When the Dream Becomes a Business

Zack Telander: Chris Williamson, Diplo & the Fight for Human Music

Zack Telander joins The Stephan Hogan Podcast for a conversation about Chris Williamson, Modern Wisdom, Diplo, AI music, fatherhood, creativity, and the fight to keep art human. Many people know Zack through Olympic weightlifting, YouTube, Modern Wisdom, or his friendship with Chris Williamson. But this conversation goes deeper than the clips. Zack shares how he went from fitness creator to songwriter, the moment Chris Williamson encouraged him to record his music, and why that belief changed the direction of his life. We also talk about Zack’s strong stance on AI music, Diplo, Suno, Udio, stolen art, and what happens when people outside of the music community try to decide the future of music for artists, musicians, and fans. But this episode is not just about AI. It is about imposter syndrome, self-awareness, fatherhood, marriage, authenticity, the pressure to constantly post, the loss of artistic mystery, and the tension of trying to make real music in a world that keeps turning everything into content. If you discovered Zack through Modern Wisdom, Chris Williamson, weightlifting, music, or his viral thoughts on AI, this conversation shows the fuller human story behind the opinions. This is a conversation about music, meaning, friendship, Nashville, Austin, rock and roll, country music, and why human-made art still matters. Chapters: 00:00:00 Zack Telander on AI Music and the Future of Artists 00:06:16 From Olympic Weightlifting to Telling Stories Online 00:09:58 Chris Williamson, Belief, and the Song That Changed Everything 00:16:15 What Makes Music Actually Matter? 00:22:30 Imposter Syndrome, Self-Awareness, and the Artist’s Struggle 00:30:00 Why Real Connection Still Wins 00:33:45 Musicians, AI, and Protecting Human Creativity 00:38:44 How Artists Can Measure Real Wins 00:45:00 AI, the Music Gold Rush, and Who Really Profits 00:49:59 Authenticity, Live Music, and the Human Element 00:57:29 Why Zack Is Chasing Alt Pop Rock 01:03:45 Marriage, Fatherhood, and Making No Money Chasing a Dream 01:07:30 The Creative Cost of Chasing a Dream 01:12:30 Country Music, Genre Bubbles, and Industry Influence 01:18:45 Austin vs Nashville and the Reality of the Music Scene 01:25:01 Staying Grounded as an Artist Partner Links: Stay at The Countrypolitan Hotel: https://shorturl.at/JtN6r [https://shorturl.at/JtN6r] Bank with Studio Bank: https://www.studiobank.com/ [https://www.studiobank.com/] Drink Stage Water: https://stagewater.com/ [https://stagewater.com/] Clothing by Simon Says Nashville: https://www.simonsaysnashville.com/ [https://www.simonsaysnashville.com/] Subscribe to The Stephan Hogan Podcast for more conversations with artists, songwriters, music executives, entrepreneurs, and creative leaders shaping the future of music, business, and culture. Connect with The Stephan Hogan Podcast: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@stephanhogan [https://www.tiktok.com/@stephanhogan] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephanhogan [https://www.instagram.com/stephanhogan] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stephanhogan [https://www.facebook.com/stephanhogan] Email: contact@mavericksmediaco.com [contact@mavericksmediaco.com] Filmed in Nashville, TN Produced by Stephan Hogan A Mavericks Media Co. Production

He Survived 4 IEDs. Then Music Helped Him Survive Coming Home | Richard Casper

Richard Casper survived four IED blasts as a Marine in Iraq. But the fight that almost took him out did not happen overseas. It happened when he came home. In this episode of The Stephan Hogan Podcast, Richard Casper opens up about combat, traumatic brain injury, PTSD, survivor’s guilt, grief, veteran suicide, and the invisible wounds many veterans carry long after the war is over. After Iraq, Richard struggled to explain what he was carrying. The memories. The guilt. The loss. The things most people could never understand unless they had lived through them. Then he found something that helped him say what normal conversation could not. Music. Art. Story. That discovery became CreatiVets, a nonprofit helping veterans process trauma through songwriting, visual art, and creative expression. Richard has now helped veterans walk into rooms with professional songwriters and artists and turn some of the heaviest parts of their lives into songs, paintings, and stories that finally give language to what they have been carrying. This conversation is about war, but more than that, it is about coming home. It is about the silence many veterans live with. It is about PTSD, C-PTSD symptoms, traumatic brain injury, survivor’s guilt, and the fight to find purpose after service. And it is about how creativity can reach places that words alone often cannot. Donate to CreatiVets: https://creativets.networkforgood.com/projects/93343-creativets-donation-page Connect with CreatiVets: https://creativets.org In this episode: Richard Casper surviving four IED blasts in Iraq The hidden wounds of combat Traumatic brain injury and PTSD after war Survivor’s guilt and grief after losing fellow Marines Why some veterans struggle to talk about what happened The connection between veteran suicide, isolation, and purpose How songwriting can help veterans tell the truth Why art can reach places normal conversation cannot The story behind CreatiVets Helping veterans heal through music, visual art, and creative expression What civilians need to understand about combat veterans This episode is for veterans, military families, songwriters, artists, nonprofit leaders, and anyone who wants to better understand the war many service members are still fighting after they come home. Subscribe to The Stephan Hogan Podcast for long-form conversations with artists, founders, builders, songwriters, leaders, and builders about faith, pressure, purpose, success, failure, and the cost of building something meaningful. Sensitive topics in this episode include combat trauma, PTSD, grief, and veteran suicide. Countrypolitan: https://shorturl.at/JtN6r Studio Bank: https://www.studiobank.com/ Stage Water: https://stagewater.com/ Clothing: https://www.simonsaysnashville.com/ Filmed in Nashville, TN Produced: Stephan Hogan Mavericks Media Co. Production

Dierks Bentley’s Tour Manager Built a Water Brand to Save Music

Chris Thacker is the co-founder and CEO of Stage Water, a canned water brand built for the live music community. He is also a longtime tour manager for Dierks Bentley and has spent decades behind the scenes of the music industry leading teams, solving problems, and keeping major tours moving. In this episode of The Stephan Hogan Podcast, Chris Thacker shares how Stage Water launched, how the company became the official water of CMA Fest, and what most people do not understand about starting a beverage brand. We talk about the real business behind canned water, beverage distribution, co-packing, funding a startup, raising capital, giving equity to investors, building a brand with purpose, and why Stage Water gives back to the creative community. Chris also breaks down what he learned from years on the road with Dierks Bentley, how leadership changes when you are responsible for people, and why building something meaningful requires patience, risk, humility, and belief. This conversation is for entrepreneurs, founders, music industry professionals, artists, managers, creators, and anyone trying to build a business that actually stands for something. Watch more episodes of The Stephan Hogan Podcast for conversations on business, leadership, creativity, faith, ambition, failure, music, and the human stories behind success.verage Brand, Watch This https://www.countrypolitannashville.com https://www.studiobank.com/ https://stagewater.com/ https://www.simonsaysnashville.com/ Connect with The Stephan Hogan Podcast: https://www.tiktok.com/@stephanhogan https://www.instagram.com/stephanhogan https://www.facebook.com/stephanhogan Email: contact@mavericksmediaco.com Filmed in Nashville, TN Produced: Stephan Hogan Mavericks Media Co. Production

The Lost Art of Reinventing Yourself - Ben Montague

At some point, the dream changes. Ben Montague started as a musician chasing songs, shows, and the artist life. Then he found himself driving through the night after gigs, windows down just to stay awake, so he could open his guitar shop the next morning. That was the crossroads. Today, Ben owns Carter Vintage Guitars and Norman’s Rare Guitars. But the real story is not about guitars. It is about being able to shift gears and follow a new dream.  In this episode, Ben opens up about music, business, private equity, family pressure, acquiring Carter Vintage and Norman’s Rare Guitars, and the emotional cost of building something meaningful. This one is for musicians, creatives, founders, business owners, guitar lovers, and anyone who knows they may be standing at a turning point.  Connect with The Stephan Hogan Podcast: https://www.tiktok.com/@stephanhogan https://www.instagram.com/stephanhogan https://www.facebook.com/stephanhogan Email: contact@mavericksmediaco.com Filmed in Nashville, TN Produced: Stephan Hogan Mavericks Media Co. Production

When the Dream Becomes a Business

https://www.gofundme.com/f/stephanhoganpodcast Stephan sits down with Mitchell Tenpenny for a real conversation about fatherhood, grief, losing a parent, anger, therapy, phones, social media, AI, fake validation, human connection, and why live music still matters in a world full of content. Mitchell Tenpenny is known for songs like Drunk Me, Truth About You, At the End of a Bar, and his latest chapter as an artist, husband, and soon-to-be father. Mitchell Tenpenny is a multi-platinum country artist, songwriter, and performer with one of the most recognizable voices in modern country music. But this conversation goes far beyond the songs. Mitchell Tenpenny opens up about becoming a father, losing his dad, trying to be present, and the strange weight that comes with chasing something you love. He talks honestly about anxiety, performing live, protecting his voice, and the mental side of walking on stage when thousands of people are expecting you to deliver. Stephan Hogan and Mitchell Tenpenny also talk about what happens when the dream starts working. The number one songs, the pressure to keep going, the expectations, the business, and the moment the thing you love can start to feel like something you have to keep alive. At the center of the conversation is a question a lot of people eventually face: What do you do when the thing you love starts to feel heavy? Toward the end, Mitchell Tenpenny dives deeper into songwriting, Nashville, country music, why some writers get caught trying to impress other writers, and why the best songs are usually the ones that feel honest, simple, and human. Subscribe to The Stephan Hogan Podcast for more conversations with artists, songwriters, music executives, entrepreneurs, and creative leaders shaping the future of music, business, and culture. Connect with The Stephan Hogan Podcast: https://www.tiktok.com/@stephanhogan https://www.instagram.com/stephanhogan https://www.facebook.com/stephanhogan Email: contact@mavericksmediaco.com Filmed in Nashville, TN Produced: Stephan Hogan Mavericks Media Co. Production