrand) are on Instagram.

Thanks to Nice Guy Eddie (Dave, Robbie, and Chris) for the use of "That's Us" and to Nicholas Calhoun for the DadPod logo.

Dave and Matt welcome Diana Rice to the pod.

Diana has 2 daughters, is a registered dietician, and the owner of Tiny Seed Family Nutrition (https://tinyseednutrition.com/). Diana teaches us all about the Anti-Diet framework and methodology and how to be healthy while working to break the cultural norms around what the "ideal" body looks like. It's a great and fun conversation and we think, just like we did, you'll learn some really interesting things.

Other places to learn more about Diana and her work:

Substack: The Messy Intersection, https://dianarice.substack.com/
Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/antidietkids

Follow Diana on Instagram: @anti.diet.kids

Dave (@dshalansky) and Matt (@realmattbrand) are ALSO on Instagram.

Thanks to Nice Guy Eddie (Dave, Robbie, and Chris) for the use of "That's Us" and to Nicholas Calhoun for the DadPod logo.

Dave and Matt welcome Alex Sherman to the pod.

Alex has 3 sons and is a media reporter for CNBC. Even though he's from the Boston area, Alex is a lifelong 49ers fan. Dave, Matt, and Alex talk about Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, his career, cell phones for kids, and his most recent article about Bob Iger, Bob Chapek, and leadership at Disney

Alex can be found on X at @sherman4949 and regularly on CNBC.

Dave (@dshalansky) and Matt (@realmattbrand) are ALSO on Instagram.

Thanks to Nice Guy Eddie (Dave, Robbie, and Chris) for the use of "That's Us" and to Nicholas Calhoun for the DadPod logo.

Dave and Matt welcome Liz Berman to the pod.

Liz has a son (18) and a daughter (16). She runs her own business, The Sleepy Baker, and bakes the very best desserts so you should try them. Liz, Dave, and Matt chatted about what it was like to send her son to college, the baking industry and how she wants to rumble with both Betty Crocker and Duncan Hines, why Matt thinks nobody wants to eat vegetables for dessert (Carrot Cake, he's talking to you), and more. 

Liz can be found on Instagram at @sleepy_baker. Her website is http://thesleepybaker.com.

Dave (@dshalansky) and Matt (@realmattbrand) are ALSO on Instagram.

Thanks to Nice Guy Eddie (Dave, Robbie, and Chris) for the use of "That's Us" and to Nicholas Calhoun for the DadPod logo.