Russ Rantz

Kraft Dinner? You bet! PB & J? Yupppp. Chicken and Rice? Heck, that was my lifeblood meal growing up (thanks mom). Fine cuisine and excellent dining? NOT. A. CHANCE.  The cooking world scares me. I don't know anything about the right ingredients, proper presentation, or what a "pinch" of anything is! Thankfully, this episode's guest (Ryan Dean Dexton: Instagram & Youtube) is a young, ambitious, and amazingly solid dude who also happens to be a marvel at cooking. Mr. Dexton is an up and coming Suis Chef for his Restaurant in Vancouver, BC and he's graciously blessed us with his presence! We talk about his career so far, what cooking means to him, what the culinary world isn't always showing us, and how COVID effected his profession. I'm super stoked about this episode, and I'm excited to have you listen in! Check out Ryan Dean Dexton on Instagram and Youtube as he's got some marvelous cooking content that you'll want to sink your teeth into (pun intended, baby!). 

Wow, what a journey to get to right where we are right now! It's been forever, but I'm pleased to announce that the Russ Rantz Podcast is not only BACK, but it's here to STAY! In today's episode we're going to explore the power of influential relationships in our lives! You think that sounds hokey? You're wrong!  I'm going to talk today about the power of "Hanging Up" with people, and how you should make it a priority in your life to find people that are going to yank you UP rather than tear you DOWN! It's good to be back, baby! LET'S CHASE THESE GOALS!

Yup. Surprise. I felt it would be good to clear the air on how I'm actually doing so far in 2020. I've left some accidentally cryptic posts over the last few months and some of you lovely, wonderful people have reached out wondering if I'm truly alright. Well...the truth? I am.  Doing alright doesn't mean I "feel" amazing, but it does mean that I'm on the right track. I've done some introspective thought and research on myself, and I've learned that I'm sabotaging myself before I truly get started in a lot of positive things in my life. It sounds messy, but it's actually quite easy to explain where I've gone wrong.  Give this surprise, special podcast episode a listen and let me know your thoughts. I've missed you. Let's hang ;)

Life is all about self-discovery. It's also about failing forward, and failing fast (my good friend's saying). I've been on a wild ride since late last year when I endeavored to pursue my own podcast platform. It's been an incredible experience, and it's far from over...but it is going to look different from here onward.  Please take a moment to listen to this brief episode as I'll be sharing with you all my next steps of growth in my Russ Rantz journey. It's not a guarantee, it's a bit risky, and it may come across the wrong way to some people.  Stick it out with me until the end of this rant, and hopefully you'll understand why I'm doing what I'm doing.  Enjoy.  #russrantz #podcast #selfdiscovery #growth #risk #change #expansion #endeavor #motivation #comfortzone #evolution

I don't know about you...but I hated the question, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" It wasn't because it was offensive, or because I thought, "DUDE GET OFF MY BACK; LEMME LIVE MY LIFE AND FIGURE IT OUT!" No...I just honestly had no idea, and it freaked me out.  As you'll hear in this episode, I changed my mind a few times...and that's ok. I still haven't even figured out what my "dream job" is. Buuuuut, I was asked what my dream business would be if I had unlimited resources. THAT is a question worth exploring. If I wasn't hesitating on the lack of money...what would I actually want to do?  Well, let's rant about that shall we? Oh...and there's maybe a small mention of someone trolling me with a baby octopus. Not my fave.  ALSO! This episode was made possible by people contributing to me reaching out and asking you about what you'd want me to talk about...YOU HOLD THE POWER. Take note in the future that you can help shape the Russ Rantz episodes! Enjoy. 

Oh man! Not only did my beloved computer die on me moments BEFORE my last episode, but I also got deathly sick LAST week and missed you all. It's crazy, but these last 2 weeks have made me realize how comfortable I've tried to make myself while producing this podcast.  Comfort isn't a bad thing if you use it to rest and experiment, but when it becomes your GOAL to try to obtain comfort and ease at all costs...there's something wrong. It may not feel like it while it's happening...but maybe it's stunting your life (that kind of sounds gross actually).  I have had to be on my toes, and I have had to stretch myself while doing this podcast, but I'm nowhere close to being done yet, and that's why I'm so excited to announce... I'M COMING TO YOUTUBE! That's right, in the next few weeks you'll be able to watch the Russ Rantz Podcast on Youtube as well. It'll be a whole new media platform, and I'm hoping to be able to also branch out into other things as well. Instead of laying my stake in the ground, and

You know what I think would be tough? Starting a business. Do you know what I think would be tougher? Starting a business while living in a foreign country? Do you know what would be EVEN TOUGHER?! Starting said business, in said foreign country, and have that business be in an industry where you don't have a lot of experience. Try that challenge!  Thankfully, you and I don't have to (unless you want to, of course) because today's guest has done just that! It is my pleasure to introduce to you all John Overstreet, the founder and owner of Assortment Gallery. He runs an awesome online store and has worked really hard to pursue his dreams; all while raising a family over in JAPAN! His story is excellent, his demeanor genuine, and his tips are priceless. I hope you enjoy hearing his story as much as I did.  Enjoy. 

For me, nothing is worse then the end of a vacation. Nothing is more exciting then an opportunity to escape reality for a bit; that's what makes getaways so amazing. But what happens if we never stop chasing the get away? So for this episode I decided to touch on the "vacation hangover" syndrome I was feeling.  Seriously, this is just a straight up observance of how holidays/weekends affect me, and how maybe they affect you too.  Silly thought, or provoking thought?  Enjoy. 

Becoming a father changed my life. From the moment I held my eldest son, to the most recent memory of announcing that my wife and I had a daughter, becoming a parent has been one of the most rewarding, and punishing things of my existence (I say that lovingly of course).  I can't imagine what I'd do, or how I felt if I lost one of my kids. It'd break me. I don't know how I'd cope with it, process it, or even overcome it... Patrick Thomson had to do that. He didn't lose one of his sons to death, but he lost his son, Liam, to something close to it; addiction. Patrick, along with his wife, Andrea, were steadily losing their middle son to the power and influence of addictions and they weren't sure how they were going to make out at the end of it. But you know what? They decided to be courageous and literally love their son THROUGH hell no matter what happened next.  From Liam moving out of their home at a young age, being threatened by a gang to pay off Liam's debt, to finally experiencing reconcilia

We throw around the word "bravery" a lot sometimes. We throw the phrase, "Diving in head first," a lot sometimes... What do these two things have in common?  Becoming an insta-parent. I'm talking about the incredible, crazy, and amazingly beautiful journey of becoming a foster parent. My guest this week is the wonderful and lovely Carmen Ross, and I am so excited to have her share her story with you. It's amazing how life sometimes pushes us into things we'd NEVER EVER consider...let this be something you ponder as you hear this terrific testimony.  Enjoy. 

I hate uncertainty...and I equally hate rejection. Isn't that great? The biggest thing I find frustrating in life is that there are no guarantees. There are no assurances that you're "nailing" the right objectives in life.  I wish that life had a report card that told you EXACTLY where you were at. That way, if you were failing, wasting your time, or making a fool of yourself you could at least adjust course. BUT! Life does not work that way, and because of that ever steady uncertainty I have often tried to avoid commitment as often as possible.  The unfortunate thing about that is I can make a lot of really STUPID decisions and knee-jerk reactions when I'm forced into a corner to make a direct and purposeful choice. Coincidentally...this desire to avoid awkward uncertainty almost made me miss out on one of the BEST DECISIONS OF MY LIFE. Not only that, if I'm not careful, I could potentially miss TONS of other amazing things in my life that require me to DTR (define the relationship/result). 

Things I like:  1. Tropical Getaways 2. Leisure Time 3. Said Leisure Time At A Beach Things I Don't LIke:  1. All of that being ruined by one stupid mistake that would teach me a very important lesson.  Why the Hobbit reference? Is this a Lord Of The Rings Episode (no.), is it a reference to a costume party (no.), or is it related to something terrible that happens to me? Yes. Go with that.  I hope you enjoy this latest episode of Russ Rantz. Thank as always for your support, and I hope you enjoy from benefitting from my stupidity and pain.  Enjoy. 

Awkward customer service altercations always bug me...I don't know why, but seeing staff provide terrible customer service, and furthermore seeing the staff then pat themselves on the back after the customer leaves because they think they handled that situation PROPERLY, just makes me crazy! An incident such as this recently happened to me, and it got me to thinking: How do you help someone see, that they can't see, other people's true needs and feelings?  Well...I don't promise all of the answers, but I can promise you a NURSE on set today! My oldest brother Addison pays the Russ Rantz studio a visit and he helps me try to break down why people can be so OUT OF TOUCH when it comes to interpreting other people's reactions, motives, and feelings... I know it sounds deep and complicated, but it's actually incredibly practical dialogue. I love having my quirky oldest brother in this episode, and I hope you love it too.  Enjoy. 

In my life, with my personality, the two scariest things are...: 1. Having to fold jeans professionally 2. Confronting breathing human beings and calling them out on not being up to the understood standard.  GOOD THING I HAD TO DO BOTH OF THOSE THINGS AT ONCE AT ONE POINT IN MY LIFE. If you know me at all, you know that I'm an emotional guy. I wear my heart on my sleeve, and I let my emotions fuel me. I have never been good at making business decisions, or just getting the point across regardless of who's at the other end of the conversation. I. Hate. Confrontation. I. Hate. Bartering. I. Hate. Hurting People's Feelings. I just can't do it. I just can't SWITCH OFF that part of my brain that thinks the person across from me is just as scared of me as I am of him...I am often wrong.  Listen to this latest episode to see how I had two very memorable scenarios where a people pleaser like me was thrust into having a business-like tone/mindset. I wasn't good at it...but that's not the point.  Ch

If you had told me that I'd have 23,000+ subscribers on Youtube by the time I was 15 years old I wouldn't have believed you. If you also told me that I'd walk away from those 23,000+ subscribers without much warning (again, at 15) I would've told you that you're crazy. If you also told me that through experimenting through multiple jobs and opportunities after that Youtube experience I'd have finally gotten a handle on balancing passion and practicality, I would've been relieved.  Enter my youngest brother Lyndon Byrd. He's my IN STUDIO guest this week, and he crushes it on explaining multiple perspectives regarding society's current emphasis on having your "dream job" in this life. He'd had a taste of fame on Youtube, but it wasn't enough, and it took several years for him to finally grasp what's needed in the balance to achieving happiness.  You can't have your cake and eat it too....You need at least two cakes (listen to this episode and you'll find out what I'm talking about)! I hope you enjo

Do you enjoy board games? Yes? No? Well regardless, if I came up to you and said, "Hey you, make me a board game right now!" How would you go about it? Would you know where to start, would you know what would work? Would you have a lot of cool ideas and concepts? How on earth would you implement them so that people enjoy it?  Why do I ask this? Well, my good friend Dustin Williamson is a game developer at EA and he has graciously agreed to be my guest this week to let us in on the creative process of his job.  OH! And he has a band that's all about the Ukulele ;) THIS IS NOT JUST A VIDEO GAME EPISODE. I am truly amazed at Dustin's perspective into work/life balance, being ok with not have a perfect product, and how to deal with criticism from the public. This is an excellent episode, and I hope that you enjoy it. 

I'm not a big GOT fan, but its' not for the reason you may think! I don't live under a rock, I don't hate amazing storytelling, and contrary to popular belief I am not squeamish at the sight of blood. Instead, I just am not a TV watcher overall (other than sports of course).  BUT, I  will come to this TV show's allegedly subpar season for a reason! What reason could I possibly have to come to its aid? I guess you'll have to listen to this week's podcast. Let me know your thoughts on taking ownership of something that isn't yours; I'm all ears and I hope you are too! Enjoy!

I know, I know. The Russ Rantz podcast isn't a movie review podcast...and I'm proud of that. BUT, we are in the midst of cinematic history with the current Marvel's Avengers movie being the biggest and most anticipated in years!  My good friend, Super Dave (from my previous podcast, Wondertilt), joins me allll the way from Regina, SK to discuss this awesome movie. *SPOILER WARNING*  We're going to summarize the plot, talk about our most and least favourite parts, and finally where is the MCU headed.  This is NOT going to be the standard trend of this podcast....but c'mon! It's Endgame and I couldn't resist. RUSS RANTZ PODCAST LISTENERS, ASSEMBLE!

I am NOT a seasoned world traveler....heck, up until my 18th birthday the only area in the United States I had been to was Montana! Yet, a little while ago I got to jump on a plane and hit up the jewel of Nevada: Viva Las Vegas. I didn't know what to expect, and I didn't know how to prepare. Only after we landed did I realize... You can't prepare for Vegas...you just DO Vegas! This is my brief synopsis of my experience as well as my thoughts on the crazy/beautiful city. It's good to be back home. Enjoy!

So...I'm going to Vegas! But! That's not what I want to talk about today. I actually would prefer it if I didn't talk, but that's not an option in this podcast. My mind is running like crazy, and I hit a point where I wasn't happy with the person I was becoming... As a result of this my mind gave me a mini flashback to a trip to Central America I took a long time ago...and I realized what I had been missing from my life. What is it? Shhhhhh....just listen and let me know what you think.