Burn The Map

Crazy ones? You’re damn right. Burn the Map is a podcast about the people who can’t help but chase obsession. Before the exits. Before the followers. Before anyone asked them to. These are deep-dive interviews with innovators, artists, hackers, tinkerers—people whose dedication to their craft borders on lunacy. We dissect the nuance of what they do, what keeps them going, and why their work matters. Hosted by Dan Baird, this show is a guided tour into the minds of people who do the work that seems illogical—until it isn’t.

Burn The Map: White Collar Hunger Games with Gabi Barragan 08/14/2025

Burn The Map: White Collar Hunger Games with Gabi Barragan In This Episode: We sit down with Gabi Barragan, Wrench.AI’s Co-Founder and CMO (and, let’s be real, the original “Gabi Filter” for anyone who couldn’t write their way out of a Slack thread). Gabi gets brutally honest about the future of work, why most people are totally unprepared for the AI tidal wave, and the one skillset robots still can’t fake—being a decent human. She and Dan swap war stories about flattening orgs, surviving existential tech dread, and why soft skills are the new power tools. Plus: why your lawyer’s job is toast, how to future-proof your career (hint: meditation and MMA?), and what happens when your kid can assemble IKEA furniture better than you. What We Cover: How AI is eating jobs from the bottom and the top—no one’s safe, darling. The not-so-secret power of empathy, adaptability, and problem solving (yes, you still need people skills, even if your boss is a bot). Why “the grind” is overrated, and how the next wave of work might finally let you catch a damn baseball game. The Gabi Filter origin story, and how personalized AI is changing the game for everyone (even the grammar-challenged among us). Real talk on burnout, resilience, and why “sitting is the new smoking”—so get up, walk your dog, and try not to panic. Guest Bio:Gabi Barragan is Co-Founder and CMO at Wrench.AI, where she’s made a career out of translating chaos into strategy—and occasionally rescuing colleagues from their own bad grammar. With a background in marketing, startups, and the fine art of not losing your mind in a tech tsunami, Gabi is the go-to voice on surviving (and thriving) as AI rewrites the rules of business. When she’s not building the next big thing in personalization, she’s lurking on TikTok, plotting the future of work, and reminding everyone that soft skills aren’t going out of style. Enjoy! This show was brought to you by Follow Dan: LinkedIn: X: Follow Gabi: LinkedIn: Follow the Pod: YouTube: Twitter/X: Instagram: TikTok: BlueSky: Selected Links From This Episode Wrench.AI: People and Organizations Mentioned Dan Baird Gabi Barragan Wrench.AI Random mutual associate with existential dread (don’t worry, Dan won’t out you on air) The “Gabi Filter” (RIP, but not forgotten) Show Notes Why your job might be toast (and why that’s not the end of the world) The real value of soft skills in an AI-soaked workplace How to avoid burnout when the grind is a myth The future of work: lean, mean, and a little bit weird Lurking, lurking, and more lurking: why sometimes it’s okay to just watch /episode/index/show/9ef1b7fc-2977-4a08-9c0e-ebaa9e980327/id/37823640

Burn The Map: Steve Eror — AI Agents, Skydiving, and Why Nap Pods Are Dead 07/31/2025

Burn The Map: Steve Eror — AI Agents, Skydiving, and Why Nap Pods Are Dead In This Episode: We sit down with Steve Eror—skydiver, AI troublemaker, and the guy who’ll absolutely call out your nap pod culture for what it is: overhyped and overdue for extinction. Steve walks us through his wild career pivot from Wall Street’s soul-sucking grind (hello, Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley) to the frontlines of AI at Signals, where he’s busy helping companies hire “cloud employees” instead of more warm bodies. Along the way, we get the unvarnished truth about what it’s really like to swap financial jargon for code, why automation isn’t your enemy (unless you’re mediocre), and how building a digital army of agents might just be the ticket to working less and living more. Oh, and did I mention he jumps out of planes for fun? What We Cover: The not-so-glamorous story of leaving a “good” job that was anything but good How to build and manage AI “cloud employees” that do the grunt work while you focus on… well, anything else The myth (and reality) of Jobmageddon: why the robots aren’t coming for your job unless you’re already replaceable Why skydiving is the ultimate flow state—and way, way safer than arguing with your compliance department Behind the scenes of Chad, the AI bro-sales rep you never wanted (but can’t look away from) Guest Bio: Steve Eror is a tech executive and all-around AI troublemaker. He’s got a resume that runs from Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley (where he survived the soul-sucking world of finance) to leadership at InsideSales, Avanti, Zant, and Forethought. These days, he’s helping run the show at Signals, building the AI-powered “cloud employees” that will probably automate the boring parts of your job before you even finish reading this sentence. Steve’s career is a tour through finance, sales, and AI, with a knack for building tools that get actual results—plus, the man jumps out of airplanes for fun (74 times and counting), so you know he’s not just here for the safe bets. Enjoy! This episode was brought to you by Follow Dan: LinkedIn: X: Follow Steve: LinkedIn: YouTube: X: Instagram: Follow the Pod: YouTube: Twitter/X: Instagram: TikTok: BlueSky: Selected Links From This Episode Signals: Wrench.ai: People and Organizations Mentioned in this Episode Steve Eror Dan Baird Signals Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley InsideSales, Avanti, Zant, Forethought Wrench.ai Show Notes & Timestamps: 00:08 — Why beanbags aren’t just beanbags: Lessons from Lovesac 04:15 — Argumentation, decision-making, and why everyone thinks they don’t argue (spoiler: they do) 12:24 — Quitting finance, waking up to tech, and learning what an API is (the hard way) 18:23 — AI, job-mageddon, and why real talent doesn’t sweat the robots 26:04 — Trolling with AI: Building Chad, the world’s worst sales bro 29:32 — Skydiving, ADD, and finding zen at 10,000 feet 38:21 — Moose encounters, Yellowstone survival, and Darwinism at its finest 41:49 — Where to find Steve (and why he’s not hard to track down) /episode/index/show/9ef1b7fc-2977-4a08-9c0e-ebaa9e980327/id/37610160

Burn The Map: Chasing Chaos, Curating Creativity, and the Relentless Art of AI Video w/ Luka Tisler 07/17/2025

Burn The Map: Chasing Chaos, Curating Creativity, and the Relentless Art of AI Video w/ Luka Tisler “Limitations? Please. The only thing that matters now is the idea—because with today’s AI, you can create anything. The rest is just noise.” —Luka Tisler In This Episode: We sit down with Luka Tisler, the Slovenian mastermind who treats AI video tools like his personal playground. Luka’s journey is a whirlwind of reinvention—from post-production purist to VFX wizard to motion graphics innovator to, well, teaching the rest of us how to keep up. He went from wrangling cameras to breaking generative models, turning every “hobby” into a full-blown career, and building Lighthouse Academy so others could stop floundering and start creating. What do you get when you mix relentless curiosity, a little Balkan stubbornness, and a refusal to follow creative trends? Apparently, a one-man AI creative studio who’s as busy as he is unbothered by the old rules. What We Cover: How AI has nuked creative limitations (and why your dumbest idea is your only real asset now) The messy, noisy process behind AI image and video creation—yes, even when the results have six fingers Why curation is the new creation, and batch-processing your way to greatness (or at least a good espresso) The agony and ecstasy of client “education” when nobody wants to leave their comfort zone The birth of Lighthouse Academy and why Luka would rather build something from scratch than explain things twice Where to find the world’s top AI nerds (Spoiler: Discord, Reddit, and definitely not Facebook) Guest Bio: Luka Tisler is a Slovenian video virtuoso and co-founder of Lighthouse Academy, known for his deep dives into motion graphics, VFX, and AI-powered animation. Since 2008, Luka’s career has spanned from old-school production sets to the wild frontiers of generative AI. He’s an unapologetic experimenter, a breaker of tools, and the kind of guy who turns every hobby into a profession—whether the rest of us can keep up or not. Enjoy! This show was brought to you by Wrench.ai Follow Dan: LinkedIn: X: Follow Luka: LinkedIn: Follow the Pod: Selected Links From This Episode: Luka’s Tools: Midjourney, Weavy, ComfyUI People and Organizations Mentioned: Dave Clark (AI film legend) Billy Bowman (AI creative rockstar) Kevin the Kid, Metapuppet, Perz, Phil, Kijai, Seb (AI superheroes) Lighthouse Academy Show Notes & Timestamps: 00:04 — Luka’s journey: From Slovenian VFX to AI wild child 02:09 — How video creation is being flipped on its head (and why your ideas matter more than your tools) 05:43 — The latest in AI video: Broken tools, creative breakthroughs, and why “good enough” is never enough 08:15 — Client education: Herding cats, fighting for sanity, and not letting the comfort zone kill your creativity 14:15 — Curation is the new creation (yes, you still have to do the work) 17:37 — Building Lighthouse Academy: Zero to one, the joy of teaching, and why community is everything 21:17 — Where the real AI nerds hang out (spoiler: it’s not Instagram) 24:15 — The hardest part? Clients who want 2010 results in 2024 28:09 — Who to watch in AI creativity, and why the best don’t always come from film school /episode/index/show/9ef1b7fc-2977-4a08-9c0e-ebaa9e980327/id/37444590

Burn The Map: DIY Podcasting Power with Anika Jackson 07/07/2025

Burn The Map: DIY Podcasting Power with Anika Jackson “Don’t spend $25,000 building a studio before you’ve recorded your first episode. Please. Use your laptop, a good mic, and just get started.” —Anika Jackson In This Episode: We talk to Anika Jackson about what it actually takes to go from “hey, let’s start a podcast!” to running a slick, sustainable media machine. She walked through her own scrappy journey—launching Brand Amplified out of her PR agency, turning a side hustle into a business, and learning (sometimes the hard way) that you don’t need a $25,000 studio to get started. What you do need: consistency, a clear sense of why you’re doing it, and a willingness to put in the reps, even if your first few episodes are a little rough around the edges.. We discuss: How to launch, grow, and monetize a podcast without burning a pile of cash. The real story behind turning a hobby into a business—spoiler: it’s not glamorous, but it is possible. Why most podcasters quit too soon, and how to avoid rookie mistakes. The hidden cost of “doing it all yourself”—and why AI is your new best friend. How Anika’s DIY approach landed her speaking gigs, teaching gigs, and more guest requests than she can handle (seriously, 100+ waitlist). Enjoy the episode. This show is brought to you by . Guest Bio: Anika Jackson is a communications maestro with 25+ years in the PR and media trenches. She’s the Executive Director at the ICL Foundation, co-produces USC’s MediaScape series, and is the host of Your Brand Amplified®—a top 1.5% podcast where she cracks open the world of branding, entrepreneurship, and the business of being heard. When she’s not turning chaos into content, you’ll find her teaching grad students at USC, judging the Webby Awards, or wrangling AI tools into service for indie podcasters everywhere. Follow Dan: Follow Anika: Follow the Pod: Selected Links From This Episode (Brand development and podcast strategy tool) (Accessibility and content tagging for podcasts) (AI-driven content creation and scheduling) (Podcast analytics and ranking) (Podcast charts, keywords, and competitors) People and Organizations Mentioned Anika Jackson (Guest) Dan Baird (Host) ICL Foundation ICL Academy (online middle and high school) University of Southern California (USC) Full Capacity Marketing (Anika’s PR agency) Maestrix.ai (Guillaume Demortier, Founder) Ziotag Simplified Podgagement ListenNotes Webby Awards Show Notes & Timestamps 00:00 — Why most podcasters quit before they get traction (and how Anika didn’t) 03:00 — Turning a hobby podcast into a business you can actually monetize 06:00 — Building a content backlog: 10 interviews a week, 100+ guests in the queue 08:00 — Why AI tools are a podcaster’s best friend (and which ones actually work) 10:00 — Making your podcast accessible (for real, not just for compliance) 13:00 — Metrics, downloads, and the lies you tell yourself (and your sponsors) 16:00 — The future of podcasting: AI clones, digital personas, and what’s still very, very human 22:00 — Small teams, big impact: How AI is killing middle management and opening up new business models 28:00 — Why every business, big or small, needs an AI-literate workforce 34:00 — Anika’s top 3 tips for launching a podcast (hint: don’t overthink it) 36:00 — Where to find Anika and why LinkedIn is still king /episode/index/show/9ef1b7fc-2977-4a08-9c0e-ebaa9e980327/id/37326760

Burn the Map: Psilocybin, Law, and Life with Bridger Jensen 07/07/2025

Burn the Map: Psilocybin, Law, and Life with Bridger Jensen “Every human is entitled to utter syllables and words and think thoughts and commune with their own highest power. That is… certainly an inalienable right.” —Bridger Lee Jensen In This Episode: We sit down with Bridger Lee Jensen, founder of the world’s first federally protected psilocybin religion, Singularism. Bridger takes us on a trip (pun intended) through the wild ride of founding a new movement—in Provo, Utah, of all places—facing down the SWAT team, and coming out the other side with his mushrooms (and his freedom) intact. Bridger’s story is a cocktail of therapy, philosophy, legal warfare, and a healthy disrespect for the way “it’s always been done.” He’s a therapist, a reluctant founder, and, apparently, the only guy who’s ever had the government give his stash back—by court order. What We Cover: Why suffering might be good for you (and why you should teach your kid to get their ass kicked) The mechanics of starting a federally recognized religion (hint: you’ll need more than a vision board) Psychedelics, therapy, and the myth of “fixing” yourself How to survive a SWAT raid with your dignity and your sense of humor The accidental legal precedent that could change religion in America Enjoy the episode. This show is brought to you by . Guest Bio: Bridger Lee Jensen is the founder of Singularism, the first psilocybin-based religion in the U.S. to win federal protection—by way of a legal brawl in the heart of Mormon country. He’s a therapist, philosophical troublemaker, and possibly the only person to have his mushrooms returned by court order. Bridger’s mission? Use psychedelics, not as escape, but as a tool to strip away the BS and find real meaning. Follow Dan: Follow the Pod: Follow Bridger: Selected Links from the Episode: People and Organizations Mentioned: Bridger Lee Jensen Dan Baird The City of Provo Singularism Wrench.ai Show Notes & Timestamps 00:04 — Welcome, Bridger: Why start a religion in Provo, Utah? 06:15 — Is suffering actually good for you? 11:45 — Psychedelics, consciousness, and what therapy gets wrong 25:55 — The SWAT raid, the mushrooms, and how not to panic 34:41 — The legal fight: redefining religion in America 1:13:10 — Government gives the mushrooms back (seriously) 1:22:08 — Why Bridger won’t quit, no matter how weird it gets 1:32:09 — How to get involved, support, or just watch the circus /episode/index/show/9ef1b7fc-2977-4a08-9c0e-ebaa9e980327/id/37326515

Burn The Map

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