Lack Of All Trades

Today is our last day, our final episode. When we set out on this journey as Lack of All Trades we wanted to meet interesting people, we wanted to explore and share ideas, we wanted to learn and grow from one another, and thanks to all of you that is exactly what we did. And now it's time for something new for both of us. For this final episode, we explore our journey, we reflect on our growth as friends, family, and individuals, we discuss how covid has shaped this last year and we say our final goodbyes. Thanks to everyone who has been on this journey with us.

Today we ask the question "What is the biggest risk you've ever taken?" We explore some interesting responses from our loyal listeners and cover everything from moving halfway across the world with nothing but two bags, to betting on yourself in search of bigger and better things!

Today we do something a little different by asking you, our listeners, "What is the best advice you've ever received?".As always, we loved hearing from you and figuring out how some of your advice applies to our own lives. We definitely learned a thing or two!If you missed out on answering this week, that's ok - we'll be posting a few more of these on our Instagram stories moving forward, so give us a follow, share your thoughts and let us know what you think about this new format!

Today we kick off with a chat around the impact of stress on our body and breathing, exploring the concept of email apnea and what it's like to feel the weight of your day to day job. Is it possible that the chaos in our minds can sometimes manifest itself in the way we live, maybe even in the way we organize our homes?We touch on Kyle's background owning and running his own business and reflect on our experience running the podcast. We ask the question, "Where are we now?" and ask you, our listener, some important questions that only you can answer.

After nearly a month apart Kyle is finally back, and man is it good to be back! Today we discuss the evolution of society and how the world has become better equipped to recognize abuse of power as the topic becomes more widely discussed and how it seems there is less tolerance for such abuses, especially during a crisis such as the pandemic we are currently going through. Kyle gets into what it feels like to be a new father, and we explore the perception we had of what it means to love your child based on what others have told us and compare it to our current experiences.We also explore being present and how distraction can rob us of precious moments before we even realize it, we unpack what being present means to each of us and how we try to practice staying in the moment.It was amazing being able to catch up again, and we are so excited to get back to business as usual!

Today's episode is largely about music and it's impact on our lives. MJ and Jaimie get into music, the moments it floored them, the moments it overwhelmed them, and everything it means to them. Jaimie talks about the challenges of adjusting back to more normal activities after being in lockdown for months and MJ explains the importance of facing our fears and putting ourselves in challenging situations. Kyle will be back in our next episode and we can't wait to have him.

Today MJ and Jaimie delve deep into the issues of putting to much pressure on themselves. They get into the feelings of self-doubt that all people go through and speak about redefining their goals to better measure growth rather than success.

Kyle is still on paternity leave with his family so MJ and Jaimie have to hold down the Lack of All Trades fort so to speak.MJ and Jaimie get into how their daily lives are changing as restrictions are lifted and as we go into lighter levels of lockdown.The conversation soon moves to existentialism as they discuss how being lonely or feeling alone can feel as good as it can feel bad, and Jaimie revisits some of the adventures she's undertaken on her own.It truly is unbelievable that we are living through "These Crazy Times".

We are all so excited that Baby Ross’ arrival is just a few days away! The time’s come for Kyle to take a bit of a backseat in preparation for her arrival and enjoy some well-deserved paternity leave.In the meantime, MJ needs a temporary co-host, so the lovely Jaimie, his fiance, steps up to join the Lack team for a little while!Today we chat a little about the ideas of aging, growing older, and how we perceive time. That leads to a little motivational segue where we explore Jaimie's decision to quit her job during lockdown and pursue her passions as an artist/nail tech.Happy 1st of July, everyone!

Today we sit down with an amazing guest, Camillo Lombard. Camillo is a renowned pianist, member of Top Dog Sa, and director of Cape Town Music Institute, CMI. Camillo joins us to share some of his amazing stories getting started in the music industry, many years ago, and what it was like for him as a young prodigy being thrown into positions of leadership at a young age. We also get into the impact that Covid-19 has had on the music industry and possible ways we can operate going forward. Camillo is by far one of our wisest guests and we are so glad he is now part of the Lack of All Trades family. We hope you guys enjoy it as much as we did!!

Today we take a moment to commemorate "Youth Day" and we get into why this "Youth Day" feels so different for us.Our commitment to all the listeners and followers of the podcast is that we will always try to grow and learn and hope to do it with all of you. So we hope that not only do you enjoy the discussion but you can also join in.

Today we have the honour of chatting with our good friend, Mornay Hoffmeester. Before Mornay was an absolute legend in the music scene, we happened to spend a couple years with him studying music and we're honestly not surprised to see how far he has come since then. Always smiling and always encouraging, we reminisce  about those moments chatting with him back in 2011 and how some of the things that he told us shaped the musicians that we are today. Mornay is a member of the band TopDog SA and has his own drumming school, Cape Drummers Lab. We really had fun catching up and discussing where life has taken him! Enjoy!

Today we talk about competition, one of the biggest influences in all of our lives. Over the last week, both of us have watched the new outstanding documentary about Michael Jordan called "The Last Dance". This made us both reflect on our own competitive nature. We both dig into the good and the bad as we try to understand where it comes from and how we've kept it from becoming an all-consuming way of life.

Today we spend some time with one of our dearest friends, Aidan Fourie, currently living in South Korea! Aidan joins us to share his unique perspective of a South African, in South Korea, during COVID19. He shares with us what it was like to be in the midst of the outbreak and what their government has done to curb the spread. He stresses the importance of social distancing as South Africa inches closer towards the predicted influx of confirmed cases. We also just catch up after realizing that it's been 2 years since he left. It's good to be back! 

Welcome back! Today we finally catch up after not seeing one another for almost a month and a half. As of writing this, South Africa is nearly in its second month of lockdown due to Covid-19. We discuss life in lockdown and how it has affected everything from our personal lives to our professional lives. MJ speaks about the stresses of moving to a new house just in time before the country locked down and Kyle catches us up on how the baby is doing and what it's like going through the pregnancy during these extraordinary times.

Today we discuss the little that we know about the Coronavirus. With all the fake news out there, neither of us had really given it any real thought, and so we ask the question, "Should we be concerned?".We also explore why we let this information go over our heads so easily and discuss how our society shares and digests newsworthy information.This was recorded 2 days before the first positive case was confirmed in South Africa.Share your thoughts and join in the discussion.

Kyle is back! Today we discuss how technology has changed the face of music and how free information has changed the world we live in for better and for worse. We hope you enjoy it!

It’s a very interesting episode today as Kyle had last-minute travel plans so MJ and Jaimie have to man the mics without him. MJ and Jamie look back at the best and worst parts of their school experiences, Jaimie reflects on boarding school life and the two explore some memories about their youth. Then as often happens MJ and Jaimie talk about parenting, they speak about their fears and how their own parents handled the challenge of raising kids. We hope you enjoy!

Today we're joined by a guest host, our good friend Darryn Rooza, the original third wheel! It gets very high energy in our studio today as the three of us cover several topics including music and technology. Rooza was initially supposed to be part of the Lack of All Trades team, but after all the initial discussions and planning we couldn't sync up to record and we had to go ahead without him, sadly! That said, we are so glad he's able to hop on for this episode and we know you guys will enjoy it as much as we did. Enjoy!

Today we ask the question, what was our perception of each other coming into this and how has that changed since? You think you know someone until you spend 30 hours talking to them! Surely we've learnt a thing or two? As a side note, this episode has no edits! It was really fun and kept us on our toes! Enjoy!

Today we discuss a sensitive topic, infidelity. We unpack the topic together and try to understand each other's take on an incredibly complicated issue. Kyle shares the kinds of preventive measures that they put in place and we ask whether or not we think couples can come back from such a thing. Hope you guys enjoy!

Today we had a last minute guest join us, and boy, were we pleased that she did! There's something really cool about having a 3rd person come along for the ride as we explore some of the topics that come up in our daily lives. If you didn't know, Jaimie is MJ's fiance and she brings along a whole lot of insight to what's otherwise a very LACK opinion. The 3 of us explore the topic of friendship and when is enough, enough? Enjoy!

We arrive at this episode on the back of a disagreement - after which, through this discussion we unpack and dissect the argument, coming to the realization that listening is paramount to understanding! MJ mentions that he has a gig coming up and explains that all his bad habits of obsessing over preparation are coming back. The two discuss how to try and approach things that can easily consume them in a healthier manner.

Welcome back, everybody! It's a new year and we've got some really good news! We catch up after not seeing each other for a few weeks and Kyle announces that they're having a baby! It's also a good time to reflect on some new year's resolutions, are they worth the effort? Thanks for listening!

It's the most wonderful time of the year! Today we take a moment to spread some Christmas cheer as we reflect on some our favourite memories of Christmas' gone. We also ask the age old question, is Father Christmas is real? Between the two of us we try to think back to the exact moment when the illusion was shattered and share our thoughts on the classic outlook for adults during this season - "It just doesn't feel like Christmas anymore". Join us for a really fun episode. Merry Christmas, everyone!

Today we sat down with Cape Town based musician, artist and song writer Kozi Mzimela who heads up a band called Orah and the Kites. We got the chance to talk to her about family life, where she came from and she even prompted a discussion with us about toxic masculinity. Show her some love, take a listen and enjoy.

Today we spent time chatting to Nella, one of the founders and producers of a local podcast called "The Cooking Kitchen".TKC is one of the forerunners in the local podcast scene, so we couldn't wait to pick her brain as she takes us through their early experience of creating the brand while sharing some personal stories of her own.It's fair to say we were a little nervous with our make-shift recording setup, it's not everyday we have someone in the loft who actually knows how little we know - fun! Show them some love, take a listen and enjoy!

I think it's fair to say that neither of us took the traditional route into the workplace. Somehow it just worked out.We explore the risks of bypassing the traditional educational system and whether or not it's still relevant in today's world. We also discuss the pressures that comes with having to choose a career path at 16 and the familial demands that come with that. So, how important is education? Take a listen.

Today we talked about some amazing organizations that are close to our hearts @peanutanimal, @sidewalkspecials and @luckylucyfoundationadoptions.These three non-profits have been working to educate people on the issues affecting stray cats and dogs, they have been taking them in, caring for them, assisting with any medical needs and finding them loving homes.@kylematthewross has been involved with these organizations for a while, regularly fostering kittens and have even adopted their own animals through these amazing companies.We're really glad we could take the time to talk about them and we hope you guys enjoy.

This episode is what happens when you record late on a Thursday, just hours before the Friday launch - it gets a little strange! MJ shares some details around his close call on stage and that pretty much sets the tone for the rest of the conversation. There are definitely some fun stories, but also very much a catch up session. You're all now part of our weekly catch up and we're so stoked to have you! Enjoy!

It’s Kyle's Birthday, ya'll! As two old men, we share some of our favourite birthday memories over the years and spend some time reflecting on our fair share of health scares along the way. As always, thanks for coming along with us for the journey - Enjoy!

Today we air some dirty laundry. Well, some of it. There's an interesting dynamic when two people are forced to get along for the sake of something bigger - it's fair to say that it's not always sunshine and roses. We chat about how we managed to defuse something that could've spiraled a little. We also spend some time reflecting on how this show has taken on a life of it's own! Enjoy!

Yep, you guessed it - today the wives take over Lack Of All Trades! You've heard us speak about them on just about every episode, so today they decided to kick us out and take over in what was looking to be a wasted session after some difficulties on our side. Jetara and Jaimie share their own perspective on what it's been like seeing the podcast come together while we kick back with some coffee downstairs and hope for the best! Enjoy!

Today we get a little carried away with our old friend, David Raath! We forget all of our podcast manners and speak all over each other while going through high school memories and what it was like being an inbetweener.Today David is a traveling session musician, currently based in Asia - the only one of our friendship circle to really stick it through with this music thing all the way from high school! Excuse our excitement as we kick back with one of our oldest mutual friends. Enjoy!

Today we dive into the impact of young climate activist, Greta Thunberg, and her cry for change. Kyle also asks MJ what it's been like planning his wedding so far and shares a bit about his journey almost 6 years ago. There may also be a cat somewhere in this episode. Enjoy!

Today we explore what it's like to kick some bad habits as MJ talks through his journey with smoking and his pledge to himself to stop by a certain age. Kyle's not out of the woods here though as we take a look at some of the more acceptable addictions in our society - did someone say, "Pasta"? Enjoy!

After spending time with some incredible guests we finally get to hang out and catch up. We discuss the difference between growing up as an only child in contrast to growing up with a number of siblings. We end up sharing some of our favorite childhood stories and we hope you guys enjoy this as much as we did!

Today we hang out with Thea De Klerk, an incredible animator and extremely talented artist. Thea takes us through her amazing life story from living all over Africa and Europe to how she got into the animation world. Thea has worked on some incredible projects like Sucker of Souls - episode 5 of Love, Death & Robots currently streaming on Netflix and is currently working on a new series called Primal coming out on Adult Swim October 7. You guys can find Thea on Instagram @thea.de.klerk and we hope you guys enjoy this episode as much as we did!  

Today we are joined by Charne Felix, an incredible para-athlete and a dear friend! We discuss her incredible journey on how she came to hold the African record for 100-meter sprint and the South African record for long jump, seemingly overnight! Charne was born with a club foot, a condition where the foot is rotated internally towards the ankle that at the time could only be dealt with through multiple surgeries. She’s also an ambassador for “Steps for Africa”, a charity Organization whose mission it is to enhance the lives of children born with clubfoot in South Africa and to bring awareness to the condition. We hope you guys enjoy this episode as much as we did. Be sure to check her out on Instagram @charnefelix_t44 and if you want to find out more about clubfoot check out the charity organization @steps_southafrica.

In today’s episode we discuss social media as an avenue for remote musicians, dive a bit deeper into our experiences on our own musical journeys and just have a great time all round. This one was a blast to record and hope you guys enjoy! Thanks for listening!

This week we discuss the life changing events that pushed us to change from studying music to our current careers. There are some gems in here that we both hear for the first time, listen in as we go back 8 years and share some of those personal details that we've never discussed before.

This week we hit record midway through our catch up! In many ways this is what our conversations were all about before Lack Of All Trades, we love that you're able to come along with us for the journey. We chat about the impact of technology on our generation, the power of social media and just some random theories that we know nothing about. Makes for some interesting listening. Thanks for all the love!

There’s no place like home! Today we discuss a recent trip to Johannesburg and what seemed to be a close call with crime. We also talk about a trip to the zoo, the state of animals in captivity and reflect on how this show has changed us since it started. We hope you guys enjoy it as much as we did!

So, this is the original episode we recorded with Rick Ink, bloopers and all. We don't always get it right and thankfully Rick was gracious enough to come back and give us another go at capturing his story. The 2 episodes go hand in hand with some inside jokes and some references here that really fill in some of the blanks as to who Rick is and his journey as a tattoo artist. Thanks for listening and a special thanks to Rick himself for being such an awesome guest!

Today we are joined by Ricardo Da Silva aka Rick Ink - one of Cape Town's most talented tattoo artists. Rick hung out with us to chat about everything from where he grew up, to how he got into tattooing (coming from a fine arts background) and we even got to find out about his first tattooing experience and what that was like! We hope you guys enjoy listening to the episode as much as we enjoyed recording it. Be sure to check Rick out on social media, you can find him on Instagram at @rick_ink.135

Ameera Conrad is an internationally acclaimed director, writer and actress. She joins us in studio today to chat about her life, upbringing and how she got into drama. She fights for social change by entertaining and educating audiences across the globe! Graduating with Cum Laude from the University of Cape Town's Drama Department in 2015, she is an alumnus of the 2017 Lincoln Center Theater Directors’ Lab in New York. She co-curated, co-wrote and performed in "The Fall", which toured the Edinburgh International Fringe Festival (2017) where it received a Scotsman Fringe First Award for Writing, The Stage’s Ensemble Award for Acting, and was shortlisted for the Amnesty International Freedom of Speech Award.

In this short clip we share our thoughts on what it takes to balance being a responsible adult and just wanting to sit by yourself and play some video games. Gents, this one is definitely for you. Ladies, if your man just wants to play FIFA all day, give this a listen.

Join us as we reflect on the early few weeks of our show and how we feel it’s been going. We also talk about how in the middle of all the adulty things that's been going on - all we really wanna do is play some FIFA. Oh, and also - MJ got engaged! It’s a good one. Enjoy!

In today's episode we get to know a bit more about our careers and what we do everyday. We also talk about the strange parallels between out of touch friends and how we ended up making very similar choices. Enjoy!

Fresh off the The Voice SA, we sit down with our old friend, Amy Tjasink, to catch up on life before, during and after one of the most talent dense competitions our country has to offer. She shares some behind the scenes stories of her journey, finishing in 7th place and we reminisce about our days in college together back in 2011. Be sure to check out her music on all major platforms - iTunes, Spotify and YouTube! Enjoy!

In this episode we share the very first recording that we ever did! Without a name or concept, it was literally our first take - bloopers included! We chat about our friendship, why we love podcasts and give you a glimpse into the life of a musician. Thanks for listening!