We Were Told We Should Do a Podcast

Adam is away this week and we've heard you - we know you want to hear more from our wonderful VLDL cast and crew! First up, we chat to Ellie. You may know her as Ellie from Bored, Bübble Bùtte from Tales of the Misfits, our old Social Media Manager and/or our current Podcast Producer. Ellie shares how she linked up with VLDL, reveals her favourite series, chats about the future and some of her fondest memories working with us and the wonderful VLDL community. Follow Ellie on Twitch and Instagram and here's a link to her Extremely Casual Gamers podcast if you're interested! Follow us on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube and tell us what we should talk about here. Like D&D? Search 'Viva La Dirt League D&D' on your fave podcast app, to listen to our D&D games! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Not sure if you've heard, but there's a pretty hot topic going around right now - artificial intelligence. As digital creators AI is certainly something that's been on our minds, and in this episode we chat about where Viva La Dirt League stands when it comes to AI. We answer questions like are we using AI? Are we scared of it? And will we ever use AI over people? And no, we didn't get ChatGPT to write this description - all human baby! Follow us on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube and tell us what we should talk about here. Like D&D? Search 'Viva La Dirt League D&D' on your fave podcast app, to listen to our D&D games! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/VLDL and get on your way to being your best self. You've heard about Bored, now it's time for a peek behind the Epic NPC Man curtain! How did the concept come about? Why the name Epic NPC Man? We discuss what inspired the characters we created and what goes into the world building. Plus, here the alternative Epic NPC Man outro songs that never saw the light of day! Follow us on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube and tell us what we should talk about here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Time to dive deeper into our very first flagship show - BORED! We discuss the origin of the name 'Bored', the decision behind making our first show set in a retail store and reminisce on some of our favourite early episodes. Plus, how did TechTown come about and how did we make our own store from scratch? This episode explains it all! Follow us on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube and tell us what we should talk about here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Introversion or extroversion, what's up with that? We're getting candid about where we fall on this scale and how we feel it has impacted our lives. We chat about growing up, dating, going to parties - all those overwhelming things we experience in life, in the hopes you may relate to us! Follow us on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube and tell us what we should talk about here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pretty ironic that we're discussing the turmoil that is social media, when it's what helped with our success! We reminisce on the early days of social media and discuss how it's both helped us in our careers while simultaneously impacted our lives in negative ways. Prepare to be reminded of things you may have forgotten about (#nostalgia!) and find comfort in the fact that we too find social media to be a tough place. This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/VLDL and get 10% off your first month. Follow us on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube and tell us what we should talk about here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You wanna know what irks us? Well you better listen to this episode AM I RIGHT? Sorry, we know shameless tease's probably irk you. We have a bit of fun today, complaining about trivial things that just irk us more than they probably should. Expect people related irks, toilet related irks and other niche things we assume aren't a unique experience. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/VLDL and get 10% off your first month. Follow us on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube and tell us what we should talk about here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Without Lord of the Rings, Viva La Dirt League may have never been a thing. We chat about how Peter Jackson and his work in Lord of the Rings inspired all of us as teenagers, long before the three of us met. We reminisce on our favourite scenes from the films and discuss why this franchise had such a huge impact on us as young Kiwi lads. Follow us on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube and tell us what we should talk about here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Off the back of our chat regarding Burnout last week, it got us thinking - are cellphones ruining us? As you read (and probably listen to this) on your cellphone, we reminisce our personal memories of the evolution of cellphones, how they influence us today and where they might go in the future. Follow us on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube and tell us what we should talk about here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have you ever experienced burnout? It can happen to anyone. Last year, we may have overcommitted ourselves by adding a studio-build onto our already hectic schedule - and you guessed it, we're experiencing burnout as a result. According to Web MD, Burnout is a form of exhaustion caused by constantly feeling swamped, and it's a result of excessive and prolonged emotional, physical, and mental stress.  We're lucky to have the job we do, but we're still affected by things like burnout and so we want to have a chat about how we've been affected and what we're doing to help ourselves, in case it's helpful to you. Follow us on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube and tell us what we should talk about here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Let's go back in time! We're reminiscing on our childhoods and reflecting on how life changes when you become an adult. Ice creams and Christmas just don't quite hit the same, but there's a sense of freedom as an adult we were forever chasing as kids. Take a walk down memory lane with us! Follow us on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube and tell us what we should talk about here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

TRIGGER WARNING: The episode contains discussions about mental health, including chats regarding depression, anxiety, and OCD - listener discretion is advised. You can find helpful resources below. All three of us have had difficult experiences with our mental health. We discuss how we've been affected and what did and didn't help in the hopes that it may help someone listening feel less alone. A gentle reminder that we are not mental health professionals and these experiences are strictly from our personal life experiences. Please do not hesitate to seek help with the resources below if discussions in this episode are triggering for you. Please note: since this podcast goes out to people from all around the world, we have included global resources. Please check with your local health authority for country specific resources. Global Helplines: Befrienders Worldwide: Provides emotional support worldwide. Visit their website to find a helpline in your country: befrienders.org International Suicide Hotlines: A comprehensive list of suicide hotlines around the world: suicide.org Your Life Counts: An international resource for suicide prevention: yourlifecounts.org Crisis Text Lines: Crisis Text Line (Global):Offers free, confidential support via text messaging. Text "HELLO" to 741741 from anywhere in the world. Online Therapy Platforms: BetterHelp: Offers online counseling and therapy services globally: betterhelp.com Talkspace: Provides online therapy with licensed professionals, accessible internationally: talkspace.com Global Mental Health Organizations: World Health Organization (WHO): The mental health section of WHO provides global resources and information: who.int/mental_health Mental Health Europe: A regional network promoting mental health and well-being: mentalhealtheurope.eu Language-Specific Hotlines: Samaritans (UK and Ireland): Provides confidential emotional support for people in the UK and Ireland: samaritans.org Telefonseelsorge (Germany): Offers emotional support in Germany: telefonseelsorge.de HopeLine (India): A helpline providing emotional support in India: vandrevala.com/hopeline Take care of yourself and remember that asking for help isn't weak, it is brave! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You've made it to the final part of the Viva La Dirt League story (well the final part for now - we ain't stopping!). We discuss the recent days, our biggest year, how we've grown and changed, how The Great Expansion impacted us (thank you!) and we speak candidly about realising our limits. Follow us on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube and tell us what we should talk about here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You've already heard part one of the Viva La Dirt League story and in this episode we dive into part two - the arrival of Adam. We discuss how, when and why it happened and what impact he had on the channel. We touch on the mid years of VLDL, how we left our full time jobs and reminisce on big viral moments. Follow us on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube and tell us what we should talk about here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You've possibly heard sprinkles of our Viva La Dirt League story, but we're finally diving into it properly! This episode covers the origins of VLDL (and it's only part one of three!) How did Rowan and Alan meet? We dive into the early days, how we formed and evolved, why we're called Viva La Dirt League and we touch on other iconic moments in VLDL's history. Parts two and three still to come! Follow us on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube and tell us what we should talk about here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices