The Johnjay Van Es Podcast

Your cup of tea might come with an unexpected extra ingredient: microplastics. And it doesn’t stop at teabags. Josephine Musco, founder of Olyxir, joins us to explore how everyday products like tea, plastic bottles, food packaging, and even laundry pods can contribute to our exposure to microplastics and chemical additives. After losing her dad to cancer, Josephine became passionate about prevention, epigenetics, and finding practical ways to reduce everyday exposure. In this episode, we cove...

One minute you’re making random videos for fun. Next thing you know, people are watching, brands are calling, and somehow this is your job now. Matt Peterson joins us to talk about how he turned short-form videos into a full-time creator career, and what actually happens after you get that first big hit. In this episode, we get into: • How Matt went from messing around with videos to building a real audience • What makes people actually stop scrolling and watch • How he knows when a content i...

What does it actually take to grow a podcast into a top-performing show? According to Tyler, it starts with one thing most podcasters get wrong: understanding who is actually listening. Tyler runs a podcast production operation with around 40 shows, and he shares the strategies behind podcast growth, audience engagement, content repurposing, and turning a podcast into a real business. We break down podcast rankings, seven-day downloads, release timing, analytics, and why small changes can mak...

What happens when a brand says “do whatever you want” and then changes everything you made? Nathan Yaps, better known as Mr. AZ Sports, joins us for a fun look at the reality of being a creator. We talk influencer contracts, brand deals, TikTok and Facebook income, the hidden costs of creating content, and why keeping your own voice matters. Nathan also shares how a late-night World Series tweet helped spark a stadium-wide moment for Christian Walker, how he ended up attending 150 Arizona spo...

One random TikTok about a bodysuit sat there for months. Then it blew up and made thousands of dollars. Jasmine, a Phoenix mom of four, joins us to share what really happened when one viral TikTok Shop video changed the game for her family. We get into how TikTok Shop commissions work, how she turns comments into new content, why she uses a separate phone for filming, and what happens when brands start flooding your inbox. But it’s not all viral videos and free products. Jasmine gets real abo...

A pardon, a Fifth Amendment plea, and a viral courtroom clip. What’s actually going on when the law gets messy? Judge Lynn Toler breaks it down in plain English, explaining what a pardon does, what it doesn’t do, and why someone can still refuse to answer questions. We also get into the Idaho murders case and the bigger question everyone wants answered: if someone pleads guilty, why don’t they always have to explain why? Then we switch gears to relationships. After years on Divorce Court, Lyn...

Your yard could be making your house hotter... and the "water-saving" landscaping everyone recommends might be part of the problem. Michael, better known as The Garden Nerd, joins us to explain why rock yards, artificial turf, and lifeless soil can work against you in the Arizona heat. We also get into the surprisingly simple changes that can help cool your yard, grow healthier plants, and even produce tropical fruit like mangoes and bananas in the desert. Along the way, Michael shares how he...

One missed meeting on 9/11 changed Chuck Howard's life forever, and it set him on a path he never expected. In this episode, Chuck shares how that moment reshaped his purpose, led him to Arizona, and inspired him to build communities that help men and young athletes become stronger on and off the court. We talk about Pump and Praise, his free men's fitness group where workouts lead to real conversations about stress, family, and faith. We also dive into Iron Prep Academy, where basketball is ...

Talent might get you recruited but culture is what wins when the game gets tough. Arizona State women’s basketball head coach Molly Miller joins us fresh off practice to share how she builds a winning program in a world of NIL deals, transfer portals, personal brands, and constant distractions. From the first whistle to the final buzzer, she explains why the smallest habits, body language, and daily standards often determine who succeeds. We also get into recruiting, leadership, accountabilit...

TikTok fame looks instant from the outside, but Jessica Baio and Sam Jose show what it actually takes to get there. We sit down with the couple behind viral content, touring life, and growing creator careers to talk about sleep on the road, Oura Ring scores, and trying to stay healthy while living out of a bus and posting every day. From there, we get into how they actually build content. What goes into a viral cooking video, how Sam’s Parmesan cheese wheel pasta series took off, and the real...

What starts with color analysis and black T-shirts somehow turns into one of the most honest conversations about money, ambition, and burnout we’ve had in a while. Hannah Hammond joins us to break down commercial real estate financing in plain English, from capital stacks and lenders to how massive real estate deals actually get funded. But the real heart of this episode is the mindset behind success. Growing up around scarcity, pushing through burnout, learning to protect your energy, and re...

Rob Schneider joins us for a fun, honest conversation about stand-up comedy, Hollywood, and the weird moments that shape a career. What starts with a goofy fan story quickly turns into a behind-the-scenes look at how comedy really works. We talk about the grind of stand-up, the pressure of live crowds, and how one unforgettable SNL moment changed everything. Rob also shares what he learned from comedy legends like Richard Pryor, why timing matters more than people think, and how jokes evolve ...

Everyone’s talking about Redatrutide for weight loss, but almost no one is asking what it’s doing to your body long term. That’s where this conversation starts. We sit down with Brian, a patient turned operator in the longevity and regenerative medicine space, to break down the difference between chasing fast results and building a plan you can actually sustain. We get into how GLP-style drugs really work, why visceral fat is the bigger problem, and how people end up “skinny fat” when they sk...