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Building a Better Dave

Building a Better Dave

By: Dave Jackson
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Summary

 The personal diary of Dave Jackson. Each short episode attempts to make you laugh, cry, think, groan, educate, or entertain. Sometimes, you get to play therapist as Dave attempts to share life's lessons from Father Time.2026 School of Podcasting Social Sciences
Episodes
  • And Then Life Pulled Me Back In

    And Then Life Pulled Me Back In
    May 1 2026
    On this episode of Building a Better Dave, I open up about a lifelong battle with debt, from childhood lessons learned at the family kitchen table to the hard realities of bankruptcy, divorce, and the ever-looming burden of credit cards. I share how persistent financial setbacks reshaped his perspective on money, hard work, and resilience. Just when he thought he had finally conquered debt, an unexpected basement flood pulled him back in, reminding him that life's challenges are never really finished. Join me as I explore what it means to keep pushing forward when setbacks strike, the value of perseverance, and how sometimes tearing things down is the first step to building something even better. Like the show? Wan to give some value back? Buy Dave a Coffee (or 10). Sequence of Topics Covered 1. Introduction & Theme of Debt Dave Jackson introduces debt as the main topic and his lifelong struggle with it 00:00. Show info and contact details are provided 00:08. 2. Early Lessons in Money and Debt Memories of his dad doing taxes and the tension around finances 00:36. The influence of the Lannister motto, "A Lannister always pays his debts," on his upbringing 01:22. Story of borrowing $300 from his grandfather to buy a car and the process of paying him back 01:28. Learning there are no "free lunches" and needing to earn money for things he wanted, such as music albums 01:47. 3. Family Finances & Value of Money Family's economic background (not rich, not poor, but frugal) 02:24. Use of coupons, hand-me-downs, and lessons in financial responsibility from his mother 02:33. 4. Adult Experiences with Debt First marriage: fertility challenges lead to substantial credit card debt for treatments 02:41. Living paycheck to paycheck and discussing bankruptcy, which conflicted with his "pay your debts" values 03:30. After 9/11, wife's hours were cut, leading them to file for bankruptcy reluctantly 03:40. 5. Struggles with Debt in Later Life Marriage to a partner with poor credit and inheriting someone else's credit card debt after divorce 04:17. Failed attempts at debt consolidation and the difficulty of accessing better loan rates 05:09. Gradual process of securing slightly better loans and working towards being debt-free 05:25. 6. The Turning Point: Selling the School of Podcasting Conversation with his boss about potential for the School of Podcasting 05:42. Decision to sell the business for enough money to pay off debt, while maintaining a professional relationship 06:23. Finishing 2025 debt-free and entering the new year with a clean slate 07:07. Enjoying financial freedom and considering future opportunities and contributions to family 07:38. 7. Setbacks: Home Flooding and New Debt Feeling of finally catching up to peers in life after years of feeling behind 08:03. Discovery of water damage and mold in the basement after heavy rain 09:18. Realization of the high cost involved in repairs and choosing to finance the repairs rather than deplete savings 10:30. Resuming strategies from earlier years to manage debt and expenses 11:05. 8. Mindset and Coping Strategies Acceptance of debt as a temporary setback and readiness to cut corners and reduce expenses (e.g., fewer streaming services, no fast food) 11:48. Reflecting on the possibility of being in debt into old age and the impact on personal plans 12:22. 9. Tackling Change and Optimism Clearing out the workshop and preparing for basement renovations 12:51. Parallel between demolishing basement parts and the demolition of his childhood schools 13:31. Considering new configurations for the basement, such as moving down his podcasting studio, and seeking hidden benefits 14:05. Drawing inspiration from his grandmother's longevity supported by daily movement 14:18. 10. It is What It is Paying for repairs and looking forward with optimism, knowing things will improve 14:46. Mention of listener support through "buy me a coffee" on the website to help with expenses 14:58. Closing wishes for the audience and a tease for the next episode 15:19.
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    16 mins
  • Brilliant Journalism

    Brilliant Journalism
    Dec 12 2025

    In this episode, I look into the hilariously pointless world of sports interviews. Ever sit through those sideline or post-game questions and wonder why we bother? Trust me, I do too! Whether it's ex-players like Doug Deacon giving us obvious advice ("If you want to win, you've got to score points") or reporters asking quarterbacks how it feels to win in overtime, it all feels a bit silly to me.

    I share stories about being a long-suffering Cleveland Browns fan, what it's like watching my great nephew get concussion after concussion playing football, and how that's changed the way families look at the sport. I also talk about the NFL trying their best to save their audience by appealing to kids and women, like dumping slime on players or having female sideline reporters—but still mostly asking the same old questions.

    Bottom line: If you want to save some time (and a few brain cells), you can skip the sports interviews and just watch the game. I'm all about talented athletes and the thrill of victory (even if we Cleveland fans rarely get to celebrate), but you won't catch me sticking around for another round of "how does it feel?"

    Hope you're enjoying your holiday season as you listen. Until next time—it's gonna get better!

    Enjoy the episode? Consider buying me a coffee

    Please note I'm not saying the women reporters are stupd. I'm saying the quesitons they ask (probably created by a guy) are stupid. They are just doing their job.
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    9 mins
  • Waterboarding for Fruit

    Waterboarding for Fruit
    Oct 17 2025

    Hey, it's Dave—and on this episode of Building a Better Dave, I talk all about the weirdness that is Halloween in my neighborhood lately. As October rolls in, I've noticed a crazy escalation in skeleton yard decorations. What used to be simple six-foot skeletons have turned into these massive twelve-foot giants. I can't help but wonder if this is just the middle-aged version of keeping up with the Joneses.

    Halloween itself has always struck me as strange, especially when you factor in how expensive candy has gotten (seriously, $15 a bag now?!) and how we've all just accepted feeding our kids mountains of sugar as tradition. Confession: If I buy a bunch of candy, I'm probably just going to eat it myself, which is why I might skip handing it out altogether and let myself get "tricked" this year.

    This episode, I also reminisce about the good old days of Halloween pranks—TPing houses, knocking and running, and my brother's infamous police escort home after getting caught. My dad was definitely not amused. It feels like those harmless pranks just don't happen anymore—probably because today's doorbell cameras have killed the fun.

    Of course, I have to mention bobbing for apples, which, looking back, is basically waterboarding with fruit. Pump enough apple cider into a kid and you end up with what I like to call the "Runs" (and I list every synonym I can think of—because why not?).

    And what's up with every costume needing to be "slutty" these days? Slutty nurse, slutty librarian, even slutty Daffy Duck! Not sure when that trend started, but it seems to get more out there every year.

    I wrap up by admitting I bought a new Christmas tree—when all I intended was a little four-foot tree, I walked out with a seven-and-a-half foot beauty. Honestly, I think I'm trying to recapture one of my favorite childhood memories: coming in from the snow, curling up in front of the tree with a thick blanket and some hot chocolate from my mom. That feeling of safety just sticks with me, especially as the holidays get closer.

    Hope you enjoy my holiday ramblings, stories of waterboarding for fruit, and my skepticism about modern Halloween. Until next time, hang in there—it's going to get better.

    Highlights:

    • Giant skeletons and the one-upmanship of Halloween decorations

    • The economics—and temptations—of Halloween candy

    • How doorbell cameras ruined classic Halloween pranks

    • Bobbing for apples: my take on this bizarre tradition

    • The rise of "slutty" costumes and my bewilderment

    • Reflecting on the holidays and chasing those cozy, safe memories

    Did this episode make you laugh,cry, think, or groan? Consider buying Dave a coffee.
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    12 mins
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