By definition a pioneer is a person who is among the first to explore a new area or frontier.  That definition fits Joe Rogan to a tee…

      What began as a lark back in 2009, just two friends smoking pot while shooting the shit on air, not only led to the creation and universal acceptance of a popular medium known as the podcast, it also re-invented a creaky, out-of-date medium known as talk-radio.

     The man responsible was born in Newark, New Jersey on August 11, 1967.  From an early age, Joseph James Rogan gravitated towards Martial Arts.  What he was looking for was simple: Some confidence, and hope that he wasn’t going to be a loser for the rest of his life.  His early success in Karate (winning a US Open Championship at age 19) gave him a solid, healthy base to further expand his talents.

     Joking with guys at the gym and at Taekwondo School might seem like second nature to some people, but Rogan took it to a whole ‘nother level.  Whether conscious of it or not, Joe would be creating the raw material for comedy routines that would one day blaze the stage at the world famous Comedy Store in Hollywood, California – as Mitzi Shore, its once legendary owner – laughed away with the rest of the crowd.  It was his workout buddies who first convinced him to go on stage.

     And a wise choice it was…

     This led to acting roles in sitcoms, culminating in his most famous role as the host of NBC’s hit reality series Fear Factor.  Having success as an on air personality combined with his clinical understanding of Martial Arts, enabled him to become an interviewer for the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) in its infancy.  He was so good that UFC President Dana White asked him to be the Color Commentator for main events.

     In 2009 when Joe walked into the studio with fellow comedian Brian Redban due to a mutual interest in a brand new medium called live streaming, they had no idea just how truly groundbreaking the medium would become.  It took only 9 months for the “Joe Rogan Experience” to become a top-ten podcast, and by 2015 they had reached over 30 million subscribers and spawned an entire subculture of copycats and podcast wanna-be’s.

     Joe’s success in his chosen fields is based on a very simple philosophy he first learned on stage: “When somebody comes along and expresses him or herself as freely as they think, people flock to it.”

     Be genuine…