Bad Idea Social Club

Hosted by Aaron McCall

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Jun 2026

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About the show

Bad Idea Social Club is an independent podcast of stories, insights, and creative foolery. Hosted by graphic designer Aaron McCall with photographer Joe Matteson, the show brings honest, unfiltered conversations with creatives about the work, the mess, and everything that comes with it. This is a space where honesty meets the beautifully unhinged parts of creativity, process, struggle, joy, mental health, and everything else we don’t usually say out loud.

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60 recent

June 16, 2026Episode 1054 min

Anna van Schaap: Hope and Tragedy // Part 2

In the conclusion of the season 7 finale, Anna van Schaap (fine artist, tattoo artist, curator) sits down with Aaron McCall to talk about building a creative life that refuses to be small. She gets into finding her voice and claiming her space out of passion and defiance, and carving out something different for women and queer folks in an industry with a history of the opposite. They talk about art history, women in art created by women in art, and the cost of going all in on something you were told wasn't for you. It's about volition, visibility, and holding hope and tragedy at the same time.Keep up with Anna van Schaap:annavanschaap.comIG: @theother_twistedsisterIG: @theother_twistedsister_tattoosIG: @theother_twistedsister_photos——This episode is supported by:Creative Mornings Grand RapidsMerchants & MakersRevue——Writer/Producer/Editor/Host:Aaron McCallaaronmccall.netIG: @aaron_mccall——Co-Host/Sidekick/Photographer:Joe Mattesonthemattesons.coIG: @joe_dustin——Music:"Noises" by Mike Mains & The Branches——Support the Podcast:Buy Merch——Follow Bad Idea Social Club:badideasocialclub.comIG: @badideasocialclub

June 9, 2026Episode 956 min

Anna van Schaap: Hope and Tragedy // Part 1

To kick-off the two-part season 7 finale, Anna van Schaap (fine artist, tattoo artist, curator) sits down with Aaron McCall to talk about building a creative life that refuses to be small. She gets into finding her voice and claiming her space out of passion and defiance, and carving out something different for women and queer folks in an industry with a history of the opposite. They talk about art history, women in art created by women in art, and the cost of going all in on something you were told wasn't for you. It's about volition, visibility, and holding hope and tragedy at the same time.Keep up with Anna van Schaap:annavanschaap.comIG: @theother_twistedsisterIG: @theother_twistedsister_tattoosIG: @theother_twistedsister_photos——This episode is supported by:Creative Mornings Grand RapidsMerchants & MakersRevue——Writer/Producer/Editor/Host:Aaron McCallaaronmccall.netIG: @aaron_mccall——Co-Host/Sidekick/Photographer:Joe Mattesonthemattesons.coIG: @joe_dustin——Music:"Noises" by Mike Mains & The Branches——Support the Podcast:Buy Merch——Follow Bad Idea Social Club:badideasocialclub.comIG: @badideasocialclub

June 2, 2026Episode 857 min

Sara Pulver: Chaos and Whimsy

Sara Pulver (illustrator, muralist, Dear Ollie) sits down with Aaron McCall to talk about knowing who you are and building something around it. She gets into a lifelong love of tactile, handmade things that eventually turned into markets, a grant, and a stationery shop where she hosts her own work alongside over a hundred vendors with a focus on women and queer creators. They talk about tackling murals, life as a neurodivergent artist, and why the AI crunch might be the best argument yet for going analog. About finding your people, protecting your whimsy, and keeping the whole thing moving.Keep up with Sara Pulver:sarapulver.comIG: @sarapulverdearollie.comIG: @dearollieandco——This episode is supported by:Creative Mornings Grand RapidsMerchants & MakersRevue——Writer/Producer/Editor/Host:Aaron McCallaaronmccall.netIG: @aaron_mccall——Co-Host/Sidekick/Photographer:Joe Mattesonthemattesons.coIG: @joe_dustin——Music:"Noises" by Mike Mains & The Branches——Support the Podcast:Buy Merch——Follow Bad Idea Social Club:badideasocialclub.comIG: @badideasocialclub

May 26, 2026Episode 71 hr 0 min

Luke Grill: Every Damn Detail

Luke Grill (chef, restaurateur, sommelier, 1983 Restaurants) sits down with Aaron McCall to talk about what it means to build something people can feel. He gets into cutting his teeth in some of the most demanding kitchens in the country, how dangerous it is to follow the crowd, and why holding his convictions is non-negotiable. They talk about the tension between art and business, building spaces that satisfy more than just hunger, and why the details nobody notices are exactly the ones that matter most.Keep up with Luke Grill:1983restaurants.comIG: 1983restaurantsIG: @obstacleno1IG: @seventysixhollandIG: @publiczeelandIG: @lovejoyholland——This episode is supported by:Creative Mornings Grand RapidsMerchants & MakersRevue——Writer/Producer/Editor/Host:Aaron McCallaaronmccall.netIG: @aaron_mccall——Co-Host/Sidekick/Photographer:Joe Mattesonthemattesons.coIG: @joe_dustin——Music:"Noises" by Mike Mains & The Branches——Support the Podcast:Buy Merch——Follow Bad Idea Social Club:badideasocialclub.comIG: @badideasocialclub

May 19, 2026Episode 638 min

Mark Stein: If It Kills Me

Mark Stein (artist, illustrator) joins Aaron McCall to talk about what it takes to go all in on your work and the cost of pushing too hard. He gets into growing up on cartoons, punk and skate culture, the wake-up calls that changed everything, and why being a lone wolf will only get you so far. They talk about finding creative community, imposter syndrome, getting out from behind your desk, and why if it’s not hard, you’re probably not trying hard enough. This is a conversation about the slow build, the kind that takes until your late 30s to really catch fire, and the kind of stubbornness it takes to keep it burning.Keep up with Mark Stein:steinbydesign.com⁠IG: ⁠@steinbydesign——This episode is supported by:Creative Mornings Grand RapidsMerchants & MakersRevue——Writer/Producer/Editor/Host:Aaron McCallaaronmccall.netIG: @aaron_mccall——Co-Host/Sidekick/Photographer:Joe Mattesonthemattesons.coIG: @joe_dustin——Music:"Noises" by Mike Mains & The Branches——Support the Podcast:Buy Merch——Follow Bad Idea Social Club:badideasocialclub.comIG: @badideasocialclub

May 12, 2026Episode 51 hr 0 min

AB: Make Them Move

AB (DJ, creative) sits down with Aaron McCall to talk about confidence, rejection, and how your sense of self evolves as you move through new experiences. He gets into music as both expression and connection, the push and pull of reading a room while staying true to your own voice, and how failure, fatherhood, and life experience shaped the way he moves through the world. They talk creativity, self-awareness, faith, the creative scene, and how to keep getting better without losing yourself in the process.Keep up with AB:everythingab.comIG: @ab.everywhere——This episode is supported by:Creative Mornings Grand RapidsMerchants & MakersRevue——Writer/Producer/Editor/Host:Aaron McCallaaronmccall.netIG: @aaron_mccall——Co-Host/Sidekick/Photographer:Joe Mattesonthemattesons.coIG: @joe_dustin——Music:"Noises" by Mike Mains & The Branches——Support the Podcast:Buy Merch——Follow Bad Idea Social Club:badideasocialclub.comIG: @badideasocialclub

May 5, 2026Episode 446 min

Joel Hoekstra: Bite and Sound

Joel Hoekstra (cook, musician, owner of Meyer Music) hosts Aaron McCall for dinner as they discuss creativity, instinct, and finding room to breathe inside the things that matter most. He gets into the connection between food and music, how growth comes from pushing beyond structure, and how both create joy, healing, and a real sense of community when they’re done with care. As a music education advocate, he speaks to the importance of access to music and why it matters. They talk about creative freedom, cooking as expression, and the version of yourself that starts to show up when you finally feel at peace.——This episode is supported by:Creative Mornings Grand RapidsMerchants & MakersRevue——Writer/Producer/Editor/Host:Aaron McCallaaronmccall.netIG: @aaron_mccall——Co-Host/Sidekick/Photographer:Joe Mattesonthemattesons.coIG: @joe_dustin——Music:"Noises" by Mike Mains & The Branches——Support the Podcast:Buy Merch——Follow Bad Idea Social Club:badideasocialclub.comIG: @badideasocialclub

April 28, 2026Episode 347 min

Hannah Berry: Do Something About It

Hannah Berry (artist, founder of Lions & Rabbits) sits down with Aaron McCall to talk about community, creativity, and the work happening between the cracks. She gets into turning art into real community impact, building something without a clear roadmap, and why creative people are often the ones holding solutions that nobody is listening to yet. They talk about collaboration, economic and community development, the tension between intention and execution, and how slowing down, letting go of control, and trusting the right people changed everything.Keep up with Hanna Berry:lionsandrabbits.comIG: @bananasnhannahsIG: @lionsandrabbits——This episode is supported by:Creative Mornings Grand RapidsMerchants & MakersRevue——Writer/Producer/Editor/Host:Aaron McCallaaronmccall.netIG: @aaron_mccall——Co-Host/Sidekick/Photographer:Joe Mattesonthemattesons.coIG: @joe_dustin——Music:"Noises" by Mike Mains & The Branches——Support the Podcast:Buy Merch——Follow Bad Idea Social Club:badideasocialclub.comIG: @badideasocialclub

April 21, 2026Episode 252 min

Ryan Wasson: Another Round

Ryan “Ryno” Wasson (brewer, Head of Beverage at Coopersville Brewing) sits down with Aaron McCall to talk about beer, endurance, reinvention, and learning how to live inside your own wiring. He gets into brewing as both craft and creative outlet, the discipline it takes to keep refining your work, and how running became a way to process life when everything else felt too loud. They talk about curiosity, criticism, relationships, starting over, and the kind of self-awareness that only shows up after you’ve taken a few hits and kept going.Keep up with Ryan Wasson:IG: @feedtheryno——This episode is supported by:Creative Mornings Grand RapidsMerchants & MakersRevue——Writer/Producer/Editor/Host:Aaron McCallaaronmccall.netIG: @aaron_mccall——Co-Host/Sidekick/Photographer:Joe Mattesonthemattesons.coIG: @joe_dustin——Music:"Noises" by Mike Mains & The Branches——Support the Podcast:Buy Merch——Follow Bad Idea Social Club:badideasocialclub.comIG: @badideasocialclub

April 14, 2026Episode 152 min

Amy Carroll: The Problem

Amy Carroll (photographer, artist) sits down with Aaron McCall to talk about identity, ego, and the long process of figuring out who you actually are. She gets into building a career that looks good on the outside but feels empty, learning how to create work that people can actually feel, and the shift from chasing attention to chasing something real. They talk about aging, confidence, creative evolution, and what it takes to let go of control long enough to make something honest.Keep up with Amy Carroll:amycarroll.photographyIG: @amycarrollphotography——This episode is supported by:Creative Mornings Grand RapidsMerchants & MakersRevue——Writer/Producer/Editor/Host:Aaron McCallaaronmccall.netIG: @aaron_mccall——Co-Host/Sidekick/Photographer:Joe Mattesonthemattesons.coIG: @joe_dustin——Music:"Noises" by Mike Mains & The Branches——Support the Podcast:Buy Merch——Follow Bad Idea Social Club:badideasocialclub.comIG: @badideasocialclub

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