Past Due with Ana Marie Cox and Open Mike Eagle

Jamie Feldman and Rachel Webster, the duo behind the award-winning podcast Debt Heads, join us to talk about the 1978 Supreme Court decision that quietly eliminated interest rate caps and created the modern credit card crisis, why shame is the most profitable tool the financial industry has, and why the answer to "how did we all end up here" is never as personal as we've been told. Get more of this conversation at http://patreon.com/pastdue Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike's running at full speed with no room to breathe, Ana's navigating the gap between making art and making rent, and together they unpack why showing up, week after week, broke or not, might be the only honest answer left. Get more at patreon.com/pastdue Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Writer and author Rainesford Stauffer joins us to talk about what happens when you've spent your whole life working your way into worthiness and it still doesn't feel like enough. We get into the real economics of freelancing plus nonprofit work plus mentoring student journalists in Kentucky, what OCD has to do with financial anxiety, and what she actually tells young people entering the worst job market of their lifetimes.  Get more at http://patreon.com/pastdue Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Comedian Adam Conover joins us to unpack the real costs of the so-called "creator economy" from algorithmic gatekeeping to the crumbling of stable creative jobs. Get more at http://patreon.com/pastdue Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alex Goldman, co-creator of Reply All and current host of Hyperfixed joins us to talk about what it actually looks like to start over. We get into 18 months of floundering and how he ended up funding Hyperfixed with a $200,000 loan he's still paying back. Get more at patreon.com/pastdue Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Actor, comedian, and podcaster Connor Ratliff joins us to talk about building a creative life out of the parts you can actually control. We get into SAG insurance that resets every year and what it actually means to lose a Spielberg role and feel genuinely okay about it. Hear more and support the show at http://patereon.com/pastdue Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stand-up comedian Jackie Kashian joins us to talk about 40 years on the road and what it actually takes to stay in love with a job that never stops moving. We get into the real math of touring across four decades, why a 20-year-old podcast might be her smartest business decision yet, and what it costs to keep choosing the road over almost everything else. Hear the bonus version at http://patreon.com/pastdue Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike Draper, founder of Raygun, the greatest store in the universe, joins us to talk about what it costs to stay in control of something for 21 years. We get into the real math of brick-and-mortar retail, the night he was $800,000 underwater with a hospitalized wife and a newborn at home, and what it actually means to build a business around "enough." Plus, a bonus conversation at http://patreon.com/pastdue Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Musician and writer Rhett Miller joins us to talk about staying creative in an industry that keeps changing. From fronting the Old 97’s to writing children’s books, Rhett opens up about the financial rollercoaster of life on the road, the loneliness of independence, and the challenge of keeping faith in your work when the world stops clapping. Get more at http://patreon.com/pastdue Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Journalist Gillian Brockell spent a decade at the Washington Post, took a buyout thinking she'd be back in two years, and watched the place fall apart from the outside. She joins us to talk about what it actually cost to leave, why the buyout money wasn't Bezos being generous, what happened when she filed a major Emmett Till story and the new editors tried to make the bad guy look less bad, and how she ended up becoming what may be the only journalist in America covering ICE deportation flights full time. Hear the bonus conversation at http://patreon.com/pastdue Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Technologist, writer, and self-described "big fan of being a big fan" Anil Dash joins us to talk about what it looks like to spend 25 years watching tech eat everything from journalism to musict to blogging, and now the jobs of the people who built it. We get into 750,000 tech layoffs and counting, why the "learn to code" safety net is gone, and what happens to the creative economy when the partner who was supposed to be funding the dream loses their job too. Support the show at http://patreon.com/pastdue Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Olivia Messer, journalist, novelist, and editor-in-chief of The Barbed Wire, joins us to talk about what it actually looks like to run an independent Texas newsroom. We get into why virality and revenue have essentially no relationship to each other, what she learned sitting on the management side of a union negotiation for the first time, and what happens to your own creativity when every single day is a budget meeting. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

W. Kamau Bell, Emmy and Peabody Award-winning comedian and filmmaker, joins us to talk about what it actually looks like when the industry that rewarded you for doing the right thing quietly decides it's done doing that. We get into the real math of basic cable money, and what happens to a career built on diversity and inclusion when DEI becomes a liability. Three kids. Nine jobs. Every dollar, he has to go grab. Still making his own gravy. Get more at http://pateron.com/pastdue Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Los Angeles-based photographer Kim Newmoney has shot for HBO, Showtime, Vogue, and Comedy Central. We get into what it actually takes to build a freelance photography career from the ground up, how a nail salon a 600,000 chickens play a role, and what all of it taught her about how to walk onto any set and make anyone comfortable in front of a lens. Hear the full episode at patreon.com/pastdue Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To celebrate one year of Past Due, Ana and Mike look back at the conversations that changed them — featuring Baron Vaughn, Ian Danskin, and Mary Robinette Kowal — and wrestle with what it means to make work that matters in an economy that keeps moving the goalposts. (Part 2 of 2) Get more at patreon.com/pastdue Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To celebrate one year of Past Due, Ana and Mike look back at the conversations that changed them — featuring Paul F. Tompkins, Siri Doll, and Rhett Miller — and wrestle with what it means to make work that matters in an economy that keeps moving the goalposts. (Part 1 of 2) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Comedian Chris Gethard joins us to talk about walking away from the version of success he spent years chasing, and why that might be the reason he's still standing. We get into the grief of giving up the big dream, the joy of making weird stuff for the people who get it, and the radical act of building a career that actually fits your life. Get more at patreon.com/pastdue Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Adam Gurri, co-founder and editor-in-chief of Liberal Currents, joins us to talk about eight years of building a publication nobody paid him to make, and what happened when the world finally caught up. We get into how you raise half a million dollars from a community you built on trust, what it actually costs to pay yourself in New York City without betraying your principles, and why the most important job in journalism right now might be the one nobody sees: editing. Get more at patreon.com/pastdue Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Comedian and speechwriter Chandler Dean joins us to talk about building a streaming show without burning down his career to do it. We get into why keeping a day job might be the most radical creative decision you can make, how Abolish Everything went from a monthly live show to the Nebula's most-watched new series, and why deadline-based work is secretly a gift. Get more at patreon.com/pastdue Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Actors and comedians Mary Holland and Matt Newell survived the WGA strike, the SAG strike, and a newborn... more or less simultaneously. They join Ana and Mike to talk about what going all-in on a creative life actually looks like, what improv teaches you about listening, and what happens when there is no plan B.. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Six-time James Beard Award-winning food critic Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl joins Ana and Mike to make the case that food isn't a soft beat, it's the whole story. From ICE raids gutting Twin Cities restaurants to the real wage gap hiding in daycare costs, Dara connects the dots between what's on your plate and everything that actually matters. She also gets into why there are fewer working restaurant critics in America than prima ballerinas and what non-competes do to creative careers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ben Collins, CEO of The Onion, joins Ana and Mike to talk about what happens when you stop trying to fit into a box, and accidentally end up running one of the biggest newspapers in America. From burning out covering extremism at NBC News to buying The Onion for less than you'd expect, Ben gets into what it actually cost him to bottle up his personality on cable news, and why the humans-first approach is what's saving the thing he loves. Get more at patreon.com/pastdue Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Actress and comedian Lilan Bowden joins us to talk about what it actually feels like to come out the other side, and why financial safety doesn't automatically mean financial peace. From barista shifts and transcription gigs to booking a Disney Channel series, Lilan gets honest about the bills she still can't bring herself to open, the shame that kept her moving forward, and what it means to build a life around brunch when you used to skip toothpaste. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ana and Mike try to untangle the pure joy of making art from the exhausting pressure of creating for survival. Mike admits he's pushing all his chips into survival mode and can't afford a break, while Ana discusses the elusive practice of emotional sobriety and letting go of the outcome. Get more at ⁠patreon.com/pastdue⁠ and help support the show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New York Times columnist Jamelle Bouie joins Ana and Mike to discuss the dismantling of legacy media by billionaire owners and the myth of the “Democratic Joe Rogan”. Jamelle also opens up about the intersection of luck and frugality that allowed him to build financial stability early in his career and how he now balances his work for "the mothership" with his own independent creative outlets. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Despite writing bestsellers and landing a Reese’s Book Club pick, Xochitl Gonzalez opens up about the lingering shame of precarity, the invisibility of working-class success, and why we need to drag money talk out into the light. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jonah Ray joins us to talk about finding joy in creative work after letting go of the version of success he once chased. From DIY punk to rebooting MST3K, Jonah reflects on what happens when you stop waiting for permission and start making the stuff you actually want to see. We get into the fear of going unnoticed, and why it’s still worth it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Comedian Devin Field has one of the rarest things in Hollywood: a full-time, year-round job. But even that didn’t protect him from the chaos of the past few years. From presidential threats to network pullouts to a brutal WGA strike, Devin opens up about what it’s like when late-night comedy is under siege—and how he’s learning to navigate the myth of hustle culture. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ana Marie Cox and Open Mike Eagle kick off the year with a conversation about survival in a collapsing media economy. They get into dry January, capitalism, self-promotion, YouTube pivots, and what it means to keep showing up even when the numbers don’t add up. Plus: the upside of YouTube thumbnails, the reality of reporting on a shoestring, and why, in a world that wants you to give up, persistence might be the most radical act of all. Support the show: patreon.com/pastdue Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Journalist Karen K. Ho joins us to talk about what it really means to navigate the creative economy as an immigrant, a freelancer, and a former "success story." We talk about the myth of meritocracy, the emotional and financial toll of precarity after grad school, and the difference between community and networking when your visa—and your future—are on the line. Karen shares how ADHD, burnout, and the invisibility of care shaped her path, and why finding the right support system might matter more than any byline. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Comedian, actor, and writer Baron Vaughn joins us for a deeply personal conversation about what it means to rewrite your story while you’re still living inside it. We talk about growing up with scarcity, the trauma of survival-mode success, the work behind the work, and why healing is harder when the industry expects your pain to be punchlines. Get more a patreon.com/pastdue Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Comedian and actor Paul F. Tompkins opens up about career insecurity, creative joy, and why the secret to survival in a crumbling industry might just be doing it yourself. If you want to hear more from today’s conversation with Paul F. Tompkins, including his dumbest money decision ever and the surprisingly smart investment he made that paid off big, join us at ⁠patreon.com/pastdue⁠. You’ll get exclusive extras, extended interviews, and first dibs on upcoming surprises. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To wrap up the year, Ana, Mike, and Andrew take a look at what it really costs to make Past Due. From programmatic ads and Patreon, to personal finances and more, this is a full accounting of both the numbers and the “why.” Get bonus content and help support the show at ⁠patreon.com/pastdue⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

TV writer and performer Eliot Glazer joins us to talk about what happens when you’ve done everything right—and still find yourself scrambling. We unpack how the writers’ and actors’ strikes cracked open long-buried conversations about financial anxiety, class disparity, the invisible middle class of Hollywood, and the emotional cost of staying relevant in an industry that keeps changing the rules. Get more at patreon.com/pastdue Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Writer, comedian, and director Joey Clift joins us to talk about making the work that matters, especially when the world doesn’t make it easy. From Paw Patrol to Peabody nominations to his new animated short POW, Joey opens up about the long road to representation, what it means to build a career without a “big break,” and why doing it the right way isn’t always the fastest—or easiest—path. Watch POW: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOTuVqdwu8Y Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Award-winning author Mary Robinette Kowal joins us to talk about building a creative ecosystem that actually fits your brain. From viral cat videos to Patreon-powered writing sessions, she shares exactly how she budgets, hires, monetizes, and prioritizes joy across multiple income streams, and how being honest about what you don’t want might be the key to building the career you do want. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Healthcare analyst and ACA expert Charles Gaba joins us to explain what freelancers, artists, and anyone with unpredictable income really need to know about this year’s open enrollment. We cover rising premiums, the danger of auto-renewals, and how to avoid surprise tax bills or lost subsidies. Whether you're switching plans or signing up for the first time, this episode breaks down what the ACA does—and doesn’t—offer the creative class. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bestselling sci-fi author John Scalzi joins us for a conversation about creative longevity, pragmatic optimism, and why the goal isn’t to stay hot, it’s to keep going. We talk about building a sustainable career with your partner, the myth of the one big break, and how generosity, structure, and a little chaos can power a life in the arts. Plus: what journalism teaches you about rejection and why it’s okay to not be the next big thing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Journalist and 404 Media co-founder Jason Koebler joins us to talk about what it takes to build an independent newsroom. From the cost of defamation insurance to the weight of mailing your own merch, we get into the invisible math of staying scrappy without burning out—and the true cost of reader-supported journalism. Get more at patreon.com/pastdue Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Broadcaster and podcast pioneer Jesse Thorn joins us to talk about building something sustainable without selling out. From his early days of mailing CD-Rs to NPR stations to running Maximum Fun as a listener-supported network, Jesse shares the emotional and economic math behind 20 years of independent success. We get into what it means to build trust with an audience, how community gets harder in a platform-driven world, and why “working for the people” still feels like the best job he’s ever had. Support the show at patreon.com/pastdue Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wrestler and podcaster Colt Cabana joins Ana and Mike to talk about building a life in wrestling. From getting fired by WWE to becoming a blueprint for sustainable DIY success, Colt breaks down the real economics of creative work—merch tables, mattress money, and all—and why betting on yourself might be the best decision you ever make. Hear the full interview at patreon.com/pastdue Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Comedian and podcaster Babs Gray joins us to talk about staying creative in the long middle—the part where the dream hasn’t died, but it hasn’t fully arrived either. We get into the quiet power of community, the joy of weird little projects, and why success isn’t always loud. From survival jobs to self-trust, Babs reminds us that showing up for your work, even when no one’s watching, might be one of the most important things you can do. Hear the extended episode and more at patreon.com/pastdue Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Comedian and actor Will Hines joins Ana and Mike to talk about trading a salary for freedom, and why time might be the only currency that really matters. From leaving a corporate job at 33 to building an improv school from the ground up, we get into the real economics of creative work: how to manage taxes, protect your energy, and figure out what’s worth outsourcing (and what’s not). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Actor and comedian Jacquis Neal joins us to talk about the strange space between doing good work and still feeling like you haven’t arrived. From voiceover gigs to the long-haul hustle, we explore what it means to trust the process when the results don’t always look like what you imagined. Want more? On the bonus episode, Jacquis opens up about the thing he keeps doing—whether or not anyone’s watching. Subscribe at patreon.com/pastdue for that, plus early access, ad-free episodes, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Comedian River Butcher joins us for a conversation about what happens when the gigs stop coming—and the world doesn’t end. We talk about the fear of slowing down, and how gratitude, perspective, and a working fridge might just be the real signs of success. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Writer and video essayist Michael Burns joins us to talk about what happens when the platform you helped build stops serving the work and starts serving itself. After Wisecrack, he set out to make something smaller, stranger, and more his own. We get into the emotional cost of reinvention, the illusion of creative security, and why doing it yourself might be harder… but also the only honest way left. Get more at patereon.com/pastdue Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ana and Mike compare notes from the road: Ana’s on assignment in small-town Maine chasing a political story she believes in, and Mike’s in between tour legs, chasing rent. They get into the economics of chasing meaning when the math doesn’t make sense, the disappearing budgets of real journalism, and why a DIY ethos is both a burden and a blessing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Comedian and actor Ron Funches joins us for a deeply funny and unexpectedly honest conversation about the strange economics of creative work. We talk about surviving on joy, staying positive when nothing’s going right, and why failure is sometimes part of the paycheck. Originally recorded in 2022 for Mike’s podcast "Secret Skin." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Comedian Chris Gethard joins us to talk about walking away from the version of success he spent years chasing, and why that might be the reason he's still standing. We get into the grief of giving up the big dream, the joy of making weird stuff for the people who get it, and the radical act of building a career that actually fits your life. We’ve got more with Chris Gethard on patreon.com/pastdue - In this week’s bonus episode, Chris shares the hardest, weirdest, and most soul-crushing gig he’s ever taken. Hear that and more, and help support our show at patreon.com/pastdue⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Adult performer and podcaster Siri Dahl joins us to talk about the emotional and economic realities of sex work in an era that calls itself creator-friendly, but still censors, exploits, and erases. We talk about the myth that OnlyFans is easy money, the rising pressure to be everywhere at once, and what it means to be both the product and the platform. Bonus episode on Patreon: patreon.com/pastdue Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices